Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Kim Soleum, do you understand the deal that is laid out before you?” asked Lee Jaheon, voice stern and reasonable, like he was talking to a co-worker.

Kim Soleum bobbed his head up and down, wiping at his face when he felt a stray hair tickle him. He blew air up at his bangs, hoping that would settle things down. In truth, this was so complicated.

Lee Jaheon sighed through his nose.

Eun Haje’s pinched expression wavered. She poured another cup of coffee and then added two milks and two sugars to it. She lifted the cup to her mouth as Lee Jaheon looked at Kim Soleum, their newest problem.

See, this situation did not happen often, if at all, at Baekilmong. No one had been so contaminated that their physical appearance changed in a drastic way like this… without the effects being so severe that the person’s mentality also failed.

Truly, Eun Haje was shocked that Kim Soleum was talking.

Lee Jaheon tapped the papers on his desk, the ones between him and Kim Soleum. Kim Soleum leaned forward to review the papers, printed in ink, the agreement was made in hopes that Kim Soleum would behave.

“Please read it over,” directed Lee Jaheon, simple in his words.

Lee Jaheon was prepared to wait patiently. Kim Soleum was a very astute person. Even as a child, he still had most of his memories of adulthood, and would surely read over what he was agreeing to.

That did not happen. Lee Jaheon overestimated Kim Soleum.

A beat later, Kim Soleum chirped, “I did.”

Park Minseong smothered a laugh in his fist. Eun Haje sent him a look, shush, quiet down. She did not want Park Minseong to ruin this moment, after all. How many times would they be able to see Kim Soleum innocently say such bullshit?

“You read all three pages in a few seconds.” Lee Jaheon’s tone did not skip in cadence or seem off, but Eun Haje could hear his skepticism.

Yes, how indeed did Kim Soleum read over the agreement so quickly? It was simple: he didn’t. He just wanted this meeting to be done with. Kids were like that.

Impatient lil fuckers, Eun Haje said.

Adorable things, truly, Park Minseong responded in turn.

Strange creatures, Lee Jaheon murmured.

I can hear you, said Kim Soleum, petulant as can be.

No one was quite sure how Kim Soleum turned into a child—the Darkness he entered had never had the effect before. Of course, the Darkness he entered was new, and had no surviving records yet, so mishaps were to be had. At least Kim Soleum returned, and with Dream Essence, no less!

But that did not mean that everything was fine. Kim Soleum was contaminated, as there was no other reason for him to be in the shape of a child. His mannerisms changed as well, his mind having been somewhat affected by this physical embodiment.

Eun Haje had nearly tripped when Kim Soleum blurted out, Your hair is very pretty. It did not help things when Kim Soleum then asked if he could touch her hair a second later.

However, Eun Haje was not a prude, so she bent down to his level, and let Kim Soleum braid a small string of her hair. She wore it with pride, ignoring the pleading eyes of Park Minseong, who wished Kim Soleum did the same to his hair.

She felt like since they were in the presence of a child, they became more childish. How strange, no? Eun Haje huffed and sipped on her coffee some more. Caffeine would fix this, surely. She needed the fuel no matter what. It was a long day ahead.

Park Minseong poured hot water over a tea bag, pulling on the string as he admired Kim Soleum picking up a pen from Lee Jaheon’s desk, and signing the documents.

The document was not binding. Lee Jaheon wished to settle his nerves, was what Eun Haje guessed. Typing up a document like this was meant to calm him down. It made him process what happened. It was a cute thing, she thought, since Kim Soleum gave his report of the Darkness astutely.

He looked so innocent and bright despite the horrid words he said. He mentioned the blood splatter and the monstrous sounds that echoed around him in the Darkness with casual ease. Eun Haje suspected that it was a rough time, and as a child, Kim Soleum could process it better. Or perhaps he did not understand, or comprehend, exactly what he had seen.

No one could understand what happened in the Darkness yet. Lee Jaheon tried to get the facts, but turned off track once Kim Soleum kept acting more and more child-like.

Protocol said that they needed to take Kim Soleum to Fox Counseling or send him down to security. Eun Haje knew that Kim Soleum liked at least one person on the security team—he had one of their direct lines saved to his phone, but she did not trust Baekilmong with the child version of their maknae.

Kim Soleum was vulnerable like this. He was a child. What were they supposed to do? Ignore that Kim Soleum was like this? They wouldn’t. He was part of D-squad, and they took care of their own.

“I assume since you’ve signed,” said Lee Jaheon, looking at the child sitting next to him, “that you agree to all terms.”

“Yes.” Kim Soleum smiled up at the white-haired man.

Kim Soleum set down the pen. He didn’t look down at his signature, which was loopy and off, the characters slightly wrong-looking, like he didn’t know how to spell his name.

Eun Haje had a headache. Would taking him to Fox Counseling really be so bad…?

Lee Jaheon cleared his throat. “Do you understand that you agreed to be looked after by D-squad, first and foremost, and by other people you know based on how close we assume you are with them?”

Kim Soleum paused for the first time. He looked back to the documents, but soon glanced up at Lee Jaheon again.

“It’s fine, Chief Lizard.” Kim Soleum dismissed anything possibly bad with a chirp.

Eun Haje held back a snort, gulping for air at how calmly and innocently Kim Soleum said the words. She would not survive this. She was going to die holding back all of her laughter soon if she didn’t expel herself from the room.

Dammit, how could one person be such a little shit without realizing it? He was completely oblivious to how Lee Jaheon blinked at him in surprise and shock, not recognizing the term of address.

“I understand it completely,” added Kim Soleum.

