Jaejoong coughed as the smoke invaded her lungs but she waved off the smoke and continued attending to the chicken on the pan.

''can I help?'' Jaejoong looked at Leeteuk who just spoke.

''if you can procure a chimney that would be nice.'' Jaejoong tried to joke but her voice was hoarse. Leeteuk nodded understandingly. ''I know how you feel. I lost count of the number of times Imo rejected my offers to renovate the house. Even her own children can't convince her. I guess she's still stuck in her old ways.''

''it's not that bad. I actually love this place. It’s my first time in a traditional Korean house.'' Jaejoong smiled brightly but Leeteuk could see the exhaustion in her eyes.

They only arrived here at 5 in the morning and Jaejoong was making lunch all by herself in a kitchen which is a far cry from her ultra-modern professional kitchen in Seoul. ''its okay if you don't like it. Its only is here right now.'' Leeteuk says gently but Jaejoong looks sadder by it. ''no...it’s... The place I can take. I've been through hospital life, meals full of pills and no social life. A house without modern infrastructure pales in front of my childhood... Its only keun-halmeoni... I dont know why she hates me.''

Jaejoong choked on a sob remembering the disapproving gaze of Leeteuk's aunt every time Jaejoong so much as spoke to Changmin. She doesn't know what she did to invite her dislike. She's never even met her before.

The last time Jaejoong came to Gwangju she had met Kangin's family and they were very welcoming. She thought the three days in Gwangju for Leeteuk's aunt's birthday would be just as enjoyable. But Jaejoong found herself struggling to get Park Hyojung to like her instead.

''oh honey.... Don't cry. She doesn't hate you. Imo is just a difficult person to please.'' Leeteuk pulled Jaejoong into a hug, ''I know better than anyone about Imo's brand of tough love. She practically raised me because my parents were away working. She's tough on her own sons. In fact, Yunho gave up trying to make her smile when he was ten.''

''she's quite extreme...'' Jaejoong pouts and Leeteuk smiled. A baby Jaejoong is a happy Jaejoong. Leeteuk pulls away and wipes the tear smear on Jaejoong's cheek. ''now fix yourself and I'll take over the cooking. I actually came to tell you that Minnie is awake and his leg hurts.''

 ''oh!'' Jaejoong gasped and quickly scrambled to get a glass of milk. She got the bowl of food she had prepared for him earlier and some fruits as well. ''thank you Umma. I'll be back after feeding Minnie.'' Jaejoong said hurriedly and speedwalked out of the kitchen leaving Leetuek to finish up the lunch.

Leeteuk shook her head as she tended to Jaejoong's abandoned chicken. ''leave it to Minnie to cheer her up.''

 ~~~

When Jaejoong entered the guest room they were staying in she didn't expect to hear giggles from inside. Changmin was on the bed where she left him but his sheet was discarded and he was playing with Gundam figurines he never had.

''oh hey...'' Jaejoong was jolted from her reverie and only then did she notice the other person beside the room. ''Teuk told me to keep an eye on him. I was just distracting him from his pain.'' answered Leeteuk's cousin Taewoo.

''thank you. I was going to give him his medicine after I feed him....umm... The toy?'' Jaejoong came forward when Changmin tried to come to her, in vain of course. He can't walk with his leg still in the plaster.

''that was a present for him. We were going to give it to him later but my wife suggested it could distract him from the pain.'' Taewoo answers jovially. He looks at Changmin trying to reach for the sliced apples but can't move much because of his bound leg. ''I remember when Minwhan got stitches on his chin when he fell from the bed once. That was his worst accident so far but Changmin had it harder being that he's three years younger than Minwhan was at that time.''

''it was worse. The stitches on his head and the wound on his hands are healed. You should've seen the state of Yunho's office after his stunt. Yunho and my mother didn't deal with the situation that well emotionally speaking.''

“I empathise… If Minah didn’t talk me out of it, I would’ve barricaded Minwhan’s bed with walls.”

