“Soohyun,” Serin stated, getting his attention. “I’m heading out early. My cousin’s around, and we’re going out for dinner.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“You know?” she asked, a bit disbelieving.

“Yes, I know.”

It dawned on Serin then. Soohyun had been involved with said cousin several years ago, and she hadn’t considered the fact that he would maybe still be keeping in contact with her. “Did she tell you?”

“Yeah.”

“Since when have you been talking to Amanda?” she asked then, curious.

“I never really stopped after she left,” he admitted. “I’d message her occasionally. She was excited to tell me that she was going to be visiting you again.”

Serin shook her head, knowing full well that while she may be having dinner with Amanda, her cousin was more than likely spending the rest of the evening with Soohyun. Not that she really minded. That was Amanda and Soohyun’s deal, not hers. “Well, anyway. I’m leaving. I’ll see you in the morning.” She walked away, heels clicking on the floor as she went, and went to find Eunsook and Taekhyun, who she had left in the care of her brother and were somewhere in the building.

She found them in the still incomplete practice room, Kevin showing 3-year-old Eunsook dance moves, which she mimicked to the best of her ability. Eli was holding Taekhyun, feeding him dinner and encouraging him to babble while Jaehyun explained to him what sort of concept he was thinking they should go for during their next round of unit promotions.  Eunsook heard her walk in and immediately forgot Kevin, running to her, shouting in garbled toddler speech, “Mama! Mama! Did you see me dancing?”

Serin bent down and picked her up, saying, “Of course, I did. You were doing great! You’ll be a better dancer than Appa in no time.”

Eunsook shook her head, and told Serin all about her day. No one else could understand what she was saying, but Serin nodded, comprehending most of it.

“What did she say?” Kevin asked, curious.

“Oh, just telling me what she remembers doing. Mostly about watching you dance. She’s a big fan of Uncle Kevin.”

Kevin blushed at the young girl’s praise, making a cute face at her and she laughed. “She’s starting to pick up some English,” Eli commented from his seat.

“Good,” Serin said. “I’d really like for her to be proficient from a young age. I’ll probably send her to an international school when she’s old enough, really cement her abilities. Knowing English is very helpful.”

“For sure,” Eli commented. “And I’m glad we can help. Means we get to practice, too. Otherwise, we’d forget it.”

Serin put Eunsook down, and went to collect Taekhyun. “I’m headed out to eat dinner with my cousin,” she told them.

“Am I invited?” Jaehyun asked.

“Well, I guess. She’s your cousin, too.”

--

“Soohyun’s in a weirdly good mood today,” Eli commented, plopping himself down on the chair in Serin’s office as Eunsook scrambled to sit in his lap.

She looked away from her computer to eye him incredulously. “Well…” she trailed off. “That’s not entirely surprising.”

“What do you mean?”

“Aren’t you usually in a good mood after you get laid?”

“Well, yeah but—hey wait. How do you know that’s the reason?”

“My cousin is here,” she explained calmly. “Last time she was around, the two were uh… quite busy.”

Eli’s eyes lit in understanding. “You mean Amanda, right? I think he mentioned her once. That she was really good at chiropractic stuff and massages. I didn’t realize they were…”

Serin shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I can’t really believe it myself. I didn’t realize they were still talking or even remotely interested in each other. But after talking with her last night, I think the two are way closer than I realized. I don’t think she’s leaving.”

“Wow,” Eli trailed off.

“She offered to be a dedicated stylist for you guys. She does know hair and make up. And with only the three of you right now, we can easily get by with just her and Jaehyun for the time being.”

Eli shrugged. “Sounds good to me. And hey, if she starts dating Soohyun, then we can put an end to those dumb rumors.”

Serin nodded thoughtfully. “I suppose you’re right.”

--

“SERIN~!” She looked up at her buoyant, now blonde cousin. “Do you like my hair?” Amanda asked.

“It looks nice. It’s a good shade of blonde for you,” Serin answered honestly.

Eunsook still wasn’t sure of the loud blonde lady, and cowered behind Serin. She knew her daughter would adjust eventually, but right now, she found it kind of amusing that Eunsook was a bit afraid of Amanda. “I passed my hair dresser certification test,” Amanda said proudly. “Piece of cake.”

“Good for you,” Serin said. “Now, I suppose you’re allowed to officially do the guys’ hair.”

Amanda nodded happily. “Yep. I’m really glad I can help you out.”

“I think you’re really glad that you can be with Soohyun,” Serin, deadpanned.

“Well, yeah. He’s so nice and perfect and Serin, I love him so much. And you know, he’s got a giant—“

“Enough,” Serin said, cutting her off. “I don’t want to know.”

“I was going to say heart, dear erted cousin,” she said, teasing.

Serin stuck her tongue out at her. “Whatever.”

“Though, he definitely isn’t lacking when it comes to what’s between his legs.”

