As the days passed, Sunoo adjusted to his new, unexpected role as a "single dad," much to the amusement of the other members. The baby, whom they had taken to calling Minji, seemed to settle into their dorm as though she had always been there. Sunoo found himself waking up at odd hours to comfort her, changing diapers with the help of the others (though Riki still refused to get anywhere near them), and even getting used to her adorably loud cries in the middle of practice sessions.
"I swear, I don’t remember signing up for this," Jaeyun complained one morning as he tried to get some sleep. Sunoo, meanwhile, was on the phone with the agency’s manager, discussing the baby’s situation while bouncing Minji on his knee. His usual carefree smile had become slightly strained, but there was no denying the newfound determination in his eyes.
"She’s not going anywhere," Sunoo said to the manager. "I’m taking care of her. We’ll figure this out."
After the call ended, he sighed and looked down at Minji, who was gurgling happily in his arms. It was still surreal to him. How had things shifted so quickly? One moment, he was the carefree Sunoo everyone knew, and the next, he was responsible for a baby who had already claimed him as her "dad."
The others were surprisingly helpful, albeit in their own unique ways. Heeseung would try to entertain Minji with his guitar, though the baby didn’t seem too interested in his music, preferring to grab at the strings or chew on the neck of the guitar. Sunghoon, always the practical one, found himself researching parenting tips online, trying to help out in any way he could. And Jay... well, Jay tried his best but often found himself caught up in taking embarrassing photos of Sunoo with Minji, much to Sunoo’s chagrin.
"Look at this one," Jay said, showing Sunoo a photo of him with a bottle in hand, looking exhausted but smiling. "This is dad material right here."
"Jay, I swear, I’ll delete that." Sunoo tried to snatch the phone away, but Jay only laughed and held it higher out of his reach.
The hardest part, however, was when Sunoo had to balance his responsibilities as a dad with his career. He had always been passionate about music, but now he found himself torn between rehearsals, photoshoots, and caring for Minji. The agency sent over a nanny, but Sunoo couldn’t bring himself to leave her with a stranger. He refused to let anyone else take care of Minji; she had already called him "dad," and he wasn’t going to back down from that.
It was during one late-night practice that Sunoo finally broke. The other members were rehearsing their choreography, and Sunoo was sitting off to the side, nursing a bottle as he tried to juggle his responsibilities.
"Sunoo, you’re killing it with that bottle," Jaeyun teased, his voice full of admiration. "Who knew you’d be so natural at this?"
But Sunoo wasn’t smiling. He looked tired, his shoulders slumped. The rehearsals were tough, the endless responsibilities overwhelming, and he felt the weight of it all.
"I don’t know if I can do this anymore," Sunoo admitted quietly, glancing at Minji, who was happily playing with a stuffed animal in his lap. "I don’t want to disappoint her. I don’t want to be a bad dad."
Heeseung walked over and put a hand on his shoulder. "Sunoo, you’re doing your best. That’s all that matters. You’ve got us, too. We’re here for you."
The others nodded in agreement, gathering around Sunoo and Minji. Riki, usually quiet in moments like this, spoke up, his voice gentle. "We’re a team, right? We’ll figure it out together."
Sunoo looked up, a small but sincere smile spreading across his face. "Thanks, guys. I really don’t know what I’d do without you."
The days that followed weren’t without their challenges, but with the unwavering support of the members, Sunoo began to adjust to his new life. Minji was becoming more and more attached to him, calling him "dad" every time she reached out for him, her little hands grasping at his fingers.
