Episode 1: part 1. A Surprise Matchmaker

The morning rush at Sunshine Kindergarten was as chaotic as ever.

Children ran around with backpacks bouncing behind them. Parents hurried to work after dropping their kids off.

At the classroom door stood Lee Minho, a gentle kindergarten teacher with a warm smile.

"Good morning, Yuna!"

"Good morning, Teacher Lee!"

One by one, the children entered the classroom.

Then a small figure came running down the hallway.

"Teacher Lee!"

A little boy launched himself directly into Minho's arms.

"Whoa!" Minho laughed, catching him. "Good morning, Jiwoo."

Five-year-old Kang Jiwoo wrapped his tiny arms around Minho's neck.

"I missed you!"

"You saw me yesterday."

"That was a hundred years ago."

Minho chuckled.

"You're getting more dramatic every day."

At that moment, a deep voice spoke from behind them.

"Jiwoo."

The little boy immediately froze.

Minho looked up.

Standing there was a tall, handsome man in a tailored black suit.

Kang Taehyun.

CEO of Kang Group.

And Jiwoo's father.

The man looked cold and intimidating enough to make most adults nervous.

Yet Jiwoo simply pouted.

"Daddy, you're scary."

Taehyun sighed.

"You were supposed to say goodbye before running away."

"I was busy hugging Teacher Lee."

Minho tried not to laugh.

Taehyun glanced at him.

For a second, their eyes met.

Minho quickly looked away.

He had met Jiwoo's father many times during pickups and drop-offs, but the man always seemed distant.

Polite.

Quiet.

Impossible to read.

"Thank you for taking care of Jiwoo," Taehyun said.

"It's my job."

Jiwoo suddenly grabbed both their hands.

The two men blinked.

"Daddy."

"Yes?"

"Teacher Lee."

"Yes?"

The little boy grinned.

"You should get married."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Minho nearly choked.

"W-What?"

Taehyun looked equally stunned.

Jiwoo nodded proudly.

"I thought about it all night."

"Jiwoo—"

"If Teacher Lee marries Daddy, he can live with us."

"Jiwoo!"

"And then I can see him every day."

The little boy looked incredibly pleased with his own genius.

Minho covered his face.

Taehyun pinched the bridge of his nose.

For the first time ever, Minho saw something unexpected.

The CEO was trying very hard not to laugh.

And somehow...

That tiny smile made him look much less scary.

Meanwhile, Jiwoo looked between them.

Mission one had begun.

And neither adult had any idea.

Part 2. Operation Daddy's Husband

After making his shocking marriage proposal, Jiwoo happily skipped into class.

Leaving two very embarrassed adults behind.

Minho crouched down and cleared his throat.

"Jiwoo has... quite the imagination."

Taehyun nodded.

"Unfortunately."

Minho laughed.

To his surprise, Taehyun's lips curved upward slightly again.

The smile disappeared so quickly that Minho almost thought he imagined it.

"Have a good day, Mr. Kang."

"You too, Teacher Lee."

Taehyun left for work.

But neither of them noticed Jiwoo secretly peeking through the classroom window.

The little boy sighed dramatically.

"They're hopeless."

That evening...

Taehyun arrived to pick Jiwoo up.

As usual, Minho walked the children to the gate.

"Goodbye, everyone!"

"Goodbye, Teacher Lee!"

Jiwoo suddenly grabbed Minho's sleeve.

"Teacher Lee."

"Yes?"

"Daddy works too much."

Taehyun immediately felt danger approaching.

"Jiwoo."

The little boy ignored him.

"He eats alone."

"Jiwoo."

"He comes home late."

"Jiwoo."

"He doesn't smile."

Minho blinked.

The child looked genuinely worried.

"Really?"

Taehyun sighed.

"My son likes exaggerating."

"It's true!"

Jiwoo crossed his arms.

Then he pointed dramatically at Minho.

"Teacher Lee should eat dinner with us."

Both adults froze.

Again.

Minho nearly dropped the stack of drawings he was holding.

"D-Dinner?"

Jiwoo nodded enthusiastically.

"Daddy needs friends."

"I have friends."

"No, you don't."

"..."

"..."

Even Minho couldn't argue with that.

The CEO's face darkened.

Jiwoo looked victorious.

Later that night...

Taehyun sat at the dining table while Jiwoo ate his rice.

The little boy suddenly asked,

"Daddy."

"What?"

"Do you like Teacher Lee?"

Taehyun almost choked on his water.

"What kind of question is that?"

"A simple one."

"You're five."

"And you're avoiding the answer."

Taehyun stared at his son.

Sometimes he wondered if Jiwoo was secretly forty years old.

"I respect him."

Jiwoo narrowed his eyes.

"That's not what I asked."

Taehyun remained silent.

The truth was...

He had noticed Minho long ago.

The gentle smile.

The patience with children.

The way he always listened carefully whenever Jiwoo spoke.

But that didn't mean anything.

Right?

"Daddy."

"What."

"I think you're blushing."

"I'm not."

"You are."

"I'm not."

Jiwoo grinned.

The CEO suddenly felt like he was losing an argument to a tiny lawyer.

The next morning...

Minho arrived at school.

As he entered his classroom, he noticed something on his desk.

A folded piece of paper.

Confused, he opened it.

Inside was a colorful crayon drawing.

It showed three stick figures holding hands.

One was labeled "ME."

One was labeled "DADDY."

And the third was labeled "TEACHER LEE."

At the bottom was a message written in messy handwriting.

Please join our family.

Minho stared at the drawing.

Then he couldn't stop himself from smiling.

Meanwhile, outside the classroom door...

Jiwoo peeked through the crack and gave himself a thumbs-up.

"Operation Daddy's Husband is going perfectly."

To Be Continued... ❤️🏡✨

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***