Chapter Two
One Family: SMTOWN
This is only the first half of the update. I'm still typing out the other half. Soooo....end of the day, maybe? :D
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Soojung P.O.V
"Do you think Su-ri's spoiled?"
I can already feel myself wincing with trepidation. What if she says yes? What if Seohyun unnie thinks my older daughter is a monster? I'll be totally mortified.
"No!" Seohyun unnie says at once. "Of course Su-ri's not spoiled! She's just a bit...fiesty. Like Jongin. But that's good! No children are perfect."
"Yours is." I say morosely. "Nothing ever goes wrong with darling little Min-hee."
"Oh my God. Are you kidding?" She sits upright and eyes me incredulously. "She never sleeps when I'm around. And she only listens to Kyu sing," she rolls her eyes. "...and I was in the first Soshi subunit!"
"Oh, unnie." I say sympathetically.
I don't need to ask why Min-hee only sleeps with the sound of Kyu-oppa's singing. I mean, the man has a gift. His voice will melt its way into your heart. Seohyun unnie is equally talented. But hey, maybe Min-hee's a daddy's girl.
Urgh. Like Rin and Kai.
What is up with those two? Seriously. It's good that Kai doesn't have to sing her to sleep (he was the worst in his group. His dancing and looks was what held him up.), but he definitely has to crack a few moves before Rin can finally close her eyes. Then he complains about his back pains, and how he wasn't the famous, hunky dancing-machine oppa that all the girls wanted to get their hands on. Once Kai even had to lug Rin along in a Snugli to a cf-filming because she wouldn't stop crying for two days straight.
The director wasn't very happy.
"I know, Soojung! You should get a nanny."
"A nanny?" I stare at her.
"Who looks after Ri and Rin when you and Jongin have photoshoots, movies and cf-filmings? Still Sehun?"
I nodded. Since my maternity leave ended, the photoshoots and whatnot have been piling up. The same went for Kai. Normally we'd leave the kids at Sehun's, but that never goes right. Sehun looks after the rest of the kids, which is brilliant because we can just leave our girls in the kitchen, having their breakfast, and they hardly even notice when we go.
"Does Sehun take the kids to playgroup?"
I make a face. "Not really."
Sehun's not into playgroups. He went to one with our kids, and got smothered by his ahjumma fans, as well as the younger fans who were mums themselves. He had to set up a fan-signing booth there. His hands had blisters from signing at the end of the day. He never went back after that.
"Jongin hyung, Soojung. I am very sorry to say that I will not return back to that bloody living hell even if they bloody drag me there." was what Sehun said upon dropping the kids off.
"So what do they do?"
"Well, it varies...." I say vaguely. "They do lots of educational stuff..."
This is a slight fib. As far as I can tell the programme never varies. They go shopping and have tea at a café and then come back and watch Disney videos.
God, maybe Seohyun unnie is right. Maybe Su-ri needs more routine. Maybe that's what's wrong.
"A nanny will knock her into shape," Seo-unnie says confidently. "Plus she'll organize her meals and washing and everything, and Kai will definitely be impressed. Heck, he'll switch from his maknae to his older one. Trust me."
I knew Seohyun unnie would have the answer. This is the solution. A nanny!
I have an image of a cross between Mary Poppins and Mrs Doubtfire, all cosy with an apron and a spoonful of sugar and lots of wise, homespun words. The whole place will be calm and smell of baking bread. Ri will become an angel child who sits quietly making constructive Play-Doh in a pinfore. And Rin will be in a precious, deep slumber. Then Kai will instantly drag me off to bed and ravish me.
I mean, it would be worth it just for the ravishing.
"Everyone's using Ultimate Nannies at the moment. They're the latest thing." Seohyun unnie has already opened up my laptop and found the website. "Have a look. I'll pop down and check on the girls."
I take the laptop fom her and find myself looking at a website called Ultimate Nannies: raising well-balanced, accomplished children who will be the successes of tomorrow.
My jaw sags slightly as I scroll down. Bloody hell. These nannies don't look anything like Mrs Doubtfire. They look like online-shop models. With their perfect hair and perfect legs and perfect skin.
Our modern, trained nannies are loving, trustworthy and educated. They will take full control of your child's routine and cook a balanced menu. They will stimulate your child's development, physically, emotionally and intellectually. Ultimate Nannies are highly qualified in child nurtition, safety, cultural enrichment and creative play. Many are fluent in French/Mandarin and/or offer instruction in music, Kumon maths, martial arts ot ballet.
I feel totally inadequate as I scroll through pictures of smiley girls with long shiny hair cooking vegetable risottos, bouncing balls in the garden, or dressed up in a Taekwondo kit. No wonder Su-ri has tantrums. It's because no one's doing martial arts or making sushi with her. And the only companion she has a Jeong-rin, who cries alot and sticks to Kai the whole time. I've totally deprived her. Suddenly making jam tarts in the kitchen with Sehun seems totally lame. They don't even make the pastry themselves, they get it out of a packet. We have to hire and Ultimate Nanny, as soon as possible.
The only thing is- tiny point -do I want some shiny-haired girl prancing around in her tight jeans and sushi-making apron? I know I was one of, and still am, SM Entertainment's most good looking people. I'm a qualified Hallyu star. But what if she and Kai really hit it off? What if he wants 'martial arts' lessons too?
I hesitate for a moment, my hand hovering over the mouse-pad. Come on. I have to be mature here. I have to think of the benefits to Ri. As well as Rin. I have to remember that I have a loving, faithful husband, and the last time I thought he was playing away with another girl, whose name I won't even deign to remember, (you see, Jun Hee? That's how little you mean to me.) was when he was filming a drink cf with EXO-K a very, very long time ago.
