Hoon spent two full, wonderful days off, and Serin was more than happy to get to spend the time with him. She felt close and connected to him again, and they were able to eat three meals a day together. It wasn’t much, but it meant the world to her.

AJ had come to see them on the second day, at night after practice, with Soohyun tagging along with him. Serin had thought that it was possible that Soohyun had actually dragged AJ over because Soohyun was excited to be there, while AJ sat around looking uncomfortable. With Eunsook in his arms, Soohyun asked, “Do you want to hold her?”

“I…” Jaeseop said, trailing off in uncertainly. “Sure. I will.”

Hoon involved himself, helping transfer her between the guys, while Serin watched from her seat. Eunsook settled right in with AJ, something she found a bit surprising considering his rigid posture and overall nervousness. “You’re fine,” Serin assured him gently. “Just keep her neck supported, and you won’t have any trouble.”

He visibly relaxed when, after a few moments, she didn’t start crying and instead seemed to be falling asleep. “She’s so small,” he stated then.

“She’s not that small. She was a bit early,” Hoon explained. “So she didn’t get to gain a bunch of extra weight like she might have if she’d stayed put for another two weeks.”

“Oh. I understand.”

“When do you go back to school?” Serin asked then, changing the flow of conversation.

“Beginning of September,” AJ told her.

Soohyun nodded. “We’ll be back down to five again. Even after all they times we’ve done it, it still seems weird to me.”

“You won’t have to do it for much longer,” Serin said.

“Yeah…” Soohyun trailed off.

Serin could tell he was keeping something from them, but she wasn’t going to push the issue. “You guys just keep working hard. I’ll stay here with Eunsook.”

“You know you’ll have Hoon’s mom to help you,” Soohyun said.

“I know. She’s already been a huge help to me.”

They stayed and chatted for a while longer, before AJ and Soohyun decided to leave because of the late hour.

Eunsook cried when AJ gave her back to Hoon, and they quickly said their goodbyes. Serin quickly went to change her diaper, and fed her, gently rocking her baby until she fell asleep.

--

Serin was on a mission now that she’d given birth. She wasn’t waiting around to lose the weight she’d gained during her pregnancy. She, fortunately, had a head start after spending all that time working out with Hoon while she was pregnant, so she hadn’t gained too much extra weight during her pregnancy. But she wanted what she had gained gone as quickly as possible.

Two-week-old Eunsook was strapped into a seat specifically designed to hold infants, sitting on the ground in front of her. Serin was bicycling fast, pushing herself harder now that she didn’t have to hold back. She was just warming up before she moved on to core exercises.

As she worked out, she found herself fantasizing. Things that had not particularly interested her in the last several months were starting to seem more appealing again. She hadn’t wanted to have in quite some time, but with her hormones starting to adjust back to more normal levels, she could tell her body was starting to bounce back. It would be awhile until she reached completely normal, pre-pregnancy sort of libido, but she could tell that it was increasing from the none she had been experiencing.

She smiled at Eunsook, who was watching her, almost transfixed by the whirring sound of the bike. Serin could see how much she’d grown in such a short time. It was almost sad to think that it would likely seem like no time at all before her daughter was all grown up. Finally finished with her cardio warm-up, she got down on the floor, touching Eunsook’s face as she did so and making sure her daughter was content, before starting the routine of crunches.

--

Hoon couldn’t really contain his excitement. Serin was bringing in lunch today for them. But more than just bringing in lunch, she was bringing the baby with her, and he was hopelessly attached to his daughter.

He was dancing in a trance, going through the so very familiar movements. He didn’t have to think about them anymore. Not like he used to when he was learning how to dance. And not like when they learned a new choreography. All of them were simply going through the motions. His stomach growled, and he wondered when it would be his lunchtime. It was not every day that they got a break for lunch. But the manager had given the okay for Serin to bring them in something, and so he was looking forward to it.

They had finished Neverland when she walked in. She carried Eunsook in her car carrier, and a bag of baby items in the other. “Hi guys!” she said cheerfully.

They all greeted her warmly. “Thank you for taking such good care of us,” Soohyun told her kindly.

