@carame_liz_ed: short #jikookAU in which singl...

short #jikookAU in which single dad JM messes up the spooky eyeball cookies for his daughter’s halloween event at school, and in turn draws the attention of maddeningly perfect and always put-together fellow single dad JK

JM isn’t having a good day. Halloween - or any holiday, really - used to be fun, but now it’s just another stressful event on the long list of things single dads like him have to deal with. He stayed up late the night before, slaving over the oven to make spooky, Pinterest-worthy

eyeball cookies for the school’s Halloween event. But between helping his 5 year old daughter Soojin with her last-minute costume crisis and trying to keep up with work deadlines, things in the kitchen go horribly wrong.

The cookies do NOT look like eyeballs.

What comes out of the oven are lumpy, flesh-colored blobs that, from a distance, look disturbingly like... boobs.

JM stares at them in horror, silently praying that he’s just imagining it. But after stepping back, squinting, and tilting his head at different angles,

there's no denying it: they absolutely look like boobs.

Unfortunately, he really doesn't have time to fix them, and he can’t show up empty-handed either. So he does the only thing he can think of.

He packs the cookies into a container, shoves them into the farthest corner of the school’s Halloween bake table, and slaps the lid on.

Out of sight, out of mind.

No one will notice, he tells himself.

Except, of course, JK does.

JM doesn’t hate JK. Not exactly. But he definitely doesn’t like him either. It’s not that JK’s done anything wrong... it’s more that everything about him screams effortless perfection, which drives JM insane.

His clothes are always crisp and ironed, his hair styled in a way that

somehow looks casual yet immaculate, and his daughter, Sumin, is one of those well-behaved kids who never throws a tantrum. Ever.

Meanwhile, JM can barely manage to get Soojin out the door in matching socks, and her endless energy makes the mornings a whirlwind of chaos.

He sometimes doesn’t even have time to properly brush his hair, and then there is JK, who shows up to the rushed morning drop-offs looking too good for a man who’s supposed to be as exhausted as the rest of them.

To make things worse, the other parents adore JK.

He gets admiring glances from the moms and dads at school, all of them nodding approvingly at the polished single dad who seems to have it all figured out. But JM? He gets pitying smiles and “You’re doing your best” looks, as if he’s barely holding it together.

JM hates it. And unfortunately, even if JK annoys him, even if he envies how perfect he seems...he can’t help but notice him in other ways too. He’s too good-looking to ignore, with those broad shoulders, that shiny hair, and that stupidly attractive smile.

He's exactly JM’s type. Which is terrible and annoying, because JM doesn’t want to crush on someone who makes him feel like he’s barely scraping by. He totally blames it on this damn dry-spell he's currently stuck in, but yeah... long story short: He's attracted to the guy.

Which is why his eyes spot JK from across the school’s gym not long after the Halloween party has started.

He watches as the other strolls toward the bake table, casually scanning the treats with that frustratingly calm confidence, and JM's stomach drops when

JK’s eyes land on HIS container.

'No, no, no, don’t open it,' he silently pleads, his heart pounding.

But, of course, JK doesn’t get the message. He lifts the lid, takes one look at the cookies, and freezes. JM can already feel the judgment radiating from across the room.

He wants to crawl under a table and disappear, but instead, he forces himself to march over, squaring his shoulders.

“Oh my,” he laughs a little too loudly while approaching, watching as JK picks up one of the cookies like it’s some strange artifact. “Who made these? Wow."

JK blinks at him with a slight frown. “You did.”

“What?" JM laughs nervously. "Why would you think that?”

JK points at the container. “The Tupperware says your name on it.”

JM’s face flushes, and he clears his throat awkwardly before crossing his arms.

“They’re eyeballs.”

JK raises a brow. “Eyeballs?”

“Obviously."

“Obviously?” JK echoes, glancing at the cookie. “They look like-”

“I know what they look like,” JM cuts in, his face burning with embarrassment. “But I didn’t have time to fix them. That’s why I put them in the corner...

...with the lid on. You weren’t supposed to open it.”

“Well, I did,” JK says flatly, placing the cookie back in the container. "And these are wildly inappropriate for a school event."

JM’s hands clench at his sides. "I know that. I didn’t do it on purpose!”

JK looks skeptical. “Then why even bring them?”

JM’s temper flares. Of course, JK wouldn’t understand. The perfect, well-organized single dad who never seems to screw up.

“Because bringing something is mandatory. And some of us don’t have everything under control all the time. And also, it’s not my fault you don’t like my boobs—my cookies. My boob cookies."

