Jihyo buckled up the car seats, before taking her spot on the passenger seat. Jongkook looked back at the little passengers.

“Adeul-ah, are we ready to go?” he asked with a grin on his face. “Eomma has fixed your seatbelts. Let’s keep it on until we get to school!”

“Oh, Jeongah-yah! Don’t remove your seatbelt! Your dongsaeng might copy you. Look at your oppa. He’s just sitting down patiently; that’s what big children do,” Jihyo instructed her only daughter, when she caught the child trying to fuss with the buckle. Thankfully, her words along with Jongkook’s stern look made the little girl remove her hands from the seatbelt, and she sat with her hands folded together, as if the entire fiasco never happened to begin with.

True enough to his words, Jongkook didn’t waste any time having kids with Jihyo, and after a few years of being married, they had three children.

Jeongil, the eldest, started going to school a year ago. His name literally meant one man, and while Jongkook was not initially keen on the idea of having his eldest son gain the name of one of his most famous songs, Jihyo was insistent on the name. “Yeobo, Jeongil makes me feel like this child will be distinguished. It feels like he will do great things. Plus, even if we look back at your song, that man seems loyal and loving; what mother wouldn’t want their son to be like that right?” she reasoned out, and he couldn’t really argue against her.

Interestingly, their eldest did act accordingly. As a baby, he rarely fussed, and when his dongsaengs were born, even at a young age, he helped out in the ways he could, sometimes assisting his mother by grabbing things on her behalf or looking after his little sister when Jihyo was busy with the baby. He also stuck closely to his father’s side, which was adorable considering that Jeongil was the splitting image of his father, and Jongkook enjoyed being with his son, taking the time to teach him sports and other activities.

The second was Jeongah, and being the only girl in the pack, she was indeed the princess of the group. She was biased to neither of her parents, and was instead partial to her doting grandmothers who loved her bubbly and energizing presence. Jeongah looked like her mother, and when she was born, Jongkook felt inclined to say, “Ah yeobo, I was right. It would be really great if we have a daughter. Our little girl is so beautiful.”

As she grew up, they discovered that it wasn’t only beauty that she inherited; she also had a melodious voice that she confidently allowed the rest of the family to hear. Jongkook would snigger every time Jeongah corrected her mother’s tune when the latter sang lullabies, and the little girl never missed an opportunity to duet with her father during family events. She was quite the mischievous one however, and both Jihyo and Jongkook resolved to allow her some cheeky streaks, while also making sure that the little girl never went too far.

They have yet to know how their youngest, Jeonghoon, would truly be. Unlike both his older siblings, he was the one who seemed to have the perfect blend of his parents’ features; however, it already seemed clear that the child was more similar to his hyung than his noona in his demeanor. Even as a child, Jeonghoon was quiet, and what amused his parents was that he could be left alone to his devices so long as he was surrounded by books. Out of the three, he was also the one who spoke the earliest, and the couple was surprised to hear him say his first word (it was “eomma,” much to Jongkook’s annoyance, considering that the first two children both said “appa” first) at the tender age of nine months. Sometimes, they wondered whether they - two celebrities - could really produce someone who may turn out to be an academic genius, but they loved their youngest nonetheless, and just enjoyed seeing his growth and development thus far.

Having the children born just a little over a year apart was a difficult balance to keep. Thankfully, however, prior to getting married Jongkook was able to invest in establishing a gym franchise of his own, and the business continued to grow given his acumen and his reputation as a gym buff, which somehow served as free advertising. It also expanded swiftly, as his friends in Los Angeles readily supported his venture by also acquiring franchises abroad. This meant he felt less pressure to agree to take on more TV shows, so he could help with taking care of their children.

It was part of his plan to start relying on passive income as he grew older, so he could continue to support his family without sacrificing time he wished to spend with his wife and children. It also allowed him to have a more flexible schedule, knowing that, when Jihyo decided to take on a project, she would have to be gone for a prolonged period of time. They were a tag-team after all, and fortunately, their plans allowed them to support each other, their children, and their careers.

