KWONs

March 10

There are lots of things to do in just a short time. To be very honest, I cannot remember the last time I spent a whole day at home and bond with my family. Work is eating me raw to the point that I don’t know the difference of day and night anymore.

Well, YGR is in the process of expansion and we’re not talking about releasing a variety of goodies to subscribe and read, but global branding that will change the game of the whole company. Yes, we have a very big chance of succeeding for YG Entertainment has already established a name internationally. Thing is, we are no Psy, Big Bang or 2ne1, we do have a fanbase but it’s not as big as the artists. The only thing we’re sure of is that, once we plan this expansion well and without glitches, and promote it exquisitely, the results will be more than what we’re expecting.

My day starts early (what’s new about this?). Only drag is, I don’t have the time to prepare breakfast for my family and only have the opportunity to just check on them and if time permits, catch up with them even just for a few minutes. Jiyong on the other hand, is still busy but gets a day or two off from their recording. I don’t know how he does it, but he can stretch his day to meet all of us. As a matter of fact, he waits for me till I get home no matter how late it is not minding that the next day will be hectic for him too.

“Give me that!” I hear Karielle’s high-pitched voice from our room. “I swear Danny Oppa…you’ll get it from Dad later” she’s raging.

“Whatever K!” Danny counters and laughs “You will not get this till you tell me whatever secret you and the Noonas are keeping”

“WE’RE KEEPING NOTHING OPPA!” she shouts on top of her lungs.

If I’m not mistaken, they are in front of our door, making us hear everything.

Jiyong squirms beside me and wraps his arm around my waist. He’s dead beat coz he just got home a few hours ago from a recording that is agreed to only just be till midnight (12mn) but ended at three.

“Really? I heard you and the Noonas talking about….” I wasn’t able to get Danny’s words anymore because of Karielle’s crying.

And that is my cue to get my out of bed to be a referee to my fighting children, early in the morning. I don’t know what secret Danny is talking about but it’s intriguing me.

With my silk robe on me messily, I walk out of our room and saw the two standing just a meter away from the door. They look at my direction in a snap and I raise an eyebrow, a gesture, telling them that I’m curious and confused on what’s happening.

“MUM!” Karielle runs to me, tear stains on her cheeks. “Oppa steals my phone from me while I’m waiting for my toast and doesn’t want to give it back” she says and I look at my son who knows that he’s in trouble.

Danny sighs heavily and faces us fully. “Mum…I’m sorry…but please…let me explain first”

“Go” I stare straight at him, eyes still sleepy.

He takes a deep breath and scoffs at his sister.

“Danny” I call, making him sigh again.

“Mum…the girls are keeping a secret from us” he says, building my curiosity more.

“How’d you say that?”

Karielle looks at me, her face obviously nervous.

“The boys and I heard them talking in the kitchen yesterday…they keep on giggling and squealing…not that we care about it…but…we find it weird because it’s really the first time that they huddle like they are the only people who needs to know whatever that is they’re talking about…it maybe girls talk but still…it’s weird…and then…” he smiles at Karielle who is now shaking. I’m not sure if it’s because of anger or something else. “We heard Fugly’s name”

The moment I heard the term “Fugly”, my curiosity heightened to a level that cannot be reached by anyone.

“Fugly?” I ask.

Danny laughs. “It’s a term of combined words Mum”

I have a feeling that my children thinks I don’t know what that word mean. Well, I’m not born yesterday.

“in’ Ugly” I say, shocking the two of them.

“How do you know it Mum?” Karielle asks and I roll my eyes.

“Babies” I sigh and chuckle “That word was made a long long time ago…I’m not just sure if I used it before but your Aunt Daryl does…just that she prefers to say the combined words individually for “deeper impact” but yeah…it’s not just now that it’s invented”

“Anyway…” OK. Enough of your explanation Clara Kwon. Get to the matter quick coz you don’t have much time anymore. “Who’s Fugly?”

Karielle snaps up while looking at the stairs. “UNNIES!” she calls desperately.

SOS! HELP! This is how her voice sounds when she called them.

“Morning Mum!” Gabby who by the way, hasn’t gone back to her apartment yet even if the unit beside hers is already done with construction, greeted with her hair tied in a messy bun and her face with sleep marks.

“What’s going on here?” Isabella comes after her and smiles when our eyes met.

DK, with her eyeglasses resting low on her nose yawned and stretched first before hugging me. “Good Morning my beautiful Mum”

She just made my morning. Well, my children do, no matter how loud they are.

“Danny Oppa is harassing me Unnies” Karielle suddenly turns into this nervous young lad to a fierce one.          

“What did he do to you?” Gabby is all ready to fight which is very typical of her.

They might have grown and have separate lives already but the girls’ and boys’ competition is still there, giving Jiyong and I a hard time to be in between for we can sometimes be biased. Of course, I’m a woman and he’s a man, we side our own species and fight each other even if it’s really so immature of us.

“He got my cellphone and won’t give it back to me…he’s insisting that we’re hiding a secret” Karielle’s eyes got big upon saying the word “secret”

At this point, I don’t even need a lie to cover the truth for I know the truth already. Danny is right, the girls are hiding something, whatever it is, I don’t know, and I will do everything to know it. This is just so unfair! I’m one of the girls too! They should tell that secret to me too!

Isabella walks over to Danny, arms crossed on her chest. “Give K’s phone…NOW!” this is the first time I ever heard her use a scary tone. Yes, before when she was still a kid, she tries so hard to sound scary to her siblings but it’s not as hair-raising as today.

It seems like it worked coz Danny handed the phone to her sister without even saying anything.

“You’re such an a….” Gabby pauses, upon seeing me looking at her with narrow eyes.

She’s about to call her brother an and it’s against one of our house rules. That is, to not call anybody foul names (a rule that Gabby bends ALL THE TIME).

After the drama, I decided to whip up breakfast for them. Time is ticking and I’m in a rush while preparing pancakes and sausages for everybody.

“Wow Mum! This is really a MIRACLE!” DK sings the last word, making us laugh.

My girls (except for Miracle who is still sleeping for sure), are seated on the high chairs behind the counter island while waiting for me to finish. This is how our typical day usually starts (before my hectic schedules).

“So….what’s the secret?” I ask after plating the pancakes on the serving plate.

They look at each other nervously as if asking using their eyes “What should we do?”

“hmmm….” As I expected, it’s Gabby who’ll have the first say. “It’s nothing Mum…nothing serious” she says and smiles.

“Yeah Mum! It’s nothing” Isabella counters without even looking me in the eyes.

DK grabs a pancake “OUCH!” just to drop it because it’s still hot.

Karielle is my only hope here coz I’m sure my big girls won’t say anything about it no matter how I squeeze them, not unless I tell their Dad about this and he’ll bug them to the core.

“I don’t want to speak Mum…my lips are sealed” she playfully zips her lips and smiles.

This is intriguing me more and in one way or another, annoying me. Why? Because I want to know what their secret is and I can’t even do something for them to spit it out