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KIDULT 1/2 | J.CM

꒰ synopsis ꒱ changmin always believed he was never fond of children, especially when he took the job at your daycare. little did he know the child in him was playing hide and seek, finally revealing itself after growing to love the kids. oh, and you too

꒰ pairing ꒱ daycareworker!changmin x genderneutral!reader

꒰ genre ꒱ strangers to lovers, daycare au, slow burn, fluff, angst, features hyunjae and the rest of the boyz as children

꒰ warnings ꒱ children, car accident, major character death, descriptions of blood, sprinkled bits of profanity and capitalization, and an overall merry bad ending

꒰ word count ꒱ 26.8k+

꒰ perspective ꒱ 2nd person omniscient

‘ playlist one ›› spotify, youtube

‘ author's note!! 🍃 — this fic is for @junjungsunwoo's merry bad ending collab!! biggest thanks to @pjmaparty, @fullsunfluff, @bbanghoonie, and @heejojo for beta reading!! this is the first part out of two <3

‘ taglist ›› @nilesig @reniqt @sunfics @wooyoung-a @kimaya2209 @frickyratz @deputyjuyeon @stealanity @hwallswrld @kyu-rious @changminurheart

NAVIGATION | TBZ MASTERLIST | PART TWO

As the seconds on the clock progresses with every tick, you are already starting to lose hope in your only recruit arriving at all.

Not many liked to work at daycares, that much you knew, considering they didn’t like the idea of loud cries and touchy fingers from kids they weren’t even acquainted with, so it was nearly impossible to find anyone in the small town you lived in willing to help out. Changmin was the only person that approached you at the front desk without a kid of his own, stating that he saw the hiring post on Facebook and wanted the job.

Ecstatic by the news, the interview took place right then and there immediately, and you began spurting out questions for him to answer. Though, while answering, he seemed so uninterested in the job, making you wonder if he really even wanted it in the first place. Unfortunately, your desperation took over your conscience, hiring him on the spot once the short interview had ended.

Now, here you are, waiting for him to come through the front two doors so you could show him around the playroom and help him understand the activities you plan on having the children do. But you were left with little to no hope as the seconds tick by, starting to believe that he bailed on both you and this job.

Right as you begin to sulk, the jingle from the glass doors rang through your ears, making your ears perk.

“I’m here.”

The familiar voice makes your head shoot up, looking at the person who had just entered. Your smile widens at the sudden sight of him, relieved that he chose to come after all. You fix your posture by the desk and bring the clipboard with your written notes into your hands, welcoming him.

“Sorry for being late,” he mumbles. Although he apologies, he doesn’t seem to be apologetic at all, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweater with half hooded eyes, looking like he had just woken up. “I slept in.”

It was impossible to prevent the snort from leaving you, but it didn’t even alarm Changmin in the slightest, the boy looking like he just wanted to get everything over with.

“Well if that’s the case, just make sure you don’t sleep in on your first day on the job,” you hum, walking out from behind the desk. “We really need you here.”

“We?” he asks, letting out a snort of his own.

Thrown off guard, you stutter. “Y-yeah...me and the kids…”

He then nods, keeping his mouth shut as he stands there.

The happiness you received minutes earlier from seeing him is quick to vanish into thin air, making you press your lips into a firm line. “Well then, follow me.”

He does as he’s told, watching you open the only door that stood not so far from the front desk.

“Unlike most daycares, ours only has one playroom,” you sigh, pressing your clipboard up against your chest as you lead him inside. “I’m basically the only person that works here, from what I told you previously, so I truly do appreciate the extra help you’re offering this summer.”

Changmin, the only person deemed ‘interested’ in the job, trails after your steps with long, heavy strides, lazy eyes roaming around the new environment.

You show him around each and every nook and cranny of the room, from the round tables and the circle of big bean bags to the massive reading rug surrounded by bookshelves. It was hard to miss the way he pretty much yawns after every explanation you give him, but you ignore it to maintain your pride.

“These are the sinks that catch the paintbrushes after an hour-long painting session,” you introduce, obvious disappointment featured in your tone. “I always tell the kids to never put their brushes inside the sinks when they’re done rinsing them, but they never listen. It often results in me shoving my hand in and digging the brushes out of the drain.”

And for the first time that day, you notice his eyes widening from the corner of your vision at the sudden information. He peeks over your shoulder to get a glance at one of the sinks being completely covered with dried up splatters of paint, scrunching his nose. “You’re not giving that job to me, are you?”

His grimace made you laugh, shaking your head disapprovingly. “Trust me, I’d love to say no, but I’m afraid I’d be lying.”

He grunts, clearly expressing how much he really didn’t want to do any of the work you plan on assigning him. You brush it off, knowing that he is very much needed for the upcoming summer wave that will be hitting the daycare.

You gesture for him to sit down at one of the round tables, joining him a few seats adjacent. “Okay so, we’re going to have ten kids for the summer. Specifically ten boys. Doesn’t sound like a lot, but they’re quite the hassle when they’re together,” you explain, eyeing your notes while Changmin is just staring, maybe even spacing out, as you speak.

Despite this, you continue, speaking as fast as you could to get this entire thing over with. “We’ll be having four six-year-olds: Sangyeon, Joonyoung, Younghoon, Hyunjae. Three five-year-olds: Juyeon, Hyungseo, Chanhee. And three four-year-olds: Haknyeon, Sunwoo, Youngjae.” Creases form on your forehead when you notice that Hyunjun wouldn’t be attending this summer, but you don’t mention anything about him to Changmin. Hell, you aren't even sure if he even got the names considering how fast you spoke, but it isn’t like he was paying attention in the first place.

“I think that’s-...actually all I have for you today,” you murmur, flipping through your notes to see if you truly have concluded the tour and introductions. You then pass the clipboard over to him by sliding it across the table, making him flinch and stumble to catch it. “Can you check to see if I missed anything? I’m kind of exhausted after all of this prepping.”

He shrugs his shoulders and skims through it in an instant before giving it back to you. “I think you’re good,” he deadpans, not giving you much of an expression to work with as he slides it back over to you.

You cock your brow at how quick he was with searching through everything but chose not to question it, bringing it back into your grasp. “If that’s the case...do you perhaps have any questions?”

He slouches in his spot and averts his gaze out one of the bigger windows, attempting to suppress a yawn by raising a hand over his mouth. “...Not really,” he finally responds.

You eye his features, tilting your head in the slightest as you stare. You then stop when realizing that he caught your gaze, the male growing visibly uncomfortable afterwards. He was shifting in his seat, not sure what to say considering he doesn’t want to opt for a ‘can I go now?’.

“Sorry,” you apologize, straightening your back. “It just seems like you really don’t want to work here.”

“I do!” he counters with his eyes darting over to you, copying your actions by sitting up straight. It then clicks when he realizes that you saw right through him, giving up and allowing himself to surrender. “...Okay fine,” he mumbles, falling right back into his seat. “I really don’t, but I need the money.”

“That’s understandable.” You end the conversation by standing up and putting out your hand. “Even so, I am very excited to work with you.”

“Same here,” he blatantly lies, giving your hand a weak shake after rising onto his feet. “Uh, so when’s my first day here?”

“This upcoming Monday.” You pull your hand back and grab the clipboard, hurried steps making their way back over to the door. “Make sure you arrive at 6 in the morning. Sharp, please. I truly need all the help I can get.”

He takes one last look around the room with pursed lips before wearing one of the fakest grins you’ve ever seen when you open the door for him. “I’ll see you then.”

//

After aligning all the boxes onto the shelves, you exit the playroom to find Changmin resting against the front desk, elbow propped up against its surface as he scrolls through his phone.

“You’re here!!” you exclaim, making him startled at your sudden appearance. “And-...early?” You look at the clock, noticing how it was ten minutes before the designated time.

Unexpectedly, his laid-back attire has been replaced with a casual button-up shirt that is partially tucked into his jeans, looking quite presentable for someone who would be working with preschoolers, but the same uninterested expression from a few days prior still remain on his facial features, barely being able to remove his gaze from his phone screen.

“I couldn’t really sleep,” he sighs out, setting his phone face down onto the desk. He hums, tapping his fingers against the surface, allowing the silence to fill the room before continuing. “Hope I didn’t scare you, by the way. The doors were unlocked.”

“Oh uh, no you’re fine. I just really wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” You smile warmly towards him before walking behind the desk, pulling out one of your drawers to search through your nearly empty files.

“Is there anything you’d like me to do?” He peers over the desk to see what you’re doing, watching your every movement as you hum in return.

“Could you go into the playroom and check to see that everything is organized? Just tidy up anything that looks out of place before our first kid gets here. After that, you can start greeting all the boys when they arrive.”

He visibly cringes at your last sentence but affirms your words with a nod, picking himself off the desk before dragging his feet over to the room, leaving the door wide open.

Meanwhile, your fingers tap against every file within the drawer in search of the one that would be needed for today, taking and setting it out onto the table once you retrieved it. You open the file to reveal a sign in sheet, making sure the paper will be facing the front door for when the parents and their sons start to file in.

You are bending over to find a pen to provide when you hear your name being called with a loud shriek, making you nearly scream.

“Teacher Y/N, Teacher Y/N!!”

The childish voice makes you look over your desk, gasping at the sight of the little six-year-old standing there with the brightest smile.

“What th- how’d you-...? Hyunjae?!?”

The door slams open and presents a disheveled mother panting, breathless concerns pouring out of her. “Oh dear, he’s here. Alright okay, oh my. My apologies, Y/N. Jaehyun got so excited to see you that he rushed out of the car when I was on the phone with my husband.” She frowns and walks over to her child to pick him up, holding him in her arms as she starts interrogating him.

“How on earth did you get inside??”

“I followed a man in,” he giggles, making grabby hands towards you before becoming distracted at the sight of a curious Changmin leaving the playroom to check on the disruption that was happening outside.

Though, he immediately regrets doing so when Hyunjae points at him, clapping his hands loudly. “Him!!”

His mother’s head turns toward to face Changmin, confused at the presence of another adult since she would always be the first one in the daycare with her child.

“Oh!! Mrs. Lee, this is Changmin, Teacher Changmin. He’s going to be helping me out at the daycare for the summer,” you introduce with a warm smile, urging Changmin over by motioning him your way.

Hyunjae’s quicker though, jumping out of his mother’s arms to race over to him. “Hi!!! I’m Hyunjae!!!” He reaches up and extends his hand, wearing the brightest smile Changmin has ever seen.

“Uh-...hi.” Changmin slowly brings his hand to Hyunjae, and the boy grabs it, shaking it aggressively.

“I’m six!!”

“I’m, uh, twenty-three…” His words trail off when he sends you a worrying look, one that said ‘I don’t know how the fuck to deal with kids’, but you ignore it, turning back to face Hyunjae’s mother.

“I’m really glad you have a helping hand this summer,” she comments. “I remember the amount of chaos you had to deal with last year.” A frown works its way back up to her lips when she pulls out her wallet, paying you beforehand. While she continues talking, you go back to looking for a pen, handing it to her in the middle of her sentence.

“I really do appreciate all the work and love you’ve given my son, especially since his father and I barely have time to even talk to him nowadays. It makes me so happy to see him continue being the bright and sweetest kid from the crowd ever since he’s joined this daycare.”

Her words make you grimace, knowing a majority of what she said was a lie. “Of course, but it’s really nothing,” you respond quietly, playing with your fingers.

“Ah, but it’s true!” she reasons, her frown disappearing as it’s replaced with a gentle smile, signing her name into the sign in sheet before reaching to hold onto one of your hands. “Trust me when I say this; many people who work at daycares absolutely despise being with children, but it’s clear that you absolutely love what you do, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Your eyes smile at her words, wishing her a warm goodbye when she leaves. You turn to see what Changmin and Hyunjae were up to, seeing the elder crouched down while Hyunjae plays with his cheeks, endless rambles leaving the child.

A grin forms on your lips at the sight of them together, and it took the two a while to realize that Hyunjae’s mother had left. Hyunjae halts his actions with Changmin and runs over to you, grabbing onto your hand to pull it. “Can we go into the playroom now? Pretty please??”

“I’m afraid you’re going to have to ask Teacher Changmin about that. He’s going to be the one in charge of you little guys.” You point back over to Changmin, flashing the teacher a bright smile.

Changmin raises a brow at this and holds back from scowling at you, eyes piercing into yours when Hyunjae sprints back over to him with a loud squeal. The boy grabs one of Changmin’s hands, looking up at him when Changmin walks him inside.

“I’m six!!”

“Yes Hyunjae, I know. You said that already.”

//

“You really weren’t lying when you said there would be ten boys.”

“Ten chaotic boys,” you correct, shutting the door behind you when you enter the playroom. There you could see all of them chasing each other, aside from Sangyeon and Joonyoung. The two were playing with dolls and action figures, making up a story while mindlessly ignoring the other kids nearly running over one another. “But why would I lie?”

He shrugs, arms crossed tightly over his chest as he watches the kids, making no effort to stop their violence. “Just seems unlikely that you wouldn’t end up with at least one girl here.”

“Small town, I guess.” While Changmin stood around and did nothing, you went over to untangle Sunwoo’s fingers from Chanhee’s hair, apologizing each time Chanhee cried out of pain.

“Right.” He watches you from afar, analyzing the way you handled the situation and allowed them to carry on with their chaos. “How do you even manage?”

“Honestly?” Your feet walk themselves back over to where you were standing with Changmin previously, accompanying him. “I don’t,” you respond casually. Only then did the adults notice Youngjae chasing Hyunjae towards you two, a plastic toy train being held in his hand as he charged towards the elder boy.

“TEACHER CHANGMINNNN!!” Hyunjae screeches, begging for help as he ducks behind the male’s long legs in order to avoid the toddler.

Changmin just stands there, watching how Youngjae’s waddles come to a stop before shooting a smile up at the teacher ever so innocently. He waves the toy train up in the air for Changmin, showing it off. “Look!!”

Not knowing what to do, Changmin looks over at you, wanting you to control the situation at hand. He could feel Hyunjae wrap his arms around his legs, planting the teacher into the ground while letting out repeated whines about Youngjae chasing him. By now, you already had walked away to watch the scene unfold from across the room, amused with the predicament Changmin was brought into.

“Uhm, Youngjae,” he starts, turning back to the newly turned four-year-old in front of him, crouching down to talk to him properly. The young boy lightens up at him and his train being acknowledged by the new teacher, presenting the toy to him by holding it out in his hands. Hyunjae, on the other hand, resumes hiding behind Changmin, his arms wrapped around his back as he peeks his head out from the side, eyeing the boy that had just terrorized him seconds before.

“Youngjae,” he repeats, slowly taking the toy train out of his hands. “We shouldn’t, uh, chase other kids with toy trains and say you’re going to run them over with it…” His cheeks flush up, truly unsure if he had handled the situation correctly.

Meanwhile, you burst out laughing, making all the kids look at you for only a millisecond before resuming whatever they were doing previously. Youngjae is pouting, his bottom lip jutted out as much as it could, and yet surprisingly, he hasn’t started crying, nodding to show that he understood.

Satisfied, Changmin hands the toy back to the boy, giving him a small pat on his head. It takes a second for it to hit that everything from Youngjae was an act, Hyungseo becoming the boy’s next target.

It makes your burst of laughter return, especially when Changmin’s face drops at the sight of Youngjae tackling Hyungseo while ramming his train into the poor kid’s cheek.

“Well, at least you got him to stop doing it to Hyunjae,” you comfort, walking back over to him. Changmin rolls his eyes with a huff before telling Hyunjae to scurry off. As Hyunjae does as he was told, Youngjae catches sight of your presence, screaming loudly while removing himself from Hyungseo. You chase after the small boy, hands being outstretched in order to pick him up.

When you did, his legs started flailing in the air, not even noticing that he had been raised from the ground.

“I still don’t get how you do this entire daycare thing,” Changmin mumbles, making his way over to you. Youngjae has resulted in whining loudly when you refuse to put him back down, making him apologize to both Hyunjae and Hyungseo from across the room.

