It's 2am and Jongin is still tossing himself in bed, bothered by what happened earlier.

Putting the pieces together was easy but he doesn't want to assume but there's one thing he's confident about.

Taeoh is his son.

Considering the timeline of what he and his ex-boyfriend had, Taeoh's age fits. Besides, it's impossible for Kyungsoo and his husband to bear a child who looks like neither of them, not even close.

That boy is his.

The last name could be either from him or that Mr. Kim. Either way, he has no control over that. It was Kyungsoo's choice to let the kid use that.

He needs to do some research.

The first thing he does the next day is call Chanyeol before the other goes to the day care.

"Your ex-boyfriend? The one from high school you used to talk about?" The taller asks over the phone.

"Yes and to remind you, I only had one boyfriend."

"Then you want me to use Baekhyun to see the kid's information."

That's right.

"Just find out who's listed as his parents," he clarifies.

"It would be easier to just ask your ex. I don't want to lose my position here. It's just the second day! I'll lose my record if I start hunting for new companies to accept me for my OJT."

He knows that but it may not be appropriate if he personally asks Kyungsoo about it. "Just try."

"Nope. Bye!"

So be it. At least he tried. Maybe he can ask the boy but he doubts he'll get a decent answer.

It's worth a try.

He comes early and prepares the classroom for their activity. Somehow he was expecting Kyungsoo to show up and drop his son but it was his husband who does and leaves immediately.

Taeoh sits down on his favorite spot at the back, already drowning in his own world and coloring book.

Eventually the students come in and he welcomes them all, assuring the parents that their kids will be fine.

"Papa!"

He snaps his head towards the source of the voice. Out of nowhere Taeoh starts crying, making his classmates quiet for a moment.

Their activity barely started and he's already dealing with a problem. "Okay, let's just sit down and get ready for a fun activity."

He quickly hands out empty plates, spreading water-based paints on each. All the while Taeoh is still crying for unknown reason.

It can't wait any longer so he kneels down next to the boy with a dry napkin in his hand to wipe the boy's tears.

"What's wrong, Taeoh?"

"Papa!"

The mere sight breaks his heart. For the first time, he's starting to panic. He has dealt with a lot of crying kids but thinking this is his own son makes a difference.

He picks him up from his seat and carries him out of the classroom to the end of the hallway.

Baekhyun follows them in confusion. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. He just started crying." He tries handing the boy to the older but Baekhyun declines, saying he's the boy's teacher. "Does this always happen?"

"No. It's actually the first time. I'm going to call his father."

He watch the teacher leave and he shifts the boy in his hold. "Why are you crying? Does it hurt anywhere?"

"Papa!" Taeoh repeats the same word all over again.

"Okay, okay. We'll call Papa soon. Let's just wait a little."

Baekhyun comes back quickly, also in distress. "Can't contact him. He's probably taking a test right now. I'll cover your class for now." The man doesn't even wait for him to react.

He could have bargained to change tasks.

He tries asking questions again but the same word is all he gets, like it's the only word the boy knows.

It's the moment he realizes he can't deal with his own son.

Things haven't been confirmed but he's already owning it. He just knows he's the father, his genes are showing.

"Baby shark, do do, do do do do," he sings, hoping it could at least make the boy calm down.

It does.

Taeoh is slowly relaxing with the song and even joins him with the last word of the verse, "ㅡby shark!"

He continues the song until the Grandma Shark and by then, the boy is all quiet and satisfied, and even comfortably resting his head on the shoulder.

"Taeoh likes that song," he says. "Do you?"

"Papa sing. Many times."

It's the first time he hears the boy say more than just two words continuously. Maybe this is what Kyungsoo meant. Once he gains this boy's trust, he'll soon have longer conversations with him.

Papa. It could be either of the parents.

"So is Papa the one who brought you here?"

He feels the boy move his head. "Papa in school."

So Kyungsoo preferred to be called Papa instead of Daddy . He thinks it's cute.

Now that he thinks of school, it must have been hard for Kyungsoo to stop going when he had the boy. But at least he pursued his studies when he has recovered.

Shaking the thoughts off his head, he returns to the classroom with Taeoh who feels a lot better now. Baekhyun is relieved to see them both too and heads out the room to continue visiting other classes.

There's an improvement on the boy's mood. Apparently, Taeoh enjoys it a lot when they have something to do with colors, be it crayons or paint.

Also, the boy has so much fun painting the walls with his hand.

