#skzcode

When you were younger, you hadn't pictured a future where you were a single mother. But, due to circumstances out of your control, that's where you currently were in life. 

It was just you and your son Kija, and honestly, you wouldn't trade it for anything.

It had been hard at first, not having the support of a partner. Your sister, the godsend that she was, came and stayed with you for the first two months, taking time off as much as she could and working remotely from your place when she couldn’t. 

You weren’t sure if you would've come out the other side sane if she hadn't.

But caring for Kija and balancing your work life had gotten easier the older he got. Luckily, your job was very accommodating and gave you a few days a week to work remotely, while the others you still went into the office.

On those days, Kija went to stay with a sweet neighbor who kindly babysat him. She kept insisting you not pay her, so you made sure to cook extra food at dinner and bring a portion to her. 

You made it work, but with a second mouth at home, sometimes money was a little tight.

So when one of your friends reached out to you about a side gig that could make you a little extra money, you took the time to consider it.

The only thing that made you hesitate was Kija himself. 

You'd been in the office that day when your friend had approached your desk.

“Kija is about 20 months old, right?”

You blinked, confused by the sudden topic. “Yeah, he is, why?”

He nodded excitedly. “Okay, cool, perfect, so you know how my sister works at JYP?”

You nodded back. The two of you had talked about that before when discussing some of your music taste. “What does that have to do with Kija?”

He raised an eyebrow, as if to say, “I'm getting there.” You wave him on and he sighs dramatically. “So apparently they're looking for boys, about 20 months old, to help with a filming project they're doing with one of their idol groups. They don't want to put out an all call if they can avoid it, so they're asking employees if they know of any babies. Hajin remembered me talking about you and Kija and asked if you might be interested.”

You paused. “What exactly is it for..?” 

He lit up, whipping out his phone. “Let me text you her work email and you can reach out to her there about it! She can give you more info and answer your questions better than I could.” He beamed. “It is paid though! I don't know how much, but I know kids are expensive. Plus, Kija is so cute, he'd kill it on screen.”

You laughed softly. “He is adorable.” You felt your phone vibrate with a text and you nodded to him. “I'll reach out to her. Thank you.”

He beamed. “Anytime noona.”

It took a while for you to fully draft out the email. A part of you was concerned you were somehow exploiting your child if you decided to do this…

But it wouldn't hurt to find out more information. It'd help you make a decision anyways. 

“Hi Hajin-ssi,

This is Y/L/N Y/F/N, Sojun's coworker and Kija's mom. He spoke with me today about the filming your company is looking to do with children Kija's age. I wanted to ask a few questions about that, if Kija is still someone your company would consider.

What specific dates/times would the filming be and for how long?

What activities would he be participating in?

If he is uncomfortable with the cameras or idol group, would he be forced to participate?

How many other children would be involved?

What is the specific purpose of this filming? 

Would I be allowed to stay on set during filming? 

Thank you for your time. This is a decision I am still making but wanted to have more information about it so I can make a well-informed one. I appreciate your consideration and understanding.

Y/N”

You got a reply to the email within the hour.

“Hello Y/N-ssi!

Thank you so much for reaching out. I've CC'd my manager on this email as she is the primary person responsible for talent. I'm happy to answer your questions, as well as provide additional information about requirements for the shoot. 

The shoot will take place on one day for 6 hours. There will be lunch provided for staff and the children. Any dietary needs or allergies will be kept in mind.

Both parents are encouraged to be on-site during the shoot, though one parent minimum is required to be present for the full duration. 

The goal of the company is to have 3 to 4 boys, aged roughly 20 months, at the shoot on the given day in order to achieve the goal of the filming. The idol group, Stray Kids, is going to be running a “community center” for their series SKZ Code. They will be trying to achieve specific goals with the kids such as a successful storytime, photo shoot, and lunch.

We are fully aware of the sometimes delicate nature of children. No pressure to perform will be put on any child who is present for the shoot. If they are experiencing distress, their comfort will be the priority and the members of Stray Kids are aware of this, too. 

While I am aware of how adorable Kija is from my brother, if you wish to proceed, we will need you to send a few photos of him (at least one headshot and one full body) to my manager's email along with his vaccination records. Please make sure to give us a response, whether a yes or a no, within the next 5 days.

If you have any other questions, please let us know. Thank you!

Yoon Hajin

JYP Entertainment”

Throughout the course of the day, you reread the email at least four times. You knew how huge Stray Kids was. It was hard not to when half of the adverts in downtown Seoul consisted of their faces. Millions of people would likely see your son, whether they knew he was yours or not. 

Did you want that? Would he want that when he was older? Maybe he'd think it was cool.

But at the same time, what if people saw him and found him lacking in some way? 

Would it be obvious he came from a single mother who was just doing her best?

You were still thinking about it as you took the subway home that evening. You barely remembered heading into your apartment complex until you were knocking on your neighbor's door.

Misoon smiled as she opened the door, Kija at her side. “Hello dear, how was work today?”

You smiled as Kija squealed and toddled over to you. You quickly scooped him up, unable to resist the urge to kiss his cheek. “It went well ajumeoni. I hope he wasn't any trouble.”

She waved a hand dismissively at you. “You know he never is.” 

You bowed your head at her. “Well thank you again, as always.” You nudged your son. “Say bye to halmeoni.”

“Bye ha'moni!” Kija parroted to the best of his ability. 

Misoon smiled softly and waved at your son. “Bye little one. Be kind to your eomma, okay?” 

Kija bonked his head lightly against yours. “My eomma.”

You couldn't help the way your heart fluttered at his comment. You patted the side of his head. “That's right. Now who wants dinner?” 

“Gogi?” He asked excitedly.

“We should still have some leftover bulgogi,” you told him as you walked over to your apartment and unlocked the door. “I'll heat up some rice and eggs too, okay?” 

You set your son down on the living room rug, which was already scattered with some of his favorite toys. From there, you could keep an eye on him while you worked in the kitchen to prepare your food. 

Luckily, your son is very good at entertaining himself. He kept his favorite stuffed tiger under his arm as he played with blocks and his other plushies. Occasionally he'd toddle over to you and proudly show you one of his toys, or babble something about them. You'd coo and nod accordingly before he happily toddled back and plopped down amongst his hoard. 

“Alright Kiki,” you said as you finished putting his portions onto his small plate, “dinner time!” 

Kija squealed excitedly, running over to you so you could scoop him up and get him into his high chair right beside you. 

Your meal time went like normal. Every once in a while Kija would demand food from your plate instead of his own. You wiped off his chin periodically and made sure he was chewing properly. 

Of course, he still got messy enough, but after dinner was always bath time.

Kija loved the water. You even got him a rubber tiger to go in the tub so he'd stop trying to drag his plushie one in with him.

It didn't always work, but you managed to keep his plush dry more often than not. 

Most of the time, dinner and a bath was enough to knock Kija out. All you had to do was dry him off and put him in his PJs and he'd be asleep before you had him fully tucked in in his crib.

Other times, though, he'd refuse to be separated from you and you'd end up cuddling with him on the couch as you read or watched your own shows.

Honestly, you didn't mind the latter. Sometimes you just needed to cuddle with your son, too.

Tonight was one of those nights. Kija was bundled up, resting against your chest as you scrolled YouTube.

You ended up throwing on an episode of a podcast, only half watching as you stared at your son.

His mop head, subtly curly, framed his soft face. His face was so sweet when he slept. His plump cheeks squished against you and his little button nose stuck out just enough that you had to resist the urge to pinch it.

God you loved him so much.

… Would it be so bad to have him on camera? Plenty of babies did one-off photoshoots or commercials. It wasn’t like you were thinking about turning him into a child star.

If he wanted to do that when he got older, you could discuss it then. 

Plus the extra money would be nice. He'd need new clothes again soon, especially with the seasons changing. 

You sighed softly, bending down just enough to kiss the top of his head. 

You'd respond to the email in the morning and figure out the rest of the logistics then. For now, you just wanted to enjoy the feeling of your son sleeping safe and sound against you.

He'd always be safe in your arms, you'd do everything in your power to make sure of that.

The shoot was scheduled for next week.

After replying to Hajin's email with a confirmation of your interest, as well as photos of Kija and a copy of his vaccination records, you quickly got sent back a contract and additional information about the shoot. 

You decided to take Kija to the store and get him a cute outfit for the shoot ahead of time. It wasn’t like he had ratty clothes, but you wanted to make sure he looked especially good if he was going to be on camera. 

For millions to see.

You managed to get the day off work, and gave Misoon a heads up that you'd be out for the day. 

Now here you were at the address you'd been given for the shoot. You were here an hour before the talent, Stray Kids, were supposed to arrive. The staff had wanted to give the kids time to explore and adjust to the space before throwing more new things at them.

You weren’t too worried about Kija. While he was a little shy at times, once he warmed up to someone, you couldn't keep him away. 

When you arrived at the shoot with Kija on your hip, Hajin was there to greet you.

“It's so good to see you Y/N-ssi,” she smiled. “I'm so glad you and Kija could be at our shoot today.”

You nodded to her. “It's nice to see you too Hajin-ssi.”

Hajin looked at Kija and cooed. “Gosh my brother's photos don't do him justice. He's such a doll.”

You beamed. “Thank you.”

“Come on, two of the other kids are here already. The room is just this way.”

You followed her down the hall and into the soft room. The filming crew was already set up, which you'd known they would be from the emails, but it was still odd to see in person.

Kija looked around curiously, his little hands gripping onto you just a bit harder, but he wasn't hiding his face away just yet. 

You gave quiet and polite greetings to those you passed as Hajin encouraged you to step further into the room.

When Kija spotted the toys on the ground, he instantly leaned over, demanding to be let down. You laughed softly and squatted so you could easily set him down, staying there for a moment as he walked away and over towards one of the other boys.

You ended up chatting with the other parents for a bit and quickly learned the other three kids’ names: Suho, Chanwook, and Yeonwoo.

It was almost easy to forget why you were here for a moment. It was just so nice talking to parents with kids the same age as your own. Your own friends and coworkers either didn't have kids, or their kids were much older. 

