At the park, Seo-jun slumped onto a bench, utterly drained. In front of him, Daniel and Mira were still going strong, batting a shuttlecock back and forth with squeals of laughter.
Thirty minutes earlier, he'd tried to join in—but no matter how hard he swung, he kept losing. Miserably. The kids had laughed so hard their stomachs hurt. Now they were still full of energy, while Seo-jun could barely keep his eyes open.
"I'm done," he groaned, leaning back. "They've got energy like little monsters…"
When the shuttlecock finally dropped, both kids ran over. Daniel plopped down on one side, Mira on the other.
"Uncle," Mira said, tugging his sleeve. "Ice shakes!"
"Yeah, ice shakes!" Daniel added.
Seo-jun sighed, too tired to argue. "Fine… okay." He pushed himself up. "Let's go to the store."
The kids cheered, holding his arms as they walked into a small refreshment shop by the park.
"Welcome, sir," the young cashier said politely—then froze, her cheeks flushing when she saw him.
"Ice shakes," Seo-jun muttered, exhausted.
Mira piped up immediately. "Mango!"
"And strawberry!" Daniel said.
Seo-jun rubbed his forehead. "Two mango, one strawberry," he said.
The woman behind the counter smiled. "Coming right up."
As they worked, the two women whispered, stealing glances at him.
"He's… really handsome, isn't he?" one said."Gorgeous. Alpha or Beta? I can't even tell…" the other murmured.
Meanwhile, Mira wandered over to a nearby table and pointed at a glossy poster. "Uncle! Who's this?"
Daniel peeked. "Whoa… he's so handsome! Like a movie star!"
Seo-jun looked—and froze. His face heated.
On the poster was a striking man, posed perfectly for a photoshoot. Bold letters across the bottom read: Super Star.
Seo-jun snatched the poster. What the hell is he doing here? His jaw clenched.
"Stop staring at that," he scolded the kids. "Those are… bad pictures."
"But Uncle," Mira said dreamily, "he's sooo cool…""Yeah, super handsome!" Daniel agreed.
Traitors.
The cashier placed the shakes on the counter. She bit her lip nervously. "Um… do you have a girlfriend?"
Seo-jun blinked. "No."
She smiled. "Then… what about me?"
He gave a polite shake of the head. "Sorry. Not interested."
Grabbing the drinks, he walked out before she could say more. Outside, he collapsed back on the bench. The kids happily sipped theirs, while Seo-jun glared at the poster still in his hand, chest tight with irritation.
With a sharp breath, he downed his own shake in one go. Teeth aching from the cold, pride burning hotter. He crushed the empty cup and hurled it toward the trash bin.
It missed—by two centimeters. The cup bounced off the rim and hit the ground with a sad flop.
The kids burst out laughing. "Uncle! You can't even throw it in the bin? Easy!"
"Shut up," Seo-jun snapped, ears red. "I threw it randomly, okay?"
Mira smirked, finishing her drink, and tossed her cup straight into the bin. Daniel followed—perfect shot.
Seo-jun froze, jaw dropping. The kids high-fived proudly, while their poor uncle sat there, utterly defeated.