In-hwan gently tapped Ji-an’s backside and spoke in a soft voice.
“Ji-an, time to wake up.”

“Uunngh…”
Ji-an shook her head with her eyes still closed. She had stayed up late the night before waiting for her dad to come home. Even now, at eight in the morning, she showed no sign of waking.

Due to an unexpected situation at work, In-hwan didn’t get home until two in the morning—well past his usual hours. Ji-an had already fallen asleep by then and didn’t get to see him.

“Come on, wake up. Let’s go to Seoul Grand Park together.”

he whispered gently into her ear. Maybe she heard it in her sleep, because Ji-an slowly opened her eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling, still lost in a haze of sleep.

Her drowsy eyes were so adorable that just looking at her made him smile.

Blink, blink.

As Ji-an blinked sleepily, In-hwan softly repeated himself, as if to confirm what she’d just heard.
“Let’s go to the zoo, okay?”

“…Huh?”
At those words, Ji-an suddenly sat upright. Her already big eyes widened in surprise.

“The zoo? We’re going to Seoul Grand Park today?”
The five-year-old beamed brightly as she turned to her father.

From the kitchen, where she was making gimbap, Gyeong-hye chimed in.

“Yup. So let’s get up and brush your teeth, okay?”

With her mother’s answer, Ji-an practically bounced out of bed and dashed toward the kitchen.
“Wow! Really?!”

“We have to get washed up first if we’re going. Oppa’s already ready. Go on and get dressed.”

She bounced around the house with pure excitement, and both In-hwan and Gyeong-hye couldn’t help but smile at their delighted daughter.

Jung-ho had already been up for a while. Fully dressed, he sat calmly reading a book.

Today, for the first time in a while, the family of four had planned a day out together.

Gyeong-hye’s due date for their second son was just around the corner. Once the baby arrived, it would be difficult to go on outings like this for a while.

Even though it was hard for her to stand for long in her heavily pregnant state, Gyeong-hye had gotten up early that morning to start making gimbap.

Since Jung-ho and Ji-an’s favorite food was Gyeong-hye’s gimbap, she’d woken early to prepare it herself.

“I’m gonna go wash up now!”
“I’ll help you.”

In-hwan offered with a smile. In high spirits, Ji-an bounced her way to the bathroom, and In-hwan followed to assist.

Standing in front of the sink, Ji-an giggled nonstop.
“Daddy, are we gonna ride the elephant train today?”
“Of course.”
“And… we’ll see animals too?”
“Absolutely.”
“Yay! I’m so excited!”

Even while In-hwan held a towel under her chin to help her wash, Ji-an chattered excitedly and was unable to keep still. Her flushed, animated face was full of joy, melting In-hwan’s heart. His gaze practically dripped with affection as he watched his beloved daughter.

They had visited the zoo earlier that year, and Ji-an hadn’t stopped talking about it since. In-hwan had meant to take her again, but he had been so busy with work that half a year had already passed.

“Say ‘Ahh~’.”

He said, holding up her toothbrush. Ji-an opened her mouth wide like a little bird.

Too cute for words.

After carefully brushing every corner of her teeth, Ji-an took her rinsing cup and swished her mouth thoroughly. Then, her eyes twinkled with curiosity as she piped up again.

“What about drinks?”
“Do you want something?”
“Yeah! Pororo strawberry juice. And snacks! Kancho!”

“Alright. We’ll pick them up on the way.”

Ji-an’s eyes crinkled into crescent moons, beaming with delight.

After finishing up, she ran off to her room, the sound of her feet thudding lightly down the hallway. She flung open her closet and began pulling out clothes in a flurry, dressing herself without waiting for help. From the kitchen, Gyeong-hye, busy preparing the lunchbox, watched her daughter with a quiet, fond smile.

***

“Whew, finally made it.”

In-hwan sighed, turning off the ignition. They had gotten ready early in the morning and left the house on time, but the traffic near the entrance was so heavy that even after arriving at Seoul Grand Park, they had spent quite a while circling the packed parking lot.

Once they had finally parked, the whole family got out of the car and set off briskly towards the entrance.

“The weather’s perfect today.”

Gyeong-hye murmured as she looked around at the scenery. Though walking even a few steps was difficult in her heavily pregnant state, the gentle autumn breeze felt refreshingly pleasant. Breathing in the crisp air, watching her excited son and daughter running around—it was a moment of quiet, complete happiness.

Even the baby in her belly seemed to be enjoying it, kicking more energetically than usual, as if eager to join in.

“It really is nice today.”

In-hwan agreed, his voice warm. Autumn was in full bloom. Couples strolled arm in arm, families wandered with laughing children, and middle-aged friends came to admire the fall foliage. Everywhere you looked, there were smiling faces.

With the weekend crowd and such beautiful weather, Seoul Grand Park was packed. In the middle of it all, Ji-an held tightly to In-hwan’s hand while Jung-ho gripped Gyeong-hye’s. The two children were busy pointing here and there, soaking in the sights.

