Summary: Years after their divorce, Taehyung and Channi have mastered co parenting their daughter until one ordinary afternoon leaves Taehyung questioning where he truly belongs.
pairing: Taehyung × Channi (past/endgame?) Taehyung × Mia (current)
characters: Kim Taehyung x channi x mia
genre: Co parenting • Divorce • Family Drama • Slow Burn • Angst • Second Chances? • Domestic
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Taehyung and Channi had figured out the co parenting thing years ago.
They weren't friends. They didn't text about random things. Didn't send each other memes.
Didn't call unless it had something to do with Bella.
"Running ten minutes late."
"Can you switch weekends?"
"Bella forgot her backpack."
Mia, on the other hand...
...didn't exactly love hearing Channi's name.
Every time Taehyung casually mentioned,
Mia's eyes would practically roll into another dimension. She'd never met a woman she could be jealous of faster.
Channi had literally never done anything to her.
She wasn't flirty. Wasn't territorial. She barely looked at Mia during dropoffs.
But Mia had always been...
The kind of girl who smiled politely in public then complained the second the car door shut.
Taehyung had gotten used to shutting it down.
Normally...they never even crossed paths.
Bella got picked up by Channi's mom after school. Emilia got picked up by Mia.
Different ages. Different classrooms.
Taehyung and Channi lived nearly thirty minutes apart. Everyone stayed in their own lane.
Taehyung had gotten off work early. Which almost never happened. He parked outside the elementary school. He waited near the gate eager to see his little princess. Kids poured out in little colorful backpacks.
His eyes landed on two familiar little girls walking side by side. One with long dark curls bouncing. One with light hair in tiny pigtails.
Bella spotted him first. Her entire face lit up.
"DADDYYYYYY!!" She sprinted.
Emilia immediately copied her.
Taehyung laughed before crouching down.
Bella his oldest collided into him first.
He picked her up with one arm.
"Hi, baby." He said with a big kiss on her cheek making her giggle putting her back down. Then Emilia got exactly the same treatment making her squeal from the kiss.
"Who's picking you up today?" he asked Bella while grabbing both backpacks.
"Mommy said she’s gonna be late."
"...hold on let me call your mom."
He was already pulling out his phone.
Channi answered after two rings.
"Hey. I'm at the school." "Is your sister picking Bella up?"
"Yeah why? She's running about fifteen minutes late."
Taehyung looked over at Bella chatting happily with Emilia.
"...Oh well I'm already here. I can just take Bella and drop her off if that’s fine with you."
"Oh. Yeah, that's fine. I'll call my sister."
"What about Auntie?" Bella asked halfway to the car.
"Your mommy said you can come with me."
“Yayyyyy!” Bella practically skipped.
Taehyung buckled Emilia into her car seat first.
"...Shoot I don't have your booster seat." He more so mumbled to himself but Bella still heard.
Bella shrugged dramatically.
"Yep. I don’t need a booster seat.” She reasons.
"You’re till getting buckled."
She groaned dramatically while he carefully secured the seat belt as best he could for the short drive.
Instead of driving straight back...
The waitress immediately smiled.
they were completely occupied coloring dinosaurs pink and cats blue.
Taehyung sipped his drink while watching them fondly.
Bella didn't even look up from coloring.
He already knew where this was going.
"No, Bells. I'm dropping you off with Mommy."
"But tomorrow's Saturday." She pouted.
"Sorry princess you can't. Tomorrow we're going somewhere with Emilia's mommy's family."
Just..that little disappointed voice.
"I'm sorry, baby. Maybe next time."
The kind of smile kids gave because they didn't want you to feel bad.
He looked away for a second.
she technically could've come.
He already knew how tomorrow would go.
Emilia would be passed from aunt to grandma to cousin.
Spoiled, carried around, given snacks.
Bella... would stay glued to him all day.
Not because she wasn't loved.
Because she wasn't their grandchild.
He'd spend the entire trip making sure Bella didn't feel left out.
