Jihyuk happily followed behind Seungho as they made their way back to the office. He walked a little faster to keep up with the taller man’s long strides, but just as they entered the busy hallway, a sudden wave of people flooded in—patients, nurses, doctors, and visitors all moving at once.

Jihyuk blinked, his small hands reaching out to grab onto Seungho’s coat—

But he missed.

Instead, he was swept along with the crowd, his tiny frame slipping between people as they moved in different directions.

"Ah—!" Jihyuk tried to turn around, tried to call out, but the sheer number of moving bodies overwhelmed him.

The next thing he knew, he was standing inside another examination room, staring up at a completely different doctor.

The man looked down at him, clearly confused. "…And who do we have here?"

Jihyuk gulped. "Uh-oh."

Meanwhile, outside in the hallway, nurses and doctors started to notice the small, lost-looking child glancing around nervously. One of the nurses immediately crouched down to his level, offering him a kind smile.

"Hey there, sweetie. Are you lost?"

Jihyuk’s lips parted, his eyes shifting left and right, trying to think of an answer that wouldn’t make him look like a baby. "I-I’m not lost," he mumbled. "I just… misplaced my ahjussi."

The doctors around him exchanged amused glances.

"Ahjussi?" One of them chuckled. "Who’s your ahjussi, little one?"

Jihyuk hesitated. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to tell them or not, but before he could answer, another nurse gently asked, "Are you here with your father?"

Jihyuk’s face scrunched up in disgust. "What? No way!"

The group of adults laughed.

"Then your brother?"

Jihyuk huffed. "No! I came with Seungho-ahjussi—uh, I mean, Dr. Ryu!"

At the mention of the infamous, ever-serious Dr. Ryu, the nurses’ eyes widened slightly. Then, as if on cue, they all turned toward each other with knowing smiles.

"So that’s who you’re with!" One of them giggled.

Jihyuk tilted his head, confused. "What? What’s with that reaction?"

"Oh, it’s just…" one of the nurses leaned in conspiratorially, "we’ve never seen Dr. Ryu bring someone with him before. He’s always so… well, you know, calm and serious."

"Yeah," another doctor joined in, crossing his arms. "He barely talks to anyone unless it’s about work. But here you are, walking around the hospital with him like it’s normal."

Jihyuk puffed out his chest proudly. "Of course! Seungho-ahjussi is my ahjussi."

The medical staff chuckled at his confidence, clearly entertained.

Before they could tease him any further, a deep, unmistakable voice interrupted.

"Jihyuk."

Jihyuk’s head snapped up. "Ahjussi!"

Seungho stood at the end of the hall, arms crossed, glasses slightly lowered as his piercing crimson eyes scanned the group around the boy.

The nurses and doctors quickly straightened up.

"Dr. Ryu!" One of them greeted, a little too enthusiastically. "We were just keeping your… little companion company."

Seungho sighed, rubbing his temples. "I was gone for two minutes. How did you manage to wander off?"

Jihyuk pouted. "I didn’t do it on purpose! The crowd stole me away!"

A few nurses giggled, whispering amongst themselves about how oddly parental Dr. Ryu sounded.

Seungho shot them an unimpressed look before extending his hand toward Jihyuk. "Come on."

The moment Jihyuk spotted Seungho, relief flooded his small body. "Ahjussi!" he called out, his tiny legs carrying him as fast as they could toward the older man.

But in his excitement, he didn’t notice the slightly uneven tile on the hospital floor. His foot caught on the edge—

And before he knew it, he was tumbling forward.

"Ah—!"

A sharp scrape burned against his knee as he hit the floor, a small whimper escaping his lips.

Seungho was by his side in an instant. Without a word, he scooped Jihyuk up effortlessly and carried him to the nearest waiting chair.

"Be still," Seungho instructed, his deep voice laced with both concern and exasperation as he gently examined the boy’s knee. "Didn’t I just tell you to be careful?"

Jihyuk pouted, his hands gripping Seungho’s sleeve. "I was careful… the floor betrayed me."

Seungho sighed, shaking his head before glancing at a nearby nurse. "Bring me an antiseptic and a bandage."

The nurse nodded and quickly returned with the supplies. Seungho took them without hesitation, carefully disinfecting the scrape despite Jihyuk’s tiny flinches.

"Ow," Jihyuk muttered, brows furrowing.

"Stop whining. This is what happens when you run around recklessly," Seungho lectured as he secured the bandage over the wound.

Jihyuk, however, wasn’t listening. He was too busy watching Seungho. The way his sharp, composed expression softened just a little as he tended to his wound. The way his usually cold hands were so gentle as they worked.

A warm feeling bubbled in Jihyuk’s chest.

Before Seungho could pull away, Jihyuk suddenly cupped the man’s face with his small hands, his tiny fingers pressing against Seungho’s cheeks.

Then—

Peck!

The boy leaned in and gave Seungho a quick kiss on the cheek.

Seungho froze.

The entire hallway went silent for a second before soft chuckles erupted from the nurses and doctors watching nearby.

"Well, well," one of them whispered teasingly. "Looks like someone has completely tamed the mighty Dr. Ryu."

Seungho cleared his throat, quickly removing Jihyuk’s hands from his face. His usual sharp composure was visibly shaken, a faint redness creeping onto his ears.

Jihyuk just grinned mischievously. "That was a thank you, ahjussi!"

Seungho exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose.

This kid…

And to make things worse, the entire hospital definitely wouldn’t let him live this down.

 "I told you bringing me along was a good idea. Now the whole hospital knows you’re not as boring as they thought."

Seungho sighed.

What have I gotten myself into?