. Little Fluff-Ball

Thump! Thump! Thump!

"DADDY! DADDY! There's a monster on the couch!" The shrill voice of a little girl echoed through the house, her rapid footsteps echoing around.

Yoo Jin-ho groaned, his eyes slowly cracking open. Kids. Always so full of energy and noises.

"Sweetheart, slow down! Don't run around like that, you might hurt yourself," Han-sol's voice called out from the kitchen, a note of caution in his tone.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The little girl's footsteps closed in, and she reached the spot where Yoo Jin-ho lay on the couch, still half-asleep. She began attacking him with her favorite teddy bear plushie.

"Big bad monster! Stay away from my daddy!" she chanted, her voice loud and lively.

Yoo Jin-ho groaned again, turning to face her. What was she talking about? To stay away from her daddy?

His serious, frowning expression seemed to intimidate the little girl, and she took a step back, nearly losing her balance. In a split second, Jin-ho was on his feet, catching her to prevent her from hitting the coffee table.

"Little one, it's not nice to hit people when they're sleeping," he stated firmly, helping her regain her balance.

Wide-eyed, she looked up at Jin-ho, taking in his towering stature. "Wow, you're even bigger than daddy!"

"Am I?" he replied, caught off guard by her innocent observation.

"Mhmm!" she nodded enthusiastically, clutching her teddy bear tightly. Then, looking up at him with curiosity, she asked, "Are you here to hurt us?"

"No, no," he reassured her, his voice softening. "I'm a friend of your dad's. And friends don't hurt each other!"

"Oh?" Her little pouty lips formed into an 'O' shape as her eyebrows shot up in amazement.

Yoo Jin-ho observed the quick change of emotions on her face, and he couldn't help the thought that she was cute.

She suddenly puffed out her cheeks in a pout, frowning at him with an accusing gaze. "Liar! I have friends too, but they always beat me up!"

Letting out a heavy sigh, he sank back onto the couch. "Does it hurt?"

"W-what?" She asked innocently, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

"When they beat you? Does it hurt?"

"Mhmm!" She nodded in agreement, bobbing her head back and forth. "It does!"

"Is Han—Is your daddy aware of this?"

"Shhh!" She shushed him, placing an index finger in front of her lips, signaling for him to stay quiet. "Don't tell Daddy! It'll make him sad!"

"I see!" Yoo Jin-ho mumbled to himself, gaining a better understanding of the situation. This little fluff was likely being bullied by those she considered her friends at school.

She hadn't spoken up about it, either because she thought it was normal or because she didn't want to make Han-sol sad. How could someone so small worry about others?

Yoo Jin-ho extended his right hand and ruffled her hair, observing her pink pajama set, bob haircut, big brown eyes, and chubby cheeks.

"Alright, it'll be our little secret!"

"Oh?" She echoed with excitement, her eyes widening in admiration. "Yay! We have a secret!"

"A secret?" Han-sol's voice chimed in as he entered the room, wearing a white apron over a black long-sleeved t-shirt and sweatpants.

Yoo Jin-ho placed a finger to his lips, signaling for the little girl to keep quiet.

"Shhh!" She mimicked his action, and Han-sol's gaze shifted between Jin-ho and his 'daughter' before he let out a resigned sigh.

"Breakfast is ready! Freshen up, you two! I'll set the table."

"Pancakes! Pancakes!" The little girl bounced with excitement at the mention of food.

"Yes, yes, sweety! Daddy made pancakes!" Han-sol approached and lovingly patted her head before adding, "Now, get ready! You don't want to be late for school, right?"

"Yes!" She exclaimed, her rapid footsteps echoing as she dashed toward the bathroom.

Yoo Jin-ho's features still carried traces of sleepiness, but he brushed it off and asked in a gruff tone, rubbing his eyes, "Daddy? I thought that little fluff ball was your niece?"

"Oh, did I forget to mention? My sister passed away last year, so I became Nari's legal guardian. That's why!"

"Hmm? Why am I only seeing her now, then?"

"She's been staying over at my aunt's place for a couple of days and came back home last night, before you arrived. I suppose she must have been surprised to see you, a complete stranger, this morning!"

"I see," Jin-ho responded, marveling at the revelation before narrowing his eyes, attempting to convey a warning to Han-sol. "Well, you need to be more careful with her."

"What do you mean?" Han-sol questioned, puzzled by Jin-ho's remark.

"I'm saying she's probably getting—" Jin-ho was cut off by the loud ringing of a phone, capturing Han-sol's attention.

Han-sol went to answer the call, and Jin-ho caught fragments of his conversation.