“Good for her… I couldn’t even convince Yunho to not baby proof our house.” Jaejoong smiled at the kind man. The first time she met him when he came to her wedding with his wife and son, her first impression of his was that he’s such an affable person compared to his younger brother. She didn’t get to meet their mother. They said she was not healthy enough to make the travel.

But compared to the jovial older man, the younger looked quite brooding. Yunho had told her discreetly that Taewoo’s brother Taehyung managed the family’s school while Taewoo was an architect. Taewoo didn’t want to manage the family business leaving their mother to force it on Taehyung instead. Their mother was so controlling, she had Taewoo marry a girl of her choice. However, Taehyung had someone he liked but Hyojung found the girl lacking. Though Yunho said ‘not knowing how to make every Korean dessert doesn’t mean the girl is bad’ but in the end she didn’t let Taehyung marry her. as if retaliation, Taehyung never married.

Jaejoong still holds a grudge against her parents for keeping her locked away, but she’s grateful they didn’t stop her from doing as she pleased.  

Jaejoong let Changmin try and feed the grape to his gundam. She normally wouldn’t want food and toys together but she he’s in a different place with nothing to occupy him. so she’s going to let him entertain himself. She instead reaches for the pouch on the bedside table near Yunho’s watch. She’s carrying Changmin’s tablets in her pouch where she has her vitamin and calcium medicines along with those giant tablets that keep the cancel cells in check. “Oh…” Jaejoong is shocked. She’s never been this absent-minded with medicines. Changmin only has one painkiller left and two of her pills are over.

“Something wrong?” Taewoo asks seeing Jaejoong chew on her bottom lip.

“uh… yeah… his medicine is over and the painkiller only lasts a couple of hours. Is there a pharmacy nearby?”

“yeah, it’s just down the street. Give me the name, I’ll get them for you.” Taewoo offers but Jaejoong is hesitant.

It would’ve been fine if it was just Changmin’s baby sized painkiller, but it’s her medicine too. These people know Jaejoong’s medical history but they didn’t know she’s still taking medicines for them. And these medicines for controlling the cancer count have such large names that even Yunho made a mistake the first time he bought them.

“It’s okay… I’ll go. I need to get some other things as well and I’ll take Minnie out for some fresh air too.” Jaejoong says quickly, already getting a new shirt for Changmin.

“Are you sure? I can come along to show you the way.” Taewoo frowns with the way Jaejoong wouldn’t look at him, as if he knows she’s hiding something.

“No, I can find it by myself. Down the street right…. And I need to…get… some lady stuff…” Jaejoong internally cringed. Of all the things that’s the best excuse she could come up with.

“oh… well, I’ll let you go ahead then.” Taewoo says awkwardly. He’s run errands for his wife to pharmacy and he’s not awkward about that. But he figures he’s not known Jaejoong that long to be so free with her. “Call me if you need anything. And you might run into Yunho and Minwhan. They’re at the local basketball court near the market.” Jaejoong nods absentmindedly as she waited for him to leave.

Once he was gone, she wrote the names of the medicines she needed on a piece of paper and picked up Changmin and headed to the front door. Settling Changmin on the floor while she got her shoes, she dialled Yunho’s number.

“Hi Boo.” Jaejoong could hear Yunho panting on the other end.

“You're getting a good exercise Yunnie?”

“feels like I’m in high school again. I can still run circles around these kids. Minwhan hyung… not so much.”

“Yunnie, don’t be mean to the kids on their own turf.”

“I’m not mean. I’m just better than them.”

“Yunnie.”

“Okay, okay… I won’t. so what happened?”

“I’m going to the pharmacy with Minnie. We’re out of a few medicines.”

“Really? But you always keep track of them.” The surprise was genuine, because Jaejoong and Heechul are impressively organised when it comes to their health.

“I know… With taking Minnie to the hospital and the renovations going on in the house, it slipped my mind. And we had to come here on such a short notice I didn’t get the time. Minnie had a doctor’s appointment today.”

“I told you mom and I would’ve come alone. Now what are we going to do about his appointment?” there it was, Yunho’s worry for Changmin again. He’s better than before but there’s still a tiny bit of self-blame lingering in him.