“Trust me, I don’t either, but amazingly, it’s pretty easy to calm them down.” You gently set Youngjae back down onto the ground after hearing his cries of ‘sorry’, mentioning that you’ll be taking his toy train for the time being. He doesn’t fight back, only sulking when Sunwoo laughs at him.

That’s when Changmin goes over to one of the round tables, bored out of his mind. He sits on the edge of the table with his toes grazing against the ground, analyzing every kid within the room in order to memorize the other half of their names.

“You know, Teacher Y/N says we should never sit on the tables,” Hyunjae points out after approaching him. Changmin dismisses him off with a wave, not willing to listen to whatever a child was saying.

“I’m not a kid,” he grumbles under his breath, not giving a care if Hyunjae even heard him. Though, he doubts the younger kid did. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to him, you heard Changmin say it loud and clear. With a scoff, you made your way over to the two boys, standing opposite from Hyunjae and adjacent to the teacher with your arms over your chest.

“Off the table,” you demanded.

“What?”

All the kids in the room stopped whatever they were doing to look at the commotion happening. Though, Changmin chose not to budge from his spot, rolling his eyes.

“You heard what Hyunjae said. Loud and clear,” you click your tongue. “You’re being a bad role model to the kids by sitting on the table.”

“There’s nothing wrong with sittin-”

“Changmin, off.”

It was then when humiliation suddenly hit him, especially since he was the one that was being scolded in front of a bunch of preschoolers. He takes one last glance around the room while avoiding your stare before removing himself from the table. What you didn’t expect was for him to storm out of the room, pulling the door open just as fast as he slammed it shut.

“God, what’s his problem?” you mutter. A loud wail is then heard throughout the room, everyone’s attention turning to the person sitting down on the rug by the box of toys. That was what made you realize the severity of the situation, knowing that you had possibly gone too far.

“No no, Joonyoung, don’t cry,” you whisper after rushing over to him, bringing him into your arms. You rub his back, easing him down after the loud sound that had scared him. “I’m so, so sorry.” His hands are bunching up your shirt when you press him close to your chest, finding comfort in your hold.

You couldn’t stop yourself from looking at the door, wondering if Changmin would return.

//

After one week and three very tiresome days, you knew that Changmin wouldn’t be coming back.

It wasn’t like he had called to confirm that he would be quitting or any of that sort, but it was pretty obvious with the lack of his presence. It came to a point where you didn’t even bother checking outside the playroom ever so often anymore, knowing that he would no longer be the one entering those two glass doors.

It saddens you, in all honesty. The one person that was willing to help is now gone, and it went back to just you and the ten kids you cherish the most. Though, all of them but one didn’t really mind, or more like comprehend, the lack of assistance in the playroom since you basically had all of their backs, but Hyunjae’s been alone, sitting by the bookshelves.

He would have his arms wrapped around his legs, curling up into a ball as he leans against the shelves, gazing off into the distance.

You did have to admit that the idea of him contemplating his life choices was kind of amusing, especially with him curled up into the fetus position, but you still approached him occasionally throughout the day, asking him if he was alright. It didn’t help much though, the boy turning away from you whenever you did so. After moments of silence, you decided that it would be best to give him space, apologizing each time before leaving to focus on the other kids.

Without a doubt, Hyunjae has always been the brightest one out of every kid you knew, getting along with absolutely everyone due to his expressive persona, and considering he was the mood maker, it did bring down the happiness within the daycare. Joonyoung and Sangyeon were both old enough to understand what Hyunjae was feeling, joining him in the middle of their free time to give the boy a hug. They have always been the sweetest kids in the class so you were more than positive that Hyunjae would be okay in a week or two, but it still took a major toll on your heart.

In around ten or so minutes, it would be time for Hyunjae to arrive, so here you were, preparing everything. While searching through your drawers, a piece of paper falls out of your grip and onto the ground. You reach to pick it up and realize that it’s Changmin’s phone number written down, and you debate whether you should call him or not. It wouldn’t hurt to check up on him and see if he was doing alright, maybe even ask if he would be quitting for good. You could also toss in that Hyunjae has missed him immensely ever since the incident, but you decided against it all, figuring that it’ll be for the best for both sides. You tossed the piece of paper back in the drawer, closing it shut.

Out of nowhere, you could feel small fingers wrapping around the hem of your shirt and you are about to let out the loudest scream, turning around on your heels to face the culprit.

“Holy sh-”

“Hi Y/N.”

You calm down your racing heartbeat by having a hand over your chest, taking a couple of breathers before facing the poor boy. The dejected look on Hyunjae’s face doesn’t falter, his fingers gently tugging on your sleeve.

“Y/N?” he tries again, so you prepare yourself for a talk and get onto your knees in order to reach his eye level, hands on your thighs.

“Is everything okay, Hyunjae?”

“Will Changmin be here today?” he asks, his voice breaking as he speaks softly.

The way he gazes at you with glossy eyes made you realize that even though you had lost all hope for Changmin’s return, Hyunjae was the one who still had some within him.

Without letting you answer, he continues, his fingers bunching up the fabric of your shirt into a fist. “You said he will be here all summer, right?”

Sucking in a sharp breath, you nod. “Yes, Hyunjae, he should be.” You pause, shutting your eyes as you utter the next few words. “But I don’t know if he will.” Your voice trails off into a whisper, but he pulls you into a comforting hug, knowing that he isn’t the only one missing your co-teacher.

“It wasn’t my fault, was it?” he mumbles, hiding his face into the crook of your neck.

“What? No, of course not. It isn’t your fault, okay?” You tighten your grip around him, tenderly rubbing his back with your hand.

He sniffs loudly, pulling away with a nod. He tentatively puts out his hands to cup your cheeks, the warmth of his hands bringing you tranquility. When you don’t pull yourself away from his grasp, he squishes your cheeks, just like how he did with Changmin when he first met him, a small smile forming on both of your lips.

“Jaehyun?? Y/N? Are any of you guys here??”

You mentally curse to yourself at the voice, having your eyes meet the preschoolers. “Please don’t tell me you ran away from your mommy again.”

He only grins at you, making grabby hands. With a sigh, you pull him into your arms and stand up, revealing both yourself and Hyunjae to his mother. “He’s here, don’t worry,” you reassure, removing all the visible distress featured on her face.

“Surprise!” he squeals, tossing his hands up in the air.

His mother rolls her eyes playfully. “He really keeps running off without me knowing.” Her playful demeanor turned into a sorrowful one, taking the pen from the desk to sign in. “But I guess that’s a good thing since he really adores it here.”

“I guess he does, doesn’t he?” You glance back at Hyunjae, taking a mental note of his fingers becoming entangled in your hair. “He’s made a lot of wonderful friends here, you know.”

His downturned expression is still present on his face but was easily missed by his mother, too busy talking as she wrote down the date. “He has! He’s always asking me if Joonyoung could come and visit someday. Sweetest kid, if I remember correctly.” She sets down the pen back onto the paper, looking up to see her son. “Stay safe, Jaehyun!! Don’t cause too much trouble for Teacher Y/N today, okay?”

He perks up and goes to wave his mother goodbye but with his fingers caught up in your hair, he accidentally pulls on it, making you yelp.

//

Maybe having the boys paint with their hands was a really, really bad idea. Especially since you are the only one in charge.

“Haknyeon, no- no Haknyeon,” you snatch the tube of paint out of his hands. “We do not eat the paint.” He starts crying due to your glower, but your attention is diverted elsewhere when you hear your name being repeated.

“Teacher Y/N, Teacher Y/N!!” Juyeon calls, waving you over. “Look, look!!” He raises the printer paper up to show you his painting, bouncy on his feet.

“Oh Juyeon!! That’s a very nice-...uhm, cow-?” You tilt your head while squinting your eyes, trying to see it from a different perspective, but Juyeon’s already frowning, bringing the paper back down onto the table.

“It’s an airplane,” he mutters, slouching back into his seat. Youngjae and Sunwoo leave their chairs and rush over to Juyeon, taking a look over his shoulder at what he painted. Sunwoo brings a hand over his mouth to contain his laughter but fails when Youngjae loudly cackles, joining him in a fit of giggles. Juyeon whips his head around, glaring at the two younger boys while they practically trip over their feet due to how hard they were laughing, hands clutching onto their abdomens.

You put the tube of paint next to his artwork before crouching down besides him, bringing a hand to his shoulder. “It’s a really, really beautiful painting of an airplane. I mean it. I’m just legally blind.” You crack a smile before looking around the room, choosing to lean in and whisper into his ear. All sadness washes away when he hears you, perking up at the suggestion. He nods eagerly and claps his hands. Then he reaches to hold onto one of your fingers when you stand up, holding his painting in the other.

Youngjae and Sunwoo stop laughing when they see you bring Juyeon over to the bulletin board, their curiosity bubbling up within.

“Teacher Y/N?” the youngest hiccups, holding onto Sunwoo’s hand before following after you two.

You ignore his call and bring Juyeon up into your arms, giving him a push pin. “Now be careful,” you whisper, watching his every movement cautiously in case something bad happens. Thankfully, Juyeon was careful enough to pin up his painting, dancing happily when you place him back onto the ground.

Sunwoo gasps loudly and sits on the ground with a huff. Youngjae does the exact same, letting out a gasp of his own before seating himself right next to his friend, crossing his arms angrily.

Juyeon skips over to them, proudly puffing out his chest. He used both of his hands to ruffle up their brightly colored hair, regretting the action immediately after. It really wasn’t the greatest idea because one, his hands were covered in paint, and two, he only angered them further, so you didn’t bother saving him when the two boys started chasing him around, Juyeon screaming in terror.

Your attention was brought over to the calmest table in the room, at least from what it seemed, only to find Younghoon and Chanhee purposely shoving their paintbrushes down the drain, acting ever so innocent when you caught them red-handed.

“Now why would you guys do this? Where did you guys even get the paintbrushes? You're supposed to be using your hands to paint,” you groan, pulling the pair away from the sink.

“It was Chanhee’s idea!!” Younghoon blatantly accuses, pointing at his best friend. Chanhee rolls his eyes and doesn’t say another word, claiming the blame as the two head back to their seats in giggles.

With an exasperated sigh, you look into the sink. They are most definitely shoved in there, at least from what you could tell, so you rolled up your sleeves, prepared to have your hands dive in to collect the dollar cheap paintbrushes.

“I could help you with that if you’d like.”

In your head, you fully expected a kid to offer their help, but you knew you couldn’t risk having a preschooler helping you out with something stuck in the drain, but to your surprise, the voice wasn’t squeaky or obnoxious like the others. It was barely a whisper that could’ve been missed if it wasn’t for the sound of the door falling shut, making the entire room turn their heads to the familiar voice.

Hyunjae’s mouth falls agape at the sight of your co-teacher, not believing his eyes considering how long it’s been. He drops the tube of paint that was in his hands and onto his painting, running over to engulf the teacher’s legs within his embrace.

“Teacher Changmin!!”

“Hyunjae!!- wait, no don’t-...C’mon man, these jeans are new,” he whines.

While he tries removing the boy and his hands from his pants, you resume to stay in your state of shock, unable to move a single limb as you look at him. You blink multiple times to see if you are truly just imagining things, but you are proven wrong when more of the boys gather around him, greeting the teacher with happy smiles.

He gives up when many fingerprints of paint end up on his jeans, his distress being replaced with a smile of his own when he sees the rest of the kids. He then locks eyes with you, freezing in his spot before leaning down to whisper something Hyunjae’s ear, earning himself a nod.

Hyunjae and the rest of the kids go back to their seats, obediently continuing what they were doing earlier, but Hyunjae couldn’t stop looking at Changmin in awe, eyes glued onto him. The male makes his way over to you and brings a bag into your view. “I hope you don’t mind, but I bought us lunch.”

He sets it down next to the sink you were standing by, hands on the counter as he looks in. He grimaces at the current state of the sink you had your hand buried in, almost regretting what he offered earlier but folded up his sleeves regardless. “I meant it when I said I’ll help you with it, so I’m going to help you with it,” he mutters lowly, hoping that you didn’t hear him talking to himself. He takes one last look into the sink before shoving his hand in, pulling out the brushes individually with a chuckle. “Who buried these in the drain anyway?”

“We did!!” Younghoon yells out, waving over to him and then proceeds to point to himself and his seatmate. Changmin laughs at his boldness and sets the brushes aside before reaching for more.

Meanwhile, you are too occupied with gazing at him, looking at him with so much adoration. The smile he’s wearing today is genuine, and the sleep deprivation is nowhere to be seen on his face. Heck, it even seems like he did his hair, truly wanting to look presentable in front of the children.

“You okay?”

His voice snaps you out of your daze, struggling to find the right words. “Uh, I- yeah, I’m just- you...you came back.”

He falls silent, focusing on pulling the last few brushes out while his mind wanders elsewhere. When he finishes, he nods, finally allowing his eyes to meet yours. “Yeah, yeah I did.”

Even with the laughter and screams from the surrounding students, the silence between you two overtook it, struggling with who should be speaking first.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur, being the one to break the eye contact.

“No, no, don't apologize. It wasn’t your fault at all. I’m the one that should be sorry…” He takes in a deep breath, making your eyes meet his before he continues. “I’m sorry for not realizing that I’m now practically a role model to the kids. I know now that I shouldn’t do anything I wouldn’t want them to do.” He clasps his hands together, having them hang over the sink as he stares straight ahead. “I’m sorry for disappearing these past few days too.”

You smile, pursing your lips. “Hyunjae missed you a lot, you know.”

He laughs, and for the first time ever, it wasn’t bitter. “I missed him too.”

“Hyunjae!! Teacher Changmin misses you!!” Sunwoo yells, capturing the said boy’s attention.

You turn around to see that he and Youngjae had been standing behind you guys all along, eavesdropping on your entire conversation, but it truly didn’t matter because the look on Hyunjae’s face made up for it. He was really eager to get out of his seat, his legs bouncing up and down with excitement but something Changmin must’ve said earlier had made him stay put.

Changmin shortly gives into his desperation, outstretching his arms for the young one. Hyunjae squeals and leaves his seat to run into them, laughing loudly when he’s picked up.

Youngjae, being the jealous one he was, frowns and starts poking Changmin’s leg repeatedly. “Did you miss me too??” he asks, mustering up the biggest puppy eyes for your co-teacher.

Changmin looks down, and the grin he has on his face, along with Hyunjae’s, is something you wish to see for the rest of your life, truly not being able to describe how much happiness you were feeling in the moment. “Of course I did. I missed you and your little train,” he coos, reaching down to boop his nose.

Youngjae lets out an exaggerated gasp at the newly found information, running away to grab his train for Changmin.

“Now look at what you’ve done,” you chortle. Seeing the way you laugh only made him happier, praising Youngjae when he comes back with his toy. He then faces Hyunjae to pinch one of his cheeks, bringing his gaze back over to you.

“I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”

//

“I can’t believe you made them paint with their hands before lunch,” Changmin guffaws, bringing all the dried up paintings from the tables into his hands.

“Clearly not one of my brightest ideas,” you sigh.

Your attention was brought away from Changmin when noticing two students that stood far from where they were supposed to be: by the sinks. Your eyes narrow at the sight of Joonyoung carelessly wiping the paint off of his hands with Hyungseo’s shirt, covering the fabric in stains of the nauseating brown that were the result of multiple colors being mixed together.

With a groan, you place the paint tubes that were in your hands onto a nearby table before calling Joonyoung out for his action.

“Hey hey hey, none of that, Joonyoung.” You walk over to where he stood by the bookshelves and drag him away from Hyungseo, and only then did the younger boy realize what Joonyoung did to his shirt, gasping loudly for the entire class to hear.

“Come on you two, let’s wash your hands before we eat.” You bring both of their hands into yours in order to tug them over to the sinks, having them join the other boys that were already cleaning up.