But then you were slowly encouraged to scoot back and see how your child did without you nearby, in preparation for the boys to arrive.

Right. 

Kija was happily absorbed in the plush cat he'd found, babbling away with Yeonwoo, uncaring about how far you were. 

You kept watching from the sidelines, glad to see he seemed so comfortable. 

Ten minutes later, the door to the room opened again. 

You knew who Stray Kids were. Hell, before having Kija you'd even went to one of their shows. You had a few of their albums, even.

But ever since Kija, you really just listened to their music casually. Your priorities had shifted and it honestly felt like you couldn't look at your favorite kpop groups anymore, knowing you couldn’t afford to participate like you used to.

It was easier to just ignore them then long from the sidelines.

Needless to say, you recognized each of their faces as they walked into the room.

The boys were all dressed in very soft and comfortable clothing. They all shuffled in, toeing off their shoes as they gathered around the director and spoke to him in quiet tones. You watched as they greeted a few people, looking around the room before spotting the kids. 

Felix instantly cooed at the sight of them. You could see Chan, Minho, and Han's faces all softening as they took in the adorable toddlers.

You didn't blame them. They were very cute.

You weren't biased.

The camera crew had started doing some close ups of the kids as the boys dispersed a bit amongst the crew. Some of them spoke to each other, while others were clearly trying to see what else the room had to offer.

You were so busy watching them all, you almost didn't realize Chan was walking up to you.

You'd been standing next to Chanwook's parents when the leader of the kpop group came up to you. He smiled, dipping his head to you all.

“Hi, I'm not sure if you know me, but I'm Bang Chan. Thank you all for trusting us with your kids today. I promise we'll take good care of them.”

Oh, well that was very polite. 

You bowed back. “Thank you Chan-ssi.”

“If any of you need something during the shoot, please don't hesitate to ask, okay?” He smiled again. “I know being on a film set can be overwhelming at first, but I promise we'll take care of you as well.”

You thanked him again and he bowed once more before heading back to his members. 

Suho's mother was the last out there, still hanging out near her timid child as the director gave the cue for the boys to start walking out and interacting with the kids. 

Jeongin was the first to step out, looking a bit intimidated by the toddlers, which was a bit comical. He paused near Yeonwoo, who was dancing by himself, and tentatively tried to join in.

Hyunjin made a more robust approach, clapping and talking excitedly as he walked out.

Minho, Changbin, and Han were a bit more lowkey, either being quiet or talking softly as they slowly walked into the middle of the floor.

Suho got overwhelmed pretty quickly, instantly leaning into his mom.

Kija was still seated on the stage, watching the boys with wide eyes as they got closer. He was clutching the black cat plush to his chest with one hand while the other, which had been pushing around a toy car, slowed down as he took in the new people in the room. Chanwook was nearby, having waddled off of the stage when the boys first came in.

Hyunjin, who’d sat down near Chanwook, glanced over at Kija and smiled, waving at him. Kija held up his cat plush, hiding behind it for a moment, making Hyunjin coo.

“Oh he’s shy.”

“Shy but brave,” Changbin commented, glancing at Suho who was now gently being led behind the cameras to hopefully calm down.

Yeonwoo was putting on a show, encouraged by the boys’ clapping. Most of the boys were focused on him, which made sense since his adorable clapping and dancing made for good content.

But your eyes were still mostly on your child. You wanted to make sure he wasn’t getting too overwhelmed.

As Seungmin joined the frame, with Felix crawling in shortly after, Minho shifted over to sit near Kija. He left some space beside the child, but tilted his head to peer around the cat.

“That’s a cute cat you have,” he said softly.

Kija peered around the cat at Minho, still hiding half of his face but otherwise not shying away. You had to resist the urge to talk to him, knowing that he’d do better if he forgot you were over here.

If he truly needed you, you’d be over in an instant, but he was doing just fine. He was brave, like Changbin said.

The other Stray Kids boys were slowly sitting in a circle around the mat in the middle of the floor. Minho didn’t move yet, though, just waiting patiently as he sat near your son.

“Do you want to join us?” He asked, offering out a hand.

Kija eyed his hand for a moment before looking back at Minho’s face. He must’ve liked what he saw because he slowly let go of his car and reached out to Minho.

Minho beamed, elated at being shown trust. He waited until Kija was a little closer before he happily scooped him up.

Kija snuggled into Minho’s side, keeping his now claimed cat plush close to his chest as Minho joined the circle of boys. He gracefully sat on one of the seats as staff came over to hand out the profiles they made for each of the four kids.

“Oh it says that Kija really likes animals, especially his favorite stuffed tiger,” Han noted as he read the sheet.

“Look at him now,” Seungmin said, gesturing to where Kija was seated in Minho’s lap, “he already found a new cat friend.”

Kija blinked up at Seungmin before proudly holding up his cat plush. “‘O’yan’i?”

Minho, Seungmin, and Felix instantly cheered for him and his pronunciation. 

“No wonder he likes Minho-hyung already,” Hyunjin teased.

Minho shrugged, smiling. “He clearly has good taste.” 

Yeonwoo and Chanwook were up and toddling around. Yeonwoo was running behind the cameras to grab snacks and feed the older boys, making each of them get excited when they were chosen.

A part of you worried that Kija wasn’t going to be “interesting” enough for the filming, but Minho and Felix seemed perfectly content to sit with him, showing him other plushies and beaming anytime they got him to smile.

When Yeonwoo was handed a bubble gun, giggling excitedly as he “attacked” both Jeongin and Chan, Kija perked up. His wide eyes were fixated on the bubbles and he finally seemed ready to stand up and be amongst the group. Minho watched him go with a smile as your son remained fully fixated on the shiny spheres.

Suho had started to walk back towards the group, eyeing them warily from the far wall near the soft, plush stairs. Minho and Hyunjin, who were closest to him, both turned and tried to encourage him over.

Poor Suho, though, got overwhelmed again very fast and let out a sharp cry, stumbling back towards his dad.

That got Kija’s attention. His head turned to find the sound, and, when he noticed Minho was far away, he quickly toddled over. Minho, who’d been backing up apologetically, didn’t notice him until your son grabbed his hand.

“Minho, what did you do,” Han teased.

“I didn’t do anything! I swear,” Minho pleaded, laughing nervously at having seen the small boy cry. “I- oh,” he paused, looking down at Kija. “Hi Kija.”

Your son blinked up at him, still clutching the cat plush in his other hand, before he tugged on Minho’s arm.

“Looks like you’re being kidnapped hyung,” Seungmin laughed while Minho obediently shuffled behind your son.

Yeonwoo turned and spotted the two coming over and giggled, instantly rounding on his new targets with his bubble gun. Kija squealed excitedly. Minho scooped him up, dramatically shielding him from the bubbles, making both Kija and Yeonwoo giggle louder while Minho “melted” under the assault. 

Yeonwoo turned back to attacking Chan while Changbin fished around for a ball in the nearby toy crate, bouncing it on the ground as he tried to get Chanwook’s attention. 

Eventually, Yeonwoo grew bored of the bubbles, suddenly remembering the existence of the small, upstairs area. He took off without preamble, clambering up the steps and out of sight.

Chanwook spotted him racing away and decided that whatever Yeonwoo was doing was way more interesting than trying to play catch with Chan and Changbin. He, too, took off up the stairs, making Changbin, Seungmin, and Minho scramble behind in order to keep an eye on them.

Kija was seated with Hyunjin and Felix, happily rolling a ball back and forth. The boys clapped each time he pushed it, making him beam and clap along with them. You'd been smiling to yourself, having turned your attention solely back to your son, until you heard an “oomf” from off to the side.

You turned your head just in time to see Minho slip down the rounded stairs. Seungmin moved out of the way, leaving room for his friend to slide all the way down to the floor.

Kija clearly noticed, too, pushing himself to his feet and toddling over to Minho just as he was standing up.

“Dah!” Kija exclaimed, pointing to Minho, who was rubbing his head sheepishly.

Seungmin laughed. “See, he thinks it's funny, too!”

Minho huffed good-naturedly, but Kija just stepped forward, patting Minho's leg and gesturing towards his head again.

“Oh did you wanna see?” Minho asked, crouching down to Kija's level.  

Kija shuffled forward, patting the top of Minho's head before leaning forward and giving it an open mouthed kiss. “Mwah!” 

Hyunjin gasped dramatically, putting a hand to his chest. “He just kissed it better!”

“Do you feel better now hyung?” Seungmin asked, still smiling cheekily.

Minho was looking at your son with wide, adoring eyes. He didn't even spare a glance at Seungmin as he replied, a small smile on his face. “All better.” 

Kija clapped, clearly pleased with himself as he turned around and toddled back over to Hyunjin and Felix, who were clapping excitedly along with him. 

“He's clearly going to be a doctor someday,” Felix commented as he rolled the ball back to Kija. 

“Or a veterinarian," Han laughed.

Minho ended up joining Kija's game of “push the ball around,” deciding against attempting the stairs again, while Felix shuffled off in a desperate attempt to get Suho to come out and play with them. 

After a while, and another unsuccessful attempt to get Suho to join, the boys decided to move on to the first planned “activity” of the day: a dance session. 

Chanwook happily followed down the stairs behind Changbin, but Yeonwoo wasn't so easily swayed from whatever toys he'd found up there. Seungmin tried coaxing him down the stairs, but he wasn't even watching the older boy.

Eventually, Minho stood up to help. Your son watched him walk away, slowly pouting more and more as Minho went further until he stomped his foot and gave a little screech, causing Minho to pause in his tracks.

Han laughed. “Kija didn't like you leaving him Minho.”

“Oh I'm sorry Kija-ah,” Minho teased playfully, coming back over and opening his arms to Kija, who immediately threw himself at the man. Minho's eyes widened as Kija practically flopped into his hold, but he quickly adjusted and scooped up the boy, keeping him on his hip as he went over to grab a piece of bread for Yeonwoo.

He tore off a chunk for Kija, who grabbed it and started happily nomming on it while Minho peered up the stairs with the rest of the piece in his other hand.

Now that got Yeonwoo's attention. 

As Yeonwoo made it to the bottom of the stairs, Minho glanced back at the other boys. “You know, I already have a baby in one hand.”

