Thank you so much for the overwhelming turnout to the prologue, guys! I loved reading all of your comments and can't wait to see how you guys like the rest of the story :3


Wang Wook sat with his head bowed and his hands on his knees as his father seethed down at him.

"Reckless." Slap. A newspaper hit the table, making him flinch.

"Stupid." Slap. Another newspaper added itself.

"Ignorant." Slap. A third newspaper hit the deck and Wook cringed as it fell. He peeked up at the article and saw the picture that accompanied it. The image was a shot of Myung Hee walking hand in hand with him, a hand on her rapidly growing belly. They were smiling at each other and Wook's hand rested on the small of her back.

"Is this how you honor your family in this time of need?" Taejo boomed as he sat down at the head of the conference table. "I would have expected this from Yo, but you? You have disappointed me."

"Father, please," Wook's pleading voice remained level as he kept his gaze to his feet and never met his father's eyes. "You know how sick my wife is. Her body finally recovered enough to give us the chance to have children, so we took our chan-"

"Wook!" the Chairman bellowed his son's name with enough force that the secretaries outside the office flinched. "You of all your brothers was supposed to be the beam that supported Mu during his ascension! You!"

Bowing his head, Wook only continued to listen to his father's reprimand. "I expected more from you," Taejo shook his head as he placed a hand down onto the table. "You were the one son I knew would not fail me in keeping your head down and maintaining a semblance of quiet domesticity. I had to bargain with Yo in order for him to back away from Mu's inheritance and then had to remind So about the abdication when he asked for permission to marry." Wook blinked and frowned as he wondered if he had heard correctly.

Taejo sighed, his hand moving to stroke his beard as he had done when Wook was younger. The action made Wook feel slightly more comfortable about his position and he allowed himself to look up at his father. "How many months is your wife along?" the old man asked.

"She's now three months, sir," Wook's instantaneous reply seemed to appease the Chairman who sighed deeply. His father nodded gravely and motioned for Wook to sit up straight.

"And her body, is it she still unwell? Are her lungs still giving her trouble?"

Wook gnawed on the inside of his cheek as his worries renewed. "She… she claims she's alright and the doctors say there shouldn't be many problems based on her given condition. I know there are symptoms that come with pregnancy, but," he looked up at Taejo with wide eyes. "Is she supposed to throw up that much?" he asked.

Watching as his father's angry demeanor faded, Wook bit his cheek when Taejo laughed. "I would know," the Chairman chuckled. "I have nine children, don't I? Yes, Son, women throw up when they're pregnant. I would have expected you to be more astute, but I suppose pregnancy makes all men nervous. You should have seen how much Yo fretted over his little wife when she was carrying Gyung."

Nodding, Wook felt his clenched fists loosen. "I… we… Father, we're having twins," he stated meekly. Wook felt a giddy flutter in his chest as he spoke the words he had kept swallowed for three months. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders as he finally revealed his wife's condition. In just a few months, he would be a father to two. "Myung Hee is carrying twins."

Taejo noticed with mirth that even the richest and mightiest of men grew small beneath the crushing joy and stress of bringing a child into the world. He had endured those emotions nine times. Taejo remembered Yeon Hwa being the baby that had caused him the most distress. Now, Wook was having two children at once.

"Twins," the Chairman chuckled as he shook his head, unable to hold onto his anger. "I don't like that you went against my wishes, but I won't deny that I'm proud of you, Wook," the Chairman sat back in his seat. "'I'll have an announcement made that she's expecting and I expect that to be the last I hear of your wife from the media."

The Chairman watched as Wook bowed his head. "Thank you, Father," his son declared. "I know Myung Hee would be very grateful to you as well."

Taejo sighed deeply as he shook his head. "Take care of your wife, Wook. There is no one more important in your life than her. Don't make my mistakes, son."

It was no secret that the Chairman's marriage and remarriage to the affluent Yoo Shin Myung was for political gain. Even his marriage to Wook's mother had been an affair turned into a political alliance. Everyone who cared knew that there was only one woman the Chairman truly loved.

Oh Soo Yeon, the woman who had been married to the Chairman even before he was "The Chairman", had been Mu's mother. She had been with Wang Taejo since they were both poor high school students, staying loyal to him while he was attending college in America, and even while he was beginning the foundations of Jong Group.

She had contracted cancer while pregnant with Wook's eldest brother, Wang Mu. Refusing chemotherapy, treatments, and surgery, Madam Oh had suffered through her pregnancy and passed away after delivering the Chairman's first son via Caesarian section. If there was a reason Mu was his father's favorite son, Wook always thought it was because of his late wife.