Serin stood up, and pushed her out of the door then. “Enough. Enough. Enough. I don’t want to hear it.”

“You’re just jealous that I’m getting some, and you’re not.”

With an exasperated sigh, she admitted, “Pretty much. I don’t want to hear about how much you’re having when I’m getting none. Please stop, okay?”

“Okay,” Amanda agreed then. “Sorry about upsetting you. I won’t do it again.”

Serin returned to the quietness of her office then, sitting back down at her computer and pulling Eunsook into her lap. Amanda and Soohyun’s happy relationship only served to remind her how much she missed her Hoonie. At least it their relationship had been fairly well received when it was announced publicly. Not only that, she had gotten great satisfaction at watching everyone who’d spent time hating on her because of the rumors regarding her own relationship with Soohyun bite their tongues and apologize. Now she just needed to figure out how she was going to afford having her cousin on staff.

--

Eli watched in mild amusement as Serin and Soohyun argued with each other for about the fifth time that day. Kevin on the other hand was not quite as amused. “Does it really matter that much, Soohyun-hyung, Serin-noona?” he asked, trying to calm the situation.

Considering that this argument currently was over budget and adding more staff, Eli was pretty sure Serin was going to win. “It does matter,” Soohyun insisted.

“I’m telling you,” Serin shot back at him. “We cannot afford to pick up more staff right now.”

“We’re understaffed, Serin. If we don’t get more people, our image is going to suffer.”

“So what, you want more stylists? Another hair and makeup person? There are three of you actively in this company.”

“Hoon comes back today,” Kevin interjected quietly.

“Oh trust me, I haven’t forgotten,” she said. “I’ve been counting down the days.”

“One more person,” Soohyun stressed. “We need more than just your brother working out clothes for us.”

“One more person,” Serin argued, “who will need paid. From our funds that are rapidly shrinking after all of the remodeling we had to do to get the building ready to go.”

“Soohyun hyung,” Eli said, deciding to intervene before this got ugly. Serin talked budget with him quite often, and with Hoon coming home finally, Eli sort of thought it best that he come home to a happier wife over a stressed out one. “Serin’s probably right. Just let it go. We’ll have to start paying Hoon, too. Let’s get our comeback underway as a 4-person group. Once there are funds coming in, then figure it out.”

“Eli, thank you for being the only person who gets it,” Serin said.

Kevin added his opinion to the mix. “We can make do for now. Jaehyun does a great job for us. And Amanda can manage the four of us without too much trouble.”

“Trust me on this, Soohyun. I will not let this company fail. I will do whatever I need to make sure you are successful. When we need and can afford more staff, we’ll get them.”

His expression softened then, letting the argument go. “Alright. I’ll let that up to you.”

Kevin relaxed then, too. “Why don’t you go home?” he suggested to Serin. “We’re just going to practice singing for awhile.”

“Why don’t I go with you?” Eli suggested. “I’m sure you’ve got some cleaning to do before Hoon gets home.”

“I do. It’s going to feel weird to not go home to my in-laws. But I’ve been so busy here I haven’t really had a chance to clean over there any.”

Eli gestured for her to follow him, and the two drove the short distance to her home. “You know, Serin,” he said, “I’m very glad that you’re helping Soohyun out. But you two have been fighting an awful lot anymore.”

She sighed. “He frustrates me. He doesn’t think about the overall impact of the choices he wants to make. Now that you’re coming back as a group, he’s more worried about stuff that he was willing to let go when you were doing duo and solo promotions.”

“I’m grateful for all that you’ve done for us, but maybe you need to take a break.”

“I can’t,” she insisted. “You guys have to succeed. With Hoonmin coming back this evening, the four of you are going to start working again as soon as possible. That’s going to be a lot of work. That’s why I’ve been putting so much time in now. To make the next few months a bit easier.”

“You know, the real reason why Soohyun wants to hire more employees is to give you a break,” Eli admitted. “You two have been arguing a lot. I think it stresses Kevin out, but I understand why. Just remember that more than anything, Soohyun looks out for us. All of us. You included. If something happened to you, if you were hospitalized from overwork, he’d never forgive himself for it. That’s how he is. So if he wants to bring in someone else to take some stress off of you, you should maybe consider sparing some of the budget to do so.”

“Maybe you’re right, Eli.”

“There has to be someone who you’d like as an assistant.”

“I’ll think about it. And I’ll try to ease off of Soohyun some. I think we’re stressing each other out.”

“You get along well when it doesn’t come to work,” Eli said.

“But we only ever talk about the company any more. I got this whole thing going for him, for all of you. I want you to succeed, but I don’t want you to push yourself harder than necessary. Though it was awhile ago, do you know what our biggest argument was over?”