Hyungseo being on the brink of tears shouldn’t have made Changmin laugh, but it does. He picks up the tubes of paint while smiling to himself, dropping them into a nearby basket that sat on one of the tables before heading over to the table with all the paintings he hasn't collected yet. He picks them up one by one, analyzing each one while acknowledging who painted what. Right when he picks up the last painting, he isn’t even given a chance to look at it when Hyunjae immediately sees him holding it, running over to him. “Do you like my painting?” he hiccups, gazing up at the teacher.

“Hm? Oh this is yours?” He looks back at the painting in his hand. “Are these your parents?” he asks, though he was left confused considering none of the people presented on the paper resembled Hyunjae’s mother, at least from what he remembers.

“Nope!!” he quips. He brings Changmin down to his level by pulling onto his sleeve so he’s able to see the painting as well, bouncy in his spot. “It’s you and Teacher Y/N!!”

“Really? Then...why does it say family at the bottom of the paper?” Changmin turns to look at the boy, confused.

“Because you and Teacher Y/N are my family! Well, kind of. In my dream you guys were!!” Hyunjae is looking at Changmin with the brightest set of eyes, smiling brightly. “You guys were married.”

Changmin coughs loudly at this newly found information, looking away from the painting to see if you had heard anything that came from the boy’s mouth. Thankfully you hadn’t, too distracted with helping Sangyeon wash his hands to notice him talking to Hyunjae.

He barely knows you, and yet here Hyunjae is, dreaming of you two as a married couple.

“I wanted to add the other boys and the daycare in the painting,” Hyunjae continues, kicking at the ground with his crocs, “but I didn’t have enough paint.” He frowns, eyes wandering over his painting.

Changmin turns back to look at the artwork, furrowing his brows. “Wait, so if this is me and Teacher Y/N, I’m guessing that’s Teacher Y/N?” Changmin points to the figure on the right before directing his finger over to the figure on the left. “...And that’s me?”

“Nope!!” Hyunjae repeats, snatching the painting out of Changmin’s hand. He then pointed to the figure on the right. “That’s you, oh and that’s me in the middle, and that’s Teacher Y/N!” he exclaims.

“Really?” Unable to hide the shock in his tone, Changmin lowers his voice so he wouldn’t bring any unnecessary attention to the pair.

“Yeah! Oh! And you see these wings behind Teacher Y/N? Those are angel wings! Oh! And you’re the devil.”

“...What?”

Changmin reaches to take the painting back into his grasp, glancing at it, and surely enough, there are poorly drawn devil horns adorning the top of his head in the painting.

“I got bored,” Hyunjae explains nonchalantly, truly finding no issue with what he drew. “And they make you look cool!!!”

“You are terrible,” Changmin sighs out, but Hyunjae’s frown at the comment made him completely switch up his words. “...-Terribly adorable!!” He coos, giving one of Hyunjae’s cheeks a pinch.

Your voice rips the two out of their momentary fit of giggles, adding to the ruckus being caused around the sinks. Not only were Youngjae and Sunwoo splashing water at each other, but two other boys were huddled up by the sink in the corner of the counter, their backs hunching over the sink.

“Not again!” you cry out loud. “Younghoon, Chanhee, away from the sink, I beg.”

Both Hyunjae and Changmin turn to look at you out of curiosity, watching how you pull the pair away from the sink. The action reveals the bunches of paintbrushes gripped in their hands, giggles escaping the two boys. Changmin chuckles at the sight, shaking his head in disbelief at the two boys’ repeated antics before turning back to face Hyunjae.

“Do you want to help me hang these up?” Changmin raises the paintings in his hands, presenting them to Hyunjae. The boy brightens up at the sigh, rapidly nodding his head in response. Content, Changmin stands up and gives Hyunjae his hand to hold onto, leading the boy over to the bulletin board.

“That’s Juyeon’s painting,” Hyunjae points out, referring to the painting that was already pinned up. “Youngjae and Sunwoo were bullying his plane, so Teacher Y/N helped him put it up.”

“Youngjae and Sunwoo were bullying him?”

Hyunjae shrugs, not really caring. “They’re mean.”

A laugh escapes Changmin when he hands Hyunjae the painting, moving on from the topic by bringing the boy up into his arms, picking him up. When he feels like he has a firm grip around Hyunjae, he uses his free hand to open the box of push pins. “You’ll hold the paintings up to the board, and I’ll pin them in, okay?” he hums, looking at Hyunjae for confirmation.

Surprisingly, Hyunjae proves to be very cautious when holding the paintings up for Changmin. With every painting they successfully pin up, Changmin let’s out a ‘woo!’ before scooting over a few centimeters to pin up the next one.

Once the two are finished, Changmin tells Hyunjae to hurry and wash his hands. The boy complies, running over to join you and the rest of the boys by the sinks.

Changmin follows after him with a satisfied grin, picking up the baskets of paint tubes on his way over to you. He sets them by the counter with the rest of the baskets before running his hands under the faucet. While all the boys rushed to take their lunch bags out of their backpacks, you had your arm buried in the drain, fishing out the paintbrushes the two rascals shoved in there for fun.

“Want me to help again?” he chuckles, drying his hands with a paper towel after turning off the faucet.

You shake your head, rejecting his offer. “You did a lot already,” you explain, turning your gaze back to the sink. A thin paintbrush was pulled out of the drain and set aside before your arm dived in once again, checking to see if there were any remaining ones left. You turn to look back at Changmin, eyeing him. “Thank you, by the way.”

“I’ve barely done anything,” Changmin pouts, leaning against the counter as he watches you.

This time, you pull out a slightly bigger paintbrush, that one joining the tiny one to the side. “Well, it’s the most help I’ve ever gotten since I opened this daycare,” you snort, avoiding eye contact.

Changmin notices the way your face falls when the realization of the lack of help dawns on you, feeling his heart drop as he knew he was part of that cause.

But before he could apologize for the nth time that day, you smile, slowly moving your head over to look at him. “You should go eat with the rest of the kids, by the way.”

Changmin bites the inside of his lip, his gaze flickering between your struggling hand and the kids scurrying to sit with their friends. “I mean...are you sure? I bought lunch for the both of us,” he reminds you, taking a glance at the plastic bag of take-out ramen placed by one of the sinks earlier. “It’d be pretty rude of me to start without you…”

“Oh,” you murmur, recalling the gesture. You’re unable to stop the heat from shooting up to your cheeks, trying to avert your attention back to the paintbrushes in the drain. “Right, uh, it’ll be okay. I’ll join you in a bit, then.” You send him a warm, reassuring smile and turn your attention back to the sink.

He nods and leaves you to bring the plastic bag into his hands, taking it over to one of the vacant round tables within the room, setting it down.

All ten boys are quick to crowd Changmin in a matter of seconds once he has taken a seat, intrigued with what the teacher had brought for lunch. Specifically, Haknyeon was interested in the styrofoam cups being pulled out of the bag, scurrying his way through the elder boys to catch a glimpse of Changmin’s lunch.

Not being used to receiving this amount of attention, the teacher easily grows flustered with the number of kids surrounding him, not really knowing how to have them get back to their seats. So he opts to continue what he was doing, removing the lids from the cups and setting them to the side whilst ignoring the oohs and aahs coming from the children. It truly makes him flustered with every word that leaves the kids, avoiding eye contact with all of them.

“Boys, go back to your seats.”

Their heads shoot up towards you, doing exactly as you say in an instant at the sight of you. You are drying your hands with a paper towel as you approach Changmin, giving the relieved male a playful wink. Laughter escapes you when he avoids having his gaze meet yours, too embarrassed to send you a thanks.

But the remaining smile on his lips and the faint blush on his cheeks already does all the thanking, especially when you pull over a chair to sit right beside him.

Shyly, he slides over one of the styrofoam cups and gives you a set of chopsticks before focusing on his own meal. He pulls the chopsticks out of its paper covering, snapping the wooden sticks apart while you’re quick to dig into the ramen, eating happily while watching the other kids begin their lunch.

There are multiple conversations happening in the room, but with only ten other students, it isn’t hard to differentiate each one. Sangyeon, Joonyoung, and Youngjae are all talking about their older siblings while Chanhee, Hyungseo, and Sunwoo are talking about cheese. Why? You don’t know, but somehow the conversation ends up being way more interesting than expected, and it makes you tune in, listening to each word that leaves that certain table’s mouth.

Meanwhile, the last table consisted of Juyeon, Hyunjae, Haknyeon, and Younghoon. Hyunjae was the one who did most of the talking, but only two boys were listening.

Before Changmin is able to dip his chopsticks into the ramen, Haknyeon somehow manages to slip away from his table unnoticed and makes his way over to the male with quick steps. He stands right next to Changmin when he’s about to take his first bite, staring at him. His eyes do all the talking, begging for Changmin to share it with him.

Changmin sits there, frozen as the noodles hang from his chopsticks. He locks eyes with Haknyeon, and only then does the four-year-old open his mouth, pointing to it.

The ‘ahh’ that leaves Haknyeon is what makes your attention from Sunwoo’s rant about melted cheese shift over to what was happening between Haknyeon and Changmin, almost choking on the noodles due to the sudden presence of the young boy. A burst of sudden laughter erupts from your throat, letting your chopsticks rest in your cup as you bring a napkin up to wipe your lips.

You’ve been used to Haknyeon always approaching you whenever it was lunch time ever since he started attending the daycare. You reacted the same way Changmin is reacting currently, but as time passed, you eventually learned how to say no to his puppy eyes. Though there have been times when you gave in, but you made sure that he would ask politely before doing so.

But clearly, he forgot to do as such when it came to Changmin.

Well, either that or Haknyeon just didn’t care about being polite since Changmin was the new teacher.

“He wants to eat your food,” you hum, your insight snapping him out of his frozen daze. He notices the way you pick up your chopsticks and point them at his cup before continuing to finish whatever you had left.

“I figured,” Changmin mumbles. He isn’t even sure how to explain to a four year old that he himself was starving and truly needed this cup of take-out ramen to himself, so he gives up and easily caves in.

He sets the chopsticks aside before bringing Haknyeon into his lap. Carefully, he twirls the noodles around his chopsticks and brings it into the four year old’s mouth, feeding him while his free hand is placed below his mouth in case there would be any spills.

You watch the two’s every movement, continuing to stuff your mouth as you speak. “Do you not plan on eating?”

He loudly sighs with a pout overtaking his features, subtly shaking his head. Changmin then looks at Haknyeon, watching the boy eating his oh so precious ramen with the happiest smile on his face. The sight eventually brings a smile to the teacher’s face. “I’m sure this little kiddo is starving way more than I am, so I’ll be okay,” he reassures.

As Haknyeon chews, Changmin notices the sounds the boy was making while eating. He pokes his cheek with his index finger, the grin on his lips making his cheeks hurt. “Good job,” he praises after feeding him another bite. He then looks at you, deciding to mimic the noises Haknyeon made while chewing seconds earlier. “Nyam nyam nyam nyam nyam.”

You snort, holding yourself back from smiling. “Did you just- did I hear you correctly?”

The smile on his lips doesn’t falter when he brings his chin over to rest on top of Haknyeon’s head, leaning against the small boy in his arms with the cheekiest look on his face. “Nyam nyam,” he responds.

“...Oh my god, don’t start talking like that,” you groan, feeling embarrassed when he lets out a laugh.

Changmin continues to feed the boy in his lap, playing with him in the process. As continuous ‘ahh’s leave both of their lips, you choose to bring your attention back to the rest of the boys in the room. You watch as a majority of them become immersed into trading their snacks with one another, Chanhee breaks out into whines when Hyungseo scams him out of a bag of gummies.

Youngjae hears the commotion going on and seeing Chanhee triggered tears of his own, bailing while hitting his hands against the table.

With a sigh, you quickly pat your lips dry before standing up, ready to go over and calm the boy down. This easily captures Changmin’s attention in the middle of him playing airplane with Haknyeon, freezing with his chopsticks being held up in the air.

“Wait, Y/N.”

His words stop you from proceeding further, the wails only getting louder within the playroom. Joonyoung is basically slapping Youngjae’s back at this point to calm him down, but the action really doesn’t do much justice.

Changmin quickly turns to face Haknyeon and whispers a question along the lines of ‘you know how to use chopsticks, right?’ to him before having the boy occupy his seat despite Haknyeon shaking his head no. While Haknyeon starts creating a mess with the chopsticks he was given, Changmin goes over to you. “Just finish eating, I got it.”

“What? Wait what, no, Changmin it’s okay.” You remove yourself from the table, but he stops you, warily holding onto your shoulder.

“I’m serious. I want to redeem myself, I got this.”

Without giving you a chance to respond, he leaves you and rushes over to Youngjae.

You are hesitant since Changmin really doesn’t know how to deal with kids, at least from what he’s told you, and you are debating whether to join him or not. You eventually ease back into your seat, wanting to make sure Haknyeon wouldn’t choke himself with the chopsticks.

By now, Chanhee has fully shut up because of how loud Youngjae was, the boy covering his ears as he no longer cares about Hyungseo eating all his gummies. A loud groan comes from Sangyeon, telling the boy to shut up.

Changmin goes to stand in front of Youngjae, crouching down to reach his level. There is visible panic that fills his vision, mind racing with ideas on how to calm a crying toddler.

You’re about to stand up again and step in but Changmin is quick to make a decision, taking action shortly after by grabbing the toy train from the table. He dashes away from Youngjae as fast as he could with the train, running to the opposite side of the playroom.

Youngjae’s cries come to an immediate halt when seeing how his train has been stolen, sprinting after the poor teacher.

It leads to Changmin being tackled onto the reading rug by not only Youngjae, but his best friend as well, the two youngest boys falling into fits of giggles when Youngjae dances in victory after stealing his train back.

Sunwoo continues to lie on top of Changmin, having the teacher in a chokehold, but the male makes no attempt to move, lying down on the rug with a satisfied grin resting on his lips. He shoots you a smile when he catches your gaze, making you look away in an instant.

But in the midst of Youngjae dancing, the boy accidentally trips over Changmin’s ankle, falling right back into his sobs when he hits the ground.

//

“Not really fond of kids my ass,” you grumble after recalling Changmin’s attitude given on the day you showed him around. You are standing by one of the round tables while analyzing the way Changmin picks up the boys one by one to give them a warm hug as they begin to leave.

“Y/N!” he exclaims after hearing you, pressing Sangyeon’s head against his shoulder as if to cover his ears. “There are kids here!”

Sangyeon is too immersed in snuggling up into Changmin’s embrace to even care about you saying a curse word while Hyunjae is glued to Changmin’s side, holding onto his shirt while looking up at the two, or well, three, of you.

“Teacher Y/N always curses around us,” the one on the ground explains, making your co-teacher shoot daggers your way. “But it’s okay! Teacher Y/N even lets us curse!! Just not around our mommies and daddies,” Hyunjae hiccups, reassuring Changmin with the ecstatic smile on his face as he finds no issue with what he just uttered.

Changmin thanks Hyunjae for the newfound information, setting Sangyeon back down on the ground so the two boys can go off and play for a bit before having to leave.

“You let them curse? Seriously?” Changmin cocks his brow at you. “What do you teach these kids?”

“A lot,” you admit, shrugging your shoulders. “They’re my world though, remember? They’re all I really have in life, but trust me, they’re all very respectful. Plus only Hyungseo and Sangyeon curse! The rest just don’t care, and even so, none of them could hurt a fly.” You pause, your eyes looking around the room for the only blondie in your room. Both yours and Changmin’s gazes trace after Haknyeon’s actions when he removes one of his shoes from his feet, an excited Sunwoo and Youngjae tailing after him when he walks up to one of the bigger windows in the playroom.

“Except for Haknyeon,” you add. “I don’t really know about Haknyeon.”

Haknyeon tosses his shoe at the window, scaring the fly away that was there previously.

“Mommy!! Daddy!!” Younghoon exclaims, running over to his parents that have just entered the playroom.

You urge Changmin to follow after him, having him meet Younghoon’s parents as you watch over the rest. One by one as the children leave, Changmin waves goodbye to all the parents that enter the playroom to pick their sons up, sending a warm smile and a hug to the boys leaving.

“You like the kids, don’t you?” you ask when Changmin returns from the front door, joining you by one of the tables as you both supervise the last two boys in the playroom, watching Hyunjae excitedly show off the small building he’s made with legos to Sangyeon.