“You have two for a reason hyung,” Seungmin called back, even as he was already making his way over to help.

At first Seungmin reached for Kija, even though he knew Minho meant for help with Yeonwoo. Kija eyed Seungmin and gave a small screech, smacking away the boy's hands when he brought them too close.

Minho laughed. “No, this one's mine. I meant Yeonwoo.” 

This one's mine. 

You'd seen plenty of other people hold and play with your son before. Sure most of them were family members, or older folks in your apartment building, but still. It wasn't the first time your son had been cuddled by someone else. 

So why was this time making your heart stutter in your chest? 

You watched as the boys continued to play with the kids for a bit before finally being nudged by the director to at least attempt to start the first activity. You couldn’t help but snort at their antics, but it was also incredibly endearing.

Chan was holding Yeonwoo on his legs, moving the boy up and down as he giggled excitedly. Seungmin and Felix were holding Chanwook between them, gently swinging him around. Minho had shifted Kija up to sit on his shoulders, doing a few squats, which made your son laugh and pat the top of Minho's head. You saw him grab Minho's hair a few times, and winced sympathetically along with Minho when he tugged, but Minho made no move to stop him.

Eventually, Chanwook and Kija were both gently sat on their feet while Changbin, Minho, and Hyunjin went up on the stage. The boys, in a loose circle on the floor, all clapped excitedly to try and get the kids’ attention.

Kija was hovering near where Minho had set him. Felix shuffled over to be near him, looking at the boy with an eager expression and clapping. Kija glanced at Minho a few times, but upon seeing him clap, too, he tentatively joined in, which led to more cheering and encouragement.

“Okay,” Changbin called out, “the first song we're going to be dancing to… is God's Menu!” 

As the song started playing, Yeonwoo immediately climbed up onto the stage, half of his slice of bread still clutched in his hand. Minho and Changbin stood up and started to do a small dance, looking at the boy encouragingly.

Kija stared up at the other boys around him as they also started dancing. Felix was looking at him and reached a hand out to the toddler with a smile. Kija stared for a moment before grabbing one of Felix's fingers, letting the boy start to maneuver him along with the beat. 

Kija stared blankly before he beamed, showing off his teeth and beginning to bounce in place. 

“Yah! They're naturals!” Hyunjin cheered as both Yeonwoo and Kija did their own version of dancing to the music. 

“They've got rhythm already!” Felix agreed, beaming.

Suho slowly wandered into the circle, staring at Jeongin in fascination as the maknae started to sing along to the song to him. Chan had scooped up Chanwook and was now bouncing him side to side along with the music, which the boy seemed very contented by. 

Overall it was very cute, the rest of the Stray Kids boys eventually standing up and dancing along as the kids smiled and laughed, or at least didn't cry (aka Suho). 

The kids all started to get bored as the song shifted to Ceremony, however. Suho decided that he didn't want to dance anymore and began to cry, with Felix stepping over to try and comfort him. Chanwook and Yeonwoo had started to toddle off and were quickly scooped back up by Changbin and Minho.

Kija was clutching his cat plush once more, a bit uncertain by the slight chaos that had unfolded. He looked around uncertainly and suddenly spotted you amongst the cameras.

Instantly he was locked on as he let out a whine and made a beeline straight for you. You crouched down, opening your arms for him to barrel into.

“Hey Kiki, it's okay,” you soothed, rubbing his back and kissing the top of his head.

You were so focused on soothing Kija that you didn't notice Minho's worried attention on your son. Kija was already starting to calm down, content to just stand between your legs, when you noticed someone walk over.

Minho squatted down in front of you, smiling apologetically. “Hey Kija, sorry that got loud, didn't it?”

Kija sniffled, turning his head to stare at Minho curiously. Minho looked so fond as your son's boba eyes looked at him. But he glanced up at you after a moment, holding a hand out. “Do you mind if I try to take him back out there? Or do you think he needs a moment still?”  

You glanced down at Kija, who was still staring wide-eyed at Minho. You smiled and glanced back up at him. “He likes you, you can try and take him.”

Minho blushed softly, smiling and a bit flustered at the compliment. He looked back at Kija, opening his arms. “Want to go back, Kija?” 

Ceremony was coming to a close in the background, with the other boys still trying to keep Yeonwoo and Chanwook engaged. Kija just blinked at Minho before reaching out to him.

Minho beamed, taking Kija into his arms again. “Thank you,” he said softly, to both you and Kija, before taking him back out to the group. 

You stayed squatted for a moment later, smiling to yourself as you saw Kija relax into the other boy's arms. 

Yeonwoo and Chanwook waddled back upstairs, their parents stepping in for a moment as the rest of the boys sat on the floor.

Kija was content, sitting in Minho's lap and happily pushing a car around as the boys took a moment to unwind.

It was kind of funny to see 6 grown men already exhausted after only an hour of entertaining kids a fraction their size. 

But also, you got it. Kids were exhausting. You could still remember how dead tired you were within the first year of having Kija. 

Of course, at one point you were still recovering from giving birth, but the point still stands. 

“How are we supposed to do this for five more hours?” Seungmin groaned softly, flopping back onto the floor. He rolled over, eyeing the vacant expressions on his friends’ faces and sat up to laugh at them.

Kija looked up at the sound and giggled along, making Minho snort, and causing Han and Hyunjin to crack a smile, too. 

“I'm gonna become Kija's favorite, hyung,” Seungmin grinned.

Minho's arms tightened around Kija slightly, leaning down to brush his chin against the top of Kija's head. “Not a chance.” 

Han, Jeongin, Chan, and Felix ended up stepping away for a moment while the other boys took a breather. The next activity on the list, from what you could recall of the schedule the staff had sent you, was storytime. 

Slowly, Yeonwoo and Chanwook were brought back into the room, followed shortly by the missing members of Stray Kids.

Who were now wearing animal onesies. Specifically 3 pig onesies and 1 wolf onesie.

Oh that's so cute.

Changbin siddled up to the stage, plopping down on a stool as Hyunjin tried to get Yeonwoo to look over at the group.

He was too enamored with the car set in front of him.

Chanwook was sitting with Chan, who was making adorable growling noises at him and tickling his stomach.

While Changin was trying to call everyone to attention, Felix was squatted down in front of Kija, who was happily “honking” the nose on Felix’s onesie. Each time he squeezed it, Felix made oinking sounds, which made your son giggle and squeeze it again.

“Everyone!” Changbin called out excitedly.

“Yes?” the boys all chorused in return, though most of them didn’t even glance over at their friend.

“It’s now second period, which means it’s storytime!”

Felix reluctantly left Kija’s side and went to join the other three little pigs near Changbin. Chan had shifted to lay on his side as Chanwook pushed around a dump truck. Kija was bouncing his plush cat in his hands, staring up at Minho with wide eyes while Minho kept making faces at him.

“Today’s story is The Three Little Pigs!” Changbin cheered, trying to get the room engaged.

To be fair, the other boys did “woo” in return, but it was half-hearted at best, making you cover your mouth with your hand to stifle a giggle. 

“Our four assistants will help act out the book, and I will narrate! Let’s go!” Changbin continued, undeterred by the lack of reaction.

This time, the other boys clapped along. Chanwook clapped, not taking his eyes off of his truck, and Kija clapped too, glancing between Minho and Felix, who was slowly scooting back towards him.

“They’re not interested,” Jeongin laughed.

“It’s fine! I’ll make it interesting," Changbin insisted. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, yes, teacher,” the other boys clapped along.

“Wait, wait, we’re the only ones enjoying this,” Han whined. “Why are only the adults having fun?”

“Bah!” Kija shouted out, pointing at Felix but staring at Han.

“See! Kija’s ready,” Felix said, glancing over his shoulder at Changbin, grinning.

“Good enough,” Changbin said, making Jeongin laugh. “Get back here little pigs. Let’s begin!”

The three pigs climbed onto the stage, but Han wasn’t giving up yet. He squatted slightly, clapping his hands as he looked between Yeonwoo and Chanwook.

“Yeonwoo-ah! Chanwook-ah! Over here!” he called out.

Both toddlers ignored him, which made Hyunjin laugh.

Minho was now shifted so he was mostly facing the stage, a content Kija still firmly in his lap. Chanwook was close by, playing with a truck, while Seungmin kept an eye on him.

“It’s fine! We have Kija,” Changbin said, gesturing to your son. Then, he cleared his throat and began telling the story. “Once upon a time, in a country village, there lived three little pigs.” 

The three boys introduced themselves from oldest to youngest as Changbin started telling the familiar story of them being told to leave their home and go build houses for themselves.

You let the words wash over you, not truly paying attention to the story telling, and instead looking at Minho and Kija. 

Kija was staring up at the pigs, though every once in a while he’d glance up and look at Minho. Minho was mostly looking at your son, content to make faces at him anytime their eyes met, making your boy grin and excitedly wave his toy around.

As the pigs danced around on stage, Chanwook was distracted by Chan, who was now “attacking” him again, making him squeal in excitement. Seungmin looked half asleep, though he had a smile on his face as he supported the toddler’s back.

Han clapped, declaring that he should build his house out of straw, which finally caught Chanwook’s attention. The toddler had shuffled over, now leaning against Minho’s leg as he stared up at the pigs with wide eyes. Minho shifted his arm so he could support the other toddler, too, as both kids watched the story unfold.

The pigs were happy now with two toddlers’ attention on them. Han squatted down, telling the story to their faces and doing exaggerated building motions.

“Look at him build,” Minho said, pointing at the stage.

Han clapped his hands together. “All done!” He declared, looking at the babies in a desperate bid for approval.

“Dah!” Kija agreed, clapping his hands together once, too.

Han beamed, elated with his successful acting as Felix took the center stage and started talking about building his house out of the forest he was in.

Kija, however, had suddenly remembered his toy existed again. He held the cat up in front of him, staring at it with wide eyes before holding it up higher for Minho to see. “‘Yan’i?”

Minho clapped. “Goyangi, that’s right!”

“Yah Minho-ah,” Han complained playfully, “is Kija more exciting than our story?” 

“Maybe,” Minho teased, glancing back up at the three pigs as they continued to “build” their houses. 