Eli shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Limiting how many hours a day you are allowed to work. I insisted that you needed 10 hours off a day, barring you wanting to stay longer or any outside influences that prevent that. Soohyun feels that’s too much, that you can handle the sleep deprivation, and I just… have to disagree. You aren’t as young any more. You’re more likely to hurt yourselves and get sick. More rest will keep you in better shape.”

“I know I was grateful to see those terms in the contract,” Eli admitted.

Serin nodded. “It’s a more international mindset to business. We don’t pay overtime for you working extra hours, so I think it’s unfair to keep you longer. Soohyun, of course, having grown up here and been involved in the Kpop scene longer than the rest of us, had different ideas. He thought it was okay. We fought over it for several days.”

“Well, despite your differences and arguments, I’m very thankful that you’re helping Soohyun out. He couldn’t have done it on his own. And I think you’re heading this company the way it should go.”

“Thank you, Eli,” Serin said bashfully. “I’m glad to hear that.”

“Once you’ve got Hoon settled in this evening, we should all go out drinking. I’ll call up Dongho.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

--

Serin’s reunion with Hoon was heartfelt and passionate. Serin had asked Jaehyun to babysit for her, and just as she finished preparing to go out for the evening, he knocked on the door. Hoon let him in, and greeted her younger brother warmly. She explained what he should do while they were gone, and the two headed out. “So how are things at the company?” Hoon asked cautiously as he drove along.

“We’re getting closer to being ready. We’ve got the songs for the album selected, just need to record your part and get the choreography laid out.”

“Man, I don’t even get a break, do I?”

“Soohyun insisted, and I supposed you wouldn’t really want a break.”

“I’d have liked to spend a little free time with you, first,” he complained. “Can’t you get him to push it back a bit?”

“Hoonmin, if you knew how many things I’ve had to fight with Shin Soohyun over in the last couple of months, you’d just agree and go with it.”

“Is he bothering you? Do you want me to talk to him?” Hoon asked.

“No, don’t do that.”

“Serin…”

“We’ve just had to fight a few things out. He’ll insist on things we can’t afford, and sometimes I’ll compromise. But sometimes I have to be more stubborn, or he is, and if I don’t have to fight with him over something at this point, I don’t.”

Hoon nodded in understanding, but he still looked worried. “You seem tired,” he commented.

“I’m okay,” she said.

Hoon felt like she was pushing him away. He’d just gotten back, and she seemed to want little to actually do with him. She was so focused on her job. He almost smiled because old habits die-hard. Lee Serin was often too dedicated to her work, and he knew that well. She must be really stressed.

Hoon took her hand into his free one. “Serin, I appreciate everything you’re doing for me right now. But please, pay attention to me tonight. Welcome me home like I’m the only thing on your mind.”

“You are though.”

“I can read you better than that,” he said quietly. “You’re worried about work and the company and what’s going to happen next. You’re thinking about me, but in the context of me working.”

Serin sighed, frustrated. “I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry, Hoonmin. I’m very happy you’re back, but all that I can think about is the company and what needs done next, who I should call, what I should ask.”

“Soohyun put a huge burden on you. I was hesitant about the idea for this very reason. I’m sorry, Serin. I love you. It’s too late for us to back out now, but we’ll get through it together. Like we’ve gotten through so many things in the past. You can rely on me.”

She smiled then, feeling truly happy for the first time in several weeks. “I will rely on you. Help me through this.”

“I will.”

The conversation ended there as they arrived at their destination. They walked inside the bar together and happily greeted the members that had gathered. The reminisced about happy times and talked about what the future held. Serin tried to not over think what those dreams might entail.

She was surprised to see Kevin already drinking. Soohyun was also fairly intoxicated with Amanda sitting beside him drinking nothing, which Serin found quite unusual. She did know Soohyun would have had a lot more to drink than Kevin to get to this same point of intoxicated though.

“How’d things go after we left?” Serin asked, though she wasn’t really expecting much of a coherent answer from the two intoxicated people.

“Serin,” Kevin said, bubbly, draping his arm over her shoulder, “it was great. You’re so awesome. Hoon, I’m so happy you’re back. I love you.”

Hoon shot him a look, not entirely okay with Kevin being so casually friendly with his wife. Sitting down in between them, he said, “I missed all of you guys. I’m glad to be back.”

“Drink up!” Soohyun exclaimed boisterously. “This is coming out of company funds.”

Serin was about ready to give him an earful, but Hoon touched her thigh as he sat beside her, reminding her of her promise to try to keep work related problems off her mind. “Hand me a soju,” Hoon said. Eli passed the bottle over the table, and he poured a cup for Serin. Handing it to her, he said, “Here. Drink. That’s why we’re here.”

She took it from him and drank it down in one swallow. After a few more shots, she was quite open and relaxed. It hit her fast. She wasn’t really used to drinking anymore. In her intoxicated state, most of what was going on seemed a little hazy. Holding onto Hoon’s arm, she laughed at Eli’s lame jokes and enjoyed the company of the five dorky guys in the room. “I’ll be glad when Kiseop is back, too,” she said wistfully.

