CHAPTER 22

            Hyun Joong was surprised to see Mr. and Mrs. Yoon at the party.

            “Hello, Mr. Yoon.  I didn’t know you will be visiting Seoul,” Hyun Joong said and shook Mr. Yoon’s hand.  “By the way, this is my wife So Min.”

            “Hello So Min.  We apologize again for not making it to your wedding.  My doctor advised me at that time not to travel since I was still recovering from a heart bypass surgery.”

            “It’s nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Yoon,” So Min said.  “No need to apologize for not attending our wedding.  We understand.  How are you feeling now?”

            “Much better but I have to take it easy.  It’s a good thing we have Hyun Joong and He Ra taking care of the business.  I don’t have the energy anymore to deal with stress.”

            As much as So Min was not fond of He Ra, she had to admit she found Mr. and Mrs. Yoon a pleasant and charming couple.  They reminded her so much of her own parents.  She felt at ease around them.

            “I know exactly what you mean.  My father feels the same way and I’m sure he’s also glad Hyun Joong is here to help him out,” So Min said while looking at her husband.

            “Aren’t we all lucky to have Hyun Joong?  By the way, congratulations to both of you, how far along are you?” Mrs. Yoon said while looking at So Min’s baby bump. 

            “Thank you.  I’m on my sixth month,” So Min said smiling.

            “We need to meet your parents soon, So Min.  I’m sure we have a lot to talk about, business and all,” Mr. Yoon said.

            “Definitely Mr. Yoon.  Don’t worry, I’ll talk to my parents about it.  I’m sure they would like to meet you too.”

            That was one thing Hyun Joong was thankful for.  Mr. and Mrs. Yoon never meddled with his relationship with He Ra.  They kept business and personal lives separate.  He wasn’t sure how much they know about him and He Ra, but they never said anything to him. 

            Hyun Joong and So Min continued to converse with Mr. and Mrs. Yoon while He Ra stayed quiet the whole time.  At one point, He Ra excused herself and went to talk to other people.  To So Min’s surprise He Ra did not make a scene this time which So Min was thankful for.

            The rest of the evening turned out to be more fun than expected.  So Min and Hyun Joong mingled and met some friends and had a great time catching up with them.  Everyone was excited to see So Min pregnant and they received lots of well wishes and in some instances words regarding the good, the bad, and the ugly of becoming parents.

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            The following month was extremely busy for So Min preparing the nursery.  Hyun Joong offered to help but So Min knew how busy her husband was at work and tried not to bother him as much as possible.  Besides her mother was more than happy to fill in for Hyun Joong.  So Min and her mother spent a lot of time shopping for baby furniture and baby clothes.  They also met with Ji Yun, their interior decorator.  She had great ideas to make the nursery room feel warm, lively, and modern at the same time.  They picked out the theme and decided on the color of the room.

                       
            Although So Min stopped working full time in the studio, she still made sure to show up in her office as much as possible. As usual she was thankful for Seung Ah.  Seung Ah had been managing the studio pretty much on her own and was doing such a wonderful job. 

            “Great job, Seung Ah!  I’m reviewing our enrollments for the next sessions and our numbers are up.  You’re a pro now running the studio,” So Min said excitedly.

            “But of course.  I learned from the best,” Seung Ah said.

            “Really, thank you.  I’m not sure how much time I can dedicate running the studio after I give birth and it’s nice to know that I have the ever reliable Seung Ah to run the studio for me.”

            “Promise me you will not worry about this place after you give birth.  Don’t worry we’ll make sure to run the studio just like you did.”

            “By the way, can you help me organize an event for next month?”

            “Event, next month?” Seung Ah gave So Min a curious look.

            “Yes, the orphanage will be having its anniversary next month and Hyun Joong would like to celebrate it with a big bang,” explained So Min.  “Let’s hire an event planner to make it fun and memorable for the kids.”

            “Oh that’s nice.  I’m sure the kids will appreciate it.  Don’t worry, we’ll make sure they’ll have the best party ever.  I’ll work on it right away.”

            “Thanks Seung Ah.  I’m sure Hyun Joong will be happy to hear that.  He really wanted to get involved because you know how important the orphanage is to him.  I told him you and I will take care of the event since he’s so busy at work.”

            “No problem So Min.  This is going to be a fun project to work on.”

With that Seung Ah left So Min’s office and got busy on the phone.

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The following weeks were extremely busy for So Min.  She and her mother finally finished decorating the nursery.  She and Hyun Joong went to see Dr. Seo for her regular prenatal visits.  She also worked closely with Seung Ah on the orphanage project. 

“I hope you are not working too hard, Sweetheart,” Hyun Joong told So Min while massaging her swollen feet.

“Don’t worry.  Seung Ah does most of the leg work since she knows I can’t move that fast anymore,” So Min assured Hyun Joong.

“How’s the orphanage project coming along?”

“Great.  I think you will be happy with it.”

“Thank you,” said Hyun Joong and gave his wife a long, passionate kiss.

Hyun Joong held So Min closely.  He felt sorry for her because getting a good night sleep had been very difficult for her.  She could only sleep on her side which was not comfortable for her.  And yet, he never heard her complain about it.  Hyun Joong came to appreciate his wife even more for staying positive despite the discomfort of pregnancy.  “I love you,” he whispered in So Min’s ear and held her for the rest of the night.

