1998, 22. August

After Yoongi's first week in his new kindergarten, he was more than excited to play.

Usually Yoongi slept a lot on weekends, almost as if he was recharging his batteries for the upcoming week.

But now there was nothing Yoongi could recharge from.

In kindergarten, he sat in a corner most of the time because no one would play tag with him.

The others would dress up as Cowboys and Indians and the one time when Yoongi tried to play along, he ended up on the totem stack for over an hour because at one point they decided the game was too boring and left Yoongi alone, stuck to that.

It was Mrs. Lee who found him and brought him back to his group.

Overall, Yoongi was just bored at the kindergarten.

Sometimes the girl he met on his first day - her name was Minseo - joined him while he drew or played board games by himself, but she often got bored too and then moved to another group of kids.

Yoongi tried to get along with many kids but ever since Hoseok and his friends established that Yoongi was the odd one out, every other kid tried to avoid him.

After the incident with his foot, Yoongi didn't go barefoot anymore.

He always wore his shoes, even when he was playing in the sandbox outside.

Since he refused to go barefoot even inside of the building, his mommy had bought slippers for him which were allowed inside.

Sometimes the other kids would steal his slippers and hide them somewhere.

Yoongi cried then.
Just overall, Yoongi cried a lot these days.

He felt like the other kids loved seeing him cry.

Sometimes, when his mommy picked him up and Yoongi collapsed in her arms she said, "Yoongi seems to play well. He's always so tired when we go home." to Miss Choi.

Miss Choi never told her that Yoongi was tired from crying all day. Instead, she just smiled at her and agreed.

This Friday, Yoongi slept in very early.

Usually, he was allowed to stay up a bit longer and watch movies with his parents.

But this time, he fell into a deep slumber once his daddy pulled him into his lap and started to scent him.

Usually, Yoongi enjoyed the attention.

He liked it when his daddy was rubbing his nose against his neck and sometimes his belly which made Yoongi giggle, so no wonder he woke up very early on Saturday.

Yoongi's mommy needed to work even on weekends, so she was up early as well, preparing breakfast.

She smiled brightly when Yoongi ran into the kitchen, his little slippers scrapping on the wooden floor.

"Good morning.", she said loudly and giggled when Yoongi greeted her back.
"Will you wake up your father? I might leave in a bit."

Yoongi hummed and grabbed a toy car under the table.

He ran upstairs again, imitating the sirens of the police car.

He pushed the door open to his parents' bedroom and stormed to his daddy's bedside.

He always slept first to the door.

"Here comes the police!", Yoongi yelled and made his daddy twitch.

The big man turned in bed and looked at Yoongi who was holding up his police car.

He looked at his daddy with expecting eyes before he started to run the toy car over the thick blanket.

"Oh, no! What crime have I committed?", he murmured and tried to sit up.

"You didn't kiss mommy goodbye!"

Suddenly Yoongi's daddy chuckled.

"Trust me, she got her goodbye kiss already.", he said before he grabbed Yoongi under his armpits.

He lifted him up with ease and pulled him onto the mattress and into a tight embrace.

Yoongi loved being in his parents' bed.

Their scents mingled here a lot more and Yoongi loved rolling around in their sheets.

Yoongi's daddy smelled especially strong of his mommy today, and when his father started to stroke his back and held Yoongi's head close against his chest, Yoongi stilled for the moment.

He clung to his toy car and breathed in the heavy and wooden scent of his dad and the flowery scent of his mom.

Yoongi wondered if he might smell anything like this one day.

"I'll be going.", Yoongi heard his mommy call, waking him up from his trance.

"Take care.", Yoongi's daddy groaned back and rolled on his back in the process.

He pulled Yoongi on top of his broad chest and patted his butt.

Yoongi wore his favorite pajama today.

A deep blue one with yellow stars on them which were smiling kindly.

His daddy often didn't wear anything in bed because it was too hot under the blanket.

Yoongi didn't really get it because he was only comfortable with a pajama on.

But laying on his dad's chest, he was able to feel his body heat.

Yoongi laid his hand on his dad's arm and stroke over his tattoos.

"Do you have any plans for today?", Yoongi's dad asked once their front door clicked.

He looked at Yoongi with tired eyes.

Yoongi knew his mommy prepared coffee for his dad downstairs.

This would lift his mood.

Yoongi's dad always asked for his plans on Saturdays.

Usually, Yoongi would meet up and play on their local playground with his friends from kindergarten or they'd play hide and seek in the park nearby, but this was the first weekend he had nothing planned with his friends. Mostly because he didn't make any new ones.