“You’re welcome. I like keeping you guys fed. And besides I can’t keep Hoonie away from his princess. I feel as though I’m second place in his heart now,” she said, pouting in a way that suggested she wasn’t actually upset about it. Hoon, who had immediately taken the carrier out of her hands, unfastened his daughter and was holding her close to his chest, had not heard Serin say this. “See?” she elaborated to Soohyun. “He didn’t even say hello to me.”

He laughed in amusement. “He’s definitely obsessed with her,” Soohyun admitted. “She’s the only thing I hear about any more.”

“She’s the only thing any of us ever hear about,” Jaeseop said as he walked toward them. He switched over to English so he felt less awkward while telling Serin, “It’s always ‘Eunsook this…’ or ‘Eunsook that…’ Not that I don’t like your daughter, but it’s irritating.”

Eli, who had heard what AJ had said while he was trying to get Hoon to pass Eunsook off to him, looked over at the two. “He’s not that bad. Can’t he be a little proud of the fact that he’s a father now? Especially to such a pretty baby girl.” Eli made a few faces at her, and she smiled at him.

Serin smiled. “He’s not nearly as bad as his mother. She will just swoop in and steal her from all of us. And Grandma spoils her too much.”

Soohyun laughed again, fully aware of how Hoon’s mom was. It was not at all surprising. “Do you need help with the food?”

“Ah, yes. I do. I couldn’t bring her and the food in at the same time. And between Hoon, Eli, and Kevin, I’m pretty sure I can leave her here for a bit without there being any issues.”

Soohyun laughed. “You don’t trust Hoon with her by himself?”

“Well sure. I just don’t trust him when he’s in the proximity of Kiseop to take care of her on his own.”

Kiseop had heard his name, but had been too busy playing around with Eunsook to really catch what was said. “What was that?” he asked.

“Nothing really,” Serin told him. He simply shrugged and went back to what he had been doing before, fawning over her and Hoon’s daughter. “I’ll go bring in the food then,” she told the three who weren’t currently occupied.

“Well, I’ll come help you bring in lunch,” Soohyun offered.

She said, “Alright,” before grabbing her keys, setting her bag with the baby stuff down, and heading out the door with Soohyun trailing behind.

He walked beside her casually as they proceeded down the hall. “I’m glad to see you happy again. Both of you,” he told her.

“Thank you, Soohyun. I’m honestly not sure what either one of us would do without you. You’ve been supporting us from the beginning. Worrying about us when things were… not so good. You are an amazing leader. I am grateful for everything you do.”

Soohyun shook his head. “There is still much that I lack. If I were better, the two of you never would have had to keep things secret. If I hadn’t been so selfish, if I had truly been thinking about what was best for you two, I would have just pushed for your marriage to go public when it happened.”

“That’s not your fault. The company wouldn’t have changed their mind even if you had pushed for it.”

“Still though. It hurt me to see the lengths you had to go to in order to keep your marriage hidden. It hurt us all. And then after everything else you had to go through on top of that, it broke my heart. I am thankful for the love you give Hoon. Not just Hoon. All of us. Sometimes you seem like more of a sister to me than my own sisters do. Thank you for loving U-KISS unconditionally.”

Serin had tears in her eyes. She wasn’t crying, but it was obvious Soohyun’s words had hit a soft spot. “That means a lot to me,” she whispered as they reached her car. She opened the back seat and pulled out a bag filled with containers.

“You made a lot,” he commented.

“Well, you guys do eat a lot.”

He chuckled. Turning on his heel to head back to the practice room, he set an easy pace, letting Serin catch up to him as he walked. “Thanks for helping me out with this,” she said, referring to him carrying the meal.

“It’s no big deal. Everyone else was preoccupied, and you needed some help.”

She opened the door into the practice room for him, and the two walked in with lunch. Soohyun set the things down and went to take Eunsook from Hoon, who then anxiously hovered over him, telling him what to do. Soohyun glared at Hoon, who immediately stopped chattering at him, and cooed to the baby in his arms. “Aww! What a good baby girl! Your mommy’s back now.” He kissed Eunsook on the forehead before taking her over to Serin. Serin was occupied though, setting out food for them, and Eli, with a bottle in his hand, went to take Eunsook out of Soohyun’s grasp. He cradled her in his arms and put the bottle in , which she happily at.

