He had been doing paperwork for so long, he swore that he was starting to go blind. The words blurred together every time his concentration wavered for less than a second. Forcing him to start over each time it happened.

After it happened the fourth time in the last 30 seconds, he realized that maybe it was time to call it night and go to sleep.

Sighing, he looked out the window, realizing that he forgot to pull down the blinds like he usually did once the sun went down.

Yep. It was most definitely time to go to sleep.

Groaning at the way his back popped like a glow stick, he stood up, briefly organizing the papers on his desk. Before he even got the chance to straighten up, there was a knock on his office door. With no shame at all, he groaned in annoyance," Come in."

His door opened, and he felt a flicker of concern when he saw that it was Dae-Hyun. He was usually the first one of his men to go to sleep as he had the earliest shift in the infirmary. It made no sense that Dae-Hyun was still awake so late into the night.

"Dae-Hyun? What's wrong?"

That statement was enough to make the medic sigh while pinching the skin between his brows," He's not sleeping."

Huh?

"Excuse me?"

"The kid," Dae-Hyun clarified," Jin. He's not sleeping." Dae-Hyun stormed into his office, leaving Kang at the door to close it after him. Slapping a paper onto the table, he sat down with a sigh," He doesn't trust us. He sleeps like we all do when we're in the field. He's half asleep but as soon as someone walks into the room, he's awake in seconds. Do you have any idea how many times I've woken up to take a piss and he's awake? He's awake when I leave, and he's awake when I come back. He. Doesn't. Sleep."

Kang blinked in surprise, slowly going to the other couch to sit across from his irate squad member," Okay? Well, Jin grew up in a pretty bad place. Its going to take him a while for him to trust us and sleep properly."

Dae-Hyun rolled his eyes," Its almost been a month sir. A month. The kid is going to collapse one of these days if he doesn't get a proper nights rest. I don't know if you noticed, he goes to sleep after everyone but you, and he's awake by the time I wake up."

Oh.

Shit.

Yeah, they had a problem.

That meant the kid had been getting less than five hours of sleep every night, five hours of poor sleep for a month was just asking for exhaustion or sickness. Especially since the kid was partaking in their workouts and other physical activities.

Kang sighed," Okay. What do you think we should do to help? "Because he definitely didn't know what to do.

Dae-Hyun ran his hands through his hair," That's the thing. We cant do anything. Ive asked the others and they all say the same thing. He's quiet and listens. But when it comes to giving his opinion or making friends, its like he's a brick wall. I know he grew up in a shitty place, but he doesn't trust any of us. I thought he was going to sock me in the face after I told him that he was going to have to come back in. kid hates needles by the way. He's not like Ji-Hoon who completely freaks out, but he doesn't like them. Doesn't freak out but he was pissed when I told him that he needed to come back in."

Alright, Dae-Hyun needs to hurry up and go to sleep because he tends to ramble like that when he's tired.

"Dae-Hyun." He cut in," I know you're worried about the kid but we cant just make him trust us. its going to take time for him for him to trust us."

Dae-Hyun deflated in his seat and sighed heavily," I know. I'm just worried."

Yeah.

They were all starting to get a little bit worried.

Jin was going to trust them one of these days.

They just had to be patient.

.

"Lets get him some cough drops."

"This too."

"He's gonna be cold right? I'll get this for him."

"Its starting to get colder, he doesn't have any hoodies right? Eh, if he does, he can have one more."

"Guys." Kang rubbed his eyes with one hand, sighing as his three tag-along looked at him," The kid just has a cold." It's like they were buying anything that popped into their heads.

"So?" Ji-Hoon said as he draped the black hoodie over his arm," it's starting to get colder, this is stuff he needs anyway." Well, that was true, winter was already starting to pick up speed. He wouldn't be surprised if Ijin started layering up due to his aversion to the cold.

"Right," Kang said slowly, eyeing the giant, oversized stuffed animal that Sung-Ho grabbed from somewhere (Where did he even get that from a convenience store?)" and he needs a new plushie?"

Sung-Ho fluffed the stuffed animal with a grin," Kid always needs a new plushie."

"…fair enough."

Along with the new scarf that Gwangsik grabbed, that was how a quick medicine run turned into an almost 100-dollar purchase.

Which granted, wasn't bad for a new jacket, scarf, stuffed animal, and medicine. But they still spent more money than what was intended.

Using the key Ijin gave him, the major quietly opened the door, the four of them letting themselves into the apartment.

While it had been a last-minute visit after Dayeon called him to let him know that Ijin was sick and wouldn't be answering his phone for a few days, it still didn't stop Ji-Hoon, Sung-Ho, and Gwangsik from tagging along for the quick visit.

He quietly knocked on the bedroom door, and when he got no answer, he carefully creaked it open.

Like he thought, Ijin was sleeping on his bed, a wastebasket full of tissues next to his bed, along with a tissue box, water, and cold medicine on his nightstand. He couldn't see his face from the doorway, but he knew that the kid was asleep.

Humming in approval, he closed the door," He's asleep," Kang whispered to the others. Who nodded in acknowledgment before they started to do their own thing as quietly as possible.

Ji-Hoon started to boil water for the tea they brought their young friend, while the major and the other two started to put away the food and medicine they had brought.

It wasn't much, but it would make it easier on Ijin if he had food he could heat up instead of making the food himself in his sick state. Especially since his grandfather and sister still had work and school to go to, leaving him alone during the day.