Yoongi pouted at his daddy and shook his head.

"It's okay, pup."

His daddy sat up now and groaned in the process. He rubbed his lower back while he still held Yoongi in place.

"I have plans for us.", he said simply and picked a bit on Yoongi's pajama until he frowned.

"Are you wearing your slippers at home?"

"I am.", Yoongi said and looked down at his feet.

His daddy chuckled and shook his head.

"Okay fine. But not in bed.", he said and lifted Yoongi out of the bed.
"Go wash your face. I'll throw something on."

Yoongi nodded and ran into the bath.

Under the sink was a small stool Yoongi pulled forward so he could step up to it.

He quickly turned the water on and waited for it to turn warmer before he rubbed his face with his wet hands.

Meanwhile, his dad walked past the bathroom and downstairs.

Yoongi briefly dried his face and stepped down of the stool.

He pushed the stool under the sink again and then ran into the hallway and followed his father downstairs.

"No running on the stairs.", his dad warned him.

Yoongi slowed down immediately.

"You can stumble and then fall down the stairs. Take care."

Yoongi hummed and took the last steps carefully before he started running again.

His dad's steps were much bigger so he had to catch up.

Once they entered the kitchen, Yoongi watched his dad prepare breakfast.

He poured the black liquid into a cup and got a bowl for Yoongi's breakfast.

Usually, Yoongi ate from a plate, but sometimes he wasn't able to pick up the fruits with his fork and they often slipped from the plate and all over the kitchen table.

With a bowl, Yoongi could aim better and didn't struggle so much.

Suddenly, his father hummed and opened a cupboard Yoongi was familiar with.

He got really excited.

"Do you want to have cereals today?", his dad asked and showed him a box filled with colorful cereals.

Yoongi yelled in excitement and grinned up to his dad.

"Then get the milk.", he said and poured some cereals into the bowl.

Yoongi walked over to the fridge and opened up the door.

He had to pull on the door quite a lot before he could grab the container.

Yoongi didn't get to eat cereals often.

His mommy was always adamant that Yoongi would brush his teeth carefully.

Sometimes he ate too much candy and then his teeth hurt, so his mom put the cereals way up the kitchen.

Yoongi loved to snack cereals.

He placed the milk container on the table and crawled up his chair before his daddy placed the bowl in front of him.

His daddy often didn't eat in the morning. He'd eat later once he was more awake.

Yoongi grabbed for the container and started to open the lid.

His dad didn't let Yoongi pour the milk through . He was holding the handle and helped him out.

"How do you like your new kindergarten?", his dad asked and tilted his head slightly when Yoongi started to play with one yellow loop.

He bit his bottom lip and didn't know what to tell his father.

He didn't want to cry about how much he hated the new place.

During the last holidays, Yoongi heard his mommy worry a lot about him changing kindergarten.

Sometimes Yoongi sneaked out of his room to watch the TV from the top of the stairs and one evening, he heard his mommy say that she was scared Yoongi wouldn't find new friends. That he'd get bullied and that changing kindergartens was maybe a wrong idea.

But then, his daddy told her not to worry and that Yoongi was a big boy now.

His daddy was right.

There was no need for his mommy to worry.

Yoongi would get used to everything soon.

Still, Yoongi wasn't able to find proper words at the moment.

So he stuffed his face with cereals and shrugged.

The sweet flavor spread over his tongue and he was smacking his lips once he swallowed the mush in his mouth.

Yoongi scooped up a bit of the milk and slurped it.

His dad leaned back a bit and placed the mug on the table.

While Yoongi ate his breakfast, a gentle smile was laying on his lips.

He always watched his son with endearment. And Yoongi sometimes noticed his gaze.

Just like now so he set down his spoon and looked at his dad.

He stroked over his face. Maybe he had some milk on his chin.

"Yoongi, do you want to visit your friends?"

And Yoongi was more than excited to do so.

Yoongi and his dad took the bus to their old neighborhood.

Yoongi was allowed to sit next to the window.

There were always so many interesting things to see.

Other people in their cars, an old woman walking her dog, a couple of older people coming out of a cafe with a big smile on their faces.

They drove past their old house.

Another family was in their front yard and planted flowers.

Sometimes Yoongi forgot that they moved to another place. The inside of their house still looked quite the same.

The playground was only mere blocks away from their old home so they left the bus at the next station and walked the rest of the way.

Yoongi's dad made sure to hold his hands until they reached the playground.

