#gucciintellectuals

“Oh, look.” Your mother said as she looked through the window across the street. You didn’t bother following her gaze, instead keeping your eyes glued to your calculus textbook. Ever since you were a young child, your mother had a nasty habit of what you and your friends liked to call ‘neighbor-watching’ something of which she was completely unashamed. In fact, she had even gotten you into it at one point, but you had forced yourself to break the habit. You didn’t want to be that nosy teenager known throughout the neighborhood for watching Red Truck Man obsessively wax his, well, red truck. Or the old guy who you called ‘Green Dude’ before he moved out. He was always cutting his lawn, keeping the grass at precisely one inch exactly in height. The keyword here was cut; he didn’t mow his lawn like normal people. He cut the grass. With scissors.

Now, you just had a bad habit of procrastinating. You would push off studying or doing your homework until the morning, rather than the night before.

“No, seriously, (Y/N), look. Someone’s moving in.” Your mother insisted after you ignored her first call.

“Into Green Dude’s house?” You confirmed as you flipped to the next page in your textbook, determined to finish your work before school.

“You mean One-Inch?” Your mother corrected. “Yeah.” She called him One-Inch, which probably made more sense for his weird antics, but, in your defense, he did always wear this weird green bodysuit when he cut the grass.  Despite the fact that he moved out, he still owned the house. So he made sure to stop by bi-weekly to keep up the precision of his cherished grass.

For your mother’s sake, you looked up to see her still staring out the window, as nosey as ever. From where you sat, you could see the large moving truck in the driveway of the house across the street. Emerging from behind said moving truck was the outline of what looked like a guy. His face was partially masked by the black beanie and face mask he wore. To be frank, it was hard to gauge his appearance from this distance, even with your sharp vision. He was carrying a couple boxes that looked somewhat heavy. You wondered if he had someone to help him or if he was moving everything by himself.

“Oh, there’s a kid.” Looking towards the house, you saw a small toddler dressed in a tiger onesie waddle out of the of the front door and plop down on the perfect grass. You felt your lips curve into a smile as the small child stumbled about. Watching her stand up and totter another few steps before falling again, you gathered that she was likely just learning to walk.

“Cute,” you mumbled. Sparing one last glance at the fumbling child, you reverted your attention back to the calculus textbook before you. However, you realized that you had lost your motivation to try to absorb any more knowledge of the wretched subject.

“We should go over and introduce ourselves,” your mother suggested as she placed a plate of hot pancakes in front of you. Finally, breakfast was served. You smiled gratefully at your mother as you picked up the fork, setting your textbook aside and indulging in your breakfast. Okay, so maybe your mom just put them in the microwave and cut up some apples on the side, but it's the thought that counts.

“Alright, I’m going to work. I’ll see you later, okay?” Your mother picked up her blazer from the back of the chair to your right and tossed it over her shoulder. Crouching slightly in her six-inch stilettos, she pressed a chaste kiss to your cheek and waved goodbye before heading out the door. You gave a non committal hum, but did not look out of the kitchen window to bid her goodbye, far too immersed in finishing up your breakfast so you could head to school yourself.

When you were finished with your pancakes, you gently placed the dishes in the sink and grabbed a bottle of water for the road. Before your walked out of the house, you checked all of the windows and doors that your mother had left open.

Your mother was a bit of an airhead and somewhat dependant upon your father when it came to common sense things such as locking up the house. However, with your father out on his business trip, you found that three windows were left unlatched, and the back door was wide open, as well. Leave it to your mom to give a burglar easy access.

After you locked the front door of your home and stuffed your keys into your backpack, you glanced across the street to see if the little tiger girl was still outside. You noticed that instead of attempting to walk once more on unstable footing, she was lifted into the embrace of the man you had seen earlier moving boxes. While your neighborhood was nowhere near sketchy, you couldn't help but wonder why he would leave such a young child unattended.

The child in his arms wiggled around in his grasp, reaching for his hat with determination. When she finally succeeded and tugged at it, he helped her remove it. While she played with the hat, you finally got a better glimpse of the young man. His black face mask had migrated to his chin at this point giving you a better view.

“Maybe he's her older brother,” you pondered, seeing him smile warmly at the toddler. You assumed their mom was already inside unpacking the boxes you had seen him carrying earlier.

Deciding that it was time to quit being nosey, you curiously checked your phone for the time. You realized with a start that you had been watching the scene play out in front of you for far too long. If you didn't hurry, you were definitely going to be late for school. You quickly turned on your heel and started sprinting to school.  

You made it to your classroom with only a moment to spare. The tardy bell rang as you slid into your seat, gasping for air.  You would have thought gym class would have better prepared you for an occasion such as this.  It didn't. Your classmates nearest to you gave you strange looks as you tried to calm your breathing. Please, like they've never been that close to being late. Oh well, it didn't really bother you anyway. One day they, too, will know your pain.