“It’s just a routine check. The doctor did say he’d have the cast on for another 2 weeks. I’ll reschedule another appointment. And I told you we had to come. Your uncles wanted to see Changmin and I need to meet your grand-aunt at least once. You saw her face when we told her your father didn’t come because of work.” Kangin had even warned Jaejoong that the old woman would make her displeasure very clear and she should not let it affect her. Jaejoong’s though, finding it hard to take Kangin seriously when he added that Hyojung still doesn’t like him to this very day.

“Yeesh! I thought I’d burst into flames then…. Anyway, what medicines do you need? I can see the pharmacy from here. I’ll bring them.”

“really? Will you ask for that ‘multi-coloured cancer thing’ again?” Jaejoong parrots back the exact words Yunho had told the pharmacist the one time he tried to get her meds.

“Point… okay, you come over. Just a sec…” Jaejoong hears Minwhan’s voice saying something and Yunho agreeing, “hyung says we’ll all take a walk in the market before lunch.”

“I don’t mind… I actually called to ask where you have kept the stroller.”

“That closet behind the shoe rack. Be careful. Don’t want to jam your fingers in it again.” Jaejoong almost screamed at the memory of her fingers getting caught in the folding handles of the stroller. She still has that red line under her nails to remind her.

“I’m hanging up. See you in a bit.” Jaejoong hangs up and pulls the stroller out of the closet. She wraps her arms around Changmin and was about to place him in the seat very carefully when he finally remembered something since he woke up, “Bambi? Mama Bambi?” Changmin fusses not finding his favourite companion with him.

“I forgot your Bambi back home.” Jaejoong chews on her bottom lip just as Changmin’s eyes go wide. Oh a toddler’s sense of appal! Jaejoong quickly nuzzled Changmin’s hair, under the same spot where he had a few stitches. “Minnie is Mama’s Bambi ne~ aren’t you my little Bambi?”

“Minnie Bambi!” came the happy squeal and they cuddled a little more before Jaejoong moved to put him in the stroller, but Changmin didn’t like the lack of warmth. “Ma~Ma~!” Changmin whimpered and clutched Jaejoong’s shirt on her shoulders a clear indication of wanting to hold on to her.

Jaejoong felt sorry for her son. Changmin’s a child who had two prams from his grandparents but used neither. He was always held close to his mother and father and a few times carried by his grandparents. But everyone’s hip was throbbing after getting at least one hit by Changmin’s cast covered leg that they had no choice but to put him in a stroller. The toddler finds it fun for the most part, now calling the stroller his car. However, the boy misses the human warmth and closeness he used to get when his family used to carry him around.

Jaejoong wonders if she can carry him instead. The weight is not an issue. She just has to be careful to not let the plastered leg hit her body too much.

“Let’s leave the stroller today, eh Bambi?” Jaejoong moves to stand up with Changmin, the plastered leg is front of her stomach with her hand under his thigh to keep it elevated.

“Yay~!” Changmin cheers, a little too excitedly because he lifts his leg and it hits  Jaejoong’s thigh just under her stomach. Jaejoong was too surprised to muffle her painful whimper and Changmin caught that. “Eungh~!” his eyes became teary knowing he hurt his mother. He felt both guilty and scared that he was going to be scolded.

“It’s okay baby. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can carry you around.” Jaejoong consoles, already past the pain in her side.

Changmin didn’t want to hurt her more so he nods vehemently and points at the stroller beside them. “Down! Minnie car! Mama down!” if Jaejoong didn’t move faster, Changmin would’ve tried to jump into the stroller. Glad that he understands, Jaejoong straps Changmin the stroller, making sure his leg has extra protection and pulls out the stroller walking backwards.

She didn’t expect though, to encounter Park Hyojung by the front gate, basking in the sun.