The smile on his lips doesn’t falter at the question, giving you a jest as a response. “Maybe I do.”

Though, the grin contradicts his teasing words, especially when Sangyeon leaves his spot to run over to Changmin, pulling the teacher over to meet his parents and older sister that have just arrived.

When the playroom is finally rid of all the children, except for Hyunjae, you and Changmin begin to clean up, starting with washing the surfaces of the tables first.

“When will Hyunjae’s parents pick him up?” Changmin asks, curious since it has been ten minutes since Sangyeon has last left.

“That,” you sigh. “I don’t know.” You wipe the sinks clean of their paint, washing it all down the drain. You frown when you reach the last sink by the corner (the sink that keeps being choked with paintbrushes that Younghoon and Chanhee manage to pull out of their asses), noticing that the water wouldn’t go down the drain. “God damn these kids,” you mutter, making a mental note to call the plumber.

Once every table has been wiped down and all the sinks have been cleared of paint, you and Changmin move to the small shelves that hold the countless number of toys you had bought recently for the summer wave. As you help one another put the toys back into their respective plastic bins, Hyunjae is by the bookshelves, browsing through them for a book that he wants you to read to him.

“They really do adore you,” you comment, breaking the silence. You stay focused on organizing the toys rather than Changmin’s reaction to your sudden words, avoiding his gaze at all costs.

“Do they?”

“Of course they do. You’ve only been here for what, one full day? And it’s clear you’re wonderful with kids, or at least with the kids we have here. I don’t know why you said otherwise a week ago.”

His cheeks flush up at the compliment, shyly rubbing the back of his neck after snapping the lid shut onto one of the bins. “I, uh, never really worked with kids before. Not like this, at least. I’ve always just assumed I’d be horrible with kids because I guess I always found them irritating, like, very, so today was quite the surprise for me too,” he coughs out, darting his gaze anywhere else but you.

“Well, for someone who has never worked with kids, you did really, really well with handling the situations and getting along with the boys today. I mean it,” you hum as you stack one of the bins on top of the other, pushing them back into the shelves. “You brought so many smiles to their faces when you arrived.”

“Thanks,” he murmurs.

The silence that has returned would’ve been deafening to both of your ears if it wasn’t for Hyunjae singing along to the song Kidult by Seventeen while skimming the shelves. It’s the only sound that accompanies you when you two finish cleaning up whatever was left with the toys, but the question lingering in your mind threatens to break the tension between you two.

“Changmin, if you don’t mind me asking, what-...what made you decide to come back?” you whisper.

His head shoots up to look at you. He stands up when he sees that you both have finished with the toys, hesitant on how to answer. His mouth is repeatedly opening and closing every few seconds, unable to form any words as he thinks. “Uhm…”

He looks over at the boy by the shelves, watching him struggle to reach for one of the books on the top shelf while standing on his tippy toes, pausing his singing to focus on grabbing it.

“Hyunjae,” Changmin finally answers. “Hyunjae’s the reason.”

And you. He came back for you too.

“He’s the sweetest, isn’t he?” you sigh, walking over to one of the tables to sit down.

Changmin nods along to your words. “He definitely has my heart,” he adds.

Changmin does the same, choosing to sit in the seat next to yours as you both watch Hyunjae flip through the pages of the book, a frown making its way up to his face when he realizes that he’s already read it. He goes back to singing Kidult after putting the book back on the shelf, continuing to look for one that catches his attention.

You look over at the door of the playroom, it being wide open as it waits for Hyunjae’s mother to walk through the doorway. When you look at the clock, you frown, taking note of how it’s been an hour since Sangyeon has left, and there has been no message from Mrs. Lee about arriving late.

“You know how his name is Hyunjae?” you ask, sparking up a conversation about the little boy. You continue when Changmin nods. “Well, I don’t know if you heard his mother when she arrived on your first day here, but his actual name is Jaehyun.”

Changmin’s face morphs into pure shock, but he stays silent, urging you to continue with your ramble. He stares into your eyes while you look at the boy by the shelves, a smile making its way to both of your faces when you hear him attempt to reach Dokyeom’s high note in Kidult.

“When he first started attending the daycare, I mistook his name as Hyunjae. I always called him that in front of the other kids, and soon enough those kids also started calling him Hyunjae because he never corrected any of us. I didn’t actually know his name was Jaehyun until I had a proper conversation with his mother.

When I brought this up to Hyunjae, he explained that he preferred being called Hyunjae. He liked it especially because it brings him a sense of comfort and inclusivity. His parents never gave him a nickname growing up, always referring to him as ‘Jaehyun’. He says he always wanted someone to call him ‘Jae’ or ‘Hyun’, so when he heard me calling him ‘Hyunjae’, he assumed it was a nickname I’ve made up for him. He said it was the first time since someone had ever given him a nickname like that and stated how special it was to him. So because of that, I never stopped and neither did the kids. I don’t think half of them even know that Jaehyun is his real name, but I doubt Hyunjae would like them to know anyway.”

Changmin listens to your story in awe whilst Hyunjae was completely oblivious to the talk you were having about him.

“The name Hyunjae really does suit him, though. As much as I love the other boys, he truly stands out. One of a kind, if you ask me. Like his name, he’s a gift to the class. Then again, more so a gift to me, if anything. I couldn’t ask for anything better. He’s always making the other boys smile, being the absolute mood maker of the daycare. Sometimes he appears out of nowhere and scares the shit out of me, but it all doesn’t matter in the end because I’m always thankful for his presence. ‘Surprise, it’s Hyunjae, your surprise present!’ used to be his catchphrase, but it’s been a while since I’ve heard it from him...” You chew on your bottom lip, heart already aching at the reason behind why he had stopped saying it.

“Hyunjae’s mother caught him saying it to me once and told him to never say it again-...Why? I don’t really know.”

With a gulp, you’re hesitant to continue, but you push forward, wanting to dump all your thoughts out, even if Changmin was still considered only a co-worker to you.

“His parents- they’re sweet, I’m sure, but they never give Hyunjae the time of day. In the years I’ve had Hyunjae here, I’ve only met his father once. Crazy, isn’t it?”

Your laugh is bittersweet.

“I love them, but there are days when I wish I could take care of Hyunjae myself, you know? Take him back to my apartment, feed him, read him a few books, tuck him into bed. Just do anything instead of having him go back to a home where he’s barely acknowledged. If he wasn’t at the daycare, he would be at home with a babysitter...It’s not only that his parents work a lot, but they also do everything without him. Shopping, partying, hanging out with friends of their own whenever given the chance, and a year ago, the babysitter quit. There really hasn’t been any changes in their habits except they would call me to ask if they could drop him off at the daycare in the middle of the night, treating me like I’m the new babysitter. I’m honestly positive they’ll do it again in the next few months.”

Changmin finally speaks up. “Have you tried talking to his mother about it?”

You bitterly suck in some air, eyes roaming around the playroom as you nod. “Yeah, I have. Multiple times actually, stating that a child needs attention from their parents, even if it’s only every once in a while. She honestly...didn’t really appreciate me talking about it. Says it’s none of my business.

His mother has always been the sweetest to me and still is, but whenever I bring the topic up, she gets angry. She lashed out the last time I mentioned how important it was for her to be there for him and eventually yelled at Hyunjae for telling me about his personal life…H-He cried about it to me the next day, running into my arms to tell me all that had happened the night before, so ever since then I do my best to shut up about it around her.”

Tears start pooling up in your eyes when your mind replays what happened that day, wiping them away instantly. “It’s a shame, really, how she speaks so highly of him but treats him otherwise from what I’ve been told.” The topic saddens you the more you talk about it, resting your head in your arms on the table. Hyunjae has stopped singing, flipping through the pages of another book. “Your heart isn’t the only one Hyunjae owns.”

Once again, Hyunjae is shoving the book right back into the shelves, looking for another one that he would think you’d read wonderfully.

“I really do wish there will be a day where I can adopt him. I know it’s impossible, but it’d be a dream come true: to have a son like him, to give him the parenting he deserves. Though, Hyunjae’s mother loves him too much to give him to someone else, and it’s completely understandable.

I just wished that even if they couldn’t spare him a second of their time, they’d at least treat him well and call him by what he wants to be called instead of ignoring what makes him happy. He once tried getting them to call him Hyunjae, but they ignored it, sticking with Jaehyun, and we both know how that turned out. I guess that’s why Hyunjae’s mother didn’t like it whenever he used that catchphrase around me. ‘Jaehyun is his birth name’ is what she used to reason with.”

Throughout your entire rant, Changmin’s gazing into your eyes as you speak with so much love in your tone, resonating with the pain you’re feeling. He listens to everything with a broken heart of his own, wishing that he could pull you into your arms and tell you it’s alright. He fights back from doing so, allowing his hands to rest in his lap as listens to you continue.

“I really can’t express how much I want to be there for him when he isn’t at the daycare. I wish to be there for him on the weekends, but I guess this is the most I could do for him.” You suck in a sharp breath, slowing your breathing in order to calm your bubbling anxiety.

“Hyunjae—really means a lot to me. I’d honestly save him from the world if I’m ever given a chance. I’d gladly take a bullet for him any day, you know?” And for once, you finally turn to face Changmin, a weak smile being brought onto your lips as your eyes connect with his. “I saw the painting he made on the bulletin board earlier,” you add, “and it’s clear you mean just as much to him as he does to me, so thank you. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for making him so incredibly happy.”

Changmin is left speechless, especially when your eyes hold the starry nights in them. You look at him with such sincerity and vulnerability, truly thankful. The pain from leaving you and the boys has stuck with him ever since he slammed the door on you guys, making his heart drop to the pit of his stomach every time he thinks back to it.

“Of course. I’d do anything for him.” He looks right back into your eyes, reaching to bring one of your hands into his. The intimate moment causes the both of you to fall silent, and it has Changmin’s mind racing. He wishes that he had done better and had been more mature about the situation, but after a week of thinking about his actions, he knew he wanted to better himself. Not only for Hyunjae, but for you as well.

“I’d do anything for you too,” he adds through a whisper. He shortly realizes how weird it sounds for him to say that to someone he barely even knew, clearing his throat loudly before correcting himself. “I just feel really bad for ditching you...too.”

You sniff, laughing at his words. “It’s pitiful, isn’t it? How this is my job? I’m barely making a living out of it.” With a sigh, you gently pull away from his grasp and lean back into your seat. You shake your head, looking down at the ground in embarrassment. “I’m sorry for becoming so vulnerable in front of you. Everyone always becomes so- hateful when they hear about children, and it hurts my heart because these ten boys own my everything. Even if it would only be me taking care of their chaos this summer, I couldn’t be happier. I’m just, really glad to have finally found someone that cares just as much for these boys as I do. Even if you don’t verbally admit it, I see it. Something changed you this past week.” You look at him with hope, wanting him to confirm your words.

And he does as so with a nod, eyes darting down to his fingers. “Yeah, something did.”

Before you could ask him what had changed him, Hyunjae is running over to you with a stack of books in his hands, making you shut down the conversation you were having with Changmin.

“Five books today?” you ask after counting the number of books he was holding, confused.

Hyunjae hugs the books close to his chest as he looks at the clock, creases forming on his forehead. “I don’t think mommy is coming soon,” he mumbles, setting the pile of books onto the table. He chooses one for you to read and hands it to you, climbing onto your lap. He waves to Changmin with a grin before getting comfortable in his spot by shifting into your embrace, clapping his hands excitedly when you open the book.

Changmin understood everything you said earlier, but he understands how you feel about Hyunjae even more as he watches you read the book out loud with the boy pointing to every picture that you two come across. He also notices every single detail about you as you continue reading. He sees the way your eyes glimmer when you look at the boy between your arms and the smile on your lips when Hyunjae perks up at the plot twist of the picture book. His loud gasp and commentary make both you and Changmin grin.

By now, Changmin should be at home on his couch, relaxing while scrolling through a list of shows because he no longer had a use at the near vacant daycare, but he refuses to leave you and Hyunjae alone.

So he continues to listen to the way your voice glides across the pages of the book, becoming immersed in the stories made for children.

And for the first time in forever, Changmin feels at home. Your voice brings him into so much ease, and he knew at that moment he would never want to leave either of your sides.

Soon enough, two hours have passed, and within those hours, you have read eleven books to the two boys. Although Hyunjae has fallen asleep against your embrace, you continue reading the twelfth book in your hands.

Your words come to a stop when you feel a head gently falling onto your shoulder, turning to see that Changmin has fallen asleep as well.

The snores that came from the two boys accompany your silence, and you decide that you’ll stop reading for the time being. You do your best not to move much so you don’t wake either of the boys up, placing the book back onto the stack of books Changmin organized on the table.

You move to rest your head against Changmin’s, letting your eyes fall shut after tightening your grip around Hyunjae.

//

You aren’t given one single apology when Hyunjae’s mother comes to pick up her son, and Changmin’s pissed.

It is one in the morning when she pulls the glass doors open, the jingle waking you up from your slumber. Hyunjae remains fast asleep in your arms while Changmin is standing by the bookshelves, occupied with putting the books back into their respective spots. He almost drops the few books left in his arms when Hyunjae’s mother rushes into the playroom, gritting his teeth at the sight of her.

She doesn’t give you nor Changmin a single explanation as to why she was late. She doesn’t give you a ‘thank you for keeping him safe for me’ or an ‘I’m sorry for arriving this late into the night’, and instead she dismisses it with a tired gaze washed over her features.

All she says is ‘I’m here for my son’, and before Changmin could speak up, you already have Hyunjae up in your arms, holding him close against your chest as you leave the room with his mother.

Changmin fumbles to get the last few books back into the bookshelves before rushing to follow after you, stopping in his tracks right when he exits the glass doors. He watches you intently, noticing how you give Hyunjae a kiss to his forehead while his mother wasn’t looking after buckling him into his booster seat. You wave her goodbye when the car drives off, turning to look back at Changmin.

“You’ve got to be kidding me, right?” His lips are pressed into a thin line after pushing out the words, arms crossed tightly over his abdomen with an intense gaze locked onto your eyes.

While it seems like you’re used to it, Changmin is extremely irritated with how the situation turned out to be.

Both of you knew this isn’t how a mother should be when picking up her child in the middle of the night.

Your rant about Hyunjae’s mother didn’t help Changmin’s thoughts whatsoever, his hatred for Mrs. Lee only increasing when you don’t give him a response.

The tears from before start returning to your eyes, your eyes becoming extremely glossy under the moonlight. You rush to push past him, ignoring the way he frustratingly tails after you inside.

“There’s no way you’re letting her do this to you. Y/N, seriously?? She’s basically using you to hold Hyunjae and chooses to pick him up whenever she feels like it. The daycare closes at a certain time, and she should know that. Hell, Y/N, she does know that.” You swing the door to the playroom wide open as Changmin speaks, blocking out his words.

“It’s whatever. It isn’t like this is the first time it’s happened,” you grumble, walking over to your desk.

Changmin stands by the doorway, leaning against it as his arms make its way back over his chest. “Doesn’t mean it’s right. You’re exhausted, and you know damn well she’s the cause. How many times has this happened??”

“It’s fine,” you spit, shoving your belongings into your bag. You don’t want to discuss the topic any further, knowing that it’ll break you if you continue, but Changmin doesn’t stop.

“You should’ve been home eight hours ago, Y/N. Eight hours ago, the daycare closed. Eight hours ago, Mrs. Lee was supposed to be here to pick. Hyunjae. Up.” You dismiss his words with the roll of your eyes, slinging the bag over your shoulder as you storm out of the playroom, Changmin trailing right after you once he turns off the lights. “And eight hours ago, both you and Hyunjae would’ve had dinner. But guess what? None of that happened.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” you mutter.

“It’s so clear. If only you would open your eyes and see how fucked up this entire situation is-”

“Oh please,” you interrupt, stopping in your steps. You turn on your heels to face him. “You’re making a fuss right now because you didn’t get to go home earlier, aren’t you? Is it because you didn’t get to eat all day? Seriously, Changmin, knock it off. It’s fine, I’m fine. It’s not my fault you were the one who chose to stay.”