A sudden vibration in your pocket startled you and tore you away from your thoughts. You glanced up at your teacher, making sure that he wasn't looking your way before you dared to check the message.  Once you were sure the coast was clear, you pulled your phone from your pocket stealthily and checked the unread text.

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:14 AM]

Why were you so late???

You looked towards the back row to find your friend starting back at you expectantly. You rolled your eyes and relayed the mornings events to her. Almost immediately, your phone vibrated again. Your attention turned back to your phone as you read her reply.

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:23 AM]

Omg you're such a weirdo lol who even does that?

Kasper 👻 [Wed. Dec 18. 8:24 AM]

Was he at least cute?? ;)

You smile slightly to yourself as you began to respond.

“Miss (Y/L/N)!” You felt your heart drop as you blood turned ice cold in your veins. You could feel the entire the eyes of the entire class fall upon you as you nervously glanced around. Quietly in the back of the room, you could have sworn you could hear some very familiar snickers. You feel your phone vibrate once again, but you wouldn't dare chance a look at it this time.

“Ah, Mister Wang…” You began, trying your hardest to come up with some kind of excuse that would stop the inevitable.

“No excuses. Place your phone in the box. Now. You can see me after school.” His tone ultimately left no room for argument, but still you thought you could push your luck.

“But--”

“It can wait. I said now. Or should I send you out?” You knew better than to carry on any further. His tone was getting increasingly more annoyed and you didn't want to find out what would happen when he was pushed too far. You groaned inwardly, standing up in defeat as you quietly stomped your way over to the box behind your teacher’s desk.

Mister Wang had a strict no-phone policy, but he rarely stuck to it. He was actually usually pretty chill with phone usage, so long as you still paid moderate attention in class and you weren't on the brink of failure. However, with Economics being your easiest class, it was practically impossible for you to be even close to failure.

You reluctantly dropped your phone into the empty box, making a face at how lonely it looked. You gathered that Mister Wang must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed today. You silently began the walk of shame back to your seat, completely aware of all the eyes still glued to you in your moment of embarrassment.

“Next time, I hope you will pay more attention to my lectures.” Wang, well, lectured. You groaned inwardly at being called out once again before you nodded.

“Of course, sir.” You confirmed as you clasped your hands together obediently, before realizing why you’d been picked out in the first place. You were completely unprepared for class, you hadn’t even bothered to take your notebook out, and you weren't even paying the slightest bit of attention. You were just sitting there, staring blankly as Mister Wang droned on and on. That must have been what set him off, but who could really blame you? This was your easiest class,  after all.  However, you quickly admitted defeat and quietly pulled out a notebook to copy down the notes that were written on the board.

When your class was finally over, Kasper jumped up from her seat and scurried over to your side. You glance up at her and took in her new appearance, only mildly surprised. Instead of her usual brown hair, she stood before you with blonde hair with blue tips.

“You colored your hair,” you commented as you shoved your notebook into your bag, mood still a little sour from the earlier events of the class. You spared a glance inside your backpack and groaned. Where was your calculus homework? You could have sworn that you put it inside your bag this morning, you just couldn't remember where. You have to remember to clean out your bag at some point this week.

“Technically, I bleached my hair, and then I  dipped the tips,” she corrected. You rolled your eyes at your best friend and stood up.

“Whatever, same thing,” you muttered as you threw your backpack over your shoulder. “This is all your fault.” You reminded her as you glanced over your shoulder at Mister Wang, who remained behind his desk. You can tell that he feels your gaze but he does his best to avoid it. Asshole, you think to yourself. No. I don't really mean that. I really should have been paying more attention. You relent as you make your way out of the classroom.

“Looks like someone pissed in his cup of herbal tea this morning.” Kasper suggested as she followed you out of the classroom.

“I think you mean coffee?” You corrected, confused at why she would suggest herbal tea as a morning drink.

“Oh, he doesn't drink caffeine,” Kasper said, wrapping the pale blue ends of her hair around her finger and pulling the strands across the top of her lip to make a makeshift mustache. “Don’t ask me how I know.”

“Oh, I think I know.” You grimaced, not really wanting to consider why she knows that random tidbit.

“What do you think you know?” Kasper challenged, walking closely beside you as you walked to your next class; calculus for idiots. Except you seemed to be the only idiot in there. Before you could walk into the classroom, not that you really wanted to be there anyway, Kasper grabbed you by the arm, tugging you towards her. She kept a firm grip on your arm and looked at you expectantly, waiting on an answer.

“Kas,” you started, unsure of how to word this delicately. “you’re always falling for older guys. Don’t you think someone in our age group is better?” Kasper furrowed her brow as she waited for you to finish. “I know for a fact you went after class to Wang’s and asked for some help. Seriously? No one needs help in that class except that Justin Seagull kid, and that’s because he’s a few crayons short of a full box.” You finished your explanation, waiting timidly for your friends response.

