Chapter Text
The alarm went off at 7:00 a.m., just as it did every weekday morning.
Kim Taehyung groaned into the pillow, reaching out blindly until he found his phone and turned off the alarm. For a brief second, he thought of closing his eyes again–five more minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt, right? But then, almost on cue, a small voice came floating down the hallway.
“Appa!! It's morning already!”
A smile tugged at his lips despite his exhaustion. His daughter’s enthusiasm for the day was a mystery he had long stopped trying to solve. Hana always woke up with an overflowing amount of energy for the new day.
Dragging himself out of the bed, he made his way to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, and looked at his reflection in the mirror. Dark hair sticking out in every direction, a plain white t-shirt clinging to his frame. He looked tired, but there was a softness in his gaze when he thought of Hana. She was the one thing that made every morning worth it.
By the time he entered the kitchen, Hana was already perched at the dining table, her hair sticking out like a tiny lion’s mane. She kicked her legs against the chair, humming the tune from the movie ‘My Neighbor Totoro.’
“Good morning, Appa,” she greeted, her voice bright.
“Good morning, baby,” Taehyung said, leaning down to kiss the top of her head. “Did you brush your teeth?”
“Yes!” she answered immediately. Then, after a pause, “Well…almost.”
“Hana.” His tone was half stern, half amused.
She giggled, hopping off her chair and scampering to the bathroom to finish the job properly.
Taehyung shook his head, pulling out a pan to fry some eggs. Breakfast was always simple in their home—eggs, toast, milk for Hana, tea for him, sometimes fruit if Hana was in the mood. He wasn't much of a cook, though he tried. The thing was, Hana never complained. She would eat whatever he made, always with the same cheerful expression, as if he had served her a feast.
When she came back, her hair was damp at the ends and her toothpaste left a little foam at the corner of her mouth,Taehyung wiped it away, and a smile tugged at his lips.
“Sit down,” he told her, setting a plate in front of her.
They ate together, Hana chattering about her upcoming day at school— how her teacher asked her to read in front of the whole class, how her friend Minji had bought a new pencil case shaped like a bear, how she is going to draw a picture for him in art class. Taehyung listened, nodding and humming, responding, his chest warm with affection.
It was always like this. Their mornings were chaotic but precious, filled with little rituals only they shared.
By 8:30 a.m., Taehyung had packed Hana’s lunchbox and checked her school bag twice. She twirled in front of him, showing off her neatly styled ponytail and her black backpack.
“Ready!” she chirped, slipping her small hand into his larger one.
💜🩷💚
The drive to the school was moderate, thirty minutes through the city streets. Hana sang along to the radio, slightly off–key but endearing. Taehyung kept glancing at her, memorizing the sight. He often thought about how fast she was growing up. Every day, she looked a little taller, a little older.
When they reached the school gate, Hana leaned over the seat and kissed his cheek.
“Bye, Appa! Don't work too much, okay?”
“I'll try, baby,” Taehyung said, ruffling her hair. “Be good.”
She waved as she ran off, her backpack bouncing behind her. Taehyung waited until she disappeared into the building before driving away, the emptiness of the car suddenly palpable.
💜🩷💚
Work at the software firm was routine, as always. Taehyung buried himself in codes, reports, and occasional tea breaks. His colleagues were kind but distant, more acquaintances than friends. He didn't mind. He had gotten used to keeping his personal life separate.
At lunch, while others gathered in the cafeteria, Taehyung sat at his desk and scrolled through the pictures Hana’s teacher had uploaded of the morning activity. Hana grinning with paint on her nose, holding up a bunny cutout. His heart swelled. She was his world.
Sometimes, though, when he looked around at the empty chairs across from him in the cafeteria or when he came home to a quiet apartment after dropping Hana at a playdate with his Namjoon and Jin hyung, he wondered if maybe his world was too small.
But then he thought of his past—the way his partner had walked out the moment things became difficult, how she fell out of love, how Taehyung had been left alone holding Hana in his arms, terrified and alone. No. Small was safe. Small was enough.
💜🩷💚
By evening, he picked Hana up from school, listening as she told her entire day with a dramatic flair. Back home, they cooked dinner together—or rather, Hana stirred the soup pot with all seriousness while Taehyung did the real cooking. Afterwards, they sat on the couch with their bowls of strawberries, watching My Neighbor Totoro for the hundredth time.
Hana leaned against him, her small frame warm and soft. “Appa?”
“Hmm, baby?”
“When I grow up, will it still be just the two of us?”
The question caught him off guard. He looked down at her, her big eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
“Yes,” he said after a pause, tightening his arm around her. “Always us two. And of course, Joon samchon and Jin samchon. Don't forget about them—you know how Jin samchon is. He can be scary.”
She smiled, bright and hearty, and turned her attention back to the screen. Taehyung, however, felt a pang in his chest.
Because sometimes–just sometimes–he wished it didn't have to be only the two of them.
💜🩷💚
That night, after Hana had fallen asleep in her little bed surrounded by her favourite Jellycat Bunnies, Taehyung stepped out onto the balcony with a cup of tea. The city stretched out below, lights twinkling, cars honking faintly in the distance. He leaned against the railing, letting the cool breeze wash over him.
His life was quiet, simple, predictable. Safe.
But safe can be lonely sometimes.
He sighed, sipping his tea. And that was when he heard it– the faint sound of furniture being moved from the apartment next door. A low voice, humming a tune under its breath, followed by the scrape of a box across the floor.
Taehyung leaned at the balcony beside his. It had been empty for months, ever since the last owners moved out. But tonight, a tall figure was stepping outside, stretching his arms after what looked like hours of unpacking. Even from the corner of his eyes, Taehyung could tell—he was young, broad-shouldered, and strangely at ease in his movements.
The man noticed him, startled for a second before offering a small, polite smile.
Taehyung blinked, lifting his cup slightly in response.
The stranger’s smile widened, and he gave a little wave before retreating back inside.
Taehyung stood frozen for a moment, heart oddly unsteady. Then he shook his head, finishing his tea quickly before heading inside.
It was nothing. Just a new neighbour.
Just a stranger.
What he had no idea about was how much that stranger was going to change everything.