pairing — kang dae-ho × female reader (hinted to be a foreigner) | kim jun-hee mentioned | seong gi-hun mentionned
tags — sfw | tooth rotting fluff | second person point of view | no use of [your name] | post/no games timeline (everyone is alive and doing well)
warnings — not really proofread | english is not my first language!! | use of lower case intended | idea of marriage & having kids | physical exercises (as in working out) | hint of not belonging and toxic masculinity | mention of jun-hee's pregnancy and giving birth
word count — 800~
requested by me
last updated — 21/07/2025
latest work — low honour arthur morgan headcanons . boyfriend
DAE-HO is the type to steal food from your plate when you are looking away. after all, he is a tall and strong man; he needs a lot of food to survive the day, or he claims. however, he always feels guilty and later buys you snacks. you would thank him, and he would always brush it off, saying you just deserve the best (a bag of chips), that it makes him happy to make you happy. as much as this is true, he would never tell you the real reason for this sudden generosity.
DAE-HO is the type to do skincare with you and know more than you because of his older sisters.
DAE-HO is the type to let you decorate his hair with colourful pins and clips, but never let you dye his hair since it is his "best feature to woo you." — he cannot damage his hair, as cute as he would look with lighter hair.
DAE-HO is the type to carry you on his back on the way home after a long day out.
DAE-HO is the type to carry all the bags after going grocery shopping. he categorically refuses any help from you. he can genuinely lift all the bags without getting tired. there is a part of him that does it because he wants you to view him as a provider, someone you can rely on, and he is, but carrying the grocery bags will not prove it.
DAE-HO is the type to randomly flex his muscles in front of you, showing all his teeth in a proud and smug smile. he might try to act nonchalant, pretend it does not faze him, but if you start feeling his biceps and compliment him on his look, he will have a giddy expression. he will feel like a teenage girl whose crush accepted her follow request on social media, even though you two are in a long and committed relationship.
DAE-HO is the type to encourage you to work out with him. he used to be an assistant for a big corporation he hated; he eventually got fired, and now he is a construction worker, which stimulated him more. he loves to hype you up during the whole session, telling you how great you are doing, no matter how much you are lifting or how many breaks you take. when you are doing squats by yourself while he lifts weights, he stops in his tracks to shamelessly stare at your butt.
DAE-HO is the type to love doing anything with you (including doing absolutely nothing). as previously mentioned, he enjoys working out, and doing it with you is even better. he loves couple activities (and subtly matching outfits with a piece of jewellery; his favourite way to match is by wearing bracelets). his logic is that couple activities are just activities done as a couple; therefore, working out, grocery shopping, and even something as simple as going for a walk brighten his day.
DAE-HO is the type to learn english or your native language just so you feel a bit more at home. he knows a little too well how it feels to be out of place within his own country due to his mental health and the nonexistent relationship he has with his father; he couldn't imagine how it feels when you aren't even at home.
DAE-HO is the type to look at you like you hung the moon, the stars and the sun in the sky by yourself when you play with his nephews and nieces. he definitely wants to marry you, to have a family with you and grow old together. obviously, if you do not want kids, he would understand and never force anything on you. instead, the two of you would be the funny uncle and aunt, the ones who give ice cream before dinner and let the kids stay up late.
the moment jun-hee gave birth, he was the first one to visit alongside gi-hun; balloons, flowers and sushi were prepared.
DAE-HO is the type to practice with his sister how he should ask you out, how he should confess, how he should act on the first date and everything else. he is the type to write down on a piece of paper what he wants to say when confessing, and lose the piece of paper. before a date, he would hype himself up, preparing to knock on your door, loudly whispering outside your apartment, and roleplaying the hypothetical interaction.
DAE-HO is the type to make a wedding ring out of paper and gift it to you during the most unexpected moment. he thinks that crafting something for you is cute, a better way to show how true and deep his love for you is, especially since he is not rolling in money (although he is saving to buy you an actual white gold ring).
daeho x reader, daeho has been having a hard time since the games. you force him to go out and breathe a little and have a “little” gift for him.
ever since daeho had come back from those games he told you about, he doesn’t want to leave his house. he was so happy to be back near you again and to have you with him, but the trauma made him push everyone out and pack himself up in his room. you’d been dropping him off food and he always made sure to thank you but you couldn’t let him destroy himself like this. not any longer. you missed seeing his bright smile and receiving his tight hugs, you were going to get daeho back.
daeho had been ignoring texts, refusing to pick up his phone. but when you called and he saw your name on the phone, he couldn’t ignore it. you knew that, so you send a call his way. it was on the very last ring that he finally picked up the phone. you speak first.
