"Come here, little monkey." I said, gesturing Aeri over.

She was rolling all over the room with Pandy. She rolled to my feet and giggled at me.

"Up." I said, giving her my hand.

She grabbed my hand and instead of letting me pull her up, she pulled me down.

"Yah!!" I shouted in surprise.

She was a giggling mess.

"Naughty bum." I said, pulling her up, letting her sit next to me.

"Pandy!!" She screamed, but the puppy had retreated back to his corner next to Min Jeong.

"Shhh~" I said, covering .

She my hand in response.

"Aigoo~ Dirty girl! I haven't washed my hand in ages!" I .

"Ewwww!!!" She laughed.

"Sit up. Come on. You were born with a spine." I said, pushing her off me gently.

"I want to stick with Appa!" She said, hugging my waist, patting my stomach.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

She giggled and poked my stomach.

"Am I fat?" I asked.

She looked at me and laughed.

As Min Jeong's belly grew with our baby healthily, mine was just uncomfortably hard.

Doojoon did warn about the hardness in the belly as part of couvade syndrome, but he did not warn me about the psychological part of it; feeling like a swollen whale. It was made worse with my appetite still missing in action. I felt as if even breathing was fattening for me.

I, for one, was definitely not glowing in this 'pregnancy' stage.

"Eat up." I said, feeding Aeri a piece of melon.

"Is it yummy?" I asked her.

She nodded, taking half piece out from and feeding it to me.

"Aigoo~ So this is how you feed people?" I asked, eating her half eaten piece of fruit anyway.

She nodded and giggled as she continued to feed herself with her hands.

I used to stop her from eating with her hands because it was dirty, but Min Jeong scolded me for it. She said that this is the only time of their life they can eat like that without being judged, so why am I stopping her? I argued that it ks dirty, and she responded saying that is what hand wash is for and that I should not put them out of business, and besides, everything taste better when you use your hands.

I thought about what she said, and she sure is right. I was too concerned with raising Aeri the right way that I forgot about the fun of growing up.

"Hey, little girl, what are you doing?" I asked.

She froze in action. She was cleaning her hands all over my pants.

"Sorwy~" She pouted.

"It's okay." I said, carrying her to face me.

"Is it?" She asked, letting out a cheeky smirk.

"No! Wait! Yah!!" Before I could stop her, she slapped her sticky palms onto my cheeks.

"Not my hair! Not my hair!! Yah!!" I grabbed her hands in time before she could dirty my hair with it.

She was a laughing mess, so was I.

"Don't ever stop laughing." I said, letting her lie on my lap.

"Aeri, you know I love you, right?" I said, kissing her on her lips.

She squashed my cheeks, wrapping her legs around my waist.

"Am I disturbing something?" A voice asked.

I looked up while Aeri looked back.

Junhyung was smiled at us, hiding something behind his back.

"Junnie sam-chon!!" Aeri yelled, rolling off my lap and running towards him. He caught her in his arms, hugging her tightly.

"Aigoo, look at this baby!" He said, kissing her.

"For you." He said, pulling out a soft toy from behind.

Aeri snatched the toy from him excitedly. She kissed him on his cheek as a way to say thank you.

"Junnie ah~ You got to stop adding to her collection. I feel like toys are surrounding me. It's scary." I said.

"Really? Should I buy you one too?" He teased, but his eyes never looked away from Aeri.

Aeri was leaning against the bed, dancing the soft toy on Min Jeong's belly and talking to her.

"I never knew a baby had so much to say." Junhyung laughed.

"Aeri doesn't stop talking now. Sometimes it gives me a headache." I rubbed my temples.

"But you like it, don't you?" He said.

"I do. It reminds me of what I have to do." I said.

"What?" He asked, looking at me curiously.

"Survive." I said.

He smiled slightly and then turned to continue looking at Aeri.

***
"Appa!!!!" Aeri screamed as she ran towards me, holding my phone.

It was ringing and I was about to get up to answer it when she came with it.

"Thank you, sweetheart." I kissed her cheek.

She had saved me from the trouble and pain in my back from having to get up.

"Hello?" I answered.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO LONG TO ANSWER!?" The person over the line shouted.

I took a look at who the caller was; Junhyung.

"I..." I was furious at his rudeness, but Junhyung is not usually like that, therefore something must be wrong.

"Sorry, hyung. Sorry. I just..." His voice traced off.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Hyung..." He sounded so defeated.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Is Doojoon okay? Min Jeong?" I tried.

"They are okay, everyone is okay." He sighed.

"You are not okay. Tell me what is wrong." I said.

"The carnival owner... They let him out on bail." He said, almost inaudibly.

