Single Father • Namjoon + BTS!Kids

xl.

Hobi walked into class feeling apprehensive. Normally, he'd feel sort of sick to his stomach with dread and the heaviness of wanting to be noticed but confined to invisibility.

But Hobi wanted to see Wonpil, and Wonpil was at school, so Hobi was at school.

When he went in, he immediately noticed Wonpil sitting at his desk, surrounded by other students.

I want to be there, Hobi thought. Maybe I should make Daddy take me earlier to school so I can play with Wonpil too. But then he immediately felt guilty because he knew Namjoon wasn't getting enough sleep - hadn't been for months - and that his little siblings would all have to wake up earlier too, just for him.

So Hobi just sighed and sat down at his desk.

But then something happened, something strange, something he hadn't expected.

Wonpil got up and sat down backwards in the chair in front of Hobi's desk, his arms crossed on the head of the chair as he grinned at Hobi.

Hobi didn't know what to do, but after a moment, he smiled back shyly.

"Hey, Hobi," Wonpil said, his smile reaching his eyes and lighting them up so his whole face glowed with happiness. "How are you doing today?"

Hobi shrugged, not sure what to say. He felt his brain overthinking, wondering if he should try to come off as cool or funny or something, but when he couldn't think of anything cool to say, he decided to just be honest. "It's too early to tell." He surprised himself with a yawn and grinned instinctively. "But I'm a little tired I guess."

Wonpil smiled back, his smile growing wider if possible as he laughed. "Me too! Let's be tired together!"

"Wonpil, please go back to your seat," the teacher said kindly as she walked in, and Wonpil turned, bowing slightly with a bashful smile.

"Sorry, sorry," he said before waving at Hobi and going back to his seat.

Hobi smiled, not even noticing all the disappointed kids who had been crowding around Wonpil, abandoned for Hobi.

To him, they had become invisible.

***

At lunch, Hobi didn't want to get his expectations up so he sat by himself at the end of the table. He pulled out his lunch bag and stared at it for a long second.

Long long has it been since I've eaten lunch?

I'm not even really hungry for it anymore.

He was debating on attempting to eat his lunch when the bench sank slightly from the weight of a body sitting next to him.

"Hey, Hobi," Wonpil said, smiling at Hobi, and Hobi smiled back without ever having to stop and think about it. "What do you have for lunch today?" he asked as he pulled out his own, revealing a sandwich, an apple, some pretzels, and a juice box.

"Um..." Hobi hesitated before opening his own lunch bag. "The same as yesterday."

Hobi looked at the food and found it unappetizing. He wasn't sure why or when, but now the thought of eating made him feel physically sick. The idea of having to eat his sandwich or his fruit snacks disgusted him.

But why? I like sandwiches? And I like fruit snacks? So why do they look gross to me now?

"Hey, Hobi, give me your sandwich," one of the boys said, and Hobi hesitated, staring down at his sandwich.

The request didn't bother him so much as it bothered him that it was really a demand and not a request at all.

"I..."