Minji's Sitter | Taejin ✔️

Twenty-Two

"Jinnie, you are back!" Minji screamed out and ran towards Jin upon seeing him enter his bedroom. Jin was angry due to his argument with Taehyung. He intended to grab his bag and leave, but Minji startled him.

Seeing the welcoming and exciting smile on her face stopped him in his steps and tugged at his heart. She reminded him for a second of how innocent he once was and made him yearn to be able to go back to that stage in his life. A time when he didn't have to deal with all he was dealing with. A time when decisions were made for him, and he didn't have to be an adult, he missed times like those.

There was a point in his life he never thought he would be okay wanting to be young again after the things he had suffered, but upon remembering a glimpse of his childhood with his parents, he suddenly wanted to go back to that time. Preferable if he could ages 3-13 would be ideal for him. He wouldn't mind if life stopped for him at one of those ages.

"Jinnie, why are you not talking. I missed you so much, I thought you left me. Are you sick? Please tell me you are not going to leave me as my Appa did? I don't want you to go, I don't want to be with my daddy alone. It's not fun with him alone." Minji small arms hugged tightly around Jin's legs, and her face rests against his knees.

Jin stood silent, almost frozen as he didn't know what to say. For a moment, it felt like he genuinely meant something to someone, someone wanted him to stick around, not because they needed something, but because they cared for him.

He couldn't understand how the very person that caused him pain a moment ago, daughter could emit a different emotion within him. This little girl reminded him of himself, she was craving something he once craved, love, and reassurance. She wasn't seeking just any love, she was looking for the love of a parent and reassurance that someone who cares deeply about her will always be around.

"Jinnie, you didn't miss me? I heard you and daddy yelling at each other, did you fight because of me? Are you leaving because of me?" Minji looks up at Jin, who could not look down at her. His heart was confused, as was his mind at what he wanted to do. Leaving was the most natural thing that came to his mind, but that's all he has ever done was take the easiest route in life, and often the most selfish one.

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Taehyung, upon hearing Jin's hurtful words, about his husband, bore a hole in his heart. It took him a while to compose himself; he wanted to throw everything down in the reading room.

He was angry at Jin for even bring up his dead husband, but most of all, he was mad at himself. The same words Jin had used to him about being useless were the same words his husband had once used to him. His husband never like that Taehyung left him alone to care for Minji; he hated that Taehyung cared more about work than he did about family, and that caused them to argue a lot.

Their relationship only got better upon Taehyung's husband being diagnosed with cancer, but they were already almost to the path of divorce with Taehyung willingness to give up custody of Minji. Being a parent was hard for him, it was never something he wanted, he didn't know how to be one.

It was harder than his day to day job. He thought if he were there providing for Minji and giving her a life of wealth, that would be enough, but his husband told him he needed to do much more than that. He didn't understand why his parents never did that for him. They showered him with presents and sent him to a great school, gave him a decent fortune, so he couldn't understand why he couldn't do the same with Minji.

What more could she possibly need? Why did his husband believe she needed more than he was already giving, and why was Minji seeking the love of someone else than him? All those things bothered him as he watched her cling to Jin. The same man that just pierced him in the heart with his words.

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A/N: This chapter should've provided you with a lot of character insight as we progress forward.