In Seven Days

8 Months Later; Saturday, 8: 57 PM

A cold breeze blowing through the atmosphere.

Snow falling outside the window.

Dim lights within the room.

A small yawn.

"Not sleepy, papa."

"How will you grow taller if you won't sleep? What's gonna happen now when we visit your uncle's house and your hyung's taller? Hmm?"

A smile tugged at the corner of Byulyi's lips as she pressed the side of her shoulder closer outside the wall of Seokmin's room. She just passed by the open door on the way to the bedroom when she heard soft voices from within the room.

She heard Jin chuckle softly. One quick peek inside the room told her that Seokmin finally surrendered and settled against his father's shoulder, his black head of hair an unruly mess next to his father's combed one. His back was turned towards her but she knew a smile crept up her boyfriend's lips.

She didn't even know why she was worried in the first place. She trusted Jin. She knew he'd never do something that would hurt their angel.

"Papa, bunny." Seokmin pointed to his scruffy stuffed bunny that had been by his side since the day he was born. It sat on the corner of his bed, leaning against his dinosaur-painted headboard and yellow pillows.

Jin grunted as he lowered himself to pick it up. Seokmin extended his opening and closing hands to receive his companion with open arms. He squeezed the toy against his chest, snuggling his cheek into its own with a hum, before propping his chin back to Jin's shoulder and swinging his hand to the other.

"Papa, song."

Jin pressed his lips into the boy's hair as a soft and calming melody spilled from them. She could see Seokmin's face now. Though he probably didn't see her since his eyes were busy keeping his eyelids open.

Byulyi didn't know how long she'd been standing there. But listening to her boyfriend's voice as he lulled their son to sleep, even her own eyes started to droop, her temple slowly slipping down from where she was leaning against the doorway.

Something shifted in Jin's voice. Byulyi opened her eyes by a crack to see that he was walking towards the knee-high bed. He adjusted Seokmin in his arms and bent over. But just as the boy's back touched the mattress, his hands tightened their hold on his father's shirt, the material creasing within his soft and chubby fingers.

Jin stood back up and picked up the part of the lullaby he had left off.

"Min-ah, you need to sleep early tonight," he mumbled softly as he swung back and forth, "Appa still has something he needs to do."

"Not" —Seokmin's lips opened to the shape of an 'o', his eyes closed as it watered, his hold on his bunny tightened, as a yawn and a small cry erupted from his mouth— "sleepy," he murmured, his syllables slurring and tripping over each other as his voice got softer than softer.

Even from the doorway, Byulyi could see Seokmin's hand loosening on his bunny, see how frequently and slowly he was blinking until his heavy eyelids finally closed.

Jin waited until the song finished before he lowered the boy—this time, with no protests. As he placed the blanket on him, Seokmin roused in his sleep, clutching the stuffed bunny closer to him as he twisted on his other side.

Jin turned around to leave, his eyes lingering on the sleeping child on his bed in the first few steps, when he spotted Byulyi by the doorway and smiled.

He walked closer to her and closed the door to Seokmin's room before he rested his forearm against the wall just inches above her head.

"Were you spying on me?" He smirked at her as he lowered his face closer to her. Their proximity didn't bother Byulyi in the slightest even as their noses were mere millimeters from touching. "If I didn't know any better I'd call you a stalker."