there were people going in and out everywhere. idols were busy getting ready, shooting TikToks, and chatting with their staff. NCT 127, Dream, and WayV rooms were set up beside each other, making it easier for their managers to coordinate.

the end-of-year stage usually had them perform rare songs—not the ones they typically performed on Music Bank and Inkigayo. these could be B-sides that fans rarely saw. the Dreamies were nervous about going on stage, with Mark and Haechan feeling it the most as they had to perform with both groups.

meanwhile, Daeun flitted from 127's room to Dream's, excited to have such spacious rooms to play in. she peeked into 127's room while the Dreamies were performing, looking for her uncles.they were chatting and some were on their phones, but they all stopped when she stepped into the room. she was dressed in a padded jacket and fluffy earmuffs, her nose red from the cold air.

Jaehyun made a beeline towards her and scooped her up to sit on the sofa. "oh, cold cold, gotta protect our little daeun," he said, rubbing the hot pack between his hands before holding Daeun's. he thought her red nose was cute and couldn't help but chuckle.

Taeyong, who had been watching, came over with another hot pack. "let's warm you up, baby princess," he said, placing the hot pack in her small hands. they watched her appas' performance together, and she giggled happily when she saw their faces on the screen. "candy!" she cheered at the start of the song.

as soon as she entered Dream's room, she went straight for Jeno who was near the door, and tugged on his hand, leading him to sit. she climbed onto his chest to pat the fluffy hat he wore for the performance while he held her feet gently on his lap. after about an hour, everyone went to the stage to celebrate Christmas together, leaving Daeun alone. she behaved well and immediately went to the staff quietly, sitting herself beside the chatting ladies.

they took her for a walk around the building while waiting for the whole group to come down from the stage. she was skipping around, waiting for her appas until she bumped into someone.

she had seen him before but didn't know who he was.

"oh, sorry sorry, kid. OH? noona, is this her?" Kun asked, receiving a nod from the staff. he immediately crouched down, trying to get a good look at the infamous Daeun he'd been hearing about for the past few months.

"aigoo, so pretty~ Daeun, right? i'm Kun," he said, reaching out to shake hands with her.just then, they heard Mark from afar. "good job everyone, thank you!!" Dreamies had finally finished their performance and were coming down the stage, thanking the backstage crew.Daeun's face lit up when she saw Mark. "merry christmas, little one," he shouted from a distance before picking her up and spinning her around. he finally acknowledged Kun's presence when he put her down.

"Kun hyung! Merry Christmas, " Mark said, giving Kun a hug before introducing him to Daeun. "uncle Kun, baby. this is uncle Kun." "uncle Kun," Daeun repeated, clapping happily as she said his name. Kun beamed and took her hand, leading her to WayV's waiting room, leaving Mark to change.

she was hesitant at first, but her appa encouraged her to go with the uncle, so she complied.Daeun took in her surroundings, a room she'd never been to before. she saw new faces and heard a language she hadn't heard much before. "woah, he came back with a kid," Yangyang's voice carried across the room.

"Daeuniee, come here~ how are you?" Ten called as soon as he saw her at the door. he had known her earlier than the other WayV members, as Mark sometimes hung out with him and brought her along. she gladly ran to the safety of Ten's arms after not seeing him for a long time.she gave him kisses on his cheeks before turning to look at the others.

 Xiaojun decided to make a move, offering her a handy pack of marshmallows while crouching in front of her. she looked back at Ten, who nodded, so she took the snack. "thank you," she said shyly, quickly hiding her face in Ten's neck.

Ten brought her to sit beside Kun, thinking she would be more comfortable with him. "how old is Daeun?" Kun asked gently. she slowly put up four fingers and showed them to him, but then Ten folded two of them while chuckling. "Daeun is 2, uncle Kun. can you say it, Daeun?""Daeun is 2!" she raised two fingers this time, giggling as she looked between Ten and Kun.

she played nicely with WayV, mostly Ten and Kun, who had approached her first. the kid was still shy but started to warm up a bit. after playing with her newly met uncles, it was time to go home. Renjun and Chenle came to pick her up from the waiting room and bid goodbye to everyone.

"thank you for taking care of her," Renjun said to everyone in the room."don't mention it. she's adorable," Kun replied, waving at Daeun."bye-bye, Daeun. come visit us again soon," Ten added, giving her a hug.Daeun waved back with a big smile. "bye-bye, uncles!"

as they walked back to their waiting room, Renjun and Chenle held her hands, swinging them gently. she happily recounted her day, excitedly telling them about her new uncles in WayV.

"did you have fun today, princess?" Jeno asked, lifting her up. "mmhm! i met uncle Kun and uncle Ten, and one uncle give me this," she exclaimed, her eyes shining with joy, showing the marshmellows.

"really? i'm glad you had a great time," Mark said, ruffling her hair affectionately as he passed by.they settled her down for bed, tucking her in with her favorite plushies. "goodnight, baby," Mark whispered, kissing her forehead."goodnight, appa," she murmured, already drifting off to sleep.
as the night settled in, the dorm was filled with a peaceful silence, a reminder of the love and warmth that made their home truly special.