Jin-woo walked to the passenger side of his sleek car and opened the door for Eun-soo.
Eun-soo looked at him for a brief moment, surprised by his politeness, and then stepped inside.
Jin-woo started to guide Hajun toward the back seat, but Eun-soo spoke up softly.
"Please, let him sit on my lap in the front seat," she said, reaching out her arms.
Jin-woo looked at Hajun, who gave a small, shy nod of approval.
He carefully placed the boy on Eun-soo's lap and tossed the small backpack into the back.
Once he was in the driver's seat, Jin-woo pulled his seatbelt on and looked over at Eun-soo.
She was struggling to reach the buckle because she was holding Hajun tightly.
Without thinking, Jin-woo leaned across the center console to help her.
As he pulled the belt over them, his face came very close to hers.
Eun-soo froze, her eyes widening in surprise as she looked at him.
She wondered how a married man could be so bold as to lean in this close to a teacher.
Jin-woo suddenly realized how the situation looked and felt a wave of embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," he muttered quickly, clicking the belt into place and pulling back to his side.
The drive to the café was filled with a heavy, quiet atmosphere.
When they arrived at the Secret Alley Café, they found a small, private table in the corner.
"What would you like to drink?" Jin-woo asked as they sat down.
"Oh, I don't need anything, thank you," Eun-soo replied politely.
Jin-woo insisted, so she eventually smiled and told him that anything would be fine.
He ordered Hajun's favorite treat first, followed by two simple black coffees for the adults.
Once the drinks arrived, Eun-soo looked at Jin-woo with a serious but kind expression.
"Mr. Seo, I wanted to talk to you because Hajun is very quiet in class," she began.
She explained how he spent his lunch break alone, solving math puzzles instead of playing.
Jin-woo's expression shifted from professional to deeply sad as he listened.
"I'm sorry," he said, his voice dropping to a low, painful tone.
"Hajun's mother passed away in an accident recently," he explained softly.
"He has become much more silent since then, but I will try harder to talk to him."
Eun-soo felt a sharp pang of sympathy in her heart, realizing she had misjudged the man in front of her.