Twinkle

2.Adoption

It had been two hours since Taehyung had brought the injured woman to the hospital. Now, she was in the ICU, and the doctors were battling to save both her and her unborn child. Their words echoed in his mind

"Both lives are in danger."

Taehyung sat on the bench outside, his hands clasped together as he leaned forward, anxiety etched on his face.
He didn’t know what to do. Should he call his hyungs? Jin was on a business trip, but Jimin... Yes, he could call Jimin.

Reaching for his phone, he was suddenly startled by the sound of a baby’s cries. The pure, innocent wails pulled him from his thoughts, and his heart raced.

Was it a boy or a girl? He found himself inexplicably excited—an emotion he hadn’t felt in years.

Forgetting about the call to Jimin, Taehyung's attention was now glued to the ICU doors. Moments later, they swung open, and a doctor stepped out, followed closely by a nurse holding a small, swaddled bundle. Taehyung was mesmerized, unable to tear his eyes away from the tiny figure.

"Mr. Kim? Mr. Kim!" the doctor called, finally shaking his arm to snap him back to reality.

"Y-Yes, doctor?" Taehyung stammered, his voice barely steady.

The doctor let out a heavy sigh, his expression somber. "I’m sorry, Mr. Kim. We couldn’t save the mother. She lost too much blood during delivery. But her final wish was for us to save her child—and we did."

The nurse stepped forward, gently lowering the baby into Taehyung's view. "Congratulations, Mr. Kim. It’s a girl."

Taehyung stood frozen, his eyes locked on the baby. She was sleeping peacefully, her tiny face radiant and angelic. His heart skipped a beat—how could someone so small hold such beauty?

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was a call from the police, whom he had informed about the accident.

"Hello, Mr. Kim," the officer began.
"Yes?"
"We’ve investigated the scene. The car belongs to Mr. Lee Jun-ho. The woman you brought to the hospital is his wife, Mrs. Lee Hana. Mr. Lee Jun-ho had been serving in the military, but he passed away from a sudden heart attack last night. Today, Mrs. Lee was on her way to retrieve his body."

Taehyung's grip on the phone tightened. "What about their families?" he asked, his voice cold but shaken.

"Both were orphans," the officer replied. "They grew up in the same orphanage and had no other family members."

Taehyung was overwhelmed. This wasn’t his responsibility. He could leave now—it wasn’t his problem. Yet, as he turned to walk away, the baby’s face flashed in his mind. Her serene innocence stirred something deep within him.

Needing a moment, he headed to the coffee machine for a distraction. While sipping his coffee, he overheard two nurses talking nearby.

"Did you hear about the woman who just passed? She and her husband were both orphans."

"Yeah, such a tragic fate. Now their baby’s an orphan too. Poor thing—she’ll end up in an orphanage."

"Senior doctors are already contacting NGOs to take her in."

The word orphan struck a chord in Taehyung. He, too, had grown up without parents. He knew the void, the pain of being alone in the world. His chest tightened at the thought of this tiny girl enduring the same fate.

Without a second thought, he tossed his coffee into the trash and ran to the doctor’s office, barging in unannounced.

"Mr. Kim?" the doctor asked, startled. "Is something wrong?"

Taehyung's voice was firm but breathless. "I want the child."
"What are you—"
"I want to take responsibility for her," he interrupted. "I’ll adopt her."

The doctor stared at him in disbelief.

Moments later, Taehyung stood outside the nursery. The adoption process had been expedited thanks to his wealth and influence, but now, as he prepared to meet the baby officially, he felt something unfamiliar—nervousness.

Was this tiny being really making him feel this way?

He didn’t know how he would manage or what the future held, but one thing was clear: he didn’t regret his decision. Looking through the glass, he saw the baby sleeping soundly. His heart softened, and a small smile crept onto his lips.

This was the start of something new. Something he didn’t know he needed.