“Wow,” Kasper crossed her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes at you. “You’re my best friend. You're supposed to be supportive of me, not…” she waved her hand dismissively at you, “whatever this is.” She finished with a huff as you sigh and shake your head.

“No matter what happens, I will always support you. Don't ever doubt that.” You begin, your feelings mildly hurt that she thought differently, even for a moment. “So if older guys are just your type, I'll still support you.” You gently placed your hand on Kasper’s shoulder, squeezing gently to let your friend know that were, and always will be, there for her. “But maybe try dating some guys our age before you go after one of our teachers. Please.” You tack on, because, at the end of the day, the last thing that you want is for her to be hurt. You could only see a fling with an older man, a teacher at that, going terribly wrong.

“I promise.” You held your other pinky out, raising your eyebrow expectantly, and the corners of Kasper’s lips twitched upward into a smile. She hooked her pinky with yours as you grinned back at her. Arguments between the two of you never seemed to last long, but you really hated them nevertheless.

“I’ll be there for you, too.” Kasper agreed with a warm smile. “As soon as you find a guy of your own, that is.” She stuck her tongue out in a teasing notion, before turning on her heel.

“I'll have you know, I have no trouble getting a guy!” You call out defiantly as Kasper walked away from you and into the classroom. “It's just that no one here is really my type.” You explained, making sure to keep your voice down as you walked in. You certainly didn't want to draw any attention to yourself like you did during the last class. You followed Kasper to your usual seats, grateful that your calculus teacher let you pick your own seats. As soon as you took your seat, however, Mister Nam began his lesson, effectively ending your conversation and forcing you to take out your notebook and follow along.

When the school day was finally over, you met up with Kasper outside of your literature class. You hadn't seen her since your last shared class, which happened to be calculus. There she had made a fool of herself by actually falling asleep and banging her head on the desk when he arm slipped from under her chin. You snickered to yourself as you recalled the event, because, to be honest, it made you feel a little better about your own humiliation in economics. You took in her appearance as she met up with you, her hair was slightly disheveled and you could tell that she recently reapplied her bright red lipstick.

“Did you get your phone?” Kasper greeted, as she hoisted her backpack higher.

“About that…” You started as you began to play with the hem of your skirt, a sheepish grin mixing into your expression. “Come with me?”

“No.” Her answer was flat and simple, leaving no room for argument. But it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

“Please? Pretty please?” You practically pleaded with her. “I don’t get why you’re not jumping at the chance to see Wang, I thought you were crushing on the old man.” You were thoroughly confused at her refusal to join you.

“He is not old,” Kasper immediately came to his defense. “He’s just older,” Kasper corrected you as she crossed her arms across her chest, “Maybe you should find an older guy. You always act like you’re my mom or something. And by the way, I’m legal. You’re legal, too. It's not like it's a big deal!”

“Dating a teacher, however, is not legal.” You added, exasperated. You knew it didn't matter, though. She was never going to see it your way.

“What they don't know won't kill them,” Kasper gave you a petty smile. Before you could ask who they were and how she knew it wouldn't kill them, she changed the subject. “Anyway, I’ve got a hot date that I need to prepare for, so give Mister Wang my best wishes.”

“You have a hot date,” you asked incredulously as your best friend began to retreat.

“With my chemistry tutor. Yay me,” and you could hear the disdain in her voice. “Dude is a stone!” And with that she was gone, her bright hair disappearing around the corner. You breathed out a deep sigh; you had to go and enter the depths of hell. Alone.

As you approached the classroom, you stomach rolled in apprehension. You went to turn the handle to the door and froze. You could hear loud bangs and hints of Mister Wang cursing from inside. Either he was doing some heavy duty remodeling, or he was taking out some repressed anger on the old, metal filing cabinets. You stared at the door nervously, thoughts of turning back and heading home crossing your mind. Maybe I should just leave and get my phone another time. You thought to yourself uneasily. Ugh, who am I kidding? My entire life is practically on that phone. What would I do without it? You sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of your nose, while you sorted out this internal argument.

Fuck it. So what if he's having a bad day? Mister Wang told you that you could pick up your phone at the end of the day, and that's what you were going to do. With that final thought, you twisted the door knob with a false confidence and peered into the doorway to find Mister Wang shuffling through papers on the floor.

“Who is it?” He grunted, not even bother to look up. You said your name aloud and waited, but you got nothing. You looked around nervously and fiddled with your skirt in search of something to occupy your hands during this awkward silence.

“Your phone is on my desk,” he answered finally, only barely jerking his head upward towards his desk, and there you found the box where your phone had been tossed.

As you moved towards the large desk, you took notice of the state of the classroom. One of the filing cabinets had indeed fallen over, but that was about it. Some metal boxes were on the floor, which was also covered in piles of papers. Maybe he’d lost something?

