Prologue: Labour      April 17, 2018
"Oppa! Is everything okay?"  Mi-Cha asked her brother once she and So Young walked into the living room seeing Mi-Cha's brother holding tightly onto So Young's brother.

"Oppa are you all right?" Mi-cha asked looking at her brother

"I'm in labor. My water broke and it hurts." Her brother Youngsaeng replied.  Mi-cha looked at her friend then back at her brother.

"Oppa, shouldn't we get you to a hospital?" she questioned; her friend's brother Kyujong simply shook his head.

"No not yet." he replied calmly. "It just started."

"Are you sure oppa?" So Young questioned; making him simply nod his head.

"How far apart are they?" Mi-Cha questioned.

"About thirty minutes apart." Youngsaeng moaned as the contraction continued. The girls watched as Kyujong rushed around grabbing everything that Youngsaeng would need.

"Pillows, blanket, clean clothes, a washrag, soap, shampoo, conditioner." he said going through a list of things as he grabbed them.

"Is there anything we can do to help oppa?" So Young asked.

"Ani, I have it." Kyujong replied. He continued running around packing a bag with everything as the girls just sat there anxiously. Youngsaeng watched as he sat across from them looking a but tired as he gently rubbed his belly. The girls looked at each other then back at him.

"Oppa? Do you need anything?" Mi-Cha asked her brother; which made her brother looked at his younger sister with a tired smile.

"Ani, I'm fine Mi," He replied with a shake of his head "thanks for asking though."

As another thirty minutes past, another contraction ripped through him.

"Ow.. ." 
This made both girls quickly run towards him.

"So, go get your brother;" Mi-Cha ordered as calmly as she could, "Oppa needs him"

So Young quickly ran down the hall to grab her brother. Mi-Cha sat there rubbing her brother's back in soothing circles. She couldn't bare to see him in pain. She started to get tears in her eyes. So Young rushed back in the room with Kyujong and quickly goes over to Mi-Cha.

"He is going to be okay." So Young replied in a soothing voice. Mi-Cha looks at her and gives a faint smile.

"I hope so." she replies softly. So Young, trying to help her relax, decides to try changing the subject.

"Mi-Cha, maybe we should go get some things for the baby." she replied. Mi-Cha looks at her and nods. The two leave and go shopping.

Meanwhile, Kyujong looks at Youngsaeng, worried.

"How far apart are they now?" he questioned as he sat down next to him

"About every 20 minutes." Youngsaeng replied.

"I have the bag packed. When they are about 10 minutes apart, we should head to the hospital." Kyujong replied. He puts his arms around Youngsaeng and just sits there holding him for a while. Suddenly,  Youngsaeng looks over and kisses Kyujong's cheek.

"I love you." he whispers. Kyujong smiles softly.

"You shouldn't strain yourself too much." He replied softly, "I know this is taking a lot out of you."

Youngsaeng simply shook his head.

"Ani, it's not Kyu." he replied softly. Kyujong sighs.

"Saeng you need to save your strength." he replied kissing his forehead lightly making Youngsaeng pout cutely.  

"But I was just kissing you." he replied, making KyuJong laugh.

"Yah, you know I think it's cute when you do that." He replied holding him close as they sat on the couch.

"I know," Youngsaeng replied with a smile; "but you love me anyways."

"That is true." Kyujong laughed it was silent until KyuJong spoke up again.

"Your sister was crying before they left." he replied making Youngsaeng look up at him.

"Why was she crying?" he questioned as he and Kyujong softly rubbed his belly.

"She's just worried about you. We all are." Kyujong replied softly

"oh that makes a lot of sense." Youngsaeng said. Kyujong sat next to him placing an arm around his waist. He rubbed the belly himself. Youngsaeng put his head on his shoulder. At that moment all his cares melted away. He felt safer than anywhere else in the world.

"I love you Saengie." Kyujong said kissing his forehead.

"I love you too." Youngsaeng said.

*******

Meanwhile, the girls were out shopping for things for the newest member of the family.

