Namjoon slowly stretches his aching muscles and gets up with difficulty. He waddles towards his closet.

"NAMJOON!! What are you doing?!"

He turns to find Joy standing there with her hands on her hips. She must have showered and she looks angry. She stomps  and stops infront of him.

"Getting ready for office...?" He replies in a rough voice.

"NO. You are not." She grabs the shirt he has pulled out.

"Excuse me?!" He asks bewildered.

"I said...You are not going to the office." She manages to snatch the shirt forcefully from his hands. His resistance is poor due to his sickness. Also he is quite taken aback with her attitude.

"What?! I have to go..." He tries to take the garment from her hand but she moves it away from him. She puts it back and closes the cabinet.

"No. You do not. I have called Nina that you will be absent at work for a week. You are suffering from influenza and it is very contagious. Also it can get dangerous if not taken care!!! So I am sorry but it cannot be helped."

"A we-week?!" Namjoon asks, shocked. "I cannot afford to be away for a week!!" He clears his throat, "I will be fine!! Just get me my meds and..."

"No. Listen, I know it is important for you to be at work but your health is much more important! If you are not well then how will you work?! Besides, you will get others sick as well!!" She sighs and shakes her head, "You know, reasoning and pacifying Aera is a thousand times easy thing!!"

"Did you...did you just compared me with Aera?!" Namjoon narrows his eyes at her. She is dragging him towards the bed. And he is letting her...God!! He is getting weak.

"Yes. I did!! And she is a blessing!!" She pushes him down and tucks him in.

"I will go and get some breakfast for you!"

Namjoon scowls at the mention of food. The dinner last night tasted horrible but he had to eat it in order to take his medicines.

Joy notices his expressions, "I know everything tastes bland and awful but you need to eat." She caresses his hair with care. Namjoon looks up at her and she gives him a tender smile.

A knock gains their attention. They find Noel standing there. She has a knowing smile on her face.

"Good morning! How are you today, Namjoon?" She sits on the bed and touches his forehead.

"Better and would like to go to office." He replies, looking at Joy with annoyance.

Joy is about to protest when Noel answers for her, "With a viral fever?! No way!!"

The younger woman smiles triumphantly at her support, "See! Aera never throws such tantrums..." She flips her hair and leaves to get his breakfast.

Namjoon looks at her go with a frown and sees Noel smirking at him.

" Did you see her dare?! She thinks she can boss me around!! " He is irritated as well as bewildered with her behaviour.

"Yeah. Shocking." She laughs a little and pats his hand, "I did not want to tell her. But she still figured it out. She took care of you the whole night and  came downstairs some hours ago to bathe and feed Deiji. Then went to make breakfast for you! I wanted to do it but she did not let me!! Anyway, I will go and check on the maids since I do not have to take care of you. Joy must be getting your meal anytime now! I'll be back." She stops at the door, "Namjoon..." He looks up at her, "As shocking it is for you to see her being so bossy, don't you think it is more unusual that you are letting her order you around?" 

He watches her walk out of his room, silently. He sinks back in his pillow and sighs. He thinks about what Noel just said and realizes that she is right. He is lost in his thoughts when Joy enters with a tray in her hand.

"Namjoon! Here is your breakfast!" She smiles and puts the tray on the coffee table. She brings a bed table and helps him to get up.

"Where did this come from??" Namjoon points at the object.

"I got it as a gift!! You know to use it when I could not be able move a lot or need to study staying in bed?? Yeah!! One of my professor got it for me after Deiji was born!! She is a great lady, you know!!" She beams and brings the food.

He looks at the content. Rice porridge with lots of vegetables and citron tea.  

"That is a big bowl..." 

"Yes, and you've to trry to finish it!" She takes the spoon and brings it closer to his mouth to feed him. 

He looks at her and takes in the morsel. Due to his fever, the food tastes bland but there is something about this whole arrangement, this whole situation, that makes hime want to finish it.

"Good job! If you keep eating and resting like this, I think it will take much less than a week for you to recover!!"

"This citron tea...? It is nice..." The sourness is a relief to his tongue.

"Yeah! It is Aunty Cheonsa's recipe! She always sends us whenever she makes it!!"

