4 years later…

“JUNG YUNHO!!! I HATE YOU!!!” A loud wail came from within a warm room as a couple of servants dashes in and out, busying themselves with the exchanging of basins and fresh supply of towels. A tall cowering man remained rooted by the door, peeking in guiltily as he watches the hullabaloo going on within. No one is to stay inside for more than necessary.

“I know Yeobo… I’m sorry.” He poked his head in and replied after the person in distress quietens down. Stooping down to the same level as the pretty child next to him, as the little girl watches him with her big lovely black eyes, the exact photocopy of her mother’s.

“Jiyool ah. Can you go ask umma if appa can enter now?” The man, Yunho, asked the child sheepishly as he runs his finger through her luscious black locks. The little one blinked once and nodded, entering the room, headed to the bed where her mother lies, tugging the person by the sleeves.

“Umma.” The little girl started and her mother, Jaejoong, immediately unclenches his teeth and relaxes his tautened facial muscles. “Appa wants to come in.” The little girl lean in and whispered into the beautiful healer’s ear while the person grimaces, bunching the sheets below him as he chews his lower lips.

“Jiyool ah… Can you… wait outside… Umma is… busy. URRGGHHH!!” Turning away from the scared little girl, who is terrified to see her mother suffer, the healer cursed at the advisor for allowing their daughter to wander in at such a bad time. “JUNG YUNHO!! JIYOOL!! TAKE HER… OUT!!!”

Sniffling, the little girl could not get her mother to pay attention to her no matter how she tried. Running out to her father, who is still squatting by the door, the girl started bawling her eyes out. “Umma is in trouble!! Appa have to help umma!!” The girl does not understand what is going on, and since Jaejoong never told her part two of the pregnancy story, she is traumatised to see what her mother has to go through.

“Shhh… shhh… It’s alright. It’s alright. Umma is just having a baby. You will have a brother or sister soon.” The man reassured the child, unsure if his wife will make it. He chooses to have some faith in the person, who had chosen to deliver in solidary, like how he did the first time. The advisor is very worried and experiencing sleepless nights, but Jaejoong isn’t willing to humour him by accepting his request to render help.

“I don’t need a brother or sister! The baby is making umma cry!! I don’t like that!!” The little girl whined and her father could only cuddle her and try to coax her into forgetting what she saw.

“NAHHHH!!” “T!!!” Another series of airy cries filled the air before momentary silence ensues.

“Yeobo!! YEOBO!?!” The man panicked at the lack of sounds coming from within and almost charged in had he not heard a soft pant followed by what sounded like a kitten mewing. “Yeobo!! Can I come in now?!” The man asked again, knocking on the door, trying to be courteous.

“Yunnie. Get me a clean towel.” A weary voice commanded the person who is pressing his ears against the gap. Patting his daughter on the head, indicating that she should stay put while he checks on their favourite person, the man left to do what is asked of him.

Kissing his wife on the forehead, not deterred by the sweaty clamping strands plastered there, the man took over the infant while the weakened other rests. “It’s a boy…” Yunho whispered and the healer smiled, white parched lips curling up as he nods a satisfied nod.

“Yun ah!” “How can you leave Jiyool alone outside?” “It’s dangerous you know?!” Another familiar voice called out to the couple from the doorway as they fawn over the new-born. A long shadow then appeared, with two shorter ones beside it.

“Daughter?” The person did not advance as he stands by the door. The advisor simply nodded and beamed, chuckling happily as he makes himself comfortable beside Jaejoong, cleaning the infant up as he swaddles the small being skilfully. “Son then.”

“Jiyool yah! You have a brother now.” The other tall man does not intimidate the little girl as she holds his large hand fondly, like he is her own father too. Pushing the little girl by the shoulder, the man at the door mouthed for her to go over to her parents.

The other shorter shadow followed her. “Minnie ah! Don’t be such a busy body! Come back here!” The man, Yoochun, yelled but the stubborn boy ignores him, running close behind the little girl as they race over to Yunho’s side. Sulking, the man at the door enters as well, taking over the baby while the advisor starts to tidy up his sleeping wife, leading the two older children out so the two adults can have some private time.

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POV from Junsu

It’s been four years, and our family is slowly growing. I had my second child a while ago, and Jae hyung just had his.

I wanted to help him out since he is always the one who helps me through it, but he insists on doing it alone. He even cuts the cord by himself… and even though Yunho hyung is dying to cut it, he always respects Jae hyung’s decision.

I was busy feeding my younger one when Chunnie came back with the new born… so that is how I know Jae hyung is safe, and the baby is a male. Yunho hyung must be so happy. Jiyool’s grandparents were hoping all along that the second one will be a boy.

I prefer daughters though. I have two sons already… and I want to have a girl like Jiyool. She is so sweet. Such a darling. Anyhow, we will see if this one that I am currently holding is female. I sure hope it’s a she! Umma wants a granddaughter so badly… plus, Chunnie already has a name ready in case it’s a girl. He dotes on Jiyool so I know he wants a daughter too… even though he doesn’t say.

I’m still young… and I think I wouldn’t mind having more kids. It’s not an issue nowadays with Jae hyung and umma around to help me along. Chunnie wouldn’t need to worry about not having an heir. We already have Changmin and Inhwan after all.

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POV from Yoochun

It’s pathetic when you end up spending more time running after your kids in comparison to running your country… but then again, I have two less places to manage now. Sometimes, I even regret claiming all this pieces of land… since there aren’t any real benefits in owning them. In fact, the responsibilities that come with them are pretty overwhelming.

I already gave the northern plain back to my yeobo’s appa… which is my father-in-law… and then there is Junho… who is taking care of the south for me now.