“Can I take her home with me?” Eli joked while he fed her.

“Absolutely not,” Hoon said, protective of his daughter. “Give her back.” He held out his arms.

Eli shook his head. “I was joking. She’s plenty happy right now. If you must, you can have her back when she’s done eating.”

Kevin walked over to Eli and stood in front of him, rubbing the infant’s head. “I haven’t gotten a chance to hold her yet,” he said, pouting at Eli.

“You still have to wait your turn,” Eli answered.

Serin, who was quite amused at their antics, finished setting up lunch, and told them so. They all sat down on the floor, save for Eli who was still feeding Eunsook and had said he didn’t want to interrupt her in the middle of her lunch. No one said much while they ate, too busy appeasing their appetites. Eli came and sat down, handing Eunsook to Serin before doing so. “Anyone else want to hold her?” she asked, holding the baby in her lap. Kevin volunteered eagerly. “She’s probably got a burp in there.” She handed Kevin a rag. “Put this on your shoulder and hold her like this,” she instructed as she placed the baby in Kevin’s grasp as she wanted. “Then you’ll just have to rub and pat her back until she either burps or spits up what didn’t make it the whole way down.”

Kevin nodded his understanding, and then paid attention to the baby in his arms. “She’s so soft,” Kevin commented.

She loved all of the guys. They were her extended family. All of them, every single one, had helped her move past the heartbreak of losing her first child. They had all worried endlessly about her second pregnancy. They had celebrated with joy when Eunsook was born. And now here they were, a month later, holding the baby, feeding her, and showering her with their love.

“Ooo,” Kevin exclaimed. “She just burped! What a good girl!” He rearranged her so that he could hold her more comfortably.

Serin smiled at him kindly. “Do you want me to take her back so you can eat? I’m finished.”

“Take a picture of me with her first,” Kevin said. “It’ll make my mom and Deanna happy.” He fished his phone out of his pocket and handed it to Serin. He smiled, holding up a peace sign with his free hand, the other arm used to hold Eunsook. Serin counted to three and took the picture for him. Serin then exchanged the phone for her daughter, and went to sit down again, this time next to Hoon, as she’d been between Kevin and Soohyun previously.

“When we’ve finished, we should all take a picture with her, and post it on the official Twitter or Facebook or something,” Soohyun suggested. “I bet the fans would like it.”

They all agreed to the idea. When lunch was finished a few short minutes later, they all stood up and prepared for a picture. Serin handed Eunsook off to Hoon. “Why don’t you get in the picture with us?” he asked her.

“It’s okay. I’d rather stay out of the public eye as much as possible right now.”

“Oh. Yeah. I understand,” Hoon admitted. “We’ll just have Eunsook then.”

The five other members gathered around Hoon and Eunsook and struck an adorable pose with Eunsook smiling. The manager took the picture, and then said, “Well Serin, thank you for lunch. We should probably get back to practice.”

“Ah yes. Good luck guys!” she said as she went to take their daughter back from Hoon. “Do your best! Fighting!”

Hoon bent down and gave his daughter a kiss on the forehead. “Love you, Hime,” he whispered. He looked up and his eyes met Serin’s. “I love you, too.”

“I know you do,” she said, smiling. “Have a good day. I’ll see you tonight.”

“I will.”

“I love you,” she said before quickly kissing him on the cheek. She walked away from him and put the baby in the car seat, strapping her in. Soohyun handed her the bag of empty containers and the baby bag. “Do you need any help taking this back?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine this time. There’s much less in there to carry.”

“Well, thank you for lunch,” Soohyun said. The rest of the members echoed his sentiments.

“You’re very welcome. I’d gladly come do it again any time you ask. I wanted to make sure I saw Jaeseop before he leaves in a few days. And I do have a few more months of leave before I go back to work.”

“We’ll have to do that,” Eli replied. “It was very delicious.”