“baby?”
he does a simple hum in response. you huff and decide to just force him to go out.
“we’re going out tonight, okay? the coffee shop right across from my place, alright? love you!”
he goes to speak but you quickly cut him off by hanging up the phone. he would never stand you up, you knew that. he debated on just texting you that he couldn’t go, but he decided he’d push through for you. you sounded so happy on the phone, he couldn’t shut you down.
you put your phone on the table side and smile proudly. you knew he could easily text you no, but you chose to ignore that. you go into your closet, already knowing what you were gonna choose and put on a simple white spring dress. sure it would be night, but it would still be somewhat warm, you’d push through for daeho. you don’t do much with your hair, styling it simple before you stuff your phone in your purse, grab some money, put on your shoes, and run out your house with excitement to the next part of your operation.
you entered the flower shops doors, the bell ringing as you step in. a women greets you.
“hi, how are you?”
“good! i’m looking for a huge bouquet of flowers. like, seriously. the absolute biggest that you have.”
she smiles at you, asking you a few questions about why you need such a big bouquet, and you gladly answer. the bouquet was bigger than your head, and honestly kind of hard to carry and was very expensive. but it was worth it. you wanted to hide the flowers from daeho so you decide to arrive kind of early to the coffee shop, finding a seat and placing the flowers under the table. as time goes on waiting for him, you pray he shows up. you didn’t think he’d stand you up, but then again, he was different now. you take a deep breath and shake yourself out of your thoughts, putting your faith in him. you pull out your phone to make sure he didn’t text you cancelling, thankfully he didn’t. you get a glass of water and hold it tightly in your hands with anticipation.
after what feels like an eternity, you finally hear the coffee shops doors open and he walks through. he finally looked a little put together since the whole ordeal and your eyes immediately light up at the sight. you quickly stand up once he notices you and he walks towards your table and you pull him into a tight hug. he stands there, slightly shocked before wrapping his arms around you, slowly reciprocating. he pulls away and looks you in the eyes.
“you look pretty.”
you smile back at him shyly.
“and you look handsome.”
you run a hand through his hair before pressing a small kiss to the corner of his lip and signaling for him to sit at the table, hoping he doesn’t kick the bouquet as he sits. the food and the drinks were already on the table, you knew what he liked, so you had it all ready for him. he took a bite of the food as you two sat in silence. you were gonna speak but he decided to first.
“i appreciate this a lot. i know i haven’t been the best to you lately..”
you reach across the table and grab his hand, rubbing a thumb his fingers.
“you don’t need to apologize. i just want you to at least feel a little better.”
he looks up at you and gives you a light smile.
“i do feel better. it feels nice to go out again, especially like this. it felt like i was going on a first date with you again, i was freaking out a little bit.”
he rubs the back of his neck with his other hand and you laugh.
“well i’m glad you feel better. it’s nice to see you like this too.”
you take your hand off of his and start eating your food, having small conversations with him. you wanted to cry happy tears, it was so nice to have things like this again. finally having conversations with him again, getting to see him care about himself, seeing him care about you.
“i can pay.”
you scoff at him.
“well, i already paid, so try again!”
he frowns at you.
“i have the money, baby, let me pay you back.”
he goes to reach for his pocket but you practically jump over the table and smack his hand before sitting back down.
“i’m not taking your money. if you secretly give it to me somehow, i’m going to lock it away and never ever use it even if i really need it.”
he furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head before laughing. saying you’re ridiculous and then you start laughing as well. you two finally finish everything and he stands up, reaching a hand out to you to help you up. you go to accept it but you pull back, causing him to have a worried look on his face, asking what was wrong.
“you go out first! and when the coffee shop doors open don’t turn around to face me, okay? i have something you can’t see.”
he still looks confused, but he nods before walking outside. you wait until he’s fully out the door and you see him standing by a bench. that’s when you reach under the table and pick up the bouquet and stand up. you struggle to see where you’re going but you yell a thank you to an employee before walking out the door and going right behind daeho, almost dropping the flowers.
