Adorable whale

Yunho should be happy.

Well not happy per se. He finds such events boring.

But he never found it stressful.

His pretty, pouty, kissable and very much pregnant wife is making it difficult by her prettiness, pouting, kiss-demanding and hormones which are still causing mood swings though Gyuri said it should’ve been over so near the due date.

It is a business party, where the most deserving businessmen are awarded for their work. Yunho is going to win Entrepreneur of the year. That’s like the best actor Oscar award in business.

He is being awarded for securing a landmark technological deal between South Korea and Germany. The two governments are collaborating for infrastructural development in both countries and Jung conglomerate is representing South Korea.      

Work is underway already when Yunho got news he’s being awarded for it.

It’s not his first award during his short business tenure so far, since he’s young and only took over Jung Co. officially just before Moonbin was born. Yunho’s been winning awards for a number of things since he was 10.

So he’s not really nervous about the award ceremony as such.

He’s been to them a hundred of times. His father was a celebrated businessman before him and he and Changmin have been his company since they were both babies. So he practically grew up at these award functions.

Which also means he understands the politics behind them.

You see, these entrepreneurial events are massive publicity events for the celebrities of the business world. As such, the attendees are of high-flying families fond of gossip.

Generally, the people accompanying the awardees are the subject of gossip and the selling factor of tabloids.

Who’s the missing member from the family? Did she come without her husband because they’re separated? Is the girl with that hotel mogul his fiancée or just an ? Did he bring his secretary or mistress?

Those are just some of the things Yunho and Changmin hear while sitting next to their parents in the centre of the hall.

One time Yunho made a mistake too. He met a girl from his school and this was during his playboy days. Her father was an awardee too and they flirted a bit and decided to meet up at her father’s hotel later. They entered separately and kept a low profile but the next day tabloids had pictures of the two of them talking outside the hall and later in the night, entering and exiting a hotel earlier.

So Yunho’s careful about these events, especially with who he goes with.

And the safest bet is to go with your family, better yet, your wife.

“I’m not going~!” Jaejoong kicked her feet and whined indignantly.

She’s in a huff because she’s nearing her due date and very huge. So huge that her dresses don’t fit her and she’ll be damned if she wore those ugly baggy maternity clothes only to be degraded on the fashion terrorist pages of tabloids.

“Come on Joongie, this dress isn’t that bad.” Yunho held a loose baby blue tunic in front of her. She’s supposed to wear that with leggings but Jaejoong just grabs the tunic and throws it somewhere.

“No!” Jaejoong shouted. Why can’t her stupid husband understand that the dress he’s telling her to wear is for when she’s going to Lamaze classes? And he wants her to wear it to a red carpet event?

“Imo~!” Little Luhan in his little grey pinstripe tux held an ivory embroidered lace dress he found dumped among the many clothes in the room. His Bambi eyes so cutely peeking from the hem of the dress and blinking at her made her tears well up. Because she wanted to wear that dress too, but it’s from before she was pregnant.

“Can’t wear that Lulu.” Yunho snatched the dress and threw it somewhere before the waterworks started.

Luhan didn’t mind and hugged Jaejoong around the belly. Moonbin was on the other side doing the same in his white tux. It’s been a common phenomenon since foetus Jiyool has started kicking. The boys have got a real sense of having a sister even though she’s not born yet and so want to stay as close as possible to their sister. 

“Noona, I found a dress!” Changmin zoomed in and Jaejoong was reminded of the neurosurgeon running to the pit one day after being paged for a head injury, shirt inside out and dragging a trauma gown.

This time he’s dressed properly in a sharp suit and instead of a trauma gown, it’s an empire waist gown.

Jaejoong cringed at the olive colour and the two boys on her sides mimicked her expression. She hated the colour.

“Min, did you take the gown?” Kibum entered just then, dressed prettily in navy dress and Jaejoong was envious of the younger girl who could fit in the body-hugging pencil dress. Kibum snatched the dress from Changmin. “I told you she won’t wear it. she hates the colour.”

“I’m not going.” Jaejoong chirped again.

“If Mama’s not going, Binnie’s not going.” Said little Moonbin in a tux his grandmother had tailored to look like one of the outfits from Boys over flowers.

“If hyungie no go, Lulu no go.” Luhan huffed, but he giggled right after because he felt foetus Jiyool kick his cheek.

“See Jae? You cannot not come. We all have to go.” Yunho explained.

“You should’ve told me sooner, so I could get a better dress.” Jaejoong retorted and had all the right to be sassy. Yunho actually told her last night, waking her up at 3 am when he suddenly remembered they have a dinner party and he forgot to tell his wife.

“I know…I Know. I’m sorry Jae, but we have to go. The whole family is expected at these events.” Yunho pleaded. “Please Boo, you can wear that red poofy dress.”

“I think the technical term is ‘balloon dress’.” Changmin said oh-so-helpfully.

“Right…coz I’m a balloon. Is that what you're saying?” Jaejoong scowled at the tall man and Changmin shook his head, stepping behind Yunho lest any flying objects come his way.

“Are you wearing this?” Kibum found the said red balloon dress and held it, trying to guage if it can fit Jaejoong.

“Don’t you think I already tried?” Jaejoong shrieked, “It didn’t even get past my chest because now I’m two cup sizes bigger now!” and Jaejoong slapped Yunho’s hand that was trying to check if ‘they’ really got bigger.

The three adults standing let go of the dress options they were holding with a defeated sigh. Kibum and Yunho were thinking of options while Changmin was considering beating Yunho within an inch of his life, because really, only his brother would forget about telling his wife of such an huge event he got the invitation to 3 weeks ago and then wake up the whole household at 3 in the ing morning, 10 hours before they have to leave for said event.

It’s a good thing the others aren’t bloated whales.