“I’ll see you boys later,” she said then. “Practice hard!”

“We will!” they all said, in unison. “See you later!”

And so Serin left, baby in tow, leaving them to practice. “I already miss my baby,” Hoon said, pouting.

“She’s gotten cuter, Hoonie,” Kiseop commented.

“It makes me a bit jealous,” Eli stated. “I really wish I could be a father soon.”

Kevin laughed. “We’ll all get there eventually. We just need to focus on the success of U-KISS first. Things work out when they’re meant to.”

Soohyun nodded. “Alright then. Back to practice. We’ve got some dances to refresh on for our upcoming concert.” And with that, they all focused once more, thoughts of babies pushed to the back of their minds while they danced with all their might.

--

Serin was playing the piano when the door buzzer sounded. It was one of her usual daytime guests, she was sure, but she didn’t know which one it was. Jaehyun often stopped by without giving her warning first, but it was far more likely to be Jungsook or Dongho. Serin had, in the last several months, gotten much closer to Dongho than she’d ever really expected to be. After he left, she figured she’d never get the chance to see him. She had never formally met him beforehand, so she sometimes found it strange that he’d come see her so frequently now. He was surprisingly good with Eunsook and seemed quite taken with her daughter, who was very obviously who he was coming to see.

Picking Eunsook up, she went to answer the door. “Mother-in-law,” she said kindly, “please come in.”

Jungsook did so, removing her shoes and stepping inside, before taking Eunsook out of Serin’s arms. “How my sweet granddaughter?” she cooed to the baby.

Eunsook smiled, happy at the attention. “Are you looking forward to baby sitting for me?” Serin asked her then, amused at the interaction between her daughter and mother-in-law.

“Of course. I can’t wait to see my lovely Eunsookie all the time.”

“You do see her all the time, though,” Serin joked.

“Ah, but you’re here so I have to share her. I’m excited for when it’s just her and me.”

A quiet laugh escaped Serin’s mouth. “I’m really happy that you’re excited about it. I’m so glad to have you. And I’m sorry if it’s any inconvenience to you.”

“Of course not,” Jungsook said. “You have a lot of responsibility to your family. Eunsook will be fine staying with me. It’ll be no trouble at all.”

“Thank you. I’m so thankful to have you in my life. You might as well be my actual mother. I really love and cherish you so much.”

“I know you do, dear,” Jungsook told her kindly. “I love you like a daughter. So what were you working on before I got here?”

“Oh, Hoonmin and I had discussed working on a song together, so I was writing a bit. I was feeling inspired this afternoon. And Eunsook likes the sound of the piano. It seems to fascinate her.”

“You should record some. Then if she’s upset, I can play her a recording.”

“That’s a really good idea,” Serin agreed.

Jungsook played with Eunsook for a while, giving Serin a chance to focus on chores and making dinner for the two of them. But at another buzz of the door, she realized that she should have been preparing for the third usual guest. Jungsook let Dongho in, and he fawned over the baby. “Here you go,” she said as she passed Eunsook off to him. “I’ll go help Serin finish up dinner.”

--

It was Christmas time. Eunsook was nearly 5 months old, and Serin was excited for their first Christmas as a family. Hoon was, of course, busy. He’d been exceptionally busy ever since Eunsook’s birth, but all of the members had time off for Christmas this year, so he’d get to spend the holiday with them. Jaehyun had helped her put up a tree and decorate the place some. She hadn’t gone all out as she was slightly worried that Eunsook, who had started being able to pick herself up and babble, might soon be able to crawl and would get herself into trouble.

She assumed Hoon would be home earlier than usual tonight. He had messaged her when they’d boarded the plane in Japan, and the day before he had told her that there were no plans for them when they got back that he knew of.

She happily cooked a meal, Eunsook in a high chair in the kitchen, throwing about as much cereal on the floor as she was putting in . “Hime, you’re making a mess,” Serin commented. Eunsook simply babbled at her, and took a handful and threw it. Serin just sighed, resigning herself to cleaning it up when she was done and, hopefully, before Hoon got back.