Watching every interaction.
Balancing everyone's feelings.
if he was being honest...
he wanted one day where he could just...
The guilt settled in his chest anyway.
Twenty five minutes later they parked outside Channi's skincare clinic.
Bella practically burst through the door.
From one treatment room Channi peeked out.
A huge smile instantly appearing.
Bella ran straight into her arms.
Channi hugged her tightly before kissing the top of her head.
Only then did she notice Emilia.
She crouched a little and gently played with one of Emilia's blonde pigtails.
Emilia immediately hid halfway behind Taehyung's leg.
She looked up at Taehyung.
"Thanks for bringing her all the way here."
"No worries. I wasn't about to leave my little baby alone for fifteen whole minutes."
He dramatically pointed at Bella.
She rolled her eyes playfully.
"Actually...you came at the perfect time."
"My last client just left. I'm about to close."
Before she could answer his phone buzzed.
"I'm dropping Bella off. I'll be home soon."
"...And it takes you that long?"
"I told you. I'll be there soon."
He slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Channi gave him a knowing look.
"It’s okay. I’m literally just locking up."
"& I think your wife would rather you get home." She half teased.
Taehyung simply nodded awkwardly.
He crouched in front of Bella. Wrapped her in one last hug. Big kiss on her forehead.
"Bye, baby. I'll see you Monday, okay? I love you."
Bella hugged him tightly.
"Okay. Bye, Daddy. Love you!"
"Bye, Emi I love you to!"
Emilia smiled shyly before hugging Bella back.
"Bye Bella! I love yu.” She said in the cutest voice.
It was the cutest sight Channi’s seen all day.
Taehyung stood & gave Channi a small nod.
No lingering conversation.
Just...another successful hand off.
The kind they'd been doing for years.
He walked out carrying Emilia on one hip.
Bella waved from the doorway until his car disappeared down the street. Channi always noticed Bella’s pout & sad eyes when these type of drop offs would happen.
And Channi couldn't help thinking the what if’s.
What if they never divorced.
What if everything was back to how it was years ago.
Taehyung & Channi would be married.
They would have Bella. Little adorable Emilia would probably be Channi’s & not Mia’s.
Bella would have a full blood sister instead of a half sister.
Bella wouldn’t be alone & always have her sister with her to play everyday. She’d get to see Taehyung everyday & not just on drop offs.
But those are only the what if’s…
Because It’s unfortunately a little too late for that.
Channi accepted that a long time ago. She knew Taehyung had long moved on & is happily married now, & with his own little family.
The moment Taehyung got into the car, his phone buzzed again.
“You’re still not home?” she snapped.
“You were with her, weren’t you?”
He exhaled slowly. “I was dropping off my daughter.”
Taehyung gripped the steering wheel, already exhausted.
The easiest part of his life…
Was the one that used to be the hardest.
The front door clicked shut behind him.
Taehyung barely had time to set his keys down before Mia’s voice cut through the house.
She was standing in the kitchen, arms crossed, leaning against the counter like she’d been waiting there the whole time.
Emilia had already run off somewhere probably her room, her small footsteps fading down the hallway.
“I told you I was on my way,” Taehyung said calmly, slipping off his jacket.
“You said that thirty minutes ago.”
“I had to strap them in, drive, drop Bella off-”
“And chat with Channi?” she interrupted, raising a brow.
He sighed, already tired. “I wasn’t chatting.”
Mia let out a short laugh, full of attitude. “Right.”
He walked past her toward the kitchen, grabbing a glass and pouring himself water.
He didn’t rush, didn’t match her energy.
That only seemed to annoy her more.
“You always do this,” she continued. “Anytime she’s involved, suddenly you’ve got all the time in the world.”
Taehyung took a sip before answering. “It was about Bella.”
“She’s always about Bella,” Mia snapped.
He set the glass down a little harder than intended.
“Yeah,” he said, turning to face her. “Because she’s my kid.”