The rest of the plains are run by me and Yun. I think I am not being unreasonable by calling him to do all the work for me though. After all, I AM the person who brought him and his wife together. They owe me and Suie big! But let us not be so calculating. We should help one another out right? That’s what friends are for. Nevertheless, I think Jaejoong still has something against me. The way he glares at me never fails to send chills down my spine sometimes.

The man is too… mysterious? He is too ‘profound’. I assume he still thinks I am a bastard for doing what I did to them back then, but he shouldn’t be. I am actually a really nice person. I can be overbearing, but it’s all for their own good. Not forgetting that we are now even after they locked me and Suie up for revenge too. I forgive and forget.

Looking at how happy Yun is now, I feel… weird. It’s like an unexplainable sense of satisfaction that you get when doing something good for others. At least I have an excuse to make him do all the work for me now. Yun is still the most obliging person I have ever met… but he has Jaejoong to gate-keep the work load now. That’s not necessarily a bad thing… is it?

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POV from Yunho

I have a son now!! It kills me to have to witness my yeobo go through all that just to deliver him… but yeobo wanted the baby. He said that appa and umma are too old to wait. My thoughtful and lovely wife!!

I haven’t thought of a name for him yet, and since appa is so eager to do the naming, we will let him do the honours.

I am living the life that I’ve always wanted to, and though it is constantly being disturbed by that stupid friend of mine, who happens to be the king, I am all good. At least Chun is scared of my yeobo. To think that both of us are now henpecked as hell… how laughable! My Joongie isn’t half as scary as Chun makes him out to be though. He just looks cold and unapproachable.

In truth, my dearest is a clumsy dork who has a knack for making a joke out of himself. I can totally understand why he is always so reserved last time. Umma almost died from laughter at one of the blunders he made the other day, and I mean literally. He is that funny! I worry about his safety sometimes… since he has a tendency to be extremely clumsy when he is being clumsy.

His fierce, ‘don’t fool around with me’ façade really covered up for his queer personality very well. He is still the best thing that ever happened to me though… and I can accept that I don’t understand half of what’s coming out of his mouth… when I am already pretty well learned myself. He is a genius… and it’s just that no one has uncovered that fact except for me.

I even appear stupid in front of him… but strange enough, I love to feel inferior around him! He is the best!! Really!! My kids are going to be SO perfect! Just like him!! Not just in the aesthetic department.

Chun has to make a booking though, but I can tell that my Jiyool is fond of Minnie. That boy is ten times smarter than Chun if I do not say so myself. Maybe he inherited his brains from his umma. Junsu is pretty damn bright too… just not Chun. I grew up with the dude. I know he is not the best definition of brilliance. He tends to be slow at processing ideas and information, and as exasperating as that is, we have to respect the fact that he is still the king.

At least he thinks before he acts now. I am thankful for that change in him.

Also, I am thankful towards him and Junsu. They have somehow completed my life for me. If not for them, I wouldn’t be here today… I am a fortunate man.

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POV from Jaejoong

In summary, there was nothing perfect about my life before I met him… and it was far from perfect after I did… yet it became perfect somehow. This is really weird, but that’s how it is.

I never thought I did ever end up with him. Not in a million years… yet it all happened within a single year.

Now, I can say that I love him. I love Jung Yunho.

As much as I was so adamant about leaving him, that one month taught me many things… and had me experience much more. I learnt that I would never be lonely with him around. For the first time in a couple of decades, I actually know how it feels to have someone beside me, looking out for you… and loving you like he means it.

I had nothing to lose, but I was too stubborn. He took great pains to try and reach out to me, and his commendable effort did pay off ultimately.

It’s been four years, and I still have some of that loner mentality left in me… but he had been very accommodating towards that by far. I know it’s hard on him and Jiyool… whenever I want to be left alone to do my own studies and research… so I compromise too. I have been doing a lot less of that nowadays anyway. Junsu says that my job scope is different now… and though I still love to head out to the markets and do my job, I think I will try to limit the hours I spend out there.

My family needs me. As much as I never thought I did ever say this, they do indeed need me. I can’t let them down… especially since I have my in-laws to care for as well. They dote on me, and have somehow substituted my parents. With my hyung back as well, I feel somehow completed.

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16 years later…

POV from Changmin.

I am 20 this year… and no longer the crown prince… since I am already king.

Appa is being an irritating brat as usual… always going around making umma’s life difficult. But of course, umma has a way to handle him. Only umma can make appa listen, especially when my old man is behaving badly.

Even Yunho appa can’t stand appa sometimes. But then again, he is used to it since appa had been like this since the beginning of time. It’s a vicious cycle of brotherly love-hate between them.

Yunho appa is called Yunho appa basically because I already made Jiyool my queen. In fact, we already have a kid of our own, so our parents are young grandparents. It’s not weird since all my peers would’ve already had kids at this age.

Inhwan and Yoobin, my siblings, are still young so I am kind of in charge of them as well. Umma says that there will be no more younger brothers or sisters for me, but appa says that accidents can’t be prevented. He will usually regret saying that whenever an accident really happens… so that about sums up my family.

I have a appa whom I respect the most, yet find annoying at times… a umma whom I am very attached to. A sister and a brother that I love to bits. A wife whom I have loved since young. A set of very intelligent and almost intimidating in-laws… especially Yunho appa… since he is still the royal advisor. Imagine that. He practically calls the shots now.

Lastly, there is also my maternal uncle, who likes to pick fights with appa… so he has to stay south… and grandparents who treats me like I’m the most precious thing on earth. Am I lucky or what?

My own life, have just begun… and hopefully, I can start distributing the lands to my siblings soon. I wish to retire young like appa too, and have a story of my own to tell my kids.

=END=

THANK YOU FOR READING!!! That's all folks!! *bows bows*