He climbed in his chair, sitting on his knees to peer down over the table. He swiped the papers closer to him, humming with interest as he took an actual look at what he signed. His wide eyes quickly scanned the documents.

“See, right here, it says, in case all d-squad employees are assigned a mission, emergency babysitters— Hey.” Kim Soleum looked up at Lee Jaheon, a pout clear on his little face. “I do not need a babysitter.”

“Look in a mirror,” was Lee Jaheon’s blunt reply.

Park Minseong poured more honey in his tea than he meant to. Eun Haje scoffed at him. Lee Jaheon was the least of their worries. Kim Soleum was going to drive all of them mad with his ignorant bliss. They were all wrapped around his pinky finger, which was much smaller and weaker than it was the day before.

It was terrifying that such a small creature could captivate them. Eun Haje set down her cup, but lingered next to Park Minseong at the counter. She did not want to intrude on Lee Jaheon and Kim Soleum’s space.

Plus, it was more entertaining from afar. If she was closer to the chaos, then she wouldn’t be able to laugh at these memories as fondly.

“Kim Soleum.” Lee Jaheon returned to his boring, neutral state. Always reliable, that one. “What does the rest of that say?”

Kim Soleum looked at Lee Jaheon, his gaze particularly focused on his red eyes, a look of avid fascination.

“Emergency babysitters, Go Yeongeun, J3, and Baek Saheon… In that order.” Kim Soleum’s lips pressed together in disgust. He almost looked betrayed, too. “Chief Liz… why?”

Eun Haje was going to suffocate. She sucked in a breath, holding back her laughter as Lee Jaheon looked at Kim Soleum with all the professionalism that he deserved. Park Minseong had a face of steel. He drank his tea smoothly, but his eyes were full of life and scenery, butterflies of amusement fluttering beneath his eyelashes.

Lee Jaheon replied in a no nonsense tone, “Go Yeongeun has been seen to get along with you on numerous occasions. She has a good reputation, and you have saved her life by putting your life, as well as other lives on the line, so it was decided that you and her got along well.”

It was hard not to remember Manor of the Blind. Eun Haje got the heebie jeebies every time she thought about visiting a museum or exhibit. It only reminded her that art was truly in the eye of the beholder. Humans weren’t all that different, were they? They admired bones of animals from long ago, presenting them without any repercussions.

“J3 was chosen as the second candidate because you often bring him donuts and coffee. You go out of your way to do so. You are friendly with him in a personal way that you are not friendly with many.”

No one could argue that, either. Jay somehow got Kim Soleum to like him. Eun Haje didn’t spend much time around the security team—they tended not to spend much time around her, either, to be fair. They had duties that didn’t align with those on the field team, so they did not often cross paths. Yet, Kim Soleum and Jay were buddies, against everyone’s expectations.

“Baek Saheon,” said Lee Jaheon, “is your roommate. He will know you better than most others. It was only right for us to place him on the list. We will likely seek out his advice if you are not back to normal soon.”

Kim Soleum did not seem upset when Go Yeongeun’s name was read. He liked Go Yeongeun, that was confirmed now. She seemed sweet and studious—she survived for this long, that was good. Maybe she had a future at Baekilmong.

During Jay’s reading, he just seemed surprised. Maybe he hadn’t realized he had made a friend, which was kinda cute of the rookie not to understand. He was too friendly for his own good at times, but it paid off in these sorts of ways.

But when Baek Saheon was brought up, Kim Soleum’s face twisted until it looked like he bit into a lemon. The idea made him turn sour, his eyes flashing in annoyance that Eun Haje had never seen directed at anyone other than Kwak Jekang, and not nearly at this level.

She was intrigued instantly.

Baek Saheon was someone that Kim Soleum went out of his way to save during Manor of the Blind. That was insane, wasn’t it? Why was he suddenly acting like there was no camaraderie between them?

She wanted to learn more. She wanted to know why Kim Soleum, their precious rookie who got along with everyone, including entities from Darkness, was against having Baek Saheon as a friend. They were roommates, and Baek Saheon was someone Kim Soleum had saved more than once, was he not?

So peculiar, she couldn’t help but think. It was so peculiar that Baek Saheon was the one who made Kim Soleum react like a true child, his cheeks flaming red in either embarrassment, anger, or a combination of both.

Eun Haje tapped her fingernails against the counter, smiling to herself gleefully. Park Minseong gave her a concerned glance, like he could feel her viciousness. She just smiled even more sweetly at him, which made him sweat and turn around, focused on better things.

“Does it have to be him?” murmured Kim Soleum, voice soft and whiny.

Lee Jaheon paused, taken aback by Kim Soleum’s reaction. “We can amend it.”

Too nice, their section chief was. Eun Haje frowned, a little saddened that seeing Baek Saheon and Kim Soleum together would not occur, but alas, not all good things happened.

“N– No.” Kim Soleum shook his head. Even though he trembled, he said, “That’s too much work for one little thing. Really, what’s the probability that Go Yeongeun and Jay will both be too busy if you all enter a ghost story…”

His fate was signed and delivered, Eun Haje could tell. The little shit jinxed himself in an attempt to broker peace. Such irony. Eun Haje was going to enjoy this. Hopefully, she would not be caught in the cross-fire.

For now, she had someone to wrangle away. Well, maybe she could pass Kim Soleum off to Park Minseong. He had a family member he cared for, didn’t he? At the very least, they both agreed that Lee Jaheon couldn’t look after Kim Soleum in this form.

