by the time they arrived, she was more alert but still not quite herself.

"alright, little one," Mark said softly as he unbuckled her from the car seat. "let's get through today, and then we'll have a nice, relaxing evening at home."

Daeun nodded sleepily, holding out her arms for Mark. he lifted her up and carried her inside, the rest of the Dreamies following close behind.

they all made it into the studio without any mishaps. there were no one outside the building, but they made sure Daeun wore her hat and mask just in case. 

once inside their dance studio, Mark gently placed her on her feet.

"where are we?" she asked, looking around curiously.

"at the dance studio. we practice here," Renjun explained, holding her hand and leading her to a chair. "you need some more Calpol, bubs. come here and sit." Jisung fished the medicine and a clean syringe out of the bag, then walked towards her, shaking the bottle.

"no, nooo!.." she whined, covering her mouth with a pout.

" just a little bit, munchkin. it will help you feel better," the youngest reassured her gently, kneeling down beside her. he offered her a comforting smile as he showed her the syringe.

Mark, sensing her hesitation, knelt down in front of her with a soft expression. "little one, this will make your tummy feel better, okay? we want to be healthy, right?."

Daeun glanced uncertainly between Jisung and Mark before finally nodding reluctantly. she held out her arm, eyes fixed on Jisung's face as he administered the medicine with a quick press of the syringe.

"good girl," he praised softly, giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. Daeun sniffled a bit but managed a small smile in return.

Mark, exhausted from looking after her all night, still managed to muster patience. "stay here, little one. we're going to dance like we did at the TV studio, okay? are you feeling okay?"

she nodded and yawned, snuggling deeper into Chenle's side as he set up her makeshift bed. by the time he finished, she was walking over with a slightly red, runny nose. Chenle gently wiped her nose with a tissue and patted her back, hoping she'd settle down for a nap.

"i honestly don't think she'll sleep with the music on," Jisung said, frowning with worry.

"if she's tired enough, she'll sleep anywhere," Haechan reassured him, giving Jisung a confident nod.
 
he sat beside Daeun's bed, softly humming to her, while Mark kept a close eye on her, ensuring she was comfortable. despite the bustling environment, her eyelids grew heavier as she relaxed to the sound of Chenle's humming. the music gradually faded into the background as she drifted off to sleep, 

around 1 pm, they stopped for a break to eat. the group settled on the floor as one of the staff brought in food containers.

the boys chatted amongst themselves, discussing their practice and joking around, but their glances often drifted to Daeun to ensure she was still resting comfortably.

Mark, now seated cross-legged beside her makeshift bed, took a quick bite of his meal while keeping an eye on her. he smiled softly when he saw her lips twitch as if she were having a pleasant dream.

Haechan, catching Mark's concerned gaze, nudged him with a grin. "she looks like she's sleeping through a concert," he teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"yeah, let's hope she stays that way for a while," Mark replied, rubbing his tired eyes.

a little later, Daeun began to stir. she sat up slowly and leaned against the wall, her eyes blinking open as she took in her surroundings. her appas were all preoccupied with their tasks and hadn't noticed her waking up.

lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize Chenle was approaching until he gently touched her forehead with his cold, pale hand adorned with jingly silver bracelets. startled, she jumped slightly.

"sorry, kitten. i'm just checking your temperature," Chenle said softly, peeking at her from behind with a gentle smile. "do you feel better?"

Daeun looked up at him with sleepy eyes and nodded, giving a small, tired smile. Her little gesture of reassurance seemed to ease Chenle's concern.

after giving her lunch, Chenle handed her a drink and tidied up her bed. Daeun followed him to the computer in the corner, standing patiently next to the chair.

"baba, what are you doing?" she asked Renjun, glancing up at his lap. she seemed restless, not wanting to stand for long.

Renjun sighed softly and patted his lap. "hop up, i'll show you," he said with a warm smile.

Daeun climbed into his lap, her curiosity piqued. he gently adjusted her on his lap so she could see the computer screen better. "this is how you can draw and color, Daeun-ah. look, we can choose different colors and shapes," Renjun explained, his voice soothing and encouraging.

she let out a little yawn as he showed her more graphics on the screen. she nodded, feeling her back relax into his chest as his melodic voice made her eyes droop again.

Renjun watched the others dance, his thoughts divided between the performance and the peaceful little girl sleeping on his lap. he gently stroked Daeun's hair, ensuring she remained comfortable.

"feeling better, you said, " he muttered softly, a smile tugging at his lips despite the frustration of the earlier fuss. "maybe all the medicine has knocked you out, but at least you're catching up on sleep."

with a tender kiss on the top of her head, he continued to observe the dance practice, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction knowing that Daeun was resting peacefully.