“A few more months to go,” Soohyun told her.

“I’m sorry for fighting with you so much, Soohyun,” she said remorsefully, leaning her head against Hoon’s shoulder. “I just… you don’t always see the big picture and I…” the words weren’t coming easily, but she needed to tell him. “I want to make sure it’s right. For all of us.”

He was definitely not sober, but he was definitely less intoxicated than she. “I’m sorry for pushing you so hard. I never wanted to put everything on your shoulders like this.”

 “We can hire a few more people. And I’ll take an assistant,” she said groggily. “So I don’t have to do everything on my own.” She wrapped hands around Hoon’s arm and snuggled more closely against him.

“Then start looking,” Soohyun told her. They all laughed for a while longer, talking and getting excited about future prospects. Serin was groggy and definitely not herself, and it made Eli and Soohyun in particular feel awkward. Kevin would have too, if he weren’t also quite drunk himself. When she started getting overly physically affectionate, Hoon decided that they needed to go home, and they all headed their separate ways for the evening with Dongho driving the others home, as he hadn’t had anything to drink.

Hoon took Serin home, led her inside, as she was barely able to stand on her own. Jaehyun was a bit concerned as they walked in, but Hoon temporarily ignored him to have Serin sit at the kitchen table. He started making her coffee to help, as she laid her head on the table. “How much did she have to drink?” Jaehyun asked, concerned.

“Quite a bit,” Hoon said flatly. “Probably too much. Did everything go okay here?”

He nodded to his brother-in-law. “The kids went to sleep without much trouble right when Serin said they would.”

“Thanks for letting her get a night out. I think she needed it, even though she might have gone overboard.”

“You’re very welcome. I’m glad to let her take a break. I can see how stressed she is. And I didn’t want you guys to miss the welcome party.”

Hoon reached for his pocket and paid Jaehyun for his time and told him that they’d see each other later. He woke Serin up and led her to the bedroom as quietly as possible, after turning off the coffee and leaving it because it wasn’t going to be used any time soon. He helped her changed into her pajamas, before leading her to the bathroom so she could brush her teeth, remove her makeup, and wash her face.

When she was done, she flung her arms around him. “Don’t let me go,” she said. “The world is spinning.”

“I thought you could handle way more alcohol,” he said seriously, worried that she would have a killer hangover in the morning.

“I missed you too much. Hold me. Don’t let me go,” she whispered.

He wasn’t at all inclined to stop doing any of those things. “Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’m right here. I’ve got you.”

They stood, embracing in the bathroom for several long minutes. Serin held him tightly, not moving, almost afraid that if she did, he would go away. “I never want to be separated again,” she said. “I’ve spent far too much time apart from you already.”

“Let’s go to bed,” he suggested. “We’ve both had long days.”

She, however, would not remove herself from him so he picked her up and carried her to bed. She seemed lighter than he remembered, which worried him because it suggested she was overworking herself and not eating enough. He frowned because he had known that it was going to happen. He appreciated what she and Soohyun were doing, but he was upset that Soohyun hadn’t kept his promise to stop her from overworking herself.

 She was drunk though, so she couldn’t really tell that anything was bothering him. His feelings were complicated, and he was aware that he couldn’t entirely blame this on Soohyun because Serin would have dedicated herself to this degree on her own without him being there. Her fierce dedication, his as well, was often as much of a curse as it was a blessing.

In bed next to her again, knowing he wouldn’t ever have to be away from her for extended periods, made him feel a tranquility that he had never dreamed possible. The life they started building now, would never have to be rebuilt. He could continue the job he loved. He could be with his family. His kids could see him every day, and he could sleep in bed with his wife every night, as well. He would sign the apparently very fair contract in the morning, and would get back in shape for dancing, though his fitness certainly hadn’t suffered during his military service.

She pressed herself against his body and sighed happily, saying, “You don’t understand how much I’ve longed for this.”

He gently pulled at a lock of her hair. ”I do,” he explained. “Every night I’ve ever been apart from you, from the very first night we spent together, I’ve longed for you to be by my side when you weren’t there. That’s how deep my need to have you by my side runs. Separation is killer. So please keep me here with you forever.”

“I’d never dream of letting you leave,” she told him. Hoon could hear the exhaustion in her tone, and as much as he’d hoped his welcome home celebration would include a bit more rough housing in the bedroom, he didn’t want to even ask when she was so obviously ready to pass out. So he let it go, knowing there would plenty of opportunities in the future. She fell asleep within seconds, and he, though it took a bit longer to follow suit, eventually slept too.

--

“Well,” Serin said as they all gathered in the dance room for a meeting, “the comeback is a success so far. We’re reaching the sales goals, and things seem to be proceeding pretty smoothly.”