Sometimes cars still passed them and Yoongi's dad made sure to walk in between the street and his son.

In their way, Yoongi picked up a flower and a stone he wanted to show his mommy later.

He gave those his daddy because he was sure he'd take good care of them.

It was still warm.

These days Yoongi thought about the beach a lot and how he's like to go back and to play with Taehyung near the shore.

The fresh wind cooled down his hot skin back then, but now, in the city, barely any wind was refreshing Yoongi.

Usually, the heat didn't bother him that much. But these days something was weighing him down.

Yoongi still didn't know what.

"Yoongi!"

Once Yoongi heard his name, happiness was washing over his body and mind.

It was Seunghee. A friend of him who always stuck to his side in kindergarten.

She was running towards him, her mother behind her.

He was so happy to see Seunghee that he let go of his father's hand and ran towards her.

They met midways and Seunghee threw herself at Yoongi.

"Yoongi, I missed you!"

"I missed you too!", Yoongi said and hugged her back clumsily.

He loved hugs.

Especially from his friends.

"Youngjae and Yerim will come too and Yerim promised to bring sweets!"

"That's awesome!", Yoongi said and Seunghee started dragging him towards the playground.

Yerim's mom worked in a bakery. Sometimes she didn't only bring sweets but also baked goods like cookies or cupcakes.

Yoongi quickly followed Seunghee and really, both of their friends were there and already climbed the slides.

Before Yoongi would greet his other friends, he looked back at his dad.

He already talked to Seunghee's mom and both walked after them.

Yoongi felt content, knowing that his father was close to him.

He was still happy to see his friends but there were also other kids Yoongi didn't know.

After Yoongi met his other friends and got introduced to the strangers, they started to play pretend.

Yerim really brought cookies and after they gave out all of them, Yerim made sure Yoongi got the last one as well.

Yoongi was touched by this gesture and broke the cookie into four pieces.

They weren't equally big so Yoongi gave the bigger pieces Yerim, Seunghee, and Youngjae, while he ate the smallest one.

The other kids were new kids from their neighborhood.

They seemed kind but Yoongi took a bit longer to thaw.

He was watching them carefully and never suggested anything. He tried to agree with their ideas unless someone asked him to state his opinion.

Once some of the kids were picked up by their parents, Yoongi and his friends dug in the sandbox. Suddenly Yoongi wasn't as tense anymore.

Seonghee hid three forms for Youngjae and him and they were trying to find them quicker than the girls before them.

Still, after they searched every inch of the sandbox already and weren't successful in finding the last one.

"Youngjae, darling. We need to leave now."

Yoongi looked from the forms they already found up to Youngjae's mother.

"Oh- Mommy. Please! Just a bit more.", Youngjae cried out.

"I'm sorry, but your aunt is coming soon and we need to clean you up before she arrives.", his mom said and kneeled down in front of him.

She pinched Youngjae's chubby cheeks until the small boy whined.

His mother giggled and looked at Yoongi then.

"I already told your dad that we are all happy you still come here to play. Everyone is glad to see you again."

Yoongi's chest swelled a bit with proud.

This past week, Yoongi wondered if his friends already forgot him.

But they still welcomed him with open arms.

"Come, Youngjae.", his mother stood up again and Youngjae also climbed out of the sandbox to take his mother's hand.
"See you soon, Yoongi!", the boy said and waved at Yoongi who waved back shyly.

He still smiled brightly.

Seunghee and Yerim joined him in the sandbox and also waved at Youngjae.

"See you on Monday!", Seunghee yelled after him.

She sat down on the corner and grinned at Yoongi.

"You two didn't find them, right?"

Yoongi held up two forms and looked around the sandbox again.

"Not really.", he mumbled. "Where did you hide them?"

Seunghee giggled and climbed into the sandbox.

She walked over to the other end and started to dig under the frame.

Yoongi looked closer and realized the sand there was a bit softer.

He groaned when Seunghee pulled out the last form.

"That one was mean.", Yerim said. She now stood behind Yoongi and smiled.

He turned around and their eyes met for a moment.

Yerim always had pink cheeks.

"Usually, the boys are the mean ones.", Seunghee said and walked back to them.

Yerim turned around slightly, looking for her parents.

"We are missing you lots!", Seunghee said and settled down beside Yoongi in the sandbox. She started to fill up the forms.

"I miss you too.", Yoongi mumbled and nodded.

He started to form a ball of sand.

Yoongi looked at Seunghee and then at Yerim who was glancing at him.

"I miss all of you. The other kids are stupid.", Yoongi answered and looked down.

