Cough. Cough.

The little girl started to cough whilst watching a cartoon. Her mother frowned as she looked at her daughter with concerned eyes. The older female quickly turned to her husband and looked for help.

“Maybe we should take her to the doctors.” he said with an equal amount of worry in his voice. “The weather is getting cold so it’s easy for her to get sick.”

As soon as the only male in the house finished his sentence, his wife started to pack their things up, ready to get out of the house and off to the doctors. She took a sufficient amount of tissues, as well as wipes, and shoved them in her bag, and then scurrying off to somewhere else to find other necessities. Once she was done, she returned to her husband and daughter in the living with her full bag.

“Come on, let’s go.” she said in a hurry. The father and daughter looked at her and shared a gaze. “Taekwoon oppa!”

The said male sighed. Once Jimin made her mind up, there was no turning back.

Slowly, he turned to Choeun and carefully lifted her up, helping her off the sofa.

“Let’s get you ready.” he said softly, already helping her with her small pair of boots. “Your umma is getting impatient.”

“I’m not getting impatient!” Jimin was already at the door with her shoes on, waiting for the other two to fasten their pace. “I’m just concerned.”

“I’m sure there’s nothing wrong.” Taekwoon said, picking up Choeun in his arms after he was done with his own shoes as well. “Right?” he turned to Choeun and gave her an assuring smile, in the hopes of not scaring the small girl.

Choeun looked at Taekwoon and nodded. Other might have thought she didn’t understand what the adults were talking about, but she was old enough to know that they were going to take her to the doctors. She looked down to her little hands and avoided making eye contact with anyone.

Jimin frowned. She had seen how Choeun looked away from Taekwoon when she doesn’t normally do that.

“Come on.” Jimin said quietly, not wanting her words to have a negative effect on her daughter.

Taekwoon followed his wife out the house and strapped the small child in the car seat as soon as the vehicle was unlocked. Jimin quickly slipped into the seat next to Choeun instead of the front passenger seat – she didn’t want Choeun sitting by herself at the back, at least not when she was feeling sick. Taekwoon quickly went around and jumped into the driver’s seat, starting the car speedily and driving off to the nearest clinic.

The drive was only about fifteen minutes long but during that time, Choeun’s coughs have become more frequent and painful. Jimin frowned as she rubbed the child’s back, soothing her from the pain.

“Here we go.” Jimin said when Taekwoon pulled the car into a parking bay. “Let’s get you out of here.” She started to unbuckle Choeun’s baby seat belt from her car seat and freed the girl from the straps.

Taekwoon opened the door to Choeun’s side and picked her up in his arms. Jimin quickly grabbed her bag and got out of the car as well. The family of three hurried inside the clinic, wanting to get their daughter to the doctor as quickly as possible.

Since Jimin had already called the clinic in advance, they only had to wait a couple of minutes before they were called into the doctor’s office.

Choeun sat on Jimin’s lap as she was being examined by the doctor, who was a friendly looking middle-aged man. He tried his best to make Choeun feel comfortable in the clinic, though the little girl was still insecure about this white room. Jimin too, felt anxious about the whole thing.

Taekwoon saw the worried expression on Jimin’s face and he sighed. He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze, letting her know once again that everything will be fine. Jimin bit her lips even though she nodded at his actions.

“She’s down with the flu.” the doctor said having fully examined the small child. “It’s nothing to worry about but I do strongly suggest her staying in bed for the next few days so that she gets better quicker.”

The couple let out sighs of relieve as they heard the doctor’s words. Since the doctor said it was nothing serious, their majority of anxiousness was taken away.

“Is there anything that we can give her to make her recover quicker?” Taekwoon asked.

“She’s a little too young to be given pills so getting a shot is the most effective and efficient.” the doctor replied.

Being the smart girl she was, Choeun understood what the doctor had said. As soon as she heard that she had to get a shot, tears started coming out from her eyes and she began to wail. She turned her head towards Jimin and buried her face in her mother’s shoulder, not wanting a shot. Jimin immediately patted the young girl’s back and soothed her as much as possible by rocking back and forth in her seat.

“Are there nothing else that can help her?” Jimin frowned. “It looks like the idea of having a shot is really distressing for her.”