However, less than three years after Oh Soo Yeon's death, the Chairman had remarried. Four years after Wang Mu was born, Wang Yo had made his entrance into the world.

A secretary entered the office with a folder in her hand, announcing the Chairman's noontime meeting was about to begin. Tiredly, Taejo nodded to the young woman before giving his son's shoulder a pat. "Twins. I suppose the more grandchildren I have, the merrier I'll be. I'm sure your brothers' children will be pleased to know they'll have more cousins to play with. Relay my congratulations to your wife."

Wook was dismissed and as he walked out of the Chairman's office, he could not help but dazedly ponder over a specific thing the Chairman had said: "... had to remind So… when he asked permission to marry." Wook had no idea his brother was seeing anyone- let alone thinking about marriage. He had assumed that after thirty-four years of solitude, So would be the one brother that never tied himself to any woman.

He reminded himself to ask So about it later on.

Wook walked slowly out of the offices and began making his way back home, trekking through the bustling Gangnam sidewalks. His gait was steady and sure, but his mind wandered and his thoughts travelled toward the more troublesome members of his family.

So had seemed a bit down as of late, and coincidentally, so had Soo. The two seemed depressed about their own matters and when Wook questioned why, So had told Wook the usual: "Ah, just work stress. The abdication is hard on shareholders," while Soo had claimed something about food poisoning. Wook could verify neither of their stories, but he let the matter go; he was too busy with his own work and making sure his wife was alright to fully ponder what every family member was going through.

He knew Soo was still angry at him for adding the extra security. Her guard had reported multiple instances of when she had tried to run from him. She had once even tried to escape him by going into a spa and hiding in one of the saunas… until she realized he had been sitting beside her the entire time, wondering why she was constantly peeking out the door at other spa-goers. Wook gave Soo's guard a raise for having to deal with his cousin-in-law's antics.

Though her guard had not reported Soo meeting any men during her personal outings, he did report that she turned away the advances of any people who tried to approach her by saying she had a boyfriend. They had even gone to a jewelry store, and though Soo had mostly looked at earrings and necklaces, the guard had seen her drifting toward the wedding band displays.

Wook hoped Soo's new boyfriend knew just what kind of family she had supporting her. He remembered spending over an hour with Soo's old boyfriend, quietly threatening him with every legal method of vengeance under the sun if Soo decided to press charges against him for laying his hands on her. She hadn't, but Wook's words had left their mark and Jung Jae had knelt to the ground, begging Wook for forgiveness.

Bitter memories were laced with worry- worry for his brother and for Soo. Worry from Soo's tendency to date assholes and So's strange request to… marry. And with those thoughts, a flood of nerve-wracking images began to stream through his mind like a powerpoint. Wook worried about his wife's health and what having twins might do to it. He worried about his future children and what having them might mean in terms of future planning. He worried about Mu, and how Yo's interference during the abdication might affect his oldest brother.

But everything seemed to fade and Wook felt relieved when he finally made it to his front door and opened it to see his wife smiling at him. Myung Hee stood by the door with a hand against her stomach and a gentle smile on her greeted her with a kiss before touching the place where their children lived, knowing they would be safe and that he would make sure everything was alright. For his children and for the rest of his family.


Hours later, Baek Ah walked off stage after finishing a successful show and wiped his forehead, immediately shedding his coat and unbuttoning his shirt so that an aide could remove the microphone cord that was taped down his back. "Good show, everyone! Good job!" he called out, flashing two thumbs up at whoever passed his way. The crowds still chanted his name, but after two encores, he was ready to call it a night.

Baek Ah! Baek Ah!

It was near midnight and as soon as the microphone was removed from his sweaty torso, Baek Ah bolted for his changing room, eager to change into a more comfortable outfit. His tight pants were the next to leave his body and after wiping his perspiration with a towel, Baek Ah used a wet wipe to remove any makeup that remained on his face.

By one in the morning, Baek Ah was in a hoodie and basketball shorts, unlocking his bike from the table in his dressing room. He imagined his beautiful futon and a bottle of soju with whatever takeout joint operated twenty-four/seven. There would be a shower, pajamas, he would jot down ideas for a new book or poem, and then he would watch any and all pre-recorded sports he had saved on his TV before falling asleep beneath his down blanket.

Baek Ah! Baek Ah!

Placing a cigarette into his mouth, Baek Ah lit up and inhaled his first smoke of the day. In his attempt to quit, he had been cutting back on the number of cigarettes smoked per day, but Baek Ah knew he could not deny himself post-show.

After finishing his first and only smoke, he prepared to leave until his assistant grabbed his shoulder, a tablet in his hand. "You lost first place!" shouted the young man, his eyes wide.