Lee Jaheon was a great boss, the type of boss that Baekilmong didn’t usually have. He was amazing and strong; loyal and trustworthy. However, he was not the kind of person that Eun Haje would trust to babysit a child. Not because he was creepy, but because he didn’t appear to have the skills of caring after another person that other people did.

To be fair, Eun Haje felt like she didn’t have those skills either.

This was why she was hoping to pass Kim Soleum and his brattiness over to Park Minseong. Yet, when she turned to him, he was sipping his tea and avoiding her eye contact. She was irked instantly.

Eun Haje didn't want to deal with any of the hard work of caring for Kim Soleum. Park Minseong was the perfect patsy for this. He could care for someone else, yes? Eun Haje knew that he could. Yet, she also felt like she was missing something. What if he didn't want to? What if it only reminded him of the family member in the hospital?

She supposed she could care for Kim Soleum if Park Minseong did not wish to. She set down her coffee cup gently, her fingers removing from the rim slowly. She didn't want to draw attention to her actions.

"Do you know how to care for children?" Eun Haje asked.

Park Minseong's smile against his tea cup froze.

Eun Haje continued, "Or at least, do you know how to care for those younger than you?"

She was trying to hint at his family member in the hospital. She assumed it was a younger sibling. It may be that subtlety was not something she was good at.

"I've looked after others before," was Park Minseong's vague reply.

He set down his cup, eyeing Eun Haje with slight trepidation in his eyes. Eun Haje hated that she was the reason he looked like that, but she needed to know how to proceed further.

Who would be the best person to look after Kim Soleum? She would do it, don't get her wrong, but she didn't have the experience. She thought about just throwing Kim Soleum at his roommate, but after his reaction, she was concerned to do that.

Park Minseong was now the most viable choice here, even if he didn't necessarily like that fact.

"You're good with children," she said, having no proof of that fact.

Park Minseong did not deny it, though. Eun Haje felt like she had discovered the truth amidst her questioning. She had known Badger long enough to pick up part of who he was. He was a person who cared for others, and did risky things for those who grew on him.

He was a team player. A family man, maybe. Eun Haje didn't care about specifics. She just wanted to know if she could trust him with Kim Soleum for the night.

Park Minseong replied, a bit of a laugh in his tone, "I am not horrible with children."

He didn't meet her eyes.

Eun Haje swallowed thickly, the feeling of ash and xanthan gum in her throat. It made her feel like she was caught in the middle, incapable of continuing down this path. She was stuck, forced to retrace her steps with no chance of stepping forward.

But Park Minseong did not stop there. He was too kind and understanding to leave this conversation on a low note like that. He looked up and met Eun Haje's gaze, his grimace turning into more of a frail smile.

"I can look after Soleum-ie if need be. I have more experience than you, most likely, and you have more experience than the chief would."

Eun Haje accepted the words, and then added, "The chief is good for many things."

"But not for looking after children."

It was an agreed-upon statement. It meant no ill will toward Lee Jaheon, but the chief was not someone suitable to take care of a child. Eun Haje was not the top person on anyone's list either, but even she was unsure if she would trust her imaginary child with Lee Jaheon. It was too bizarre of a concept to consider.

So instead, she looked to Park Minseong with hope. "You'll do it, then?"

Park Minseong did not sigh, and he did not shake his head in dismay. He merely nodded with a small, faint smile on his face. "I'll take Soleum-ie in for the night."

He was a good man. Eun Haje patted him on the shoulder, and then shifted her gaze to Lee Jaheon and Kim Soleum. Lee Jaheon had bent down so that Kim Soleum could look at his face more closely. It was adorable to watch the child's small clumsy hand pat Lee Jaheon on the nose with a look of awe.

They would all hope that the contamination wore off by the time morning came, but Kim Soleum was an unlucky bastard, so the hope was feeble at best.

Chapter Text

This was how the world ended, not with a bang, but with an aggrieved groan. It was carved out of frustration with not the child next to him, but with himself.

Park Minseong was out of his depth when he took Kim Soleum home with him. This was not going to end well; he could feel it in his gut.

Park Minseong had not taken care of another person for years. His sister was not someone he had to spend all of his time with. She was able to be herself without him needlessly intervening. She could take care of herself without him there. He was not needed at all times, even before she became cared for by others.

Kim Soleum, on the other hand, was right here. He was a child, not even half of Park Minseong's height.

He would have laughed about it more, but his chest had been tight and heavy ever since Kim Soleum returned from Darkness as a child. Contamination was terrifying—no one wanted him to end up working in the basement levels.

The kid had wobbly knees and liked wearing a suit jacket that was too large for him. It was adorable, of course, but also a safety hazard. Did the rookie not understand that it was dangerous!? It was a tripping hazard at the very least.

But Park Minseong could not truly be upset. Kim Soleum was a cute kid.

This wasn’t even his fault. It wasn’t as if Kim Soleum had asked to be looked after; he thought he would be fine on his own.

He talked about returning to his dorm, as if any D-squad members wanted Kim Soleum to hang out with the roommate they didn’t know very well. It was only in cases of emergency that they would turn to the backup babysitter list.

Park Minseong offered to take him in for the night. Eun Haje pestered him, but she was simply trying to gauge his feelings. She was subtle in that way, not outwardly saying what she wanted. Park Minseong could have pretended that he did not know what was happening, but he didn’t.

He agreed to this. Agreed to look after the itty bitty stellar rookie.

The hope that Kim Soleum would return to normal, with little to no contamination remaining after a few hours, was what made Park Minseong willing to drive home with the kid in the backseat. Seriously, he didn’t understand how this became his life.