Right before the classes ended, he spots Kyungsoo waiting in the hallway, talking to Baekhyun. His ex is still carrying his bag over the shoulder and a couple of large books in his arms, must have rushed straight from the university.

He dismissed the class, lining them up one by one, their parents waiting just outside the door. He can still see Kyungsoo behind the line, having a serious conversation with the teacher.

He glances back on his son, who's still not over with the remaining paint on the table, smudging it all over the surface.

"Taeoh, get in line. Your Papa is waiting outside." His request is unheard even if he repeated it two more times.

Even when Kyungsoo is calling by the doorway, the boy chooses to ignore them.

His ex-boyfriend makes his way inside the room and asks for wet wipes. Fortunately, Taeoh doesn't whine and just lets his Papa clean him up.

He watch them quietly as he cleans up the mess. It's quiet until he speaks. "I know."

Kyungsoo turns his head towards him but says nothing.

"Just simple math. I respect your decision if you don't want to tell him about me." When he still doesn't get a response, he continues. "It seems it's better this way. I don't want to ruin things for you. It's just my biggest regret now."

"Make it clear if you don't want me to assume what you're talking about," his ex says, cold and indifferent.

"I'm talking about our son and the times when I wasn't there for both of you."

"Teacher. Teacher sing Ba-by shark," the boy randomly blurts out.

Kyungsoo hums cheerfully towards the innocent three-year-old. "It's your favorite song."

Taeoh nods.

"Let's go now. Say bye-bye to Teacher."

"Buh-bye!"

He responds with a wave of his hand. "Bye! See you tomorrow."

Kyungsoo leaves with the boy in a hurry, leaving him as he watched them disappear from his sight.

At least his ex didn't deny his claim as the boy's other father. That's a start.

--

As Kyungsoo expected, it won’t be hard for Jongin to figure it out. Things will eventually change from there but he knows he can deal with that. The only question that remains is how will he tell his son.

It’s unsure whether Taeoh will be able to comprehend that his new teacher is also his father. Aside from that, the boy even address the older couple as Baba. Technically, everyone in the household is considered as father to the boy.

“Papa, open.” A juice box meets his view, followed by a straw.

He had been spacing out again on his desk and can’t even review his notes for a quiz tomorrow. Taking the drink from his son’s hands, he glances at the desk clock that reads 8:25 pm. “Who gave this to you?”

“Baba Chun.”

“It’s already late, you can’t drink this. I’ll get you milk.”

His son disagrees with a whine at the mention of another drink. “No!”

He ignores the whine and goes out of their bedroom to the kitchen, the boy throwing a tantrum behind him.

Junmyeon greets his sight in the room, looking confused at them. “Ah, he can’t drink that. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay, Hyung.” He opens the fridge and take a bottle of milk instead. “He really won’t be able to sleep if he drinks that at this hour.”

Truth to be told, he isn’t in the mood to be dealing with a tantrum right now. He’s already stressed about his studies along with the sudden unavoidable presence of his ex-boyfriend.

He unconsciously releases a huff in distress and fortunately, the older reads the situation before he can snap and scold his son.

Junmyeon saves him the trouble and carries the boy away, for the man believes there are other ways to reprimand kids in a more peaceful way. “Go back to your room. I'll take care of him.”

Without hesitation, he leaves the milk on the table and walks back to their bedroom. “Thanks, Hyung. I’ll make it up to you later.”

But as soon as he takes his seat, his phone lights up next to his notebook. It shows an unknown number and a line of the text that says,

It’s me, Jongin.

He glances back at the ajar door behind him before picking it up, just to make sure neither Junmyeon nor his son is going in anytime soon. When he opens the messaging app, it’s followed by another text.

I’m hoping we can talk tomorrow after school, when you pick up Taeoh.

He replies.

We can talk right now.

Just in five seconds, a phone call comes and he swipes the reject button out of panic. “.”

I mean in text.

He wasn’t prepared to answer that. He wasn’t prepared to hear Jongin’s voice again.

--

With Kyungsoo rejecting his call and suggests doing it in texts, Jongin realizes it could be rude for him to give the other a call, assuming the man’s husband is around.

Okay. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking.
I got your number from Baekhyun but I mean well.
It’s just, maybe I can be given the chance to spend time with Taeoh.
Not just as his teacher.

He doesn’t get a reply. An hour passed and there was nothing.

Jongin understands that decision. It’s been four years and he was never there, not even once until just lately.

He will try again tomorrow. After all, Kyungsoo won’t be able to avoid him in the day care.

That’s where he’s wrong. For two consecutive days, it was the man’s husband who brought the boy over and fetched him too.

