Jihyuk stirred under the warm blanket, his small body stretching as his eyelids fluttered open. He let out a soft yawn, rubbing his eyes sleepily before turning to the side—only to find the space beside him empty.

His heart instantly pounded.

The warmth was gone. The presence was gone.

"Seungho-ahjussi?" he called, his voice small, laced with panic as he sat up, gripping the blanket tightly. His mind raced with thoughts—Did he leave me? Did he change his mind?

Just as fear started creeping into his chest, the bedroom door opened with a soft click, and a familiar figure stepped inside.

Seungho stood there, dressed sharply in a tailored suit, the usual neatness in his appearance restored. His black hair was perfectly styled, and the glasses perched on his nose made him look even more like the serious doctor he was. He adjusted the cuffs of his sleeves, glancing at Jihyuk with mild amusement.

"You're awake," he said casually. "Come, let's eat breakfast."

But Jihyuk didn’t move. Instead, he clutched onto the blanket, his brows furrowed as his gaze landed on Seungho’s polished shoes, his crisp attire—his whole appearance screaming ready to leave.

Jihyuk’s tiny fists clenched as he quickly scrambled out of bed and ran to Seungho, gripping onto the hem of his suit jacket tightly.

"Are you leaving for work?" Jihyuk’s voice was small, uncertain. "Are you… are you going to leave me here alone?"

Seungho looked down at the boy, his sharp crimson eyes softening for a fleeting second.

"I’ll be back soon," he reassured. "You’ll be fine—"

"No!" Jihyuk interrupted, tightening his grip. "I don’t wanna stay alone… Take me with you!"

Seungho sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Jihyuk, I work at a hospital. It's not a place for kids—"

"I’ll be quiet!" Jihyuk pleaded, his large green eyes shimmering with determination. "I promise! I won’t bother you!"

Seungho stared at the boy, knowing full well that taking him along was completely irresponsible. But then again… leaving him behind, scared and alone, felt much worse.

With a heavy sigh, Seungho finally gave in. "Fine. But you must behave."

Jihyuk’s face instantly lit up with a bright smile as he nodded eagerly.

As soon as Seungho walked into the hospital lobby, holding a tiny hand in his own, the eyes of his fellow doctors and nurses nearly popped out of their heads.

Dr. Ryu Seungho—the cold, composed, and usually distant physician—was walking in with a child?

A tiny, adorable child, no less?

"Dr. Ryu?" One of the nurses, Minji, approached, her gaze flicking between Seungho and Jihyuk. "Um… who’s this?"

Jihyuk, oblivious to the growing stares, clung tightly to Seungho’s coat sleeve.

Seungho, on the other hand, exhaled slowly before saying, "He’s… my nephew."

Minji raised an eyebrow. "Your nephew?"

"Yes," Seungho replied smoothly, adjusting his glasses. "His parents are… away. So, I’m looking after him for now."

Before any more questions could be asked, Seungho quickly took Jihyuk’s hand and walked away, straight toward his office.

Once inside, he closed the door behind them and sighed.

"You’ll stay here," he said firmly, pointing to the small couch in the corner. "Don’t leave the office. Understand?"

Jihyuk saluted playfully. "Yes, sir!"

Seungho shook his head, muttering something under his breath before heading toward his desk to begin his work.

Little did he know, this was only the beginning of his unusual—and completely unexpected—new daily routine.