"Mi, remember when we were first told that your brother was pregnant?" So-Young asked.

"I remember" Mi-Cha replied with a laugh. Both girls had gone into a state of shock when they found out. They were excited about it and automatically started planning trips to take with the baby.

"Let's go to Disney World" So-Young had suggested.

"And we can take the baby to the park" Mi-cha said excitedly. They couldn't wait for the baby to be born. Now, that day had come.

"We are going to be aunts" So-Young said.

"I know." Mi-cha replied. She was nervous and So-Young could sense it. They looked at clothes and shoes. They decided on an outfit and went to the register. As they got to the front, Mi-Cha got a phone call. So-Young couldn't hear what was happening on the other end but could tell it was important. When Mi-Cha got off the phone, as her friend looked at her.

"What is it Mi?" She asked.

"Kyujong oppa said we should hurry." Mi-Cha responded.

"Oh Okay. Let's get this and get back quickly then." So-Young replies. The girls purchase the outfit and head home talking excitedly about all the things they will do with the baby.

"Mi, where did oppa say to meet at?" So Young replied looking at Mi-cha.

"He said at the hospital down the road." Mi-cha replied. They both nodded and ran towards the hospital. As soon as they arrived they went up to the front desk.

"Yes may I help you ladies?" The receptionist asked nicely.

"Yes we are looking for my brother, Heo Youngsaeng?" Mi-Cha replied The woman nodded typing on the computer.

"On the 5th floor, room 501." She stated with a smile.

"Thank you very much." Mi-cha replied with a smile and a slight bow. The girls ran to the elevator and pressed the 5th number button and waited until they got to the correct floor. Once there they stepped out of the elevator and onto the floor.

"What was the room?" So-young questioned.

"Room 501." Mi-cha replied with a slight chuckle.

"What's so funny Mi?" her friend questioned.

"The room number So," Mi-cha replied with a slight smile, "501, its in oppas' group's name."

"Oh i get it." So-Young replied with a slight chuckle, "I wonder how oppas' felt on that."

Mi-cha laughed and nodded as they started walking looking for the room. Soon enough, they found it on the end of the hall and they went up to it. As they reached for the knob, they heard a scream of pain from inside. The girls looked at each other, concerned. They took a deep breath and opened the door, finding Youngsaeng on the hospital bed, gripping Kyujong's hand tightly as another contraction hit. The girls rushed over to help console the crying Youngsaeng the best they could. He was attached to machines to monitor the baby's heartbeat and the contractions. The doctor walked into the room at that moment.

"Sir, would you like an epidural? It will help with the pain." he said in a calming voice.

"Yes please." Youngsaeng replied in tears as the contraction intensified. A nurse came in with two needles and Youngsaeng looked at them with a look of terror.

"That is a very big needle." he said, looking at the epidural needle.

"It will be okay oppa." Mi-cha says reassuringly. The nurse had Youngsaeng sit up and she numbs the lower part of his back with a numbing agent in the smaller needle. She looked at Youngsaeng. 

"okay I need you to remain as still as possible. You will only feel a bit of pressure. I have numbed the lower part of your back for this." she says calmly. She gently pushed the bigger needle in between two of the vertebrae in Youngsaeng's lower back. When she was done, she handed him a button, which he looked at it with confusion.

"Whenever you need to, push that button and it will administer more medicine. This will help with the pain until you go into active labor." she replied, reading Youngsaeng's look.

"I thought this was active labor." he replied with a confused look.

"No. Active labor means the baby is coming. That is when contractions will be the worst. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for the pain at that point but this will help you for now." she replied as she started to walk out the door as the Kyujong thanked her. The girls look at each other with worry. Kyujong looked at the girls, reading their expressions.

"He'll be okay." he replied with a slight smile. The girls both nod. They look at Youngsaeng and smiled.

"Oppa, remember when we first moved in with you and Kyujong oppa?" Mi-cha questioned  giggling. That day, one of the funniest conversations they had ever had occurred.