At least they made it to the apartment safely. Park Minseong almost had a heart attack while driving, unprepared for Kim Soleum to start singing a small little song, mostly a hum with la-la-la’s in between. It was adorable, and fascinating in a way, but it made his poor heart leap out of his chest.

Home was safe, though. Being in his home meant there weren’t scary things. There was nothing to interfere with them. Kim Soleum would be alright here. There were no outside people or ghostly entities that would put Kim Soleum in danger from further contamination.

Yet, Park Minseong could not rest. It was an impossible feat when Kim Soleum was looking at him with stars in his eyes.

Park Minseong hated that bright gaze. Well, perhaps it wasn't hate. It was fear. The last person who looked at him like that was in the hospital, and she would not wake. She was incapable of it as she was now.

Kim Soleum was just another person for him to let down.

Park Minseong swallowed roughly, awkwardly returning a smile to Kim Soleum's innocent look of awe. It's not like Kim Soleum knew what was happening—Park Minseong was a private person. How was the rookie supposed to know that Park Minseong was regretting his agreement to take him in?

He only mentioned his sister when his death was imminent in the Darkness of the Tuesday Quiz Show. He did not like talking about why he worked at Baekilmong, but he brought up his sister in hopes of one of his teammates making it out alive and caring enough to check on her for him.

No one mentioned their reasons, at least, not many did for working at Baekilmong. Assumptions could be made, though. Most didn't even survive long enough to explain why the Wish Potion was sought after by them. Park Minseong was one of the lucky ones, if you could believe it or not.

As they sat on his sofa, he faintly wondered why a brilliant kid like Kim Soleum was at Baekilmong. What did he want so badly that he stepped into ghost stories to attain it?

He supposed that he could ask, but that felt wrong. Kim Soleum was just as private as they were. He didn't discuss his family or hobbies. He didn't even explain why he started carrying around the stuffed pink rabbit in his pocket. He was mysterious, but then again, everyone was.

Park Minseong inwardly grumbled as he straightened his shoulders. He thought that you had to be a little sick in the head to work at Baekilmong.

Park Minseong did not classify himself as sane. No one at Baekilmong was, and if they were, they did not survive past orientation. Every Baekilmong employee, especially those in the field team, did not get by with their sanity.

He could have been sane at one point. Maybe before his sister ended up in the hospital. Maybe before he felt like he lost all hope. Maybe before he had something to cherish.

That sanity faded when he ended up here. It left before his orientation. He was prepared to do as needed by the time he was moving up in the ranks. He needed the points. He wanted them. He could admit that he wanted it, that he craved the points more than anything else.

He would save his sister. He would. Just give him enough time to do so, and it would be done.

D-squad, at least, was functional as it was now. Chief Lee was great, Eun Haje was his closest co-worker, and their maknae, who was better than all of them in Darkness, was their ticket out of here.

Park Minseong liked to focus on the bright side of things. He didn’t want to look back at the past. He could only move forward. Thinking about all of his failures, every mistake he regretted and was incapable of taking away, was all nonsense. He must work harder to complete his goals.

He had to be positive about this as well. He couldn’t worry about the bad things. He had already tried to get rid of them all. His apartment was safe for kids, he was sure, and even if it wasn’t, it would be safe for an adult who was in a child’s body.

Although… It felt like Kim Soleum was a lot more childish than he was mature.

He sat on the couch, his dangling legs swaying. It was cute, that was undeniable, but it also frazzled Park Minseong. He wanted to treat Kim Soleum as an adult, sort of how Lee Jaheon spoke to the rookie, but how could he do that without feeling asinine?

Kim Soleum was not an adult, even if he wanted to have the autonomy of one. The way he struggled to even sit on the couch in a comfortable position made it obvious that he was troubled.

Park Minseong had to look at it like this: Kim Soleum had his memories as an adult, but his body was not of one, so his emotions were likely more sensitive and he didn’t have the critical thinking skills that adults had. It wasn’t anything strange, really.

He found himself wondering how Kim Soleum felt about being in this position. Park Minseong had been so wound up tight, in his head, cloudy and foggy from the chaos, that he didn’t take the time to think about how Kim Soleum felt about this. Was he anxious at all? Frightened about it?

He didn’t know what went on Kim Soleum’s head on a normal day, least of all on a day when he was trapped in a body that was not quite right. Park Minseong swallowed roughly. This was— What was he even supposed to do since this was a crazy scenario?

Kim Soleum continued to look up at him, childish innocence in his eyes. Did Kim Soleum have to look like that? Park Minseong would have preferred Kim Soleum’s aloof expression, not whatever this was.

It made him want to do more. He wanted to pat Kim Soleum on the head. He wanted to ensure his safety. He wanted to tell Kim Soleum to leave Baekilmong behind while he still could. Find a different solution to the wish that was longed for.

But the words did not escape him. They were stuck in his throat, hoarded behind closed bars. It would be hypocritical if he spoke to Kim Soleum, trying to steer him away from his decision.

Park Minseong worked at Baekilmong. He knew how dangerous it was—it was impossible not to realize that as time went on. Even on the first day, many rookies would bargain and beg, asking to be let go, grief-stricken to realize that orientation was only a glimpse into what they would do with their lives from then on.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked.

Kim Soleum blinked at him, eyes so wide and innocent that Park Minseong felt ashamed for so much as looking at him. If Kim Soleum was his normal self, he would look aloof, his eyes not so bright as he thought over his answer.

Park Minseong continued, tripping over his words, “What would you like for dinner, I mean? You’re hungry, aren’t you?”