Mia’s expression tightened. “And Emilia isn’t?”
“I’m not twisting anything,” she shot back. “I just think it’s funny how you go out of your way for one, but with the other it’s just- normal.”
Taehyung blinked at her, genuinely confused now. “What does that even mean?”
“It means,” she said, stepping closer, “you act like Bella needs saving all the time.”
“She’s six,” he replied, voice steady but firmer now. “She does need looking out for.”
“And I do,” he said, frustration creeping in. “I picked her up today, didn’t I?”
“Because I couldn’t,” Mia snapped. “Which, by the way, I wouldn’t have had to worry about if you didn’t decide to play dad of the year for your other family.”
“…Other family?” he repeated.
Mia shrugged, unapologetic. “You know what I mean.”
“No,” he said quietly. “Say it.”
She hesitated but only for a second.
“You still act like you belong over there.”
Taehyung let out a slow breath, shaking his head slightly. “That’s not what this is.”
“Then what is it?” she challenged.
“It’s called co parenting,” he said. “Being there for my kid. Not leaving her at a school gate waiting when I’m right there.”
“She would’ve been, Mia!”
His voice finally rose, not yelling but enough to make the tension snap.
From down the hallway, a small voice called
Emilia stood there, holding her stuffed toy, eyes wide as she looked between them.
Taehyung’s expression softened instantly.
He walked over, crouching down to her level.
“You’re being loud,” she said quietly.
Guilt hit him immediately.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured, pulling her into a hug. “Daddy didn’t mean to be loud.”
She wrapped her little arms around his neck. “Are you mad?”
“No,” he said gently. “Not at you. Never at you.”
Mia watched from the kitchen, her expression unreadable now.
Emilia pulled back slightly. “Can we watch a movie?”
Taehyung smiled softly. “Yeah, of course we can.”
He picked her up, settling her on his hip as he walked toward the living room.
“Go pick one,” he told her.
As Emilia ran ahead, he turned his head slightly toward Mia.
His voice dropped quieter now, but firm.
“We’re not doing this in front of her again.”
Mia rolled her eyes, looking away. “Then stop giving me reasons to.”
He held her gaze for a moment longer.
Later, the house was quiet again.
A movie played softly in the background as Emilia slept curled up against Taehyung’s side, her head resting on his arm. He hadn’t moved in over an hour. Didn’t want to wake her.
His phone buzzed lightly on the table.
:She knocked out early today.
He glanced down at Emilia, then typed back
C:She seemed a little sad over it today.
Because he knew exactly why.
Across the room, Mia sat scrolling on her phone, completely detached.
Taehyung looked back at the screen.
The typing bubble appeared.
C: You don’t have to make it complicated, Tae.
He leaned his head back against the couch, eyes closing briefly.
Because no matter what he chose-
Someone always ended up feeling like they didn’t belong.
Taehyung stared at Channi's last message for a long time.
You don't have to make it complicated, Tae.
Maybe Channi had accepted the life they had now years ago.
Maybe she had stopped wondering about the what If’s. He thought to himself.
Not because he wanted his marriage back.
Or because he didn't love the life he'd built now.
But because every version of his life felt...
He felt guilty about Emilia.
When he was at Channi's clinic-
Everything felt strangely familiar.
Like slipping into an old routine his heart still remembered.
And be reminded that home looked different now.
His eyes drifted toward Emilia sleeping peacefully beside him.
Down the hallway was the bedroom he shared with Mia.
A part of him still felt like a visitor in both worlds.
Like one foot was always standing somewhere else.
He didn't know what he wanted anymore.
He only knew that somewhere along the way…
He'd stopped feeling like he truly belonged anywhere.
That was the hardest part of all.
Because for the first time since the divorce... he wasn't sure if moving on had really meant moving forward.
& Only time would tell where his heart truly belonged.
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Authors note: Hii guys just a little reminder that none of these one shots are connected to any other ones unless stated. I use the same names in every story so don’t get confused lol -Channi 💋
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