Jimin’s phone rang just as he was finishing up a report at work. Glancing at the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat when he saw it was Yuna’s preschool. He quickly picked up the call, his mind racing with worry.

“Hello, Mr. Park?” came the familiar voice of the preschool director on the other end of the line.

“Yes, this is Jimin. Is everything okay?” he asked, his voice tense.

There was a pause, and then the director sighed. “I’m afraid there’s been an incident at the school. Jungkook came to pick up Yuna, but there was an altercation with another parent… It got physical.”

Jimin’s blood ran cold. “Physical? What do you mean?” he asked, his voice rising with concern.

“I mean, Jungkook punched the other parent in front of the children,” the director explained carefully. “We understand he was upset, but this kind of behavior is unacceptable, especially in front of the students.”

Jimin’s heart sank. He knew how fiercely protective Jungkook was of Yuna, but this… this was something he hadn’t expected.

“I’m so sorry,” Jimin said quickly, his mind already racing with how he was going to handle this. “I’ll take care of it.”

“Thank you, Mr. Park. We appreciate your cooperation,” the director replied before ending the call.

Jimin sat there for a moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. Jungkook had actually hit someone—at Yuna’s preschool, no less. Anger flared up inside him, mingling with the worry that was already gnawing at him. What on earth had Jungkook been thinking?

He quickly gathered his things, his hands trembling slightly as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door. The drive home was a blur of emotions—anger, frustration, worry. He tried to calm himself.

When Jimin finally pulled into the driveway, he saw Jungkook’s car already parked. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as he walked up to the house. The door creaked open, and he was greeted by the sight of Jungkook sitting on the couch, his head in his hands.

Jimin clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm. He walked into the living room, his eyes narrowing as he took in the sight of Jungkook looking so small and defeated.

“Yuna, go up to your room,” Jimin said firmly, his voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

Jungkook looked up, startled. Yuna looked between Jimin and Jungkook, sensing the tension in the air. “But—”

“Now, Yuna,” Jimin repeated, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Yuna hesitated, glancing at Jungkook with wide eyes before nodding and hurrying upstairs. Once she was out of sight, Jimin turned his attention back to Jungkook, his eyes blazing with anger.

“What the heck were you thinking, Jungkook?” Jimin demanded, his voice sharp as a whip. “You hit someone at school—”

Jungkook’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with a mix of guilt and frustration. “Those boys were—”

“Don’t interrupt me,” Jimin cut him off, his voice icy. “I wasn’t finished.”

Jungkook swallowed hard, the anger in Jimin’s voice making him feel even smaller. He stayed silent, his hands clenching into fists in his lap.

“You hit someone at school, Jungkook!” Jimin continued, his voice rising with each word. “In front of children! Preschoolers! Do you even realize what you’ve done?”

Jungkook opened his mouth to respond, but Jimin wasn’t finished. “I don’t care what that parent did,” Jimin snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. “That was no way to resolve the problem at all, Jungkook! You can’t just hit someone because you’re angry. What kind of example are you setting for Yuna?”

Those words hit Jungkook like a punch to the gut. He felt the air leave his lungs, his heart sinking as Jimin’s words echoed in his mind. What kind of example was he setting for Yuna? The fear he’d been trying to suppress all this time—the fear of being a bad influence on her, of not being good enough—suddenly felt all too real.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook managed to whisper, his voice barely audible.

Jimin’s anger faltered for a moment as he saw the way Jungkook’s shoulders slumped, the way his eyes were wide with something that looked like fear. But he was still too angry, too worried to let it go. “Sorry isn’t good enough, Jungkook,” he said, his voice softer now but still firm. “You can’t do things like this. You can’t let your anger control you, especially not around Yuna. And through violence? Definitely not!”

Jungkook’s hands trembled as he tried to hold back the rising tide of panic. “I just… I didn’t want them to hurt her,” he murmured, his voice shaking.

Jimin ran a hand through his hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I get that, but there are better ways to protect her, Jungkook. You need to think before you act. For her sake.”

Jungkook nodded, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had failed—failed Yuna, failed Jimin, failed as a father. The weight of it all pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe. “I’m sorry,” he whispered again, his voice cracking.

Jimin’s anger faded completely as he saw the raw emotion on Jungkook’s face, the way he seemed to be collapsing in on himself. “Hey,” he said softly, taking a step closer. But Jungkook flinched, stepping back as if he were trying to put distance between them.

“I’m sorry,” Jungkook repeated, his voice barely a whisper now, as if the words were all he could hold onto.

Jimin’s heart broke a little at the sight of him, so vulnerable, so filled with guilt. He wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but Jungkook seemed so far away, lost in his own head.

Jimin softened, his voice gentle now. “Jungkook… hey, it’s okay. We’ll figure this out. Just… come here, okay?”

But Jungkook couldn’t move. All he could think about was how badly he had messed up, how he had let his anger get the best of him. The guilt, the fear of being a bad influence on Yuna, it all crashed down on him, overwhelming him.

Jimin saw the panic beginning to take hold, the way Jungkook’s breathing was quickening, his hands shaking. He recognized the signs immediately. “Baby, hey, listen to me,” he said urgently, closing the distance between them. “Calm down. It’s okay. It’s over now.”

But Jungkook couldn’t hear him. The words Jimin had said before—about what kind of example he was setting for Yuna—kept replaying in his mind, louder and louder, until they drowned out everything else.

Jimin reached out, grabbing Jungkook’s hand, trying to anchor him. “Jungkook, breathe. Look at me. Just breathe, okay?” he said softly, but there was an urgency in his voice now, a desperation to pull Jungkook back from the edge.

But Jungkook’s body trembled, his mind spiraling into the dark pit of his fears. He had messed up, and now he was losing control. And the thought of failing Yuna, of not being the father she deserved, was too much to bear.

Jimin’s heart ached as he watched Jungkook struggle, his own eyes filling with tears. He gently pulled Jungkook into his arms, holding him close, trying to steady him. “It’s okay, baby. I’m here. I’m right here. You’re okay. We’re okay. Yuna’s okay. Just breathe with me, alright? Just breathe…”

But Jungkook was shaking too hard to respond, his breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Jimin could feel his own panic rising, but he forced himself to stay calm, to be the rock Jungkook needed right now.

“Shhh, it’s okay. I’ve got you,” Jimin whispered, rubbing soothing circles on Jungkook’s back. “I’m not going anywhere. We’ll get through this, I promise.”

Slowly, Jungkook’s breathing began to even out, the shaking in his hands subsiding as Jimin’s calming presence worked its way through the storm in his mind. Jimin held him tighter, pressing soft kisses to the top of his head, whispering reassurances until Jungkook finally started to relax in his arms.

When Jungkook finally pulled back, his eyes were red-rimmed, his expression filled with exhaustion. Jimin cupped his face, his thumbs brushing away the tears that had fallen. “You’re a great dad, Jungkook,” he said softly, his voice filled with emotion. “Don’t you dare doubt that. Not for a second.”

Jungkook bit his lip, trying to hold back the fresh wave of tears that threatened to spill over.