Serin’s assistant, Rosa, a young woman from the States who had experience in the music industry nodded. “You guys look awesome up on stage. We’re getting more people interested in sponsoring you now that you’re back and doing well.”

Soohyun nodded his approval. “Should’t we have a manager?”

Serin frowned. “Probably. I don’t know anyone qualified though. If you know someone, send them to me. We can get you guys a manager now. You’re back, you’re earning money, and we’ll be able to pay them. Rosa, if you know of anyone, let me know, as well.” The young woman nodded, making a note in her phone.

Soohyun eyed Serin dubiously. She was getting less tight fisted about spending, and he was a little worried about it.

“Serin, let’s go talk for a bit,” he suggested. Hoon tensed as they walked away with everyone else. This probably wasn’t about him, after all. Serin at work wasn’t nearly as concerned about him as she was while at home. But it was very obvious that she cared for this company, and was doing everything in her power to make sure it succeeded. Despite the twinge of jealousy he felt over the fact that Soohyun was going to spend one on one time talking with her, he knew it was business related. Probably money related. That wasn’t a discussion he really wanted to be involved in. He watched Soohyun, Serin, and her assistant walk out of the practice room, headed for her office because Soohyun would be back before long.

“Are you sure we have enough for a manager?” Soohyun asked.

Serin smiled, amused. “You’re finally starting to understand what I was telling you before. You can’t just spend money whenever you want. But yes. I’m sure you can have a manager.”

“How much have we earned so far?” Soohyun asked, curious.

“Don’t you look at the files in your spare time? Our system keeps these numbers up to date, and you have access to financial information. There aren’t many of us who do.”

“I’ll look at it later, then,” Soohyun said. “It’s curious to me how much more relaxed you seem now. You’re actually willing to spend money.”

“Before we weren’t making any money. Your solo stuff barely kept us afloat. Now we are actually profitting. We have to take our earnings and invest them smartly. Hiring a good manager is a wise investment.”

“We finally agree on something.”

“Do you want me to disagree real quick so we can have a fight?” Serin asked, teasing.

“We could. But probably shouldn’t. Hoonie was already jealous that you were spending more time with me than him today.”

“I saw that. He’s terrible at keeping secrets.”

“That’s part of his charm,” Soohyun said kindly.

Serin smiled, saying, “Of course. Now you, get out of my office and go play with your bandmates.”

Soohyun left then, leaving Serin in the peaceful tranquility that was her office. She worked on organizing meetings and events with her assistant, finding good times and making sure to schedule them so that they had the opportunity to get a decent amount of sleep.

--

Four years went by quickly, promotions and tours and pleasing their fans. Serin and her assistant, Rosa, managed the company well, and they quite intentionally brought in people with some experience with overseas music management. Europe, the United States, and Japan. U-KISS, though still lacking in popularity in their home country, got tremendous love from overseas. And the more restful schedule allowed them to perform better and feel more relaxed and healthy. The five years of their contract would be up soon, and most had decided to stay.

“Kiseop-ah,” Hoon said quietly in a nervous tone, “I don’t think I’m going to renew my contract.”

“Well,” Kiseop started, “I don’t imagine we’ll all be living the idol life too awful much from this point forward. Eli, might not stay, but if he does, I think he’ll be acting more. He’s got his son now, and I think he wants to be around more for him and his wife. And Soohyun, I think, is looking to debut a boy group first and will probably start looking for trainees before too long. He’s not really going to focus on our activities much. And you’ve got your family to consider, as well.”

“Here’s the thing,” he confided. “We’re trying to have another baby.”

“Really?” Kiseop asked, surprised. “Weren’t two enough?”

“We talked about it a lot,” he explained. “It’s something we both agree on. We want one more child. I know it probably seems crazy.”

“Well… if it’s what you want, do it.”

“And also… we’re going to accomplish my goal.”

“The other one?” Kiseop asked. “Are you guys going to build a sports complex?”

Hoon nodded. “Yeah. It’s time now. I feel like my time as an idol is done. I’ve taken it as far as I want to. “

“Well, your contract is going to be over soon. You can do whatever you want,” Kiseop said. “And you’ve said for years that you wanted to have your own sports center. It’s probably better for you to start while you’re still young.”

Hoon laughed. “I’m not going to be an old man any time soon.”

“You’re going to have another kid. That’ll age you a few years.”

“It will not.”

“Have you seen Eli?” Kiseop asked. “He had one kid, and now he looks like 10 years older.”

“Eli has trouble sleeping, anyway,” Hoon reasoned. “Besides, looking older doesn’t matter much as long as you don’t feel any older.”

“I don’t want to risk it,” he said. “I may want to get married soon, but I don’t think I’m going to have kids. I’ll just come play with your new baby when that happens.”

Hoon laughed at him. “I don’t see why you’re worried about that.”

Kiseop shrugged. “Oh,” he said suddenly. “Have you told Soohyun yet?”