"What?" I asked.

"I am sorry, hyung. It's all my fault." He said.

"Didn't you say everything was under control? You told me to trust you!!! You were so confident!" I shouted at him.

Aeri looked geninuely shocked.

"I'm sorry, baby." I said softly, hugging her.

Junhyung said nothing.

"Junhyung?" I called out.

I mentally slapped myself when I heard him sobbing softly.

"I'm sorry for yelling, Junhyung ah. I don't mean it. It's not your fault. I know you tried your best. I saw it. Please don't cry." I said.

"Junnie sam-chon, don't cwry. Aeri will punish naughty Appa." Aeri said, earning a laugh from Junhyung.

"Laughing already?" I said. I showed a thumb-up to Aeri.

"I'm sorry, hyung." He said again.

"It's really not your fault." I said.

"It's not over. I will find more evidence and have him nailed. I swear." He said.

"Don't swear for a man like him." I said.

"But hyung, I am afraid he may come do harm to you. Please be careful. Protect yourself, and Aeri." He said.

"I will. You protect yourself too." I said.

"Doojoon will be on guard in the hospital looking after Min Jeong." He said.

"Thank you for everything. Both of you." I said.

"This is all we can do." He said with a sigh.

"It is more than enough." I said.

***
"Appa~" Aeri called out.

I was in the living room, getting work done for Junhyung.

"Sweetheart! Why are you awake?" I asked, glancing at the clock as I let her fall into my embrace. It was 10.30PM.

She snuggled her face into my chest, saying nothing.

"Did you dream of something bad?" I asked, patting her back gently.

"I want to see Jeongie unnie." She said.

"Okay, we will go there tomorrow." I said.

"Now." She said.

"No, sweetheart. It is late. Min Jeong unnie is resting, so must you." I said, walking around the house with her in my arms in hope she would fall asleep.

"No! No! Now! Appa! Please!" She threw a tantrum out of a sudden.

"No, baby." I said firmly.

"Pleaseeeeeee!!!" She begged me, crying and hitting me at the same time.

"What is wrong with you?" I tried to hold her tight, but she was screaming at the top of her voice.

The only time she behaves like this is when she is sick, but she is completely fine this time.

"Aeri, I said not now." I said firmly, letting her down.

She was a crying mess, lying on the floor and begging me. As much as it hurts me to see her like that, I was determined to not give in to her tantrum.

I ignored her, hoping she would fall asleep from crying. But it seems like Pandy could not take it any longer. He barked for my attention and did not stop barking until I gave in. I carried Aeri up and hushed her.

"Shhh~ Stop crying already. Your voice is hoarse. You want to see Min Jeong unnie? Why can't we go tomorrow? We will definitely go tomorrow. It is late. Look at you, you are so tired already." I said.

"Appa, please~ Now!" She cried.

"Alright, alright. Stop crying." I said.

I saved my work and grabbed a jacket for her. Pandy barked, as if telling me to not leave him out.

"Get your leash." I instructed him.

He went and came back so quickly it surprised me.

Min Jeong, look at the effect you have on people~

Initially I wanted to just walk Aeri around the block until she fell asleep, but I underestimated my girl's determination. She was so tired, but she struggled hard to stay awake. In the end, I headed for the hospital.

As we walked towards Min Jeong's room, I suddenly felt out of breath, as if someone was choking me, followed by a sharp pain in my abdomen. I let Aeri down so as not to end up dropping her due to the pain.

"Appa~" She called out, looking at me, scared.

"Appa is okay." I said, but could hardly hold myself up.

"Min Jeong." I muttered, forcing myself to get to her room. Aeri and Pandy followed closely next to me.

As we neared her room, I saw that it was slightly open.

"Aeri, stay here." I said.

Aeri looked at me, tears welling up in her eyes as she shook her head.

"Be a good girl." I said, peering into the room through the glass window.

My eyes widened in shock when I saw a figure hovering over Min Jeong, as if strangling her.

I barge into the room, jumping onto whoever that is.

The person elbowed me in my ribs and forced me against the wall.

"Look who we have here~" He said in a mocking tone. He removed his hood, revealing himself. The carnival owner.

For some reason, I was calmer than I thought I would be. At the corner of the room, I saw Doojoon lying on the floor, unconcious.

"What did you do to him!?" I yelled.

"What I am going to do to you and your girl, followed by your daughter." He smirked.

I clenched my fist tight, glaring hard at him

"You never expected this, didn't you? Just like how I never expected you to betray me." He said.

"I betrayed you?" I asked.

"I told you as well as your fellow freaks so many times. You guys really got to be thankful for me. I gave you guys a job, I gave you guys a living." He said.

