on their way to meet the Dreamies, Daeun was engrossed in a Korean kids' channel that Mark showed her on YouTube."the chair is red," the video instructed."the chair is red," she repeated."the coat is thick," the video continued."-is thick" she echoed, getting help from Mark and Haechan to correct her pronunciation.

"babaaaaaaa" Daeun shrieked loudly from the hallway after seeing Renjun with his arms opened at the door. they'd been apart for only a few days but she already missed her appas. it was fun being with the uncles but she did miss the dreamies.

Renjun was crushed into a big hug and he smothered her faces with kisses all over, before bringing her inside. he brought her to sit on the kitchen island where the others had been gathering to eat. they were greeted with the delicious smell of food cooked by Jaemin and Chenle. they settled at the dining table to have lunch, and as they waited for the food, Daeun continued to entertain everyone with her adorable attempts at new words.

"she's getting better every day," Jisung noted with a proud smile. "yeah, she'll be fluent before we know it," Renjun added, ruffling her hair affectionately.

Haechan had gone to his bedroom as soon as he stepped into the dorm, needing some shut-eye.

Mark, on the other hand, had joined the conversation with the Dreamies while keeping an eye on the messy little kid eating across from him. "yo, really? like... but wait, i mean—baby, hold it like this, yes, good job—" he still managed to help her use the spoon properly despite being focused on listening to the latest gossip from Chenle.

Daeun giggled as she followed Mark's instructions, her little hands trying to mimic his movements. Mark's multitasking impressed the others, who chuckled at the sight.

"hyung, you're like a superhero," Jeno teased, reaching over to wipe a bit of food from Daeun's cheek. Mark laughed, shaking his head. "so, Chenle, you were saying?" Chenle continued his story, and the room filled with laughter and chatter. they enjoyed their time together, sharing stories and jokes while making sure Daeun was well being taken care.

but soon after, Mark too went to sleep, leaving Daeun in their care.

Jeno took charge of washing the dishes after serving Daeun a bowl of bite-sized strawberries for dessert. the baby hadn't left her chair yet, and Jeno intentionally wanted her to accompany him while he cleaned the table. "is it good, princess? eat more then," he encouraged, enjoying watching her munch on the fruit he had prepared. he hadn't seen her eat so well since she got sick, so he cherished this moment while it lasted.

throughout the evening, Jeno carried her from place to place—he took her to his room to grab his laundry, then to the living room, and finally to her own room, where Jaemin and Chenle were already waiting on her bed."kitten, come here~ did you help Jeno appa clean just now?" Jaemin asked playfully."mhmm!" Daeun nodded enthusiastically, pleased with the attention she was getting.

everyone showered her with compliments until Jaemin took a more serious tone. "angel, listen here. you know how appa and Haechan appa are busy working, right?" he continued when she nodded, their eye contact remaining strong."tomorrow, appa and Haechan appa will... um, go work, yeah, work. and you will stay with me, Jeno appa, baba, and Jisung appa. Lele appa can come with Daegal if you want." they nervously awaited her response, expecting tears, but she surprised them.

"appa and Chan appa... work?" Daeun repeated, processing the information. her big, innocent eyes showed that she understood they would be busy the next day.Jaemin and Chenle exchanged glances, unsure if she was truly okay with the news, but they decided to let it be and tucked her into bed, hoping for a peaceful night ahead.

the following morning, the dorm was bustling with activity. the noises of people chatting and the smells of food cooking were all it took for Daeun to come out of her room, curious about what was happening. she gently settled herself near the sofa leg where Jisung had been sitting, watching a drama on the TV.

feeling little fingers patting his leg, Jisung looked down to see Daeun, looking sleepy. he lifted her up, settling her on his lap and gently bouncing her. "up so early, munchkin. are you sleepy?" he whispered softly as he carried her to the kitchen, where Chenle was busy cooking breakfast. 

Chenle made her a big banana pancake drizzled with honey and placed it in front of her. as they all began eating, Daeun happily nodded and giggled over their talks, noticing two seats were empty—Haechan's and Mark's. when she saw the two mentioned appas emerging from their rooms, each dragging a suitcase, the mood shifted.

the pair dressed neatly, ready for their trip to the airport, unknown to Daeun. a heavy silence fell as she dropped the food she was holding to her mouth and started to wail for Mark. "appaaa..?" she sniffled, almost hiccuping while making grabby hands toward Mark, who dashed over to comfort her.

"appa's going to work, baby. Jaemin appa told you yesterday, remember?" Mark said gently, trying to soothe her. but the problem was that they had only told her they would be gone for work without mentioning where or how long.

not long after, their car arrived downstairs, and Mark and Haechan needed to hurry to catch their flight. meanwhile, Daeun continued to cry, sad at the thought of being left.

"babygirl, come here. we're leaving now—don't make that face, please," Haechan said, watching her approach him with eyes brimming with tears, her mouth trembling, and her fists clutching hard. she still went to hug him.

Mark knelt down, hugging her tightly and giving her as many kisses as he could while quickly wiping her tears. "appa has to go, okay? in six days, appa will be back, little one. don't be sad," he reassured her, feeling heartbroken to leave his daughter in such a state. but he believed she would be okay with the others, even if it took hours for her to calm down.

Renjun picked her up and brought her to the front of the elevator to wave goodbye to Haechan and Mark. despite her tears, Daeun managed a small wave back, her eyes never leaving her appas until the elevator doors closed.