On Baby Wings

Part 8

Yoongi comes over the next morning, looking exhausted and Hyejin immediately narrows her eyes at him.
"What happened to you overnight?" she asks, setting food on the table.
Yoongi grins, "I released my album and did a live stream."
Hyejin gasps, turning to him, almost spilling a cup of coffee onto the floor. Yoongi grabs the cup from her, placing it on the table as she starts to talk.
"Why didn't you tell me? I could have stayed up and watched it! You know I don't work most Saturdays!" She continues as Yoongi sits down, "Yoongi, that's so cool! How is the response to it?"
Yoongi smiles at her, watching her flit around and get another drink before sitting down at the table. This was incredibly domestic, and he was slightly ashamed of how much he liked it.
"It's doing really well, I had so many people join the live and the mv for the album is already at a million views," He yawns and Hyejin smiles softly at him.
"That's awesome!" She says and Hana curiously asks why they were so happy.
Luckily with the release of the album, the article that was released with the photos of Yoongi and Hyejin after the trial got buried, and only a few fans saw it and passed over it to focus on the live stream.
Yoongi's fan base almost doubles in size during this time and he becomes even more well-known throughout the country.
Despite that face, Hyejin and Hana start to convince him to go out with them some evenings and weekends, the group making frequent trips to the park or to a children's museum. Hana was getting very skilled at eating with her fork and spoon and Hyejin started taking her to a few restaurants.
Yoongi was invited each time but only went every few times, not wanting to be spotted too much with the small family.
Christmas was quickly approaching and Hyejin convinced Yoongi to go out to look for a tree to decorate with Hana.
"I'm not sure it's a good idea," Yoongi tried to protest, worried about paparazzi and articles.
"I'm not scared of articles anymore," Hyejin asks, a challenge in her eye as she waited for Yoongi to make a choice.
Finally, he gives in, sighing, "I'll go get dressed," He disappears into his apartment and meets them in the hallway a few minutes later, heavy coat and boots on.
Hyejin opens her door again, letting Hana go over to Yoongi and hold his hand. She comes back out a moment later with a scarf, wrapping it around Yoongi's neck with a grin.
"Let's go find a Christmas tree!"
Hana cheers and pulls Yoongi down the hallway after her mother.
They find the tree farm pretty easily, despite the short trek on the subway to a suburb.
Hana was thrilled to see all of the trees lined up ready to be looked at and quickly began to examine each one thoughtfully.
Hyejin laughs and she and Yoongi immediately agree that they would let Hana pick the tree, she was having too much fun doing this.
They walk around slowly, letting Hana take her time, they had all day, after all, there was no rush to find one super quickly. They talk quietly about a song that Yoongi was having some trouble with. He had asked her several times before about this kind of thing.
Hyejin wasn't sure why he was asking someone who didn't know the first thing about composing a track, but he insisted that her lack of knowledge was the exact reason why he asked, she had a new fresh view on things, and it always ended up helping him get past the issues.
Hana finally decided on a tree, having been staring at the same one for several minutes.
"Do you like that one?" Hyejin asks, pausing her conversation with Yoongi.
"Yes," Hana answered, her speech already starting to improve, "We can have it?"
Yoongi picked up the tag, "Yeah, nobody else wants it so we can buy it, sound good?" He asks Hana who grins and claps her hands in excitement.
Hyejin looks at the tag and sighs inwardly as Yoongi rips the bottom half of it off.
They let Hana lead them back through the trees toward the building.
"I'm paying for it," Yoongi says quietly, pocketing the tag from the tree.
"Yoongi, I can afford it, you don't have to," Hyejin tries to argue, not wanting Yoongi to pay for something that wasn't going to his house.
Yoongi shakes his head, "No, I'm doing it, no arguing," He says, looking at Hyejin with a challenge in his eyes this time.
Hyejin laughs, shaking her head, and lightly punches Yoongi's arm. Yoongi grabs her hand just as Hana says something to them from a few feet away. They both look over at her and laugh as she says something about wanting two trees.
A shutter sound goes off and they freeze, glancing at each other.
"Was that a camera?" Hyejin asks, looking at Yoongi with trepidation in his voice.
"Pretty sure, let's keep moving," Yoongi says quickly, realizing he was still holding Hyejin's arm he sighs and gently leads her further down the row of trees, urging Hana to get to the building for a treat. Hana cheers again and skips toward the building, forgetting the idea of having a second tree altogether.
They get in line to pay for the tree and order hot drinks for their walk back home and Yoongi finally lets go of Hyejin's hand.
She hides her disappointment in a question, "Does that mean another article?"
Yoongi nods, "Unless they try to get money out of my company in exchange for the photos."
"I'm so sorry Yoon, I shouldn't have made you come with us," Hyejin says, knowing what another article would do to Yoongi's career.
"It's fine, Jin, don't worry about me. I'm more worried about you and Hana right now," Yoongi says quietly, holding his hand out to Hana who was starting to look restless in the long line. She takes it and plays with his fingers, keeping herself occupied.
"Do you think it will really put us in danger?" Hyejin asks, worried enough that she begins to chew on the side of her thumbnail.
Yoongi pulls her hand away from her mouth with his free hand, "Don't worry about anything until it happens, I'll try to talk to my CEO when we get back and ask what we should do. We can't predict exactly how the fans will react."
Hyejin just stares at Yoongi's hand holding hers for the second time in ten minutes and nods.
"Okay, I trust you," She sighs, "I'm still sorry."
Yoongi chuckles, "I'm more sorry that you and Hana have to be so careful around me."
The line starts to move, and Yoongi lets go of Hyejin's hand again, leading Hana forward to pay for the tree.