"Daddy. You're a wimp." Dayoung said to Kyungsoo. Yixing raised an eyebrow at this. Jongin and Lauren high-fixed and then died laughing. Kyungsoo was defeated.

***

School continued quite smoothly. Jongin made it a routine to reward Dayoung and Lauren for their hard work by taking them to the park every weekend. Now came parent-teacher conferences. Jongin had been ritually asking Lauren about school and she seemed fine but today was the day he heard the truth. He knew by what he had top aught her that she would never lie to him but she spends a lot of time with Kyungsoo and who knows what she could be learning from him. He trusts Yoxing because he doesn't really speak much.

"Their teacher is too cute. Wait 'til you meet him! This is so exciting! I should set you guys up on a date." Kyungsoo blabbers excitedly as they wait for their turn in the conference room outside the door.

"I'm not looking for a relationship right now." Jongin said.

"Don't lie to your hyung. Don't you want someone to come home to?To I dunno, sleep with?"

"I'm not the one who's ually frustrated."

"You shouldn't even talk. When was the last time you got any? And that's not frustration, you're just hot. Am I not allowed to find somebody attractive?"

"Thanks for the compliment. Anyway I need to go in now."

"Show him your abs." Kyungsoo whispered signally at his lower abdomen. Jongin rolled his eyes. When Jongin turned around he was faced with his daughter's teacher.

"Hi, I'm Baekhyun Byun. You must be Lauren's dad." Baekhyun said holding out his hand. Jongin took it and shook it firmly letting go quickly as to not get carried away and forget to.

"Yes. How'd you know?"

"Well, Kyungsoo told me about you. He gave me a description. Tall, dark and handsome. I guess you fit the criteria." Baekhyun smiled at him and then they both laughed.

"dialogue in Korean"*

"Is it all right if I speak to you in Korean?"*

"Sure, hyung."*

"Sooo...you're not a ert, huh?"*

"What do you mean, hyung?"*

"I see you at the park every weekend. You don't look like you're with someone so I always feel a little suspicious about people who are alone. But I wasn't there long enough to know. I just run past. That was supposed to be a joke."* Baekhyun said biting his lip.

"Well, then the answer is no to that question."*

"Ahh...Um so...do you have a spouse or significant other?"* Baekhyun asked. "If you don't mind me asking."*

"I don't mind, hyung. I'm a single father."* Jongin said comfortably. Baekhyun bit his lip to hold back the smile that was threatening to take over his face.

"Ahh...so Lauren is doing well in school." Baekhyun said.

"She is?"*

"Ah, yes. She is just darling. Very cute. Very nice to her classmates. And very pretty. She seems to be the only girl in class that doesn't have duties according to the boys."*

"What boys? I hope those boys aren't coming near her."* Baekhyun laughed at this.

"Ahh, so you're the protective father."*

"Is that a bad thing?"*

"No, no, no. It's a good thing. I like that."*

"As long as I keep you happy, hyung. Can't have my daughter getting bad grades in kindergarten. She won't get into Harvard."* Baekhyun and Jongin laughed.

"You've got to start off right, huh?"*

"Always."*

"So, what do you do?"*

"I'm an architect."*

"Let me guess, Zhang Architects?"

"Stability and class." Jongin replied with the company's slogan.

"Are you stable?"* Baekhyun asked smiling at him.

"In every meaning of the word."*

"Good answer."

"Good answer for you or good answer in general."*

"Both."

"Are we doing Jongin speaks in Korean and Baekhyun speaks English now?"*

"I guess so." There was a knock on the door. "Oh. That means I have to let the next parent in."

"Kyungsoo is next." Jongin said.

"Oh he won't mind. I talk about Dayoung all the time with him."

"So..." Jongin said.

"So..." Baekhyun said smiling at him. Jongin smiled back.

"So...We should continue this conversation over dinner sometime. Kyungsoo will burst in here at any moment and say something embarrassing so I'd like to ask you out before that happens." Jongin said.

"You're asking me out?"

"Yes."Jongin said with certainty.

"Um..."

"What is taking so long? Oh my gosh, it's been like 30 minutes. I almost thought you two were having on the conference room table." Kyungsoo said as he burst through the door.

"So? Friday night?" Jongin whispered in Baekhyun's ear. Baekhyun looked up at him and nodded, smiling. Jongin grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"I will now leave the premises as though I left before Kyungsoo's rude interruption."

"But-"

"Sleep well, Baekhyun hyung."*

"Good night, Jongin."*