She was not done when he got back though. “I’m home,” he called as he walked in. Dropping his stuff in the living area, meandering into the kitchen, he then wrapped his arms around Serin. “Missed you,” he whispered into her ear as he held her tight.  “And you got a hair cut,” he noted. “It looks nice.”

“Thanks. It was… getting hard to deal with both Eunsook and my hair. Plus, you always said you preferred my short hair.”

He kissed her then, quickly, not delving too deep, but leaving a promise for what was to come later. He pulled away and walked over to Eunsook then, stepping on the cereal that was all over the floor. He looked down and eyed his now crumby socks. “She made quite the mess,” he said.

“Yeah,” Serin acknowledged. “I’ll clean it up real quick. I knew she was making a mess, but I was going to finish dinner first.”

“No, don’t worry about it. Just keep making dinner,” Hoon said. “I’ll clean it up.”

“Thanks, Hoonie,” she said cheerfully, relieved to be getting just a bit of help.

“It’s no problem,” he said, as he squatted down and picked up the discarded pieces of cereal. Eunsook couldn’t really eat them, but she liked to chew on them a bit and spit them out, apparently. When he finished, and took the rest away from her, he announced, “I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be out for dinner then.”

“Should be like ten more minutes left,” Serin told him.

--

Eunsook had fallen asleep a while ago, and Serin and Hoon had promptly taken advantage of the opportunity. Laying in bed in post coital bliss, they were wrapped in each other’s arms, Hoon her hair lovingly and kissing her forehead as she traced her fingers across his back. He sighed then, wanting to pass the news along to Serin, but unsure how. How would he tell her?

“What’s bothering you?” she asked, picking up on his agitation.

“I…” he began, still unsure of how he was going to really share this topic.

“Just tell me,” she said. “It’s bothering you. You’ll feel better with it off of your chest.”

“Soohyun is leaving.”

She stayed silent for a bit, weighing what he’d told her. “For the military?”

“Yeah.”

“When? How much longer?”

“He’s leaving in March. Right before his birthday. He can’t put it off any longer. He just told us when we got back. I wasn’t sure if I should tell you yet or not. It kind of… brings the holiday mood down.”

“I understand,” she said. “I’ll miss him, a lot. Ah…” she trailed off.

“What?” Hoon asked, concerned at her tone.

“It’s nothing. Just… I thought about how you’re going to have to leave before long. That’s all.”

“That’s not nothing,” he stated. “That’s going to be hard. On me, but more so on you. But I have faith that you can handle it.”

“I have no doubts. It’ll just be hard emotionally. I’ll get through. Your mom and my dad and Hyunsaeng and Jaehyun won’t let me down.”

He smiled as he hugged her tighter, not wanting to think about the day he knew was getting closer. Soohyun’s announcement had reminded him of something he’d have rather forgotten about until it was too late. Serin’s determined attitude made him feel less regretful over having to leave.

“Did I miss anything important related to Eunsook?’ he asked, partially because he was curious and partially wishing to leave the previous topic of conversation.

“She’s babbling a lot now. She’ll try to sing with me when I’m playing piano. It’s really cute.”

“She’ll be a musician in no time, I’m sure.”

“Who knows? Maybe she won’t like performing and would rather listen. We’ll have to see.”

Hoon kissed her forehead then. “Yes, we will.”

“What did you get her for Christmas?” Serin asked.

“It’s a surprise,” he said, winking. “You’ll find out in the morning.”

She scoffed, more amused than anything, and rolled over, pretending to be indignant. “Okay then. I guess I’ll just go to sleep. Then I’ll get to tomorrow morning sooner.”

“Oh fine. I’ll tell you,” he said, worried.

She started laughing then. “I was joking. I’ll let you surprise me.”

“Good,” Hoon told her. “I didn’t have plans for letting you go to sleep yet, anyway.” With another kiss to on the lips and a slight shift in their positions, he went about keeping her wake for quite awhile longer.

Just a bit of a note here, in case you're wondering and are one of those K-pop fans that was never into anime. Hime is the Japanese word for princess. Them calling her hime as a nickname is exactly the same as if they were calling her princess.