one

  EXO’s seventh anniversary, and it was a day for celebration. Celebration, most of the time, takes its form in grand parties hosted in lavish hotel ballrooms, with the ladies dressed in elegant ball gowns and the men clad in sharp tuxedos. But no, that was not the case for the SM family, who had booked up an entire family restaurant, with their little kids running wildly around and their mommies, and for Jonghyun’s case, a daddy, chasing their kids.

  “You’re kind of cruel, Sica.” Taeyeon pointed out as she spooned a broccoli into little Taeseung’s mouth. “…Jjong hasn’t eaten all night, because of Jeongmin.”

  Jessica brushed it off casually, as she sipped her wine. “Don’t worry, Taeyeon, Jjong’s got to get a little exercise. I swear his muscles have been turning into fat since he’s half the time on the couch and pressing the remote. Jeongmin is Jjong’s only form of proper exercise.”Jessica just chuckled as she watched her husband chasing her son around.

  “Well, you’re lucky that your husband’s so fatherly. Siwon can’t even change Sooeun.” Sooyoung rolled her eyes, folding her arms. “But then again… Jeongmin is rather active, isn’t he?”

  “I know right! I know right!” Krystal butted in, clapping enthusiastically. “When Jeong-jeong started running around so much, I thought he was Minho’s son! I mean, Jjong-oppa was never much of an athlete.”

  Jessica rolled her eyes and threw her famous ‘Ice Princess’ glare at her sister. “Say that again and I’m so going to tell Sehun that you mentioned Minho!”

  “Oh my, Sica… You’re a mom already, please be more civilized.” Taeyeon nagged, hugging Taesoo as the toddler stretched out his arms to his mother. “Jeongmin’s three already, you should know how to be more mature! Geez…You and Jjong, two people who never grow up.”

  “Yes, yes!” Krystal immediately jumped to her defense. “Taeyeon-unnie’s totally right, Sica-unnie! You can’t keep up with that frown and that glare any longer or you’re totally going to end up as an old wrinkly grandma.”

  Jessica tossed her hair airily. “Come on, last week I was up on the magazine as one of the ‘Best Moms’. The public still views me as perfect – a mom of a three year old who is able to maintain her flawless beauty even after so many years. I am the Jessica, after all.”

  “Right, right. You’re just as perfect of a mom as ‘Zombie Mom’.” Krystal teased, earning herself a whack from her very irritated sister.

  Little Jeongmin came running towards his mother with a big smile on his face, and some chocolate smeared on his cheek. As Jessica wrapped her arms around Jeongmin and picked him up, Jonghyun came dashing over holding a cup of chocolate mousse and a chocolate-stained spoon, huffing and puffing as though he had just ran a marathon.

  “He won’t eat the chocolate mousse!” Jonghyun whined. “Just when me and Minho were trying to have a good conversation about the football last night, he just had to-“

  “Come, Jjong, let me do that.” Jessica took the chocolate mousse and the spoon from Jonghyun, and dug a spoonful of chocolate mousse, offering it to her three-year old. “Jeongmin, Jeongmin, you like chocolate mousse, don’t you? Daddy’s been trying to give you some~”

  And to Jonghyun’s surprise and exasperation, Jeongmin willingly opened his mouth and gulped down the chocolate mousse very cheerfully, with a wide smile spread over his face.

  “Yummy?” Jessica Jeongmin’s hair.

  “Choco yummy!” Jeongmin bounced happily.

  Jonghyun could only gape, whilst Krystal patted her brother-in-law out of pity. “…Don’t worry, Jjong-oppa, when Jeongmin turns fifteen, he’ll get pretty sick of his mommy.”

  It was lucky Krystal ducked just as Jessica flung the chocolate mousse at her sister.

  “Mommy, mommy, can I go hug Jun too?” The innocent voice of the wide-eyed four-year old Huiling rang in the ears of everyone at the table, making them all swoon at how adorable she was. After all, Huiling was an uncanny copy of her mother, yet blessed with the upbeat personality of her father.

  Victoria placed an arm around Huiling as she carried Huiling onto her lap. “Jun’s still too young, Huiling-ah…” Then Victoria turned to look at the other ladies at the table, her sights particularly focused on Yoona. “…But Yoong, where’s Jun?”

  “His daddy’s busy showing him off to the other EXO guys.” Yoona chortled, beaming at Huiling. “Sorry, Huiling-ah, Uncle Luhan isn’t ready to let Jun in anyone else’s arms yet…” Yoona shot a gaze at Seohyun, then back at Huiling. “…Weren’t you playing with Seonjung and Yeonjung?”

  “But Auntie Yoona, they don’t play fair!” Huiling frowned, folding her arms. “We were playing hide and seek, and Seonjung was going to count, then find me and Yeonjung! But Uncle Kyuhyun came and told Seonjung where I was hiding, so I lost…” Huiling complained loudly, with Seohyun perking up at her words.