Chanwook and Yeonwoo were back on the playmat, however, very content to just push around the car toys on their tracks instead of watching the riveting show the older boys were putting on.

“Right now this story is only being watched by our camera directors and our crew,” Changbin laughed.

“Kija, Kija,” Minho said softly, bouncing your toddler gently in his lap. “Look.”

Minho pointed at the stage and Kija blinked, staring up at him for a moment before following his arm and meeting Felix’s eyes.

Felix beamed, waving at him. “Look Kija, I’m building my house out of wood!”

Chan managed to pat Chanwook, excitedly pointing at the stage and successfully redirecting his attention, too.

Now that the boys had at least two audience members who weren’t paid to be here, they excitedly continued, using props and exaggerated motions to keep the boys’ attention. 

As Jeongin was building his house, Chan laughed, mimicking the exaggerated “building” motions he was making.

“Ah, while he’s still building his house, let’s go play!” Han called, tugging Felix along and dancing on the stage.

“But then, one day, the big bad wolf came into town!” Changbin called out.

Chan finally rose to his feet, holding his arms out, fingers curled in a claw-like shape. He roared, baring his teeth at the kids.

Kija instantly shrunk back into Minho’s arms, hiding behind his cat plush, though he peered around it slightly. Minho laughed, holding Kija closer as Chanwook stared up at Chan in shock.

Hyunjin pointed out the “big bad” to Yeonwoo, who stared at him for a moment before turning and tucking himself into Hyunin’s arms.

Chan turned his focus to Chanwook, since he’d successfully “attacked” him a few times today already. Sure enough, Chanwook started laughing as Chan tickled his stomach, making Kija peer out cautiously to see what was going on.

“Rah!” Chan said, looking at Kija.

“Ah!” Kija mimicked, making Minho and Seungmin laugh. Chan giggled, but quickly roared back at him, tickling his stomach, too.

God, his laughter was your favorite sound. 

As Chan finally turned his attention back to the pigs, declaring how hungry he was, Chanwook decided to become a hero. He kept chasing after Chan and “pushing” him over, before excitedly scampering away. He repeated this process several times, making the boys of all ages laugh and cheer him on.

Finally the boys flopped down, story reaching a “conclusion” of sorts after being thoroughly ad-libbed by Changbin. Felix went around letting Yeonwoo honk his nose, making the young boy giggle excitedly.

Han had come over to sit next to Minho, reaching his hands out to Kija. “What did you think of the story Kija? Was it funny?”

Kija blinked up at him.

“What kind of animal is he, Kija-ah?” Minjo prompted, pointing at the pig face on Han’s onesie.

“‘Ji!” Kija proudly declared, making the boys clap and cheer.

“Hey! That’s almost my name, too!” Han beamed.

“Oh does that mean you’re also a pig?” Changbin asked.

“You already have that covered Bin-ah,” Jeongin laughed, making Changbin stick his tongue out at him. 

They let the toddlers play around for a bit, Chan and Changbin chasing Chanwook when he went upstairs, while Minho and Han dutifully followed Kija when he decided to go grab a different plushie from the toybox to add to his collection.

While they were thoroughly distracted, the crew began to set up for the next segment, which was meant to be photoshoots with each of the kids. This included balloons strung up on the wall, and different themes for each kid.

First was Yeonwoo with a bakery theme.

It was quite comical to watch the boys try and wrangle the kids into hats, much less try to get them to sit still or look at a camera. Yeonwoo kept trying to eat the fake bread and it took a lot of convincing to get the hat to stay on his head, too.

Honestly, you bet the photos turned out adorable, nonetheless.

Next up was Kija with a pool party theme.

Minho and Han joined Kija on the stage, managing to sit him in a tiny inner tube. When Han tried to take away his plush cat, he screeched, making Han instantly back away.

“Sorry! Sorry!” He cried, hands up. “I thought cats didn’t like to swim!”

Kija was looking at Han warily, but Minho managed to get his attention back by holding out a rubber ducky. “Do you want this instead? Just for a second?”

Kija stared at the rubber ducky intensely before slowly reaching out for it. Minho gently grabbed the cat plushie and managed to switch it for the ducky without any fuss.

“How did you do that?” Han asked, eyes wide.

Minho just smirked. “I’m his favorite, obviously.”

Chan was sat in front of the group, holding up his phone as the last of the props were organized. There was a slight “argument” about whether Kija should wear the sunglasses or the sunhat, but they finally decided the sunglasses were cuter.

Now they just had to get him to look at the camera.

From dancing, clapping, and making the most random sounds they could, the boys finally declared that they had to have at least one good picture. Minho and Han clapped, making Kija clap too. Minho reached down, helping take the sunglasses off Kija and scooping him out of the inner tube before handing him back the plush cat.

Kija beamed at Minho, bonking his head against the older’s shoulder. You could practically see Minho melt as he brought a hand up to cup the back of your son’s head, rocking him back and forth.

“I don’t know if I can let him go later,” he said softly, though you still picked it up from across the room.

You could understand the feeling, honestly. 

Chanwook’s photoshoot, an artist theme, went pretty smoothly despite him highly protesting having a hat on.

Suho, on the other hand, was more of an adventure. They managed to keep him on stage, and he didn’t cry a ton, but he was very against the hat to the point where he almost cried.

Still a win, in your opinion. He was warming up slowly, but still seemed overwhelmed if the boys gave him too much attention. 

The boys were once again complaining about exhaustion at the end of the photoshoots. They’d taken nearly an hour, to be fair, having to switch out the set each time between the four kids, and constantly acting energetic to keep kids engaged was no joke. 

Next up was a scooter race. After trying to coax Suho out to join, to make the teams even, they decided to have one of the members be on two teams.

They did a round of rock paper scissors until only one person was left: Jeongin.

“You better not cheat!” Han pointed as the boys got ready on their scooters.

“Cheat how?” Jeongin asked.

“I don’t know!”

What followed was three of the boys shimmying on scooters down and around a cone in a relay fashion. Once all three of them were done, their goal was to get their respective toddler onto a scooter where they would then lead them through the course and across the finish line.

Fastest time wins, obviously.

The first up was Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin with Yeonwoo. Then it was Chan, Han, and Hyunjin with Chanwook. Finally would be Kija with Minho, Changbin, and Jeongin again.

Felix, Seungmin, and Jeongin raced through the course, but then had to take nearly two minutes just to convince Yeonwoo to get on his scooter, with Yeonwoo pushing his scooter himself the last half of the course.

Chanwook’s time was much faster. Chan showed off his ability to ride the scooter (which is one he had “back at home” apparently) and Chanwook was happy to climb on and be pushed around by the older boys.  

Finally, it was Kija’s team’s turn. Minho gently set Kija on the stage as he did the race. Kija watched him with eagle eyes, instantly reaching back out once Minho was standing next to him again.

Kija was easy to convince to get onto the scooter as long as Minho was the one to put him on it. He kicked his feet happily, holding onto his cat with one hand while Minho braced him, holding his other. Changbin cheered and dragged the scooter around the course without issue, crossing the finish line and clapping excitedly.

“Who won? Who won?” Han asked, peering around at the crew.

“Obviously we did,” Seungmin said sarcastically.

It turned out that the race was closer than they anticipated. Not for Yeonwoo’s team, they took nearly 3 minutes, but Kija and Chanwook’s times were only separated by 16 seconds.

Kija’s team came in second, but the boys cheered anyway, making Kija clap and laugh excitedly.

Now it was time for the “lunch” period.

The members of Stray Kids were taking a short break while the tables, chairs, and food were brought in. Kija was happily in your arms, resting his head on your shoulder as he slowly blinked at the room around him.

Yeah, he was going to sleep good tonight.

As the last of the setup was being finished, Minho stepped over to you again.

“Can I take him over?” He asked softly.

Kija perked up when Minho stepped into sight, lifting his head up for a moment until a big yawn escaped him. You laughed lightly. “Yes, just don’t be surprised if he falls asleep right after eating.”

Minho laughed, reaching his arms out so you could more easily transfer the half-asleep toddler into them. “I don’t mind. I’ll make sure he’s okay.”

“Thank you,” you replied and he nodded to you, lips still quirked in a small smile. He gave you a small bow and stepped away to get Kija situated at the table.

Each of the kids were flanked by two boys. Kija had Minho and Seungmin on either side of him. 

The lunch for the day was jajangmyeon and sweet and sour pork, which you knew Kija was going to love.

Set out on the table were portions for Stray Kids and the toddlers. After saying thank you for the meal, the older boys quickly started getting the food ready, shaking it up in its containers to properly mix it, and cutting up pieces of pork to make sure they were the right size for the kids to eat. 

Suho didn’t last long, much to Han and Hyunjin’s disappointment. They put in the effort to prepare a small plate for him, though, and brought it over to him on the sidelines, which was adorable.

Kija kept trying to grab food out of Changbin’s hand as he was moving it onto the plate. At one point he reached over for the noodles Minho was cutting up, though the man quickly grabbed his hand before it could get close to the blade.

“Yah he’s starving Minho, hurry up,” Changbin teased.

“I have to make them the right size!” Minho called back, but he was already offering a short noodle to Kija, who happily leaned in and chewed it up.

As the boys tried to encourage Suho back to the table, Chanwook joined in, waving and calling out, which made the boys coo and try harder to get Suho to rejoin them.

Kija smacked his plastic spork against the table. “Jah!”

“He wants his jajangmyeon, hyung,” Felix said, looking over from where he’d been preparing Yeonwoo’s plate.

“Yeah, if you can’t take care of your kid, I’ll switch with you,” Seungmin teased.

“Just because I’m taking my time to do it right instead of rushing doesn’t mean I’m not taking care of him,” Minho countered as he spooned some more cut up food onto Kija’s plate.

“Mah!” Kija agreed, smacking his spoon against the noodles before Minho reached in with his chopsticks to help feed him another bite.

Slowly, Suho came back into frame and began to interact with Hyunjin more, much to the delight of the boy and the crew. The cameras quickly turned focus onto him as he came over to repeatedly bonk his head against Hyunjin’s before scurrying away.

It was so adorable, you were happy to see the toddler more relaxed and engaging with the other boys.