“Thanks, Mister Wang. I’ll be leaving now.” You bowed slightly before scurrying out of the classroom. Mission accomplished.  You thought to yourself triumphantly once you were in the clear, and finally began your journey home. The school halls were already almost completely cleared, save for the people who had after school activities or were just dragging out the time it took for them to go home. You saw some people were chatting with their friends, and others were shuffling through their bag’s contents. You couldn't believe that in just a few short months, you would be relieved from your duty as a student. You subconsciously began to fiddle with the necklace that hung around your neck as you made your way home.

You kept a moderate pace as you walked home, though, after the day you had, you were just begging to be seated in the comfort of the couch in front of the television. Maybe I'll even take a nap. You thought gleefully. I always leave my homework till the last minute anyway. You reasoned with yourself. It wasn’t a very hard battle after all. Soon enough, your neighborhood came into view and you could practically feel yourself sinking into the soft material of the couch. You hummed aloud, maybe you’d make yourself some hot chocolate, too. The weather was certainly getting colder.

Movement out of the corner of your eye caught your attention. The little girl from earlier, still dressed snugly in her tiger onesie, waddled across the yard. You raised an eyebrow, confused. Are they still moving in? Even now? You pondered, wondering how they hadn't gotten everything into the house by now. You looked at the house and noticed that the door to the house was wide open. She must have wandered out on her own, you figured. You watched her plop down on her little tush and crawl a bit before deciding to chance standing up again. She started wandering towards the street and, from where you stood, it seemed that she was going to fall face first into the street. Before you even knew what was happening, you were running towards the toddler, arms out and ready to stop her.

“Oh no, be careful!” Before she could fall on the harsh asphalt, you scooped her up. You dusted the nonexistent dirt of her behind and held her close. “Where’s your mommy?” You asked, hoping she was old enough to know the answer. However, she said nothing. She just stared back at you with wide, warm hazel eyes and a confused expression.

“Oh, my gosh, you’re so cute,” you cooed, admiring the way a ring of gold hung inside her iris, adding another layer of depth to her already beautiful eyes. The little girl began to wiggle around in your arms, silently demanding freedom, so you set her down. “What’s your name, sweetie?” you tried again. After a moment of silence, she finally got around to yelping something that sounded an awful lot like... Kimchi? You blinked repeatedly, confused, and looked up at the large house with the front door still wide open.

“Come on, sweetie.” You said, taking the little girl’s chubby fist in your hand and walking to the front door. Not wanting to seem like an intruder, you rang the doorbell and waited. And waited. When there was no sound after a few moments, you were forced to resort to rapping your fist against the ajar heavy oak door.

“Coming!” The voice came from above. A deep, honey-soaked voice. Is that the guy from before? You wondered to yourself.  After a few moments, the man finally appeared. He wiped sweat from his forehead, exhaustion clear in his expression.

“Daddy!” the girl exclaimed upon seeing him, tearing her hand from your grasp and running—as fast as her little legs could carry her— to the guy you had seen earlier. No way, you thought in disbelief, this is his kid? She must be confused! There's no way he's old enough to be her father. Your jaw nearly dropped to the floor as you tries to wrap you mind around this fact.

“Oh, how’d you get out?” The man picked up his daughter with a smile and held her close, bouncing her up and down slightly. He swept his gaze over to you and looked you up and down. “Oh, hello?” You saw a hint of something flash in his eyes, but you couldn't quite put your finger on it.

You looked up at the guy. His eyes, you could see, were a light brown with the same golden ring in his iris. It wasn’t just his eyes that were pretty. His whole face was… pretty… handsome… whatever a normal person would call him. But the point was, this supposed father was extremely good-looking. “I...Um, she was outside. Alone.” You managed to stutter out, cheeks aflame.

“Uh…” The guy tilted his head in confusion, looking at you for more of an explanation.

“I, uh, live across the street.” You turned and pointed at your house to prove your point, but in reality, you wouldn’t really be able to prove it until you actually went inside. “I was on my way home from school,” You took in the way he glanced down at your uniform, “when I saw her running towards the street. I, uh…” You trailed off. You couldn’t tell if he was actually paying attention to you or not. His expression was so...blank, as if he either couldn’t understand you, or he just wasn’t listening to you. “Your door was wide open. Okay, sorry for bothering you, bye,” you rushed out in a single breath, ready to excuse yourself from this awkward situation. You turned around and started towards the front door, which was still wide open.

“Wait.”

You paused mid-step and slowly turned around.

“Thanks,” the man wiped the sweat dripping at his forehead again and gave you a small, somewhat boxy smile. “I guess I forgot to close the door when I moved the last box in. I left her to play inside.” He explained sheepishly, scratching the back of his head with the hand that wasn't holding the young child.

“I see… you should be more careful then.” You chastised. “Although, I guess my mom’s kinda like that, too. Really absent-minded, I mean. She left three windows and the backdoor open this morning!” Your eyes widened at what you just said. What if he was actually some creep who’d sneak into your house now?

