Nichkhun groggily opened his eyes, disoriented by the unfamiliar surroundings. The initial confusion was quickly replaced by panic as he heard a stern voice hissing in Mandarin. "Nǐ zài gàn shénme?!" Papa Song's accusatory tone echoed in his ears, and Nichkhun's heart raced as he attempted to grasp the situation. 

Papa Song, with an unmistakable disapproval etched on his face, was attempting to pull Nichkhun away from the couch where he had spent the night. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks – he was entangled with Victoria, and her father was far from pleased.

He winced at the accusatory tone of the older man's voice, struggling to piece together the fragments of the Mandarin words that assaulted his ears. "I-I'm not doing anything, sir," he stammered, finally understanding the question asked in Chinese. Carefully and reluctantly extricating himself from Victoria's embrace so as not to wake her up, Nichkhun sat upright on the couch, his heart racing with apprehension, now face-to-face with the father of the love of his life 

Papa Song's expression was even more terrifying as he regarded Nichkhun, "You'd better not be," he warned, his tone a mixture of fatherly protectiveness and veiled threat. Victoria stirred on the couch, her sleepy eyes fluttering open as she registered her father's presence. "Pa, what's going on?" she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. Papa Song's gaze instantly softened as he turned to his daughter, his stern expression melting into one of paternal affection. "Go back to sleep, Qian," he instructed gently, his hand reaching out to pat her shoulder as if she were a baby. "Papa will handle this."

As Victoria settled back into her slumber, Papa Song turned his attention back to Nichkhun, his expression once again guarded. Papa Song's sharp glare at him seemed to carry a weight of unspoken threat, as if to say: "You'd better not dare get back into the couch with Qian-Qian!”

In the days that followed, Nichkhun found himself settling into a routine of shared meals and quiet moments with Victoria's family. Mama Song's home-cooked meals became a comforting presence, and Nichkhun couldn't help but feel touched by the gesture of Victoria setting aside food for him and at times, cooking lunches especially for him to take to his dance practice sessions (egg, prawn, and chives mandu, her specialty!). Victoria thought it was one of the only things she could do to cheer Nichkhun up since she still had some reservations when it came to marrying him, not anymore because of her worries about potentially rendering fatherless a number of his hypothetical children, but that she’d seen her father’s obvious objection against the man she loved. Nichkhun couldn’t really complain as he was well-fed and cared for by Mama Song despite his still outsider status -- even if mere his shadow was banned from his Qian's bedroom -- he was still very much hopeful for the success of his campaign to receive Papa Song’s blessing as well.

Meanwhile, HaoRan's vigilant watch over Victoria and her phone specifically piqued the curiosity of the others. It was also the cause behind Nichkhun’s and Victoria’s endless embarrassment: HaoRan would trail his Qian jie-jie everywhere she went in the apartment and as a result, more than once did he inadvertently catch the couple secretly stealing kisses at the main door, when she would see Nichkhun off every morning as the latter went to the dance studio; or Nichkhun quickly gathering Victoria in back hugs when everybody had left the kitchen and the two would volunteer to do the dishes after dinner.

"What are you trailing your Qian-jie for?" Nichkhun asked HaoRan when the young man surprised them in Victoria's study/office area late one night. There was no door to it as it was just in a far corner, after the dining area: Nichkhun was seated on the armchair and perched on his lap was Victoria, her arms around his neck, and giggling as Nichkhun tickled her teasingly, when the intruder was spotted.

HaoRan looked back at Nickhun, his eyes guarded as he hesitated before replying. "By all means, please continue your cosplay as cheesy lovesick adolescents. I’m just waiting for an important call," he muttered, evading Nichkhun's probing gaze and Victoria's death stare which didn't faze HaoRan at all. In fact, he just threw back the same exact look at his jie-jie, like someone copy-pasted it between them.

