The car made a left before coming to a stop in front of the blue terrace. It was a large house, emitting a homey, hospitable atmosphere, but who could really tell what went on inside? Yet, this was it. This was the new home to the father and daughter.

“Welcome, dear,” the soft voice the man had fallen in love with cooed as she approached him at his car.

“Hey, love,” Youngsoo grinned and hugged her, kissing her temple affectionately.

“Did you wait long?” the man asked, his arm comfortably resting around the Sonyeo’s waist.

“Not too long. Just enough to prepare lunch and the rooms. Speaking of which, is she here?” she eagerly inquired, stretching her head to look in the car.

Through the tinted glass, Sonyeo could only make out the rough figure of the girl who sat with her head hung low, a mysterious aura surrounding her.

“So eager as always, huh? She’s in the car and she'll be there for some time with her playlist. It's her.. thing, you know? Kids these days...” Youngsoo chuckled.

“Playlist?” the woman raised an eyebrow.

“Mhm - her iPod, her favourite mixes."

“Interesting girl, she is. Can't wait to meet her,” Sonyeo beamed at her new husband.

It had been a week since their marriage, and the honeymoon effect was still fresh for the both of them. The three days her husband had spent in Busan to fetch his daughter had been three lonely nights, something especially true after already getting accustomed to the few days of having a body to hug in her sleep. The smiles were still sincere, and the happiness was genuine.

“I truly can’t wait for you to meet her either. She’s quiet and sweet. I think you’ll love her. It’s just sad that you’d never managed to meet her when we were dating. It’s really devastating that she didn’t make it to our wedding either. You understand why, right?”

“Of course I do. It’s not her choice. But, anyway, I think we should head in first. I’ll show you to our newly decorated room. You're going to love it! I'll have the boys bring your bags in, okay?” Sonyeo smiled sweetly at her husband, leading him into the house.

As soon as they had entered the house, she hollered out for her sons, “Jeongguk! Taehyung! Could you come down for a second?”

Two teenage boys trudged down the stairs with piercing eyes. They stopped in front of the newly-weds and bowed a little at the man, skeptically eyeing him. Last they had seen him was at the wedding when he exchanged the vows with their mother. They later had the house to themselves once the couple had left for their short honeymoon trip to Jeju-do.

“Hello, kids,” Youngsoo flashed them a smile though unrequited.

They simply nodded as a response, arching a cold atmosphere in the quiet house. Yet, Youngsoo seemed to have not noticed, unfazed by the lack of enthusiasm. He understood it could take time for them to accept him as their new father. Their biological father hadn't been around for some time, after all.

Jung Sonyeo was a single mother of four and had been for almost 7 years. She had been widowed by a tragic accident one terrible Sunday while the family was on a roadtrip, one of the only ones they had ever went on, also the last. Such had been an unfortunate case that gathered a lot of sympathy from the nation back when news outlets reported the story. The accident was one big enough to cause a hoo-ha across the country. 7 years later, a fateful night led to Sonyeo meeting her high school love, Kim Youngsoo. The two kept in touch and, after a year of dating, had decided to settle down and get married. Youngsoo who was, on the other hand, a single father, had filed a divorce with his wife some months before he met Sonyeo.

Their marriage, however, wasn’t such a sweet one. It was bitter. All four of Sonyeo’s children - Seokjin, Jimin, Taehyung, Jeongguk - didn’t approve of it, even if at least two of them pretended they didn’t care. There were fights and weeks of silent treatment before they realised it wasn't a choice from the start. Youngsoo’s daughter, Kim Haesoo, hadn’t even been able to attend the wedding, circumstances saving her from having to watch her father walk down an aisle with a woman who wasn't her mother.

Despite of the oppositions, the couple persisted with the marriage, holding a small wedding for just relatives and close friends. Things fortunately went smoothly, even if at least on the surface. The week that ensued after the marriage consisted of the 4 teenage boys and Haesoo simply dreading the day they would have to welcome each other into their lives. Something they shared in common was the opinion that it was all just a weird mess. They were strangers; how were they to live together? Why did they have to get caught up with each other because of someone else's marriage?

On the contrary, Youngsoo and Sonyeo were more than elated to finally forget the past and open a new chapter in life together as a new family.

Yet, such a request for a marriage that hadn’t even been properly approved from the start was set to encounter difficulties. It was never meant to be easy when the oppositions stemmed from their own children, but that fact hadn’t yet dawned on the couple who were far too blinded by their own love that they had just created together.

***

“You get Youngsoo’s bags and I’ll get his daughter's,” Taehyung told his younger brother.

“And why do I have to get his bags?” Jeongguk made a fa