"Oh...thank her on my behalf..." He yawns. He is feeling sleepy due to a full stomach and the medicines.

"You should sleep now. It will help the food stay in your stomach and digest." She slowly begins to run her fingers in his hair and once again he keeps staring at her and gradually falls in deep slumber.

"So your temperature is normal!! Your fever is gone!!" Joy looks up from the thermometer and grins.

Namjoon sighs in relief, "Finally!! After 3 days of house arrest!!"

Joy huffs, "Really? Well, this 'house arrest' got you well in 3 days, mind you!!" She puts the equipment in its casing.

"Aera and Deiji miss you a lot."

He sighs. They were not allowed to meet so that the girls would not get sick. But Aera sent him one 'get well soon' card each day and they talked over the phone. Yes, it seems weird to converse like that though they live in the same house. But they could not risk it and also stay away.

Aera has prayed for his well being. She is as sensible as always but it is Deiji who has surprised everyone.

"Did the girls have their lunch?" Namjoon asks.

"Yeah well, Aera did but Deiji..."She sighs.

"Why? What happened to Ahjusshi??" He asks worriedly.

"Well, Kim Deiji was being salty!" She shakes her head.

"Salty?!"

"Yes!! Yu know how she missed you these days??"

Namjoon nods slightly. He is quite pleased and proud of his ahjusshi and himself.

"So today she again looked over the door and whined. I turned her back towards the door and tried to feed her..." She laughs, "Deiji...she swat my away and folded her lower lip. I mean Everytime I tried she shoved me away and whined. She is on a hunger strike today, it seems."

"What?! No way..." Namjoon opens his mouth and but laughs instead, "Does she really want me around that much?" He asks softly. This is all so new to him!! He cannot believe it!! "I mean she is only 4 months old! How can she be so... I mean she is only 4 months old!!" He cannot find the right words to describe. 

"I will say you have a charm that children like very much! I mean you were also shocked when Aera first talked to you lovingly." Joy hums and spreads a new bedcover. All the sheets and covers have been washed and the room is cleaned nicely. So that the remaining sickly environment will be gone.

Namjoon purses his lips and leans on the sofa he is sitting on. It is actually unreal for him...

"Though you are fine, I want you to rest for at least one more day. You are still weak..." Joy smoothens the sheet.

Namjoon is about to negate when she cuts him off, "If you do the work over the phone for one more day, I do not think it will be any problem!!" The files were being delivered to the house, and phone and video calls were the media of instructions and meetings.

"Fine..." He grumbles.

"That's like a good boy!!" She chimes.

Namjoon cringes.

"Okay!! I shall go and see if Deiji has finally drank or not!! I asked Aunty to try with the stored bottles..." She holds her head slightly, "Huhhh...this girl..."

"Good afternoon." Noel greets from the door and guess who are with her? Aera and Deiji!!!

"Oh!! Look who are here!!" Joy cheers and Namjoon smiles broadly.

"Yeah! We heard he is fine from that laundry in-charge, so here we are!" Noel nudges Aera slightly.

The little girl runs towards him and hugs him tight. Namjoon laughs and hugs her back.

"Owww...Unkeel!! I miss you sho much!!!" She snuggles more.

He kisses her head, "Aera...I missed you too..." He actually did.

"You be ok now!! No mo' fevr??" She asks worriedly. Her tiny hands are caressing his cheeks.

"Yes! My fever is gone!!"

"Yay!!!" She hugs him back.

"So you did not nap, huh?" Joy smirks.

"I...I wanna meet Unkeel...I no see him fo' shooo looong..." She pouts and looks down, "I m sworry..."

"Awww...Baby...That is all right!!" Joy takes her from his lap. "But now you have to..."

"Okay...can I nap with Unkeel...?" She asks softly.

Joy looks at Namjoon who has an amused smile on his lips. He nods at her and she, in turn, nods at Aera.

"Yayyyy!!!"

"Aunty! Has she drunk a bit?" Joy points at the baby who is dozing off in Noel's arms. She has not heard them yet.

"No!! She did not see Namjoon today!! So I brought her as well! Hopefully it will help."

"What? That is preposterous!! She may be feeling unwell..." Namjoon shakes his head and sits on his bed, " She may miss me but stop feeding cuz of me is totally..."

