The next day, Minji’s admiration for her dad didn’t waver. If anything, it grew stronger—and so did the teasing from the other members.
Minji, now waddling around with the help of her tiny walker, kept following Sunoo wherever he went, her eyes glued to him. If Sunoo stood up, she waddled after him. If he sat down, she would immediately toddle over and pull herself into his lap. She couldn’t get enough of him.
"She’s literally starstruck," Jaeyun commented, watching as Minji sat on Sunoo’s lap, staring up at him like he hung the stars.
“Are we sure she knows he’s just dad?” Sunghoon added, squinting suspiciously. “Because she’s looking at him like he’s her celebrity bias.”
The room burst into laughter as Sunoo, holding Minji’s tiny hands, chuckled softly. “She’s just being sweet. Right, Minji? You love your handsome dad, don’t you?”
“Da-da,” Minji babbled, her small fingers touching Sunoo’s face again, as if she couldn’t believe he was real.
“See?” Sunoo grinned at the others. “She’s just showing appreciation for her dad.”
But the teasing didn’t stop.
“She’s not just showing appreciation, Sunoo,” Heeseung said, leaning against the wall with an amused grin. “She’s simping for you. Big time.”
“Yeah,” Riki added, holding up a toy microphone. “She’s one step away from singing a love ballad for you.”
The members roared with laughter as Sunoo rolled his eyes, but Minji, still oblivious to the chaos around her, giggled and clapped her hands at the sound of their voices.
Then, the doorbell rang.
“Who’s here now?” Jungwon asked, walking over to check the door.
The room froze when he opened it to reveal Hyunjin from Stray Kids, standing there with his perfectly styled hair, a bag of gifts, and his usual dazzling smile.
“Hey, I brought something for Minji!” Hyunjin greeted brightly, stepping inside.
The room went completely still as Minji’s walker squeaked toward the door. She peeked out from behind Sunoo’s legs, her little eyes locking onto Hyunjin’s face. For a moment, she seemed to hesitate, then toddled forward slightly, her curiosity piqued.
But then she turned around, waddled back to Sunoo, and clung to his leg.
“Oh my gosh,” Jaeyun whispered dramatically. “She’s comparing them.”
“She’s not even giving Hyunjin a chance,” Sunghoon snickered. “Sunoo wins by default.”
Hyunjin raised an eyebrow at the members’ laughter, confused but still smiling. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing,” Sunoo said quickly, scooping Minji up before the teasing got out of hand. “Minji just likes sticking close to her dad. That’s all.”
But Minji had other plans. She turned in Sunoo’s arms, looked directly at Hyunjin, and said, “Noooo!”
The room exploded with laughter.
“Oh, wow! She just rejected Hyunjin!” Jungwon cackled, falling onto the couch.
“I’ve been defeated by a baby,” Hyunjin said dramatically, clutching his chest in mock pain. “This is the worst day of my life.”
Sunoo, trying to stifle his laughter, patted Hyunjin’s shoulder. “Don’t take it personally. She’s just… in her dad phase right now.”
“Phase?” Sunghoon repeated, raising an eyebrow. “Minji’s been in her dad phase since she opened her eyes. It’s never ending.”