The doctor smiled apologetically. “As I’ve mentioned, she’s too young to be taking pills and in this case, syrups aren’t going to be much of a help. Shots are the best right now in this situation.”

As much as she didn’t want the small child to be experiencing any form of pain, Jimin knew there was no other choice. If they want Choeun to recover quicker, a shot is the only option. She looked down at the girl that was clinging onto her and her hair.

“Choeun-ah, do you want to get better?” Jimin asked softly, but Choeun shook her head in response. “Choeun-ah, we want you to get better.”

Jimin glanced at her husband, looking for help from him. Taekwoon leaned over and held Choeun’s tiny hand.

“Choeun-ah, coughing is really painful isn’t it?” he asked. “Let’s stop the coughing, okay?”

Quiet sobs were heard and it killed the couple on the inside. They knew that Choeun needed the shot to get better, as much as they hated the idea of sticking a needle inside her skin.

“Choeun-ah, come on, you want to start playing again, right?” Jimin moved Choeun away from her should to look at her face. “Appa has bought some new toys for you, but since you’re not feeling well, you can’t play with them.”

“If you want to play will Mr Bear and Miss Rabbit, you need to get better.” Taekwoon followed up. “We can’t have them sick as well.”

It looked like using toys to convince Choeun was working. The young girl looked hesitant and was half way into giving into her parents.

“Choeun-ah, you can’t eat cheesecakes and apple pies when you’re sick.” Jimin said, praying that this would work. “Umma will make loads of them for you, but only when you’re better.”

Choeun stuck her lips out and pouted. Anyone could see that she was having an internal battle. Even though she didn’t want a shot, her desire to play with Mr Bear and Miss Rabbit and eat her umma’s pastries was too much to supress. She finally gave a little nod.

Smiles appeared on the adults’ faces as the child finally gave in. Jimin quickly pressed her lips on the girl’s temple, and told her how proud she was. Taekwoon ruffled Choeun’s hair and smiled at her affectionately, nodding at her for being brave. The doctor on the other hand immediately waved at the nurse for the latter to get the required equipment for shot.

The husband and wife placed Choeun in a desirable position on Jimin’s lap, making it easier for the doctor to deliver the shot. Choeun sat facing Taekwoon, who was standing behind his wife, with his hands on her shoulders, giving her reassuring squeezes every now and then. He then started to converse with his daughter in the hopes of distracting her from the needle and the pain. At first, Choeun was still very conscious of the doctor and the nurse, but as her father continued to play with her, her attention slowly focused onto the older man that was standing behind her mother, who was holding her tightly.

Jimin couldn’t help but feel nervous. She as an adult hated needles very much, let alone a child at her daughter’s age. The jab may not be as severe for a grown-up, but for a child, it could be immensely painful. Jimin bit her lips in anxiety as she watched the doctor and the nurse communicating silently about how to deliver the shot to the ill child. Once the professionals were ready, they gave the couple a quick glance. Taekwoon nodded silently, while giving Jimin’s shoulder a squeeze at the same time. Jimin tilted her head upwards to Taekwoon and showed him her nervous expression without letting Choeun see her insecurities.

Taekwoon knew how worried his wife was and in order to kill two birds with one stone, he leaned closer to Choeun and gave the latter another one of his warm and gentle smiles.

“Choeun-ah, you’re very brave, you know?” he started. “Definitely the bravest girl I’ve ever seen. Promise appa that you’ll be fine?”

Hearing her father’s words, the small girl had no choice but to nod her head, despite the fear inside of her.

Taekwoon beamed at the response. He knew that Jimin had heard what Choeun had said very well. He hoped what he did could reassure both Choeun and Jimin.

As much as Jimin wanted to help Taekwoon distract Choeun, she couldn’t help but glance at the needle that was placed on a tray held by the nurse. The doctor had a small cotton ball in his hand that was soaked with alcohol. The older man inched closer and Jimin fiddled with Choeun’s sleeve to expose her arm, making it possible for the doctor to apply the alcohol before inserting the needle.