He was pleading at this point. He would feed Kim Soleum so that they could go to bed.

Kids fell asleep quickly after they ate, didn’t they? Their bodies became weighed down by the food or something. Who cared if it wasn’t quite the normal time he went to sleep? He would need the extra rest after such a stressful day.

Kim Soleum looked at Park Minseong, and his mouth opened. Park Minseong eagerly awaited a response, something that would hopefully make sense. Truly, the man was wishing that Kim Soleum listed off his favorite meals so that it was easier to think fo what Kim Soleum would want for as long as he was a child.

Instead, what he got was Kim Soleum saying, “Food sounds good.”

He smiled afterward, giggling a little as Park Minseong’s expression fell. Park Minseong wanted to curl up into a ball and pretend that his co-worker was not a child. He was incapable of doing so, and forced to look at a kid who thought they had answered the question correctly.

“That’s all…?” It was so vague, please give him something more to work with, Sol-ah!

Kim Soleum frowned. Park Minseong refused to call it a pout, lest Kim Soleum return to his adult form out of spite the moment he did.

“What do you mean, hyeong?”

Park Minseong was going to have a heart attack. He was going to die, and it was all Kim Soleum’s fault. This was how he died. With a groan in the back of his throat from the cute and unexpected name.

He held his chest, feeling his heart beat rapidly against his ribs. Even his hand felt shaky. He had been into Darknesses much more terrifying than this situation, yet Kim Soleum was setting off every nerve that was in Park Minseong’s body.

This was why cuteness was so powerful. It made bodies break down. Park Minseong was one of its victims.

Park Minseong recovered, just barely, and said, “I was looking for specifics.” He cleared his throat, looking at Kim Soleum seriously. “Is there anything that you know for sure you would enjoy?”

The boy titled his head to the side, humming all the while. When he tilted his head back up, he said with a straight face, “Nope!”

Park Minseong wanted to bang his head against a wall. To save Kim Soleum from the trauma of that, however, he withheld his urges.

He smiled, internally despairing, and stood up. He went to his kitchen, bypassed the fridge, and picked up the phone on the opposite counter. He dialed for takeout from the nearest place that delivered and tried not to feel as if all hope in the world was dwindling.

Kim Soleum was too good of a kid. That’s all Park Minseong could think of as Kim Soleum ate what was provided with no complaints. He just went for it, not minding anything. Kids were picky but maybe adults who turned into kids were not.

But it still felt odd. Something was off about this whole thing. Kim Soleum acted like a child—his mental age definitely deterred. He was not functioning as an adult would. Park Minseong supposed that it was normal with any contamination of this kind.

Yet, there was still something lacking.

Kim Soleum almost felt empty. Less joyous than other children he knew. Like he didn’t know how to act or be. He could just be a well-behaved child, but Park Minseong couldn’t help but feel uneasy about it.

When he put Kim Soleum to bed, he wanted to call for help. He was tempted to text Eun Haje for advice. He wouldn’t call Chief Lee—the man would say that Kim Soleum was acting as any child would, as Lee Jaheon knew nothing about children.

Park Minseong didn’t do either thing. He didn’t touch his phone at all. He just patted Kim Soleum across the forehead, holding himself back from giving him a kiss goodnight like he used to do when tucking his sister into bed.

He turned off the light in his room and left the door open a crack. He walked down the hallway and sat on the couch, contemplating why he decided to live in such a small apartment despite having the funds for something grander.

Park Minseong shook his head. He shouldn’t think too much. He was upset, struggling terribly to adjust to his circumstances. It hadn’t even been a whole day but he felt older than his years. Baekilmong did that to a person…

When he woke up, it was to the smell of coffee.

Park Minseong’s nose twitched, his brain waking up due to the scent of what he drank every morning. His mind wandered where the coffee came from, not connecting the dots. He opened his eyes and sat up, blinking sluggishly as he peered around the living room.

It took him an embarrassingly long time to notice Kim Soleum sitting on a chair a meter away. And in Kim Soleum’s hands was a cup of coffee.

Park Minseong woke up to that sight. “Soleum-ah, you can’t drink coffee,” he said sternly, feeling a long forgotten instinct as an older sibling return to him.

“But—” Kim Soleum looked shocked, his eyes trembling even though he was struggling to hold the cup of coffee in his hands.

“It’ll stunt your growth,” Park Minseong said as he stood up. He grabbed the cup from Kim Soleum’s hands, taking a long, languid sip.

Kim Soleum whined. “It’s not like I’m actually a child.”

Then... why were you whining, huh? Park Minseong didn’t voice his thoughts, deciding to let his sparkling eyes do all the talking.

He rolled his tongue over the roof of his mouth, and said, “It tastes sweeter than normal.”

“Sugar,” was Kim Soleum’s instantaneous chirp.

At least he was honest. Park Minseong shook his head, smiling into the cup in an attempt to hide how amused he was by this event.

It wasn’t a bad night. He heard Kim Soleum wake up two times, but he was quick to go back to the room and fall asleep. Park Minseong had a lot more trouble with sleeping—that was an ongoing problem from his work environment, not a mini-maknae one.

Park Minseong walked to the kitchen, poured himself more coffee, and called out to say, “I was thinking of hashbrowns for breakfast. What do you think?”

Kim Soleum walked over, and nodded his head to the idea. Park Minseong nearly whooped in excitement. Sol-ah was showing actual interest, not just going along with what happened.

The drive to Baekilmong was short, though Park Minseong worried too much about it as he always did. Kim Soleum even made a comment about how there was no need to be worried. “I’m wearing a seatbelt already.” Well, it wasn’t tight enough, so please do better. If not for your sake, for mine.

