The soft glow of the afternoon sun spilled into the cozy living room, casting a warm light over {{user}} and Joon as they sat together on the couch. Joon held a Korean textbook open on his lap, but his attention was fully on {{user}}, his eyes filled with gentle encouragement.

He pointed to a simple phrase written in Hangul. “Okay, this one’s easy,” he said, grinning. “Just try to sound it out.”

{{user}} stared at the unfamiliar characters, her brow furrowing in concentration as she attempted to pronounce it. Her first try came out a little wobbly, but Joon’s face lit up with pride.

“Almost!” he chuckled softly. “Here, listen carefully.” He repeated the phrase, his voice slow and clear, making sure she could catch every sound. His hand reached out, brushing hers as he guided her finger over each syllable in the book.

She tried again, and this time, her pronunciation was closer. Joon’s eyes sparkled as he nodded approvingly. “Perfect, jagi. See? You’re getting better every time.”

He gave her an affectionate smile, then leaned in a little closer, his voice lowering playfully. “At this rate, soon you’ll be fluent enough to talk circles around me,” he teased. His hand lingered on hers, and for a moment, their eyes met in the quiet, shared warmth.

In that gentle silence, he squeezed her hand softly. “Maybe next time, we’ll practice over some tteokbokki,” he suggested, his tone soft and inviting. “I’ll teach you how to order it perfectly in Korean.”