Yongbae could have cried when Seungri threw open the door to his apartment, letting it hit the wall with a sharp bang! that echoed through the small space. He'd dashed forward and capped his hand over the youngest's mouth, the silence holding out just long enough to think that maybe, by some beautiful of good luck, Seungri hadn't woken the triplets. 

Dahye made a small sniffling noise from the other room, Aehyeon gave a loud yawn and Hyorim gurgled. More silence. 

Seungri was glaring at him, but didn't move. Yongbae stepped back and made a shushing gesture. Seungri lowered his voice to a whisper. 

"What was that about?"

"The girls have been really active today and they keep crying for their mother." Yongbae replied, gently closing the door and guiding Seungri to the more distant space of the kitchen.

"Daesung's in Japan right now, isn't she? Can't you just tell them that?"

Yongbae's glare almost made the maknae's heart stop. "You try telling two year olds that they can't have their mother because she's in another country and see how well that goes. Better yet, you take care of the girls while I go nap. I could use one."

"Dae hasn't even been gone two weeks and you're already burnt out?"

"So . . . are you volunteering to do the next two week shift?"

"Hell no."

"Then shut up."

Suddenly, Dahye was standing beside Seungri, tiny hand on his leg for balance in just her diaper with the stuffed panda Seungri'd bought her for their last birthday. "Sukbu?"

Seungri jumped a little at the small voice, but looked down and knelt next to the little girl. "Hey baby. Didn't appa just put you to bed?"

Dahye nodded, but tapped his knee. "Do you know where Eomma is?"

Seungri's eyes flickered to Yongbae, but the look on the man's face said that there would be no help coming form him. "Uh, your mother is in Japan."

"Japan?"

Seungri nodded slowly. 

"Where is that?"

Seungri picked the tot up and brought her over to Aehyeon's plastic globe. "See this little yellow place right here? This is where we are, Korea."

"Korea." Dahye echoed. 

"And see this little purple island here? This is Japan."

"Japan." Dahye recited. 

"That's where your mother is right now."

"Why did she go there?"

"She's on tour right now." Dahye obviously didn't understand what theat entailed. "She's up on stage singing for a lot of people and making them happy."

"Eomma sings for other people? She said she sings for us and Appa!" 

Seungri quickly backtracked at the misty tears forming in her small eyes. "She has very special songs for you and your sisters and your father. Songs that even me and your other uncles don't know! She doesn't sing those - those are only for you."

Dahye calmed down some. "When will Eomma get back?"

"Her tour lasts for another month and a half."

"Two months without Eomma?"

"Unfortunately." Seungri pushed back her hair. "It's her job."

"Why did she have to leave us behind?" Dahye was letting little tears roll down her puffy cheeks and Seungri was hopelessly moved. 

"But you still have your Appa and your uncles."

"But I want Eomma!"

"Eomma?" Aehyeon murmured from the doorway to her bedroom.

"Eomma!" Hyorim screamed from her bed.

Seungri paled and Yongbae dove for the phone, hands shaking and cursing the fact he couldn't call both Seunghyun and Jiyong at the same time. 

"What did you even come over here to talk about?" Jiyong asked, Aehyeon asleep in his lap. 

"There's this girl that I really like and I wanted to ask Yongbae about what I should do for our first date." Seungri muttered miserably, Dahye curled up in his jacket with Seungho the panda.

"Why Yongbae?"

Seungri rolled his eyes. "This girl's a long-time friend of mine and I finally got her to agree to go on a date with me. Who do we know who successfully dated a long-time female friend? So successfully that we're holding their children?"

"I have a lot of dating experience too, you know!"

"Yes, well." He made a face. "In retrospectc, I should have just facetimed Daesung."

"She's in concert today. Wouldn't have helped." Seunghyun murmured, Hyorim inside his jacket with him and sound asleep. He cradled her, rolling onto his side and dozing off again, the lazy overzied teddybear. 

Seungri made a dismissive sound. "I'm her dongsaeng. She'd pick up for me."