"You never learn. You never, never learn." I said.

He let out a loud laugh, and then turned away from me.

"You guys are such ungrateful bastards!" He said, his back facing me.

I took the chance to head towards the door. I exchanged glances with Aeri. I gestured for her to keep quiet.

"I love you." I mouthed to her before closing the door.

The carnival owner turned to look at me.

"You are not escaping this time." I said.

I jumped onto him, holding him down with my entire weight.

"You idiot! You'll never change! You ing never change!!" I yelled.

I was having the upper hand until I felt the pain stronger than before. I heard the beeping of the heart rate machine Min Jeong was attached to go crazy. He took the chance to flip me over and punched me before strangling me.

"Appa!!!" Aeri screamed suddenly.

"Who do we have here?" He asked, smirking.

He let me go and headed for the door.

"No!!" I forced myself up and threw myself over to hug his legs.

"Let go!" He shouted, kicking me countless times.

"Never!" I used his body to pull myself up. I tugged him away from the door just to get push away again. I was dizzy but I was not going to let him win this time.

"You forced me to!" He said, flashing a pocketknife at me.

"Die!" He shouted as he raised the pocketknife in my face.

I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for the stab, but it did not come. Instead, I felt a weight crash against my body. I opened my eyes to find Doojoon over me. He was face down just now therefore I could not see, but now that I could, I realized how badly beaten up he was. What had happened before I came?

"Doo..." I muttered in shock.

"Don't worry, next will be you." He said, throwing Doojoon to a corner like a rag doll.

Doojoon groaned in pain. I wanted to go to him, but he was hovering over me with the knife.

"You can kill me, but you aren't going anywhere." I glared at him.

"Oh, really?" He smirked, tapping my cheek with the blood stained knife.

"You know what, I change my plan." He said as he stood up straight.

He beat me up, making sure I was unable to even stand, and then he headed over to Min Jeong.

"You will be the audience of her death while your daughter will be the audience of yours." He said and then let out the creepiest laugh ever.

"No! No! No!!!" I yelled

With whatever strength I have left, I forced myself up, throwing myself onto him. He pushed me aside easily.

"Wait, wait. What is this?" He asked, pointing at the heart rate monitor that is monitoring our baby's heart beat.

The pain in my abdomen told me that the baby was feeling stressed.

"I'm not letting you touch them! I'm not letting you touch them!!" I yelled at him, but it worked like a spell to keep myself fighting.

"Keep him away!" I heard Doojoon yell.

He was bleeding profusely from his back, but he did not show a hint of pain on his face.

I dragged the carnival owner to the other side of the room so Doojoon could do his job. I could not fight further, so I could only hold him back by letting him hit me.

"Do I hear you groaning? You could feel pain now?" He asked, squeezing my cheeks hard.

I spat in his face, angering him even further.

He raised his fist to punch me, but I dodged fast enough, causing him to punch his fist hard into the wall instead.

He cursed in pain. He glared hard at me before he dug his fingers into my neck, squeezing me like as if I am a stress ball.

I struggled to reach for his neck. He smirked at me as he strangled me tighter.

"Freaks like you should die!" He said.

"s like you should die!" Another voice shouted. Junhyung.

I heard Pandy growl angrily and then the carnival owner let out a painful yell. He let go of my neck and fell to the floor. Pandy was biting onto the back of his thigh, not letting go.

"Appa!!" Aeri cried, running into my embrace.

"My baby!" I cried, holding her tightly with whatever strength I have left.

"You know, you could have behaved yourself and you just might be let free, but you had to do this. Remember, you added this crime to yourself." Junhyung said dangerously.

I had no idea if the carnival owner heard him at all.

Junhyung handled the situation with the police while I made my way to Min Jeong.

"How is she? The baby?" I asked Doojoon as I knelt beside her.

He said nothing. I wonder if he could not hear me or he was too busy to reply me.

"Jeongie, please be okay." I said, one hand holding her hand tightly, another on her baby bump, in hope to comfort our little one.

After awhile, Doojoon let out a sigh, his head hanging low.

"What? What is it?" I asked, looking at him, and then at the machines. After spending some time in the hospital, I do know how to somehow read the signs. Min Jeong and our little one's heart rate went back to normal, but why is Doojoon acting like that?

"Dr Yoon…" The nurse that was helping him called out, looking shocked.

Junhyung who was walking over stopped dead at his track. It seemed like everyone knew what was going on but me. It was until Doojoon collapsed in my face that I remember he got stabbed. The back of his white coat was stained red with his blood. All this while he was losing blood, and yet he put Min Jeong and our baby's priority first.

"Doojoon ah!" I could only scream.

