The Mannequin - Minsung

one hundred nine

Minho rubbed his hands together as he parked the car outside Felix's daycare. "You ready for this?" he asked Jisung, glancing over at him in the passenger seat.

Jisung looked slightly nervous, fiddling with the zipper of his jacket. "W-What if they hate me..."

Minho let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Hate you? Are you kidding me? They'll love you, Sungie. Who wouldn't? Plus, Felix has probably been hyping you up to them since forever."

Jisung smiled nervously, glancing out the window. "Yeah, but I'm not exactly... great with kids."

Minho reached over, patting his head reassuringly. "Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just be yourself, hm?"

His fingers lingered, gently running through Jisung's hair in a soft, comforting motion. "They're gonna love you as much as I do."

Jisung's cheeks flushed, though he tried to hide it with a small smile. "You're just saying that," he mumbled.

Minho's hand slid down to Jisung's cheek, his thumb grazing softly against his skin. "I'm serious. You've got nothing to worry about."

"Felix already thinks you're the best, and the kids will, too. And if they don't, well," he smiled teasingly, "I'll just have to show them what they're missing."

Jisung chuckled, but his eyes softened at Minho's words. "Thank you..."

Minho smiled softly, tilting his head. "Now, come on, Sungie. Let's show those kids who the real coolest person in the room is." He winked, giving Jisung a playful nudge on the shoulder.

O-Okay... But if this goes wrong, I'm hiding behind you the entire time."

"You can hide behind me anytime, Sungie. I've always got you."

With that, Minho leaned in, pressing a light kiss to Jisung's cheek before pulling back. "Let's do this."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"There they are!" Felix called, making his way over. The kids momentarily abandoned their toy blocks, eyes wide with curiosity at the newcomers.

Jisung stood awkwardly at Minho's side, looking a bit unsure as Felix approached with his usual wide grin.

"About time you two showed up," Felix teased, giving Minho a quick hug before turning to Jisung. He reached out and pulled him into a tight hug. "Awee, I missed you!"

Jisung chuckled, relaxing into the hug. "I missed you too, F-Felix."

"Uncle Minho! Uncle Felix!"

"Hey, Hana!" Minho greeted, crouching down to her level. "Remember I told you I'd bring someone special today?"

Hana nodded eagerly, her big eyes darting toward Jisung. She stepped forward shyly, hiding a little behind Minho's leg but still peeking out curiously.

"This is Jisung," Minho said, gesturing toward him. "He's my—"

"Your best friend?" Hana interrupted, her innocent eyes wide as she looked between the two of them.