Your words make his features scrunch up due to confusion. “What??? No- what? It’s none of that. Y/N, don’t you understand? I’m concerned for you.” He stops to take a deep breath, calming himself down in front of you. “I care for you.”

You just stare at him, the expression on your face being unreadable.

You’re about to leave when Changmin speaks up once again, his question having you rooted to the ground beneath your feet.

“You- you walk home, right?” he asks, unsure. “I’m just assuming because...well, my car is the only car in the parking lot right now…”

Your feet kick at the ground whilst you let out a somewhat inaudible scowl, slowly turning back around to face him again. “I do,” you mutter.

“Then can I at least drive you home? It’s late.” His eyes are begging you, and you notice the sincerity his past few sentences held. “I don’t- want you to get the wrong idea, I just- please? Can I? You’ve already had to deal with so much, and I don’t want you to wear yourself out this late in the night.”

An exasperated sigh escapes you, and you give in with the nod of your head. Changmin is more than ecstatic when you accept his offer, helping you across the street and to the park. He surprisingly opens the door to the passenger seat of his car for you, and you’re given no choice but to thank him.

While Changmin moves to settle in the front seat, you’re busy pulling up the directions to your apartment complex, putting your phone up on the dashboard for him to see.

The car ride is mostly silent, the radio being set on a low volume to accompany the two of you. It takes a while for the both of you to calm yourselves down, avoiding looking at each other at all costs.

You allow Changmin to accompany you on your way up the flight of stairs and to the door of your apartment.

He whispers an ‘I’m sorry’ when you enter your apartment, and you look at him with a warm, forgiving smile when you respond with an ‘it’s okay’.

“I’ll see you in a few hours, Changmin,” you murmur, giving him a small wave goodbye. He reciprocates the action with a ‘goodnight, Y/N’ before finally leaving, preparing himself for the hectic summer he’ll be having in front of him.

//

You’re busy gathering materials for the next activity you plan on having the children do when Changmin calls out for you, running over your way with Joonyoung in his arms. “Y/N!!”

“Do you need help with something?” you ask, on your tippy-toes in order to grab the baskets of colored pencils from the cabinets above the sink.

A huge grin is worn on his face when he approaches you, showing off the sleeping Joonyoung on his shoulder. “Look,” he murmurs, keeping his voice quiet in order to not wake him up. He leans his head against the boy’s while proudly smiling at you, feeling ever so giddy within.

Your gaze shifts between Joonyoung and Changmin, perplexed. “Is something wrong? Is he okay?”

“Wha- oh, him? Oh yeah, he’s fine.”

“...Then what’s the issue?” you question, closing the cabinet shut before bringing the small baskets into your arms, bringing them to the rounded tables.

Changmin follows after you, gently bouncing Joonyoung in his arms as he watches you place two baskets in the middle of each table before moving onto the next. “Nothing! There’s no issue. I just think the boys are really starting to like me.”

Once you place down the last basket in your arms, you turn to face Changmin, searching his face for any sign of a teasing demeanor, but the dimple adorning the bright smile plastered on his face makes you doubt he’s messing with you. The smile doesn’t even leave when he sees the two preschoolers behind you; if anything, it only makes his smile wider.

“You’re just figuring that out? It’s been a week since you’ve been here, Jichang, of course they like you.” You take a few steps closer to him before jabbing a finger into the middle of his chest, making him look at you. “They’ve liked you ever since your first day here, dummy.”

“Teacher Y/N just called Teacher Changmin a dummy!!” Sunwoo shrieks, alarming the class with his voice. Youngjae cackles evilly, enjoying how his best friend is the tattletale of the class.

The two kids run away when you turn around, joining the rest of the boys by the circle of bean bags.

“Were- were they always there?” you stutter, slowly turning back to face Changmin.

He nods with a laugh. “Yeah, I didn’t want to say anything though.”

Changmin glances at the sleeping boy in his arms, bringing a hand up to the boy’s face to tuck a strand of hair behind his ear. “And in response to what you said earlier, sure, some of the boys liked me on my first day here, but it took a while for the rest to like me, like Joonyoung!”

He then gently presses his hand up against one of Joonyoung’s ears as if to deafen him temporarily (despite him already being fast asleep), leaning forward in order to whisper to you through the loud laughs coming from the bean bags. “Do you know how superior I feel?”

You chuckle, gently pushing him away from you. “I’ve told you many times that you work really, really well with kids. Honestly Changmin, you’re even becoming a kid yourself.”

Sunwoo interrupts your conversation by running back to the two of you, but instead of Youngjae tagging along, it was Haknyeon. “Teacher Y/N!!” Sunwoo screams, waving up in the air to grab your attention. “Teacher teac- oh-” he stops making a fuss when he sees Joonyoung stirring in Changmin’s arms, one of the boy’s hands reaching up to rub his eyes open.

Changmin mutters a ‘darn it’, but wishes Joonyoung a good morning, quietly asking him if he had a good nap on his shoulder.

“Teacher Y/N,” Sunwoo repeats.

“Is there something wrong?” you ask, looking to see where the two boys came from. You realize that the room went dead silent, frantic gazes presented on both Sunwoo’s and Haknyeon’s faces. Your eyes trail back to the bean bags, seeing Youngjae’s body sprawled out while the other kids poke at his cheeks.

“Youngjae fell asleep,” Haknyeon explains, raising the water bottle he’s been holding in his head.

“Then let him sleep,” you sigh.

“Wasn’t he awake just two minutes ago?” Changmin wonders, setting Joonyoung down on the ground so the boy is able to join the rest of the children.

“He knocks out randomly,” Sunwoo explains.

Haknyeon starts shaking the bottle in your face. “Teacher Y/N,” he pouts, finally garnering your attention.

“Oh what- holy hell, no Haknyeon, we are not doing that again-”

“Pretty pleaseeee,” Sunwoo begs, Haknyeon being quick to join his pleas.

“A no is a no,” you explain. “The last time we did that, Youngjae threw a fit and caused all of us to go hide in the bathroom while he-”

“Thank you, Teacher Changmin!!” the boys thank in unison, running back over to the bean bags with the now opened water bottle.

You look at your co-teacher in disbelief, mouth fallen agape. His hands were on his hips, satisfied with what he had just done and the cheers heard throughout the playroom from the other boys.

Only then did he realize your wide eyes were staring into his soul.

“What?”

“T-They’re going to pour the water on Youngjae,” you sputter.

“Yeah, I guessed.”

“...He’s four. He could drown.”

“I know CPR….kind of. But hey, YouTube exists!!” he beamed.

Both of your heads snap over to the group of boys when Youngjae gasps for air, his piercing gaze darting towards the boys that had poured water on him.

“You really are a kid,” you mutter, taking his wrist in your hand before dragging him over to the closet in the corner of the playroom.

Changmin is too busy locking eyes with Sunwoo, giving the young boy a thumbs up before returning his focus back over to you. “Am not! I’m just the cooler teacher between the both of us.”

“You’re the bratty one if anything.” You pull the closet open and grab the mop after releasing him from your grip.

“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” he coos, letting out a huff when you hand him the mop. “Also, I’d prefer playful, not bratty.”

“Changmin? Playful? Well, isn’t that new?” You mimic his coo, shoving an empty bucket into his chest. “Fill it up with water.”

“Wait- how does cleaning water with water make any sen-”

“Oh just do it, Changmin.”

//

You’re busy playing bingo with Hyunjae, Sunwoo, and Haknyeon when Hyungseo walks up to you, shyly standing next to you with his hands behind his back. “Teacher Y/N...I have a question,” he begins.

“Oh? What is it?” you ask, pulling Hyungseo away from the table in case it turns out to be something personal.

You can hear Sunwoo saying ‘awh man’ in the background, and it makes you assume that Hyunjae won with the loud ‘HAH’ that follows afterwards.

“Why hasn’t Teacher Changmin read us anything yet? Is he not going to read to the class?” Hyungseo is kicking at his feet when he speaks, avoiding eye contact.

“That is a...very good question, Hyungseo.” You look over at your co-teacher and find him brushing a doll’s hair with Chanhee, the two looking like they were in a very deep conversation. “Should we go over to him and ask?”

Hyungseo nods and follows you over to the pair. You have Hyungseo join Chanhee before taking Changmin into your grasp, pulling him up onto his feet before bringing him out of earshot.

Changmin still has the doll in his hand with the brush tangled in its hair, waving it in front of you. “I don’t know if you can see, Y/N, but I was busy playing salon with Chanhee.”

You roll your eyes. “Guess what Hyungseo just asked me.”

“What?”

“‘Why hasn’t Teacher Changmin read us anything?’” you repeat Hyungseo’s plea word for word.

His face falls blank at the question, pushing away from you in order to avoid the question. You laugh loudly and pull him back.

“C’mon Jichang, he’s not wrong.”

“Says the one who calls me Jichang,” he grumbles, setting the doll aside on one of the tables.

“It rolls off the tongue easier,” you shrug. “But that’s not the point. July is almost approaching, which means you’ve basically been here for around three weeks, and you haven’t read a single story to the class.” You frown, loosely hugging yourself as you continue with your eyes slowly drifting away from Changmin. “I know you’re only here for the money, but it wouldn’t hurt to read to them, you know?”

Changmin internally flinches at the mention, wishing he wasn’t reminded of why he was here in the first place. “It’s not that I don’t want to,” he explains. “It’s just-...well, okay yeah, it’s because I don’t want to.”

“Exactly, but at least try it once! Just to see how it goes, and if it turns out traumatizing, then you don’t have to do it again for the rest of the summer.”

“I’m not reading a story-”

“STORY!” Youngjae squeaks, running out from behind Changmin’s legs and over to the bookshelves to grab a book.

Sunwoo awkwardly steps out too, waving to the both of you before leaving.

Changmin’s left in shock. “Were they always there?”

“Yep.”

He sighs, rubbing his temples.

Youngjae trips over his feet when he runs back over to you two with a book in his hands, reaching up to hand it to Changmin. Changmin takes it and stares at the cover, his distressed eyes turning into shocked ones.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. Nope. Not doing this. The Three Little Pigs? More like not today!-”

“Great!!” you exclaim, clapping your hands. “Everyone, gather by the reading rug because Teacher Changmin has a story he’s going to read to us.”

Changmin glares at you, but you’re too busy moving the kids to the rug. You have them all sit down while facing the rocking chair you bought recently, motioning Changmin to come over.

Out of all the kids, Hyungseo is the one most excited despite having already read The Three Little Pigs on countless occasions. He’s the one sitting closest to the chair, hand in hand with Joonyoung as they anticipate the new reader.

Seeing him makes Changmin give in with a sigh, walking over to sit in the rocking chair. Changmin’s never been a fan of reading, much less a fan of reading out loud, but considering they’re only kids, he convinces himself that it can’t be too bad. Not to mention it’s a children’s book and not a presentation.

Though, it doesn’t help that all ten boys are staring at him in silence, waiting for the teacher to start.

You pull one of the chairs out from under a table, bringing it over to the rug to join the rest. You give him a warm smile to reassure his anxious state, gesturing for him to begin.

Juyeon catches your presence from the corner of his eye and stands up, almost stepping on Youngjae as he makes his way over to you. The preschooler reaches out his hands, hesitantly asking if he could sit in your lap through a whisper.

A laugh escapes you as you nod, pulling him up into your lap. While you’re checking to see that Juyeon is snug in your embrace, Changmin is constantly clearing his throat in order to spare himself some time from reading.

“Oh hurry up,” Younghoon groans loudly, earning himself a slap from Hyungseo.

“I will throw this book at you,” Changmin threatens, eliciting a laugh out of the younger boys of the group. The teacher clears his throat once more before opening it up to the first page.

When he begins to read, his voice comes off as shaky, but as time passes, Changmin grows to naturally read the words off the pages with ease, making sure to project his voice loud enough for the boys.

It all goes smoothly until Haknyeon stands up in the middle of the story to head over to you, asking you through a whisper if he could go use the bathroom. You nod as a response and give him the ‘go ahead’.

You turn your attention back to Changmin and notice his eyes looking into yours, the story coming to a halt.

‘Is he okay?’ he mouths, gesturing towards Haknyeon with a worried expression.

You reassure him by mouthing ‘he’s okay’ in return, and the stiffness in his posture fades.

So Changmin continues and even tries making it fun for the boys, mimicking the wolf by lowering his voice to the best of his abilities. The kids burst into a fit of laughter when Changmin starts to choke after attempting to recreate the wolf’s blow in the story, pulling a chuckle out of you as well.

The room is then filled with the sound of the phone ringing, making everyone’s head turn to the direction of the sound. You bring Juyeon down onto the ground in order to stand up, making your way over to the phone.

“It’s Teacher Y/N’s boyfriend!!” Youngjae screams, causing him to be shoved over by Chanhee.

Changmin hears this and perks up.

“Boyfriend?” he murmurs, setting the book down before jogging over to you out of curiosity. “Since when do you have a boyfriend?”

“Since never,” you snort. “They just like teasing me about it because I’m single.”

When Changmin parts his lips to respond, you bring a finger up to your own, motioning him to hush as you bring the phone up to your ear.

“Hello, this is Y/N speaking.”

“Y/N! Goodness gracious, I’ve been stuck in traffic for the past hour now, and I’m nowhere near home. I’m afraid I won’t be able to pick Chanhee up in time today.”

“It’s no problem, seriously,” you respond while eyeing Changmin. “Thank you so much for calling in advance.”

The playroom goes back to being filled with the children’s laughter, but Changmin is still tuning into your conversation, leaning against the cabinets.

“Chanhee is doing great here...Mhm, yeah, seriously, it’s no worries...You too! Have a wonderful day, Mrs. Choi.”

The phone call ends with a smirk on Changmin’s face, and you blatantly ignore it while putting the phone away.

“So, you’re single?”

“You stayed here during the entire conversation just to ask that?”

“No, actually. I also wanted to bring up how that is exactly how a situation should be handled—unlike what Hyunjae’s mother has been doing for the past few weeks. She’s never consistent with picking Hyunjae up and never calls to inform you.”

“Yeah yeah, I know.”

You’ve heard enough of Changmin’s scolding for the past three weeks, and he’s used the excuse that although he has never taken care of children in the past, he knows enough about the rights and wrongs of parenthood.

‘Were you ever a parent yourself?’ was what you had asked when you wanted him to shut up, but it only made him point out that he doesn’t have to be a parent to know human decency.

“Hey, I’m just saying.” Changmin shrugs and follows you out from behind your desk, hands behind his back as he looks at you from over your shoulder. “So...no boyfriend?”

He’s grinning brightly, teasing you when you continue to groan loudly.

//

“You really enjoy the fact that I’m single, don’t you?” you say as you mop the floors.

“Huh? What makes you say that?” Changmin is also mopping with you; ever since Changmin started allowing the boys to pour water on Youngjae in order to wake him up, you bought another mop just so he could help you clean the floors.

While you two were cleaning after the long day of making paper airplanes, Hyunjae, the only boy left in the playroom (again), is on the beanbags, humming to himself while reading a book you bought specifically for him.

“You haven’t stopped teasing me about it ever since Mrs. Choi’s phone call from a week ago.”

“I mean I just didn’t know you were single until then. I never thought about your relationship status, but if I ever had to think about it, I’d assume you were seeing someone.” He shrugs, setting the mop aside to pick up the bucket of dirty water.

“Why would you assume that?” you ask, curious. You set the mop aside as well, sitting down on one of the chairs to relax your feet.

“I don’t know. I guess because you work with kids.” The impact of the water from the bucket hitting the sink makes Hyunjae squeak at the noise, the book dropping from his hands.

“I lost the page I was on,” he frowns, picking it back up.

Changmin apologizes to the boy and brings the empty bucket back over to you, hugging it.

“Are you single?” you question.

He smiles at your sudden interest in his love life, nodding. “Yeah, I am.” He then gasps, putting the bucket down on the ground before leaning over the table to look at you. “Wait if you’re single, and I’m single, can I take you out on a date?”