"Is it serious? I see... I see! I'll be there soon! Can you take care of her in the meantime? Thank you so much!" After Han-sol ended the call, Jin-ho leaned against the wall, staring intently at his friend.

"More trouble?" Jin-ho asked in a flat tone.

"Just my grandma. She's had a relapse! My aunt called, and I need to head to the hospital as soon as possible. I'm not sure I'll be able to have breakfast with both of you right now," Han-sol explained in a rush, removing the apron and tossing it onto a chair. "Can you take Nari to school? I'll send you the location."

"What?" Jin-ho was dumbfounded. "You know I'm not good with kids! They hate me, and I hate them!"

"Come on! You saw it too, didn't you? Nari likes you!"

Yoo Jin-ho let out an exasperated sigh, realizing that Han-sol wasn't going to take no for an answer. He reluctantly nodded, knowing that he had no choice but to take the little girl to school.

"Fine, but you owe me big time for this," Jin-ho grumbled, his voice laced with reluctance.

Han-sol flashed him a grateful smile before rushing off to get ready for his visit to the hospital.

Meanwhile, Jin-ho headed for the little girl's room to help her get ready for school. At first, he was unsure where to find her but ended up to the right door adjacent to Han-sol's room.

As he entered in, Nari was already standing there, wearing her school uniform and holding her small backpack. She looked up at him with innocent, expectant eyes.

With a hint of uncertainty in his voice, Jin-ho informed her, "I'll be dropping you off at school today. Your dad is quite busy."

"Really? Are you really taking me to school?" she asked, her voice filled with a mixture of excitement and hesitation.

Letting out a silent sigh, Jin-ho reassured her, "Yes, I am. Just give me some time to get ready. Can you be a big girl and have breakfast on your own?"

With an enthusiastic nod and an adorable bobbing of her head, she responded, "Yessshhh!"

"Great! I'll be down in a few minutes," he replied, exiting the room and making his way towards the bathroom to freshen up.

***

Nari had proven to be a well-mannered, gentle, and obedient girl. So far, she hadn't caused him any trouble, and their journey to the school was filled with her cheerful chatter.

She shared stories about her friends, her favorite toys, and her dreams for the future, while Jin-ho listened attentively, occasionally adding a comment or asking a question.

As they approached the school gates, Nari suddenly turned towards Jin-ho and embraced him tightly, causing him to momentary tense up as he was not accustomed to such displays of affection from children.

"Thank you for bringing me to school, Uncle," she expressed sincerely, her voice brimming with gratitude.

Uncle? There was a slight twitch of irritation in his eyes, but he quickly dismissed it as something trivial.

"No prob—" he was in the midst of saying when his attention was diverted as something caught his eye from the corner.

Reacting swiftly, he positioned himself in front of Nari, shielding her with his left arm.

A ball hurtled towards them but collided with his arm before bouncing away. Nari watched with a mixture of confusion and curiosity, her wide eyes fixed on him.

"Get out of the way mister! I almost had her!" a young boy shouted at Jin-ho, clearly frustrated that his ball had missed Nari as a target.

Jin-ho turned his gaze towards the boy, his eyes narrowing with a stern expression. Retrieving the abandoned ball, he stood up, holding it firmly in his hand.

Too bad the boy was a kid, or else… he would've had it real bad.

"Hey, that's my ball!" the little boy exclaimed, his tone demanding.

"You want your ball back? Then apologize!" Jin-ho responded in a firm tone.

The little boy appeared intimidated by Jin-ho's towering presence and muscular build, stumbling backward and ending up on his butt on the ground. Hastily, he scrambled to his feet and hurriedly made his way inside the school.

Turning his attention back to Nari, Jin-ho asked in a soft voice, "Are you okay?" Mild concern etched on his face, he couldn't help but imagine the potential harm her tiny body would've suffered if the ball had hit her.

"Wow! You're so cool!" Nari exclaimed, her eyes gleaming with admiration as she gazed up at Jin-ho.

A faint smile played at the corners of his lips as he handed the ball to Nari. "Take this and give it to your teacher. Let her know the boy lost it."

Nari nodded enthusiastically in agreement, clutching the ball tightly in her small hands. Her voice softened as she replied, "Thank you, Uncle."

"Have a great day at school," he said, his voice flat but gentle.

With a final wave, Nari skipped off towards her classroom, leaving Jin-ho standing there, watching her with a hint of something mysterious… protectiveness perhaps?

As she disappeared from sight, his gaze fleetingly shifted to the distant figure observing them from across the road, a pair of piercing blue eyes filled with unknown intentions.

***

A/N: Officially Introducing Kim Nari: