The En- Hearthrob😏 Toddlers👶

~24~

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Returning to the dorm after their trip to Jeju felt like entering a whole new world—or at least, that’s how Heeseung imagined it. He dropped the bags by the door, took a deep breath, and then looked around at the six little faces all staring back at him, expectant and energized.

“Alright, everyone! Time to unpack, take a bath, and relax,” he announced.

Instantly, the boys groaned in unison, as if he’d suggested the most terrible thing in the world.

“But hyung, we already bathed in Jeju! We’re still clean!” Jake protested, holding up his casted arm like it was proof of his case.

Heeseung chuckled, eyeing Jake’s arm. “That’s not quite how it works, Jake. And besides, if we’re going to have movie night tonight, I need everyone squeaky clean and in fresh pajamas.”

A chorus of cheers erupted, and the promise of movie night was enough to get the boys to drag their little feet toward the bathroom. Well, all of them except Ni-ki.

“Do we have snacks for movie night?” Ni-ki asked suspiciously, already looking for a potential reason to boycott the bath.

“Yes, Ni-ki. Tons of snacks,” Heeseung assured him. “Now, let’s get everyone sorted.”

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Heeseung had somehow managed to fit all six of them in the big bathroom, but of course, everyone wanted their own specific routine.

Jake, with his cast, held his arm high up, trying to keep it safe from water. “Hyung, make sure it doesn’t get wet! Remember!”

“Yes, yes, Jake. Hold it up like that, and I’ll help you wash,” Heeseung said patiently, maneuvering around Jake’s flailing arm as he tried to bathe the rest of him.

Meanwhile, Sunoo had gathered a whole mountain of bubbles, carefully sculpting them into shapes and then gasping dramatically, “Look, hyung! I made a cloud!”

Jungwon was busy turning every bottle within reach into a squirt gun, occasionally aiming his soapy missiles at the mirror, the walls, and accidentally, Jake’s cast. Heeseung had to swoop in to prevent a “cast catastrophe.”

“Jungwon! Point those squirters away from Jake, please,” Heeseung laughed, grabbing a handful of foam himself and plopping it on Jungwon’s head as “punishment.”

Sunghoon, the silent plotter of the group, had snuck his rubber duckies into the tub and was giving them a tour of the “Jeju Sea.” He announced, “This is Duck Island!” then splashed a whole tidal wave that nearly soaked Jake’s cast again.

Finally, Ni-ki—who’d tried his best to stay dry—was cornered, reluctantly accepting his fate. “Fine! But no soap in my eyes!” he demanded with an almost heroic sense of bravery.

When the splashing and scrubbing finally wrapped up, Heeseung herded the squeaky-clean gang into the living room.

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Heeseung had set out a platter of kid-approved snacks: popcorn, a few juice boxes, and some fruit slices. As the boys gathered around the table, Jake immediately spotted the popcorn.

“Hyung, can I have the big bowl? Pleaseee?” he pleaded, holding up his casted arm in an attempt to elicit sympathy.

Heeseung smirked, handing him the popcorn. “Alright, Jake. But share with the others, okay?”

Jake nodded, but the moment Heeseung turned his back, Jake shielded his popcorn with his cast, clutching the bowl like a little dragon hoarding treasure. Jungwon and Ni-ki gave him a look but decided it wasn’t worth wrestling over, especially since Heeseung had also laid out some fruit.

“Hyung, what’s wrong with the fruit?” Sunghoon asked, inspecting a piece suspiciously.

“It’s just fruit, Sunghoon. Perfectly normal, I promise.”

“Oh… okay,” Sunghoon muttered, nibbling at a slice but still looking unsure.

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The boys settled onto the couch with snacks in hand as Heeseung picked a family-friendly movie. But the idea of watching quietly turned out to be… a pipe dream.

Five minutes in, Ni-ki decided the plot was too slow and began narrating it himself. “And then the hero jumped in with a laser sword—pew pew pew!”

“Ni-ki, that’s not what’s happening,” Sunoo pointed out, rolling his eyes.

“Shhh! Let him narrate if he wants to,” Jake said, using his cast to gesture grandly like an authority on movie-watching.

Jungwon, in the meantime, had managed to curl up beside Heeseung, clutching a juice box and whispering, “Hyung, do you think the hero will win?”

Heeseung chuckled, ruffling Jungwon’s hair. “Of course, Jungwon. Heroes always win.”

Jay, however, was drifting off to sleep, missing most of the movie. Sunghoon, never one to miss a chance for mischief, noticed and decided to play a little prank.

Carefully, Sunghoon inched his way over to Jay and dangled a popcorn kernel over his mouth, whispering, “Jay, open wide…”

Just as Jay was about to get a mouthful of popcorn in his sleep, Heeseung shot Sunghoon a look. “Sunghoon,” he said, trying to hold back a laugh, “let Jay nap in peace, okay?”

Sunghoon sighed dramatically, dropping the popcorn into his own mouth instead. “Okay, hyung.”

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The movie ended with a triumphant cheer from Ni-ki, who was thoroughly convinced his narration made it better. Heeseung was about to start the cleanup when he noticed Jake and his “popcorn shield.”

“Jake, were you hogging the popcorn all this time?” he teased, raising an eyebrow.

Jake looked around, trying to act innocent. “Noooo, hyung. I was… protecting it!”

“Oh really?” Heeseung said, trying to keep a straight face. “Well, thank you, Protector of Popcorn. But next time, you have to share more.”

Jake nodded, though he was already sneaking a few last pieces from the bottom of the bowl.

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After some post-movie wrestling over who got to brush their teeth first, Heeseung finally managed to get everyone in bed. But true to form, the boys had one last round of energy left in them.

“Hyung, tell us a bedtime story!” Sunoo called out, bouncing on his pillow.

“Oh, oh, make it about Jeju!” Ni-ki added, excitedly.

Heeseung chuckled, sitting on the edge of the bed. “Alright, once upon a time, there were six little heroes who went on a grand adventure to Jeju Island…”

As he recounted their trip—leaving out the seafood incident—each boy’s eyelids grew heavy. Jungwon was the first to drift off, a peaceful smile on his face, soon followed by Jay and Sunghoon.

Heeseung’s voice softened as he finished, and even Ni-ki, who’d been determined to stay awake, was snuggled deep into his blankets, fast asleep.

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Heeseung took a deep breath, looking around at the six sleeping faces, and felt a rush of warmth. Exhausting as they were, he wouldn’t trade these moments for anything.

“Goodnight, my little chaos makers,” he whispered, turning off the lights and quietly closing the door.

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**End.**

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