The sound of voices slowly woke him up, the voices being accompanied by the quiet clanking and banging of pots. Just as he was about to fall back asleep, the realization that the voices were too deep to be Dayeon or grandfather, made him wake up completely. Groaning, he sat up in bed, his nose completely stuffed with mucus, forcing him to breathe through his mouth as he tried to summon the energy to move.

It took him a little bit, but he started moving when he finally recognized the voices. Opening the door, he saw the visitors that had apparently let themselves in, "Major?" they all turned at the sound of his nasal voice," What are you guys doing here?"

Ijin was looking at them from his bedroom doorway, leaning against the doorframe as he blinked blearily at them.

Well, he kinda looked like shit.

Just kinda.

"Dropping off some stuff," Kang said as he walked up to the kid, feeling his temperature for a quick second before he started to push Ijin towards the bathroom," Go and take a shower real quick."

"Okay."

That was when they knew that Ijin was tired since he didn't inquire about the reasoning behind the order as he usually would have done.

His head hurt too much for him to question it anyway. Ijin disappeared into the bathroom, promising to call the others if he needed help with anything.

He had to admit that it was refreshing to wash off all of the dried sweat. And to make things better, the steam helped clear his airways, allowing him to breathe normally for the first time in a while. Though the warmth of the bathroom made him incredibly sleepy, and eager to fall back asleep.

He walked out of the bathroom, and when Gwangsik dragged him to the kitchen table to force a mug of something into his hands, he didn't really question it. Nor did he refuse to drink the medicine.

It was warm.

He could hear the others talking to each other, but after a restless night and a persistent headache, he was far too tired to try and listen in.

Which was why he was slightly startled when the major pulled him up from the table and started to lead him to the nearby couch. Guiding him to sit on the arm of the couch with his back facing Kang. " Take off your shirt." Ijin grumbled at the order but still listened nonetheless, shivering when he took off his shirt.

"It's cold."

"I know I know, give me a minute," Kang muttered as he opened the small container of Vics, Sung-Ho passing Ijin a cough drop as he did so.

The ache in the back of his throat was soothed almost immediately, the cough drop doing its magic in temporarily numbing his sore throat.

He should probably ask Dayeon to bring home some more.

The major passed him the small container he opened with instructions to spread the contents onto his chest.

He shivered again when the major touched his back, massaging the cold paste into his shoulders for a few seconds before he proceeded to spread it onto the rest of his back. Diligently, he started to spread the paste onto his chest, the menthol smell somehow helping his airways open up once again, as well as warm-up his body in a way he never felt before.

It was hot, but somehow, cold at the same time.

He couldn't help but relax further when Kang started to massage his shoulders again, helping him get rid of the tension he didn't even know he had.

"This will help with your cough. Put on the long sleeve and jacket and then go to sleep."

"Ok," Ijin quietly muttered out, gently moving with the motions, too tired to try and make his body firm as the major rubbed the paste into his shoulders.

God, he was really tired.

"Should help with your nose too."

"Ok."

"Didn't get much sleep?"

"No, I couldn't sleep." And by god did a lack of sleep, the inability to breathe properly, along with a persistent headache thoroughly exhaust him.

"I figured," The hands left his shoulders," You're done. We'll let ourselves out so just go to sleep," That sounded like a good idea." We left some soup and porridge in the fridge," He accepted the long sleeve and jacket from Ji-Hoon, and ignored the way the man ruffled his hair after he put on the jacket.

But he did appreciate the way Ji-Hoon pulled the hood on for him because he was honestly too lazy to do it himself at the moment.

"Heat it up when youre hungry."

"Yes sir," Ijin replied tiredly, letting Sung-Ho lead him into his room, the older man's hand on the back of his shoulder.

"Make sure you eat kid," Sung-Ho added on. He waited until Ijin pulled the blankets up before he spread out the additional blanket the major pulled out for him," You'll feel worse if you don't get something in you."

Ijin hummed tiredly, pulling the blankets tighter around them as he rolled onto his side," mmk."

That got a smile out of Sung-Ho. It was endearing to see the teenager lying down like that, he couldn't see his face. The only sign of the kid being awake was the sound of his sleepy voice.

"Don't forget to lock your shirt."

" mmk."

Oh, he was definitely falling asleep.

"Get some sleep kid." He ruffled Ijins hair despite the hoodie, smiling when his hand wasn't flicked away as it would have been normally. Quietly, he exited the room and informed the others that their young friend was sleeping again.

With a quick wash of the dishes they used, along with a note stating that they had dropped by, they left the apartment. Content that even though it had been a short trip, they had managed to help Ijin with his cold.

They were at the nearby café when Ji-Hoon brought up the topic.

"Do you guys remember how little Ijin trusted us?"

They smiled.

"Yeah," Gwangsik admitted," God he used to get so annoyed whenever we tried to help him."

Kang threw his head back in laughter, "I forgot about that!" he said in between chuckles," God I thought he was going to sock me in the face when I asked if he wanted help with something."

"That's sounds like something he would do."

"Still," Kang cut on, a fond look on his face," Im happy the kid trusts us now."

"Its normal for kids to trust their father sir."

He had to admit that it took him a few seconds to get what Sung-Ho was inferring. But the moment he understood, he turned a bright bright red. The skin from his neck, all the up to his ears turned cherry red.

"Shut up!" Kang screeched out, wacking Sung-Ho on the arm as they almost howled with laughter," I'm too young to be a father you dipshit! Besides! He still has his grandfather!"

That was a mistake.

"You say that like you would have adopted him if he didn't have his grandfather."

The major somehow managed to turn a deeper red.

"Shut it!"