It was already the first few days of November and Nichkhun was due to fly back to Korea in a week's time, to stay there for a couple of days for some promotional events for the concert which was happening just a few weeks from now. He was wrought to leave Victoria’s side now but he would again be gone to Korea for longer, 1 week before the concert until it ended. It was all the more urgent to settle the matter with Papa Song’s objection to him. 

Nichkhun’s Chinese was improving in leaps and bounds as he spent a lot of time in the studio with Victoria’s manager and staff. Eager to learn how to navigate the complex dynamics of Victoria's family, he took the opportunity and sought guidance from Xiao Li. Xiao Li's suggestion of a mountain getaway resonated with Nichkhun, the prospect of escaping the confines of the city appealing to his longing for open spaces and fresh air.

After a couple or so hours of driving from Beijing, they arrive at the private villa. As Nichkhun and Victoria wandered through the sprawling bungalow house of the private villa, their conversation buzzed with excitement at the prospect of exploring their temporary abode.

"Wow, this place is amazing," Nichkhun exclaimed, his eyes scanning the breathtaking view of the mountains surrounding them. "I can't believe Xiao Li managed to get this for us."

Victoria nodded in agreement, her gaze lingering on the distant peaks. "It's so peaceful here," she remarked, a hint of wonder in her voice. "I feel like we're a world away from the city."

Their exploration led them to a room nestled at the back of the villa, offering a panoramic view of the mountains and direct access to the heated infinity pool. Without hesitation, they claimed it as their own, already envisioning lazy afternoons spent soaking in the warm waters.

"This is perfect," he remarked, sinking onto the plush bed with a contented sigh. "I could definitely get used to this."

Victoria nodded in agreement, settling beside him as they gazed out at the breathtaking vista beyond the window. "It's like a dream," she murmured, her voice soft with awe.

Their moment of tranquility was abruptly interrupted by Papa Song's disapproving voice, echoing from the doorway. Nichkhun turned to see the older man scowling at them from the still open door to the room, his arms folded across his chest in a stern gesture. “What's going on here?" Papa Song demanded, his gaze flickering between Nichkhun and Victoria. "Who told you that you can share a room with my daughter?!?!”

Nichkhun's heart sank at the unmistakable disapproval in Papa Song's tone, but before he could respond, Mama Song intervened, her voice tinged with exasperation.

"Oh, QinFeng, leave them alone," she chided, shaking her head in exasperation. "The buns are already cooking in the oven, what harm could sharing a room do now? Your daughter sneaks out each night to climb into the clouch with him anyway."

Victoria's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at her mother's blunt words, but she couldn't help but feel a surge of gratitude for her mother's unwavering support and she couldn't sleep without him beside her; there was just this "Nichkhun scent" that was guaranteed to stop the nausea and queasiness. To Papa Song’s surprise, Nichkhun said, “I’ll sleep on the couch, Mr. and Mrs. Song. I've come to love sleeping on couches, really.” and smiled brightly as if he was assigned the deluxe room in a five-star hotel just to diffuse the awkwardness that had built in the air. “You better!” was all the Papa Song said and left them. Mama Song followed her husband out, but not without giving an apologetic look at Nickhun first.

“I don’t know why Papa is being so difficult…” Victoria said as Nichkhun helped pull her up from the bed, back on her feet.

“Should we make a cut-out mask of Leo Luo’s face that I can wear around your father?” Nichkhun joked. “Come on, let’s have a dip at the heated pool. I read that swimming can improve sleep for pregnant women."

That the villa had a swimming was unexpected so they didn't have any swimming outfits with them. They went into the water wearing shorts and shirts, similar to when they filmed their swimming lessons in WGM. They caught each other's eyes, remembering the same memory. Nichkhun was grinning, "I'm both relieved and regretful that you're not wearning all white right now, babe." At which, Victoria, who didn't mind the term of endearment now, gave a bemused regard. "Remember when we went to Thailand for WGM and it was the scene at the pool when I taught you how to swim, you were wearing a white shirt and white shorts?"

