Six Years Later...

Loud squeals and the pattering of tiny feet filled the room as a little girl bolted away from an exhausted and incredibly annoyed Mirei. With her wild black hair and round eyes, the little girl continued to sprint down the stairs, as fast as her short legs could carry her.

"Yah!" Mirei shouted, "Come back here!"

"No! No! No!" The little girl screamed, her long black hair, streaming behind her as she galloped down the stairs and made her way to the living room, where Kyungsoo was busy blowing up some balloons.

"Yah! Do Reimi!" Mirei shouted after the little girl, as she jumped down the stairs, two at a time. "Come back here! We still need to do your hair!"

Little Reimi ran as fast as she could, squealing all the way, and seeing Kyungsoo, quickly hid behind his legs as Mirei came rushing after her.

Kyungsoo looked up from what he was doing and glanced at his wife and then down at his daughter, who was using him as a barrier. "What's going on?" he asked quizzically.

"Appa won't leave me alone, umma" Reimi squeaked, as she clung onto Kyungsoo's trousers.

Mirei sighed. "Reimi, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not your 'appa'. I'm your 'umma'."

Reimi shook her head energetically. "Nah-uh!" she replied cheekily.

Kyungsoo, seeing Mirei stressed, bent down and picked Reimi up in his arms. "Why are you calling me 'umma', Reimi-ah?"

Reimi smiled at Kyungsoo to reveal a full set of white teeth. "Because umma always sings me lullabies and cooks really yummy food. And appa" she said, pointing at Mirei, "Always goes to fight and smells like sweaty men." She pulled a face to express her disgust.

Mirei frowned. "Reimi, not all ummas cook and sing lullabies" she explained. "I'm a cool umma that coaches the South Korean judo team-- now, how many ummas do you know can say that?"

"None" Reimi replied. "Which is why you're an 'appa'!" she giggled.

Mirei rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Uncle Chanyeollie said that all ummas can cook well and those that can't, are macho women like Auntie Yoora and appa!"

"Uncle Chanyeol said that, did he?" Mirei grumbled.

Kyungsoo tried to calm Mirei down, "Now, now, Mirei, Chanyeol-ah was just joking." He turned to his daughter whose long hair was still unbrushed. "Reimi-ah, why don't you let umma do your hair for you? Appa still needs to finish decorating the living room before your uncles come to visit."

"Nooo, umma!" she whined. "I don't want appa to do it. She always pinches my cheeks!"

Kyungsoo arched his brow at Mirei who was trying to mask her guilt by looking away. When Mirei finally met eyes with him, she sighed. "Fine. I won't do it anymore."

Kyungsoo set Reimi down on the floor and Mirei quickly grabbed hold of her face and pinched her soft cheeks together so that she was making an octopus face. She cooed, "Oh my baby girl, you're sooo cute!"

"Appa!" Reimi protested.

"Mirei" Kyungsoo said her name in an unimpressed tone.

"What?" she replied innocently. "I can't help it. It's your fault, Kyungsoo. You promised me you'd let me pinch your kid's cheeks!"

Kyungsoo gave her a small smile. "Yeah, but she's your daughter too."

"Which is why she's so adorable!" Mirei smothered Reimi with kisses and she shrieked with delight. "C'mon Reimi, let's get you ready for your party."

Kyungsoo watched as his wife and daughter walked over to the sofas where Mirei started combing Reimi's long hair. He smiled at the pair fondly before getting back to pumping helium into the balloons.

Kyungsoo couldn't believe that five years had already passed since his daughter was born. He remembered the day so vividly. The look of relief in Mirei's worn face when she held their daughter in her arms for the first time; the way Reimi's small pink hands curled around his; and the sound of Reimi's first laugh. Kyungsoo could almost feel a tear drop down his eye at the memory. Ever since he had married Mirei, every day of his life had been filled with joy and laughter. He couldn't be happier, and seeing the two people he loved most, side by side, only made him more thankful that he was alive to experience moments like these.

The sound of the doorbell caused both Mirei and Kyungsoo to look up. Mirei asked, "Do you think they're here?"

"I'll see who it is" he answered. Kyungsoo went to the door and he grinned when he saw who it was.

"D.O-ah!" Chanyeol greeted with open arms as he grabbed him for a quick hug. "It's been so long!"

Once Chanyeol had pulled away, Kyungsoo spoke, "How have you been, Chanyeol? Congrats on recently getting discharged from the military."

"I was discharged a week ago" he replied, still smiling. "But then again, you were off filming that time, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I couldn't come to your discharge party."

The pair walked into the living room and upon seeing Chanyeol, Reimi, with her hair finally brushed, ran up to him excitedly. "Uncle Chanyeollie!" she squeaked, as Chanyeol scooped her up in his arms and lifted her up into the air like a rocket ship. This only made Reimi laugh and squeal more.

"Did you miss me, Reimi-ah?" Chanyeol questioned her playfully, as he cradled her in his arms.

"Yes!" she replied.

"Give me a kiss then," he said to her, as he offered her his cheek.

Without hesitation, Reimi pecked Chanyeol's cheek and he grinned.

"Still quite the charmer, Chanyeol" Mirei observed, as she walked over to them.

Chanyeol's eyes softened at the sight of her. She was still the same Mirei but her hair was noticeably shorter and her figure was fuller too. He eyed her carefully and responded, "Yeah, I guess old habits die hard." He continued to smile at her as he asked, "Did you do something with your hair?"

Mirei tugged at her bob cut. "Oh, this? Yeah. I had it cut short again because it was getting too long."