“Where are you of to?” the old lady asks. Jaejoong finds it admirable that this woman who turns 90 today has such a steady voice and can walk straight and proud. Jaejoong has a feeling they lied about her being ill to come to their wedding. Hyojung doesn’t look like there’s a single weak cell in her body. She doesn’t even have that much white hair or wrinkles to be called a nonagenarian. There’s a few streaks of white in her otherwise shiny black hair that Jaejoong wonders if she dyes her hair. Probably not. Leeteuk says her aunt only uses natural products. “what are you staring at?”

Oh crap! She was staring. Jaejoong chewed on her bottom lip and Changmin’s head to calm him. He was fretting because they weren’t moving. “N-nothing, keun-Halmeoni.” Jaejoong looked down hoping her hair covers her embarrassed face.

“I thought you were going to make lunch. Where are you going?” The elderly woman asked again.

“Minni- Changmin’s medicines are over. I’m just going to the pharmacy. Umma said she’ll take over the cooking for a while.” Jaejoong said quickly.

“If you couldn’t handle it you shouldn’t have said you’d cook the birthday feast.” Jaejoong doesn’t respond because Hyojung mutters under her breath. But it doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt to hear them. “didn’t you check the medicines before you came here? A responsible mother wouldn’t let her child in pain like that.”

To Jaejoong, that was a massive jab to her motherly pride. It was worse than her mother, aunt and in-laws cosseting her even now that she’s adult. But Jaejoong doesn’t retort. She can whine and pout at her parents and even to Leeteuk and Kangin, but she can’t show immaturity or disrespect to the elderly woman. So she tries to hold any of her usual reactions.

“I packed in a hurry because we came here on short notice. A few things were unplanned.” Jaejoong answered politely.

“Everything about you is unplanned.” Hyojung says coldly which has Jaejoong looking up in surprise.

“Pardon?” Jaejoong’s voice cracked. By unplanned, she couldn’t mean her sudden pregnancy and her shotgun wedding to Yunho, could she? It would make sense why the older woman looked so disdainfully at Jaejoong and Changmin, and even at Leeteuk because she’s responsible as Yunho’s mother.

“Omoni.” Both women turn to the source of the sound. Taehyung stood behind Jaejoong, dressed in a suit. It’s not too formal, just a simple shirt and a jacket, almost clubwear if it weren’t for the simplicity.  

Jaejoong knows the school board chairman has taken a few days off. There’s no reason for him to be dressed for work. Then again, she’s noticed the man doesn’t like to spend a lot of time at home. So he’s always dressed to go out.

“going out again…” Hyojung sneers at her younger son.

“Just accompanying Jaejoong.” Taehyung says simply, “wouldn’t want your beautiful daughter-in-law to think less of our hospitality do we? Otherwise she’ll not want to bring cute little Minnie to meet us again.” Taehyung bends low to ruffle Changmin’s hair but he looks at his mother as if telling her to stand down.

Hyojung almost scowls at Taehyung before she huffs and walks away. but she had to have the last words. “parents these days depend too much on things to do their work.”

As she looks at Hyojung’s retreating back, Jaejoong knows it’s a jibe at the stroller she’s using for Changmin.

“Never mind her. she thinks prams and diaper genies are marks of a lazy parent.” Taehyung tells Jaejoong. he moves Jaejoong’s hand of the bars of the stroller and takes them instead, “if she had her way, she’d have put one of those cloth diapers on Minnie instead of the leak-proof mass-produced diapers.”

“Minnie is a big boy. He wears pull-ups.” The almost sulky tone as if Jaejoong is offended on behalf of Changmin took Taehyung by surprise but he had to chuckle.

“You're like a breath of fresh air…” He says and Jaejoong couldn’t resist the blush. Taehyung laughed out loud when Jaejoong muttered about all Yunho’s family having the cheesy gene.

Jaejoong silently follows Taehyung who's pushing Changmin on the stroller. She was lost in thought that she didn't even register Taehyung calling her.

''Hey!'' Jaejoong was suddenly pulled back by her arm. Now that her mind was out of dreamland Jaejoong noticed the pole she was about to walk into. "look where you're walking." Taehyung let go of Jaejoong and pushed Changmin's stroller towards her. ''you take the reins. At least you'd concentrate if your son is with you.''