JK blinks, clearly taken aback. “I didn’t say that.”

“Oh, so you like them?”

“What? No! I mean, I didn’t say you have to have everything under control.”

JM rolls his eyes. “Well, you didn’t need to,” he snaps, words spilling out before he can stop them.

“You always look perfect—like you’ve got this single parent thing all figured out. Meanwhile, I can’t even bake a decent batch of cookies, apparently.”

JK stares at him for a long moment, his expression softening slightly.

“I wasn’t trying to make you feel bad.”

JM exhales slowly, some of his anger deflating.

“I know,” he mutters, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just... it’s hard. And I know I’m not great at it. I’m just... I'm trying."

JK watches him for a moment longer, then lets out a small chuckle.

“You think I have it all figured out?”

“You don't?”

JK shakes his head with a laugh. “Not even close. Most days I’m just winging it. Same as you."

“But...But you always look so good while doing it,” JM blurts out before he can stop himself.

JK’s eyebrows shoot up before a teasing smile spreads across his face.

“I do?”

JM’s face flushes with heat, and he desperately wishes he could swallow his words back down. His mind scrambles for an escape route, but there’s no taking it back now.

“I...well, I mean...you just always look so... put together. Hair styled, clothes ironed, you even have time for—" he waves his hand around, "manicures."

JK brings his hand up, inspecting his nails before his eyes find JM's again.

“That’s a pretty detailed observation, JM. Didn’t know I had your attention like that.”

JM’s heart stumbles in his chest.

Abort!

He clears his throat awkwardly, feeling the heat crawl up his neck. “I just...everyone notices, right? You’ve got this... whole thing.”

He gestures vaguely toward JK, trying to sound less pathetic. “It’s annoying."

JK hums, and there is a playful glint in his eyes.

“Annoying? Good to know.”

Something about his tone makes JM’s pulse quicken, and he shifts awkwardly, flustered under JK’s gaze.

He should stop talking. It's rude to call someone annoying.

“I mean...I don’t know...” His eyes dart anywhere but JK’s face. "It’s just...uhm...I've noticed. I...yeah."

JK chuckles softly, but the playful glint in his eyes remains.

“It's okay. For what it’s worth, I’ve also noticed you.”

JM’s breath catches. “What?”

JK doesn’t miss a beat. “You’re a good dad, JM.” His voice is calm. “You handle more than you give yourself credit for. And you're really cute while doing it."

JM blinks, his heart stuttering in his chest. Is JK... flirting with him?

“Stop,” he mumbles, feeling his face heat up again. “I'm a mess half the time.”

JK’s smile softens, but he doesn’t back off. “Well, I think you're cute."

JM's throat goes dry.

JK’s confidence and the way he’s looking at him right now, makes his brain fizzle into static, and only when JK steps back slightly, he feels like he can breathe again.

“You have a babysitter for Soojin?”

“What?” JM blinks.

JK’s smile is easy, but there’s something in his eyes, something that sends a spark down JM’s spine.

“Tomorrow night. Seven. You have someone to watch Soojin?”

JM’s heart does a little flip.

“Uh, yeah, my mom should be able-” He frowns. "Wait, why?"

“Because I’m taking you to dinner.”

JM’s brain practically short-circuits.

“Dinner?”

JK smirks, crossing his arms. “Yeah. I’ll pick you up.”

JM stares at him, dumbfounded, and watches as JK casually reaches into the container, grabbing one of the cookies.

He takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully before glancing at it.

"Hm, I’m not really a boob guy," he licks a crumb off his lip, "but these are pretty good."

JM stares at him. “Not a boob guy," he echoes dumbly.

JK smirks, leaning in. "No, I'm more into other assets."

His eyes sparkle as they trail down JM’s body, lingering at his hips, and JM’s face heats up instantly, his heart pounding in his chest. Before he can react, JK goes on.

"And yours? Definitely my type." Then he winks playfully before stepping past him. “See you tomorrow.

”
JM stands frozen, his heart still racing, the warmth spreading all the way to his ears as he watches JK walk away, casually greeting other parents as he passes before taking a seat in front of the pumpkin-decorated stage, where the kids will soon perform their Halloween play.

Before settling in, he looks over his shoulder at JM, pointedly pushing the last piece of boob cookie into his mouth and chewing with a grin.

JM quickly turns away, flustered, before biting back a smile.

It seems like, for the first time, by messing up, he’s actually made something go right.

🎃 the end 🎃