Taemin liked to think that he adjusted to being a father very easily. He thought it was due to the fact that when Yohan came into his life, he was already this sweet four-year-old who was obedient and kindhearted. 

So when he found out they were having another child, he knew that he had a lot to learn, too. Before Luna was born, he read all of the pregnancy books he could. He studied hard, even insisted on attending classes with Naeun. 

She was a bit reluctant, too, but did everything just to assure him that he was going to be just as an amazing Appa to their daughter as he is to Yohan.

When Luna was finally born, they were all beyond ecstatic but he also couldn’t deny that he felt extremely nervous. Taking good care of a baby was a delicate job and he wasn’t sure if he could do it well. Throughout it all, his wife had been nothing but supportive. It should have been the other way around considering that she was the one who actually gave birth, but she knew just how hard it was going to be for Taemin. While she already had experienced all of it before, Taemin was still a bit clueless on how to handle a newborn baby.

By the second week of Luna being at home, they somehow already fell into a routine. He tried to help as much as he could but sadly, he still felt as if he wasn’t doing enough. He could only do what was asked of him because when he tried on his own, he failed. He did most of the late night diaper changes and sometimes the late night feedings, but Naeun was always there on his side. While he wanted nothing more but for her to rest, there were just times when he couldn’t do it on his own. Whether it was the fact that Luna didn’t like the feeding bottle or simply just wanted to be in her mother’s arms, a lot of times, he turned to his wife for help.

But all of his shortcomings as a father to a newborn baby, he thought he made up for by being a good father to Yohan. Since he doesn’t have any schedules anymore and his job now permit him to stay home most of the time, he did everything he could for the little boy. Starting in the morning, he would be the one to drop him off at school and bring him to all of his classes in the afternoon. To Yohan, he was undoubtedly an amazing Appa. He was Appa who can do anything and Appa who will always protect him from monsters under his bed. To Yohan, he didn’t have to worry much.

That was until a time came when he was helping him with his homework. For his assignment in his science subject, Yohan asked him to help him draw a few of the animals that were asked for. They have been on it for more than twenty minutes already but drawing really wasn’t his strong suit. He tried and tried but failed.

He could see Yohan starting to get more and more frustrated, just as he was frustrated with himself.

“Aniyo, Appa. That’s not how you do it,” Yohan whined. “Eomma!” he shouted for his mom as he grabbed the book from his Appa’s grasp and waited for his Eomma.

Taemin could only sigh and scratch his head.

In a minute or two, Naeun finally entered the family room, Luna’s feeding cloth on her shoulder and her baby monitor on her hand. “Yohan, please don’t shout. I just put your dongsaeng down for a nap, aegi-ah,” she said softly before sitting down on the couch. “Now, what’s wrong?”

“Eomma, help Yohan with his homework,” the little boy answered.

“I thought Appa was helping you.”

“But, Eomma, Appa doesn’t know how to draw. Look at this hippo, it doesn’t look like a hippo,” he complained and pointed at the drawing on his book. “And then this giraffe!”

Naeun had to hold in her laughter as she inspected the drawings. Between the two of them, she was the one with the skills in drawing and painting while Taemin unfortunately wasn’t able to inherit and learn these skills from his own mother who was an amazing artist. But what he lacked in these skills, he made up for with his amazing talent with music and dancing. She looked at her husband who had an obvious frown on his face. “Yohan, Appa is trying his best, aegi-ah. You should be thankful to him for helping you.”

Yohan looked at his mother, then at the book in his hands, and then at his father but then decided to still hand out his book and pencil to his mother.

She grabbed the book but instead of starting to draw immediately, she put it on the coffee table and opened it widely. “Well, how about Eomma help you and Appa just a bit, yeah? I can do the drawing of this hippo and other animals and then Appa will help you with the rest, yeah?”

The little boy thought for a moment but nodded. “Ahrasso, Eomma.”

As Taemin watched his wife help their son with the homework he could barely do, he felt his heart become a little heavy. He felt dejected and a little helpless. 

How useless can you be that you can’t even draw an animal for your son’s assignment?

That evil voice in his mind was bugging him. And as much as he hated to admit it, a little part of him always knew that he could never come close to how the kids always needed Naeun instead of him. He also knew how horrible it was but he still had bouts of jealousy every once in a while and now was definitely one of those times. 

“Here,” Naeun’s voice pulled him out of his reverie and looked over to see her showing a perfectly drawn hippopotamus on the white paper. “Is this okay, aegi-ah?”

Yohan nodded excitedly. “Ne, Eomma! That looks like a hippo! Eomma is so good!” he cheered and wrapped his tiny hands around her neck and placed peppered kisses on her face. “Eomma, kamsahamnida. Eomma, jjang!”

His mother chuckled softly as she pretended to move away from Yohan’s attacks. “Aigo, such a cheeky boy, my son.”

Quietly, Taemin stood up from his position on the floor and decided he’d just let them be. Surely, his wife can handle homework for the day, right?

Naeun found him in his home office about an hour later. “Oppa, where did you go? I thought you were going to finish Yohan’s homework?”

He pretended to look at his laptop, to try and at least pretend he had work to do but eventually gave up and closed it. His wife would see right through him anyway. “It’s drawing, Naeun-ah. I wouldn’t have been helpful there anyways,” he laughed to mas