“okay, you can turn around now.”
he jumps as he hadn’t realized you were behind him, lightly laughing at himself before he turns around, stunned.
“do you like them?”
you peek your head out from behind the bouquet, consisting of shades of reds and pink flowers with few white roses sprinkled in, wrapped in a white and gray-ish blue paper.
“wow…”
he slowly grabs the bouquet out of your hands before you play with your fingers, nerves getting the best of you as you hope that he likes them. he just stares at them before you realize there’s tears starting to roll down his cheeks, causing you to frown at him, cupping his face in one of your hands, he pulls you into a side hug as to not crush the flowers, mumbling a very broken up thank you, as if he was holding in a sob. he places the bouquet on the bench next to you two and cups your face in his hands now before pulling you into a deep kiss. it lasted a long time too. his tears slipping onto your lips, him kissing you like you were his last breath before pulling away, more tears slipping out.
“thank you so much, i don’t even know what i can say, baby—”
you pull him into a tight hug, rubbing his back.
“you don’t need to thank me.”
he squeezes you tighter before moving his hand up to your head and rubbing his fingers through your hair.
“i swear i’ll be better. i love you so much.”
you pull away and cup his face, looking intensely into his eyes.
“i’m not going anywhere. i’ll be there with you every step of the way, my love.”
he smiles at you and presses a kiss to your forehead before picking up the bouquet and walking with you home, an arm over your shoulder the whole walk in a comfortable silence before he speaks.
“do you— do you wanna stay over tonight?”
you stop in your tracks, causing him to almost trip over his feet and you laugh. you used to stay over all the time with him, it’d been forever since he asked you that question, and you were absolutely thrilled.
he casually drags you into shady convenience stores at 2am for ramen and soda
listens to the same 5 songs on loop and forces you to learn the lyrics too
gets flustered when you compliment him and denies it instantly. “no tf i don’t.”
LOVES drawing on your hands and arms. every chance he gets he’ll bring out his little colour pens and scribble random stuff everywhere (he’ll get SO sad if it smudges and literally throw a tantrum over it)
he can’t cook to save his life but he’ll try for you.. the kitchen’s a mess and he’s 90% sure he burnt the rice, but you always smile and say it’s good anyway, and he gets so happy hearing that
FIGHT ME BUT HE HAS A PRAISE KINK IM LITERALLY TELLING YOU. IM TELLING YOU.
he LOVES writing little cute notes for you and sticking them like everywhere around the house
i think he’d find it really cute if you want to do his hair and make them into little pigtails awww
he whimpers during itWHO SAID THATWHAT
takes pictures of themost RANDOM FUCKING THINGS
he spends alot of time on making cute diy gifts for you but he messes it up halfway and crashes out and never gives them
he’ll do ANYTHING possible to support you in every way. if you were in a contest he is breaking out the posters and signs and t shirts and he would scream your name like go twin❤️
hes a very sensitive person and reassurance means EVERYTHING to him ok pls be nice to him hes just a baby
he doesnt know basic multiplication
hates fireworks. he’d NEVER go to a firework show because it would cause him panic attacks
he’d get jealous so easily
apologises over EVERYTHING (even of its not his fault)
he’d be so nervous when you guys are making love, he’d constantly ask if you were okay and if you wanted to stop (you didnt)
he sticks his fucking tongue out for no apparent reason
he brings in every single cat he finds outside in the street
“babe i couldnt just LEAVE him there”
he’d be SO SO SO SO caring during your periods. since he grew up with lots of sisters he knows exactly what to do when you get cramps, or what snacks to buy for you
proud of you for the littlest achievements and he’d always celebrate them with you
even though he cant afford that much he’d make sure to put his full efforts into dates so you could enjoy them togetherHES SI CUTE
kang daeho x fem!reader with features of kang dae-ho x sister!kang yi-sol
this is a chapter to my 'KANG FAMILY' series linked here!
synopsis: baking cookies at home, daeho has a bittersweet memory.
warnings: comforting angst.
kang yi-sol face claim: song hye-kyo
this is part one of four, based around daeho's four sisters in this universe. yi-sol is his oldest sister <3 read this for more context too!
ten years before daeho met you, he was twenty-five.
he hated life, to say the least. daeho's survival mode seemed never-ending with the weight of traumatizing events.
