the next morning, Mark finished his morning routine and headed to Daeun's room to wake her up, as they had to leave in an hour. he was stunned to see her bed empty and a silicon Barbie doll on the floor. his heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned around to search for her.
he retraced his steps, heading to the nearest room to hers, thinking she had wandered there during the night. when he reached Renjun's bedroom door, he saw Daeun still sound asleep, nestled between him and a pillow. relief washed over him, and he couldn't help but smile at the sight.
"well, that explains the empty bed," he whispered to himself.
he walked over to her side of the bed and gently shook her shoulder. "Daeunie, it's time to wake up, baby. we need to get ready."
Daeun stirred, rubbing her eyes and yawning. "good morning, appa," she mumbled, reaching up for a hug.
Mark wasted no time, scooping her into his arms and peppering her cheek with kisses, earning giggles from his daughter. "aw good morning, baby. did you sleep well?" Mark asked between pecks.
"i was shocked to see your bed empty, little one," he pouted, then smiled as she hid her face in his shoulder, trying to sleep more.
"she tripped over her toy last night when she woke up looking for someone to sleep with. she got a bruise from it," Renjun explained, stroking Daeun's injured knee softly.
they headed back to her room, and Mark set her down gently. "let's get you ready, okay? we have a big day ahead."
surprisingly, her first shower at the dorm went smoothly. she didn't fuss over the slightly cold water. Mark placed her in the bathtub and moved the showerhead over her head after lathering her with strawberry-scented body wash.
as Mark helped Daeun pick out her clothes, she spotted the Barbie doll on the floor. "appa, that's the one," she said, pointing to it.
Mark picked it up and placed it on a shelf. "really? Barbie's not so friendly, huh? ," he chuckled seeing her pouting at the doll.
with Daeun dressed and ready, they headed to the kitchen where the rest of the boys were gathering for breakfast. the room buzzed with energy as everyone prepared for the busy day.
"let's get your tummy filled first-" Mark was interrupted by his morning timer, signaling 10 minutes left before their manager arrived.
he needed to be quick. "alright, everyone, we've got ten minutes!" Mark announced, trying to keep his voice calm despite the urgency.
the boys quickly finished their breakfast, with everyone helping Daeun to ensure she had enough to eat on their way. Jaemin made sure her food was cut into bite-sized pieces and packed it for her to eat in the car.
"let's go, angel. we'll have your breakfast in the car, okay?" Jaemin grinned at her, and she nodded. they all piled into three different cars, which Jeno, Jaemin and Mark ride together with Daeun
-
"Daeun, come here. i brought your breakfast. okay, let's get you comfy," Jeno said, buckling her into the seat beside him and carefully unwrapping the muffin. he fed the busy little girl, who was now digging into her bag packed by Jaemin.
"wow, what do you have inside?" Jeno asked, peeking into the bag filled with orange juice, bread, a coloring book, and her sippy cup. Jaemin had thoughtfully packed it, considering they would be too busy to look after her for a long time, leaving her in the care of their manager noona or another female staff member.
"thank you, Jaemin appa," she said from the back, and Jaemin decided to be playful.
"not accepted, no kiss received."
"Jeno appa, help, please! i wanna give kisses."
"wait, princess, you only ate half of this. you want more? yeah? Jaemin, you're getting her worked up!" Jeno laughed, kicking Jaemin's seat for making her impatient to finish her breakfast.
the car ride was filled with the sounds of Daeun chatting with Jeno and Jaemin, her laughter brightening the atmosphere. the boys felt a warm sense of contentment, knowing they were creating a loving and supportive environment for her.