He had a point. Jaejoong sheepishly took hold of the pram and started walking beside him. She was more aware of her surroundings now but there still was the metaphorical dark cloud over her head. Taehyung let out a guttural groan at Jaejoong's emotional state. ''did my mother's words affect you that much? ''

''I...I don't know. I don't know why she hates me much less how I can fix it.'' Jaejoong cried. Who cares that they are in public.

''you can't fix it Jaejoong. Trust me... I know. It's her very nature. She wants people to behave that way she thinks is right. And no normal human can...or rather wants to.'' Taehyung stared at Jaejoong’s face for a long moment before looking away as if he remembered something unpleasant. “You’ve heard about it right… she rejected the girl I like because she wasn’t traditional enough for her.” he didn’t have to look at her to know she nodded, “My mother is set in her ways and we don’t see eye to eye because of that. But she’s still human and…my mother. I couldn’t bring myself to go against her when she refused the girl I chose but… I can’t imagine myself with any other woman other than her either.”

“Wh-why are you t-telling me this?” Jaejoong stuttered. She feels what Taehyung is sharing is his personal issue and she feels like she’s intruding into someone’s business even though she didn’t ask to.

“because, you remind me of her….” Jaejoong looked at him with such comically large eyes that Taehyung had to chuckle, “Yup! you definitely look like her. your eyes are so similar. But she was fiery… like the sun while you're warm like sunlight.”

“I hear that a lot…” mostly from her mother’s colleagues who are used to the loud diva aka Heechul. When they work with Jaejoong, they often remark that she has a calming glow about her unlike her mother.

“Is that so… I’d be relieved if you were like her. you don’t have to simply absorb my mother’s harsh comments. That time, my mother didn’t exactly reject her. It hadn’t even come down marriage for that matter. We had met during our respective college breaks and we had only started dating. My mother had to stick her nose in my business. She put a long list before her, telling what she must learn and how she must behave if she wanted to be with me. Now when you tell a fiercely independent woman to change into a subdued wife, the only thing you're going to get is ‘ you and bye-bye’.” Jaejoong squinted her eyes and looked sideways. The personality description sounded awfully familiar. “I’m not telling you to bite back or anything, just let her know you don’t appreciate her taunting you.”

“Is it that easy? Just tell her to stop?” Jaejoong sighed, “I guess I’ve become used to letting elders do as they please… Minnie’s grandparents are so overbearing that Yunho and I desperately wanted to live separate from them.”

“I know, Leeteuk turned out exaggeratedly caring despite being grilled by Omoni to behave as a dignified lady and stern homemaker.”

“I hear she was quite the local mother figure.”

“She still is.” Taehyung gushed slightly and for the first time, Jaejoong saw Park Hyojung’s son and not some man always locking horns with the old woman. “My father passed away when I was two and hyung was around five. She managed the school he left behind while raising me, my brother and Leeteuk. Four of our other cousins used to go to school with us. So instead of school boarding we all lived together and Omoni was the only parent in the house. And then she was quite motherly with all the students as well. Strict, but kind.”

Taehyung was on a roll. He began narrating stories about how the rowdiest boys would straighten up in the presence of his mother and how some foreign students actually thinking she was the head of some Japanese yakuza group. Jaejoong laughed at the stories, feeling a little better. At least she knows that the grand-aunt isn’t as bad as she looks.

She didn’t even realise when they reached the community basketball court until she found Yunho and Minwhan roughhousing each other in that friendly boyish way. She’s only seen him that way with Yoochun when those two have a one-on-one match or play old video games in Yoochun’s house downstairs.

“Yah! I’m not taking you boys to the hospital if either of you have a broken nose.” Taehyung scolds and pulls the two apart.

“Oh come on Samchon! We were like 12 that time.” Minwhan rolls his eyes.

“Yeah. We can go to the doctor on our own now.” Yunho says with misplaced pride that even Changmin was looking at his father with a ‘seriously?’ look. Yunho misunderstands that look as his son wanting him, “Bambiii~ did you miss daddy!” Yunho jumped into a crouching position to hug his son strapped in the stroller.