recently at the time he got evicted from his cramped busan apartment, his belongings stuffed into a single duffel bag. he landed on his oldest sister yi-sol’s doorstep in a small town just outside the city.
the woman's modest home, filled with the laughter of her two sons, min-jae and jimin, became his temporary refuge.
the house smelled of laundry detergent and rice, a far cry from the stale air of his old place. though it was crowded, it was warm.
yi-sol, with her sharp wit and no-nonsense love, didn’t hesitate to take him in, her dark eyes softening as she saw the exhaustion placed into her little brother’s face.
it was a late afternoon in october 2014, the kitchen glowing under the soft light of a single bulb, when daeho found himself elbow-deep in cookie dough.
min-jae who was three years old and jimin who was five years old were perched on stools, their small hands sticky with flour as they “helped” daeho mix.
the boys giggled, flour dusting their noses, as daeho shaped dough into uneven balls, his large hands clumsy but gentle. the radio played a tinny pop song, and the kitchen was a mess with bowls scattered, sugar spilled on the counter, a smear of butter on min-jae’s cheek.
daeho didn’t mind.
for the first time in months, he felt something close to peace, the kind that comes from simple moments with people who don’t judge you for not being as perfect as you wished you were.
“uncle dae, make a star!” jimin demanded, holding up a lopsided cookie cutter, his eyes bright with excitement.
“a star, huh?” daeho grinned, taking the cutter and pressing it into the dough, “you’re gonna eat this whole batch, aren’t you?”
“no!” min-jae piped up while giggling, “jimin’s gonna eat two batches!”
"hey! don’t rat me out!” jimin swatted at his brother, and daeho laughed, catching min-jae before he toppled off the stool.
the boys’ chatter filled the room, their energy a welcome distraction from the negative and mean thoughts that followed daeho everywhere. all he heard was his father’s voice, abusive and cruel, calling him weak, useless, a coward who’d never amount to anything.
soon yi-sol appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a dish towel, her apron dusted with flour from her own cooking.
she leaned against the frame, watching her sons and brother with a fond smile.
“look at you three,” she said, her voice teasing.
“daeho, when are you gonna start your own family? give me some nieces and nephews to spoil.”
daeho’s laugh was loud, abrupt, cutting through the boys’ giggles.
he shook his head, wiping his hands on his jeans.
“a family? me?” he said, his tone half-joking but edged with something darker.
“what’s so funny about that?” yi-sol asked, raising an eyebrow as she crossed her arms.
“come on, noona,” daeho said, his smile fading.
“i’m broke. can’t hold a job. got no place to live. and don’t get me started on dad’s… lessons.” he spat the word, his jaw tightening as memories flashed... hiding behind his bedroom door, the crack of a belt, the sting of being called a coward when his lie about the marines unraveled.
“no woman’s ever gonna want me, let alone have my kids. i’m a mess.”
yi-sol’s smile dropped, her eyes softening with a mix of pity and frustration. she stepped into the kitchen, resting a hand on her little brother's shoulder.
“daeho,” she said, her voice firm but kind, “your circumstances won’t be forever. you’re not dad. you’re not what he said you are. you’re good, and some woman out there is gonna see that. you’ll have a family one day, and you’ll be a great dad.”
daeho sighed, rolling his eyes but not pulling away from her touch.
“sure,” he muttered, unconvinced, turning back to the boys.
“min-jae, don’t eat the dough, buddy, it’s raw.” daeho gently swiped a glob from the toddler’s fingers, redirecting him to the cookie cutters.
yi-sol watched him, her frown lingering, but she didn’t push further.
she knew daeho’s wounds ran deep, carved by their father’s cruelty, and no amount of words could heal them in a single afternoon.
the cookies baked, filling the house with a warm, sugary scent. jimin and min-jae squealed as daeho pulled the tray from the oven, their impatience making him laugh despite the heaviness in his chest. he helped them decorate with clumsy swirls of icing, the boys arguing over who got the blue sprinkles.
yi-sol joined in, her laughter blending with theirs.
for a moment, daeho felt like he belonged somewhere.
as he watched his nephews, he couldn’t shake the thought that this... family, stability, love... was for other people.
not him.
never him.
sixteen years later, february 2030, daeho stands in the kitchen of your luxury home in seoul, far away from yi-sol’s modest house.
seo-ah, five, and byeol, fifteen months, are perched at the island, icing cookies with the same chaotic enthusiasm daeho once shared with his nephews.
seo-ah’s tongue pokes out as she pipes a wobbly smiley face onto a star-shaped cookie while byeol smears green icing across her tray, babbling her new favorite word, “pretty!”
daeho cradles ji-ho, his one month old son, in his arms, the boy’s tiny weight grounding him as he watches his daughters.