“Not yet. The contract renewal phase isn’t for a few more months. And we’re both hoping that she’s pregnant by then.”

“What are we going to do without you, Hoonie?”

“All do solo stuff, probably. I would imagine you and Eli will get more heavy into acting, and Kevin will likely do solo stuff. If Soohyun isn’t too swamped with training his group, he’ll probably do solo stuff, too. You guys will manage just fine.”

Kiseop smiled at the encouragement. “I’m sure there will always be a spot for you. Just like there’s always a spot for Jaeseop and Dongho here. I mean, if Alexander and Kibum wanted to come here, too, Soohyun would probably take them with no questions asked.”

“Let’s head back to practice then,” Hoon said. “We got lunch for everyone like Serin asked us to, so we should get back now.”

--

It was not long after that, that Serin was in Soohyun’s office handing in her resignation. “I’m ready to leave, Soohyun,” she explained.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why?”

She smiled shyly before answering, “Hoonmin and I are going to have another baby.”

“Congratulations!”

“Thank you, Soohyun. I plan on working for another month or so. I’m sure you’re aware that Hoonmin isn’t renewing his contract.”
“I know,” Soohyun said sadly.

“We are going to find land not too far from here, and build that sport complex he always wanted. I helped you with your dream. I feel like it is time I helped him achieve his.”

“I understand completely. And truly, Serin, thank you for how much help you’ve been. I’ve learned a lot from you. Without you, the international, and probably national, sides of the company would be floundering about hopelessly.”

“And you’ve learned so much,” she complimented.

“It really was an honor to work with you. Thank you for teaching me,” he said, bowing to her out of gratitude.

She bowed in return and excused herself, feelings of both excitement and regret flooding her. She would be happy to move on to the next phase of her life, but it felt like she was leaving something very important behind. She was glad that Hoon was coming with her. It would have been nearly impossible to leave without him there, telling her to do so. With a smile, she walked back to her office, happy to find Hoon there, playing with Taekhyun. The father and son happily greeted Serin as she walked in. Taekhyun asked what dinner would be, and the two males made up their minds together. Hoon eventually returned to practice, not being able to sit still, though he did not truly need to practice any more.

--

Serin sat in the airplane, questioning why she was even here at all. “Why did I come again?” she asked Hoon.

“You were insistent that you had to attend Jaeseop’s wedding,” he said with a shrug.

“Ah, I have to pee,” she said quietly. “Baby is pressing too hard on my bladder.”

Hoon stood up and let her walk to the bathroom. There wasn’t much time left on their flight, but he was glad it would be over soon. She was nagging a lot more than usual. He supposed that it was her hormones talking, but after 14 hours of flying time and her constant complaints about being uncomfortable, it was starting to wear his patience thin. And he had never actually been around her at this stage of her previous pregnancies.

When she got back, she apologized for complaining so much. “I don’t mean to,” she said. “I probably shouldn’t have come. The flight back is going to be just as bad.”

“It’s too late now,” he told her. “We’re almost there.”

In no time at all, they had landed at the airport, and proceeded on their way. The rest of the members had already arrived the day before, and they met up with them at the hotel. “Let’s go stroll through the city,” Kevin suggested. Serin declined, opting to stay in the hotel room after the exhausting flight. Hoon went along, leaving her to sleep on her own. It was morning still, and she wanted to rest as much as she could before the rehearsal dinner. She was going, but wasn’t actually involved in rehearsal. She understood that this wedding was going to be done in the traditional American style, but all of the extra effort baffled her a bit.

Hoon came back before too long and slept for a while before they both had to get up and get dressed to leave. Everything seemed to go smoothly, and Jaeseop was surprisingly happy to see Serin again. “How’s it going?” he asked both her and Hoonmin.

“Good,” Hoon answered. “The sports complex opened about a month ago. We’re just taking a quick break to make sure we could see you get married.”

AJ called his soon-to-be wife over. She was tall, blonde, and very pretty. Her blue eyes twinkled with happiness to finally meet the people she’d heard all about. “Lexa, let me introduce you to my friend and former U-KISS member, Yeo Hoonmin, and his wife, Lee Serin. Ah… I should have said that the other way around.”

 “I’m sorry I don’t know much Korean,” she apologized. “Hoonmin and Serin it’s very nice to finally meet you.”

Serin smiled kindly and said in her perfect English, “It’s good to meet you, too. And don’t mind not knowing much Korean. English is my other first language, and all of the members not from the States know enough to get by.” Serin liked her immediately, as she reminded her of one of her friends from university.

They shook hands, and Hoon, not being all that comfortable speaking English, let Serin do the talking for him. He understood what was being said, though. Lexa then asked Serin, “When is your baby due?”

“In three weeks,” Serin said happily.

“You must be so excited!”

“I am,” Serin said. “We wanted one more, so this will be our last.”

“Why didn’t you bring the other two?” AJ asked. “I’d have really liked to see Eunsook.”

