Taeyong, as promised, helped Jiseok learn the language and handed him over to his tired dad when he was picking him up after hours. Lee didn't complain. He loved spending time with the boy, even if he wasn't paid for it. The toddler was a very joyful child and, as it turned out, he loved all artistic activities. Thanks to it, for the teacher it was easy to come up with ways for him to learn signs. They arranged them from cut-outs or painted with paints. When it came time to return home, Lee made sure that the boy always got a simple task, for example, learning a few words, reading a simple book or watching a fairy tale in Korean.

At the end of the month, the progress of their additional lessons could be seen. Jiseok was more likely to approach children to play with because he finally understood what they were saying to him. There were, of course, misunderstandings, because the boy was just learning, but he certainly felt more confident when he knew what his friends wanted to play. Yuta continued picking up the boy over the time, but lately, he looked worse. Taeyong studied both him and Jiseok to see a relationship. Nakamoto usually dressed modestly. Sometimes his clothes looked well worn, stretched or washed out but his son was always dressed in fitted clothes, new and neat.

Lee guessed that Yuta probably sacrificed many other things besides clothes for the good of the boy, so for the sake of his health, he often invited the man to eat something with him or drink warm tea. Since they were sitting here after hours and Taeyong was the last to leave kindergarten, he could make use of the kitchen. However, in recent days, Yuta was coming very late and didn't have time to stay for a hot meal. He also had hoarseness and sunken cheekbones. The teacher repeatedly refrained from asking him if he needed help, but he didn't want to destroy the lonely father's trust and upset him. One day, however, when there was a gale outside with a downpour, Yuta didn't come to kindergarten.

It was a long time after Nakamoto usually picked up his son, but he still didn't appear. Taeyong, seeing the clock reaches 9 pm, began to get nervous and worried if something bad had happened to the man. Jiseok began to fall asleep on his lap from tiredness and the young teacher slowly didn't know what to do. Suddenly, his phone started ringing and when the man answered the call, he breathed a sigh of relief, hearing who was calling. It was none other than Yuta, who apologized for not picking up the child. It turned out that the Japanese fainted at work and only now the paramedics took him home. Lee didn't even wait for another apology, just worried about the man's condition, he offered to bring Jiseok home, he only needed the address. Nakamoto hesitated because he was ashamed that he had failed as a parent but eventually agreed.

Soon after, Taeyong was sitting in a crowded subway with a half-sleeping boy on his lap. The journey from the kindergarten took them almost an hour and reaching the tenement at the very end of the dark street, another fifteen minutes because Lee couldn't find her even on the GPS. He was helped by Jiseok who, recognizing the area, led them to the door, and then up the stairs to the seventh floor. The Korean was shocked. The district was dark, dangerous and unfriendly to people. The building in which they lived didn't appear well either. The walls of the staircase were stripped of paint. The stairs creaked when they were stepped on, and the doors of the flats were painted with graffiti. Taeyong wondered if it would be safe to live here and the thought circled his head until he stood in front of the gray door at number 55, which the boy showed him. Not even seeing the bell or the door handle, the teacher knocked on the door, and after a while, it opened.

Yuta stood in front of him, his hair messy, in loose clothes and a blanket wrapped around him. He tried to say something, but he coughed and Taeyong frowned in concern. Looking more closely at him, Lee saw the little things that Yuta was trying to hide. His hands were shaking, he probably had convulsions from the cold emitted from the apartment. A few drops of sweat had accumulated on his forehead, so he was probably having a fever. The Japanese had also bloodshot eyes and he was pale as a ghost.

"Thank you for bringing him and I apologize again for abusing your kindness. " Yuta spoke in a hoarse voice. He wanted to pick up the child and close the door, but Taeyong, without thinking too long, stuck a foot between them and forced the man to let him inside.

"Sorry, but I don't think you will be able to take care of Jiseok in this state." Lee looked at him expectantly and the Japanese stepped down, allowing him to get in.

Nakamoto's flat was very small and consisted of only two rooms. Right at the entrance, there was a door to a cramped bathroom, and one step ahead, one went to a large room connec