Victoria nodded, remembering and also marveling at Nichkhun's memory. "O, kiyokhe [I remember]. Our codi [coodinators] prepped those so we could match..."

"Do you know how white clothing becomes transparent when wet?" When Victoria still wasn't connecting the dots, he further explained: "I could see everything at that time -- the curves, all in the right places. And I got to hold you close in the water. Could you imagine how I was going crazy inside? And then we rode on the jet-skis, and you sat in front of me..."

Victoria was wide-eyed in amusement, Nichkhun's bright red ears not escaping her notice while her own cheeks burned in a raging flush. She playfully splashed some water on his face, "Yokshi pyeontae-kuna [You were a ert after all]! Well, we can pretend we're on a jet-ski now." and with that, Nichkhun didn't waste even a second and he shifted to sit behind Victoria on the steps, effectively cradling her in his arms. As Victoria leaned back on Nickhun's shoulder, he was about to nuzzle the side of her neck when her phone rang (which was left on a side table along with his phone) and they heard a sudden rustling from the farther corner of the pool, near the wall. It was HaoRan who suddenly skidded right past them, grabbing his Qian-jie's phone to answer it, faster than one could count 1 to 3.

"Ya!!" Nichkhun called out to the young man, annoyance written all over his face. "Ni--!" Victoria stuttered, also annoyed at the disturbance. When it became clear that it was just Xiao Li (on the speaker phone) calling to check that everything was ok at the villa, there was a visible change in HaoRan's expression; the excitement had been replaced with disappointment. "Why do you keep on answering other people's calls? Don't you have your own phone?!??!?" Victoria scolded her male clone of a cousin.

They were still very much bothered by HaoRan's weird behavior and Victoria kept giving HaoRan a "Don't you dare try that stunt again" look, not unlike the one she gave her f(x) "daughters" to keep them in line. But by the time they sat for dinner, she had already forgotten the tiff, in part thanks to the spaghetti that Nichkhun cooked. Even Mama Song was impressed by her still-on-probation-potential-son-in-law but Papa Song stubbornly refused to even taste it, grumbling at the fact that Qian-Qian practically gobbled up the entire plate of "decidely suspicous therefore unhealthy stuff". Papa Song became even more upset when he woke up the following morning and discovered his daughter, exactly like the other mornings before in the apartment, sleeping soundly while all wrapped around this infuriating guy. Victoria had again sneaked out during the nigt to climb into the couch with Nichkhun.

Victoria's father couldn't take it anymore and so he asked Nichkhun to drink with him despite Victoria's objections. Nichkhun knew this moment of truth had to happen, especially if he wanted to clear this rift between him and Papa Song. The tension hung heavily in the air as they opposite each other at the dining table. 

HaoRan, whom Victoria and Mama Song asked to look after the two men, joined them at the table and glanced nervously between his Xuxu and potential Jie-fu, his brow furrowed with concern. Clearing his throat, he would translate Papa Song's words whenever Nichkhun would look to him for help.

"Xuxu says he wishes Qian-jie had never joined that fake marriage show and met you," HaoRan relayed, his eyes flickering between the two men. "You did appear sincere back then, especially when you took jie-jie to Thailand to introduce her to your family..."

Nichkhun winced at the mention of Thailand, memories of their trip together flooding back with painful clarity. He opened his mouth to speak, but Papa Song's next words cut him off before he could utter a single word.

"But it was all just a facade, wasn't it?" Papa Song continued, his voice thick with bitterness. "Qian always insisted it was just a show. But my wife bought those gifts, put so much thought and care into them. To thank you for taking care of our daughter."

“You gained popularity alright -- even your family became celebrities. You were poular even here in China. But what happened to my daughter? She received nothing but hate from your followers! She didn't deserve any of those nasty accusations and even death threats. I and my wife were so worried and scared." 

