The pet café was pleasantly busy, filled with the sound of paws tapping across wooden floors, quiet conversations, and the occasional bark that made every toddler in the room turn their head. Having arrived a little early, Lisa had already claimed a cozy corner table near the play area, casually dressed in a hoodie, relaxed jeans, and a cap pulled low over her face—less for herself and more to avoid drawing attention to the tiny VIP she'd be spending the afternoon with. A familiar figure soon stepped through the door, Namjoon carrying little Young-mi comfortably in his arms. The moment the toddler spotted Lisa, her entire face lit up, tiny hands immediately reaching toward her with an excited little squeal.
A grin spread across Lisa's face as she stood.
"There she is," she laughed softly, already holding her arms out. "Come here, sweetheart."
Young-mi leaned so enthusiastically toward her that Lisa couldn't help but laugh again, carefully taking the little girl into her arms before gently bouncing her against her hip.
"You mind grabbing the drinks, oppa?" she asked Namjoon over her shoulder with an amused smile. "I think someone's already decided she'd rather come with me."
Young-mi was far too busy pointing excitedly toward a fluffy golden retriever trotting past to disagree.
"Oh? You want to go say hello?" Lisa asked, following the tiny finger with exaggerated seriousness. "Well... I guess we have very important business to attend to."
With Young-mi securely on her hip, she wandered toward the little play area where a handful of friendly café dogs were already waiting for their newest admirer, smiling to herself as the little girl giggled at every wagging tail.
✒️ plot starter with special guest @rkvcs
namjoon barely had time to step fully inside before youngmi was already leaning so far out of his arms that he had to tighten his hold for a second, just to make sure she didn't launch herself at lisa. "easy there," he laughed, though he couldn't say he was surprised. the second lisa reached for her, youngmi all but forgot he existed. "wow." he watched the exchange with an exaggerated look of betrayal. "not even a goodbye."
the accusation held absolutely no weight behind it. if anything, he looked entertained as he transferred youngmi into lisa's arms, the little girl settling in as if she'd been waiting for this exact moment all week. at her request, he glanced toward the counter before giving an easy nod. "yeah, i've got it." he was halfway there when he looked back over his shoulder, just in time to catch youngmi pointing excitedly at one of the dogs making its rounds through the café. a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. it really didn't take much to make her day.
by the time he'd grabbed their drinks, youngmi's laughter carried across the room, and each time he found himself looking over almost instinctively. she looked completely captivated by every wagging tail that passed by, while lisa seemed perfectly content letting her excitement set the pace. namjoon gathered them into a cardboard carrier before making his way over. "already thinking about adding another to your collection" he nodded towards the golden retriever when asking lisa.
