bonus chapter

years passed quietly, the way love sometimes does.

aeri never imagined she'd be here—not when the bet started, not when she first sat across from him in the library pretending to care about books. not even when he sketched her with trembling hands and called her beautiful.

but she was here. in the small apartment they now called home. married to jeon wonwoo. with their daughter asleep between them, her tiny hand curled against his chest.

they had gotten engaged the spring after graduation. it wasn't loud or flashy—just a quiet moment on the rooftop of their university library. he asked with soft eyes and shaking fingers, and she said yes before he could finish the sentence.

the wedding was small. intimate. aeri cried during her vows. wonwoo held her hands the entire time.

and now, years later, they had her.

her name was somin.

she was small and soft, with wonwoo's eyes and aeri's laugh. she loved storybooks and crawling into their bed in the early morning, mumbling half-formed words and climbing onto her father's chest like he was a mountain made just for her.

"appa," she whispered one morning, still blinking sleep from her lashes. "appa... wakey."

wonwoo groaned softly, pretending to still be asleep. aeri watched from the other side of the bed, biting back a smile as somin gently poked his cheek.

"wakey now," she said again, more insistent.

"hm?" he hummed, opening one eye. "why?"

"b'cause." she leaned close. "sun up. appa play?"

he reached for her, pulling her into his arms, pressing a kiss to her hair. "appa always plays."

aeri turned on her side, head resting on her hand, watching the two of them. wonwoo looked at her and smiled—one of those soft, sleepy smiles he only ever gave to her and somin.

"you're awake," he said.

"i've been awake," she replied, brushing a hand through somin's curls. "she's your daughter, after all. bossy."

wonwoo chuckled. "she's your daughter too. dramatic."

"am not!" somin cried, clumsily copying the phrase she must've heard before. "am baby!"

aeri laughed, leaning over to kiss her daughter's forehead. "you're right. you're just our baby."

wonwoo nodded, eyes soft. "our everything."

and in that small apartment, with the sunlight pouring in and a toddler giggling between them, it didn't feel like the end of a story. it felt like the beginning of something new.

something gentle. something real.

something worth everything.

the smell of pancakes filled the apartment, warm and sweet, clinging to the morning air.

aeri stood barefoot in the kitchen, wearing one of wonwoo's old shirts and humming softly as she flipped a pancake on the pan. the sound of soft giggles echoed from the living room, just beyond the kitchen counter.

"no, somin—appa's hair is not a nest," wonwoo said, his voice gentle and amused.

aeri peeked over her shoulder. somin was sitting on wonwoo's back as he lay stretched out on the rug, her tiny fingers tangled in his hair, trying to "style" it with the pink toy comb she refused to let go of.

"yes!" somin declared confidently. "birdie live here now."

"birdie, huh?" wonwoo turned his head slightly, still flat on the floor. "should i name him?"

somin gasped like he'd just said the most brilliant thing in the world. "yes. name is... tofu!"

aeri snorted, covering her mouth with her wrist.

"tofu?" wonwoo repeated, glancing at aeri like did you hear that?

aeri laughed softly, flipping the last pancake onto the plate and walking over to them. she crouched down beside them, resting her cheek on wonwoo's shoulder.

"he does kinda look like a tofu," she whispered, brushing a hand through his messed-up hair.

wonwoo closed his eyes, smiling. "great. now i'm a bird's tofu home."

"tofu house," somin added proudly, clapping her hands.

"your breakfast is getting cold," aeri said, leaning in to kiss wonwoo's temple.

"can't move," he mumbled. "i'm a tofu house now."

aeri rolled her eyes, smiling as she reached out her hands toward somin. "come here, baby. let's let appa rest before he turns into miso soup next."

somin giggled as aeri lifted her up and placed her gently in her booster seat. she wiggled in her spot, waiting eagerly as aeri put pancakes on her plate, cutting them into little pieces shaped like stars.

wonwoo eventually joined them at the table, hair still a little wild, eyes soft and sleepy. he sat across from aeri, resting his hand on hers under the table, thumb brushing her knuckles.

somin munched on a bite of pancake, cheeks full, then looked up at them both. "we happy," she said, a little crumb stuck to her lip.

aeri met wonwoo's eyes.

"yeah," she whispered, squeezing his hand. "we really are."