"What?!" Immediately, Baek Ah threw his bike aside and snatched the screen from his assistant's hand. "Bullshit, what do you mean I lost first?! They predicted thirteen week- fuck."

The Joseon Ilbo bestsellers list was pulled up on the tablet and sure enough, Baek Ah's newest poetry book had been knocked from first place to second by some random woman's novel.

Baek Ah! Baek Ah!

His hand clenched the tablet with ferocity, his wide eyes unable to stray from the red and blue cover of a book by a person he had never heard of. "Who the fuck is Baek Woo Hee?!" Shaking the tablet, he grew slack-jawed as his assistant fumbled to come up with a response.

"She's apparently a newcomer- it's, um- she-"

"Is this her first book?" Baek Ah asked, his calm demeanor slipping into an angry grumble. His winning streak being ruined by a famous author was forgivable- hell, maybe one of his friends had published under a pseudonym. But to be overthrown by a newcomer was…

"Baek Woo Hee, a young woman from Busan was shot into the spotlight when her first (and only novel so far) rose to the top of Korea's bestseller lists, overthrowing the poetry compilation presented by famous author and musician: Wang Baek Ah," his assistant read off of a website and Baek Ah closed his eyes and mouth, breathing slowly.

Baek Ah! Baek Ah!

The cheers seemed like taunts and Baek Ah looked back at the charts, wondering if he stared at it hard enough, his book would return to being on top. "Fuck it, I'm going home," Baek Ah muttered, patting his assistant on the shoulder. "You go too. I'll… I'm gonna… I'm going... yeah." The once eloquent poet was at a loss for words. The tips of his fingers tingled and he blinked rapidly. "Home… yes."

"Baek Ah, do you want me to drive you?" his assistant looked worried and a dejected Baek Ah shook his head. His long hair hung down his face and the hood of his sweatshirt covered his eyes, making him look even more gloomy than he already was.

"Order a box of soju and have it sent to my apar… you know what? Order a box of chocolates from France and a bouquet of orchids. Send them to this… Baek Woo Hee," he gave a small wave of his hand as he leaned to pick his bike up, "with nothing but a blank card with my signature on it in black marker. Forge my name and have it sent by next week."

And with that, Baek Ah was taking off on his golden bike, pedaling past workers and only stopping to open a back door where no fans waited for him. A decoy wearing a wig and hanbok had already left the building and gotten into a car, leading fans away.

Pedaling home, Baek Ah all but leapt off his bike and got into the elevator, his emotions in turmoil. The adrenaline from his show collided with anger and sadness from losing first place, while his tired body needed an alcoholic drink and sustenance. He had never felt this way after a show before. Usually, Baek Ah would call whoever was up- usually the k-pop stars that lived in his building or the occasional brother- and they would go to bars and drink until someone had to go to the hospital (usually the younger k-pop stars who were still new to the industry), but tonight, he could not bring himself to call anyone and just wished they would come to him.

His hand reached for the pack of cigarettes in his back pocket before he realized his lighter was not beside it. It must have fallen out while he was biking.

Baek Ah unlocked his door by thumbing the six-pin code and sliding the latch down, listening to the familiar whir of the locks. The door opened and he sighed, feeling the familiar smell of drying paint and old ink wash over him. Home at last. "Ah, he's here!" came a loud shout.

With a start, Baek Ah dragged his bike into his small apartment and watched as Jung and Eun ran out of his living room to greet him. "What took you so long? We're starving!" his younger brother exclaimed with a grin.

"What're you doing in my house?" Baek Ah asked, unsure of if he was hallucinating from hunger or his older and younger brothers were actually in his apartment in the middle of the night. Setting his bike against the shoe closet, he slipped his feet from his sneakers and stepped inside, awkwardly shoving past Jung to look at Eun.

"We came because we heard you lost first," Eun beamed, his vibrant hair shining like a pink lemonade halo. "We're going to be your drinking buddies today! I mean, I am since this idiot can't drink," he nudged his head toward Jung who nodded eagerly.

"I'm the designated driver," their youngest brother declared with pride.

Baek Ah then smiled. He choked out a pent sigh before nodding and accepting the bear hug offered by Jung. They were the same height, but while Baek Ah was lanky, Jung was muscular. Baek Ah rested his head against Jung's shoulder as his younger brother chuckled softly. "Come on, big bro," Jung said, "pick yourself up and take a shower. We'll be here with soju and beer."

"No beer here," Baek Ah sighed into Jung's Taekwondo uniform.

"Go shower." Eun grinned as he patted his brother's shoulder. "We'll figure something out."