They arrived at the company safely. Park Minseong held Kim Soleum’s hand in his, carrying his briefcase in the other. When it came to opening doors and pressing the button for the elevator, that was all Kim Soleum, and he did it with glee before looking up to Park Minseong with a wide grin as if he had accomplished something great.

They entered the office together. Mini Kim Soleum received a lot of looks, but no one outwardly asked the question of, Why is Kim Soleum a child?

There was only a single incident in which someone asked if Kim Soleum’s child was visiting him at work. Both Park Minseong and Kim Soleum were horrified by the idea—Park Minseong had never considered that Kim Soleum was of marriageable age! How dare they look at his rookie!?

As soon as they arrived, though, Park Minseong knew that something was off. Eun Haje was grimacing, and it wasn’t her small, tight grimace that meant she was struggling with the paperwork load. It was more full of concern.

Lee Jaheon, similarly, was pacing in the office. He never wasted time doing such a thing. He was above it, or perhaps he saw it as a waste of time. Park Minseong didn’t quite know how Chief Lizard’s mind worked.

“Let me guess,” Park Minseong began, already regretting showing up for work, “we were assigned a Darkness to take care of today.”

Eun Haje’s lips pressed together, crossing her arms. “Lucky guess,” she scoffed, turning her head away, still clearly upset by the news.

Lee Jaheon let out a strangely loud breath. It couldn’t have been a sigh—the man never sighed. Park Minseong would not say that Chief Lee showed signs of discomfort or tiredness.

Ah… hahaha. It was inevitable yet it still felt like a slap to the face. The babysitter list was truly needed, wasn’t it?

Chapter Text

“I’m… I’m sorry? I don’t understand what I am being asked to do.” Go Yeongeun’s eyes were trembling as she looked at her coworkers.

She knew who D-squad was, of course. She had met them in Manor of the Blind, and was well acquainted with their newest member, Kim Soleum. However, she didn’t think she was close enough to the higher-up group to be given a special assignment.

She swallowed dryly, asking, “What is the assignment about, exactly?”

Her hands weren’t shaking. No, that was just her muscles moving on their own. She was nervous, was that alright to admit? She wanted to move up the roster, and this could be an opportunity to prove her worth, but it had to come at a cost of some kind.

Eun Haje’s face was calm as can be. “We need your help looking after someone.”

Go Yeongeun laughed at her own first thought. They were asking for a babysitter—but obviously that was wrong. What kind of assignment at Baekilmong would be babysitting duty? They were all adults. It would be more likely that D-squad needed a fifth member to enter a Darkness and Kim Soleum had mentioned her as a recommendation.

“They’ll be here soon,” Eun Haje reported. She leaned against the door to Go Yeongeun’s team office. The rest of the squad had yet to arrive at work. The blue-haired woman tilted her head to the side and asked, “Do you know my maknae well?”

A small chuckle erupted from Go Yeongeun’s chest. She wouldn’t call them close. Her and Kim Soleum were colleagues. But, in comparison to other peers, she felt most comfortable and safe in his presence. She did not know the man well, but they were friendly, and honestly, she couldn’t imagine what Baekilmong would be like without him.

“He’s a good person,” Go Yeongeun chose to say instead of diving further into the deep, dark sea of her relationships with those she worked with. She smiled, something real that caused the faintest dimples to form on her cheeks. “He’s helped me a lot.”

It was all true. Even if Go Yeongeun did not know Kim Soleum like the back of her hand, he was someone that she looked up to. She might not have survived orientation without his guidance; the way he tried to calm everyone down and explain the situation. She couldn’t have made it through Manor of the Blind alone, either.

“I will do my best to help him in the future,” she said suddenly, the abruptness causing her to blush.

She didn’t know why she blurted out such a thing. Was it because some part of her was still so thankful toward him? Kim Soleum was her savior, in the oddest of ways. He was always looking out for her. She wished to repay his kindness soon.

Eun Haje didn’t seem aghast by the sudden claim. If anything, the older woman’s lips curled into an amused smirk. “You have perfect timing, Yeongeun-ssi.” She took a slow drag from her cigarette.

Go Yeongeun felt suffocated. It felt so ominous! D-squad was made up of the oddest people. Not that it was a bad thing, mind you! Kim Soleum was someone she treasured, and since he liked his teammates, she knew that they weren't bad, but my goodness, they said strange things without any explanation. She recalled Chief Lee being particularly peculiar.

“Ah… I mean—” Go Yeongeun, flustered, swept some hair behind her ears, “—I just mean that Kim Soleum has helped me a great deal, so I would like to return the favor.”

Eun Haje looked at her passively, and then finally gave a nod. Go Yeongeun wanted to crawl inside a hole and die. Baekilmong probably had a Darkness just like that somewhere around here. Assign it to her, please, she’ll make sure to bring back Dream Essence once she’s forgotten this terribly embarrassing moment.

“This is a good thing,” Eun Haje said. Smoke filled the air, ghosting around the office. Go Yeongeun felt light headed. “You’ll be able to repay him now. Isn’t that nice?”

Go Yeongeun still did not understand what was happening. She looked at Eun Haje in confusion, half-wondering if this was how D-squad members behaved when they weren’t inside a Darkness. Everyone had their coping mechanisms, she knew, so this could be a quirk to that.

“I don’t—”

She cut herself off when Eun Haje grabbed her by the wrist, and tugged her forward. Go Yeongeun wondered if it was normal for people in higher standing to be so casual with their actions. However, any sense of complaint died in her throat when she saw a familiar man guiding a small child by the hand down the hall.

