leaving Daeun with Jeno and the rest of the Wishies, Haechan brought Sion and Riku to the side of the stage, not too far from the playdate spot. "hyung's very, very sorry, but can i ask for something?" he asked with a hint of urgency in his voice.
Sion looked at him, concerned. "sure, what is it?"
Haechan took a deep breath, hesitation evidence in his voice. "um...can you all look after her for a while tomorrow? only during our performance,"
Sion glanced over at Daeun, who was engrossed in playing with her toy bunny, then back at Haechan. he smiled reassuringly. "of course. we'd be happy to take care of her. she's a joy to have around."
Haechan's tension eased slightly. "ah thanks, Sion. it really means a lot to us. we couldn't focus on her as much during our stage, so we were a bit worried."
"don't worry," Sion said, placing a hand on Haechan's shoulder. "we'll make sure she's entertained and well taken care of. she's in good hands. Yushi's good with kids,"
Riku nodded in agreement. "yeah, no problem at all"
Haechan smiled gratefully. "really? thanks, guys. i really appreciate it."
as they returned to the group, Daeun looked up at Haechan with curiosity. Haechan knelt down to her level and smiled. "you wanna play with them tomorrow when we work? does that sound okay to you?"
Daeun nodded slowly, still a bit shy, but she would love to play more.
"what a relieve," Haechan said, giving her a reassuring hug. Jeno joined them, lifting Daeun onto his shoulders. "for now, we have dinner first, okay?"
"yes!" she squealed, giggling as she held onto Jeno's head for support.
when it was time to leave, the Wishies waved goodbye to Daeun, who waved back with more confidence. "bye-bye," she said, her voice came out louder.
"bye, Daeunie! come visit us again soon!" they called after her.
it was almost 12 a.m when they finished the rehearsal, although they would repeat it again the next day for the soundcheck in the morning. the members of NCT were exhausted but relieved that everything had gone smoothly. the hallways were quiet as they gathered their belongings, ready to head back for some much-needed rest.
Renjun walked over to where Daeun was, finding her curled up on a makeshift bed of blankets, fast asleep. the staff had done an excellent job of looking after her as always, ensuring she was comfortable and safe.
back at home, he carefully laid Daeun down on his bed, covering her with a soft blanket. he sat beside her, watching her sleep for a moment before deciding to get some work done. he checked his emails and went over some schedules, all while keeping an eye on Daeun.
after a while, Daeun began to stir. she opened her eyes, blinking sleepily. "baba?" she called out softly.
"i'm here, bubs," renjun replied, moving closer. "i should sleep as well then," with that, he slowly lulled to sleep, ensuring the door was left slightly ajar in case she needed them during the night.
_
d-day has finally arrived. the next morning came too quickly, and the house was filled with the sound of alarms and hurried preparations. despite the late night, the members of NCT were up early, ready to tackle the day's schedule.
Daeun woke up, her energy renewed after a good night's sleep. she bounded into the kitchen where Jisung was preparing her fried rice. "good morning, Jisung appa!" she chirped, hugging his leg.
"aigoo morning, munchkin" the maknae replied, lifting her up for a proper hug. "did you sleep well?"
"yes yes! are we going there again today?" she asked eagerly.
"we are," Renjun answered as he entered the kitchen, already dressed for the day. "but first, let's get some breakfast in you."
they enjoyed a quick meal together, the familiar routine providing a sense of normalcy amidst the hectic schedule. soon after, they were on their way back to the concert venue, ready for the soundcheck.
as they arrived, Daeun was on her best condition. she waved to the staff and everyone she saw, who greeted her warmly. it was an important day for NCT, each of them was nervous as ever but through it all, Daeun was a bright and cheerful presence, bringing smiles to everyone around her.
"soundcheck in 5! we gonna do a quick-run this morning, just to make sure the mics and the sound system are functioning well" the performance director called out, his voice echoing through the venue.
the bustling atmosphere was a mix of excitement and focused energy as the crew and artists prepared for the final soundcheck. "alright, sweetheart, you stay here with them, okay?" Renjun said, kneeling down to Daeun's level. "we'll be right back to pick you up"
dreamie's manager who was already at the side of the stage, smiled warmly and held out his hand to Daeun. "come on, let's watch from here. you'll get the best view."
Daeun nodded eagerly, taking her hand and watching as her appas joined the rest of the members on stage. the soundcheck began, and the powerful music filled the venue, each beat resonating through the space.
the performance director walked around, checking each mic and making adjustments. the members lightly ran through their choreography, some were still sleepy, still ensuring everything was perfect for the upcoming concert.
as the soundcheck progressed, Daeun's excitement grew. she clapped her hands and swayed to the music, totally engrossed. her eyes sparkled with admiration as she watched her appas and uncles move across the stage. occasionally, when their eyes met hers, they would wave, sending her into fits of delighted giggles.
Chenle, noticing her enthusiasm, made sure to give her a little wave every time he had a moment to spare. Jaemin would blow her playful kisses in between his parts, making her laugh even more.
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hi i need help, how should daeun adress the wishies? i was contemplating between oppas and uncles??? oppas kinda make it cringey haha but if it's okay with everyone, then ill proceed. if not, id go with uncles (although theyre not THAT old) but anyways let me know or else i couldn't proceed w more chaptersss