He pushed out his bottom lip and crushed the ball in his hand.

He then patted over it and drew a sun into the sand.

Seunghee didn't speak anymore.

She was just looking at Yoongi.

"Do they bully you?", Yerim asked and now joined them in the sandbox as well.

Yoongi didn't nod nor shook his head.

"I'm weird.", Yoongi said lowly and shrugged.

"You are not weird!", Yerim said and frowned.

"You are great!", she added, crossing her arms.

"Who are they to bully you?"

Seunghee now sighed heavily.

"When they bully you, call us. We will protect you."

Yoongi's smile grew.

"Thank you.", he said softly.

He was lucky he had such good friends.

"Seunghee, Yerim? We need to leave too.", Yerim's mom called for them.

Maybe Seunghee spent the day at Yerim's and Seunghee's mom just brought her over.

Yerim stood up and smiled at Yoongi.

Seunghee hugged him before she also stood up.

"See you soon, Yoongi! Come play with us soon again.", she said and left together with Yerim the sandbox.

Yerim was only waving at him.

Slowly they walked off the playground.

Yoongi tried to busy himself with the sand a bit more. But nobody he could play with was there anymore.

After a while, his dad walked towards him and rolled up his sleeves.

"Hey, are you good?"

Yoongi nodded and stood up.

He brushed off the dirt from his pants and clung to his dad who then lifted him up.

His daddy chuckled and hugged his son.

"Are we tired yet?"

Yoongi shook his head although he had trouble keeping his eyes open.

"Was it good seeing your friends again?"

Yoongi nodded and laid his head on his dad's shoulder.

He was swaying around Yoongi slightly while he rubbed his nose at his dad's scent gland.

"Do you want ice cream?", he asked.

"Yes, please.", he answered. And just then he realized how tired he was.

He spent several hours on the playground.

He could use a nap but these days he wasn't allowed to nap as much anymore.

His mommy always told him that he'd go to school soon so he couldn't nap there.

So while his dad walked off the playground, Yoongi was still looking at the forms in his hands. Seunghee left them with him.

Three forms for three of his friends.

Once they arrived near the ice cream shop, Yoongi's dad sat him down on the bench in front of the building.

Yoongi's dad climbed the couple steps to the selection.

"Yoongi, what kind of ice cream would you like to have?"

"Vanilla!", Yoongi said and swayed his legs back and forth.

This was his favorite. He could eat mountains of vanilla ice-cream.

He placed the three forms beside him and tried to make them even beside each other.

His dad was back quickly and sat next to his son.

He gave Yoongi the vanilla ice-cream corn and started to lick on his own mint one.

Yoongi hummed happily when he took the first taste.

"Hey, did you find any friends in kindergarten?"

Yoongi stopped swaying his legs and sulked.

"I don't know. They are pretty cool, but I think I'm not as cool."

"You are! Maybe they are afraid of your coolness."

Yoongi giggled and called his father silly.

"Maybe you can invite some of them over?", his dad suggested, but Yoongi just shook his head.

His dad sighed heavily.

Yoongi felt his father big and warm hand on his back, stroking it.

"I'm sorry. Your mom and I never wanted to make you unhappy."

Yoongi looked up at his dad.

He looked really sorry, brows pulled together slightly.

"It's okay, daddy.", Yoongi said and smiled softly.

"I'm not unhappy.", he added and patted his daddy's back.

He then paid attention to his melting ice which was already running over his fingers.

His dad kept his hand on Yoongi's back and rubbed his thumb over the fabric of the shirt.

Suddenly, a group of people was rounding the corner.

hey weren't adults. But much older than Yoongi. Maybe thirteen, some of them fourteen years old.

One boy was walking in the front and the rest a bit behind.

A girl was trying to catch up to the boy in the front.

"Can we stop here and get ice cream, alpha?", the girl asked and looked back at the other people for a moment.

The boy in the front stopped for a moment and looked up the ice cream store.

Yoongi observed the group for a moment.

Everyone looked unsure. But they watched how the boy looked up to the ice cream store and then shook his head.

"No. We don't have time for that.", he simply said and kept walking.

The others looked at each other, some of them sighed but then followed the girl which was already trying to catch up to the alpha.

Yoongi looked after them and then at his dad.

"Why didn't he allow them to eat ice cream?"

Yoongi's dad chuckled.
"I can't tell you why. If he's the leader of the pack, he decides those things apparently."

"That's silly.", Yoongi said and made his father laugh who then stroke over Yoongi's hair and hummed.