“appa, look!” seo-ah calls, holding up her cookie, her eyes bright with pride.
you’re upstairs, taking a nap after a doctors appointment.
daeho knows you’d smile if you saw seo-ah's artwork. he grins at seo-ah, adjusting ji-ho’s blanket.
“that’s a masterpiece, kiddo,” he says, his voice warm.
byeol, still skeptical of her new brother, glances at ji-ho but returns to her icing, still uninterested.
as the girls played with dough... daeho’s mind drifts to that day with yi-sol.
those words of her repeated in his mind.
your circumstances won’t be forever.
he was broke then, broken, haunted by a version of himself who saw him as nothing.
now, he’s here, in a home built from the winnings of a game that nearly destroyed him but gave him you, seo-ah, byeol, and now ji-ho.
he thinks of the blood, he thinks about the version of himself that was player 388, and how he walked away vowing to be better than his father.
daeho has kept that vow.
“appa, can ji-ho have a cookie?” seo-ah asks, breaking his thoughts.
daeho chuckles, shaking his head.
“not yet, sweetheart. he’s still on milk, but you can make one for him to look at.”
seo-ah nods, diving back into her icing with purpose.
byeol babbles something about “bottle” and points at her cookie, her earlier disgust forgotten in the joy of the moment.
daeho looks down at ji-ho, his heart swelling.
yi-sol was right.
the man who once laughed at the idea of a loving family now holds one in his arms.
⋆ tw: opinions. keep in mind that those are my own opinions and headcanons. if you disagree, that's ok. just don't jump me in my comments because you see things differently please. feel free to kindly share your own hcs in the comments.
gay | I genuinely cannot see him with a woman. he was constantly all over thanos and overall showed no interest in women.
I don't think he necessarily acknowledges this to himself, though. namgyu just fully stays away from women when it comes to romantic or sexual relationships, instead of trying to ignore his feelings by dating women in order to 'get over' how he feels.
namgyu isn't out to anyone and just tries to avoid thinking about this topic.
THANOS:
bi or pan | he flirts a lot with women, but I still don't think he necessarily has a preference? thanos doesn't really flirt with men, since it's less 'socially acceptable', and he also thinks that their reactions aren't as entertainment as women's.
he overall just does not care about anything. i think he never bothered to come out, and also never bothered to acknowledge his sexuality to anyone at all. he simply lives with it in a really chill way.
his entire identity is really just a "I do what I do" thing.
PARK MINSU:
unlabeled | I've seen people headcanon him as fully asexual before, but I think most of the time they just do it because he's shy. of course, shy people can be asexual, but I feel like it's a bit of a stereotype to instantly equal insecurities with being full on asexual.
I do kind of see him on the demisexual part of the asexual spectrum— he doesn't feel attracted to people he doesn't have somewhat of a bond with, but that's really it.
overall, I don't think he really uses labels, though. I can also kind of see him dating men and women, although he's less confident about being with men, since he's not fully sure about his sexuality and doesn't want others to feel like he's leading them on. I think minsu also isn't really someone to have the confidence to simply experiment a bit, so he can't really explore his sexuality all that much and a lot of it is just in theory.
CHO SANGWOO:
aromantic heterosexual or asexual | this is the part where I start self projecting. I might make an additional post about sangwoo and ocpd.
I think sangwoo is aromantic. the only reason for him to get married and have children is because it seems like a logical step to him. it's what society expects and it's what usually comes next in life, so he simply follows those rules he believes to be set for him.
this also partly plays into my headcanon that he has ocpd. not ocd, it's ocpd. he values logic way more than emotions, since he himself isn't very emotional, so his relationships mainly work that way too. lacking emotions isn't an ocpd trait that everyone with this disorder has, but an obsession with rule following and logic is kind of a main thing. it heavily affects how he views relationships, especially romantic ones.
