Our Love | Jeongcheol

nine

The morning light streamed through the curtains, gently waking Seungcheol up. As his eyes adjusted to the brightness, he found himself holding Jeonghan, who was still sound asleep, his face nestled into Seungcheol's chest.

He couldn't help the soft smile that came to his lips as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on Jeonghan's forehead. Carefully, so as not to wake him, Seungcheol slipped out of bed, freshened up, and made his way to the living room, where a surprising, heated discussion was taking place.

Everyone was gathered around the coffee table, either seated or leaning forward, faces animated as they argued back and forth. Chan was holding a notebook, scribbling down names, and crossing things out as the other members chimed in, all talking over each other. Their voices grew louder and louder, completely ignoring Seungcheol as he entered.

"I'm taking Friday and that's final!" Mingyu declared, slapping his hand on the table for emphasis.

"No way! I called Friday first," Soonyoung protested, crossing his arms. "And the baby needs pet time with Latte!"

Chan, pen tapping against his chin thoughtfully, was nodding. "I don't know, Mingyu. Hoshi hyung might have a point. Friday's going to him."

"Unbelievable!" Mingyu threw his hands up. "Fine. I'll take Saturday then."

"Uh-uh. Not a chance," Seungkwan cut in, shaking his head. "That's my only off day."

"Saturdays are perfect for taking the baby out to the park," Minghao reasoned with a shrug. "We'll go on a picnic or something—let them have a relaxing day outside."

Jihoon scoffed from the side. "What are you planning to do, take them to sit in silence while you meditate?"

Minghao raised an eyebrow. "At least I wouldn't fill the kid's ears with complaints the entire time."

Seungcheol watched this back-and-forth with growing amusement and finally understood the reason for the heated discussion. They were fighting over babysitting days—for his baby. He folded his arms, chuckling softly as he watched the chaos grow.

"Alright, alright!" Chan shouted, trying to regain control. "So the plan is that the schedule goes for two weeks. Gyu and Hoshi hyung will both take Fridays, Minghao takes—"

"Do the parents have any say in this, or are you all planning to kidnap our kid every day of the week?" Seungcheol finally interjected, smirking as he crossed his arms, leaning against the wall.

The room went silent as everyone turned toward him, surprised expressions all around. Chan looked a bit embarrassed, hiding the notebook behind his back with a sheepish grin.

"Oh, good morning, hyung," he stammered, trying to act casual as if they hadn't just been caught red-handed planning his baby's weekly schedule.

Seungcheol laughed, shaking his head. "You guys are unbelievable. You're already planning this without even asking if we need the help."

Mingyu cleared his throat, trying to look serious. "It's not just help, hyung. We're offering a full support system. We know this is a big change, and we want you both to have some time for yourselves."

"Exactly," Joshua added with a warm smile. "You two are going to need breaks, even if you don't realize it yet. It's a lot to take on by yourselves."

Seungcheol softened a bit, looking around at each of them. Despite the playfulness in their tone, he could see how genuine they were. It warmed his heart to see just how willing his friends were to support him and Jeonghan.

"Not to mention," Soonyoung said, grinning, "we all want our own time to spoil the kid."

Chan finally spoke up, voice more confident. "We're ready for everything, hyung. We know it's not all fun and games. Late-night wake-ups, diaper duty, feeding—all of it. We're in for the long run."