"As you can see, the baby is beautiful and healthy. Nothing to worry about." Doctor Cha Hana shows Minyoung the baby on the screen and counts all ten toes and fingers to show the baby is fine.

"So it's okay that I'm not getting any bigger even though I'm almost at the end of my second trimester?"

"Pregnancies and women's bodies are different. Sometimes it can be concerning if the baby is not growing. But we're monitoring you closely and regularly. And everything is progressing as it should. Nothing to worry about."

"But..." Minyoung sighs, looking down at her distended belly that seems big to her but many people don't think so.

"You're worried about what they are saying about you on the Internet aren't you?" Dr. Cha shakes her head when she's reminded about the made-up medical speculation about her latest celebrity patient.

Her colleague randomly asked if it's true what they are saying about Park Minyoung. With no context Dr. Cha had to do something she usually didn't for her patients and look up the rumours online. And all the ridiculousness fed her pet peeve about people pretending to be medical experts.

"I assure you, they don't know anything. In fact I'd say they've jinxed themselves with their stupid talk."

"But everyone thinks I'm deliberately not eating so I can keep my figure after giving birth."

"They also claim you'll have a preemie because you're belly isn't big enough. But these people don't know anything about you. Pregnancy is a magical time. You don't let the trolls ruin it for you." Dr. Cha wipes the gel from her stomach and helps her sit up. "Is your back still giving you trouble?"

 "It's a lot better after you gave me that gel to apply." Minyoung watches Dr. Cha peek outside the curtain looking for someone. "I thought your husband or someone might be waiting outside. I meant to call him in."

Minyoung gets it now and shakes her head. "It's just me today. He still has to film the movie with Jaejoong and the others. I finished filming my parts earlier. My character's name is Hana by the way."

"Oh! One more reason to watch my first movie in months besides having my two famous patients in it." Hana helps Minyoung slide off the bed and put on her sandals since Minyoung can't bend to do that these days. "So you're by yourself now?"

 "Yeah... it's kind of fun..." Minyoung grins for the first time that day. "I know everyone cares about me but it's a bit much. Changwook is getting a little panicky since the final trimester is nearing because he saw how Jaejoong got. And our moms were cosseting me too much. So I told our mothers to give me some space and Chang is busy with the movie. They will wrap in a few weeks and we'll all be promotional work. So I'm enjoying me time till then." She feels a little kick in her belly and gasps, "Well, it's bunny and me time."

"That sounds great. You should enjoy this time."

After getting some quick advice and doubts clarified Minyoung takes her leave. When she steps out of the hospital, she is instantly aware of a slight commotion.

Walking down the street, she ignores the people who recognize her and taking photographs. She can practically hear the talk on the Internet right now about how you can barely tell she's pregnant under her loose smock dress that is one of her old clothes and not maternity wear. Or maybe they will again comment on her choice of footwear that's really a pair of summer sandals that are an inch high but maybe too high for some holier-than-thou busybodies with a Wi-Fi connection and lot of time.

When she's by the curb, she hears a car honk. Putting her sunnies over her head, she waits for the car to pull over in front of her. Minyoung tries to open the door of the car’s front seat but it wouldn't budge. So she knocks on the glass.

The window lowers halfway and Seungho pokes his head out "I have strict orders to keep you in the backseat." Minyoung rolls her eyes but opens the backseat door without argument. "Where to noona?"

"I have nothing to do. We can go out for lunch or home... anything's fine."

"Mind looking for a new couch with me? We can have lunch after."

"Sure..."

Seungho pulls into the traffic, noting the pedestrians pointing their phone cameras at them. Oh well, Changwook did warn him Minyoung is in a couldn't care less phase came with over enthusiastic fans. "FYI texting 'somebody get me from the hospital' on the group chat is not right. We all got hysterical you know. Changwook hyung probably got a ."

"I was frustrated okay. First your hyung took away my car keys because he's too scared to let me drive. So I had the weirdest taxi ride to the doctor's."

"The driver recognized you?"

"He couldn't be more obvious. I had to refuse to take a picture and then he gives me unsolicited advice that I should eat more carbs. It took a lot of self-control to yell 'No uterus, no opinion' at his face."

"Yeah that sounds pretty annoying..."

it's silence for a while till Minyoung snaps, "Why are you getting a new couch?" She might have been a tad too loud because Seungho is startled and the car swerved slightly till he regained control. "Jeez woman! I'm not your husband... I just need a new couch because my cats tore up my current one. No need to snap."

"I just thought you're hiding something...."

"What's there to hide about a couch?"

 "I don't know... maybe you broke it doing it with your girlfriend on the couch..."

