“Is it comfortable?” TaeHyung asked as HaYeon stepped out of the shower clad in the new sweater and home pants the boys bought for her. HaYeon nodded shyly, embarrassed by the effort the boys had to go through for her but nonetheless feeling happy by their gestures.

“Great!” Jin replied, lifting HwanHee, who had just woken up, into his arms. “Then it’s time to give HwanHee a bath!”

“I can do it,” HaYeon extended her hands out, prepared. But the boys were quick to stop her, telling her to keep her wounds out of water as much as possible. Grabbing the new towel, clothes and soap they bought, Jin headed for the bathroom.

“AH!” Jimin exclaimed, startling everyone in their actions, “We don’t have a tub to bathe her in!”, as the boys let out a groan at their forgetfulness.

They thought hard about it for a moment until something caught YoonGi’s attention. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he pointed at it.

“How about a bucket?!”

All six boys were squeezed into the bathroom in a comical mess, purposefully excluding HaYeon from the whole bathing commotion.  Carelessly, they placed HwanHee in the bucket, NamJoon supporting her under her arms as she sat in the deep bucket almost taller than her, her head peeking out, as Jimin filled the bucket with warm water till just right below her cut on her back. As they were doing so, TaeHyung carefully wet HwanHee’s hair with his hands while Jimin and YoonGi prepped themselves with soap in their hand, ready to give the child a quick bath in case she felt pain.

As soon as HwanHee was wet, cries started and her piercing scream deafened the boys for a moment. Pain was scribbled over her face as she struggled and kicked, as though trying to get herself out of the water. Gritting their teeth, the boys resisted pulling her out immediately from reluctance to put her through more pain and did what they had to do. As quickly as they could, the two boys gave her a quick wash while TaeHyung and Jin rinsed her off completely.

HwanHee’s screams persisted with each action and HaYeon perched her head to look over the boys to see what was going on. Her heart broke knowing her child, who usually enjoyed bath time a lot, resisted it because she was in pain. What she enjoyed at first turned into a series of misery for her.

“YAH!” Jin’s voice snapped HaYeon out of it, “The useless one over there, grab the towel!” He called out to HoSeok standing helplessly in the corner watching the whole thing, trying to lend a hand but failed to do so.

“I’m not useless!” He retorted but still, he reached for the towel instantly and almost immediately, HwanHee was passed into his arms where he immediately wrapped her with the soft towel.

Taking her out, he quickly laid HwanHee down on the mattress, HaYeon rushing to her baby’s side and took over from him. With a speed of lightning, she quickly changed her and applied the medication on again, bearing the screams before holding her baby in her arms for the first time that day and comforted her.

The boys heaved a sigh of relief, their hair and clothes wet from the whole bathing session with HwanHee, when HwanHee finally stopped crying in a while. Her cries turned into soft whimpers before she laid, limp, on her mother’s chest as though tired from the fight she had just put up.

Her chubby cheeks were pressed as she laid fiddling with HaYeon’s hair that cascaded down the side of her arm while HaYeon soothed her. Soon enough, HwanHee was happy again as her mother tickled her gently, causing her to chuckle.

“A mother sure is different,” Jimin breathed out as he sat on the floor exhausted, the rest of the boys following suit.

HaYeon just smiled at that comment as she placed HwanHee down and continued playing with her. “I haven’t been a good mother actually, I’m no different from you boys. I have never really bathed her before, nor have I ever taken her shopping. I usually see her only when she is sleeping and when her crying gets out of hand, Ahjumma is there to calm her down.” She recalled sadly, remorse filling her. “The only thing I do for her is to feed her once in a while in the mornings or at night before she sleeps if I come home early, buy things for her when I actually feel like going out, and watch her when she sleeps.” She laughed, ashamed.

“Well…” HoSeok tried to cheer her up, but unsure of what to say as well, “you can start now! It’s not too late to start being a mother to your child!”

HaYeon smiled but kept her gaze fixed on her child who seemed to look at her like she was her world. “Truth was, I wasn’t ready for her. I still don’t know if I am.” She explained, as though it was not obvious enough that she was an unwed mother, still struggling to complete high school like some of them in the room. “Aigoo,” She laughed out as she tried to suppress her emotions and lifted her daughter into her arms, “is my HwanHee tired already? Eomma will take you to sleep okay?” She cooed, ending the conversation right there abruptly and headed for the room.

A soft knock came from outside and with permission, the door creaked open and TaeHyung poked his head in cautiously. “Is she asleep yet?” He said in a loud whisper and HaYeon nodded as she patted her daughter’s tummy. “Then may I come in?” He asked again, earning a nod from HaYeon who invited him in with a smile.

“Are you okay?” TaeHyung questioned as he shut the door gently behind him and settled on the mattress beside HaYeon. HaYeon looked at him in doubt. “I mean... You didn’t have much dinner just now.” He further explained, subconsciously reaching out and touching HwanHee’s head affectionately.

“Yeah I’m fine. I’m not hungry