I don't know if I see him as asexual, but he's at least somewhere on that spectrum. he has little interest in anything sexual and overall does not care much about it. but if he does, I think he's only attracted to women.
I don't think he really uses the word aromantic, though. he's at an age where I think he simply would not be bothered to look into this topic, since it feels normal to him and he has no interest in researching it. he might know that being aromantic is a thing, but doesn't apply it to himself. It's simply not important to him and doesn't matter all that much.
KANG DAEHO:
straight ally or bisexual with a fem pref | I can sort of see both. daeho seems like a really supportive person, so I think he'd be pretty open for this topic, even if he doesn't fully understand everything.
I can also kind of see him being bisexual? but he has a heavy female preference and by far not as much experience with men. he never really got the chance to, and even if he did, he probably was too scared to actually try things. it's somewhat similar to minsu, but he's not as opposed to experimenting as minsu is.
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yandere daeho who can’t stand to be separated from you, both in and out of the games.
yandere daeho who whenever you need to use the bathroom in the games, he tries to go with you everytime.
yandere daeho who can’t stand when you talk to another guy, let alone look at another guy. always finding an excuse to get your attention. making a loud noise or dropping his food on the floor whenever you’re talking to gi-hun to stop your conversation from going any further.
yandere daeho who clings to you at night like his life depends on it. if anybody even comes near your bed he immediately sits up in case somebody’s trying to kill you. constantly paranoid and on his toes.
yandere daeho who manipulates you. he never realizes that’s what he’s doing, he unintentionally does it. he can’t help it. but so what if he is? he just wants the best for you. always shutting down and going silent if you say you’re going to go talk to gi-hun about something in private. when you ask what’s wrong he says you said it aggressively. says the way you spoke to him was very hurtful, causing you to apologize profusely and hug him tightly. a breath of relief escaping his mouth that you trusted his words and now you’re back in his arms again.
yandere daeho who makes you think you’re going crazy. you’re already in this game of death which is bound to make anybody go crazy, but now he’s twisting his words. saying one thing to you and another to someone else.
“daeho, but that’s not what you said.”
“yes it is. are you sure you didn’t mishear me?” he wants you to rely on him and only trust what he has to say. he wants you to think he’s the only one who has the right answers for you, making himself the only one you ever come to when you have a question or need help.
yandere daeho who over time you start to notice him slowly inching a little closer, his grip getting a little tighter as the days go on, so you decide to say something to him. he does apologize, but it’s only to make you feel bad.
“ah, i’m sorry. i don’t mean to be so clingy. i’ll keep my distance.” and then you’re the one who clings to him, apologizing if what you said came across wrong. telling him that he’s not clingy and that you don’t have a problem with him being so close. he doesn’t pay mind to your words though. only paying attention to the warmth he feels around his body from you before reciprocating the hug you’re giving him back.
yandere daeho who uses his ptsd from being in the marines as an excuse to jump close to you and hold onto you. with every gunshot squeezing tighter and tighter.
yandere daeho who when the lights are out and he slides into bed with you, you ask him to go. you liked him as a friend, you two weren’t a thing, so why was he so close to you? you protest to him but he only pulls you closer, shushing you, saying it’s to keep you safe and that with you in his arms, nobody will try anything throughout the night.
yandere daeho who purposely doesn’t bring the ammo back during their revolt. you’d gotten too close to all those people. junbae, gihun, youngil. if he could let them die and play it off as him being scared, he didn’t care. as long as he had you all to himself. not having to share you with a team, not having multiple people to protect you. no. he wanted to be the only one.
“daeho, what are you doing?”
everybody was dead asleep. you were laying in your bed before feeling a dip and turning to see daeho. he pulls you into his chest.
“i’m just keeping you safe.”
you try to push yourself out of his grips but his biceps just flex and stay wrapped around you.
“uhm, i appreciate the gesture, but uh—”
you gulp and take as big as a breath as you can with the little space that you have between the two of you.
“can you lay somewhere else? there’s just not much space anyways, you know?”
he moves one of his hands to run it through your hair and you shiver. it was a kind gesture, and you liked daeho, but you didn’t want this. he was your friend. nothing more, nothing less. he only squeezes you tighter though.