She recognized Park Minseong. He was a friendly man who Kim Soleum talked about as if he looked up to him. Go Yeongeun knew that Kim Soleum liked all of his teammates, making Park Minseong automatically trustworthy. Still, she wasn’t paying much attention to the man in a suit who had once offered to help Go Yeongeun fill out a report.

No, her attention was all on the child that Park Minseong was guiding. Their hands were locked together. It was adorable the way that Park Minseong smiled at the kid. What was even cuter was how the dark-haired boy looked up at Park Minseong.

It scared her, though, how familiar the child was. Dark hair, check. Black eyes, check. The looks of Kim Soleum, check. But… Could it be Kim Soleum. No. That wasn’t possible. This must be Kim Soleum’s younger brother…! Yes, that’s exactly it. That’s what Eun Haje meant by repaying Kim Soleum. She would look after his sibling.

But of course, that all shattered the moment Eun Haje greeted the two with a small, “Badger, thanks for bringing Roe. I think we’ve got things squared away. He’ll be looked after for the day by Goat.”

Ah… hahahahhaha stop saying such weird things.

Go Yeongeun’s eyes might have begun to turn teary. She looked at the small Kim Soleum lookalike. She couldn’t deny it, could she? He looked just like Kim Soleum, but his cheeks were chubby now and his hair was almost fluffier, like kitten fuzz. She wanted so desperately to pat his head.

“Go Yeongeun-ssi,” the child greeted her.

Yes, she could not deny it. This was Kim Soleum. He was always very respectful toward her, almost to a fault. She wouldn’t mind being closer, dropping some of their boundaries, but she understood that Kim Soleum wasn’t fully comfortable with that.

“Soleum-ssi,” she responded, bending down to be closer to his level.

He beamed up at her, grinning like an innocent child. She wanted to squeeze his cheeks. Ah, this was not good for her health. She was never sure if she wanted children, but she couldn’t help but think that Kim Soleum was adorable. He’s the type to be spoiled, no doubt, since no one could dare make him cry.

She refrained from ruffling his hair, but only just. It was so hard not to pick him up and place him in her pocket. She glanced up at Eun Haje and Park Minseong, now seeing the dark bands under their eyes from worry and concern for taking care of what was most probably a contaminated Kim Soleum.

She looked back at Kim Soleum, and said warmly, “I’ll be hanging out with you today. I hope we have fun.”

Kim Soleum nodded, pleased, while Park Minseong flashed Go Yeongeun a thumbs-up. She wondered if Kim Soleum had been adverse to being looked after by an adult. He recognized her, so he likely held his memories. It would be strange to be taken care of if one thought inside that they were old enough to look after themselves.

Eun Haje patted Go Yeongeun on the shoulder, and then began to walk away. “Thanks for taking care of Roe. We already got it cleared with your supervisor. You can do whatever you want for the day since you wouldn’t be entering a Darkness anyway.”

Go Yeongeun stood up as Eun Haje and Park Minseong walked back down the office hallway, heading toward the elevators. She bit her lip, feeling like she was unprepared for what she was tasked to do.

Kim Soleum didn’t seem to notice her worry. He looked up at her with wide eyes. She was just thankful that he didn’t try to run away from her. She had taken care of children before when she was attempting to earn her degree, and they were always rambunctious. She was hesitant to ever get too close and cause them to start wailing uncontrollably because she crossed a line she didn’t know was there.

She mumbled to herself, “I don’t have to be contained within the office…”

She looked around the hall, feeling out of place as she held onto one of Kim Soleum’s hands. If it was true that she had no assignments for the day, other than taking care of Kim Soleum, then she could leave Baekilmong. She could do whatever she wanted.

It was strange to have that amount of freedom. She smiled to herself, and then smiled at Kim Soleum who was looking at her. He was too cute, but a little too quiet. She hoped he didn’t feel awkward around her. They would have a good time—she would prove it!

Taking the elevator down to the lobby was the first order of business. She greeted and waved others who rode with her. They all looked at Kim Soleum, but no one dared say a word. She heard one of them murmur a panicked, Is that the super rookie? Thankfully, everyone knew not to actually identify him by name.

Once they reached the lobby floor, Go Yeongeun gave a look over of Kim Soleum, and then nodded to herself. Why was she so worried? Kim Soleum still had memories, therefore he wouldn’t do anything that would put himself into harm's way. She doesn’t need to be one of those helicopter parents… Although one of those backpack leashes for kids popped up into her mind.

“Stay close to me,” Go Yeongeun whispered softly. Kim Soleum nodded reassuringly back to her.

They stepped out of the elevator, making their way quickly across the lobby. The morning was packed with field agents turning in to clock in on time. She took out her own badge and prepared to scan it so that she could exit the building safely.

They weren’t stopped a single time. Go Yeongeun inwardly cheered. She was great at this. Maybe she should have tried to make more money as a babysitter when she was younger. It would have all been worth it if, at the end, she didn’t wind up here, working for a company that did not give two shits if she made it back from a Darkness alive.

She huffed once they passed through the company’s doors. The sun was bright in the sky, no fog or haze in sight. She liked it, wondering if going to the park would be a good idea. It sounded nice to spend the morning enjoying being out of the office, no buildings needed at all to contain her spirit.

However, she had forgotten one thing. It was a small thing, really.

They might have left the company’s doors, but there were still coworkers arriving to work. Coming up on the sidewalk was Baek Saheon. He looked the same as always, though his dark eyes were even darker than normal. He must have as many nightmares about their work as she did.

