The En- Hearthrob😏 Toddlers👶

~22~

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After days of non-stop adventures, Heeseung declared today a rest day. The boys had practically jumped out of their beds every morning for the past week, bursting with excitement, and he knew they needed some downtime. So he kept things simple: lounging around the hotel room, naps, and a little TV to keep everyone calm.

The boys were sprawled out on the beds and couches in the suite, munching on snacks, watching cartoons, and every now and then, dozing off for a nap.

“Hyung, this is kinda nice,” Jungwon said, cuddling a pillow. “But… when are we going out again?”

Heeseung chuckled. “Tonight, we’re going to a beach restaurant for dinner. We’ll get to watch the sunset and have some really good food. Just think of it as a fancy picnic by the sea.”

Ni-ki’s eyes sparkled at the mention of the beach. “Beach food? Like… the fishy monsters I saw in the water?”

Heeseung blinked, stifling a laugh. “Uh… sort of. But don’t worry, they’re not alive.”

Jake wrinkled his nose at the mention of fishy monsters. “As long as it’s not scary, I’ll eat it… maybe.”

Heeseung just grinned, hoping dinner would go smoothly.

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That evening, as the sun dipped low in the sky, Heeseung rounded up the boys and led them to the beachside restaurant. The tables were set up close to the water, with twinkling string lights and the sound of waves gently lapping against the shore. The boys were in awe.

“Hyung, it’s so pretty here!” Sunghoon said, his eyes wide as he took in the sparkling lights.

Heeseung smiled, glad they were enjoying the ambiance. “It’s perfect for our beach dinner,” he said, guiding them to a big table with a view of the ocean. “And just wait till you see what we’re eating tonight.”

As they settled in, the waiter brought out plates with different types of seafood: grilled fish, shrimp, crab, and even some clams, along with rice and colorful vegetables. The boys stared at the food in awe… and a bit of horror.

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Jake took one look at the shrimp on his plate and scrunched up his nose. “Euwww!” he whispered loudly, pushing the plate away from him as far as possible. “Hyung, this is… weird. It’s looking at me!” He pointed dramatically at the shrimp, as if it were personally out to get him.

Heeseung bit back a laugh. “Jake, it’s not looking at you—it’s just food! Try it.”

But Jake refused, staring suspiciously at the shrimp. “I don’t trust it, hyung. It’s all… fishy!” He scrunched his face in disgust, taking a piece of bread and dramatically chomping on it instead, hoping nobody would ask him to go near the shrimp again.

Jungwon, meanwhile, was happily chomping away on his food without a care. He had no clue what most of it was, but he’d discovered he actually liked seafood and had started reaching over to Jake’s plate to snag any extra shrimp that Jake refused to eat.

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Sunghoon, however, was doing the opposite. Instead of eating, he was creating his own little masterpiece on his plate, stacking pieces of shrimp and clamshells into what looked like a tiny seafood tower. He glanced up at Heeseung, beaming with pride. “Look, hyung! It’s a seafood castle!”

Heeseung tried to stifle a laugh. “Sunghoon, buddy, you’re supposed to eat it, not build with it.”

Sunghoon just shrugged, admiring his “castle” as if it were an art piece.