“That’s a lot of stress for them,” Hoon explained in Korean. “We left them at home. It’s easier on both of us.”

“Congratulations to the both of you,” Lexa said brightly.

“Congratulations on your marriage, as well,” Serin replied. “And if you ever want to talk, ask AJ. He knows how to get in contact with me.”

With that the two had to go off and talk to other guests, attend to other problems, but Serin and Hoon stayed with the other members of U-KISS and happily chatted.

“How much longer do you have, Serin?” Soohyun asked curiously as they ate.

“Three weeks to go.”

“Eunsook is going to be so upset,” Eli said.

“Huh?” Hoon asked.

“She’s the spoiled princess. Her title might get usurped.”

They all laughed together, happy to be with each other again, even though it was so far away from their homes. Since Serin had left the company, and Hoon hadn’t renewed his contract, the two hadn’t seen much of the other members. They were all pursuing their own things as actors and musicians, but Hoon was now plenty happy to work at home with more normal hours.

--

The wedding the next day was glamorous and almost exactly like one seen on American movies. Pristine and white. Serin had felt it when Eli and Kiseop had gotten married. A pang of jealousy and remorse over not being able to have her own special day, but even though she felt it, she realized that more important than having one special day, every day she’d ever spent with Hoonmin was special enough to make up for it.

During the reception, though people were getting drunk, Serin sat and laughed. This had been the most fun she’d had with the U-KISS members in quite some time. Years it had been since they were all this carefree and relaxed. Business as usual had to wait for tomorrow, so they all simply enjoyed the time and celebrated the marriage of one of their dear members.

It was late when AJ left with Lexa to leave for the honeymoon. The party still continued. Soohyun and Eli were drunk, carrying on and looking disheveled. Kevin had let himself get tipsy, and he and Hoon and Kiseop were singing songs way too loudly. Serin walked up to her drunk husband and said, “Let’s go back now. I’m getting tired.”

He resigned himself to her wishes, and the two simply got in the elevator and went to their hotel room, as the reception was in the ballroom of the hotel they were staying in. Serin got ready for bed quickly and quietly while Hoon sang in the shower. She was nearly asleep when he finally climbed in bed with her. Laying on her side, and feeling a bit uncomfortable because of the belly, she sighed in frustration. “I can’t find a good position,” she complained.

Hoon simply wrapped his arm around her, and gently rubbed her belly. “I feel the baby kicking. They could be the next taekwondo star with kicks that strong. It’s no wonder you can’t get comfortable.”

“That’s your fault,” she said jokingly. “It’s certainly not me who gave our baby excellent taekwondo skills.”

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a grin. He kissed the back of her neck gently, fingers tracing her back lightly. She shivered under his touch. “Do you regret not having a fancy wedding like that?” he asked her seriously.

“Sometimes. Then I remember that despite not having a fancy ceremony, I still have the best husband in the world. And that’s worth way more than some expensive ceremony could ever be worth. I’ve got you and our lovely children. Everything else is just extra.”

He snuggled closer against her back, holding her firmly. “I love you.”

“Weren’t you going to finish what you were starting?” she asked. “I was getting a little .”

He considered briefly. “Only if you want me to.”

She nodded, and he did everything as she requested, tenderly loving her body in every way she wanted.

--

She woke in the morning when she felt urge to pee. However, upon reaching the bathroom, she felt the familiar sensation of her water breaking. It flowed onto the hotel bathroom’s floor, and a sense of dread came over her. She was going to give birth early. In another country. Her doctor would be nowhere nearby. “Hoonmin!” she shouted frantically. “Hoonie! Come here! I need you!”

She had startled him from his sleep, but at her tone, he sprung out of bed and was quickly in the bathroom with her.

She looked up at him in panic. “What’s the matter, Serin?” he asked.

“My water broke,” she said, voice quavering.

He looked at her dumbstruck. “So that means…”

“The baby is coming early.”

He felt the same sense of dread that she was. Neither one of them really knew what to do, where to go. Clearly, they had to get to a hospital, but neither knew where that was. “Let’s just go downstairs, find a taxi, and tell the driver to take us to the closest hospital.”

They managed to get a ride to the hospital, and it was fortunate that Serin’s English was flawless because she easily explained that she was from South Korea and was going into labor early to the receptionist. The older woman was understanding and helped them check in even without the information they would usually need. “This is going to cost us a lot money,” she whispered to Hoon as they sat briefly in the waiting room. Serin wasn’t particularly nervous about having this baby. Her first two deliveries has gone smoothly, and if she was to believe what she’d been told, giving birth got easier after having more kids. Of course, it had been awhile since her last child, so she hoped that wouldn’t make a big impact.