As lunch settled into a calmer atmosphere, food was brought out for the parents and crew. You were given a small plate, which you thanked the staff for, as you stood off to the side eating.

The whole time you ate, your eyes were on Minho and Kija. 

Kija was perfectly content to try and stab at his pork while turning to Minho with an open mouth anytime he wanted more noodles. Minho was hardly eating his own food, taking bites infrequently as he was too focused on making sure Kija got enough to eat, wiping off his mouth and giving him drinks of water whenever he asked for it.

You weren’t sure what you’d expected to happen today. A part of you was pretty certain this was going to be more of a joke shoot, with the boys trying their best but ultimately staff helping out when it came to the “dirty work.”

You should’ve known better. Maybe you just had a jaded view of celebrities, assuming most of their actions were faked for their camera. Sure there were cameras here, but you couldn’t fake the fond looks into the boys’ eyes as they took care of each of these kids dutifully and diligently.

Just as you were finishing your own food, you noticed Kija begin to yawn and rub at his eyes. While he’d perked up a bit when Minho initially took him back to the table, and even more so once food was in front of him, he was clearly crashing again as the meal began to settle in his stomach.

Minho took a moment to gently wipe the sauce off of Kija’s face before turning and opening his arms to the boy. Kija reached out for him, eagerly wrapping his arms around Minho’s neck and snuggling into the crook of his neck.

“Aw, you have a little koala on you Minho,” Chan cooed as Minho shifted him to the side so he could take a few more bites.

Minho smiled, not saying anything in return as he gently rested his cheek atop Kija’s head.

After just a few more bits, Minho stood up, cradling Kija protectively as he walked around the table and back over to you.

You held out your arms as Kija whined at being transferred. You gently shooshed him, but he peered over at Minho with watery eyes.

“Oh gosh, I have to look away,” Minho said. Quickly, as if without thinking, Minho leaned in and kissed the top of Kija’s head. “I’ll be back, okay? You need to get into your sleep clothes first. I promise I’ll be back.”

Minho froze then, eyes wide as he realized what he did. He looked at you in a slight panic. “I’m so sorry.”

You instantly shook your head to stop his panic. “I get it, it’s hard not to fall in love with him.” You gave him a reassuring smile. “He deserves kisses. I’m not upset.”

Minho slowly unfroze and nodded. “You’re right, he’s very easy to fall in love with.” He blinked, standing up a little straighter. “Thank you for bringing him today.”

You shrugged. “I wasn’t sure about this at first, but I’m glad I did.” Glancing down at him, you smiled fondly. “I think he had a great time with you, too, so thank you for that as well.”

Minho nodded again, a blush creeping back up onto his cheeks. He seemed hesitant to leave. “I’ll be back. I have to finish my food.”

You laughed softly. “You’re fine, go ahead.”

Minho glanced back at Kija one more time before quickly turning and walking back to his food. You watched him go for a moment before you stepped away also, back over to where you’d put your stuff, so you could get Kija's sleep clothes out and get him changed.

It wasn’t easy to get a sleepy toddler into a different outfit, but you had enough experience that you made it through with minimal fuss. 

You stepped back into the room quietly, Kija half asleep on your shoulder, and saw that the tables had been pushed away and replaced with several sleeping mats, pillows, and blankets. 

Jeongin and Chanwook were already out amongst the mats, the youngest member bent down and talking with the toddler. Before you could really hear what they were saying, you spotted Minho across the room. He spotted you, too, and his eyes widened in excitement before he quickly came over to you.

“Kija-ah,” he cooed softly, “oh don’t you look so cozy.”

Minho stepped up near you, though keeping a still respectful distance, as he brought a hand up to gently rest it on Kija’s back. Kija peered up at him, blinking before reaching a hand out to grab Minho’s hand, holding it hostage and closing his eyes again.

“Oh,” Minho breathed softly, keeping his hand determinedly still in order to not disturb the sleepy child.

“Kiki, why don’t you go to Minho-ssi for a nap, hm?” You said quietly to your son, gently but intentionally shifting him in your arm until you were transferring him over to Minho’s.

Kija went happily, flopping against Minho’s shoulder and immediately making himself comfortable again.

Minho kept his wide eyes on the sleeping child, instinctively rocking him back and forth. Eventually, he blinked, breaking himself from his wonder trance. He smiled at you, shifting just slightly to get a firmer hold on Kija. “I’m not sure how long the napping segment will be, but it’s the last one of the day.”

You nodded. “He can sleep anywhere, so it won’t be a problem.”

Minho nodded back, looking you over for a moment, before blinking. “Well, I’ll make sure he sleeps well while he’s here.”

You smiled softly at him. “I appreciate that.”

Minho licked his lips, nodding one more time before finally walking back over to the group, who’d just gotten Suho all bundled up into one of the bedrolls. 

You watched as Chanwook tucked Jeongin into a bedroll, even going as far as to give him a plushie, before determinedly scampering away to continue his own playtime. You laughed and cooed at the same time and the toddler’s intelligence.

Kija was happily clinging to Minho, who was slowly shifting himself so he was lying down on one of the bedrolls. You watched as he did his best to shift Kija off to the side onto his own pillow, but when Kia let out a loud whine, he froze and instantly reversed track.

Which is exactly what Kija wanted. He wanted to nap on Minho’s chest, much like he did with you at home on days when he was feeling particularly clingy.

You’d never seen him do it with anyone else. Misoon said he always went down to sleep on a bedroll in the living room whenever she watched him, and whenever you went to see your sister, he either slept with you or in the guest bedroom.

Yet here he was, falling asleep on Minho like he’d done it for years.

“Aww, you need tucked in hyung?” Felix asked, eyeing the sleeping toddler on the older boy’s chest.

Minho huffed. “At least cover Kija up please.”

Felix and Changbin cooed, making Minho blush though he tried to act like he wasn’t impacted by their teasing. Felix quickly got him a blanket, making sure Minho was tucked in too. Minho tugged the blanket up, bringing it up to Kija’s shoulders.

Kija just nuzzled his nose into Minho’s chest, making him freeze again, holding his breath for a moment.

Slowly, he relaxed into the bedroll, bringing a hand up to rest on top of Kija’s upper back. Occasionally he’d brush his fingers through Kija’s wavy hair.

Hyunjin was over resting by Suho, who Seungmin was quietly playing peek-a-boo with. Changbin was trying to coax Yeonwoo back over to the bedrolls, but he’d decided that the scooters they’d been riding on earlier look much more interesting than lying down did.

Slowly, the boys gave up on the other two toddlers, curling up to sleep themselves in the remaining spots. You smiled fondly as they all tugged the slightly-to-small blankets over themselves and settled in to rest.

Honestly, you were fairly certain that Chan and Han had actually fallen asleep.

An impressive skill, to be able to fall asleep on camera, but they were probably used to it at this point.

It certainly wasn’t the first SKZ Code where they slept on camera. 

Minho himself looked a bit tired, though his hand kept gently and soothingly rubbing Kija’s upper back, even as he slowly leaned his head back and rested it against the small pillow he had.

The cameras rolled for another 20 minutes before the director softly called cut, letting the boys know they were done for the day. 

A few of the boys slowly sat up at that, though none of them were in any particular rush to leave set. Han didn't move, but you swore you heard a long sigh from Chan.

Hyunjin and Minho, in particular, hadn't really moved either. Minho glanced over at you when they called cut, but when he noticed you hadn't moved yet, he stayed put as well.

Hyunjin was still gently rubbing Suho's back. “Can I take him home? Please?” He asked, aiming his pleading stare at Changbin.

“You can't kidnap a child,” Changbin argued.

“But I take great care of Kkami, I could do it!” Hyunjin whined. 

Changbin threw his hands in the air. “Kkami doesn't live in our dorm either!” 

Chan slowly sat up and you noticed Chanwook and Yeonwoo's parents walking over to where their kids were happily playing with a kitchen set. Suho's parents walked forward and started talking with Chan while Hyunjin, seeing an end for his time with Suho in sight, cuddled with the boy a little bit longer. 

That was probably your cue to go get Kija, too. 

You sighed softly to yourself and stepped through the cameras and over towards Minho.

When Minho saw you coming, you noticed something sad flash across his features for a split second before he schooled his face into something more kindly neutral. 

“I'd sit up, but I don't want to wake him,” he laughed softly as you stopped beside him, squatting down.

“Ah that's alright, like I said, he sleeps almost anywhere,” you replied, though you made no move to grab Kija yet.

Minho glanced at the sleeping toddler's head before looking back at you. “You've done a wonderful job with him. He was so sweet.” He paused, as if weighing his words. “His father must be kind, too.”

You huffed, shaking your head. “Ah, it's just me. No one else.” 

Minho's eyes widened slightly. “Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean-”

You put a hand up. “You're fine. It's a normal assumption to make.” You look at Kija for a bit. “I've tried to do my best by him, even though it's just me, so… thank you.” 

Minho nodded. He glanced down at Kija, too, before looking back at you. “So… how did you get invited to set? I don't think I've seen you around the company before.”

“Ah, I'm a friend of a family member,” you laughed softly. “Hajin-ssi's brother is my coworker.” 

Minho's eyes lit up in recognition at the name. “Oh okay. Well, we're very lucky she knew you so we got to have Kija here.” He blushed slightly. “I don't think I actually got to introduce myself at all, despite holding your son all day. My name is Lee Minho.”

You giggled. “It's nice to meet you Minho, I'm Y/L/N Y/F/N.” You glanced at Kija and then back at him. “For a strange man, you did a good job with him.”

His blush deepened and he laughed quietly. “Ah, thank you. I've always liked kids. I don't have any of my own, but I have younger relatives, and three cats, too. Though I know that's not the same.” 

“You'd be surprised,” you replied with a smile. “Kija is quite a fan of knocking things off of surfaces, and he can also be bribed with treats.” 

Minho laughed a little louder this time, which made Kija squirm on his chest and let out a soft whine. Minho instantly froze like a deer in the headlights, not moving an inch as the toddler got comfortable again.