“Chill. I don’t have enough time to actually come in and murder your family with an axe.” The guy started to chuckle, clearly amused by the whole situation. His daughter, on the other hand, just lay her head against his chest, while he steadily bounced her in his arms. She looked tranquil, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier with the notion of sleep consuming her.

“Well, that’s a relief, I suppose.” You felt the some of the tension in your body leave at the thought.

“Well, come on in,” He said as he motioned for you to follow him. “I'll just put her down for a nap real quick.” He went on as you followed him through the house. “I really am thankful for you. You practically saved her life!”

You seem a bit too calm for someone who's daughter narrowly avoided running out into the street, you thought, but ultimately you kept your thoughts to yourself as you followed him deeper into the house. Boxes were everywhere. To your left, to your right. They filled the entire house, it was no wonder it took him all day. You felt as if you were making your way through a mini maze with the way the boxes even lined the stairway.

Walking further into the house, you soon found yourself in a little kitchen-slash-living room situation. Here, some of the furniture was already organized and toys scattered the floor. You assumed this had been where he left her to play.

He came to a sudden stop in front of a small playpen, causing you to come to a stop as well, eyeing him curiously. He stayed like that before kneeling down next to the playpen and staring at it again, a puzzled look on his face.

“Um,” you took a single step closer. “Is everything okay?” You asked, not understanding what was going on.

He shook his head and looked up at you. “Oh, yeah. It’s just… could you help me out? I don’t want to wake her.” He motioned for you to come closer.

“Oh! Um, yeah, what do you want me to do?” You moved in, so you were in reaching distance of both father and daughter.

“Can you remove the mobile? It makes a lot of noise and I don’t want it to wake her. I’d appreciate it if you could just detach it and then I could put her down quietly.” You nodded and did as he asked of you, realizing just how loud it was as you popped it out. You placed it gently on the floor with an inevitable, but soft rattle, which caused the little one to stir a bit. He softly bounced and shushed her back to sleep, before gently placing her in the playpen. “Thanks,” he whispers as he stands up, brushing himself off.

At this point, you realized how much taller than you he was, standing so close to him for the first time. He was much taller than most guys you've met before, and it made you take a step back to marvel at his height.

“It was, uh, no problem.” You say, somewhat absentmindedly as you were still taken back by his height.

“What did you say your name was?” He suddenly took off in the opposite direction, and you didn’t know whether to stay put or follow him.

“Um, I didn’t?” Your statement came out like a question.

“I’m in the kitchen.” You took that as a summoning. Sure enough, he was digging through his fridge, and you could see boxes and bags of groceries on the counter.

You’d been inside Green Dude’s house once before, when you were in primary school. And although your memory wasn’t anything special, you could say with certainty that the inside had undergone some serious renovation. Instead of the slight dinginess it gave off years ago, you could describe the interior as homely, but stylish at the same time. You wondered if he had chosen the details himself or just hired a designer.

“So, your name?” He pushed as he suddenly placed a glass of what looked like iced tea on the kitchen island and motioned for you to sit on the stool in front of it. You thanked him and awkwardly scrambled to sit on the stool that was much higher than your own at home, before telling him your name. “Nice to meet you, (Y/N). Thank you for saving my daughter. Do you want anything to eat?” You shook your head, politely rejecting his offer.

“Nothing? I just bought this pastry when I went out shopping. Grapefruit tart; Mina really liked it.” He motioned towards the pastry in question, but you had something else on your mind.

“Mina?” You questioned, “Is that your daughters name?” The man before you nodded in confirmation as he continued poking around the kitchen. “And your name is?” You prodded, giving up on waiting for him to introduce himself.

“Wow, I'm a terrible host.” He chuckled as he stopped busying himself and turned to face you, “I can't believe I didn't introduce myself, I apologize. My name is Kim Taehyung, and I'm an, um, office worker. I just moved here from Daegu. I heard that the preschools around here were really good, so that influenced my decision as well.” The man, Taehyung, finished his explanation.

“Oh, that's cool,” you muttered. “If you don’t mind me asking… how old is Mina?”

“She’ll be eighteen months in a week, why?” Taehyung answered, eyeing you curiously.

“I don’t know if you know this, Mister Kim, but… most daycares only allow children two years or older.” You only knew this because during your previous year, you had been required to make a presentation on what you imagined your life would be like fifteen years from then. Yours, hopefully, included children.

“Oh…” His shoulders slumped and he looked defeated. It would've broken your heart, if it weren't for how adorable he looked. He almost looked like a sad puppy.

“B-but,” you stuttered out, “I’m sure the daycares here are great, too! I think my friend said her little brother went to a daycare and was able to go straight to a local preschool before his second birthday.” That was a complete lie, but the boxy smile that lit up his face was so much cuter than the pout he’d been sporting just moments before.