Jiyong kicked his leg, hard. The maknae went to bark back, but Jiyong motioned to Yongbae, who was laying on the couch. His hair had grown out quite a bit, shading into his eyes, but not doing much to cover up the exhausted bags. Usually, the girls weren't much trouble to anyone, especially their beloved father, but this was the first time Daesung had been on tour since they'd been born and she didn't want to transplant them for two months into a new country and keep them locked up in  a hotel or dressing room most of the day. Which was fair, because where the little ones went, Yongbae went, and he wasn't thrilled about that idea either. But Yongbae hadn't been left with the girls alone that long, and neither parent knew what the girls' reaction would be to the separation. It had taken its toll on the man, staying up crazy hours with his daughters, trying his best to keep them happy.

"We should come over more." Jiyong whispered, Aehyeon's head. "He looks like he could use the help."

"I'll come." Seunghyun rumbled. "Hyorim and I can go down to the duck park."

"Until Daesung comes back?" Seungri laughed.

"And what's wrong with that?" Seunghyn bit back, holding the smallest girl close to his chest. "She loves me and ducks. It's a perfect combination."

"What we should do is put the girls into their own beds, let Yongbae-ah sleep and come back tomorrow with an overnight bag." Jiyong proposed. "I'll give him the keys to my apartment and he can go rest up for a couple of days."

"Sounds like a plan to me." Seunghyun murmured.

"I've got recording booked." Seungri said. 

"Unbook them." Jiyong barked. "Our family needs some assistance. It's not going to kill us to be with the little ones for a two days and an evening. Plus, I can assure you, Yongbae will probably stay with us most of the first day and be back before noon on the second. 

"Fine. No need to get bossy with me."

Things went smoothly, mostly. The girls got distracted by their uncles being around a lot, but still got homesick for their mother sometimes in the wee hours of the morning. Yongbae took to playing her music around the house. The girls kept asking him why they didn't understand her words and he told them it was because she was singing in Japanese. 

After that it because a breeze. The girls seemed to have colelctively decided that they wanted to learn Japanese to be able to understand their mom's singing and Yongbae got to teach them. By the time Daesung came home, exhausted by her tour and the plane ride, her little ones could say basic Japanese phrases and recognize Japanese letters (though they still had trouble understanding kanji and the complete difference between hiragana and katakana). 

Daesung walked in the door at midnight, making sure to keep her movements as hushed as she could on the wood floor. She found her husband on a king-sized blowup mattress step up in their living room, one girl under each arm and Hyorim on his chest. She smiled, shedding her clothes and changing into her boyshorts and a white tank top before gently easing herself down onto the mattress.

"Welcome home." Yongbae murmured, peeking out an eye and smiling. 

"Good to be back. How've the girls been?"

"Good, good. They want to learn Japanese."

"What?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you tomorrow. You should get some sleep, though, because they'll be mauling you tomorrow."

She smiled and kissed him, slow and sweet, just reabsorbing what it's like to be back home and not in the too-familiar pantheon of a stage. "You sleep too, honey."

"I love you, jagiya."

"I love you more," She gave him a cheeky wink. "oppa."

Despite being home, Daesung's schedule picked up and she was busy most of the time, off recording or mixing or working on a show, drama or movie. She was home almost every night, though, and when she wasn't or was gone extra-long days, Yongbae would take the girls to see her at the studio (if she was in YG). They were always happy to see Jiyong, no matter what, and he was perfectly content to let them roam around the studio so long as they didn't enter the recording booth.

It wasn't much longer after that when Yongbae was approached by the producer of Return of Superman.

"The studio and I were wondering if you would like to be a part of Return of Superman, you and your girls." The man said. "You and Bigbang have been features guests many times for Tablo and other young children, so we figured it was only right to ask if you would like to participate with your own young ones. You're under no obligation, of course, and I will leave it up to you what days you would like broadcast."

"You'd let me choose?"

"We offer the same courtesy to every parent we're with, sans when they accept special guests." The producer said. "You don't have to answer now. Here's my business card. Discuss it with your wife and give us a call if you're interested."

"Thank you very much." 

They bowed to each other, Yongbae collecting his babies and shuffling them into the elevator to go see Eomma.

"Do you want to do it?"

Yongbae shrugged, lips pursing. "I mean, I think I do. It's so hard to really tell.

"Then you should do it. I think you'd like it. Plus, you can bring in the boys to come play and boost ratings, maybe set yourself up for another tour soon."

Yongbae shivered. "You know, when I was off for those months after the girls hit six months and you told me how much they missed me, I can't even begin to imagine your pain. When you went to Japan, theyd id nothing but cry, literally cry, until you returned or the guys came over. You deserve all the vacation time possible for putting up with them."