At the cool contact with the wet cotton ball, Choeun shivered, both in fear and from the coolness. Taekwoon her hair to calm her down and pulled his phone out, showing her various different things to distract her further. When Choeun settled down, the doctor proceeded to bring the needle close to the girl’s arm. Jimin instantly held Choeun tighter, afraid that she would trash around and hurt herself even more.

Loud cries filled the room as soon as the doctor pierced the young girl’s skin. Taekwoon tried to stay calm and comfort the girl despite his heart muscle contracting at the sight of Choeun’s tears. Jimin frowned and narrowed her eyes at the needle, almost feeling the pain in her arms as she watched the doctor slowly letting the liquid flow into her daughter’s body. Although the whole process only took about five seconds, it felt like it was five hours for the three of them. Taekwoon and Jimin simultaneously let out the breath that they didn’t they were holding for the last few seconds or so.

The nurse quickly pressed another cotton ball on Choeun’s arm as soon as the doctor retracted the needle. She placed a small piece of coloured tape onto of the cotton ball to keep it in place. Jimin’s hands ran up and down the crying girl’s back while Taekwoon was busy trying to subside Choeun’s cries. The couple’s hearts broke at the sight of their daughter being hurt. They could almost feel the same pain, though it was only emotionally.

The male doctor showered Choeun with praises and even offered her some girly stickers for being so brave. Although Choeun managed to choose one out for the few options in the sticker pack, tears were still running down her face. The couple took the girl out of the doctor’s office and sat down on the row of chairs just beside the door. This time, Taekwoon took Choeun in his arms and cradled her, patting her back softly until she quietly gave in to sleep.

“I think it’s best if we take her home.” the PD came up and spoke to the husband and wife despite the camera was still running. “I think she’s had enough of today.”

Jimin looked at the sleeping girl in her husband’s arms and nodded. She, too, had felt a little tired from being so worried so Choeun must have been exhausted. Taekwoon had the same though and they quickly returned to their car to take Choeun back to her biological parents.

Ding dong ding dong.

Taekwoon tapped his feet on the floor as he waited for the homeowner to open the door. He held Jimin’s phone in his hand and was ready to return it to him as soon as she opens the door. She had left it in the car the day before after taking Choeun back to her parents’ house. Jimin must have been so tired, both physically and emotionally, to remember her phone. Taekwoon had to go through several different people to get her address, just so that he could deliver the device in person. Even though he knew which apartment she lived in, he didn’t know which unit belonged to her. Though normally, Jimin’s manager would never reveal the artist’s address, since he knew Taekwoon was a man to be trusted, he gave the said man the address, but now without a warning or two. Taekwoon thanked the male over the phone and quickly drove to his onscreen wife’s apartment.

Throughout the journey, Taekwoon’s heart didn’t seem to be able to calm down. At first, he though the rapid heartbeat was leftover from the nervous feeling when they took Choeun to the clinic, but now that hours have passed, his heart was still beating fast, even faster after Jimin’s manager had told him her address.

Seeing how it was taking Jimin a long time to open the door, he bit his lips as he waited. Just as he was about to ring the doorbell again, faint coughing sounds were heard from the other side of the room. He leaned in closer and used his knuckles to knock on the door gently.

“Jimin-ah.” he called out. Just milliseconds after, he had realised that he called her name without any formalities, which was something that he had never done before. However, this was not the most important issue. “Jimin-ah, open the door, it’s Taekwoon.”

The door opened suddenly, revealing a surprised Jimin. She was clearly shocked that Taekwoon was standing in front of her door.

On the other hand, Taekwoon scanned the younger girl’s appearance. She was wearing a loose, oversize jumper with leggings and warm cosy socks. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. Her posture as she stood showed how tired she was, but that wasn’t what he was worried about. The main source of worry was her pale face. Even though Jimin was a rather pale girl in general, the paleness in her face was definitely not of her normal skin tone. She looked sick.

“Oppa.” she said. Her voice was a little hoarse, as Taekwoon noticed. “Come in.” she stepped aside a little and allowed the male to walk in. Even though she tried to stay calm and composed, she couldn’t help but have a mental breakdown inside. It was the first time that a male had entered her apartment, other than her idiot seniors and her manager. She knew she was not the messy type of girl so she wasn’t worried about the house being untidy, but she still felt nervous nonetheless.

