“Thank you for taking care of Jinyoung today too, Sehun. See you tomorrow.”

“No problem. Take care as well.”

I watched as Tao and Jinyoung exited the door and slowly vanished into the darkness. It’s already 8pm and we need to pack things up so we can go home. I sighed as I felt fatigue hit me. My job may be fun, but it doesn’t mean I can’t get tired every end of the day, it’s still a job in the end. After 30 minutes of cleaning, Jongdae and Yixing went ahead bidding their farewells. I chose to stay behind and finish the small things. This may sound like an excuse, but honestly it is. I don’t want to go home yet. Because I refuse to take such stupid matters with me. Yep, you guessed it. It’s again, about Tao and Jinyoung. Living alone in such a young age, I started to work here when I was still 18. All the customers who drop off their children are about in their mid-age to their late 40’s or 50’s which is normal. However, that one time when someone came in, carrying a child, put me into confusion. I scanned the person’s face but no matter how you look at it, he is still so young. It is like he is just my age or even younger than me. But what shocked me the most was the child he was holding. The kid in his arms, calling him, ‘appa’.

I’m the type who doesn’t usually judge people base on appearances and exterior features, but I can’t help thinking that an innocent child being taken care of by a child also. How can the father support his kid when he is barely even an adult? I honestly pitied the kid. Being put in person’s care who doesn’t know anything yet. When I was still a child, I yearn for toys, for fun, for excitement, but because of my status, I was forced to get locked up and being bred into something suitable to be an heir. I had no fun. I had no friends. I had no childhood.

I become sensitive to things like these, may or may it not be my business. I don’t want children to experience what I had have experienced before, heir or not. When someone drops off their kids in the daycare center, I felt happy that they trusted us in taking care of their child. I, for my share, will do my best to give the child happiness and fun until his or her innocence will be swept away. So whenever I see parents who are incapable of raising a child in my own point of view, it gets me work up just like every time I see that person.

By the time I finished cleaning up, it’s already 9:20pm. I didn’t notice how much time has passed. I locked the door and walked home. I opened the door to my house and eerie silence greeted me. Suddenly, an emotion of loneliness struck me. I sighed. I should have gotten a dog or something too. I was surprised because it was a very long time since I last felt something so dramatic. I haven’t felt anything like this since then or I’ve had done a good job in suppressing such weak emotions in order to live alone. They say no man is an island, what am I then? I lied down on my bed. Another reason why I despise seeing Tao is because he always reminds me when I was a kid; and I hated every moment of it. I would trade anything just to get rid of this revolting memory. Eventually.

If you think this chapter is like a pop-out of nowhere, then you’re correct. The sole purpose of this chapter is to introduce to you as to why Sehun is overly sensitive to kids and ‘irresponsible’ parents. And the reason why he ‘hates’ Tao in a way. And this also explains why the chapter is shorter than the previous one. The next chapter is the first chapter of the story and that is where everything will start. In other words, the story will begin. See you then!