Despite witnessing his boyfriend collapse, Junhyung was the only one fast and calm enough to rush forward to catch Doojoon before he hits the floor.

"Stupid." I heard Junhyung scold Doojoon.

Doojoon let out a struggled laugh.

"I hate you." Junhyung said.

"It's okay. I love you." Doojoon smiled.

“Don’t you dare let anything happen to yourself.” Junhyung said firmly before he kissed Doojoon on his lips, and then let the nurses and doctor take him away.

***
I opened my eyes to the sight of Aeri sleeping on my chest.

“You’re awake.” Junhyung said quietly.

“Hey~” I smiled weakly.

“Sorry, she insisted on sleeping like this.” He apologized.

“No worries.” I smiled, touching Aeri’s hair gently.

“She wanted to be the first person you see when you wake up.” He said, smiling.

“This girl~” I laughed.

“How’s Doojoon?” I asked.

“He’s good. Sleeping though.” He said.

“I’m so sorry.” I apologized.

“For what?” He asked.

“I was the one who was supposed to get stabbed.” I said.

“If he watched you get stab and didn’t do anything in his power to save you, he will never forgive himself. Neither would I.” Junhyung said.

I sighed and closed my eyes.

“It’s over, hyung.” Junhyung said, squeezing my hand lightly.

“What’s over?” I asked, feeling scared out of a sudden.

“The carnival owner. He is doomed.” He said.

I looked at him, not saying anything.

“I promise you. I will bite on him and not let go, like how Pandy bit on him until the police came.” He said.

I smiled and nodded.

“Why did you come suddenly?” I asked Junhyung.

“I felt it.” He said.

“Felt what?” I asked.

“Doojoon’s pain.” He said.

My eyes widened.

“No. He is not pregnant, neither am I. This isn’t couvade syndrome. Besides, seriously, even if I want to give him children, it is not like I can.” He said, sounding sad.

“There are many ways to have children.” I said to him.

He shrugged his shoulders.

“But… you felt his pain?” I asked.

“What I am suffering from is a syndrome more grave than couvade syndrome. While couvade syndrome goes away after the wife gives birth, or so I hope, mine will never, or so I hope.” He said.

“If that’s your final answer, I am confused.” I said.

He laughed, and then covered his mouth at my glare. Aeri stirred a little, but did not wake up, thankfully.

“Sorry.” He apologized softly.

“So what is it?” I asked.

“It’s called love.” He said.

I rolled my eyes at him.

“I’m serious.” He said.

I looked at him, confused.

“You know how they always say when you find the one, your souls will bind and you become one. Some call it sixth sense, some call it true love.” He said.

“I’m still confused.” I said.

“There was once I was at work. My abdomen started hurting. I thought it was gastric or whatnot. I ignored it at first, but it got worse. Just as I was about to call Doojoon, my phone rang. It was his number, but it wasn’t him. It was his colleague informing me that Doo will be undergoing surgery for appendicitis. I rushed to the hospital. I was in pain throughout, but I knew there was nothing wrong with me. After his surgery, the pain gradually faded into a dull ache exactly where his wound was.” He said.

“I looked exactly like how you look now when I first thought about it. I was shocked. Like, is this even possible? But it started happening more often. Like when he is tired or when he is unwell, I will start to feel it too. I guess it serves as a personal warning to me to take care of this man. Doojoon will never tell me when he isn’t well, but he doesn’t have a choice now.” He continued.

“So just now, you felt that he was in danger?” I asked.

“I did, and then I felt a sharp pain in my back, and I know he was in more than just danger.” He said.

“You may want to slap me for saying this, but don’t you think it is amazing?” I asked.

“It is. And I am proud of it. To not only be able to share the good and bad times, but also the pain and suffering with the one you love, isn’t it all in the marriage vows? Marriage is just a ceremony, but how many couples out there have their souls really bind with each other?” He asked.

All this while when he was telling me about it, the smile on his face never left. It was exactly like he said; he is proud it. 

We were both alerted by the knock on the door. The door opened, revealing Doojoon who grinned at us.

“I knew you were coming.” Junhyung muttered before he got up and helped his boyfriend over.

“I just had to come see if you guys are okay.” Doojoon said.

“Looks like the one who suffered from the most injuries today is you.” Junhyung said, sitting next to him.

Doojoon smiled and diverted his attention to Aeri who was still asleep on my stomach. But I caught him massaging Junhyung’s back gently, the same place where he got stabbed.

“What are you smiling at?” Junhyung asked suddenly.

I shook my head and looked away, but could not help but steal occasional glances at that couple.

Min Jeong ah, do you think we will be like them too? I sure do hope so though.