New Year Eve, 2011

*Jeju*

“Umma!! Look! Stars!”

Juhjoong jumped up and down to catch the twinkling ball with stars decoration that twirled around in the center of the Seos’ living room. Once and a while, he glanced at his Umma who was laughing with his grandparents while sitting on the couch. While she was recovered from the last surgery, Yuri was still weak, thus her parents insisted to have the New Year party move to their house instead in the Chos’ estate like the previous year. With such arrangement, they could limit the guest lists to those who were closed to them.

The Chos agreed with the arrangement as long as they could execute a New Year Brunch the day after since Kyuhyun and Kangin would be home as well, and for what they heard from Sooyoung, Joohyun would also be home. Both hers and Kyuhyun’s mothers were excited when they learned that the two love birds would be together at New Year since ages. They were also secretly hoped that they would hear something about “some relationship progress”.

Heechul was rolling his eyes when he heard that and told the two ahjumma to not hang their hopes into the sky because Joohyun had not graduated yet and he was so sure that Kyuhyun would not asked her anything before she finished her education. Tiffany intercepted him and told him that nothing was predictable for those two and it would stay like that so it was fine to hope high.

“Ummaaaaaa”

The little guy whined when his Umma only smiled at him but then suddenly his peripheral was changed, he could see the stars closely. Excited, he knew the (only) reason for the change.

“Appaaaaa!!!!” He squealed while a familiar laugh of Jongwoon was filling the living room. His son was bouncing in his arms, tried to move his little head to catch his Appa’s eyes.

“Appa, stop teasing.” His Umma’s kind and soft voice interrupted the play between the father and son. Juhjoong shifted his eyes to her and extended his arms. Yuri laughed when Jongwoon whined, “Ah, you don’t want me anymore, Joongie?”

The little boy’s eyebrows furrowed, his head bobbed left and right. Clearly, he could not decide which one to choose, Appa or Umma?

Yuri chuckled and decided to end the boy’s misery. “Joongie is sleepy, Appa, shouldn’t we tuck him to bed now?” Her husband laughed and kissed his son’s head. “I am only kidding, Baby. Of course, you go to Umma and take good care of her, okay?”

Juhjoong’s eyes shone brightly when he nodded. “I will Appa.” He ran into his Umma’s warm hug and Yuri carried the boy to the bedroom upstairs.

Half an hour later, she went downstairs only to find everyone looked at each other as if a thunder was strike before their eyes on the suddenly quiet living room. “What’s happen?”