“Oh, really? Which one?” He pressed, eager to have another option.

“I, uh, don’t remember the name,” you said slowly, enunciating every word clearly. “But, I’ll, um, ask for it for you, Mister Kim.” Great, now you had extra homework. Find a good, local daycare for an adorable eighteen month old girl.

“Please, call me Taehyung.” Taehyung gave you a slight smile. “Mister Kim makes me feel so old. Besides, we’re neighbors; I have a feeling we’ll be seeing each other a lot more.”

“What do you mean?” You didn't realize that you liked where this was going.

“I mentioned I’m a office worker, right?” You nodded, unsure of what that had to do with this particular conversation. “That requires a lot of my time, and while the daycare is an option, when you are able to get me the name, I’m going to need a back up. A babysitter. How convenient is it that you live across the street?”

“But…” You looked around, not sure how to answer.

“Please? I’ll pay you anything you ask.” He all but pleaded.

“But sir…” You fidgeted nervously in your seat.

“Taehyung.” He insisted, looking at you with puppy dog eyes, breaking you down a small bit.

“Taehyung...,” you began carefully, “you barely know me. I could be a complete psychopath for all you know. And anyway, what about her mother?” Suddenly, Taehyung’s face fell and he sighed heavily. You immediately regretted asking him that. Stay-at-home fathers aren't exactly that common, so you really couldn't have known any better. Although, could he even be labeled as such? He did have a job, after all.

“She’s not here,” was all he was willing to offer.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” you understood the underlying message. ‘Don't push it.’

“No, it’s okay. But do you mind thinking it over? I’d really appreciate the extra help.” He looked down at you once again with big, beautiful puppy dog eyes.

“I’ll mull over it,” you assured him, although you were still unsure about the subject. What kind of person asks a complete stranger to take care of their child? “It was nice meeting you, sir--er, Taehyung.” You said as you hopped down from the stool.

“You as well, and thanks again for today. Are you sure you don’t want any of the tart?” His eyes sparkled with some kind of hope, as if the grapefruit tart he’d mentioned would somehow coerce you into agreeing to the job. You sighed, feeling somewhat defeated. It was almost as if he knew he was slowly whittling away at your once firm resolve.

“I’ll take some.” You finally relented, in hopes of seeing his beautiful smile once again.

“Great!” He clasped his hands together in victory. You could see that there were some paper plates in the boxes of groceries on the counter, so when Taehyung reached for a plastic tupperware container in the opposite direction, you were mildly confused. You then realized that this meant that you would be forced to wash and bring the container back. Regardless, once he sliced the tart and packaged it for you, you bowed thankfully and took your leave.

While you made the short walk from Taehyung’s front door to your own, you couldn't help but marvel at the fact that he had a child. Then you remembered that his daughter was only eighteen months old, so you figured he might not be that much older than you were. Why do I even care? You wondered as you unlocked your front door and hurried inside. The house was still as clean as you had left it that morning, so you gathered that you were the first one home. You dropped your bag by the door and walked into the living room, plopping down on the couch with a huff and switching on the television. You didn't really care what was playing, you simply used it as background noise while you played on your phone.

That following Saturday morning, you were woken up at some ungodly hour by an incoming call from your mother. You groaned in annoyance, knowing she was probably just in her room, down the hall. Nevertheless you answered the phone, groggily pressing the device to your ear and sitting up in your bed.

“Hello?”

“(Y/N)! I’m on my way home with your father!” You winced as your mother's much too loud, much too eager for this early in the morning voice rang through your ears.

“Oh, he’s back today, huh?” After wiping the sleep from your eyes, you slightly opened your curtains to allow the warmth of natural light into your room.

“We will be home in a few hours; we need to stop by the store to find some stuff for dinner. In the meanwhile, can you bake a cake or something?”

“Sure, but why? Are we celebrating Dad’s return?”

“You could say that. Anyway, please get to it, and clean up, too.”

“Sure,” you mumbled again. You exchanged ‘goodbye’s and ‘I love you’s with your mother before you heard the call end with a click. You stood up and stretched, trying to shake off the sleepiness that still remained, and found the closest pair of pants on the floor to slip on.

After making yourself a cup of coffee, you started on the short list of chores your mother had given you. You started with your room, which looked like it had been hit by a tornado before you started. Then you moved on to the main floor, wiping down the windows and cleaning the dishes that had begun to pile up.

By the time you had started baking your father’s favorite cake, a decadent lemon raspberry cake, it was already half past one in the afternoon. Exactly how long was “a few hours”? As the time flew past, you focused on making the cake perfectly. The process was long and grueling, but it was also calming in a way, especially when it came to frosting and decorating the cake. Once you were done, you placed the dessert on a cake stand and covered it. You glance at the oven to check the time and, in a pale green, digital font, it read ‘4:58’. You thought about calling your parents to see where they were, but before you could even pull your phone out of your pocket, you heard the front door open, followed by a hushed conversation.