“I think that's my cue,” you said softly, reaching out and slowly lifting Kija off of Minho's chest. Kija whined again, but you expertly shushed him, adjusting him onto your shoulder with practiced ease. After just a little bit of grumbling, you felt his body relax again, his soft breath brushing against your neck as he slipped back asleep. 

When you looked back up, you saw Minho had propped himself up on his elbows. He was looking at Kija fondly. “You can tell he's well loved.”

“He wasn't exactly what I planned, but,” you admitted softly, kissing the side of his head, “I wouldn't want anything different.” 

Minho looked at you for a moment, his expression torn. He looked like he was about to say something before he suddenly shut his mouth and shot you a small smile. “Well, it was nice meeting you.”

You weren't sure why, but you felt a slight pang of disappointment. You shook it off and smiled back. “It was nice meeting you too, Minho-ssi.”

“Just Minho is fine,” he quickly said, “if you'd like.”

Your smile shifted into a more natural one. “Then just Y/N is fine, too.”

Minho smiled. “I hope you have a good rest of your day Y/N.”

You giggled softly. “You, too, Minho,” you replied before finally standing up, keeping a steady hold on Kija as you went back to your stuff and packed up to head home.

All nine members were gathered inside a classroom, but the eerie noises filtering in from outside had already put Jiyeon completely on edge. Honestly, they were all tense. Some more than others, constantly checking behind their shoulders as if a ghost might pop out at any second. Jiyeon stood glued between I.N and Felix, her arms wrapped tightly around herself for comfort as she stressed out.

“Whose idea was it to film here at night?” she whined.

Her question went unanswered as a staff member laid out several tangled, red jump ropes on the floor in front of them.

Jiyeon hesitantly asked, “What is that for?”

The staff quickly explained the theme of today’s episode. Since the group had been obsessed with Squid Game lately, today they would have to search the building to retrieve pieces of a puzzle.

“Do we just pick one?”

As they stared down at the red ropes, the staff explained the rules: they would each grab one handle of a jump rope. Whoever pulled the rope linked to theirs would be their partner for the day, and they would have to work together to create a sexy dance for the SKZ CODE teaser.

“We’ll have partners for the whole day, then,” Chan said, carefully sizing up the lines to see who he might get.

That sounded like a total nightmare to Hyunjin. “Can we not choose?”

“Can I just do it alone?” Changbin asked.

“I think this is kind of…” Chan trailed off, inspecting the knots. “This looks really well-tied. Should we all grab a handle and pull at the same time?”

“Wait,” Jiyeon said, counting heads. “There’s nine of us. Will someone actually have to do this alone?”

The staff replied with a simple, silent motion: Please pick a handle.

They each grabbed a handle and pulled on three. The massive knot didn't loosen at all; instead, the handles snapped cleanly away from the rope. While most of the guys were left holding just a plastic handle, Jiyeon was left holding a handle with half a rope still attached to it. The end wasn't jagged or frayed—it was a perfectly clean, deliberate cut. She had unfortunately chosen a half-rope from the start.

Jiyeon looked from the rope to the camera, then to the staff, and back again.

Changbin was the first to burst out laughing, pointing wildly at her terrible luck—completely forgetting that he had been the one asking to go solo just seconds ago.

Jiyeon slowly turned her head toward him, her right eye twitching. Sensing danger, every single member except Changbin took a synchronized step backward. Changbin kept laughing, completely none the wiser, until Jiyeon slowly grabbed the split end of the rope. Folding it against the handle, she pulled it tight and gave it a sharp tug. A loud, whip-like crack echoed through the classroom.

Changbin’s laughter cut off instantly. His eyes widened, and he slowly started backing away before breaking into a full sprint, screaming as Jiyeon chased him around the classroom, trying to spank his butt with the rope for laughing at her. The rest of the guys were absolutely losing their minds, laughing their asses off at the chaos.

When a pouting Jiyeon and a winded Changbin—who was defensively rubbing his side—finally came back in line, the production crew was ready to moving things along. Since the ropes hadn't untangled, the staff revealed that numbers were written inside their hollow handles to determine the pairs.

The members quickly matched up: Han was paired with I.N, Felix was with Lee Know, Seungmin got Hyunjin, and lastly, Changbin was paired with Chan.

Jiyeon, of course, was left entirely without a partner. She stood at the end of the line with her arms crossed, sporting a mock sour pout.

Next came the teaser dance, and the mandatory theme was "sexy." Felix and Lee Know went first, dancing to Surfin’. Seungmin and Hyunjin followed up with Back Door. When Changbin and Chan took their places in the center, Hyunjin instantly ruined the vibe by commenting, “Why are both your butts so big?”

Changbin defensively blamed it on the cut of his pants, but Hyunjin wasn't wrong—their builds were remarkably plump.

Jiyeon nodded in total agreement. “No, no, he’s right. They’re huge.” She then paused, turning her head over her shoulder to glance critically at her own backside, letting out a small frown. She didn't have a flat butt by any means, but somehow, the two of them still had her beat. Chan and Changbin then launched into their "sexy" version of Miroh, which, in Jiyeon's eyes, looked less like a seductive teaser and more like embarrassing dad moves at a wedding.

Then it was Han and I.N’s turn. The heavy, seductive beginning notes of Red Lights suddenly blasted through the speakers, and both of them instantly locked in. The members watched, highly amused. Changbin yelled out every time they hit a perfect beat, while Jiyeon let out a brief shriek, dropping into a dramatic crouch and covering her face—though she still peeked through her fingers. Meanwhile, Chan was clutching the classroom windowsill, looking utterly scandalized by the performance of the very song he had written.

Lastly, it was Jiyeon’s turn. She shuffled awkwardly toward the center of the room, one arm wrapped across her stomach to grip her opposite elbow in a defensive posture.

"Do I really have to do this alone? Ugh, this is gonna be so embarrassing," she whined playfully, making a face at the main camera.

Stepping into position, she dropped her arms, giving her hands and legs a quick, loose shake to release the tension. The speaker blasted the first beat of the music, and in a fraction of a second, her entire demeanor flipped. Her eyes sharpened, her posture shifting into pure, unadulterated confidence. Her assigned song was Wow from their IN LIFE album.

Her opening moves had the guys instantly hollering and cheering. She effortlessly mixed elements of the original choreography with her own sensual freestyle, at one point smoothly dropping into a sensual side split.

The guys went wild. I.N immediately covered his face, peeking through his fingers; Seungmin stood wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open; Chan literally covered his eyes, shaking his head as if trying to erase the image from his brain; while Lee Know just stood there, chuckling in approval. On any other show, they probably would have dramatically turned around to shield their eyes, but today they were just having fun.

With the dances finished, the production team briefly sent them out to record a fake teaser before bringing them all back into the classroom. Four double school desks had been pushed together, with a single desk placed right in the dead center. Jiyeon took her seat at the lonely middle desk, while the pairs sat around her.

Jiyeon could feel the tension creeping back into her shoulders. It was too quiet, and going into these horror games completely blind was terrifying. The staff finished setting up the equipment, and right before the last crew member exited, they called out, “One moment, please.”

Not even a second later, the lights slammed off.

The room instantly exploded into loud, chaotic screams. Jiyeon flinched, covering her ears and pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her feet on the chair as she squeezed her eyes shut. Beside her, she felt Felix frantically grab her arm, clutching her for dear life. While most of the members were terrified, Jiyeon knew Lee Know was thoroughly enjoying himself. He loved horror, and even in the pitch black, she could feel his unnervingly calm aura vibrating off him.

Jiyeon slowly lowered her hands from her ears as her eyes adjusted to the dark. Suddenly, a deeply distorted, mechanical voice boomed over the speakers, making her shriek at the sudden noise.

“From now on, you must do exactly as I say if you want to survive. If you don’t, you’ll never be able to leave this building.”

The guys kept yelling in fear, someone desperately using their smartwatch screen as a makeshift flashlight while the voice continued.

“You must gather 5 pieces of the puzzle. Remember this: Never turn your back. Never be alone.”

With a sharp click, the classroom lights flickered back on.

Seungmin blinked, looking around. “Was that Lee Know-hyung’s voice?”

“I didn't hear it properly,” Lee Know replied smoothly.

Hyunjin turned to the group, his brow furrowed, “Did it say, ‘Never turn your back’?”

“I really didn’t understand it,” Seungmin added, looking toward the staff. “Can you play it one more time?”

Jiyeon blinked, clearing her throat to get their attention. “I’m sorry,” she interrupted, the guys quieting down to look at her. “But can we focus on the most important part? Like, I don’t know, the fact that it literally just said, ‘Never be alone’? I don’t have a partner!”

Lee Know smirked at her. “Tough luck.”

Jiyeon sent him a lethal glare, while Han tried to offer some weak encouragement. “You can do it, Jiyeon.”

Out of everyone left in the room, Chan and Felix looked the most visibly terrified. Jiyeon was a ball of paranoid nerves, while Lee Know sat there like an oasis of calm, showing zero signs of fear.

Eerie, ambient music started to drift through the speakers before the lights cut out a second time.

“Bang Chan and Changbin. Tie your arms together and retrieve the puzzle piece from the science lab on the second floor.”

The first pair stood up very reluctantly, shuffling over to the staff at the door to get their instructions. Chan looked physically ill. Jiyeon let out a soft chuckle at his expression, though she was genuinely worried. “Channie, you okay? You look even paler than usual.”

He gave a tight nod, but his terrified expression didn't budge.

Han walked over to the door, pulling at the handle. “It’s locked.”

Jiyeon looked over from her desk. “Wrong side, Hannie.”

“It slides the other way,” Changbin laughed.

Han shifted, sliding it open and looking back at Changbin. “Oh, is this how it works?”

Changbin kept laughing. “That’s how it’s supposed to be.”

As the first duo reviewed their instructions one last time, Han started acting wild, hilariously trying to climb out the classroom window to escape. The staff replayed the audio cue, and Changbin and Chan finally accepted their slinky cuffs, reluctantly stepping out into the dark hallway.

“Why do we have to go first?!” Chan whined, his voice fading down the corridor.

With the first pair gone, the remaining members tried to pass the time by being silly. Jiyeon, realizing she was going to have to brave the darkness by herself, tried to extract some leverage from the staff.

