Eun-soo stood by the classroom door, watching as the new student walked toward her.
The young man holding Hajun's hand looked incredibly sharp, his black hair styled perfectly above a focused expression.
When they reached her, she looked at him kindly and asked, "Are you Hajun's father?"
"Yes," he replied shortly, his voice deep and steady.
Eun-soo took Hajun's small backpack and guided the quiet boy into the bright, colorful classroom.
Once inside, she gathered the other children and introduced Hajun to his new classmates with a warm smile.
She settled him at a small white table near her desk so she could keep a close eye on him during his first day.
The morning was filled with the sounds of English lessons and the gentle notes of the piano.
Eun-soo loved teaching her students how to sing and play music, hoping to make their learning feel like a game.
As the hours passed, she noticed that Hajun was remarkably polite, but he was also very quiet.
While the other children ran around and laughed during lunch, Hajun sat alone with a small notebook.
He wasn't drawing pictures; he was focused intently on complex math puzzles, his tiny brow furrowed in concentration.
This child is far too quiet for a five-year-old, Eun-soo thought to herself, feeling a tug of concern.
After the final bell rang, she walked over to him and knelt down so they were at eye level.
"Hajun, why are you always doing puzzles?" she asked softly. "Don't you want to go and play with the others?"
Hajun simply shook his head, his eyes remaining fixed on the numbers in his book.
Eun-soo gently lifted him into her arms, trying to encourage him to join the fun, but he remained silent.
She didn't want to force him, so she let him return to his puzzles while they waited for his father to arrive.
In the evening, Jin-woo's tall figure appeared at the entrance of the kindergarten, looking for his nephew.
Hajun's face lit up the moment he saw him, and he scrambled out of his seat to run toward his uncle.
Eun-soo followed behind with the boy's bag, her mind made up that she needed to speak with this man.
"Mr. Seo, can we talk for a moment?" she asked as they met at the gate.
The school day was over and the building was starting to close, making it hard to have a private conversation.
Jin-woo checked his watch and then looked at the young teacher's concerned face.
"There is a quiet place nearby called The Secret Alley Café," he suggested. "We can talk there."
Eun-soo hesitated for a second, knowing it wasn't typical to go out with a parent, but she looked at Hajun and nodded.
She knew that to help the boy, she had to understand the man standing in front of her.