"They're my babies." She winked. "The secret was to let them sleep in your bed. Then they would sleep through the night. And you could have slept with them during naptime."

His mouth dropped open. "How did you figure that out?"

"That's what Hyorim wanted. Dahye asked me to play your songs on the piano. Eyes Nose Lips on repeat."

"You poor soul." He nuzzled her. "I'm so sorry. I didn't even think."

'Well, they'll have to get used to it. We haev to keep up with Bgbang, if not our solo stuff, and they'll have to come and learn patience and separation."

He shook his head, kissing up her neck. "Don't talk about that yet. They're so little and I don't want to see their innocence tainted so quickly."

"And yet we leave them with Seungri."

"Touche."

They had all gathered at Seunghyun's mansion at Seungri's request.

Of course, the man was the last to show up, much to Dahye's dismay. Seunghyun had distracted the little ones, though, setting them in a little penned off area with toys and blocks to play with, out of the way of traffic but not of sight.

The front door opened and the adults looked up, the triplets playing on unhindered. Seungri rounded the corner, followed by a slim but fit woman in he rlater twenties with dark hair and a firm grip on his hand. 

Seungri was completely and utterly uncharacteristically nervous, but the woman squeezed his hand in reassurance and he swallowed it down. "Guys, I'd like you to meet my, uh, girlfriend, Hyeja."

Yongbae stood with a gentle smile and approached them, hugging her. "Pleasure to meet you, Hyeja. Welcome to the family."

She smiled and ducked her head respectfully. "Thank you."

"Take a seat. I'll go get some wine for the two of you." Seunghyun jumped up, that stiff, awkward smile from their teenage years rearing up on his face. Daesung scotted over on the couch and gave them room to sit down, smiling broadly at the other woman.

"Ah, I'd heard you'd had children." Hyeja said. "All three are yours?"

"Yes. Triplets. Dahye, Aehyeon and Hyorim."

"What lovely names."

"Thank you." 

Seunghyun came back with the wine then, handing the two glasses to the new couple.

It went pretty well from there. They learned that Seungri had met Hyeja in college and had taken to her for her simple, but no-nonsense attitude. She was a placid, but well-mannered woman who was polite, but easy to talk to. The two had remained friends and he'd even taken her on a couple of his private trips. They'd been on a few dates over the years, but they hadn't felt right getting together until a couple of months ago. Hyeja had been in college for Literature and English studies, aiming and succeeding in becoming a high school teacher and a part-time book translator. She had been trying fruitlessly to teach Seungri English over the years and her stories about his screw ups in foreign countries had the group laughing. Daesung and Yongbae really liked her: Seungri had never brought even so much as one of his girlfriends back to meet them, so they both knew he was serious about her and was likely going to wind up marrying her, if everything worked out well. They were happy that he had found someone who so effortlessly fit into his life, understanding the gaps caused by his job and the balance to Seungri's unpredictable craziness. Not to mention how Seungri watched her, enraptred in every word she said even when they weren't directed his way. She was calm and soothing, something the hyperactive Seungri needed more often than he got.

Hyeja excused herself to the bathroom later on in the evening, after she had gotten fully comfortable and Seungri stopped looking like he was regretting every decision he'd ever made. Daesung immediately pulled him in, kissing his forehead. 

"She's lovely." His noona assured. "I can see why you two are so drawn to one another."

"I really love her." Seungri said. "But we're nothing alike. We're not mellowed together like you and Yongbae."

"I like to think we're more of the exception to the rule than most people." Yongbae said, leaning forward. "But I like her too, for the record. She'd make a great long-term girlfriend. Wife, even."

"You think?"

The couple nodded together, but it was Yongbae who spoke. "Absolutely. You look at her the same way that I do when I look at Daesung. Plus she's very smooth where you're jittery."

Seungri breathed out a huge sigh of relief. "Good. I'm glad."

They left an hour or so later, since Hyeja lived on the other side of Seoul and had class the next morning. Seungri took her back with a wave and his sportscar disappeared into the evening lights. 

They went back to the living room, the triplets asleep on a low air mattress Seunghyun set up for them, all wrapped up in blankets that smelled of their playful uncle. Jiyong and Seunghyun collapsed onto their loveseat and chair respectively, Yongbae opting to lay with his head in his wife's lap. 