“Do I also have to be cuffed?”

Silence.

“Maybe I could get a little hint? You know, since I’m completely by myself.”

Still no answer. Suddenly, a distant, blood-curdling scream echoed from upstairs, courtesy of Chan and Changbin. Everyone paused, whipping their heads toward the door. Taking advantage of the distraction, Hyunjin and Han decided to quickly run to the bathroom, leaving only Seungmin, Felix, Lee Know, and Jiyeon in the room.

Jiyeon turned back to the staff, trying again. “A flashlight?”

Nothing.

“Maybe I could just join another team?”

Zilch.

“Anything at all?”

Nada.

Suddenly, the front door burst open and Chan and Changbin came rushing back into the room, looking thoroughly rattled. Chan looked sheepishly at the staff. “Can we just live in here?”

Jiyeon immediately raised her hand, already lifting herself out of her chair. “I will gladly switch places with you.”

Chan shook his head vigorously, clinging tightly to Changbin’s arm.

From across the room, Lee Know yelled, “Just do it quickly and get back!”

Seungmin offered some words of encouragement, but as Chan and Changbin turned back toward the door to try again, Hyunjin and Han came rushing back from the bathroom. The sudden appearance startled both duos. In the utter chaos of everyone jumping, Chan accidentally bumped into Lee Know, sending Lee Know stepping heavily right onto Jiyeon’s foot.

Jiyeon squeezed her fists, throwing her mouth open to scream, but she was so startled that no sound came out. Lee Know quickly apologized, and as Chan and Changbin finally left the room for real, the remaining five members settled back into small talk to pass the time.

“If Yongbok faints up there, should I just drag him around by his legs or what?” Lee Know mused, trying to lighten the mood.

They all laughed, and Jiyeon immediately tried to leverage the moment to switch places with him, since he was clearly the least affected. But her attempts were instantly shot down by the staff. There were no takebacks, leaving her to pout at her desk.

Felix, trying to find a distraction, started rummaging through a nearby storage cabinet. He pulled out a stray package. “If we can’t get out of here, let’s just eat this.”

“I’ve actually kind of wanted to try an episode like this,” Han commented, leaning back.

Lee Know, casually fiddling with his smartwatch, agreed. “Me too! It looks fun!”

Jiyeon turned her head, leaning over her desk to glare at him. “You say that, but you still didn't try to swap with me.”

“Should have chosen a different jump rope,” he replied, flashing her a cheeky, cat-like smile.

Jiyeon’s eye twitched before she turned a completely dead-eyed stare directly into the camera lens.

Han kept the conversation going. “Back in the day, when you watched variety shows on TV, they’d always do stuff like this. Like a horror mission, or someone bringing a scary challenge to you, right?”

“Like Love Letter?” Seungmin added.

“But there are set rules,” Han suggested, eyes gleaming. “Before we have to go out there, let’s each tell a scary story.”

“I hate this,” Felix muttered.

“Let’s start with the classics,” Han said.

“The classics?” Lee Know wondered aloud. “Yongbok doesn’t know the classics.” He then turned his gaze to Jiyeon. “Do you know the classics?”

“I’ve heard a few,” she murmured.

“Right,” Lee Know started, leaning forward as his voice dropped into a dramatic whisper. “You go to school at night to find something you forgot, and suddenly, you hear this heavy banging sound…”

Felix was already leaning away from Lee Know, looking terrified. Jiyeon grimaced; she hadn't heard this particular Korean school legend, but just imagining it made her skin crawl.

“...You hide under the teacher’s desk,” Lee Know continued, “and you hold your breath. The exact moment you finally exhale, thinking the ghost has left, from right behind the desk—”

BANG!

Han slammed his hands down on the desk with a loud crash. Simultaneously, Lee Know threw his torso flat across the table, half his body hanging over the edge. Felix shrieked, jumping out of his skin, while the rest of the room erupted into laughter.

“My turn,” Jiyeon said, clearing her throat. “Since we’re talking about ghosts… back in Canada, there’s this massive, luxury five-star hotel downtown called The Fairmont Hotel. It’s famous for a spirit called the ‘Lady in Red.’ People say her name was Jennie Pearl Cox, a socialite in the 1940s who died in a violent car crash right outside the front doors. She used to stay on the 14th floor, and guests who get rooms there still swear they see her gliding in and out of the elevators.”

Felix’s eyebrows furrowed in deep worry, his hands gripping his desk tightly as the rest of the members listened attentively, entirely unfamiliar with Western urban legends.

“The most famous story happened to a Japanese family who checked in,” Jiyeon continued, lowering her voice. “They went up to their room, opened the door, and a beautiful woman in an elegant red gown was already standing there... smiling at them. They ran straight down to the front desk, complaining that their room had been double-booked. But when the manager went up to check… the room was completely empty.”

A few of the guys let out surprised, intrigued noises, while Felix let out a massive sigh of relief. “Ah, that’s not that scary.”

Just then, faint, echoing screams drifted down through the ceiling. All of them looked up.

“What’s going on upstairs?”

“What are they doing?”

“Why are they stomping around so much?”

“Oh, those two are easily the biggest cowards in the group,” Lee Know stated plainly.

With the distant screams providing a lovely background ambiance, their conversation shifted to whether zombies or ghosts were fundamentally scarier.

“I don’t think zombies are that scary. They’re just creepy,” Han argued.

Felix shook his head. “No, ghosts are definitely scarier.”

Then, out of nowhere, Han blurted, “People are the scariest.”

Lee Know immediately countered, “People can become zombies, and people can become ghosts. Keep your backbones, people! What would you actually choose? Zombies or ghosts?”

“Zombies wouldn’t be any fun,” Seungmin reasoned. “They’re too slow.”

“Okay, yeah,” Jiyeon cut in. “But there are different types of zombies. Like, would you rather encounter a traditional, slow zombie, or a zombie like the ones in The Blank of Blank? Because I find those to be terrifying, and some of them are incredibly fast.”

Lee Know smirked. “What if a track athlete became a zombie? Can you outrun it?”

Han shrugged. “I’ll just get bitten, then.”

“I’d rather be injected with zombie blood,” Hyunjin chimed in. “It’s better than having a horrific chunk missing from a bite wound somewhere.”

Jiyeon gave him a look. “You’re worried about your looks in a literal apocalypse? I’m starting to think these games are going to prove our actual survival skills.”

Lee Know chuckled. “You have very high hopes for us, then.”

Jiyeon playfully rolled her eyes, but Han seemed to agree with the sentiment. “I just think it would hurt way too much to get bitten. I hate the thought of getting bitten more than the thought of actually becoming a zombie.”

Not long after, the classroom doors slid open and Chan and Changbin walked in, carrying a small paper plate. Their terrified expressions from earlier were completely gone.

“That was literally nothing!” Changbin bragged, waving his hand. “Guys, come and eat.”

Chan approached the desks and placed a plate of hot popcorn chicken in front of them.

“Where did you even get that?” Jiyeon asked, instantly reaching out to pop a piece into her mouth.

“It was just sitting in the lab room,” Chan explained, shrugging his shoulders.

“Go up there and see what it’s like for yourselves,” Changbin urged the remaining pairs. “Honestly, it’s so scary.”

Han pointed a finger at the leader, “Look at Chan-hyung’s face, though. He looks totally lost.”

Chan did indeed look like he was having severe flashbacks, his complexion still a bit pale. But even though Changbin openly admitted it was terrifying, Chan quickly tried to deny it to save face.

Jiyeon tilted her head, putting on an overly sweet, high-pitched voice as if speaking to a toddler. “Channie, would you like to watch some cartoons to make you feel better?”

The room erupted into laughter before the staff guided Chan and Changbin out to the designated waiting room where the finished teams were being collected.

Left in the classroom, Hyunjin went right back to their previous conversation about paranormal phenomena. “Are ghosts just hallucinations? Do they biologically exist?”

“It’s a 50-50 chance. They either exist or they don’t,” Han summarized.

“It wasn't a full ghost, but I definitely saw a black figure once,” Hyunjin explained seriously. “After we finished filming the District 9 MV, I got really sick with norovirus. I was lying in bed at home, completely miserable, when a ghost opened the door. This solid black figure walked up to me and suddenly entered my body. I had to force myself to move my pinky finger, threw myself completely out of the bed, and finally woke up.”

“Is that back when I found you wandering in the kitchen in the middle of the night?” Jiyeon asked, the memory clicking. He definitely scared her that night.

Hyunjin nodded.

“You know, I think I experienced sleep paralysis once, too,” Jiyeon added.

“You did?” Han asked.

“Mhmm,” she nodded. “I just suddenly woke up one night, but I couldn’t move my body at all. I saw these weird, small glowing orbs floating around, and what looked like a dark figure standing right in front of me. It completely disappeared the second I was finally able to snap out of it and move. I couldn't go back to sleep for a long time after that.”

Right on cue, the eerie, ambient music started blaring through the speakers again.

Felix groaned, slamming his head on the desk. “Oh, seriously, please!”

“Lee Know and Felix. Tie your arms together and bring back the puzzle piece from the second-floor art room.”

Felix let out a desperate scream as Lee Know stood up with zero hesitation. “Let’s go! It’s in the art room!”

Felix kept protesting, dragging his feet, so Lee Know tried to cheer him up as he grabbed the slinky ties and the handheld camera. “Look at it this way, Yongbok-ah—it would be way scarier to be the absolute last ones left in this room.”

Hearing that, Jiyeon’s head dropped onto her desk with a loud whine. “Don’t say that. Don't remind me.”

“Bye! See you later!” Lee Know called out cheerfully.

Felix was practically velcroed to Lee Know’s side, turning back to look at the remaining three members with a look of pure betrayal. “Why do they make us do this?”

“I seriously hope Felix doesn’t faint,” Han laughed as they walked out.

“If Yongbok faints, just carry him back on your back, hyung!” Hyunjin yelled.

“Bye! Good luck!” Jiyeon waved.

Seungmin called out cheeckily, “At least you guys aren't alone!”

“Stop reminding me!” Jiyeon immediately narrowed her eyes at him. The guys laughed at Jiyeon as Felix and Lee Know disappeared into the hallway.