On that day, they were both on a break. Jihyo was still picking her next project, while Jongkook didn’t have any show to record that day. It was also Jeongah’s first day in day care, and both parents wanted to be present to witness the moment. Jongkook first drove them off to Jeongil’s school, knowing that the eldest would not be fazed anymore. He was quite independent after all, and it wouldn’t be his first time.

Jongkook parked the car in front of Jeongil’s school, and the little boy removed his seatbelt, before standing up to kiss his mother on the cheek. Jongkook opened the door of the car, and said, “Oh, Jeongil-ah, we’re here. Be good, arraseo?”

“Neh, appa. Annyeong, eomma, Jeongah-yah, Jeonghoon-ah,” the little boy tried to move to get out of the car.

Jongkook, however, stopped him, “Ah, Jeongil-ah. Jamkkanman, you’re forgetting something. You need to give Jeongah a good example for when she does it later.”

Jeongil took a deep breath, and Jihyo had to laugh. Their son was adorable, and he had taken after his mother with his refusal to do anything remotely sappy. Still, this was Jongkook’s requirement, and the little boy knew he had to comply. He thought about it for a moment, then said, “I love you all like I love my football.”

Then, Jongkook gave him a pat on the back, and carried him down the car, leading him towards the entrance to their school. Jihyo watched the father and son walk away, carefully noting how her husband kept his hand on their son’s shoulder the entire time.

“Eomma, why are you crying?” Jeongah suddenly asked, standing up from her seat and leaning over to the front. It was only then that Jihyo realized a tear had escaped her eyes.

“Aniya, Jeongah-yah. Eomma was just too happy that some tears spilled,” she quickly explained. “Appa will be back soon and we’ll go to your school afterwards. Are you excited?”

Jeongah bit her bottom lip, and Jihyo found herself smiling at the image of her daughter having the same anxious habit as her. The little girl asked, “I’m going to have friends there, right, eomma?”

“Dangyeonhaji! Plus, you’ll learn lots of songs there! Then, you can show the new songs you’ll learn the next time we meet your halmeoni!” Jihyo promised, just as Jongkook got back to the car. “Alright, appa is here. Go and sit down again please, while he fixes your seatbelt.”

As Jongkook drove off, Jongkook watched Jeongah from the rearview mirror, noting how his usually noisy daughter was as docile as a lamb. He nudged his wife, indicating their daughter’s behavior, and he glanced at how Jihyo’s face morphed into a realization of Jeongah’s anxiety. She took Jongkook’s hand on the gear shift, and he immediately understood her promise to take the lead for that.

When they got to Jeongah’s daycare, Jihyo went down and opened the car door. “Alright, say goodbye to your dongsaeng and appa. Then, remember what your oppa said earlier? You have to come up with your own. Just say I love you like and think of anything you like or love and tell us.”

Jeongah dutifully stood up, “Annyeong, appa, Jeonghoon-ah. I love you all… I love you all like…”

“Go on, Jeongah! Anything you say is okay. We’ll know you love us anyway,” Jongkook encouraged.

“I love you all like appa’s songs,” she finally said after much thought. She didn’t move however, and Jihyo had to coax her out, carrying Jeongah along with the little girl’s bag.

“Yeobo, are you sure you can handle it?” Jongkook wanted to move out of the car, but Jihyo’s eyes were alarmed, as she put her hand up to stop him.

“Aniya! Stay there, oppa. Someone needs to watch Jeonghoon,” she instructed, prompting Jongkook to remember their youngest, whose presence he forgot considering that the child was simply asleep on his car seat. “I’ll take care of Jeongah. Just wait for me.”

Jihyo walked up to the steps of Jeongah’s school, not minding her daughter and the bag’s weight. She put her daughter down, and knelt down to her level. “Eomma has to go and leave now, Jeongah-yah. You would have to be the one to go in alone now,” Jihyo said, as she brushed Jeongah’s hair behind her ears.

But the little girl didn’t move, and Jihyo patiently waited for her to speak. “I’m scared, eomma,” Jeongah finally admitted after a few moments.

Jihyo just smiled, and looked at the other children entering the school. “Look, Jeongah-yah. There’s no need to be scared. In this place, you’ll meet lots of other children, and you’ll l