“don’t worry, i won’t let you fall off the bed. i won’t let you get hurt. i’d take a bullet straight through my head before i ever let a scratch even cover your beautiful skin.”
you just shrink into yourself. shrink into him, knowing that it was futile. he wasn’t harming you, so you guess it was fine for now. you take shallow breaths, your chest hitting his everytime you breathed in from the close proximity. you’d think something like this may help you sleep more but it was only gonna keep you up even longer. but maybe that’s what he was counting on. being who you could lean on and trust to save you while you’re too tired to properly play the games the next morning. you didn’t know. you just furrow your eyebrows together, forcing your eyes shut before feeling his head lean against yours, feeling his lips on your head, spreading into a smile against you.
this is a chapter to my 'KANG FAMILY' series linked here!
synopsis: junhee's daughter finally learns that hyunju is not her real mother. unfortunately, hyun-ju is away for an event. it is up to you to tell ji-yeong about her dead mother, and comfort her when her adoptive mother is not present.
warnings: angst, grief and mourning, filling in more plot holes in this universe, cho ji-yeong = baby player 222
you’re in the living room while curled up on the couch with a throw blanket. hyunju is in thailand for a week-long event, leaving ji-yeong in your care.
ji-yeong, almost six, was born in the fourth game back in that hell on the island. she is the daughter of junhee, a player who didn’t survive. hyunju, who was with you and her during the darkest days of your life and took ji-yeong in as her own the moment junhee jumps to her death, raising her with a soft and gentle love.
tonight, ji-yeong is upstairs with seo-ah while byeol and ji-ho sleep soundly in their rooms. daeho is in his office doing IT work with the baby monitor by his table.
watching television, you were quiet for a while until the peace is shattered by seo-ah coming downstairs, her bunny slippers scuffing the hardwood, her small face etched with worry.
“eomma,” she whispers, tugging at her pajama shirt, “ji-yeong’s sad and she won’t tell me why.”
you set your tea down, your heart tightening.
ji-yeong’s usually a bright spark, her laughter filling the house, but you’ve noticed her quietness today too. you figured she is sad about hyunju being gone for a week since her usual chatter is muted.
“okay, sweetie,” you say softly, brushing a strand of seo-ah’s hair behind her ear.
“can you ask ji-yeong to come down? and stay upstairs for a bit, okay? i want to talk to her alone.”
seo-ah nods, her eyes serious. your oldest daughter scampers back upstairs, her footsteps heavy with purpose.
you lean back, closing your eyes since the heaviness of your postpartum fog is still present. however, daeho walks into the living room as seo-ah reaches the upstairs hall.
dae-ho sits on the armchair, his brow furrowed as he looks at you looking over at him.
“everything okay?” he asks, his voice low.
“i hope so,” you murmur, your gaze now turned and fixed on the stairs behind you.
moments later, ji-yeong appears, descending slowly. the little girl's dark eyes are downcast. she’s quieter than usual, her usual bounce gone, replaced by a heaviness that tugs at your heart.
she clutches a stuffed bear, one hyunju gave her years ago, and her pajamas... a soft blue set with stars... are slightly rumpled, as if she’s been curling up in bed, lost in thought.
“ji-yeong, sweetheart,” you say gently, patting the couch beside you, “come sit with me. what’s wrong?”
she hesitates, then shuffles over, climbing onto the couch and tucking her legs beneath her. the younger girl bear rests in her lap, her fingers twisting its ear.
you give her space since your voice is patient, “you can tell me anything, you know.”
ji-yeong’s lower lip trembles as she attempts to speak, her voice is barely audible as she says, “i know hyunju’s not my real mother.”
the words hit like a stone, and your chest tightens.
you glance at daeho, who’s gone still with his eyes wide with surprise. ji-yeong’s almost six, too young to carry this kind the weight of knowing the truth about her biological mother.
“yeah…” you say softly, your voice trailing off, unsure how to navigate this.
ji-yeong looks up, her eyes glistening.
“do you know my real mother?” she asks, her voice insistent.
you hesitate as junhee’s face flashes in your memory.. you remember her quiet strength, her swollen belly, and the way she fought through the games to protect the life inside her.
you were there, pregnant too. however, junhee died in the jump rope game, her final act ensuring ji-yeong’s survival, her body collapsing down into the darkness just as the game ended.
hyunju, who’d been by her side, took ji-yeong the moment she was born, vowing to raise her as her own.
you wonder if hyunju would want you to share this with ji-yeong.
