For an outsider, the waiting room of the maternity ward would've appeared to be filled with one of the most eclectic people in South Korea. There was Dara unni with her way too strange hair, beautiful and lean, holding onto Teddy oppa like he was her life line. Then Teddy himself, face almost entirely hidden by the cover of his hood and cap, seemingly almost indifferent to the touch of his wife, except for the subtle hold he had no her waist. This was their god child being born in there, and Dara unni's best friend, of course her already fragile little heart wouldn't be able to take it alone. Young Bae oppa sat on the chair, his legs spread wide, with frizzy hair that was standing on end. I noticed Minzy had silently found her spot in the furthest position there was from him, her legs and arms crossed, talking to Jjang Mae. There were rumors that they weren't doing well, and I almost grimaced at the thought of Minzy going through her first tough relationship. That cute child I used to see during 2NE1's early years was no more, and instead there was a lady with a sharp bob and a slimmer face line looking sharp and elegant; a diva in her own right. Now she was going through her first heart break. Kush, Choice 37, Dae Sung, Seung Ri... even Gummy unni came, almost all the older YG family had shown up with their support. Such a mismatch of people from the distance, but I wouldn't imagine anyone else making up a tighter family.

"Any news?" Ji Yong asked as we approached them.

"Hyung!” Seung Ri called out. “None. But I guess no news is good news right?" 

"Right," I agreed. And we joined the silent crowd as we took our seats besides Young Bae. I saw Ji Young place a hand on his shoulders and squeeze it. Of course, Ji Yong would know better than me what was going on in Young Bae oppa’s relationship or what now appeared to be a lack of one. I couldn’t help but look at the dynamics of all the lovers that I was surrounded by, each one different. Se7en and Han Byul look like an elderly couple, sick of spending time with one another, yet at the end of the day they always gravitate into each other’s presence, like tree bending towards water. Sajangnim, who kept his wife hidden for years, now uses every chance he can to openly embrace her and their children to his hoobaes, proudly exclaiming them as his blessing from heaven. And then there were the future parents that were behind those double doors, who despite their worries and anxieties at this moment were probably childishly bickering with one another, cracking jokes in their own wavelength, which was their own way to express love. I stretched my legs in front of me, feeling the growing signs of pins and needles in my toes and looked towards Minzy, who had not changed her position once. She was never one to hide her emotions, and that’s why almost everyone was everywhere of the ups and downs of Young Bae’s and her relationship, ever since that public scandal a few years back. They love and hate each other almost an equal amount, that there’s never a day without drama. It’s interesting I thought, so many different dynamics but it didn’t mean one love was stronger than the other. 

Without realizing it, I peered across Young Bae towards Ji Yong who was talking to Teddy oppa. They were joking around, the three of them, about some new establishment in Hong Dae and what appeared to be an amusing episode that happened there to their mutual acquaintance. I don’t think I could do that, I thought. As much as we disagreed or got on each other’s nerves, there was no way we could hate each other. It might mean we won’t have as much fire as Minzy and Young Bae, but who needs that much heat? Fire burns and kills. That’s why I’m prepared to concede, I decided. It’s just one client among many, and for the sake of us I was alright with giving this up. I had to respect my husband’s wishes after all. Ji Yong caught my gaze, and he looked at me, eyes filled with a whole lot of words we both wanted to share but now had neither the strength nor conviction to give. I gave him a small smile which he returned. Or was it that I didn’t have the confidence that we could weather fire? Is that why I’m surrendering? 

“Seung Hyun-ah,” Teddy suddenly said, looking towards his left at T.O.P’s haggard and breathless figure that suddenly appeared in front of the swinging double doors of the ward. There was an undeniable smile plastered on that man’s face.

“It’s a boy,” he said. “I’m going crazy, I have a boy…” The waiting room suddenly burst into shouts of joy and congratulations, where a lot of the men came over to give the new father a well-deserved hug. 

“And Bom unni?” I asked T.O.P oppa, gently holding his arm to get his attention.

“Tired, but she’s well. She’s healthy and fine and beautiful like always. That wife of mine even cracked a joke right after he was born. She asked me if he was overweight like I used to be,” he explained, chuckling. I have no idea why, but when I heard that tears started to pool into my eyes. That same feeling seemed to have reverberated with the ladies, because I turned around to see them dabbing their eyes with tissues, and holding each other’s hands. I think it’s a maternal thing. It was nice to see Bom so appreciated as a wife and now mother. We couldn’t see her, but through the viewing window of the nursery, we got a good luck at the red-faced kid squirming in his blue blanket, still nameless. They were fighting over a good name even till the end, but at the rate it was going now, T.O.P would be more than happy to concede to any ridiculous decision made by his wife. He was way too overjoyed. 

“Look at him!” Dara cried. “How can anything be so adorable?” She basically had her face plastered flat against the window, despite Teddy’s constant reminders to be careful not to break the glass. 

“Oppa, you’re not getting any younger,” I reminded Teddy jokingly.

“Ya…” Dara unni whined, nudging me in embarrassment. I just shrugged and cracked a smile. She was way past thirty and things like still made her giggle like a pre-pubescent teenager, but I guess only Teddy knew what she was like behind closed doors. While they were still crowding around T.O.P junior, I made my way downstairs to the cafeteria for a mass coffee order. A whole bunch of the family was staying behind to accompany oppa, whilst waiting for Bom unni to wake up. Ji Yong and I were taking the second shift. As the heavy smell of roasting coffee beans started to diffuse in the air, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket and saw Chae Rin unni’s international number flash across the screen. She was in Japan right now for an event which her husband was conducting. Her husband had a few years on her, but he was a fashion and retail mogul based in Asia and Europe, who was well-renowned as a behind-the-scenes figure and like everyone had guessed, she was actually the first to be married off. 

