I find comfort in my 7 soft toys. Be it after a tiring day in school or a fun filled day out with my friends, my toys provide me with the emotional suport I need. 

Ever since I turned 7, my mother gave me a soft toy for my birthday every year without fail. The dolls were very pretty and each had names on their jackets. Taeil. B-Bomb, Jaehyo, U-kwon, Kyung, Zico, P.O. After recieving P.O on my 13th birthday, my mother solemnly told me to take care of these soft toys and to never throw them away. I kept my word. I'm turning 18 next month and they're all in perfect condition, lined neatly on my bed. 

Due to the fact that my parents are workaholics, I spent a lot of time at home, alone. That was before I received Taeil on my 7th birthday. Ever since then, I had someone to hug to sleep, I had someone to find comfort in, I had someone who would always be there for me. I may sound crazy, but Taeil feels very human like. Rather, all seven dolls are very human like. All that's lacking is a heartbeat, the indication of life.

School has been very hectic recently. Submissions, presentations and examinations really got to my head. I even forgot my own birthday. My 18th birthday, the very day I turn 'legal'. To me, birthdays are not much different from other days. I spend most of my time alone anyway. When I'm in school, I spend most of my time in the library revising. When I'm at home, I only have the company of my seven most beloved dolls. By the time my parents reach home, I'll already be in bed, regardless of whether or not I'm sleeping. 

Today, I walk home alone as usual. This is the way it's always been. But today it hurts so much. It hurts to know that none of my friends remember my 18th birthday. It hurts to know that my parents won't be home to celebrate my 18th birthday. It hurts to know that other than my 7 dolls, I have no one to confide in. Absolutely no one. The road home seemed awefully long today. My tears stream down my cheeks non stop, unable to stop. I should be very thankful for my life, and I am. I have a roof over my head, I have three meals a day, I have all the necessities of life. All I ask for is someone who I can talk to at home, someone who'll say 'welcome home' when I reach home. Is it too much to ask for? I sprinted all the way home and stopped in front of my house, panting. Taking a glance at my house, I got a shock. The lights were switched on. I recall clearly that I switched off all the lights and locked all the doors. My thoughts started to run wild. Are my parents the one in my house? Did they take time off work to celebrate my birthday with me? That's hardly possible. What if the one in my house was a burgler? But burglers don't switch on the lights do they? Should I enter my house or should I call the police? After panicking for awhile, I decided to just enter my house. I was probably thinking too much, what could go wrong, right?

My hands were trembling as I reached into my bag to find my keys. I was scared but I knew that there was no one I could actually call for help. Helpless, I took my keys and reached for my door. As I unlocked it, I opened the door slightly to take a peek in. A man was standing at my dining table, preparing what seemed like a feast. His backview was strangely familiar and comforting, I have definitely seen him before. Who could he be? It definitely wasn't my father, he isn't that lean. I stared at his backview and thought very hard. Just who exactly is he? At that moment I realised, that black leather jacket, it is exactly the same as the ones my dolls wore. But this isn't possile, am I dreaming? I mustered up the courage to walk in, slowly but steadily. Hearing the door slam shut, the man in the leather jacket turned around and flashed a smile at me. My jaw dropped. This bespectacled man looked exactly like my doll, Taeil.  His gentle smile, his piercings and his loving gaze. Taeil was my favourite doll, he's been with me for exactly 11 years now. Just last night, I was hugging him to sleep as I sobbed about no one remembering my birthday. I glanced around the dining room, it's been decorated with mint green balloons. Mint green's my favourite colour but how did this man know? Is he really Taeil?

' Welcome home, Kelly. ' the man spoke while grinning at me. 

Hearing the heart warming words, tears rolled down my eyes uncontrollably. Those were the words I always wanted to hear. Just these two words whenever I come home from a exhausting day at work. The man wasn't surprised to see me crying at all, he merely walked over slowly and took me into his embrace. Normally I would have struggled to be released from a strangers embrace but this hug was so familar. It was the exact same as how I hugged Taeil to bed every night. 

' This must seem very bizzare to you right now, I'll explain things to you in a bit. Take a seat, Kelly. ' the man whispered into my ear. I obliged, seeing that in our short time together he hasn't tried to harm me, nor does he seem like a thief. 

' I'm sorry for being so rude, let me introduce myself. I'm Taeil, your doll. This may seem very surprising to you, but all 7 of us, your dolls, are here to accomapny you in place of your parents. ' 

' All 7 of you are human? ' I questioned, everything seemed so out of this world right now.

' Not humans, we're spirits. Your parents saved us years ago and we're here to repay them. They knew they wouldn't have time for you and therefore sent us here. This may be hard to digest, I understand. Please take your time to process this. '

' Why should I believe you? You could be some random stranger who broke into my house. ' 

'Well, judging from the fact that I know you have a birthmark of seven stars on the bottom of your left foot, you should believe me right? '

Hardly anyone knew that I have a birthmark, much less the location of it. All that has happened in the past half an hour or so seem so bizzare but I'm starting to buy it. This man looked exactly like Taeil and knew facts about me that not many people know of. Besides, he doesn't seem to habour any bad intentions. I felt very comfortable around this man and I guess I didn't mind having company. Having someone to welcome me home and have dinner together everyday seemed like a fantastic idea. Much more, I do have a vacant guestroom.

The night went on as Taeil told me more about himself and the 7 dolls. Taeil's voice was very soothing, listening to him was like listening to a lullaby. Not to say that he was boring, rather, his voice has a very calming effect. He patiently explained the details to me, making sure that I understood what was going on. From what I understood, the gist of it seems to be that the 7 dolls are all spirits that my parents had saved years ago and they have all decided to accompany me and look after me to thank my parents. This idea seemed very foreign to me as I have always believed that science can explain everything. Yet, the person seated right in front of me could not be explained by science.

Taeil understood that all these information was too much to process in a day. Noticing that it was starting to get late as well, Taeil ushered me to bed. He strolled towards me, and led me to my room. Before allowing me to enter my room, he hugged me from behind. 

'Hey Kelly, I know this is a lot to ask for, but please don't reject me. ' Taeil mumbled.

Before I could understand what was going on, I felt Taeil's plump and luscious lips on my cheeks. This kiss was chaste and I understand that all he wanted was to convey his feelings but this happened all too fast. My body naturally pushed Taeil away and I ran into my room. I couldn't see myself but I'm pretty sure my cheeks flushed an embarassing crimson red. My heart raced so fast I was afraid I would pass out. Taeil seems to know what I want from a boyfriend, perhaps he remembers every single thing I told him as I held him to bed over the years?

It's my first time posting a fan fiction, I apologise if it's not very good. Please subscribe and comment if you liked it! Thank you!