At the entrance, Ji-an spotted a large tiger statue. She ran up to it and struck a pose, forming a peace sign with her fingers.

Lately, whenever they took pictures, she always made that V sign. In-hwan had already learned it was her way of saying, “Take a picture of me.”

Smiling to himself, he took out his phone.
“Want me to take a photo?”
“Yeah!”

Ji-an nodded eagerly. Amused by her enthusiasm, In-hwan chuckled softly.
“Okay, Ji-an. Ready? One, two, three—smile!”

After snapping a few shots, In-hwan turned to a passing couple and asked politely.

“Would you mind taking a photo of us?”

“Sure!”

The man replied with a friendly smile, accepting the phone.

“Thank you so much.”

In-hwan, Gyeong-hye, and Jung-ho stood beside Ji-an, lining up together.

“Alright, here we go!”
Click, click.

The man took three quick photos and then walked off hand-in-hand with his girlfriend, disappearing into the crowd.

They were still near the entrance, but Ji-an was already bursting with excitement, darting her gaze in every direction.

“Mom! I want that one!”

She pointed her finger at a dog-shaped balloon with wheels, her eyes sparkling as if begging to take it home.

Right by the gate was a souvenir shop, perfectly placed to catch children’s attention. Ji-an was no exception.

Whenever they went on outings like this, Gyeong-hye usually gave in to whatever the kids wanted. Without hesitation, she bought the balloon and handed it to her daughter.

“Jung-ho, you pick one too.”

“Hmm… then I’ll take this one.”

He chose a balloon shaped like a cute little car and looked immensely pleased with his decision.

“Wooow!”
With a beaming smile that made it seem like she owned the whole world, Ji-an began trotting around, dragging her new balloon behind her.

Watching Ji-an and Jung-ho walking ahead, In-hwan and Gyeong-hye exchanged a fond smile.

“Are you sure you’re okay walking?”

In-hwan asked gently, his voice laced with concern. She was in her final month of pregnancy, and even taking a few steps had become a challenge.

In-hwan wasn’t just a loving father—he was also an exceptionally caring husband. That tenderness was one of the reasons Gyeong-hye had fallen in love with him and decided to marry him.

“I’m fine, we’re already out here anyway. Even if the baby comes tonight, it’s okay.”

At this stage, it wouldn’t be a problem if she went into labour. In fact, walking was encouraged during the final month to help the baby descend. It was just a bit tiring, that’s all.

“Mom! Mommy!”
As they chatted and walked, they eventually arrived at the boarding station for the elephant train.

While In-hwan went off to buy tickets, Ji-an stood by Gyeong-hye’s side, holding her hand tightly. She hadn’t stopped smiling since getting that balloon—it was clear how much she adored it.

“Ji-an, do you like it that much?”
“Uh-huh! I love it sooo much!”
Her little face lit up as she nodded enthusiastically, her eyes crinkling with joy.

Moments like this made it all worthwhile. Gyeong-hye was grateful they’d decided to take this outing before the baby came. She knew they wouldn’t have many chances like this again anytime soon.

As they waited in line, In-hwan returned, waving the tickets.
“Ready to get on?”

Everyone’s face lit up with a bright smile.

***

“It’s been ages since we came here.”

Sang-ah said as she looked around.

“You used to come here when you were little. Do you remember that?”

It had been a long time since she had felt well enough to go out like this. She’d always felt guilty that her son didn’t get to go on outings with her, like other children did. So, on a day when she was feeling relatively well, Sang-ah decided to take him to Seoul Grand Park.

Her mother, Seong-rim, had come along as well.

“Not really.”

“I don’t blame you. You were about seven at the time.”
Sang-ah’s eyes dimmed slightly as she recalled the past.

Se-hyeon’s father was always busy running his business, so she had never been on a family outing like this before. Even if she had asked her husband to come along, he wouldn’t have agreed.

As a result, Sang-ah usually had to go out with Seong-rim, who helped look after Se-hyeon. Today was one of those days.

Sang-ah knew only too well how her son felt when he saw other families spending time with their dads. It pained her deeply, but she made a conscious effort not to show it, keeping her expression carefully composed.

“How could he remember something like that? Our little puppy’s grown up so much.”

Seong-rim smiled warmly at her grandson, who was now at elementary school.

Her daughter’s complexion was deteriorating day by day, and although she tried to remain cheerful, Seong-rim knew how much Sang-ah wanted to spend time with her son while she still could.

That’s why they had chosen today, a nice day, for this rare outing.

Nevertheless, Seong-rim couldn’t stop checking on her daughter, anxiety gnawing at her heart.

Se-hyeon sensed that his mother wasn’t feeling her best either. He reached out and gently held her hand.

“Let’s go now. It’s time to ride the elephant train.”

“Shall we?”

Sang-ah replied, smiling softly at her dependable son. With Seong-rim on one side and Se-hyeon on the other, Sang-ah boarded the elephant train—her son’s favorite ride.

And deep down, she hoped that even if one day she was no longer around, he would remember this day.

As the three of them sat side by side, the crisp autumn breeze swept gently over them.