“No.” Changmin indignantly shoves his father’s face away. The kid doesn’t want second-hand embarrassment.

“AHAHAHAHA! Your kid’s got you beat small-face!” Minwhan laughed boisterously, even slapping his uncle on the back in the process.

“Shut your face shorty!” Yunho growled. He looks at Changmin with a pout, trying to melt his son with his puppy face.

“Miaw~” Changmin mewls and pats his father’s head like he’s a very obedient pet. Nearby, Jaejoong and taehyung stop Minwhan from adding fuel to Yunho’s ‘rejected by his son’ fire.

“Let’s get moving. Jaejoong wants to see the market and we have to make it before lunch or Keun-Halmeoni is going to lecture us on punctuality.” Minwhan walks forward.

Taehyung was waiting for Yunho and Jaejoong to follow but he noticed Yunho gesturing for him to go ahead. Knowing he wants to talk with Jaejoong, he gives them some space without going too far that they could get lost.

Yunho took the handle of the stroller letting his arm jut out just enough for Jaejoong to wrap hers around it. she leaned her face against his shoulder as they walked down the street towards the market just ahead.

''were you crying boo? And don't you dare lie.'' Yunho could feel Jaejoong pout against his shoulder. Of course he could tell his love has shed tears even if they were two drops.

''it's nothing.'' Jaejoong said in a failed non-crying voice.

''daddy, mama cly~'' came the little chirp from below them. Changmin tilted his head backwards to look up at his parents from the stroller. ''meanie ajhumma make mama shad! Meanie ajhumma look at Minnie grrrrr!'' Changmin made claws with his hands and growled like a puppy to show how Hyojung looks at him and Jaejoong. She doesn't growl or scratch but the sentiment is clearly conveyed from the toddler's perspective.

''I knew it! Keun-halmeoni said something again didn't she?'' Yunho's voice rose and Jaejoong hurriedly shushed him. ''it's nothing. Your uncle saved me....plus he and I had a nice talk with him.'' Jaejoong smiled a little realizing how light her heart felt after talking to Taehyung.

''really?'' Yunho said skeptically looking for any signs that Jaejoong was hurt by his grandaunt's words.

''yes. Really. He told me about that woman he liked.'' Jaejoong smacked his arm, ''you spiced up the story you gossip-monger. It was not about marriage. Keun-halmeoni laid out conditions for them if they wanted to date.''

''hey! I only know what dad told me. And he hadn't met mom yet when Samchon's love life went down. But I do know he liked her enough to want to marry her and live alone now that she's married.''

''really? She's married?''

 ''yes...'' Yunho lens closer to whisper conspiratorially, ''Minwhan and I found the wedding card she sent him when we were kids. It was too old to get a name but the groom had some funny exotic name we couldn't pronounce.''

''he preserved her wedding invitation?''

''apparently so. I think she's an amazing woman to tell someone like keun-halmeoni to fu-'' Yunho looks down at Changmin but the boy was distracted by his ride in the stroller to hear his father cuss, ''eff off.''

''I know...'' Jaejoong agrees, ''Samchon says I look like her and thing know, her personality seems very familiar.''

 ''does it? To whom?''

''hey guys. We're here.'' Minwhan called and gestured to the pharmacy they were standing outside of. Jaejoong mouthed a 'later' to Yunho and went ahead to the store letting Yunho babysit Changmin in the meantime.

They spent about 20 minutes fetching the medicines much to Taehyung's surprise. He had thought it was just one baby painkiller for Changmin but those four other large pills the salesgirl spent a good amount of time searching in their stock couldn't possibly be for Changmin. Jaejoong followed the salesgirl to help her identify the medicines and Yunho was pretending to be busy with Changmin.

When they were about to go shopping Minwhan came up to Taehyung when Jaejoong and Yunho were busy getting some local sweets. He had taken a look at the strips of medicines when they were getting billed. Being a chemistry researcher, he recognised the major functions of some chemicals written on the packing. He