If you were drinking water while he spoke, you would’ve definitely spat in his face.

“I- excuse me? Huh? You want to take me out on a date?” Your question is loud enough for Hyunjae to hear it, the young boy tuning into your conversation.

“Well it sounds weird when you say it,” Changmin huffs, scrunching his nose. “I mean since we’re going to be working with each other for the next two months, why not? It wouldn’t hurt to get to know each other more. It doesn’t even have to be the romantic kind of date, just something platonic between two friends.”

You can’t help but smile at his words, glad that you aren’t the only one that considers each other ‘friends’ instead of ‘co-workers’ now. The teasing grin on his lips also makes it incredibly hard to decline his offer.

“Okay, fine.”

His grin turns into shock, not expecting you to give in so easily. “Wait, really? You’re serious, right?”

“You guys are dating?” Hyunjae asks, voice raising as he shuts the book. He leaves it behind when he runs over to you two. “You guys like each other?”

The sudden question from the kid makes the both of you unintentionally flustered.

“No,” you deny. “Go back to reading your book.”

He frowns, sulking on his way back to the bean bags.

“Is that a yes to the date?” Changmin asks, his voice a bit lower so Hyunjae is unable to hear.

“Your enthusiasm is telling me you’ve been wanting to ask me out for the past three weeks,” you tease, standing up from your spot to gather the mops into your hands.

“Again, when you say it, it sounds really weird, but hey, it isn’t wrong for me to want to get to know you better.” He picks up the bucket and leads you over to the closet, pulling it open.

“I guess you’re right there. I kind of want to learn more about you too.” You set the mops inside of the bucket once it has been placed down on the ground, going back to sit at the table.

“Really? Am I that interesting?” Changmin pulls out the chair next to you and sits down, letting out a satisfied sigh after being finally done with cleaning the playroom.

“Yes, in fact, you are,” you scoff.

Despite working with Changmin for the past three weeks, you knew absolutely nothing about his life outside of the daycare. You don’t know the person he was (or is), and what he even needed the money for.

Though, you did learn about how cocky he could get, but you blame that on the boys in the daycare. If it wasn’t for them, Changmin wouldn’t be so comfortable teasing you whenever given the chance.

“What do you want to learn about me, then?”

“That-” you stand up when hearing the jingle from the front door, “-I’ll answer when we’re on our ‘date’.”

Hyunjae scrambles to put the book on the shelf when you go to greet Hyunjae’s mother, inviting her inside the playroom. She takes her son back into her arms with ease, rushing to leave the place right after.

She barely even gives you and Changmin a chance to say goodbye, but you shrug it off, knowing you’ll see him early in the morning tomorrow.

With everyone finally gone, you are about to go relax when you see Changmin already gathering his belongings, set to leave for the day.

The sight makes you feel uneasy, unable to stop the frown from appearing on your lips. Even when all the kids are gone, you and Changmin tend to hang around the playroom and have little talks before parting ways. Never has Changmin been this eager to leave the daycare, the corner of his lips turned upwards as he shoved his belongings into his pockets.

Your first impression of Changmin was that he was a dick, only here for the money, but he surely proved himself otherwise the past few weeks, causing him to not only grow on you but grow closer to you as well. He has been all smiles whenever he was around you and the boys, and you would be lying if you said it didn’t affect you in the slightest.

And perhaps your heart did flutter when he suggested the date earlier.

You wouldn’t say you have fallen for Changmin just yet; it has only been three weeks, after all.

But in those three weeks, he’s always brought a genuine smile to your face and helped you whenever you needed it. You felt like a preschooler again with the crush you had on him, and it was hard not to perk up whenever you heard his voice.

So to see him not wanting to spend any more time with you did unintentionally create a pit in your stomach.

“Going home already?” you ask, hesitant.

“Hm? Oh, no.” He laughs. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily. I’m stuck with you all summer, remember?” Changmin makes sure to check that he has everything before walking towards the doorway. He suddenly freezes, turning around to look at you.

“Wait, you’re available right now, right?”

“Huh? What- right now? Yeah...why do you ask?”

“...Holy shit, did I forget to ask?”

Your forehead creases, completely puzzled. “What?”

“The date. Let’s go on it. Right now. I meant to ask if we could go before Hyunjae leaves, but I guess I forgot.”

“O-oh....Right now?”

He sighs and re-enters the playroom. “Yes, right now. I remember seeing a diner on the way back to your apartment, and I was thinking we could have it there before I drop you off. I could also use a burger.”

You’re heated and at a loss of words, unable to move from your spot.

Changmin finally sees the expression you’re wearing, the excitement from his face washing away. “Uhm, I-I didn’t get the wrong idea, did I?”

His words snap you out of your daze, pushing the chair back as you stand up. “Not at all! Sorry I just-...I’d love to go on that date with you. Right now.”

//

Changmin stops you from pulling the door to the diner open, leaning against it as he looks at you. “So, what do you want to know about me?”

Your disbelief is evident in the scoff you let out. “Seriously Changmin? We haven’t even entered the diner. The date doesn’t officially start until we’re sitting.”

Changmin exaggerates his frown, becoming all pouty. “You’re no fun.”

He pulls the door open and follows you inside, looking around at the interior. There were only two or three other people in the diner, all sitting alone while on their phones.

“Table for two,” you hum to a waitress, soon being led over to a booth in the corner.

Changmin sits across from you and the excitement is back on his face, leaning over the table while you pick up the menu. “So, what do you want to know about me?” he repeats.

“Impatient, aren’t you?” you laugh, skimming through the menu to see what you would like.

“I got it from Youngjae,” he gloats, flashing you a smile before picking up the menu himself. He already knows he wants a burger so it didn’t take long for him to choose which one, but it takes you a few more minutes to finally decide on what you wanted to eat.

After telling the waitress what you both wanted, you answer the question that he couldn’t stop asking.

“Well, for one, I want to learn about what you did before working at the daycare. Or is this your first job? Oh! I also want to know about what you need the money for and why you took the job.”

He cracks a smile at your rambling curiosity, slouching back into his seat with his gaze settling outside the window.

“You see, after graduating college, I applied for this elite dance academy. One of the best of the best. They accepted me in a heartbeat, but it turns out I didn’t have enough funds.” He tucks his hands into his pockets before turning his head back to look at you, deciding to maintain eye contact while explaining.

“So I worked many small jobs. Fast food, cashier, pizza delivery. Then last year, I finally found a decent paying job, and I was close to reaching my goal before it went out of business a month ago. Luckily, I saw your job offer and realized that the pay by the end of the summer is the amount I need left.”

He taps his foot against the ground, tilting his head as he looks at you. “So that means when summer ends, I’ll be off across the country, attending the dance academy I’ve always dreamed of going to.”

“Ah.” you nod, understanding. “So, dance is your passion?”

He clicks his tongue. “Bingo.”

“Okay okay, my turn.” Changmin then fixes his posture by sitting up straight, going back to leaning over the table with bright eyes gazing into yours. “What made you decide to open the daycare?”

Thrown off by the sudden closeness, you gulp, stuttering as you try to form your sentences. “Uhm, well, uh, I don’t know. I opened it a few years ago after uh- kind of running away from my parents. I always loved kids, so I figured a daycare would be perfect for the town we live in.”

A look of adoration takes over Changmin’s features. “You ran away from your parents?”

You sigh at the memory, nodding. “Yeah. I cut ties with them once I graduated high school and moved here after college.”

Changmin smiles lightly at your response, finally pulling away when he sees the waitress arriving. “I’m the same! Kind of. My parents never supported my passion for dancing, saying it was useless, so I left. Haven’t heard from them since.”

The crooked grin plastered on his face makes you laugh, shaking your head. “I guess we are similar in some aspects, huh?”

“Definitely.”

The waitress sets down the plates in front of the two of you, leaving after receiving your thanks. Changmin digs in instantly, having not eaten lunch yet once again due to feeding Haknyeon everything he packed.

“Do you like dancing?” he asks with a stuffed mouth.

You twirl your spaghetti with your fork, playing with it as you hum. “Never tried it.”

His jaw drops. “You’re lying,” he accuses, setting his burger down to pat his lips clean.

“God, I wish. I just never had a reason to.” You finally start to eat what was on your plate, ignoring the bewildered look Changmin has on his face.

“Let me change that.”

“Hm?”

“Let me give you a reason to dance. You see, Y/N, a life without dancing is like-...is like, uh- it’s like a life without kids!”

You gasp dramatically, dropping your fork onto your plate to bring your hand over your chest. “You did not just go there!”

“Indeed I did!” He huffs proudly, going back to eating his burger.

“How would you give me a reason to dance?”

Changmin leans back into the booth and thinks, eyes wandering around the ceiling. “Hm. That’s a good question.”

You roll your eyes and shake your head, resuming to eat your spaghetti.

After five minutes of thinking, Changmin begins to whine. “I mean, aren’t I enough of a reason?”

“Not really,” you tease. “I mean, what? Are you going to pull me out into the middle of this diner just to get me to dance?”

“...I mean do you want me t-”

“No.”

“We could be living the life of the main couple in a movie, Y/N,” he sighs.

“Who says we’re not?” you retort, stabbing one of the meatballs on your plate with your fork.

Your words throw both you and Changmin off guard, becoming silent after hearing what you had just said.

“I did not mean to say that out loud,” you mumble, covering it up with a cough.

But a smile slowly grows onto Changmin’s lips, looking down at his burger as he can’t stop himself from feeling giddy inside.

//

July and August pass like a breeze. Because of this, it barely spares you a moment to even think about your developing feelings for your co-worker.

Your summer isn’t that eventful considering it was the same thing every day: go to the daycare at 5:30am, leave with Changmin at 6pm (or later if Mrs. Lee chooses to pick up Hyunjae later than usual), eat dinner with your favorite show playing at 7pm, and then sleep at 9pm.

Both you and Changmin have boring lives because of this set schedule, and there were no longer any talks about having a second date.

Maybe the first date was just platonic after all.

But you know your feelings for Changmin aren’t platonic whatsoever. The way he mimics Youngjae’s lisp as the preschooler learns to form words always manages to give you a boost of serotonin, and the way he protects Juyeon from the others whenever the five-year-old does something to piss Chanhee off has you melting.

In all honesty, with how Changmin was able to steal your heart in only two months, you would’ve already confessed.

But something held you back.

You can’t tell if it’s because Changmin would be leaving or if it’s because you don’t want to be left heartbroken.

It’s been years since you last fell in love (yes, in love) with someone, so it comes as no surprise when you finally realize that you’re head over heels for your co-teacher.

On Changmin’s last day in the daycare, you and the boys threw him a surprise farewell party after having it in the works for weeks, and thankfully it was one that completely caught Changmin off guard.

And if you remember correctly, he did cry a bit as well.

So now, after Changmin has wished all the boys goodbye, the only people remaining in the playroom are you, Changmin, and Hyunjae.

At least this time you received a call from Hyunjae’s mother, stating that she wouldn’t be able to pick him up until later in the evening.

Changmin was quick to insert a quip when you hang up, joking around by saying ‘that’s her gift to me for finally leaving, isn’t it?’.

“I’m sorry I can’t stay longer for Hyunjae.” Changmin slings his backpack over his shoulder after zipping it up.

“I understand. You need all the time to go pack.” You walk over to him with an envelope in your hand, passing it over to him. “As promised.”

He slowly brings it into his hands and takes out the final check he’s been waiting for, and he’s unsure if he wants to smile or frown. “Thanks,” he murmurs.

Changmin doesn’t move from his spot, continuing to stare at the paycheck while his fingers fiddle with the paper. You took the opportunity to head to the bulletin board, removing one of the paintings.

After a minute of silence, Changmin sighs and puts it back into the envelope, holding it in one of his hands.

And yet he’s still unable to move, but that’s mainly because Hyunjae has his arms wrapped tightly around his legs, unwilling to let the older male go.

“You’ll come back one day, right? To visit us?” he asks, looking up at him.

He leans down to give his head a pat, running his fingers through the boy’s hair afterwards. “Of course I will,” he whispers, smiling warmly.

“Promise?”

Changmin laughs and crouches down onto the ground, putting out his pinky. “I promise.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” you tease, returning with Hyunjae’s painting in your hands. You crouch down to join the other two just so you could poke at his shoulder.

“Who says I can’t keep promises?” Changmin cocks a brow at you.

“I was just testing you,” you coo, laughing when Changmin shakes his shoulder away from your finger.

“Once I graduate from the academy, I will come back to visit the daycare, and maybe I’ll get to see Hyunjae all grown up.” He brings his attention back to the five-year-old, noticing how Hyunjae has been tearing up. Changmin wiggles his pinky, urging Hyunjae to link it with his.

Hyunjae sniffs loudly and wipes away his tears with his sleeve before linking his pinky with Changmin’s. “I’ll miss you.”

“I’ll miss you more,” the teacher whispers, gently tugging on Hyunjae’s pinky to bring him closer. He presses a small kiss to Hyunjae’s forehead.

Changmin then looks over at you. “Link your pinky with ours to seal the promise.”

“Hey!” Hyunjae exclaims, making the both of you giggle.

Your dejected smile doesn’t go unmissed when you wrap your pinky around theirs.

Changmin gives Hyunjae one last, comforting hug before you’re walking him out the doors to the entrance.

As always, he pulls the glass doors open for you to walk out first, joining you shortly after.

Instead of walking to the parking lot, you two head for the bench that sits by the only active street in front of the daycare, watching the cars speed by while you sit there in silence.

The wind runs through his hair, and yet it still manages to look gorgeous as ever.

“You will come back one day, right?”

Changmin laughs at the question. “Are you really doubting my ability to keep a promise?” he looks over at you and cracks a wide smile. “Of course I will. For you, I will.”

You give him no response, and he clears his throat, going back to look at the cars. It takes a while for you to give him Hyunjae’s painting, falling right back into the silence as he stares at the paper in his hands.

A few minutes pass and you realize that you shouldn’t be leaving Hyunjae alone in the daycare for this long, so you stand up.

He shadows your action, standing up with you with both his paycheck and Hyunjae’s painting in one hand. Changmin doesn’t stop looking at you, like he was waiting for you to say something.

You knew it was now or never.

“...Changmin.”

“Yeah?” he asks.

And you chose never.

“Give me a call when you make it to the academy. Just so I know you made it there alright.”

If you were looking, you would be able to see the sparkle in his eyes vanish, his gaze no longer holding a glint of hope for what he wanted you to say.

You have your back facing Changmin, refusing to even spare him a glance. You never did too well with goodbyes; it’s the reason why you always run from people in your life or ignore the people that had to leave.

“Goodbye, Changmin,” you breathe out, and just like that, you’re gone.

//

The knock on your door grows increasingly louder each second, proving the person on the other side impatient.

Before stumbling out from under your blankets, you manage to capture a glimpse of the time on your alarm clock.

Who the fuck could be at your door at 2 in the morning?

It’s hard to keep your eyes open as you feel around for the lights, flicking them on before heading over to the front door.

You’re so tired that you forget to check who was outside your door, swinging it wide open just to get the knocking to stop.

And there stood Changmin dressed in his plaid pajamas, his chest heaving after running up the sets of stairs. His glasses look like they were put on at the last minute, and the mess on the top of his head is something you don’t even want to talk about.

Before you can even part your lips to speak, he raises a hand up to your face, shutting you up with just that one gesture.

He’s leaning against the doorframe, trying to catch his breath.

“T-that has, oh my god, that h-has got to be the most exercise I’ve done in months.”

“W-what are you doing here?” you stutter, having your eyes frantically scan him all over.

“Sleep, I-I coul-couldn’t sleep.”

“Changmin, do you want to come inside to rest? Is everything okay? Why- why the fuck are you at my apartment at 2am???”

“Wait just- give me a few seconds,” he wheezes, bent over with his hand on one of his knees. “Holy shit I’m so out of shape.”

You glare at him, judging eyes burning straight into his skull. You’re now completely wide awake with your heart beating against your chest, still in disbelief how your crush was standing in front of you.