Despite the differences in the style of the hospitals, Serin was relatively comfortable with how things were coming along. She was having fairly regular contractions, of the same level of pain she’d experienced before. Hoon was holding her hand, taking in her calm demeanor, because though she’d been through all of this before, it was his first time with the whole experience. Her calm approach helped him feel more at ease.

Hoon was at a loss for words as the nurses checked on her and an unfamiliar obstetrician came in and talked to Serin about her progress. “Ms. Lee, how are you?” the woman asked. “I’m Doctor Sara Miller, and I’ll be delivering your baby this morning. You sure got caught by surprised, didn’t you?”

“I’m fine. My husband and I were here to attend a good friend’s wedding. It’s a bit early, so I thought I’d be okay. I guess I was wrong.”

“Your English is fabulous for a foreigner,” the doctor complimented.

Hoon took the opportunity to speak up. “She studied here. She is very good at English.”

“Oh, I see. Well Serin, I will help you deliver your baby and try to make it as comfortable as possible. I’ll be contacting your doctor in Seoul to see if there is anything in particular I should know about you and your pregnancy. But just make yourself comfortable. The nurses will check on you, and we can help you manage your pain, if necessary. I’ll be back to check in on you in a bit.”

Serin proceeded through the labor with little incident, Hoon holding her hand the whole time and whispering encouragement. He sent a quick message to the members because they had all planned to meet up for brunch that morning, and as he and Serin were going to be occupied in the hospital, he figured he should let them know why he wouldn’t be attending.

Soohyun called him back almost immediately. “Really? She’s having her baby right now?”

“Yeah, hyung. We’re at the hospital in the delivery room. Everything is going normally.”

Later that morning, at 9:16, Serin gave birth to another daughter. Hoon was ecstatic to not only have another healthy daughter, but also to have been present for the whole thing. He could worry with Serin instead of for her from a distance. They named their daughter Junghye, once again combining parts of their mother’s names.

Soohyun came to see them quickly before the scheduled brunch. “Congratulations, Serin and Hoon,” he said upon arrival.

“Thank you, Soohyun,” Serin said, obviously tired.

Hoon was holding his new daughter preciously, in awe over the third life he had created. “You’d think it would stop seeming like such a miracle,” he marveled.

Soohyun took her from Hoon and cradled her gently. “I think I need to get on having a child of my own. I’m getting jealous now.” He ran his finger across the newborn’s forehead. “She’s beautiful. More than I remember Eunsook being.”

She started crying, and Soohyun promptly returned her to Serin. It was nearly a conditioned response after having spent so much time with both Eunsook and Taekhyun when they were still babies. “I’m going to have to go then. I’m supposed to be over to meet for our meal in like five minutes. I’ll give everyone the good news.”

“Make sure you save me something to eat,” Serin told him.

“Yes, your majesty,” he told her teasingly.

She was about to throw the closest object she could find at him, but he scurried out of the room before she had the chance. “I hate when he calls me that,” she complained.

Hoon chuckled. “Why?”

“When I was the acting CEO, he sometimes called me that when he thought I was being unreasonable. At first it was funny. Then it started getting on my nerves.”

Hoon took her hand and rubbed his thumb over the backside gently. “He’s just joking around. Let it go,” Hoon told her.

The sleeping baby woke up and demanded food, so Serin complied. She knew this was going to cost her a substantial chunk of money. Hospital stays in the US weren’t cheap and the sooner she got out, the better. Plus she was going to have to deal with getting her newborn daughter through customs, and she wasn’t looking forward to how much of a pain it would be. At least, she’d safely given birth to a healthy daughter. No matter how much of a pain working out the details might, be, that one fact would remain true.

--

The other members had returned before them, mostly because getting all of the paperwork squared away had been a bit of a nightmare. Serin couldn’t leave the country until everything was in order, and Hoon had stayed with her. She had apologized to Jungsook and Jaehyun over and over again for inconveniencing them. Neither one seemed too upset about the extra baby-sitting hours, though. They were all mostly glad that she’d given birth safely and that Hoon, Serin, and newly born Junghye would be returning home before long.

AJ was back from his honeymoon the day before they could manage to leave. They spent some time with him, because it was uncertain when they would ever see each other again. Lexa held and loved on Junghye, happily talking to the baby. Hoon and AJ reminisced about the old days while Serin talked to the much younger woman about being married to an idol and how it had felt to be hidden during their most active years. “You’re lucky,” Serin told her. “You get to be with him post idol life for your entire marriage. He may work long hours as a doctor, but trust me, they’ll never be as long or as erratic as a K-pop idol.”

“It must have been hard on you,” Lexa said in awe as she listened to how Serin had spent over 3 years of her time with Hoon. “Was it worth it?”

Serin looked over at Hoon, who was just as loving, kind, and attractive as the day she’d first met him. They’d had their moments. Some fights and disagreements. Some hardships that had seemed insurmountable. But there had always been the good moments, too. With a happy smile on her face as the memories came rolling in, she answered, “Definitely.”