  Seohyun wrinkled her brows. “…That man. He’s still cheating at this age.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Seo. We’ve all just got to make sure that Huiling learns to stand Kyuhyun’s teases, after all, he thinks that teasing Huiling is like making fun of me.” Victoria laughed gently as she touched her daughter’s cheek. “…Let’s get even with Uncle Kyuhyun, shall we, Huiling?”

  “Huh?” Huiling widened her eyes, very much confused.

  “Huiling, go pull Uncle Kyuhyun’s shoelaces.” Victoria grinned as she set her daughter on the ground, then giving her daughter a very serious look.

  Huiling could not be any more surprised than she already was, looking at her mother in wonder. “But Mommy, Daddy says that –“

  “Don’t worry, Huiling, I’ll help you to explain it to your Daddy if anything happens.” Seohyun reassured. “It’s been long since you’ve kicked Kyu in the gut, Vic, and if your daughter can do it better than you can, it’s likely that my girls will be less willing to comply to their father’s pranks.”

  “Go ahead, Huiling.”

  But Huiling, who had inherited her kind character from Zhou Mi, stood rooted at her spot, inverting her gaze once more at her mother, as if to try to get some sort of confirmation. “Mommy, but are you sure it’s okay? What if Uncle Kyuhyun gets angry…?”

  “Don’t worry, Huiling, when we were doing SMTown concerts and all those stuff, we’d play even worse pranks on each other, and we’d throw water until everyone’s completely drenched.” Victoria patted the head of her sweet daughter. “Uncle Kyuhyun won’t be angry at you, Huiling.”

  “Okay…” Little Huiling was still unsure, but she proceeded along anyway.

  Victoria, Seohyun and Yoona watched intently as the little girl toddled away to a tall man who was laughing along with the other SuJu guys. As if there was nothing, and as it if it was a total piece of cake, Huiling poked Kyuhyun in the back, causing Kyuhyun to whip his head around in surprise. But even then, after things were already so obvious, Huiling just gave Kyuhyun a serene, innocent smile, before reaching towards his toes and pulling his shoelaces. Kyuhyun let out a yelp, but Huiling just stood there as if nothing had happened.

  Giving him an angelic look, Huiling waved. “Bye-bye, Uncle Kyuhyun!”

  By now, the other three ladies were roaring in laughter at the girl’s little prank. “Oh gosh, Vic, she is definitely your daughter! She completely knocked him out like a boss!” Yoona was completely amused and impressed.

  Huiling waddled back to her mother. “Did I do well, Mommy?”

  “Oh, Huiling, you had style.”

  “Kids are difficult.” Jonghyun pouted, folding his arms as he returned to the table to join the SHINee boys. “I thought having a boy would mean that I and he would have connection, but all day long, he’s just running to Jessica. Am I his dad, or what?” 

  “It’ll take time, Jjong-oppa. Most kids would want their moms, anyway.” Sulli tried to comfort him with her soft words. “…Jeongmin’s very little, and Jessica’s doing a good job.”

  “But I change his diapers! And up till now, he’s still wearing diapers! Yeonjung quit diapers last year, and Yeonjung’s one year younger than Jeongmin!” Jonghyun complained loudly, laying his head on his hands. “…When it comes to caring for babies, you’ve really got to hand it to Seohyun.”

  “Tiffany’s going to be a really awesome mom too.” Onew said, placing a hand around his pregnant wife protectively.

  “Hello Baby’s ‘Worst Mom’ is going to be an awesome mom? If that happens, I’ll eat Jeongmin’s disgusting baby food.” Jonghyun joked, getting a smack from Tiffany.

  Tiffany rubbed her stomach proudly. “I won’t beat Jessica in terms of being a mom.”

  “…All you guys talk about are kids nowadays.” Minho, who had felt rather left out with the conversation, protested as he drank his wine. “I mean, Manchester United completely downed Arsenal last night, didn’t you guys watch? It was an awesome flying kick with a 1-0 score that was extremely-“

  “You should get a life, Minho.” Onew interrupted him, throwing a serious gaze at Minho.

  Minho raised his eyebrows. “I have a life.”

  “No, like go get a girl, go get a life, go get married, go get a life, go have kids, go get a life.” Key repeated the same phrase over and over again, meaning it as a joke but advising Minho in a very serious tone. “You were the famous ‘Noona Killer’ last time, weren’t you? Why are you the only person in the entire room without a date today?”

  “Well, everyone from SM’s hooked up already.” Minho said defensively.

  “Well, I’m not from SMTown.” Nicole said a-matter-of-factly, her eyes glinting dangerously as she folded her arms. “…And you’ve got a problem with that?”

  “No, no, no!” Minho hastily denied her words, waving his arms frantically, for he knew there would be an impending catfight if he didn’t. “…I just meant that everyone I’m close to here is already hooked up. Look, Yuri-noona’s on magazines for being Yesung-hyung’s wife, Krystal’s completely attached to Sehun, and Yoona, Yoona’s already had a kid with Luhan-hyung!” He shifted to his gaze to Sulli. “…Even my last option is taken.”

  Taemin immediately stood up. “Excuse me?!” He roared. “Who said that Sulli c