“Fuck, okay okay, I-I’m better. Listen Y/N, I’ll just say everything here, in front of you, okay?”

“Say what?”

“Just listen.” He pauses to stand up straight, leaning against the doorframe as he fixes his glasses. “Y/N, I couldn’t sleep because it’s bothering me. I—I don’t know how else to say this, but fuck it’s been bothering me so much, and I just–god, I really need you to tell me.” He has his fingers wrapped around the doorframe, gripping it tightly as he continues to breathe heavily. His eyes are searching through yours for some sort of confirmation.

You remain completely oblivious to what he means, your eyebrows furrowed as you try to figure out what he wants from you. “You...need me...to tell...you? Tell you what??”

Changmin shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose, rubbing it between his fingers as he speaks.

“Tell me...tell me I’m not the only one who wants something….Us. I want us, Y/N. I wanted us for these past two months, but I was so stupid to hold off on confessing because I was afraid it was too early. I keep thinking I’ll eventually move on from this stupid crush on you, but I can’t, and I don’t think I will until you tell me straight to my face that you don’t like me.”

You try to interrupt him, but he doesn’t allow you to do so.

“Two months, Y/N. I’ve been feeling this way for two months, and I don’t want to move on from these feelings. I don’t want to. I can’t, and I came here to see if you feel the same about me before it’s too late.”

He’s biting the inside of his cheek as he waits for you to respond, but when you’re left speechless, he continues.

“Just—just tell me whether you like me or not, and-” he gulps, frustratingly running a hand through his hair, “and if not, if I completely misunderstood the hints you’ve been giving me in the daycare, then I’ll be on my way back. I’ll go pack my suitcases and prepare to leave for tomorrow. I’ll leave, I’ll go to the academy, and come back to the daycare in the next few years. Ju-just like I promised, but Y/N, if you do like me, please, please just tell me because I don’t know how long I can go on without knowing how you feel, and it’s bugging the fuck out of me.”

“I- Changmin-”

“Y/N, please, I’m begging you. I need closure before I leave.”

When you stare into his eyes, the desperation is clear. You’re struggling to figure out if this confession is real or not; if this wasn’t just some stupid dream you’re having.

So without thinking, your fingers reach to tug at the collar of his flannel, pulling him in to smash your lips against his.

The impact and the actual touch of his lips causes your eyes to shoot wide open, realizing what you’ve done. You push him away in an instant, gaping at him. “Fuck, holy fuck, this is real. You’re real.”

He stares at you in disbelief after stumbling backwards, blinking multiple times.

“...I didn’t run up seven flights of stairs just for you to say I’m real.”

“Holy shit, you’re real!” you exclaim. Your hand reaches for the door, slamming it shut with your back pressed up against it.

Now you’re the one left breathless, frantically looking everywhere as you try to process what the hell just happened.

It takes Changmin banging his fist on your door for you to finally open it up again, and you’re not even given time to think when he pulls you in by cupping your cheeks, pressing his lips against yours.

“I’m real,” he whispers once he pulls away, grazing his thumb over your skin.

You mirror the smile that formed on his lips, moving to wrap your arms around his waist to pull him in closer. “Are you sure?”

“...Do you need confirmation again?”

When you nod with the brightest look on your face, he doesn’t hesitate to bring you back in for the third kiss of the night.

//

“Good afternoon, darling.”

You roll your eyes at your co-teacher’s greeting after entering through the glass doors, setting your bag down onto the front desk.

“One night, Changmin. We’ve only known about how we felt for each other for one night, and you’re alr- wait. How the fuck did you beat me to the daycare?”

You shoot your gaze over to the open door leading to the playroom, entering the room to find Changmin standing on one of the round tables with something in his arms.

“I came here at 6am, actually. Forgot that the daycare opens later now because the kids have school, so instead of going back home, I went to go buy a projector!” He turns to face you and stretches his arms out towards your way, presenting it to you. “Look!”

“You sound exactly like Youngjae whenever he wants to show off his toy train,” you chuckle, standing right next to the table he was on with your hands on your hips.

“Oh shut up. Aren’t you going to ask me what I’m doing with a projector? Or why am I standing on a table?” He becomes pouty due to your lack of curiosity, hugging the projector close to his chest.

Unfortunately for him, you just find him incredibly adorable. “Okay okay, fine. Changmin, why are you standing on the table with a projector?”

“Great question! I’m trying to mount it up onto the ceiling.” He brings his gaze up to the ceiling, pointing up at it. “I already got the wires taped up and the base screwed in, see? I just need to hook this thing up to that thing, and yeah—yeah it should work.” He gives the projector a gentle pat before looking back at you.

Skeptical, you narrow your eyes at him. “...Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Nope!” he strangely replies enthusiastically. “But I’m sure the guys on YouTube know what they’re doing. YouTube is very helpful, you know.”

“Yes, I’ve heard….Are you sure that thing is sturdy? What if it falls onto one of the kids?”

“Easy. Just don’t put the kids under the projector.” Changmin tries to bring the projector onto the hook he’s connected to the ceiling, struggling to make it line up with the screen he hung up.

“Okay, fine. What if it falls on me?”

“...Don’t stand under the projector.”

You continue to pester him with questions as he adjusts the position of the box.

“Okay, but what if the projector flies across the room and then hits my head?”

Changmin bites the inside of his cheek, slowly removing his hands from the box before smiling proudly at himself. “Flies? I don’t think that’s possible, Y/N.” He turns to look down at you. “But if it ever does happen, I’ll kiss your head better.”

“...I kind of miss the old Changmin.”

He hums, taking the wires into his fingers as he tries to connect them to the projector. “No you don’t.”

You move to sit on the table Changmin was standing on, continuing to look up at him with a smile creeping onto your face. You couldn’t even get mad at him for the way he’s behaving; not when he’s here with you and not at the dance academy.

However, he notices this, and being the petty person he is, he nudges your butt off the surface of the table with his foot. “Y/N, off,” he mimics, reminding you of his first day here.

“We’re not in front of the kids,” you reason, watching him get him off the table.

He stares up at the projector to see if it would fall before looking at you. “Oh, so we’re going to play that game now?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

To Changmin, the question was taunting, so he doesn’t hesitate to peck your lips, catching you off guard.

“What was that for?” you ask, blinking when he rests his hands on your thighs.

“Just taking my chances while we’re not in front of the kids.”

“Gross,” Sunwoo deadpans, making your head turn towards the direction of the voice. Both he and Youngjae are standing in the doorway, staring at what you two have just done while holding onto their backpacks.

“Cootie alert,” Youngjae yawns, and the two make their way over to their designated baskets, tossing their backpacks into them before sluggishly waddling over to the bean bags.

You turn to look back at Changmin with wide eyes, and his expression mirrors yours.

“Do you- do you think they noticed?”

“Noticed the fact you’re back or the fact we kissed?”

Changmin huffs at your response before facing the two kids, noticing how they’re already knocked out with Youngjae’s snore filling the playroom.

“School tires them out,” you explain, removing yourself from the table to join the two, crouching down in front of them.

Changmin goes over to your side and sits down on the ground, poking Sunwoo’s cheek. “Hey buddy, no hello for Teacher Changmin?”

Sunwoo peeks an eye open and shuts it right after, shifting in his spot to face the other direction. “Later, ‘m tired.”

After a minute or two, Youngjae shoots up in his spot, wide eyes searching for said teacher. “Teacher Changmin?!?”

The laugh that escapes you warms Changmin’s heart instantly, unable to remove his eyes from you while Youngjae runs over to him, repeatedly poking his dimple.

“You’re here?? What are you doing here?”

By now, Sunwoo has also jerked awake, finally able to connect two and two. He excitedly wraps his arms around Changmin’s neck, almost choking him when he tightens his grip.

You watch as Changmin plays with the two boys after settling in Youngjae’s spot on the bean bag, unable to prevent the smile from forming on your lips.

“How was school?” Changmin asks, holding onto Sunwoo’s arms when the four-year-old starts jumping up and down.

“Terrible!”

“I like my teacher.” Youngjae smiles.

The difference between the two voiced opinions makes Changmin laugh, pulling both of them into his grasp. He then starts to attack them with tickles, calling it revenge for not being spared a single glance earlier.

Slowly, the other boys start to file into the playroom after being dropped off by their respective buses, many sharing gasps and screams at the sight of the returned teacher.

Hyunjae is the one who arrives last, kicking at the ground when he makes his way inside the daycare.

He stops when he sees Changmin, and the happiness that explodes within him is indescribable. He’s left speechless at the sight of his favorite person, and his backpack falls onto the ground when he stands frozen by the door. Hyunjae’s wide eyes are glued onto Changmin’s every movement, mouth falling agape.

The six-year-old rubs his eyes to make sure he wasn’t seeing things, but surely enough Changmin is actually standing right in front of him, waving.

“I cried over you yesterday!” he accuses, pointing his finger at the teacher.

But Hyunjae doesn’t hesitate to run over to him when Changmin crouches down onto the ground with open arms.

“I thought you were going to come back when I’m all grown up,” he whispers, burying his face into the crook of Changmin’s neck.

“I mean it’s your first day of first grade, isn’t it? I’d say you’re all grown up.” Changmin holds the boy close in his embrace, and Hyunjae pulls away, bringing the teacher’s cheeks between his hands.

“It was scary,” he whispers, squishing his cheeks.

“Well I’m here now, so you can tell me everything that happens in class.”

You’re pettily watching everything unfold from your seat on the bean bag, cuddling a tired Youngjae to sleep while the other boys are scattered throughout the playroom.

“Where was this energy when I was sick for two weeks?” you mumble.

“I missed you when you were sick,” Youngjae mumbles, unintentionally slapping your chest with his hand due to being half asleep.

//

“Bye Teacher Changmin!!”

Changmin waves Hyungseo and his parents goodbye and returns to the playroom.

You have already begun cleaning up, and Hyunjae has his nose buried in the book you bought him, silence overtaking the room.

He walks over to you and sees that you’re dusting the cabinets, wanting to see if he could be of any use.

“There’s not much to clean today since we barely did anything.”

Changmin agrees, bobbing his head up and down. He chooses to lean against the counter, watching your every move.

This causes you to start a conversation, asking a question that Changmin hasn’t answered.

“You never explained why you bought a projector earlier.”

He tilts his head tenderly towards you, beaming at the topic you brought up. “Right! Remember when I said I’ll give you a reason to dance?”

You nod, slowing your movements just so you could spend more time listening to Changmin speak.

“I thought it would be a nice idea if every Sunday, we could have the kids do karaoke! I’m sure they’ll enjoy it. Right, Hyunjae?” He turns to look at the boy, but Hyunjae is so immersed in the plot of his book that he’s unintentionally blocking out the conversation you’re having with Changmin.

Changmin’s face falls. “He likes that book too much,” he mutters.

“It was one of my favorites as a kid,” you explain. “It’s a bit more advanced for a six-year-old, but his reading comprehension is pretty up there. Not to mention he’s mature enough to understand the topic it’s about.” You stop what you’re doing to bring the duster over to Changmin’s face, tickling the tip of his nose with it. “You should read it out loud to him one day.”

You laugh when Changmin gags, pushing the duster away from his face. “That’s disgusting, Y/N!”

“Anyway, we went off topic. So basically you’re saying you planned karaoke every Sunday without me? When this is my daycare?”

“Basically, yeah.”

You set the duster aside and fake a pout. “I’m feeling very betrayed right now, Changmin.”

“Hey, it’s a great idea! You would’ve accepted it anyway. I bought the microphones and speakers online, and I’m waiting for them to arrive.”

“...Where the hell did you get the money?”

He looks elsewhere, shifting his weight between his feet when he blows a raspberry. “The paycheck…”

You look at him concerned, your voice falling softer as you speak. “You’re really not going to the dance academy, huh?”

“...Not anymore, no.” His gaze falls to the ground, acting like a kid that’s afraid to admit wrongdoing. “I have no reason to attend when I want to share a future here….with you. Cheesy, isn’t it?”

His words bring a shy smile to your face. “Pretty much, yeah. Also, since when did you become so lovey dovey? We’re not even officially together.” You lean along the counter with him, wishing he would look up so your eyes could gaze into his.

“It’s hard to resist saying stuff like that around you,” he admits, scratching his nape. He looks up to find the cabinets still open. “Are you done dusting?”

“Oh! No, not yet.” You take the duster back into your hands and pick up where you left off, a blush forming on your cheeks when you feel Changmin’s eyes on you.

“So....how is karaoke going to give me a reason to dance?”

“Simple. We’ll give the kids the microphones and have them sing while we dance.”

You glance over at him. “You’re crazy.”

“What??” He stands up straight, getting defensive. “How? It’s a wonderful idea, if you ask me. They’ll be too busy singing to even notice us dancing.”

“Yeah, and my ears will be too busy bleeding.”

“Y/N!!” He looks over at Hyunjae to see if he’s heard anything.

“Listen, have you ever heard kids sing? Specifically, have you ever heard Youngjae sing??” You shove the duster into the cabinet before closing it shut.

“In fact, yes I have,” Changmin bluffs, tilting his chin upwards.

“It’s horrendous.”

“It is not!” Changmin defends. “He’s only four!”

You roll your eyes playfully at him, walking over to join Hyunjae by the bean bags. “And I’m only being honest.”

Changmin scoffs, crossing his arms as he follows you. “You don’t deserve Youngjae and his toy train.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Hyunjae asks, making a mental note of the page in his book before closing it.

Changmin sighs and plops down next to Hyunjae. “Teacher Y/N is being very disrespectful towards Youngjae’s ability to sing.”

“...But Youngjae can’t sing.”

“See!” You sit across the two, bringing your knees up to your chest. “I’m not the only one who feels that way.”

Shifting the topic, Changmin’s eyes dart down to the book in Hyunjae’s hands. “What page are you on?”

“I finished the book already,” Hyunjae says nonchalantly. He gives it to Changmin while you’re looking at the kid with wide eyes.

“Already??”

He nods. “The boy in the story, he….he dies, right?”

“That’s pretty much what’s implied, yeah,” you confirm. You lean over to ruffle up the boy’s hair. “I knew you’d catch on!”

“Great, you just spoiled it for me,” Changmin frowns, mainly messing around.

Due to his playful tone, Hyunjae slaps his arm, resting his head against it afterwards.

Changmin pouts and sets the book aside, wrapping an arm around the boy. “Are you tired?”

Hyunjae nods.

So Changmin brings Hyunjae into his lap, allowing the small boy to curl up in his embrace. “I’ll sleep with you,” he comforts, caressing one of his cheeks.

Changmin sends you a warm smile, and you give Hyunjae a small kiss on the head before standing up, leaving the two to fall asleep together.

//

“Can you believe today’s the last day of school for the boys? Time goes by fast, doesn’t it?” Changmin swings your intertwined hands as you walk down the sidewalk together.

“It does. Excited to have Hyunjae being the first kid at six am again?”

“Kinda. I’m really going to miss sleeping in and hearing stories about how Juyeon accidentally spilled paint on a girl.” He laughs, shaking his head. “Not only that, but the microphones haven’t arrived yet!! It’s been nine months since I’ve ordered them. Nine months!”

You cough loudly, immediately changing the topic. “Yeah, uhm, honestly? Nine months, and I still can’t believe–this–is a thing.” You gesture to your hand being held by Changmin’s, waving your finger.

“Hm? What? The hand holding?” He raises your hand up to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss onto your knuckles.

“I meant us, silly. I’m surprised none of the kids noticed a change in our relationship yet.”

“I mean there is a possibility that they’ve always seen us as a couple since the beginning. We do make a great one, if I do say so myself.” Changmin shrugs his shoulders, adjusting the glasses he was wearing.

You look over at him. “Are you considering us a couple?”

“...Are we not?”

“I mean not officially, no.”

He exhales loudly. “Nine months, and we aren’t even official.”

“I mean us being official won’t really change much.”

“Hey! Yes it will. I’d be able to show you off.”

“To who? Sunwoo and Youngjae? They’ve seen us kiss, stupid.”