".... Do me a favour, have a conversation like this with Geunseuk hyung soon. It would be the perfect revenge for breaking my playstation."

"What do you mean revenge?"

For his self-preservation Seungho opted not to answer that. "Oh look at that! We're here already!" He almost zooms into the parking lot of the department store before he says something that will trigger the pregnant woman.

Heading inside the department store, Seungho notices the atmosphere shift. People notice the two famous faces that entered before the salespeople could. But Minyoung is unfazed, strutting to the furniture section.

Seungho follows her noticing she went straight to the cribs. "Have you started decorating the nursery noona?"

Minyoung looks at him with twinkling eyes when he brought up the nursery. Looks like Seungho hit the jackpot of icebreakers. "We're going to start soon. We cleaned the room and painted the walls. Yesterday we ordered new lights and a changing table."

"I should probably give you a heads up before you guys get a crib. We planned to gift the crib and carseat to you at the shower." Seungho points at a particular white crib, "Something like that one."

"I like that. But we won't need the carseat. Jaejoong will give me Changmin's."

"That's perfect. Because half of us were pitching for a stroller." Seungho declares while walking to the display of couches with Minyoung behind him.

"So... what are you guys planning for my baby shower?" She sounds excited, eager for that little celebration and Seungho thinks now might be a great opportunity to find out what she wants so he can tell the others.

 "We haven't planned much... actually we thought we could all go to Jeju while you can still travel. Daejang is a bit ambitious. He offered to arrange a private jet to any place. But we don't want to put you through a long flight."

"I like that idea. We haven't gone anywhere all of us since we celebrated Jaejoong's birthday in Bali years ago." Seungho freezes abruptly, "When did we go to Bali?"

"Oh right... it was before I even met Chang... I went with Jae, Seunghyun and Yihan... Heechul... and a few others..." Minyoung giggles when a sudden memory came to mind, "Back then none of us knew Jaejoong had a boyfriend from before her debut. And I think he was stationed overseas or something. So Jaejoong agreed to the trip because she probably couldn't make any plans with him. But as soon as we land in Bali, Daejang's calling her to ask where she is. Turns out he came to Seoul to celebrate Jaejoong's birthday and Jaejoong is in Bali."

"Aw... he took time off for her and they couldn't spend it together."

"What are you talking about? Jaejoong took the next flight back... we had Jaejoong for four hours, we celebrated at the closest restaurant and she went back to Seoul. I pretended to be the birthday girl for the rest of the trip. Best way to get a private area everywhere we went."

"Haw! Noona I had no idea you had a wild past!"

"Jae, Chul and I have done some crazy stuff... mostly Kim Heechul made us do it. Jaejoong was too introverted to even think about it and I went along coz I thought it would get Jaejoong to come out of her shell."

"And then you meet a guy and enter his shell."

Minyoung bites her lip at the younger's teasing. She doesn't think she got tamer because of Changwook. She never was really wild in the first place, only relatively outgoing compared to Jaejoong and Changwook.

"I would rather say his shell got bigger and thinner and I'm not the only one inside it. Don't pretend all you guys aren't part of his exclusive little kingdom."

"Oooh! And maybe the little prince or princess of his kingdom can have that throne!" Seungho points at the pastel green rocking chair.

"Stop distracting me with nursery stuff. I'm not getting anything without my baby daddy." Minyoung points at a black leather couch, "Take that couch!"

"But...I was looking for a beige..." Seungho's voice fades when Minyoung tears up. Immediately he's running to find a salesperson to buy the black leather couch.

~~~

Minyoung wakes up to the feeling of familiar lips on her jawline. Without opening her eyes she smiles and moves her hand to shove that stupid face away and pull the comforter over her face because it's her damn holiday and she's going to friggin sleep!

"Yah! Wake up! It's almost 11!" That voice is followed by barking and then those traitorous paws trampling her legs under the cover. "Yah Leon!" That weight is hastily lifted off her not without a few protesting barks. By the time the covers are yanked away and she's held up by her waist and arms Minyoung has given up on getting more sleep. "You know what time it is?" Changwook chastises, playfully, but when she imitates his crossed arms and frown it takes a lot to not laugh.

"I slept at 2 last night."

"Why is that?"

"Because Bunny wanted to know how the movie ends."

"Which movie?"

"Fabricated City."

Changwook snorts, breaking his attempt to be serious. Of all the things.... he wasn't even aware there was a rerun on TV. Minyoung hadn't watched it before because she doesn't want to watch all those bad things happen to him. And now she watched it and he couldn't see her reaction.

Speaking of which, he could feel a phantom taste of salty tears when he kissed her earlier. A closer look at her and the room, the faint traces of tears on her face and a litter of tissues on the be