"Well, it's official."

"Yup." 

The couple looked to Jiyong, who had spoken first. "Huh?"

"Seunghyun and I are going to die alone."

"Yup."

They looked at each other, then back to the two eldest band members. "Okay, start from the beginning and fully explain yourselves."

"Seunghyuna nd I decided that if Seungri got married before we did that not only is it not possible for us to marry, but the two of us, specifically, will live together and die surrounded by fifty cats and one dog."

Yongbae snorted. "Why just one dog?"

"I like dogs, but not as much as cats." Seunghyun clarified. 

"I see." Daesung replied slowly. 

"So, we're going to die alone. Together. Fate has decided."

"How much have you had to drink, Ji?" Yongbae queried, eyebrow raised. 

"Dunno. Seunghyun just kept it coming."

"Alright, well, we shoudl get you two to bed before this sticks when you're sober. You'll find your girls, all in good time."

Seungri married Hyeja six months later, going to a neighbouring island to the one Yongbae and Daesung had gone to in Greece. Hyeja became a semi-permanent fixture in the Bigbang members' lives, alongside Hunshik. She fit in well, very bluntly telling Seunghyun that he was the most handsome man she had ever met and that was why she was more attracted to her Seunghyun, preferring the Lee over the Choi variety. Seunghyun had sulked for days, muttering under his breath and cursing his puberty success story. Seungri had gotten a little indignant, asking her if she thought the other two male members were better looking than him too.

"You're more handsome than Jiyong and Yongbae isn't my type. I wouldn't have married you if I thought I could do better."

Hunshik had laughed right in his face att he gobsmacked expression Hyeja left him with and followed his other friend's wife into the kitchen, praising her skill at shutting the maknae up. 

Yongbae ultimately decided to follow through with Return of Superman. Some nights, when things were dry and Yongbae was sure to be featured, Bigbang (plus Hyeja plus Hunshik plus the triplets) would gather around to watch the show. There was one particular day when the girls just would not calm down - Daesung off for a photoshoot for the week in London, Paris, New York and finally Toronto - and were absolutely terrors. In the episode, Yongbae looked up to teh picture of Daesung and Yongbae that hung up on the wall and he made a whimper-like noise in the back of his throat, longingly singing Come Back Home to the picture. It had left Hunshik in tears he was laughing so hard, but Seungri pale-faced.

"We are never having children."

"Says you." Hyeja retorted.

"They were terrible that day, but I still love them and they're not like that even ninety-five percent of the time."

"It's the fiver percent that I'm worried about."

It was always like Hyeja could see right through him, tenderly kissing him. "We're having kids, like it or not."

"Okay, jagi."

"Ha! You're whipped!"

"And that's why you're single."

Seunghyun and Jiyong said nothing to Hyeja's retort on Hunshik, just cuddled together, preparing to die in cat feces and despair. 

"A pair of divas, both of you." Hyeja muttered wihtout looking, still focused on staring Hunshik down. "Maybe if you left the studio and your homes, you'd actually meet someone worth your love, or be worthy of someone else's."

"Harsh." Seungri said.

"True." Daesung chirped. 

"Okay, we get it. We're hopeless." Jiyong hissed. 

"Not hopeless. Just useless, currently."

"Are you sure you're actually married to the fetus?" Hunshik said. "Because I could certainly come to love you."

"Hmm. But can you handle my hard sarcasm?"

"Certianly."

"My cavalier attitude?"

"Absolutely."

"My harsh retorts?"

"Confidently."

"My leather whip?"

"Sure- Wait, no. That wasn't right. What was it again?"

"Harsh retorts?"

"After that?"

"Oh, leather whips."

"That's the one. Question: Used on me or you?"

"On you by me."

"In that case, I have been disqualified."

"Thought so." Hyeja turned back to the tv just in time to see Yongbae collapse on the floor, the little ones running over to swarm him and cover his face with pillows. He was unresisting to them at that point, at the mercy of their whims.

"They really take a lot out of you, don't they?" Daesung chuckled. 

"Yes, but I love them. Plus, I've yet to do something as exhausting as run a world-wide solo tour. An audience of three is a piece of cake."

"Hmm. I'm sure."

All in all, everything was looking up and moving forward. Nothing much more to ask for, really.