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The children couldn’t contain their excitement.  The orphanage grounds were transformed into a carnival midway.  There were plenty of rides for the kids to enjoy.  There were also plenty of game booths and prizes to win.  Magicians and circus clowns were there to entertain the children.  Carts for hotdogs, popcorn, ice cream, and cotton candy were everywhere for the kids to enjoy.  Generous sponsors of the orphanage and their families were also invited.  It was one big festive celebration.

Hyun Joong was excited to see how lively the place was.  The place was full of colorful balloons.  Children were laughing and smiling everywhere.  Hyun Joong couldn’t ask for more.  His wife and Seung Ah definitely exceeded his expectations.

“Thank you Seung Ah.  This is great!” Hyun Joong said while giving Seung Ah a warm, big hug.

“You’re welcome.  By the way, your wife was the brain behind all these.  These were all her idea.  All I had to do was execute them.”

“I know.  I can’t believe she did all these with you while almost ready to give birth.  She’s really an angel,” Hyun Joong said and squeezed So Min’s hand.

“Anything for my husband,” So Min said sweetly.

After lunch, there was one more big surprise waiting for the children which even Hyun Joong was not aware of.  The emcee of the event announced a visit from special guests...the members of the FC Men Soccer Team.  There was a loud cheer from the children and adults alike when members of the team headed by Kim Junsu of JYJ approached the stage, followed by other celebrity and non-celebrity members of the team.

Hyun Joong couldn’t believe it.  He looked at his wife and said, “How did you do it?”

So Min smiled and said, “It was easy.  Junsu is a dear friend of mine.  I know you are a big soccer fan so I thought of inviting the team over.  Fortunately most of them are available today so we lucked out.”

Hyun Joong was speechless.  “I don’t know what to say, you are unbelievable Sweetheart.”  Hyun Joong gave his wife a big hug and a kiss.

Junsu announced that the members of the team will be providing lessons to the children and that there would be soccer matches afterwards.  The children couldn’t believe that they would be able to play with the celebrities they could only watch on television.

“By the way, I packed your soccer jersey, shorts, and shoes, so you can play with them.  They’re in the car.  I’ll ask Do Han to get them for you,” So Min told Hyun Joong.

“Really?  This is unbelievable!” said Hyun Joong.

The rest of the afternoon was filled with fun and excitement as the kids and the members of FC Men played soccer matches.  The children also had the opportunity to take pictures with their favorite celebrities.  So Min hired professional photographers to capture the moment.

So Min watched her husband play.  Hyun Joong had been working extremely hard lately and it was nice to see her husband relax and have fun like a little kid.  She was glad she did this for him and the children.  It wasn’t easy coordinating the members’ schedule, but it was all worth it! 

At the end of the event, Hyun Joong made sure to thank each member of the team.  He told them the children would never forget this moment and that he would be forever grateful to them.

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“Hyun Joong, I think it’s time,” So Min said trying to manage the pain she was feeling. 

It was two o’clock in the morning and Hyun Joong immediately got out of bed.  He called Dr. Seo and informed her.  Hyun Joong also called So Min’s parents and told them to meet them at the hospital. Hyun Joong dressed and also helped So Min get ready as well. 

While driving Hyun Joong could tell So Min’s contractions are becoming regular.  Panic came over him but he did his best to calm down.  “We’ll be there soon, don’t worry,” Hyun Joong assured So Min.

As soon as they reached the hospital, So Min was wheeled into the delivery room right way where Dr. Seo was waiting.  Hyun Joong chose to stay in the delivery room to give So Min support during childbirth.  Dr. Seo checked So Min and discussed with the couple how they would go about the delivery. 

The nurses prepped So Min and soon enough she was fully dilated and was ready to give birth.  Hyun Joong held So Min’s hand while she was pushing.  So Min was thankful Hyun Joong was there at her side.  It made a whole lot of difference for her.  After pushing a few more times finally the baby was born.  It was a boy!

Hyun Joong couldn’t believe his eyes.  Seeing his son finally was a miracle for him.  His eyes started to well up.  He looked at So Min.  He could tell she was exhausted but she still managed to smile when she held the baby for a brief moment. They were both overwhelmed with happiness.  Hyun Joong was asked by Dr. Seo to cut the umbilical cord.  APGAR test was completed and Dr. Seo announced, “He is a very healthy baby.”

“Are you ready for the next one?” Dr. Seo asked So Min.

So Min nodded her head and held Hyun Joong’s hand once again.  The second twin was born much more easily.  Their first born paved the way for the second twin.

“Congratulations guys, it’s a girl!” said Dr. Seo. 

This time both Hyun Joong and So Min couldn’t hold back their tears.  Seeing their twins was more than a miracle. 

“Great job, Sweetheart.  I love you,” said Hyun Joong and gave So Min a kiss on her forehead.

“I love you too,” So Min said while holding their babies.

TO BE CONTINUED

Author’s Note:

Hello to our wonderful readers.  This is DTS123.  I will be on vacation for the next couple of weeks.  I’ll do my best to update the story while on vacation.  But in case I can’t, please forgive me.  Just wanted to give you a heads up so you know I didn’t “abandon” the story.  Feel free to re-read the chapters in the absence of new updates.  Hopefully it will satisfy your craving for HyunMin stories (kekeke!).  Take care everyone!