Why else do you think I up to him in SMTOWN L.A?
Plus if the nanny is really y and swishy-haired, I can arrange her hours so Kai never sees her.
Seized by determination, I fill in the form and press 'Send'. This is the answer! Bring in the experts. The only person I'll have to talk round is Yeon-unnie. She's not keen on nannies either. Or daycare. Or even babysitters. But that's only because she pulls Fan-oppa with her into watching Real Life Dramas about evil nutcase nannies. I mean, not every nanny can be a stalker impersonating a dead woman with the FBI on her tail, surely?
And doesn't she want her nieces to be accomplished and well balanced? Doesn't she want Ri and Rin to be the successes of tomorrow?
Exactly.
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Ssul's P.O.V
OK. Don't panic. I'm in charge. I, Choi Jinri, am the adult. Not my five-year-old daughter.
Only I'm not sure she realises this.
"In-young ah, give Omma the pony." I try to sound calm and assured.
"Poneeeee." She grips on the toy pony more tightly.
"No pony."
"Mine!" she cries hysterically. "It's mine!"
Aargh. I'm holding about a million shopping bags, my face is sweating, my bangs are soaked. I could really do without this.
It was all going well. I've been round the whole shopping mall and bought little gifts for our company reunion. In-young and I were heading towards the carpark, and I only stopped for a moment to look at a dolls' house. Whereupon she grabbed a toy pony off the display and refused to put it back. And now I'm in the middle of pony-gate.
Minho just had to take the boys out for soccer, and I got stuck with our little girl.
A mother in J Brand skinny jeans with an impeccably dressed daughter walks past, giving me the Mummy Once-over. She must've been a Shawol or something.
Since I had my daughter, after two sons, I've learned that the Mummy Once-over is even more savage than aiport fashion critics. In the Mummy Once-over, they don't just asses and price your clothes to the nearest penny in one sweeping glance. Oh no. They also take in your child's clothes, pram brand, nappy bag, snack choice and whether your child is smiling, snotty or screaming.
Which I know is alot to take in, in a one-second glance, but believe me, mothers are multi-taskers.
In-young definitely scores top marks for her outfit. (Dress: one-off Armani Junior; coat: Rachel Riley; shoes: Baby Dior.) And I've got her safely strapped into her kid-reins (Bill Amberg leather, really cool, they were in Vogue). But instead of smiling angelically like the little girl in the photoshoot, she's straining against them like a bull waiting to dash into the ring. Her eyebrows are knitted in fury, her cheeks are bright pink, and she's drawing breath to shriek again.
"In-young ah, nomu saranghae," I say in a gentle, crooning voice. "...and it would make Omma very happy if you gave me the pony. That's right, give it to Omma..." I've nearly done it. My fingers are closing around the pony's head.
Ha. Skills. I've got it. I can't help looking around to see if anyone's observed my expert parenting.
"It's MIIINE!" In-young wrenches the pony out of my arms and makes a run for it across the shop floor.
.
"In-young! IN-YOUNG!!" I yell.
I grab my carrier bags and leg it furiously after her, who's already disappeared into the Action Man section. God, I don't know why we bother training up all these althletes for the Olympics. We should just field a team of toddlers.
What is a daily dance practice of 10 hours compared to this? SM made all of us work hard. It's even harder to have three kids. I can't care less about my glamorous idol image now.
As I catch up with her, I'm panting. I really have to start my post-natal exercises sometime.
"Give me the pony!" I try to take it, but she's gripping on it like a limpet.
"It's my pony!" Her dark eyes flash at me with a resolute glint. Sometimes I look at In-young and she's so like her father it gives me a jolt.
"In-young, we're not buying it." I say in my best firm manner. "You've got lots of toys already and you don't need a pony."
A woman with straggly dark hair, grey eyes and toddlers in a twin-buggy shoots me an approving nod. Finally, f(x)'s Sulli is getting some parental-related recognition.
I can't help giving her the Mummy Once-over myself, and she's one of those mothers who wears Crocs over nubbly home-made socks. (Why would you do that? Why?)
"It's monstrous, isn't it? Those ponies are forty thousand won! My kids know better than to even ask," she adds, shooting a glance at her two boys, who are slumped silently, thumbs in mouths. "Once you give in to them, that's the beginning if the end. I've got mine well-trained."
Show off.
"Absolutely," I say in dignified tones. "I couldn't agree more."
"Some parents would just buy their kid that pony for a quiet life. No discipline. It's disgusting."
"Terrible," I agree, and make a surreptious swipe for the pony, which In-young adeptly dodges. Damn.
"The biggest mistake is giving in to them." The woman is regarding In-young with a pebble-like gaze. "That's what starts the rot."
"Well, I never give in to my daughter," I say briskly. "You're not getting the pony, In-young. And that's final."
"Omma!" In-young's wails turn to heart-rending sobs. She is such a drama queen. (She gets it from Minho.)
"Good luck, then." The woman moves off.
"In-young, geumanhae!" I hiss furiously as soon as she's disappeared. "You're embarrassing both of us! What do you want a stupid pony for?"
"It's pretty!" She's cuddling the pony as though it's her long-lost faithful pet that was sold to a market five hundred miles away and has just stumbled back to the farm, footsore, wickering for her.
"It's just a silly toy," I say impatiently. "What's so special about it, anyway?"
And for the first time, I take a proper look at the pony.
Wow. Actually...it is pretty fab. It's made of painted white wood with glittery stars all over
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