no space ! MINSUNG

the baby ²

Jisung was probably going insane.

"You're so cute... aren't you? Aren't you?" He had spent the last hour babying the little troublemaker. Turns out, the Kneazle wasn't so peaceful after all.

Once it woke up, it got hyperactive. Jisung let it run around the room, but it started scratching Hyunjin's bed frame, forcing him to intervene. He realized he had to keep it entertained. The baby voice worked, along with some petting. It purred, relaxed, and leaned its head against his hand, eyes closed.

Jisung sighed, exhausted. As much as he loved magical creatures, the excitement of meeting a Kneazle had worn off two hours ago. Petting it was nice, but he was bored.

He stopped for a moment, and the Kneazle immediately opened its eyes, perking up and giving him a look.

"What?" Jisung asked as if expecting an answer. The Kneazle tried to jump off his lap, eager for more stimulation, but he stopped it. "Ah-ah. You have to stay here. You're too wild to run around."

He picked it up with one hand, and it started kicking and making small noises, clearly unhappy. "You're annoying. Just like your dad." Jisung smirked, knowing Minho would have argued that he was the annoying one.

He placed the Kneazle back on the bed and resumed stroking it, hoping it would calm down again. It settled on his chest, lying down with him. As Jisung absentmindedly caressed the creature, he let his mind wander.

He thought about the day's interactions, overanalyzing as usual, and started coming up with possible names for the Kneazle. Before he knew it, he drifted off to sleep, without even realizing when it happened.

Jisung woke up with a start, blinking groggily at his surroundings. His eyes darted around the room, confused for a moment about why he had fallen asleep sitting upright on the bed. Then he remembered—the Kneazle.

"Wait... where—?" He looked down at his chest, expecting to find the small creature still nestled there. But it wasn't. The Kneazle was gone.

Panic set in almost immediately.

Jisung shot up from the bed, scanning the room wildly. He checked under the covers, beneath the bed, even behind Hyunjin's bed frame where the Kneazle had caused trouble earlier. Nothing. His heart started racing. He is going to kill me. How had he managed to lose something so important after just a few hours?

"Baby... Baby... where are you?" He whispered, his voice rising with each word. He frantically checked the bookshelves, under the desk, and behind the curtains. Still nothing. "Oh no, no, no..."

By now, his heart was pounding in his chest. Jisung rushed toward the door, wondering if maybe the Kneazle had somehow slipped out into the hallway. But that seemed impossible. He had been so careful to keep the door shut. Where could it have gone?

He spent the next half hour tearing the room apart, looking in every nook and cranny he could think of. The more time passed, the more desperate he became. He hadn't even considered the possibility that he might lose the creature, and now he was imagining every worst-case scenario. What if someone else found it? What if it got into trouble and someone reported it?

Then, like the universe was out to get him, there was a knock at the door.

Jisung froze. It was seven. Minho was here.

"Oh god," he muttered under his breath. His feet felt like lead as he made his way to the door and opened it, revealing Minho standing there with his usual unimpressed expression.