“Maybe we should have hurried?”

“What time did you tell him to come over?”

“I… don’t remember? Nothing too early; maybe 6:30?”

“That should be enough time. I could probably whip something up quickly.”

“Welcome back, Pops,” you interrupted your parents conversation to wrap your arms around your father in a hug, grinning widely as you felt you fathers hand pat the top of your head gently. He had only been gone for a little over a week, but with your mom’s cooking, the time you’d spent apart seemed to drag out much longer than usual.

“Hey, kiddo. Have you finished the cake?”

“Frosted and decorated,” you released your father and stood at attention to salute him. “Welcome back, sir.” Your father chuckled and flicked your nose.

“Thanks a lot, kiddo. I’m gonna go ahead and get dinner started. Why don’t you go get changed, alright?” Your father suggested as he shrugged off his jacket and made his way towards the kitchen.

“For what?” You asked, quizzically looking down at your simple jeans and tank top, unsure what was wrong with your attire.

“Have you even showered since you got up?” your mom teased, finally speaking up, as she

“Of course! I showered as soon as the house was clean. But why do I need to change? It’s a normal dinner, isn’t it? Or are we going all out for Dad’s welcome party?” Your mother seemed to melt at your confused expression.

“Didn't you tell her?” Your father asked, poking his head out from the kitchen.

“I could have sworn I did! Hm. It must have slipped my mind. I’ll tell her now!” Your mother explained as she dragged you up the stairs. “We invited Mister Kim and his daughter over for dinner this evening. We’re trying to be exceptional neighbors.”

“Uh huh...” you nod, folding your arms across your chest and looking at your mother suspiciously.

“What?” She questioned innocently.

“You're just doing this to be nosey, aren't you? You don't care about being neighborly.” You accused, knowing instantly when your mother feigns shock that you are correct.

“What? Absolutely not!” Her voice went up an octave, giving away the fact that she had been caught in a fib. I was born at night, you thought dryly to yourself, but it wasn't last night. You rolled your eyes and sighed in defeat.

“So, I'm guessing jeans are off-limits,” you asked, when you reached your bedroom. Your mother nodded as she took a seat on your bed and you walked over to your closet. You groaned as you slid open your closet door and tried to find something to wear. You really didn't feel like wearing a dress, but that seemed more tolerable than one of your stupid uniform skirts.

After a few minutes of sifting through your closet, you decided to go with a silky, floral patterned dress, that you had forgotten that you even owned, and a pair of strappy, nude wedge sandals. Stepping into the center of the room, you gave a slight spin and gained your mother's approval over your outfit before pulling your hair up into a sleek ponytail, at her request. I really can't wait for this night to end, you thought as you gathered some accessories, but I bet Mom will definitely get a kick out of him.

As you were finishing getting ready, you heard the doorbell ring. Your mother hopped off of your bed excitedly and nearly ran out of your room. How she could be so steady in those stilettos was beyond you and you struggled to keep up with her, not nearly as well acquainted with walking in heels as your mother was. When you reached the door you hid slightly behind her, even though the two of you were nearly the same height, and peered around her shoulder as she opened the door to reveal your new neighbor.

“Good evening.” Taehyung greeted, holding his daughter in one arm, and a gift in the other. Judging from the long and narrow bag, you could only guess that it was a bottle of wine.

“Oh, you’re here! Just on time!” Your mother’s greeted eagerly. Liar, you thought, you don't even remember what time they were supposed to be here. You shake your head slightly at the thought.

“I hope you don’t mind, Miss (Y/L/N). I brought a friend to join us.” Taehyung grinned as he shifted his daughter between arms.

“The more the merrier.” You stood on your toes to peer over Taehyung’s shoulder to see a pale, dark haired man who was slightly shorter than Taehyung was. He, too, had a gift for your mother in hand.

“Min Yoongi,” Kim Taehyung stepped aside and allowed his friend to introduce himself.  “Taehyung and I just came from work, so excuse my attire.”

“Oh, no, it’s fine! What line of work are you in?” Your mother had a million and one questions for the two gentlemen but you were more interested in the little girl. Today, she wore a striped dress with matching bloomers, and she managed to pull off one of her shoes, gnawing on it with a bright smile. Gosh, she really is so cute.

“Oh! I can't believe I forgot to introduce my daughter! How rude of me.” Your mother gasped and wrapped an arm around you, pulling you closer. “Taehyung, this is  (Y/N), she'll be graduating this summer, I can't believe it!” You smiled at your mother's introduction. That is, until she went on. “They grow up so fast, Taehyung. She'll be nineteen soon, much too soon. You might not feel like that now, but it really happens all too quickly.” Your eyes narrow at your mother in embarrassment as you feel your cheeks heat up. Every time you had company, she felt compelled to bring this up.

