It’s 2am. I apologize if there’s any mistakes in grammar. I am so sleepy I literally saw the font of this document change into another.

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Taemin is in a study session with some of his friends in one of the little rooms the university’s library provides just for that – people who can’t study alone, group study buddies. His friends were there because, despite not being in the same class section (remember the bad of his schedule?) they do have the same class. And being friends for so long not only meant that they're in the same boat in terms of a few things they like and their hatred for math (except Ravi, the dude loves math – if it wasn’t for him tutoring Taemin in high school he wouldn’t have passed) – they are in the same boat in terms of: if they do not study right now, they will absolutely fail this upcoming quiz.

So, the study session. It’s going well, Taemin thinks. It’s definitely going well.

“Earth to Taemin.” Jongin says from where he’s sitting across the room.

It’s really going well – for them. Taemin’s head isn’t in it. He’s thinking – he’s got to, because tomorrow he has work, and he feels there is something off.

“Taem—”

“When someone suddenly intrudes into your space you will resist to it, right?” Taemin questioned Jongin, as if the man knows his train of thought and the context his question is into. Taemin waits, Jongin stares, braincells tinkering and plotting a possible answer – Ravi and the others continue the study session as if whatever is going on, isn’t going on.

Jongin is, after all, the one who humors Taemin’s sporadic antics the most, so he answers: “I guess, yeah.”

Taemin snaps his fingers, “So, you as the intruder has to do something to be part of that circle. You can’t just barge in, right? Right?”

“Well, I mean—” Jongin stutters, feeling cornered by Taemin’s expectant eyes and thinking how this can go two ways. “If you are like, a colonizer, I don’t want anything to do with you so I will resist and whatever you do I won’t stop resisting. But if you are, let’s say, a new kid in campus. Heck yeah you can be part of the group but—but introduce your damn self, will you?” He finished, a little out of breath because he got passionate out of nowhere. Maybe it had something to do with the history class he is taking, maybe it has to do with Taemin’s face – looking at him as if he is not making any sense when he knows perfectly well he is making sense.

“So, I just need an introduction so the atmosphere in the hospital feels a little bit nicer and home-y.”

“This whole thing is about your job?” Ravi spoke up from the board, turning around to face Taemin, brows furrowed. What he said next went unheard to Taemin, along with the rest of the study session, because his brain was organizing thoughts and ideas and things to do.

In reality, the atmosphere in the hospital wasn’t hostile or anything close to negative, but Taemin still felt there was a slight barrier that didn’t allow the children to connect with him and themselves. Everything was very stiff, as if they all were work partners that knew they wouldn’t stay for a long time so there was no need to make a connection – when in fact, some of them have known each other for a long time. How come no one has ever tried to make a move? Try and know each other?

Taemin felt strangely left out (strangely, because there were no friendship circles to begin with) and he wanted to know these kids and their parents in a more personal level. He wants to be part of that family and he wants them to know that they can be a family. Taemin’s going to work there for a period of time, and he wants that time to make a positive difference in the children’s lives, and in his own life too. Taemin knows that life around illness can be difficult and isolating, but like the song says: we are all in this together. Getting to know the people you inevitably see every day and creating bonds with them will only make the experience bearable – not easier – but manageable.

It seems only fitting.

Taemin took his bag and not so silently pushed his chair away from the table, walking out the door without uttering a word and leaving his friends behind for the day. He has a small idea of what he’ll do in tomorrow’s book-session.

The area was very quiet, which was strange considering –

“MINT HYUUUUUUUNNNNGGGGGG!!!!!!!”

Taemin couldn’t help the shriek that left his lips upon being received so loudly and spontaneously. Some of the children already feel a little bit at ease with Taemin, specially this one. They are all curious, and at their age, any new person that’s older than them is super interesting. This boy, he even gave Taemin a nickname. Taemin doesn’t know why he’s being called “Mint hyung”, he doesn’t even like mint. But the boy, his name is Hyuk, seems to like it a lot. Or he just doesn’t remember Taemin’s name and he’s settled for that.

“Why do you call me Mint, Hyuk?” Taemin asked him, because it’s the most natural thing to do with a six-year-old. You ask, they answer. In the meantime, Taemin fixed the snapback Hyuk was wearing that was too big for him – also noticing it had his university’s logo. He wondered if it was from donations the university did for the hospital.

“Just because!” He chirped, running back to where the other kids were at, sitting patiently and waiting for another cool story to be read. The parents were there too. Taemin was reminded then, that his plans for today were a tad different.

He hopes he doesn’t get fired for altering the project’s agenda. He took a deep breath, muttering to himself, “Well, here goes nothing – Look what I brought!”

Taemin walked to the middle of the room, his hand extended in a childish manner, holding a colorful ball of yarn. The children automatically surrounded him and leaned in in a rather comical way, eyes bulging out as they took a closer look. The silence that followed was a bit strange but not unwelcome; the parents and the few nurses that were around all looked at Taemin with skeptical eyes. What on earth is he doing?

“It’s a ball of fur?”

“That’s not fur, that hair.”

“Yarn,” Taemin corrected, interrupting the inquisitive comments. “It’s a ball of yarn, but it’s not only a ball of yarn.” He added, his tone changing to that of a storyteller. The little kids’ eyes were twinkling with curiosity.

“What is it! What is it!”

“This is the home of a little friend of mine,” He explained, moving to kneel, the children moving like magnets to stand around him. The bigger ones sat close while the smaller ones hovered over him. Taemin whispered, “But you must be really quiet, she gets scared easily!”

“Who is she?” Hyuk asked in a hushed voice, the others nodding their head carefully, the tension muting them all. It seemed that without knowing, they’ve declared Hyuk to be their spokesperson. Even the adults had surrendered to Taemin’s effective ways of storytelling; they were equally curious even though the story wasn’t for them.

“Her name is Deema, and if you listen well, she will talk to you!” Taemin then put the ball of yarn close to his ear, the boys and girls’ eyes following his every move. “Oh, she said she wants to get to know you! Would you like to?” The children awoke from the magical trance Taemin’s voice had them in, all exploding in a chorus of “YES” before gasping and covering their mouths, afraid of sc