"You are right, pup. Nobody should tell you what to eat."

"Then why did he do?", Yoongi asked again, the ice-cream long forgotten.

"They are young, Yoongi. Young alpha's think they need to lead a pack and decide over things to become someone. Even if it's for something this small."

Yoongi frowned.

"What's a pack?"

"That's a group of people, often one Alpha with Beta's and Omega's, who built something like a...", his dad seemed to search for words, " like a second family. But they are often not. Especially young packs start to crumble quickly."

"But they look so cool."

"Packs are not cool. Young Alphas think it's important to lead one and young omegas and betas think they need to follow. There are more important things than a pack and being cool in life."

Yoongi thought about this and finally asked, "What are more important things?"

He eyed his father who had a sweet smile on his lips.

"Your mom is, Yoongi. I decided to stay away from packs for her sake and for my own. Never join a pack without a valid reason, Yoongi."

Yoongi blinked a couple of times.

He still didn't understand the concept of a pack, but if his daddy told him those were bad, he would stay away from them.

When they arrived home, Yoongi was exhausted.

He was about to sleep in.

But his hands were still sticky from the ice cream and he needed to get rid of the sand in his clothes.

So when Yoongi's dad pulled off his shoes and helped Yoongi find his slippers, he carried him upstairs and took together with him a quick shower before he pulled fresh clothes over both of them again.

Yoongi was a bit more awake now and walked downstairs again where he approached the couch.

His toy piano laid on top of the armrest and Yoongi grabbed it.

It was a very small one and Yoongi could almost wrap his hands around it.

The blue color of the toy splintered from the plastic. Yoongi often scratched on the surface with his tiny but sharp fingernails.

"Yoongi, do you want to barbeque for dinner?", his daddy asked while he walked downstairs with his phone in his hand.

But before Yoongi could make up his mind, their doorbell rang.

Yoongi's dad walked to their front door and checked the outside before he opened the door.

Yoongi slid down the couch and followed his dad, curious who could visit them today.

He walked up to his dad's leg and hugged it while he peeked outside.

Yoongi noticed the old woman there right away.

She was a grumpy omega.

His grandma to be exactly. But he didn't like her very much.

She had taken care of him sometimes in the past and always scolded Yoongi for almost everything.

Yoongi often told his mommy that he was scared of his grandma, but she always told him that grandpa died quite a long time ago, and when she lost her mate, she became grumpy and whiny.

Sometimes Yoongi asked why she didn't just get another mate but his mother only laughed and said, "I wouldn't replace your daddy that easily. Sometimes there is only one person forever."

Yoongi still couldn't understand.

He was just happy that his mommy wouldn't replace his daddy.

And that his mommy wouldn't turn out grumpy.

His grandma came in and talked to his daddy for quite a while.

She came by often. Brought fruits and meat and sometimes stuff Yoongi could play with.

This time she brought crayons for him.

Yoongi quickly got papers from his dad's office and joined them on the kitchen table.

Yoongi started to draw a house while he nibbled on a piece of apple.

He picked brown as the color for the house and green for the grass around it.

"You are getting thinner.", his grandma mentioned and Yoongi's dad laughed shyly.

"I'm on a diet recently.", he said and looked at Yoongi's drawing.

He patted Yoongi's head.

"Do you want to stay for dinner? I planned on doing barbeque and Haerin will come home in a couple of hours as well."

Grandma agreed to help him prepare for dinner.

She always talked a lot to his dad. They weren't related but she seemed to like him a lot.

Once his dad disappeared to the bathroom, she looked at the pictures Yoongi drew.

She just frowned at them and then placed them back beside him.

"Do you like kindergarten?", she asked and sounded a bit weird about it.

As if she knew he wasn't treated well there.

Yoongi shook his head.

She hummed and pulled back one chair and sat down. She grabbed a knife his daddy placed there previously.

Yoongi knew he wasn't allowed to touch the knives.

"Listen. It's hard sometimes. To find your place. But you should take this opportunity and make new friends. You can't stay alone for the rest of your life."

Yoongi looked up at his grandma who started to peel a mango.

"When I was your age, my grandma always told me that the other kids didn't want to play with me because I was too shy. Maybe you should open up more, Yoongi."

Yoongi opened his mouth when she handed him a piece of the mango.

He popped it into his mouth and then watched it when she got herself a piece.

Yoongi nodded and thought about it.

He'd try to make new friends.

Maybe his grandma was right. Maybe he wasn't trying enough.

So on Monday, Yoongi tried harder.