“Hey Unni,” I answered.

“I’m boarding the plane right now, how’s she? The kid?” Unni asked. I could hear her getting breathless, from what appeared to be a whole lot of brisk walking in high heels. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was flying straight from the cat walk. 

“They’re perfectly fine and healthy. The kid is so handsome, reminds me a lot of Seung Hyun oppa actually.”

“Unni would be happy,” she said, laughing.

“Don’t rush Chae Rin unni, both of them are knocked out at least for the next few hours, but I bet they can’t wait to see you.”

“That goes for the both of us.”

“How was the event?”

“The usual,” she said, sighing, “A whole bunch of cameras and smiling. The clothes are gorgeous though, some I wanted to steal right off the models. Speaking of which, would you be interested in coming to Japan?”

 “What do you mean?”

“My husband says your face really suits the market here, and he was wondering if you’d fly over and try it out. Plus your reputation back home has already put you in his good books.”

“Japan? That’s amazing. Thank you, for even bringing up my name,” I said with all sincerity. “But I can’t.”

“What? Why?”

“Now’s just not a good time to be thinking about overseas work. I just got married unni.” And I honestly didn’t know how much more of these ‘opportunities’ Ji Yong could take, I added silently. We haven’t even cleared this hurdle and this marriage just wasn’t worth risking.

“So? Knowing Ji Yong oppa it shouldn’t matter to him.”

“Yeah, it matters to me though.” Unni sighed on the other side, but she didn’t push the point further.

“Alright, but tell me if you change your mind. I’ll see you soon then.” I hung up and shook the thought away from my head and focused on the problem I had in front of me. Somehow I had to carry ten cups of coffee up to the seventh floor by myself, and I only had two hands the last time I checked. Within a few minutes, the barista kindly made some kind of plastic contraption so that two of them were handing from my wrist and the rest I carried in cup holders. I punched the elevator button with my elbow and prayed that no accidents happened. Ji Yong was standing in front of me when the doors opened onto the maternity floor, phone in his hand. 

“Ri Ah…” he said, my name suddenly laden with a whole lot of unexpected tenderness.

“Wha-“ I couldn’t even ask because suddenly his hand was in my hair, guiding my lips to his. I spent all of five seconds trying to balance the coffees and kiss Ji Yong, before pure need took over and I abandoned everything that was in my hand so that I could embrace him, and pull him even closer to my body. I saw the brown liquid splatter all over the pristine marble of the hospital floor, and let out a silent half-hearted apology to the cleaner before I dragged Ji Yong down what looked like an abandoned hallway and into an empty patient room. 

“Wait, wait, wait,” I said, whispering as I stopped his hand from going further up my shirt. “Weird question, but are we doing it because of Bom unni? I heard of people giving birth making guys …” Ji Yong stared at me dumbfounded before he started cracking up in laughter to the point that he had to let me go and clutch his to stomach. 

“We really shouldn’t give her that much credit to our life,” he said.

“I don’t know, considering she’s going to be lacking one for a while…”

“Don’t remind hyung about that.” I giggled at the thought. Ji Yong took my hand and sat down on the edge of the bed, looking up into my eyes. He used the other to softly cup my cheeks which he then gently brushed with his thumb. I nuzzled into this hand. 

“Saranghae,” I said.

“I know.” I leaned down so that our foreheads were touching and we were nose to nose. I closed my eyes and revelled in the intimate proximity of your bodies. “I’m worried about you babe. You’ve been looking lost ever since… well ever since you’ve moved here.”

“I am.” How could I not be? I was in England with a goal in mind and a smooth path towards it when I’m suddenly whisked away by the whims of my heart into another country where I’m suddenly thrown into a world that I don’t even know I want to be in. Who was Erika? Was she the Oxford graduate that lived and laughed through her friends and work with the youth, or a model who was balancing celebrity life and marriage to Korea’s A-list star? They sounded like two very different women. I feel like I can barely keep my head above the water in an ocean that looks endless in all directions. But despite all these questions and confusion, I know one thing. I don’t regret my choice at all because of this man that’s in front of me right now. I’ll find my way, I always do.

“Just remember that the two of us. This is home,” he said. “And it will always be this way. So go on all the adventures that you want, but know that you can return to me anytime and I’ll always be waiting.”

“Ji Yong…”

“That client… or Japan… or even if you want to continue to be a counsellor, whatever you need.”

“God, that unni is quick.”

“Chae Rin told me off for stifling you,” he said, chuckling. “I hadn’t been given that much of an earful in a while.”

“You’re not,” I said, shaking my head. Not even the least bit.

“Look, I need some time off. The album’s just about finished and I’m looking for inspiration so I’m going travelling for a week or so. Why don’t you go to Japan and finish of the lingerie campaign as well? Then we’ll see each other on the other side of all this hectic business. We’ll start anew and you can think about what you’d really like for yourself.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m not sure yet. I thought I knew, but I’m still looking around. I guess I’ll just have to see.” I mentally pictured the two tickets to Bali that I had returned to Ji Yong’s studio before we left for the hospital and I could feel my heart actually start to hurt from knowing how disappointed he was with all our plans changing. But of course he wouldn’t tell that to me. 

AN: It's winter break, so I'm getting a whole lot more writing down, but I'm so cold that I feel like my fingers are going to fall off =(. Enjoy everyone! Oh, I'm starting to get a feel of how I can carve out a good ending for this story so hopefully within 5 or so chapters I can conclude it well. I'm thinking of writing up another one once I'm done, so if you guys want to give me an idea on which YG family member should be the next protaganist tell me! Thanks again all you awesome readers.