Scarlet Strings.

Chapter 50:
Five Years Later

The house was still, bathed in the quiet blue of early dawn. Outside, the winter air was crisp, and the sky was painted with the soft hues of an approaching sunrise. Inside, however, mischief was afoot. Tiny footsteps padded cautiously across the wooden floor, barely making a sound.

Wi Tae-Ha, Scarlet and Ha-Joon's three-year-old son, tiptoed toward the kitchen, his tiny hands clutching a small woven basket filled with freshly picked strawberries from the garden behind their house. His cheeks were flushed pink from the cold, and his dark hair was tousled from sleep, but his little face shone with excitement.

He bit his lower lip to suppress a giggle, his eyes sparkling as he approached his father, who was already waiting in the kitchen. Ha-Joon, dressed in a simple gray sweater and sweatpants, looked up from the mixing bowl in front of him and smiled at his son. "Did you get them?" he whispered.

Tae-Ha nodded furiously, carefully lifting the basket up to his father. Ha-Joon took it with exaggerated seriousness, inspecting the strawberries as if they were the most precious treasure.

"These are perfect," Ha-Joon said, lifting his son onto the kitchen counter. "Good job, buddy."

Tae-Ha beamed, but quickly clapped his tiny hands over his mouth, remembering their mission, surprise Mommy. Today was Scarlet's birthday, and the two of them were determined to make it special. "Shhh, Appa," Tae-Ha whispered. "We can't wake Mommy."

Ha-Joon chuckled, ruffling his son's hair before placing the basket on the counter. "Right, right. We have a mission."

With that, the two got to work. Ha-Joon measured out the flour, sugar, and butter while Tae-Ha eagerly mixed them together, though more ended up on his chubby cheeks than in the bowl. The little boy giggled as he helped his father whisk the eggs, his small hands barely able to hold onto the handle.

Ha-Joon glanced at him with an amused smile. "You're a great chef, Tae-Ha. Maybe you should open your own bakery."

Tae-Ha puffed up with pride. "A big bakery!" he declared. "With lots and lots of cakes!"

Ha-Joon laughed. "Alright, but first, let's make this cake for Mommy."

They worked together, carefully pouring the batter into a round cake pan. Tae-Ha clapped his flour-covered hands together in excitement as his father slid the pan into the oven.

"Now we wait," Ha-Joon said, setting the timer.

Tae-Ha scrunched his nose. "I don't like waiting."

"Me neither," Ha-Joon admitted with a grin. "But we have another mission."

Tae-Ha's eyes widened. "What is it?"

Ha-Joon leaned closer, whispering, "We need to decorate the garden for Mommy's birthday dinner."

The little boy gasped in excitement, kicking his tiny legs. "Let's do it!"

***

Before the decorations could go up, the garden needed to be cleared of snow. The previous night had brought fresh snowfall, leaving the backyard covered in a thick, white blanket. Ha-Joon knew they couldn't set up a beautiful candlelight dinner without first making space, and his little helper was more than eager to assist.

Bundled up in a puffy blue jacket, tiny gloves, and a knitted hat that barely covered his ears, Tae-Ha stood at the edge of the garden, gripping his small plastic shovel. His breath puffed out in tiny clouds, and his little nose was already turning pink from the cold.

Ha-Joon, standing beside him in a black coat and thick gloves, surveyed the snow-covered ground. "Alright, buddy," he said, adjusting his grip on his much larger snow shovel. "We have a big mission, clear the snow so we can surprise Mommy. Think you can handle it?"