In the quiet confines of Taeyeon's dorm room, Changmin rummaged through the first-aid kit. The atmosphere was heavy with the aftermath of the storm that had just passed at her parents' house. They had braced for a turbulent reaction when they decided to unveil their truth, but Taeyeon's father's outburst had surpassed even Changmin's worst expectations.

The scene replayed in Changmin's mind like a haunting film—the whiskey glass hurtling dangerously close to Taeyeon, the chilling sound of the glass shattering against the wall, and the silent flinch from Taeyeon as the shards nicked her hand and cheek.

Her calm acceptance of the chaos baffled and disheartened him. It seemed like such a familiar ordeal for her, an unsettling realization that fueled his determination to stand by her side.

As he cleaned the wounds, he recounted the hurtful words her father had flung at her before ultimately asking them to leave the house. Changmin couldn't agree with the harsh judgments that seemed to cut deeper than the glass fragments. For him, Taeyeon was brilliant, kind, and deserving of all the love in the world. He regretted not speaking up in her defense, though she had warned him not to interfere in her strained relationship with her father.

Changmin finally located the antibiotic ointment and bandages and turned to face Taeyeon, who sat on the edge of her bed, staring into the distance. As he assessed the wounds, he couldn't ignore the transformation in Taeyeon's eyes. The pain and resignation reflected in them contrasted sharply with her usual vibrant and lively gaze he had grown to cherish. Changmin felt a pang of responsibility, knowing that he played a role in the change.

"The cuts are minor. You should be fine… but does it hurt?" he asked gently, trying to break the heavy silence. Her response was a soft shake of the head, a quiet denial of the physical pain that didn't match the emotional turmoil within her.

“You could have been seriously hurt if that glass had hit you," Changmin remarked, his concern evident as he delicately attended to her wounds.

"I… I deserve that. I’ve disappointed him again," her words hung heavy in the air. "But he never meant to hurt me, you know," she whispered, attempting to reassure him as she noticed his worry.

Changmin couldn't accept her nonchalant attitude towards the incident. Changmin vehemently disagreed, his voice firm, "Don’t say that. It's not okay, Taeyeon. You know you don’t deserve that.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, a silent acknowledgment of the truth in his words. He put his hand on her shoulders, and gestured for her to release her pent-up emotions – but Taeyeon resisted, wiping away the tears and enveloping the room in a somber calm.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Taeyeon softly said.

Her nonchalant demeanor saddened Changmin; he wished she could share her pain with him. Emotions tangled within Changmin as he grappled with concern for Taeyeon's well-being, anger at the situation, and a growing understanding of the challenges ahead.

Changmin carefully finished treating her wounds. He knew the path ahead would be difficult, but he was resolute in standing by Taeyeon and their unborn child through it all. He promised her that he’d always be there for them.

********

The sleek black car glided from the hospital parking lot, and Dr. Kim Taeyeon, a renowned general surgeon glanced at her watch, noting that she was right on time to pick up her daughter, Minjeong, who had recently started clinical studies at the same hospital. Even though some colleagues and friends were already aware of their connection, they decided it would be best to keep their familial relationship somewhat a secret, so that it wouldn’t burden Minjeong.

As she brought the car to a stop near the designated pick-up point at the university dorm, Taeyeon observed the affectionate hug between the two girls and couldn't help but smile at the sight. She noticed her daughter seemed distraught and Jimin comforted her. Taeyeon wondered about the dynamics of their friendship but decided to let it be, content with the fact that Minjeong had someone to share her joys and burdens with.

"Minjeong, Jimin!" Taeyeon called out, waving to them. The girls turned towards her with smiles, and Minjeong quickly hugged Jimin once more and greeted her goodbye before heading towards her mother’s car, and Jimin headed back to the dorm.