With the second duo gone, they went right back to telling scary stories to pass the time. Han was currently in the middle of a detailed tale about a creepy cabin in the woods, while Hyunjin and Jiyeon kept eating to finish off the plate of popcorn chicken, with I.N stealing a piece every now and then.

They kept conversing for a few minutes until the eerie music started up yet again. Jiyeon instantly perked up, her heart racing—this was it, her turn was finally here.

But as the voice spoke, her shoulders instantly deflated, and she shoved another piece of chicken into her pouty mouth in utter disappointment.

“Han and I.N. Get the puzzle from Grade Six, Class Four on the second floor.”

Now, it was just down to her and the final duo on who would be forced to go next. For the next several minutes, the remaining trio did absolutely anything to kill the suffocating silence. They played truth or dare, gossiped, and played random hand games. At one point, Seungmin left the room to fetch more snacks. Hyunjin immediately decided it was the perfect opportunity to pull a prank. He climbed precariously onto one of the school cabinets, crouching down and waiting silently until Seungmin walked back through the door.

Unfortunately, Hyunjin was completely unsuccessful; Seungmin didn't even flinch, leaving Hyunjin to miserably complain that his knees hurt from crouching up there for so long. Seungmin casually tossed a pack of sour gummies to Jiyeon, and her face instantly lit up.

“Thanks, Minnie!” She reached over and affectionately ruffled his hair. Seungmin immediately pulled away, making a hilarious whiny face to protect his styling.

They waited for a few more agonizing minutes. Just as Seungmin suggested they all tie their shoelaces extra tightly, the terrifying music began to wail.

The distorted voice boomed through the classroom, assigning the final missions simultaneously. Jiyeon, Seungmin, and Hyunjin were each handed small cameras.

“Hyunjin and Seungmin, tie your arms together and go get the puzzle from the dormitory outside. Jiyeon, follow Hyunjin and Seungmin outside and get the puzzle in the gym.”

Knowing she had to face the dark outside of the school entirely by herself, Jiyeon stuck close to Hyunjin and Seungmin. However, the moment they stepped outside the main school building, they had to separate to reach their respective locations.

Left entirely alone in the pitch black, Jiyeon’s survival instincts kicked in hard. Remembering the warning to 'never turn your back,' she stuck flat against the building’s concrete walls, sliding sideways so nothing could sneak up behind her. Whenever she had to cross an open space where there was no wall to press into, she constantly spun around, frantically looking over her shoulders at the empty air.

When she finally pushed open the heavy doors to the gymnasium, she was met with a deeply unsettling sight. The vast room was dimly lit, the floor illuminated only by scattered, flickering fake candles. Surrounding a central table were dozens of eerie mannequins dressed in pristine ballet tutus—some of which were heavily stained with gruesome splatters of fake red blood.

Jiyeon felt her stomach drop. “This is so creepily detailed,” she muttered to herself, her voice trembling slightly.

Summoning her courage, she forced her legs to move closer to the center. Resting on the main table was a securely locked box with a handwritten note taped to the top. It read: 'Arrange the mannequins to unlock the box.'

She muttered to herself in utter confusion, turning around to scan the dark room, barely able to see anything in the flickering candlelight. Suddenly, from the absolute corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement.

She hastily whipped around, her heart rate spiking violently into the red zone, "Did that mannequin just move?"

She was completely stressed, terrified, and utterly alone. She frantically tried to figure out how to arrange the mannequins, but her mind was far too clouded with adrenaline and fear to think logically.

Meanwhile, back in the safe, fully lit waiting room, the members who had already completed their missions were huddled around a small live-feed monitor. They were loudly commenting on the intense setup.

“Woah,” Chan said, shaking his head as he looked at Jiyeon's feed. “That looks way scarier than the science lab.”

“I take back being able to do a mission by myself,” Changbin admitted earnestly. “That is seriously scary.”

Felix just looked worried looking at the set up, just the sheer thought of doing it by himself gave him goosebumps he couldn't imagine how Jiyeon must feel.

Back in the dim gym, Jiyeon was struggling. She frantically dragged a few of the mannequins around, but absolutely nothing made sense. Suddenly, she felt a freezing presence looming right behind her.

The moment she turned her head, she let out a piercing scream, losing her footing and dropping straight to the hardwood floor. She tightly covered her ears, screwing her eyes shut and begging out loud, “Please, please just leave me alone!”

It turned out that a horror actress was part of the set. She had been expertly dressed up to blend in perfectly with the static mannequins, but she was now limping toward Jiyeon with terrifying, broken, jerky movements. The actress gently nudged Jiyeon’s shoulder to get her attention.

Shaking from head to toe, Jiyeon slowly looked up. The actress silently extended her hand, offering a folded piece of paper. A clue!

The note revealed that there were exactly four specific mannequins she needed to position correctly based on their classic ballet poses.

Letting out a massive, shaky breath, Jiyeon forced herself to stand up. She carefully moved away from the twitching actress, though she still politely whispered, “Thank you for the clue,” before refocusing on the task.

She began hunting through the crowd for the four specific mannequins mentioned in the note. Upon finding the first one, she realized they were built on wheeled bases. She carefully rolled it into the center. The actress was still swaying creepily a few feet away, but Jiyeon’s brain had officially adapted; she figured the woman wouldn’t actively scare her anymore if she was giving out clues.

As she placed the first mannequin, Jiyeon glanced at the actress for confirmation. The actress gave nothing away. However, upon closer inspection, Jiyeon noticed a hidden number painted directly onto the mannequin's torso. Armed with this realization, she quickly hunted down the remaining three, rolling them into position and examining their numbers.

She still wasn't entirely sure what specific ballet positions they were supposed to be in, but they looked incredibly familiar. The numbers were clearly the combination for the lock, but she needed the correct sequence. After she fiddled with their placement a bit more, the actress subtly pointed toward another hidden note on the table. It was a second clue: 'A highly popular ballet performance.'

The note didn't specify the title, but Jiyeon stared between the paper, the creepy actress, and the specific tutus. Slowly, the pieces clicked in her mind. Swan Lake.

Analyzing the classic swan-like arm positions of the four mannequins, she carefully arranged them in the chronological order of the famous choreography. Each time she locked a wheeled mannequin into its final slot, she glanced at the actress, who gave her a slow, eerie nod of confirmation.

With all four correctly positioned, Jiyeon read the resulting sequence of numbers. She whipped around to the locked box, spun the dials to match the code, and pulled the latch.

Click.

The lock flew open. Deflating entirely, Jiyeon lifted the lid and pulled out a tiny, solitary puzzle piece.

Disappointed and thoroughly exhausted, she stared at it. "All of that... for this tiny little piece?"

She wasn't about to spend a single second longer in a gym full of bloody mannequins and a weeping actress. Clutching the puzzle piece tightly in her fist, she bolted for the exit and ran at a full sprint through the dark corridors, not stopping until she burst through the doors of the safe waiting room.

The staff quickly guided her back into the main classroom where the rest of the group was gathered. Jiyeon let out a massive, dramatic sigh of relief the moment she stepped into the bright, warm lights.

The members immediately gave her a loud round of applause as she tossed the hard-earned puzzle piece into Chan's hands, and promptly dropped flat onto the floor, her body still buzzing with adrenaline.

“That was so scary,” she groaned into the floorboards. “I am seriously going to have nightmares tonight.”

She rolled over onto her side, looking up at the live monitor which currently showed Hyunjin and Seungmin in the dark storage room. “What did they have to do anyway?”

Lee Know looked up from his seat, replying simply, “Dalgona.”

“What?!” Jiyeon squawked, pulling a highly offended face. That was incredibly easy and fundamentally less terrifying than a haunted ballet recital!

Before long, a triumphant Seungmin and Hyunjin slid the door open, proudly presenting the final puzzle piece. Chan quickly gathered everyone around the central desk to put the pieces together. The fragments formed a clear numerical code, but due to the stylized font, they couldn't tell if the final digits were 8119 or 6118.

Hyunjin leaned in closely, analyzing the lines. “Look, the bottom circle of the eight is much bigger. It’s definitely 6118.”

Nodding in agreement, they settled on that combination and filed out of the classroom, heading straight for the building's main front entrance. Just as they reached the doors, one of the horror actors jumped out, startling the entire group one last time. But Chan quickly entered 6118 into the lock. it clicked, the doors swung open, and the cool night air rushed in.

They could finally leave.

“Move, move, move! I don’t want to be here a single second longer than I have to!” Jiyeon yelled, humorously ushering the frantic members out into the courtyard.

But as the viewers would soon see, that wasn't the last time they would step foot into that building.

Cut to a few minutes later. They all had praised Jiyeon’s bravery beforehand, Hyunjin openly admitted that he never could have completed a mission entirely alone. This confession immediately sparked an idea among the staff, which is exactly how they all found themselves right back inside the monitoring room.

Now dressed in much comfier, cozy casual clothes, the members huddled happily around the screen, eating snacks and watching the live feed as Hyunjin was forced to go back inside to complete the art room mission completely solo.

His shrill, dramatic screams echoed loudly through the monitor, and the room was filled with the members' hysterical laughter. At one point, Hyunjin came rushing back into the room, gasping for air and claiming he absolutely couldn't do it, before the staff relentlessly pushed him back out to finish it. Not long after, Han, Lee Know, and Changbin slipped out of the room to pull a prank, and the remaining members heard Hyunjin’s ultimate, soul-crushing scream from the hallway. A moment later, he came bursting back into the room, collapsing flat onto the ground in a fit of exhausted laughter.

With the final spontaneous mission officially cleared, the group made their final walk out to the production cars, ready to go home.

Jiyeon turned around, pointing a strict finger directly at the main camera crew.

“Just for the record, and for your information,” she stated firmly, her voice echoing in the quiet night, “This is officially the first and the absolute last time I am ever doing a scary mission by myself. Next time, let someone else do it!”

With her playful warning hanging in the air, the members piled into their vans, leaving the 'haunted school' behind them. Season 2 of SKZCODE was officially underway, promising episodes filled with unparalleled chaos, unbreakable bonds, and—much to Jiyeon’s dismay—plenty more surprises.