Your mother gave a nostalgic sigh before quickly pulling herself together and leading the group into the living room. “My husband will be done with dinner in a moment, so I hope you don’t mind if we wait in here.” She explained as she motioned for everyone to take a seat.

Taehyung and his friend, Yoongi, nodded and smiled, making themselves comfortable on the sofa. Taehyung placed Mina on the floor and she stood using the coffee table for support. You sat down beside her, taking an interest in the young girl, once in a while tapping her little hand and showing her funny faces.

After getting close to little Mina, she took a seat in your lap and you allowed her to play with your hair. Sometimes she would tug it, but it wouldn't hurt too much. When she got bored of your hair, she began to hold onto your fingers. You looked up and figured you should try to pay attention to the conversation.

“Daycare? Oh, I know the perfect one! It's the one I used to send (Y/N) to when she was a little girl! It’s great, been up and running for a few decades now. Now, what was it called?” Your mother furrowed her eyebrows as she thought deeply. You were slightly startled when she suddenly looked at you and asked, “What was it called?”

“Mother, I don’t even remember what you made for dinner last night...” You muttered as you glanced down at Mina to see her comfortably sitting in your lap, except now, it seemed like her goal was to eat your fingers. You tugged your hands away from her slightly, still allowing her to fidget with your fingers.

“Over the Rainbow!” Your mother exclaims as she remembers the name. “That’s what it’s called! It’s about ten minutes from here? (Y/N) passes it every time she walks to school.” You looked at her curiously. I do? You wondered, I guess I don't really pay that much attention to my surroundings.

“Thank you so much, that will definitely come in handy!” Taehyung bowed his head slightly, grateful for your mother's suggestion.

“Why don’t you ask (Y/N) to take care of her, too? I’m sure you’re extremely busy, and keeping her at a daycare all day could get very expensive.” God dammit, Mother.

“Well, I actually did ask her before, but maybe you could convince her?” Taehyung flashed his pathetic puppy dog eyes at you before quickly redirecting his gaze to your mother.

“Oh, so you two have met before. Why didn’t I realize?” Your mother curiously glanced between the two of you, wondering how she hadn't know this.

“It was a few days ago, when I first moved in,” Taehyung cut his eyes to you and gave a boxy smile.

“Dinner is served,” your father entered the living room with a air of elegance. He wore an apron that was slightly dirty from all of his hard work in the kitchen.

“Excellent!” Your mother exclaimed with excitement. The guests stood and your mother led the way into the dining area, but one person stayed behind. Taehyung pulled at the legs of his slacks and crouched down beside you, opening his arms for his daughter. You dusted yourself off and before you could stand, a hand came into view.

“Need a hand?”

You realized there were only two options, and it almost felt like a dating simulator. Reject his offer—which kinda played in your head as slapping his hand away, but that was a bit extreme—and seem like a real bee with an itch, stripes and all, or accept his offer. Yellow was not your color. You gingerly placed your palm in his and tried to hide the fact that your body temperature was rising. What was it about him? Yeah, he was handsome. Like model-worthy. But why did just touching him make you want to blush?

You watch for a few moments with mild amusement at Taehyung tries to search through his diaper bag single-handedly before offering to hold Mina while he continued his search. You propped Mina on your hip and waited patiently. Once Taehyung found what he was looking for, a bottle that appeared to be filled with chocolate milk, you finally made your way into the dining room with Taehyung close behind you. You took your usual seat across from your mother and shifted Mina on your lap so that you could still eat comfortably.

“Are you okay with her sitting in your lap?” You looked to your left to find Taehyung looking at you curiously as he hands Mina her bottle. You subconsciously hold the small girl a little closer.

“Yeah, I'm okay with it.”

Dinner went on rather quietly. Every so often your father or mother would bring up random events, but you didn't really have much to contribute to the conversation so you remained quiet as you continued eating, bouncing your leg every so often when Mina would begin to wiggle around. What you really wanted to, but knew you couldn't, do was to retreat to your room and finish watching one of your shows, but that was off the table for the time being. You were in the middle of zoning out and finishing up the last of your meal when question caught your attention.

“...don’t you think?” Yep, the question was definitely directed at you.

You blinked repeatedly, stunned. “I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s a good deal, isn’t it?” Your mother and Taehyung beamed at you. You were so lost in your own thoughts that you hadn't been paying the slightest bit of attention to the conversation happening around you. You didn't want to chance asking them to repeat themselves and embarrassing yourself further, so you did what any normal person would do.

You nodded.

“Great! We hope that settles everything. Now, let’s eat cake.”

“Ooh, yes.”

a/n: hey all! i actually meant for this to be a christmas update... then a tae birthday update... but let’s just consider it all of the above and a new years update? haha <3 please enjoy. smut in the chapter to come.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BOTH MY EDITORS <3 [septiceyesky & sneheee]