"Where did he go?!” Heeseung frantically searched every room, his voice echoing throughout the mansion. Jake followed close behind, peeking under couches and behind curtains.
“Hyung, this isn’t funny. Sunoo wouldn’t just disappear!” Jungwon said, his brows furrowed in worry.
Meanwhile, Jay stood near the kitchen, his arms crossed but his expression betraying his calm demeanor. “I told you we shouldn’t have let Niki play around with that experimental gadget,” he muttered, glaring at the youngest who looked sheepish.
“I didn’t know it would actually work,” Niki said defensively, holding up the strange, blinking contraption. “It’s supposed to be a time-reversal device! How was I supposed to know it would zap Sunoo into thin air?”
Before anyone could scold Niki further, a small sound caught their attention.
Waaaah…
All six of them froze. Slowly, they turned their heads toward the living room, where the soft sound of a baby’s cry came from.
“Is that…?” Sunghoon whispered, his heart already racing.
They cautiously approached the couch, and there, wrapped in a pile of oversized clothes, was a tiny baby with chubby cheeks, wide teary eyes, and a trembling pout.
“It’s him,” Heeseung gasped.
“Sunoo?” Jake crouched down, carefully lifting the baby from the mess of clothes. As soon as Sunoo was in Jake’s arms, he stopped crying and looked up at them with his big, sparkling eyes.
“Oh my God, he’s adorable,” Jungwon said, his voice breaking into a laugh of disbelief.
Baby Sunoo blinked at them curiously, his pout turning into a small smile that instantly melted everyone’s hearts. His chubby cheeks were rosy, and when he giggled, his little dimples appeared.
“I’m gonna cry,” Jay said, clutching his chest.
Sunghoon reached out to gently poke one of Sunoo’s cheeks. The baby squealed in delight, grabbing at Sunghoon’s finger with surprising strength. “His cheeks are so soft,” Sunghoon murmured, absolutely entranced.
“He looks just like a cherub,” Jake cooed, rocking Sunoo gently.
Niki, feeling both guilty and proud, stepped forward. “Okay, so maybe this is my fault, but look at him! Isn’t this the cutest Sunoo has ever been?”
Heeseung turned to glare at him. “You’re on dish duty for a month for this.”
“Worth it,” Niki muttered under his breath.
Baby Sunoo, unaware of the chaos around him, yawned adorably and stretched his tiny arms toward Heeseung. The eldest immediately took him into his arms, marveling at how light and tiny Sunoo had become.
“Do you think he remembers us?” Jungwon asked.
“I don’t know, but he definitely seems to like us,” Jay replied, watching as Baby Sunoo babbled happily and clapped his hands.
“He’s even cuter as a baby,” Sunghoon said, shaking his head in disbelief. “How is that possible?”
“Let’s just agree that he’s always cute, no matter the age,” Jake said, grinning.
Baby Sunoo suddenly squealed, pointing at something. “Dada!” he babbled, his tiny hands reaching toward Sunghoon.
Everyone froze.
“Did he just call me Dad?” Sunghoon asked, his ears turning red.
“Daddy, actually,” Niki teased, earning a smack on the back of his head from Heeseung.