“i’m sorry,” you mumble, your voice thick with emotion, buying time.
“that’s not an answer!” ji-yeong nearly yelps, her voice cracking with her small hands clenching her bear tighter.
the outburst startles you, her pain cutting through the quiet.
you take a breath, steadying yourself.
“i did,” you say finally, “i knew your real mother.”
ji-yeong is interested as she leans forward.
“why didn’t anyone tell me about her?” she asks, her voice trembling with a mix of anger and hurt.
you swallow, choosing your words carefully.
“because hyunju’s been your mother since you were one day old,” you say softly, “she loves you so much, ji-yeong. she’s your mom in every way that matters.”
“i know,” ji-yeong says, “but i want to know about my true mother.” tears spill down her cheeks. the five year old swipes at them with her sleeve, her small body shaking.
ji-yeong's grief pulls you back to those five days in the games, the blood and desperation, the carnage, the loss of her mother.
“i know she’s dead,” ji-yeong says, “i overheard hyunju talking to mr. gyeongseok at na-yeon’s house.”
you sigh, understanding dawning.
that’s how she found out.... eavesdropping on a conversation not meant for her ears.
you glance at daeho, who nods slightly, encouraging you to keep going since ji-yeong is more comfortable with expressing her emotions to you... another woman.
“your mother was so strong and brave,” you start, your voice gentle but steady, “just like you.”
ji-yeong sniffles, hugging her bear closer.
“i wish i got to know her,” she says, her voice small.
you pull ji-yeong into a hug, her small frame trembling against you.
“i only knew junhee, who was your mother, for five days,” you say, “she was quiet, stayed mostly with uncle daeho and our group, but she was always loved and protected by all of us. she fought so hard to keep you safe in the games.”
you pause, the word games slipping out before you can stop it.
ji-yeong’s head tilts.
“what games?” she asks, her brows furrowing in confusion.
panic flares among you, and you backtrack.
“nothing, i didn’t mean to say that,” you say quickly, hoping she doesn’t press.
“oh,” ji-yeong says, accepting your dodge, her focus returning to her mother.
you exhale, relieved, and continue.
“when you were born, hyunju was there,” you say, your hand resting on ji-yeong’s back, “she was with your mother when she gave birth to you. hyunju held you right away, loved you from the first second.”
you hesitate, your throat tightening.
“i’m sorry you’ll never get to know your biological mother, sweetie,” you say, your thumb brushing her temple and wiping away a tear, “but know that junhee’s always inside you. you carry her everywhere, including here.”
you touch her chest gently, over her heart. you manage a small smile, a tear escaping your own eye.
ji-yeong’s lips quiver, but she smiles back, her eyes still wet.
“who’s my dad?” she asks, her voice tentative.
you frown, your heart sinking.
junhee never spoke of the father, even though you suspect it was the one player that was in the games too.
“i think that’s something hyunju should explain, sweetheart,” you say gently, “i don’t know much about that.”
ji-yeong nods, rubbing her eyes.
“thank you, aunt y/n,” she says, standing from the couch, her bear dangling from one hand.
she walks away, and you look at daeho before calling out to the younger girl again.
“ji-yeong,” you stopping her before she reaches the stairs.
she turns, her eyes wide.
“healing isn’t linear,” you say softly, “don’t suppress your feelings, not from me, uncle daeho, or hyunju. talk to her when she gets back, okay?”
“okay, aunt y/n,” she says, her voice steadier.
she heads upstairs, her footsteps soft.
after five years, you start to see junhee in your mind again. you never forgot about her, but rather you suppressed your own grief for a sister you've only met for five days before her death.
junhee's hands were always on her full-term belly, something you've noticed since you were five months pregnant with seo-ah at the time.
222 sacrificed everything for ji-yeong.
she deserved a family, a life beyond those five days, but the games stole that from her.
daeho reaches for your hand from the armchair, his grip warm.
“you did good,” he murmurs, “hyunju’ll understand.”
you nod, tears falling freely now, wishing junhee had survived, wishing ji-yeong could have known how much her biological mother wanted her.
in this moment, you hold onto the promise you and hyunju made on that day when junhee fell to her death.
you promise to love ji-yeong, to keep junhee’s strength alive in her daughter.
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I love expanding on this whole universe like its marvel or sum