Kim Soleum’s steps wavered for a moment. She felt his hand shake in her own. Go Yeongeun twisted her lips in thought, trying to figure out if it was the crowd that caused Kim Soleum to grow antsy, or Baek Saheon himself.

“Hey,” she said, leaning toward him until her hair began to fall that way, “it’ll be okay.”

Kim Soleum mumbled something, but she couldn’t hear it. She hoped it wasn’t him being upset with her. It didn’t look like it was, thankfully. He nodded, his little chubby cheeks growing rosy with her attention. She couldn’t believe that this was the same person who threw himself in harm’s way to protect her.

Her chest warmed. She knew that she was going to help him out today. This would be the start of how she repaid him for all that he’s done for her! She would ensure his safety and make sure that when he returned to normal, he wouldn’t have any bad memories of the time they spent together.

Her plan cracked ever so slightly when Baek Saheon completely froze when they passed by. Kim Soleum was looking everywhere but at his roommate, while Baek Saheon’s gaze was focused on the child. Go Yeongeun smiled feebly at the second person she trusted most in Baekilmong.

She didn’t hate Baek Saheon. She trusted him almost as much as she trusted Kim Soleum. The thing was that she knew that Kim Soleum would try his hardest to get everyone to safety, while Baek Saheon was the type to worry about his own skin. She still liked him, though, even if his personality and social skills weren’t very adept.

“Is that…? No. It couldn’t—” Baek Saheon shook his head. “Am I seeing things?” He didn’t sound like he believed what he was saying. “That’s not… The bastard didn’t come home but that doesn’t mean—” Baek Saheon looked as if he was going through all five stages of grief. “He has a kid, that’s all this is.”

Baek Saheon walked away quickly, but Go Yeongeun saw that he looked back, his shoulders tight like he was on alert. What made Baek Saheon and Kim Soleum react so oddly in one another’s presence? Go Yeongeun shook her head in wonder, and then tugged on Kim Soleum’s hand so that they would continue their walk.

The park was mediocre, if Go Yeongeun was being truthful. Dew was still on the grass, so neither of them wanted to sit down. Go Yeongeun tried, only to immediately sit up. She made good money now, and she was still wearing a suit that cost quite a bit compared to her casual wear, so she decided it was best to sit on a bench.

The bench was slightly better. Go Yeongeun took out her phone and scrolled through updates from social media as Kim Soleum sat with his legs thrown over the seat, swinging them back and forth. He said he had breakfast earlier—she hadn’t yet, so she picked up a small pastry from a stand before they settled down.

It was loud at the park. Louder than she expected. She had fond memories of quiet days, or really chaotic events where everyone staked out spots to sit down for hours, but today it was packed with loud noises. Mainly, children.

Kim Soleum didn’t want to join the children who were playing. A parent came up and asked if Go Yeongeun wanted her child to be looked after, if only for a moment. Go Yeongeun froze at the idea of Kim Soleum being her child, and Kim Soleum remained still, as he wasn’t interested in playing with others on the playground.

It was a very awkward conversation. One, that Go Yeongeun was still recovering from. She was going to leave the park as soon as Kim Soleum gave a cue that he was bored of it. Until then, she was going to stick this out!

An hour passed by. Kim Soleum did not once say that he wanted to leave. He sat there, looking around, minding his own business. Go Yeongeun was the one who had to start up conversations.

When she asked, “Do you want to climb a tree?” He responded, “I don’t know how.” Go Yeongeun offered to teach him, but then he said she needn’t get her suit rumpled, and she instantly crumpled in upon herself.

Kim Soleum was too nice. Go Yeongeun was the one who was supposed to be looking after him! Why did it feel like even now she wasn’t doing her job properly? She bit her thumbnail, deciding not to doomscroll or else feel even more stress than normal.

She cleared her throat, asking,“What is your favorite ice cream flavor? We can get some.”

There. That was a very normal thing to do with a kid. All children liked sweets—there was a flavor for everyone! Go Yeongeun knew that this would be the one way to get through to the child version of her friend.

“I don’t think I have a favorite.” Kim Soleum sounded so truthful that it pained her. He asked after a moment with curiosity, “What is yours?”

“... Praline.”

She wanted the world to swallow her. Baekilmong, please send her into a Darkness that would make her forget all about this conversation. She would prefer that over Kim Soleum nodded his head seriously like he was trying to memorize her reply. Her heart couldn’t take this!

“We should discover what your favorite ice cream is,” she declared after a long moment of her heart trying to explode.

Kim Soleum, the good kid that he was, nodded. He reached out his hand, waiting for her to grab it. How did people survive taking care of kids when they acted like this? Go Yeongeun was not going to come out of this unscathed. Each little smile from Kim Soleum felt like a physical attack.

She grabbed his hand, and they left the park together. She felt the judgmental looks of parents and babysitters on her. Look, it’s not her fault Kim Soleum didn’t want to play with the other kids! She even tried to encourage him to, but it was as if he didn’t understand the concept of going down a slide or climbing up equipment while laughing and giggling the entire time.

The ice cream shop was small and unbusy. Go Yeongun smiled the entire time, even though the long process of Kim Soleum sampling nearly every ice cream. The worker of the store was kind, and Go Yeongeun thanked them extensively once Kim Soleum settled on a flavor that he wanted.

They sat down at a two-person table. Go Yeongeun had two scoops of praline ice cream in her bowl, while Kim Soleum had currant ice cream topped with a single blue berry at the top. She dug in only after Kim Soleum took a bite of his, and grinned widely. Ack, her heart.