it was a peaceful morning when Jeno received a call from one of the SM staff.
"yes. they claim they've purchased the other photographers' photos of her and now own the rights to gatekeep them, which is why none of those made it into the media yet."
"well, that explains it," Jeno said, running a hand through his hair as he listened intently. this involved his members and Daeun. it needed to be handled carefully.
"so, why did he buy them all and not publish them? i don't get it..."
"right, the company claims they won't post them under one condition."
Jeno took a deep breath. this was not what he wanted to hear. "and what's that?" he asked, waiting patiently for the response.
"they want your first interview with your daughter to be for their company and the first one to get media coverage of NCT DREAM and their kid."
Jeno chewed his lip and sighed. the conversation continued for some time, revealing the company's identity, their interview timeline, and more details.
the company was willing to do the interview whenever they were ready, but if they gave the first interview to anyone else, the media would expose the photos and their dates, claiming NCT DREAM had hidden Daeun from their fans.
Jeno didn't appreciate being cornered this way. they would have to introduce her to the public eventually, when everything is under control. but things didn't went as how they intended to due to the threat.
he shuffled into the living space late at night to find everyone else had already retired to bed and poked his head into Daeun's room. she was sleeping peacefully and hadn't crawled into anyone else's bed. yet.
he smiled to himself, brushed her hair out of her face, and then made his way to his own room. he was more than ready to settle down. he'd tell the others about the phone call in the morning.
Mark suddenly woke up feeling restless. he cracked his eyes open a bit and noticed his door was open, but no one was there. he closed his eyes again, not bothering to get up and shut the door. yet, he still felt like someone was watching him. he got up and shut the door, stumbling back to bed. he crawled in and started to get comfy when he felt something soft and warm in his bed.
"oh shi-" he yelled, whipping the covers back to find Daeun in the bed. he could barely see her in the dark. "Daeun. how did you get in here so quietly? i didn't see you coming just now," he mumbled, opening his arms for her to crawl into as his eyes drifted shut again.
-
Daeun woke up long before anyone else. she sat up and looked at the sleeping Mark before she slipped out of bed and out of his room to see who was awake. she glanced at the clock in the hallway even though she couldn't tell the time.
there was no one in the living room, but she could play nicely by herself. She hopped on the sofa and held her own concert with no audience until Renjun, who had just finished showering, came out of his room.
"bubs, come here," he called. Daeun's hair was literally a bird's nest, with strands poking out everywhere.
she scampered over to Renjun, her little feet pattering against the floor. he couldn't help but smile at the sight of her.
"morning, bubs," he said softly, scooping her up and carrying her to his room. "let's fix that bird nest of yours"
Daeun laughed, leaning into Renjun's chest as he gently combed through her tangled hair. he was careful not to hurt her, using detangler spray to help with the worst knots. "what would you like to eat today? we got cereals, toast, bagels and-"
"bagelss!" she exclaimed.
he put her on top of the kitchen counter and gave her a plushie to keep her busy while he made her breakfast.
"where is Lele appa?" she asked, clutching her plushie.
"he's coming later for lunch, sweetheart," Renjun replied with a smile. she beamed as Renjun ruffled her hair, placing the bagel in front of her for her first meal of the day. she'd been excited since then at the thought of Chenle visiting home.
as she nibbled on her toast, Renjun kept an eye on her, making sure she was eating well. "do you miss Lele appa?" he asked, leaning against the counter.
she nodded vigorously, but was quickly replaced with a pout, it's been long since he come to the dorm.
Renjun chuckled. "he said he have a surprise for you."
her eyes sparkled at the thought. "yeayyy"
just then, Mark walked into the kitchen, still looking a bit groggy. "morning, everyone," he said, yawning. he noticed Daeun's bright smile and the excited twinkle in her eyes. "someone's in a good mood today."
"Lele appa is coming home!" she announced proudly, holding up her bagel as if it were a trophy.
Mark smiled. "that's right. he'll be here soon."
---
"i'm back." Chenle announced with a big smile.
"Lele appa! what is tha-aaah, it's cute!" Daeun squealed, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the small dog in Chenle's arms.
"here, open your arms—no, no, smaller circle, good job! now careful," Chenle instructed as he handed over the small dog.
as soon as she put Daegal on the floor, the puppy started touring around the house, running excitedly. Daeun, elated, chased after the dog's wagging tail. she had been wanting a dog ever since she saw one in her dreams, and now she had a new playmate.
much to the dog's dismay, it got caught by the energetic toddler and was scooped up by Chenle, who followed her to ensure she didn't bump into anything.
"kitten, i didn't get my welcome kiss yet. you chase Daegal instead? no, Daeun, stop letting her lick your face, please," Chenle tried to pry the puppy from Daeun, who kept hugging it and bringing it everywhere around the house.
finally, Chenle managed to get his toddler settled in his lap, with Daegal nestled comfortably. Daeun giggled as Chenle gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.