“I have friends!” he retaliates. “Albeit friends I haven’t talked to in years, but friends nonetheless.”

You giggle, reaching over to pinch his cheek once you both stand outside the entrance of the bowling alley.

He pushes your hand away and grabs the handle of the door. “Ready to go bowling with your favorite person?”

“Oh you wish. Hyunjae still takes the crown as my favorite person.”

He pulls the door open with a huff, knowing he can’t beat Hyunjae in any aspect.

You both walk in, impressed by the neon lights illuminating off the glossy floors. The loud music is blaring through your ears, but it’s easily overridden by Changmin’s voice.

“There’s a roller skating rink here too,” he whispers, pointing over to it. You can easily tell by the pout on his face that he wants to go roller skating, so you choose to remind him why you two are here in the first place by turning him away from the sight.

“Another time,” you reassure.

You walk him over to the counter and give the worker both of your shoe sizes, clutching onto Changmin’s arm as you wait for your bowling shoes to be handed over. “It’s a nice place, isn’t it?”

“Definitely. Have you been here before?” He looks at you, bringing a finger up to brush a strand of hair away from your face. The tiny gesture doesn’t fail to bring a smile to your face, making you hum in response.

“Only once. Sangyeon had a birthday party here when he was four, and I was invited.”

Changmin thanks the worker once they have returned and collects the bowling shoes given, handing you your pair before leading you over to an empty alley.

“We should take the boys out for bowling one day. All of them. That’s possible, right?”

“This is supposed to be our date, Changmin, not you wanting the rest of the boys here,” you jest. “We already see them on a daily basis.”

“I’m just saying! Imagine if Haknyeon was here with us.” He sits down on the bench and starts removing his shoes. “He’ll honestly beat both of our asses. His precision is incredible.”

“That’s because he’s a five-year-old, and five-year-olds use the bowling ramp.” You copy Changmn’s actions after playfully punching his shoulder, taking your time with putting the bowling shoes on.

He rubs his shoulder and looks at you with a pout, dismissing your words with the roll of his eyes. Changmin then begins to input both of your names into the screen while you search for two bowling balls, choosing a purple one for him.

You come back with the two balls in your arms, and he looks at you worriedly, quick to grab the purple one from you.

“They weren’t heavy,” you pout, hating how Changmin underestimated your strength.

“You looked like you were going to drop them on your toe. I put my name first, by the way. I hope that’s okay.” But he doesn't allow you to respond, already walking up to the alley to begin.

“Oh it’s on, Ji Changmin,” you mutter, taking your seat on the bench.

Out of the past year with Changmin, you’ve never once seen each other’s competitive side during your dates. Sure, there have been times when you two fought over who was the more liked teacher in the daycare, but it was mainly you two joking around and having fun.

Today proves differently, especially when you two are constantly neck in neck with each frame that passes.

Your desperation to beat Changmin is what makes you mess up on the ninth frame, knocking down seven pins instead of eight and it causes you to become tied with Changmin.

“May the best player win,” he yawns, sliding his fingers through the holes of the bowling ball.

The way he intensely stares at the pins doesn’t intimidate you in the slightest, a smirk cockily resting on your lips. You know he is going to mess up the last frame, he has to, so you’re not too worried.

But when he doesn’t and gets two perfect strikes in a row, you know you’re completely fucked.

He zooms over to you and bends down to shove his face in front of yours, gloating. “I won!!”

You shove his face away with your hand, standing up with a huff. “You don’t know that.”

“C’mon Y/N, there’s no way you’re going to get two strikes!”

And to your dismay, he’s right.

When you see your ball shift to the right, you know you're completely done for.

Changmin runs up to hug you from behind while you’re moping over your loss, pressing your back up against his chest.

“See? I know you too well,” he coos, planting a kiss on your neck.

You whine, pushing away from his grip to make your way back over to your shoes. “You’re treating me with ice cream after this.”

“I was the one who won! That’s unfair,” he grumbles. He runs to catch up with you, beating you to the bench.

His smile returns, and his eyes are bright when he looks at you. “Want to know my secret to winning?”

“What?” you groan, plopping yourself down next to him. You rest your head on his shoulder as you wait for him to pull out something from his pocket.

Between his fingers is a folded piece of paper, and when he unravels it, you see that it’s Hyunjae’s painting of you three.

He gazes into your eyes while he shows it to you, whispering.

“It’s my lucky charm.”

//

“Are you sure it’s hidden?” Hyunjae questions, a frown forming on his face when he comes back after searching the shelves.

“I’m positive, Hyunjae. Help me keep looking. There’s no way the microphones aren’t here.” Changmin is searching high and low when it comes to your desk, opening every single drawer.

He groans and goes back to searching, wanting to be of some use for Changmin.

“I’m telling you, I don’t have them!” you shout, putting legos together on the ground with Haknyeon in your lap.

“Liar,” Changmin mutters to himself. He takes one more check around your desk before moving to the sinks.

Sunwoo is tailing the teacher around, mirroring Changmin’s exact movements.

“They’re not hereeee,” Hyunjae informs, referring to the bookshelves.

You laugh, shaking your head as you grab a handful of legos to dump onto the rug in front of Haknyeon.

Changmin pulls open one of the cabinets under the sink, and that’s when he finds a box (and it’s one he doesn’t recognize). He pulls it out and brings it onto a nearby table. He takes the lid off, and lo and behold are the missing microphones presented before him.

“I knew it!” he shouts. “I fucking knew it!”

“He fucking knew it!”

“...Go away, Sunwoo.”

The new five-year-old runs away and over to Chanhee and Younghoon, joining them with their puzzle.

“Y/N!! Hyunjae!!”

You mutter a ‘shit’ and remove Haknyeon from your lap, taking your time before finally making your way over to Changmin.

Hyunjae trudges his way over to the teacher. “Do I still get my five bucks?”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.” He takes out his wallet and takes out five one dollar bills, handing them to the boy before turning his attention over to you.

“You’re paying him?”

“Oh don’t try changing the subject. What is this?” He picks up the box, showing you what’s inside.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” you sing-song, whistling as you look around the room.

He stares at you in disbelief. “You-...How long have you kept this here?” He kicks the cabinet door shut, referring to it.

“For like eight months,” you snort. You lean against the counter, nibbling on your lower lip to prevent a snicker from escaping you.

But it’s hard when Changmin is being brought into despair. “For the past eight months we could’ve been listening to Youngjae’s angelic singing,” he whines, setting the box back down onto the table with a thud. “Eight months, Y/N!”

“It’s not my fault you couldn’t find them.”

He exaggerates a groan, slamming the lid back onto the top of the box. “I didn’t even know they were here to begin with!”

“I know,” you giggle, bringing a hand over your lips. “Honestly? I’m not even mad you’ve found them.”

Your collected composure and failed attempt to hold back your laughter makes Changmin fall against you, resting his forehead on your shoulder. “I can’t believe you’ve had them all this time,” he whispers, allowing his eyes to fall shut.

“I know I know.” You pat his back, resting your head against his. “I’m quite the secret keeper, aren’t I?”

“He fucking knew it!”

Changmin picks his head up from your shoulder to glare at Sunwoo, watching the boy run away from the two of you and back over to the puzzle duo.

“If his parents start asking us why Sunwoo won’t stop saying ‘he fucking knew it’, you’re taking all the blame,” Changmin grumbles, going back to keeping his head on your shoulder.

“I wasn’t the one who swore!”

//

“Personally, I think this is the greatest decision I’ve ever made.”

You look at him dubiously, swinging your connected hands as you make your way down the sidewalk with the ten boys skipping in front of you.

“Wouldn’t that be the Karaoke Sundays idea?” you ask.

“...Okay, second greatest decision.”

You roll your eyes and let out a sarcastic ‘mhm’ as a response.

“What??” he looks at you whilst feigning offense, trying to read whatever is on your mind by staring straight into your eyes.

“How do you know this is your second greatest decision yet? I mean, we aren’t even at the park yet.”

Changmin points at the boys in front of you, raising his voice. “Look at them!! They’re already having so much fun. Not to mention how the day is gorgeous! the sun is gorgeous, the weather is gorgeous, you’re gorgeous-” He covers up his last few words with a forced cough but doesn’t hesitate to peek at your reaction.

“Didn’t know I signed up to be with a flirt,” you sigh.

Before Changmin is given a chance to respond, you hear Sunwoo screaming.

“We’re here!!” he calls out, and he’s the first one to run out into the open field.

All the boys follow after him, starting an intense game of tag while you’re figuring out a spot to sit with Changmin.

He runs over to a tree and places himself under the shade, urging you to come over.

And you do so only to realize how far you two were from the boys, concern growing within you. “How are we going to watch over ten boys?” you murmur, resting your head on Changmin’s shoulder with your hand still in his.

“You’re going to be watching them, not me.”

His nonchalant response throws you completely off guard, quick to pick your head up to stare at him. “What? You’re not leaving me, are you?”

Changmin doesn’t miss the way your grip around his hand tightens, and he clears his throat, distracting himself from the gaze that’ll only make him fall again for you once more.

Then again, he’d fall for you a thousand times, and he still wouldn’t mind.

“I’m not going to leave, dummy,” he says, flicking your temple.

“Then why would I be the only one watching them?” You rub your temple, pouting at him.

Changmin releases your hand from his grasp and chooses to wrap his arm around your waist, pulling you close against him as he stares at you. “Because I’ll be too busy watching you.”

You gasp loudly and shove him away from you, crossing your arms while he’s laughing his ass off.

Eventually he notices how you turn your back towards him and starts attempting to receive your attention, resting his chin on your shoulder while looking at you.

“I’m sowwy,” he whines, and when you don’t respond to his antics, he makes an impulsive decision to litter kisses all over your face after making you look at him.

“You guys are gross.”

“Hello to you too, Hyunjae,” Changmin greets, removing himself from you in order to wave the boy over.

The boy seats himself between the two of you, bringing his arms around his knees while pressing his back up against the trunk of the tree. Without saying anything, Hyunjae scoots over to lean against your side, and you immediately bring him into your arms.

“You okay, little man?” Changmin asks, looking down at him.

“No. Sunwoo tripped me.”

While Changmin’s laughing, you avert your attention over to the group of boys still playing their game of tag. Juyeon’s currently made the tagger ever since he fell face first into the grass but hasn’t moved a single inch. It’s the reason why Hyungseo and Sangyeon start poking his sides with their toes, evoking a reaction out of the boy.

“I knew this wasn’t a good idea,” you mumble.

Changmin calms himself down and moves to rest his chin over Hyunjae’s head, his eyes meeting yours. “Is now the time to say I suggested this idea just to spend time with you?” he whispers.

“Again, ew.”

Changmin removes his chin from Hyunjae’s head to gently slap a hand over the boy’s mouth, momentarily shutting him up.

Unfortunately for the teacher, Hyunjae is quick to lick his hand, bringing the two into a playful yet physical fight.

Changmin wins by capturing Hyunjae within his arms, falling onto the ground. He looks over at you, prepared to boast about his win, when he sees you watching the other kids instead.

Regardless, the bright smile on his face doesn’t falter, and he almost forgets Hyunjae is in his arms until he bit him.

“Okay, now that was uncalled for,” Changmin whines, rubbing at the teeth marks imprinted into his skin.

“You were choking me,” Hyunjae huffs, going back over to your side.

“You could’ve told me!”

“I did!”

“Okay shut up, you two. I’m tired.”

The two heads turn to look at you with worried expressions, noticing how you’re struggling to keep your eyes open.

“Want to lie down?” Changmin asks, scooting over to sit next to you. When you nod, he allows you to have your head in his lap, telling you to close your eyes.

He runs his fingers through your hair, playing with it as Hyunjae moves to hug one of his arms. The boy begins to ramble about the shapes of the clouds in the sky, and Changmin listens to every word with a smile on his face, agreeing with every single thing Hyunjae’s mentioned.

Because of his mini ramble about clouds, the sounds from the other boys start to drown out, and minutes later they’re joining you three.

Sangyeon was the first one who got tired of the game of tag after being considered ‘it’ more than five times, inserting himself into the conversation about clouds by sitting next to Hyunjae.

All the boys are wiped out after constantly running and screaming, so none of them seem to question Changmin’s ever so loving gaze towards you. Either they don’t notice or don’t care enough to comment on the way he’s unable to stop looking at you, but it wasn’t like it mattered anyway.

Even if everyone in the world pointed it out, he still wouldn’t take his eyes off of you.

//

A year of Karaoke Sundays never gave you a reason to dance with him.

Changmin couldn’t tell if it was Youngjae’s so-called ‘horrendous’ singing with Sunwoo hyping him up or Joonyoung huddling into the far corner of the playroom due to his fear of loud noises.

You were always there to comfort the poor boy by pressing his ears up against your chest while Changmin occupied the others, hand in hand with Juyeon as they all sang their hearts out into the crappy microphones Changmin had bought. Chanhee and Hyungseo definitely dominated every Sunday with their vocals, and eventually Joonyoung grew comfortable enough to sing with the two.

But even with Joonyoung gone as an excuse, you still remained by the bean bags, watching all of them have fun with a goofy smile adorning your face.

Occasionally Changmin would visit you and bring you up onto your feet, urging you to dance. He once even tried swooning you over by having Romantic Sunday playing in the background, whispering the lyrics into your ear while he tried to get you to sway with him.

Obviously, it didn’t work.

It wasn’t like you didn’t want to; you were just too embarrassed to do so.

You’re afraid you’ll pull a Juyeon and trip over your very own feet, so you refrain from moving a limb, only choosing to lean against Changmin’s touch when he brings you into his arms.

Because of this, he would never force you into joining him, even if it was just the two of you.

He would ask only once if you’d like to join him in a small dance, and when you give him the shake of your head, he’ll opt to pull you in for an intoxicating kiss, having your lips dance against his instead.

Hyunjae was always the main witness of the kisses you two shared, visibly cringing by scrunching up the features of his face, but deep down inside he’s happy for the two of you.

How could he not when he has wanted you both together since the very first day? It’s the dream of any kid to have their two favorite people together.

Not to mention Karaoke Sundays isn’t the only new idea that has been introduced the past year; you and Changmin have gotten so used to having Hyunjae around that the three of you would leave the daycare and hang out elsewhere, creating new memories.

Shopping, eating, exploring: the three of you did it all (without the consent of Hyunjae’s mother).

It was kind of like sneaking out, and the three of you would never stray too far from the daycare in case Mrs. Lee comes back early. If she ever called to ask where her son was, you would tell her that you three were on a walk and would come back immediately.

The fun little dates you all shared are the only reason why Changmin has given up on pestering you about talking to Mrs. Lee and her habit of picking up her son later than the designated time.

He taught both you and Hyunjae how to roller skate only for the young boy to skate faster than the teacher, leaving both you and Changmin confused about how Hyunjae managed to learn so quickly.

While your favorite place with Changmin and Hyunjae was the ferris wheel, Changmin’s personal favorite was the field of flowers hidden a mile or two behind the daycare.

You never saw the beauty in flowers after taking care of children for nearly four years, but that completely changed when you watched how Hyunjae and Changmin ran through them. Their sparks of happiness would always change into pure fear whenever catching sight of a bee, running far from you to the point where Hyunjae would start crying at the lack of your presence.

Changmin even got stung once, but he showed no sense of pain when taken back to the daycare, constantly making flirty remarks while you aided him.

Moments like these have always made Changmin think (something you would say he rarely did).

Silly as it is, these dates never prompted Changmin to ask you out. It wasn’t like either of you cared, but it would be nice to put a title on the relationship you both shared.

But rather than wanting to ask you out, the idea of proposing came to his mind.

Two years of being head over heels for you led him to meet every single side of you. You were great with kids, obviously, and he’s been there when you’ve brokedown or lashed out. You were real just like any other human being, and there was no doubt in his mind that he would love to be with you for forever.

He’s definitely joked about marrying you in the past, but he knew it was time.

It was time to finally give you a reason to dance.

NAVIGATION | TBZ MASTERLIST | PART TWO

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