Those threats were that bad back in those days, even being sent to Victoria's parents. It was the reason why they moved from their original house still in Qingdao, to the new compound, surrounded by their extended families (the Songs and the Shens) for security purposes.

"And just a few months ago, our Qian was being labeled a relationship wrecker. It's all because of you! It's like you only bring bad luck with you.”

“Plus I know you did something that hurt her all those years ago - in that stupid show! Qian never said anything to us but I knew she had her struggles after that show; I'm her father after all! She's never been the same after that damned show!”

“And now, you come back and knock her up, playing the devoted father but then after? You'll have your kids, then what? Just like all those years ago, you’ll just set Qian aside. You'll get on with your career as usual, get on with another girl. Stay away from my daughter!” 

Nichkhun's heart sank at the raw pain in Papa Song's words, the weight of his guilt pressing down on him like a leaden weight. He had never intended to hurt Victoria or her family, but now he realized the extent of the damage his actions had caused.

"All this celebrity showbiz things," Papa Song continued, his voice rising with anger. "It’s all just a truck-load of . I wish our Qian-Qian never went to Korea.”

Nichkhun felt the weight of Victoria's father's words like a physical blow, each accusation driving home the depth of his failure. It seemed that Papa Song and Mama Song didn't seem to be aware of Victoria being hospitalized and almost losing not just their Ireumi but possibly Noreunja as well; otherwise, he would probably be beaten into mush by the older man and fed to the dogs! However, he was relieved that everything was finally out in the air; they could only move forward from now on. He wanted to explain, to make things right, but he knew that words alone would never be enough to undo the damage he had caused. He simply bowed and sincerely expressed his apology.

Papa Song retired for the night quite drunk but Nichkhun's thoughts were lucid as day as he lay on the couch that night. He understood that what was required from him was to prove his intentions through consistency of his actions. And that would take time indubitably. The old him would probably have backed out already, sulking at Victoria's rejection of his first proposal and the fact that they were still keeping their situation underwraps, even to their closest friends (no one knew but their families and XiaoLi at this point). But now, he just became even more determined to persevere for Qian.

A few more minutes, Nichkhun noticed the light spill out as the door of Victoria's room opened slowly. Out came the very woman that occupied his thoughts incessantly like an unforgettable melody, walking towards his direction. He welcomed her in his arms as she slipped once more to his side. "Chalja [Sleep well], my love!" and he kissed her head. Though Victoria didn't respond and only burrowed closer into his embrace; Nichkhun more than understood that which remained unsaid from Victoria's end. Indeed, Nickhun could feel everything was really different now: there were the twins that this precious woman in his arms was carrying whom he considered first before himself. This allowed him to step back in thought that in turn, gave him the essential pause needed for him to process what was going inside Victoria's enigmatic mind. He simply couldn't assume the worst anymore when it came to his Qian; her feelings and well-being now automatically came first before his ego.

It was the same for Victoria: she would've balked at being entangled in Nichkhun's seemingly complicated web of relationships, defaulting to shutting down and self-preservation, not even caring to share her mind or if her motivations and reasoning were misinterpreted negatively. Now, she was braver even in the face of a future that was still uncertain -- nobody really ever knew the future anyway and therefore trying to ascertain what it held was a futile activity. Instead of thinking too much about it, she was now more open to living in the present and allowing herself to freely enjoy every moment she and Nichkhun shared together, and simply look forward to meeting their little bundles of joy soon.

----

Even if you run and hide

But still I do believe
If it's you and me
We will defy the rules about love
Show the world

How we can make this work

If you let me lead
I'll take you to the moon
Show you the stars so you know
That my love is infinite

You'll know I'm all in

We write our own story
So first let me start off like this

Nobody's seen a love like ours
Not even Sparks can write this one
The story of you and me
This story of you and me

Ever since the beginning of time
What we have is
Just a one-of-a-kind
The story of you and me

This story of you and me