On the third day, after the boy was dropped, he calls for Baekhyun’s attention when the teacher passes by the room. Since they still have ten minutes before the classes start, he takes the opportunity to chit-chat.

The other teacher rolls his eyes, approaching him. “Ugh, Jongin. I don’t make choices for Kyungsoo. I don’t care if he doesn’t text you back.”

“It’s not that,” he points out.

“Oh. Okay. Go on.”

He glances at the busy kids, specifically at his son. “The boy’s mine, right?”

The older stares at him and he patiently waits for a reply. “You can tell, right?”

“Just making sure.”

“Well, that kid clearly doesn’t look like me.”

“That’s true but here’s the thing. Do you think I don’t have to force myself into the scene? Honestly, it doesn’t look like they need me in the picture anyway.”

Baekhyun hesitates to speak, lips parting and closing again. “I don’t have the answer to that, Jongin. Kyungsoo does.”

“He’s avoiding me.”

The other teacher only gives him a shrug and proceeds on the way.

A harsh tug on his pants catches his attention and he’s met with Taeoh’s look of discomfort. “Teacher. Need to potty.”

“Right now?” Just when they’re about to start their class, this has to happen.

The boy nods with a whine. “Now.”

He freaks out, carrying the boy in his arms and looking for Baekhyun. Good thing the teacher hasn’t walked much distance so he yells for emergency and he rushes to the toilet.

--

Kyungsoo receives a call at lunch from Junmyeon. The man reminds him that Yixing is coming home and should be picked-up from the airport later.

So he doesn’t have a choice and be in the day care, hoping to avoid his ex-boyfriend.

He still hasn’t given Jongin an answer because he doesn’t plan to give any. He wants things the way it is. Besides, the man already sees their son in school. He thinks that’s enough.

“You’re late,” Baekhyun greets him at the gate, stopping him from taking another step with a hold in his arm. “Hey, why don’t you give him a chance? I can tell he really wants to fix things between you. He’s just holding back because he respects your decision.”

“I’d really appreciate it if you keep your nose out of this,” he says in a low voice, soft and calm despite sounding like he’s demanding.

“This is not just about you anymore, Soo. Taeoh has the right to know who Jongin is to him.” Baekhyun turns and links their arms together as they walk inside the building. “And they get along very well.”

Instead of heading to the classroom, his friend takes him to another empty room and stops by the window to see outside, to the small yard at the back of the school.

He watches his son running around in dirt, screaming and even tripping on the grass. The last one almost makes him run out to save his baby boy but Jongin is just right behind his son, helping the boy up to his feet.

Taeoh barely balances himself in his feet but the boy is running again like nothing happened. Usually, things like that results to his son crying within a second.

“He’s not crying,” he comments, eyes carefully following his son’s movements. “Since when did he like playing outside?”

“Since Jongin,” Baekhyun answers, laughing. “You should have seen his face freaking out when Taeoh said he had to poop. Oh, you missed interesting stuff since Jongin got here. I haven’t told you, your son had been acting a little odd.”

He doesn’t say anything, attention fixed on the two outside until Baekhyun leads him out to the yard, Jongin acknowledging their presence.

The taller immediately catches up to the boy, picking him up. “Papa’s here!”

He almost cringes at the first word, not liking how corny it sounds coming from his ex-boyfriend.

“Bye!” His friend suddenly ditches him and is already gone before he can react.

By the time Jongin gives him his son, he groans in disapproval. “Great, he’s drenched in sweat.”

“I’ll help you clean him up, it’s my fault anyway.” Without waiting for his response, the taller has taken away his son from his arms.

“I can do that.”

“Well, same.” Jongin, carrying the giggling boy, starts walking away to the lockers.

“Papa! Juice!” Taeoh is grinning at him.

“We’ll get you one on the way home.”

Jongin opens one of the lockers and takes out a dry towel and a pack of wet wipes. After putting the boy down, the boy’s backpack is taken out of the same locker.

He quietly watch the other take care of his son and he secretly like the way their son reacts to Jongin. The boy’s comfortable enough to be grinning from ear to ear and babbling incomprehensible words in excitement.

One thing he knows well is the fact that Taeoh takes a long time to warm up to someone he just met. With Jongin, it only took days. Does it have something to do with being blood-related?

After the boy is changed with new set of clothes from the backpack, he’s surprised that the other was chosen to be the one to carry him.

“Papa. We eat chicken. With teacher. Please!”

It feels like the world stopped for a moment, his son unaware of the betrayal.