The En- Hearthrob😏 Toddlers👶

~16~

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The morning dawned brightly over the dorm, streaming light through the windows as if the past few days of tension and guilt had never happened. Heeseung woke up to the sound of soft giggles coming from the living room, and for a brief, precious moment, he thought he’d dreamed the whole thing. But then reality set in: six toddlers, one of whom had a broken arm, and all the chaos they could bring.

He braced himself for whatever new scheme the boys had conjured up.

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As Heeseung walked into the living room, he found Sunghoon and Jungwon huddled by the corner of the couch, chattering in their toddler babble. Both of them turned to him with wide eyes, and he could tell immediately from their expressions that they were up to something.

"Good morning, boys. What's going on here?" Heeseung asked with a knowing smile.

Jungwon, unable to keep a secret for long, pointed over to Jake, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor. His broken arm was carefully cradled in a tiny makeshift sling—a big sock Heeseung didn’t even remember owning—and, to Heeseung’s surprise, Jake seemed to be using it as a badge of honor.

"J-Jake br-brave!" Sunghoon announced proudly, his little face lit up with admiration. He looked at Heeseung as if waiting for approval, hoping that Jake’s “bravery” would earn them some points with their caregiver.

"Yes, yes, Jake is very brave," Heeseung replied, giving Jake a soft smile. "But remember, Jake still has to be careful with that arm, okay? No adventures today."

At this, Jake’s face fell. "No 'ventures?" he echoed, looking utterly heartbroken. Jake, who had thrived on the daily chaos, felt like a hero with his broken arm. Being told he couldn’t be part of the usual fun was a disappointment, to say the least.

Ni-ki, who had been watching from behind a cushion fort he had made on the couch, seized this moment to speak up. "Jake can play fort with me! No 'ventures needed!" he announced, patting the soft cushions around him.

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The other boys quickly gathered around, intrigued by the fort. Sunoo, always cautious, poked the pillow walls suspiciously, as if expecting them to collapse on him. Jungwon and Sunghoon, however, were already clambering over the edges, and Jake sat in the middle, proudly stretching out his uninjured arm to make space for his “crew.”

They began stacking pillows and blankets around the fort, building it higher and higher, each toddler contributing to what they now considered a serious project.

However, Ni-ki had different plans. "Boys, we need to make it BIGGER!" he declared, his face lighting up with excitement. He darted off to Heeseung’s room, coming back with an armful of extra blankets he’d somehow managed to snag.

"Ni-ki, what are you doing with my blankets?" Heeseung asked, eyebrow raised as he watched Ni-ki’s enthusiasm grow. But the toddler just grinned and continued adding his loot to the fort, as though his plan would remain unchallenged.

Heeseung chuckled, shaking his head. After all, with the boys mostly contained in one area, at least he could keep an eye on them—something that felt like a rare win.

---

As the morning passed, the fort project took on a life of its own. Sunoo cautiously joined in, snuggling between pillows and watching the others with wide eyes, especially Ni-ki, who was still pushing for expansion.

Just as Heeseung thought they were all settled, he heard Jake’s voice pipe up again.

Certainly! Here’s how that scene could play out with Heeseung's shocked reaction included: