Chapter 6: Rules of Engagement
614 Words
It had been three days since the cafe meeting.
Minjun hadn’t stopped talking about “Mr. Jihan.”
“Mommy,” he said, sprawled on the floor with crayons, “when will Mr. Jihan come again? He said he would bring me a robot!”
Mirae looked up from her laptop. “You remember everything, don’t you?”
He grinned, teeth missing in places. “Yep!”
She gave a half-smile and returned to her work, but her chest ached. The way Minjun had attached himself so easily… it scared her. Kids didn’t understand boundaries — or heartbreak.
That night, while Minjun slept curled around his stuffed lion, Mirae stared at her phone screen for a long time before typing:
We need to talk. Alone. Tomorrow.
Jihan’s reply came instantly:
Name the place. I’ll be there.
---
They met at a quiet rooftop garden bar downtown, the kind that played soft jazz and served sparkling lemonade in fancy glasses. It wasn’t romantic — it was neutral ground.
When she arrived, Jihan was already there, staring out at the skyline. The wind ruffled his dark hair, and for a second, she remembered that night three years ago — how different things had been.
“Mirae,” he said as she sat down.
She didn’t waste time. “Before you see Minjun again, we need to set rules.”
He blinked. “Rules?”
“Yes. This can’t be chaos. He’s a child. His world is small. I won’t let anyone turn it upside down.”
Jihan nodded slowly. “Okay. I’m listening.”
She took a deep breath. “First — you can’t just appear whenever you like. I’ll plan visits. Gradually.”
“Fair.”
“Second — no overnight stays, no sudden gifts, and no calling yourself ‘Daddy’ yet. He doesn’t know what that means. He’s still figuring it out.”
A flicker of pain crossed his face, but he nodded again.
“Third — if you’re not serious about staying in his life, say it now. Walk away.”
His jaw tightened. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I need you to prove that.”
He leaned forward, eyes sharp. “Do you think this is easy for me? I found out I have a son after three years. Do you know how many nights I stared at a ceiling wondering why I couldn’t forget you?”
She stayed silent.
He continued, softer now. “I don’t want to fight with you, Mirae. But I will fight for him. And for you… if you let me.”
She blinked, surprised. “This isn’t about us.”
“No, but it could be. Someday.”
“I’m not ready for that.”
“Okay. Then let me just be there. For him. For now.”
---
When she returned home, Hana was waiting in the kitchen with folded arms.
“Well?” she asked.
Mirae sank into a chair. “We made a list. Like a custody contract, but without the lawyers.”
Hana raised an eyebrow. “And?”
“He agreed to everything.”
“Even the ‘no daddy’ rule?”
“Even that.”
“Wow,” Hana said, handing her a glass of water. “He’s serious.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay?”
Mirae looked out the window where the moon was rising. “I don’t know what I am.”
But somewhere deep inside, she knew this was the beginning of something they couldn’t stop now — not her, not Jihan, not even little Minjun.
The pieces of a broken past were slowly shifting.
And the future was starting to form.
- Writer