Changmin slapped a hand on his mouth when he realised he said it out loud. Yunho was staring at him with wide eyes. Kibum muttered a ‘drat! I’m widowed.’ Even the two kids there were aghast and had palms on their mouths because they have been strictly instructed not to use the ‘W’ word in front of Jaejoong.

“Jung Changmin….” Jaejoong glowered.

“heh…heh…I was just kidding….” Changmin tried to laugh but it didn’t match the backwards retreating steps, “I…uh…was watching the Discovery channel….it had whales…cute…cuddly….the most beautiful creatures…Noona…” Changmin stood at the door, “Don’t take offence noona. I want you to know….whales are y.”

“JUNG CHANGMIN!” Jaejoong speed-waddled behind the running doctor across the corridor with Yunho and Kibum trying to stop her before she hurt herself.

“Noonaaa~!” Changmin found his saviour in the form of Heechul who had just arrived with Siwon. The two were holding a few bags and looked like they had dropped all work at home and come over because they were wearing sweats and lounge pants with just their jackets.

“Yah! What are you doing?” Heechul yelled at the younger bratty surgeon hugging her waist from behind. Changmin even pulled Siwon to stand close to her for extra fortification.

“Save me from the killer whale!” Changmin shrieked.

“Did you just call me a whale again?” Jaejoong yelled, trying to descend the long stairway.

“You called her a whale? And here I thought you were the brainy one.” Siwon wouldn’t miss the chance to tease Changmin would he.

“Shut up.” Changmin grumbled.

“Forget about that Joongie and don’t bother coming down the stairs.” Heechul shook off Changmin and walked towards her pregnant best friend.

“Did you get them?” Jaejoong asked looking at the bag in her hand.

“There’s a new store, Cloud9 or something for mothers.” Heechul pulled out a grey dress with glittery pinstripes. “And your dad sent you a coat your mom wore when she was pregnant with you. We can’t let you get cold can we?”

“And Junsu sent the flat pumps with rhinestones she wore during a company dinner while she was pregnant.” Siwon showed the bag he was carrying. “It matches the dress.” the lawyer added while trying to squirm out of Changmin’s hold.

“Did you call them?” Yunho came down the stairs and hugged Jaejoong.

“Of course! You're useless so I have to do things myself.” Jaejoong bit back though she loved Yunho’s hand her belly. She was sure if Hyori wasn’t in Europe with Jihoon, she would’ve magically whipped out a dress that would fit her. They went yesterday and will return two days later. As it is, when Changmin called her to complain about Yunho’s idiocy, she told him to check the white boxes in the back of the boys’ closet and sure enough, they found at least 10 toddler-sized tuxedos.

“Can we get ready now?” Kibum called from upstairs.

“Get me dressed!” Jaejoong ordered and everyone was scrambling to help her.  

~~~

“Smile Boo…” Yunho said through his smile, but Jaejoong gave an even more blank face.

“I’m trying to give a bad picture so it won’t end up in the news.” Jaejoong whispered back.

“Love, they want a bad picture or they won’t sell.” At that, Jaejoong plastered charming beautiful smile that was brighter than all the camera flashes. “That’s my Boo.” Yunho kissed her head, just above her ear. That gave an even better picture to the photographers.

A little ahead of them, Changmin and Kibum were getting clicked on the red carpet. The two had been dubbed as the medical power couple for being among the top ranked surgeons in the country despite being so young. So even if they weren’t involved in business directly, they were sought after the celebrity news. A few times, Kibum would step back because the photographers would ask for a solo shot of the other Jung son.

“Look at those two!” Jaejoong gestured at their boys in a spot somewhere between their parents. Moonbin and Luhan love attention, they take after their grandmother after all. The two toddlers were enjoying posing on the red carpet and getting snapped rocking their mini suits. They’re the youngest guests in attendance and not to mention princes in modern day Korea just by their surname.

So it doesn’t matter that they are dorky, it works for them.

Moonbin is leading, with his superman, ‘V’ signs, and aegyo. Luhan is copying him, not exactly like his brother, but the little Bambi makes up for it in cuteness.

“It’s like they were born for the red carpet.” Yunho chuckled and signalled to Kibum. His sister-in-law came to them and took Jaejoong to the venue.

When Changmin had come closer to Yunho, some photographers requested to snap the Jung brothers and they complied.

“Remember when we were like them?” Yunho pointed at their sons.

“Don’t remind me! They tagged me as Rudolph just because I had a cold.” Changmin grumbled.

“It didn’t helpme either, mom had put me in a red furry coat. I was the Santa to your Rudolph.” Yunho squeezed Changmin’s shoulder and then removed his hand.

“Let’s get the kids. The boys are blocking red carpet traffic. Just look at the organisers’ faces. It’s like they forgot how to breathe.”

Changmin agreed. “Their faces are turning blue. I guess they don’t know how to deal with toddler princes.” Changmin chuckled at one of the female organisers trying to approach the boys and get them moving along but she’s scared to talk to the richest toddlers in Asia. Changmin and Yunho get where they’re coming from though. They feel the kids of the elites are brats who can cost them their jobs.

“Let’s go boys.” Yunho called Moonbin and Luhan with a crook of his finger. As they were instructed in the limo, Moonbin held Changmin’s hand and Luhan held Moonbin’s hand. Changmin resisted a snort when the female organiser breathed an audible sigh of relief.

They entered the lawn through the hotel. It’s rare for such events to be organised outside of a banquet hall. What’s more, it’s early autumn. While it’s not as cold during the day, nights tend to be chilly. Yunho grimaced at the thought of his pregnant wife sitting in the cold.

“I know what you're thinking….” Changmin frowned too. “Apparently the foundation behind the award got a new president, a self-proclaimed party planner taking over for daddy.” Changmin sneered as they walke