Taekwoon slipped his shoes off at the entrance and stepped into the apartment straightaway. He looked around the house and took in its sight in the short span of a few seconds – he had wanted to keep his eyes on the girls standing in front of her. But he had to admit, she hadn’t disappointed him with the tidiness of the house and small, delicate decorations around the house – the house was styled in a way that anyone would be able to tell that it was Kim Jimin’s apartment.

Jimin cleared , not to break the silence, but because she really needed to clear . “So, why are you here?” she asked. “Not that you’re not welcomed here!” she quickly said. “I mean, is there something you need?”

Taekwoon shook his head slightly at her choice of words. He knew she didn’t mean those words in a rude manner so he didn’t take it to heart. He held her phone up and waved it in front of her face. Seconds later, Jimin lit up and reached for the electrical device immediately.

“So that’s where it was!” she beamed. “I was going crazy looking for this!” she looked up at Taekwoon. “Thank you so much! Where did you find it?”

“You left it in the car.” Taekwoon told her. “Just thought I’d take it back to you.”

“Oppa, you didn’t need to do it personally!” Jimin’s eyes widened. She didn’t want to burden him with something so small and trivial. “You could have just gave it to my manager and have him give it back to me. You didn’t need to come all the way here!”

Taekwoon shrugged. “It’s fine, I was nearby anyway.” That was a lie. He only had one schedule early today and it was on the other side of the city – he was definitely not close.

Jimin smiled thankfully. “Well, since you’re here, would you like something to drink?”

“Are you okay?” Taekwoon asked before she was able to say anything else. “You’re really pale.”

“It’s not a big deal.” Jimin replied sheepishly. She was hoping that he didn’t catch onto her sickness. “I think I’ve caught it off Choeun, but don’t worry, I’ll be better soon.”

Taekwoon didn’t know whether to scold her or to . Though either way, he was still worried about her. “Well, look who catches the flu after warning me about it.” Jimin pouted a little but she stayed quiet. “Let’s get you to the doctors.”

Jimin’s eyes widened instantly. She waved her hands in front of her rapidly. “No! There’s no need to go to the doctors!” She desperately wanted to persuade Taekwoon that she didn’t need a trip down to the clinic. “I’ll be fine with a few meds and I’ll sleep it off! I’ll be fine tomorrow morning, I promise!”

Taekwoon narrowed his eyes at the girl and shook his head. “I’m not letting you sleep until you have been seen by a qualified and professional doctor.” He wasn’t going to back down that easily. Her health came before anything else. No matter how much Jimin pouted and whined, the tall male was not giving up.

And in the end, Jimin was ushered to go and get changed so they could head to the doctors. 

Jimin buried her head in Taekwoon’s shoulder blades as the doctor injected her with the medical liquid. She squeezed her eyes closed as Taekwoon held her hand tightly, just as he have done with Choeun, except that this time, the hand he held was bigger than the child’s. His other arm circled her waist, bringing her closer to him and making her comfortable in his embrace, despite having a needle stuck in her arm.

As much as Taekwoon didn’t want Jimin to suffer, there was simply no other way. She still had schedules to attend to the next day and having a shot was the quickest option, especially since she didn’t want to miss any work.

In the end, it was her decision to get this shot over and done with. But she had underestimated the pain it caused her.

Holding the arm which previously was pierced with a needle, Jimin walked out of the doctor’s office after thanking him. She was followed by Taekwoon, who was walking closely behind her, in case she felt dizzy or anything. Together, they sat down on the chairs outside the room, just like before, but it was just the two of them this time.

Jimin laid her head on Taekwoon’s shoulder as he continued to hold her hand. He gave her a reassuring squeezed and glanced at her. Neither of them was aware of their skinship and how comfortable they were with each other’s touches. All Taekwoon knew was that he needed to make sure Jimin was feeling fine, and all Jimin cared about was how Taekwoon had been there with her all along – it had been a while since she had someone this close to her, looking after her.

“Are you alright?” Taekwoon asked softly, as if he was afraid that he would wake her up with his already-soft voice.

Going against the norm, Jimin snapped her head up. “Try having a needle inside your arm and see if you’re okay.”