Chanyeol was slightly dissatisfied. "Why? You looked better with longer hair."

"You think so?"

He nodded as he bravely mentioned, "I kinda miss seeing you with long hair..."

Kyungsoo cleared his throat which made Chanyeol turn to him. "So, D.O-ah, has anyone arrived yet? When's the party starting?"

Kyungsoo was about to answer when Reimi beat him to it. "You're the first one to come, Uncle Chanyeollie."

"Am I?" he asked her. "Well, that's good because that means I'm the first of your uncles to give you your present!" Chanyeol set Reimi down as he unhooked the gift bag he had around his arm. "Happy birthday, Reimi-ah."

Reimi had the cutest smile as she accepted Chanyeol's gift in her hands.

"Reimi-ah" Kyungsoo addressed her, "remember what I told you."

"I won't open it until afterwards, umma" she replied, and then she left to put it away on her gift table.

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo confusedly. "Why did Reimi-ah call you 'umma' just now?"

"It's because of what you told her" Mirei retorted, remembering her earlier irritation. "Now she calls me 'appa' and Kyungsoo 'umma'."

"For real?" Chanyeol smirked.

Mirei mock-punched him on the shoulder. "Yah! It isn't funny. Stop teaching Reimi weird things, Chanyeol."

He continued to smirk at her, "Well, you are more of an 'appa' than an 'umma' because you're so muscular--"

"Chanyeol!"

The doorbell rang again which caught the attention of everyone inside the flat. Kyungsoo went to answer the door again.

"It sounds like the others have arrived" Chanyeol beamed. "I can't wait to see them. It's been a long time since we last saw each other."

Mirei waited in anticipation as one by one, the EXO members arrived at her and Kyungsoo's home. Each time she saw a familiar face, she couldn't help being transported to the earlier days before Reimi was born. The EXO members had been with her every step of the way and she had come to consider them as family, more than anything. She smiled as she greeted the CBX trio, Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin who came together and then, the maknaes, Kai and Sehun, who arrived after them. But of course, she was just as happy when Suho and Lay arrived fashionably late.

At last, everyone was present and she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness at being able to share with them every special moment of her and Kyungsoo's life.

"So where's the birthday girl?" Kai asked Mirei, as the EXO members gathered around to mingle and chat with each other while eating party food.

"She's probably trying to hide her opened presents" Mirei responded jokingly.

Kai chortled. "She sounds quite the handful."

"You have no idea" she replied. Mirei observed Kai's trendy appearance and remembered that he had just opened his own dance academy. "How's everything at your school?"

Kai was happy to reply, "Very well. I'm fully booked for the year. I think I may have to expand to a bigger building if I'm going to accommodate the long waiting list of potential students."

Mirei grinned, "I'm glad business is booming."

"Yeah. Me too." He gestured at Sehun. "But you should hear about Sehunnie's news."

Upon overhearing his name, Sehun came waltzing over. "Hi, Little Umma, long time no see."

"Hey Sehun, Kai says that you have some big news to share."

Sehun nodded. "Yeah. I'm actually going start a bubble tea business soon and so far so good. I'll be opening three branches across Seoul."

"Wow! Three all at once?" Mirei was astounded.

He nodded proudly. "It's predicted to be a big hit."

"I'm so happy for you Sehun! You too, Kai! You guys are really doing well."

After mingling with the rest of the EXO members, Mirei found that Lay was going to be releasing another album soon and will be going on a world tour later on that month. Baekhyun was currently working on becoming an MC by hosting with Kim Heechul from Super Junior, in one of his most well-known variety shows, 'Knowing Brothers'. And Xiumin was working on his dream of opening his own coffee shop in his hometown while Suho was busy voice acting for kids' shows and animated films. Chen, on the other hand, was focusing on becoming a voice coach for trainees at SM Entertainment along with singing OSTs for upcoming Korean dramas.

Mirei was impressed by how every single EXO member was pursuing their own individual passions and yet was still able to meet up and make music together. She was glad that their friendship was still as strong as the day she met them.

"Happy birthday to you~" Kyungsoo sang as he brought out a strawberry shortcake with five lit candles. Everyone joined in with the singing as Kyungsoo put the cake down in front of his daughter who was grinning from ear to ear and had the cutest smile that revealed her two dimples.

Once the EXO members and Mirei finished singing, Reimi blew her candles and the members applauded.

"What did you wish for, Reimi-ah?" Kai asked her.

Reimi gave him a toothy grin as she tapped the side of her nose. "It's a secret, Uncle Kai."

Mirei patted her daughter's head with pride. "That's my girl."

"Guys, guys I brought some alcohol from China" Lay declared. "I thought we could drink up to celebrate Reimi's fifth birthday!"

"You brought alcohol to a kids' party?" Suho sounded like he was judging Lay.

"It's hardly a kids' party when there's literally only Reimi" Lay replied. "All of us should drink one shot for good luck." He got out some paper cups and started pouring the liquor out.

"Can I try some, Uncle Lay?" Reimi asked as she peered into the cups.

"Sorry, Reimi. This is for adults only. Maybe when you're eighteen I'll buy you a whole bottle."

"Well, I'm down for it," Baekhyun said gleefully. "Just one shot won't hurt. And besides, today's a special occasion. We should be celebrating!"

"You just want to get drunk" Chen joked.

"I brought coffee so that you guys can sober up if it's too strong" Xiumin offered.

"Well, I don't mind drinking" Chanyeol stated. He glanced at Mirei, "But