Aera also moves beside him and drags Joy along.

"Oh no Unkeel!! She be only happy when you call or see you in phone!! She only eat only af-ter that!! She is cryn and not happy otha' time!! Baby-ah is nev'r unhappy!!" Aera nods strongly in Noel's support.

"Yep! Call her..." She urges and swings the baby in her arms. The movement wakes her up and she is about to cry when...

"Ahjusshi..."

Deiji's tiny head begins to move and she looks around to find him. Tears form in her eyes when she cannot find him.

"Ahjusshi...Over here..." He is stunned with his fan following.

She finally detects him and almost jumps out of Noel's hands to reach him. 

"Okay. Okay...There you go..." She puts her in his arms.

Deiji snuggles into him and her face is hidden in the side of his neck. She is whimpering softly.

Noel wipes her eyes and says, "Well, As much as I enjoyed this father-daughter reunion, I'll have to go out and meet my sister. I won't be back for somedays... Bye everyone..."

They exchange hugs and kisses, except for Namjoon. He is still with the baby hugging him and he can feel her soft heartbeat against him. He has taken her in him arms many times and each time, it has been wonderful...

"So...what else she did all these days?" He asks Aera, who is cuddling with Joy.

"Oww...she be sad, cryn, only eat when u call, albeez look at the door when u come..."

He looks at Joy who clarifies, " I told you that she knows the time when you used to meet them in the evening!! Now you believe me??" She laughs and Aera joins her.

"Oh..." He pulls her away from him to look at her. Her "special smile which is reserved for him" adorns her face.

"She be ang-ry with Joooyyy and not eat!!!" Aera nods her head in a serious manner which makes the adults laugh.

"...And what else she did?"

"She..." Aera thinks with her finger patting on her chin, "She farts, poops and stinks...a lot..." She pinches her nose.

They crack- up.

"Oh! So...is Baby-ah bad?" Joy asks in a mock sadness.

"Oh No! No! No! Baby-ah is baebyyy...She be small and not know things...So she behev this way...I am unni so I know...So I not behev like this..." She explains in a broken sentence but it has delivered her message successfully.

"Aera..." Joy smiles and hugs her more tightly. She kisses all over her face.

Namjoon looks at them and sighs...in gladness. They lie in sweet silence.

"I think I should try to feed her now..." 

Namjoon looks Joy who is patting a sleeping Aera softly. He looks down at his chest to find Deiji sleeping. He passes her to the mother carefully and begins to watch them. The baby immediately latches onto her and starts to fill her empty stomach.

Now, do not get him wrong. He has seen Joy nursing Deiji many times. It will be an utter absurd if she hides from him. At the beginning he got uncomfortable but gradually he thought why he would feel ashamed? And everytime he watches them, he is in wonder. There is something so strong, respectful and magical about this whole process that it awestruck him. 

Joy looks up from their daughter to find the father staring at them. He always has this mesmerized expression on his face with makes him look so childlike cute.

"Ummm...does it hurt?" He points daintily at her. He wanted to ask her many times but felt awkward.

She smiles, "Well...it used to a bit uncomfortable in the beginning. Now it is fine...Some women have trouble. Lucky me!! I am not one of them!!" 

"Okay..." He sighs in relief and Joy's smile broadens.  

"You eat and drink properly so that the baby gets nourishment from the milk. Also avoid things like alcohol...But can they taste them?" He is being curious. Let us not judge him. His intelligence and knowledge are no secret to anyone. He just does not know everything...

"I am sorry...?" Joy does not understand the question.

"I mean can she taste the different foods in the milk?"

"Oh! Yes, she can..." She nods.

"Really?" He is genuinely surprised.

"Yes...It is said they can taste them and it forms their future likings..." She bottons up her dress as Deiji has stopped.

"Wow...then she won't be a picky eater." Namjoon chuckles.

"Yeah I guess so." She lies down grinning.

"You must be tired." He says softly, "Nap now..."

"Yeah..." Joy yawns and brings the baby closer. The girls are between them.

Namjoon peeks at them one last time and closes his eyes.

If someone sees them now, they would call them a picture of a small and happy family. The reality may be different but no one can predict the future.