Taekwoon blinked at her outburst, and was unable to hide his chuckle not long after. Her reaction wasn’t something he had expected, but then again, Kim Jimin would not have been Kim Jimin if she was predictable.

“Well, since you can joke, I’m sure you’re fine.” Taekwoon stated with a small grin on his face.

Just as Jimin opened to speak, the nurse called her name to collect her medication. Taekwoon carefully stood up with Jimin in his arms. She was feeling a little weak, despite the jokes, and she had to lean on him for support. Once they reached the counter, Jimin detached from Taekwoon for a short while so she could sign the slip of paper. Taekwoon quickly stepped closer to her, afraid that she would fall. Call him overprotective but he felt that was something he should have done.

They exited the clinic together, with Jimin still in Taekwoon’s arms. They were walking so closely together that it was impossible for air to travel between the two bodies. They weren’t worried about the public because it was well into the night, almost three in the morning – thank the lord for having a 24-hour clinic near her apartment.

The next ten or so minutes were a blur as Taekwoon took her back to her house, letting her in her comfort zone. Instantly, Jimin made her way to her bedroom, not bothering to tend Taekwoon. The latter made sure that he had locked the door properly before following the exhausted girl into her room.

Before stepping into the girl’s private place, Taekwoon stopped and knocked the door gently, even though it was wide open. Jimin, who was standing in front of her vanity table, turned around and blinked at the male, wondering why on earth he was knocking on the door.

“Oppa?” she tilted her head in confusion. “Why are you knocking?”

“Can I come in?”

The penny dropped in Jimin’s mind. Of course he was asking for permission to enter! Being the gentleman he was, Taekwoon didn’t step into her comfort zone and make her feel uncomfortable. What he didn’t think of was how close they were from inside the clinic and back.

“No.”

Taekwoon blinked in surprise. His mouth was opened but no sound came out. That was until Jimin spoke again.

“Don’t come in.” she said in a soft tone. “I don’t want you to catch the flu.” She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Oppa, you should go home.”

Taekwoon walked into the room instantly. He shook his head and led Jimin to her bed. He lifted the covers and gestured for her to lie down. “I’ll stay until you fall asleep.”

“Oppa, you really don’t have to.” Jimin protested verbally, though she was already getting into bed.

Taekwoon pulled the cover until it was enough to cover Jimin up fully, keeping her warm. “I’m staying.”

Jimin sighed. She knew he was just as stubborn as she was and there was no point in arguing against him in her current condition. She merely nodded her head and got into a comfier position. Taekwoon pulled the stool in front of the vanity table and sat down next to the bed, watching over Jimin as her eyelids start to close.

“Thank you oppa, for taking care of me.” Jimin said in a hushed tone.

“No problem.” Taekwoon replied in the same softness. “Sleep.”

She hummed in response. “Good night, oppa.”

“Good night.”

Streaks of sunlight entered the room through the gaps in the curtains. Jimin frowned as the light reached her face. She stretched her arms out and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Her eyes opened slowly and were adjusting to the light as she moved around in the bed, sitting up and staring into space. She was feeling a lot better after last night and she was gladder than ever.

“Oh gosh!” she squealed when she suddenly recalled what happened the night before. The more she thought about it, the more it made her heart race. She hadn’t realise how close they were the night before and now thinking back to it, her cheeks reddened. They were acting like a real couple and they weren’t even trying to fake anything. It was almost like it was natural.

Scratching her head and trying to keep the thoughts out of her head, Jimin turned in her head and began to shuffle around to get off. Her eyes caught onto something yellow on her bedside table. It was a note.

There’s porridge in the pot beside the stove. Heat it up and eat all of it.

Taek.

Jimin smiled as she read the note. It was short and simple, exactly like his style. Excitedly, she hopped off the bed and made her way to the kitchen. She found the pot that was mentioned and quickly lifted off the lid. The aroma of the porridge filled her nose and her grin grew. Even though she was never the type to enjoy food like porridge, she knew she was definitely going to enjoy this one.

I feel like I’m going to make a dramatic comeback so I’ll just keep quiet ^^

Thank you all for being patient with me! I really do appreciate it~ Love ya all!