Gu Junpyo and Geum Jandi: Gu Seong Min (age7), Gu Seong Hee ( age5)

Yoon Jihoo and Oh Hani: Yoon Eun Hee ( age7), Yoon Jun soo ( age 1)

So Yi Jeong and Chu Ga Eul: So Dae Jeong ( age7), So Ha Neul ( age 3)

Song Woo Bin and Ha Jaegyeong: Song Hae Ryung ( age 6 )

Chapter two: school and home

Part I : school

After our common sessions like history and Korean, we are to participate in our special ones. It is kind of like the extra curricular activities or maybe for Dae Jeong a session about pottery. I enjoy practicing martial arts while Seong Min goes swimming and Eun Hee...

" umm... Eun Hee, I am going to the shooting range.. would you like to come?"

" Thanks for inviting me..." she is obviously not thankful but as for her politeness, in her sweet tone, " but .. I have a piano class today..Eunsan shshi told me that she would teach me a new song... besides, don't you think it would be better for us to stay away from violence?"

" Boh?"what the what?

See? I told you ... she is the opposite of me and I am quite sure that 'song' is probably something stupid like a nursery rhyme..

...( sigh)

By the way, my omma doesn't like me learning to shoot yet, so the only thing I am allowed to do is watching the middle schoolers shoot. After all, Ihavegot nothing to do since my Karate classes were cancelled because I twisted my ankle yesterday... it's fine but... sensei told me to have rest for a week. My sensei actually adores me a lot because I am one of his best students. He told that I am even better than the boys.

The shooting seems a lot fun but when having a twisted ankle and no permission to actually do it myself, it becomes a bit boring... So I thought to have a glimpse of how others were spending their time...first, I thought of going to the aesthetic section.

taaa tah ta ta.. tah tah tah... ye... and the 'song'wasMary had a little lamb... blah! Don't know how they even listen to that same tune going over and over again. It even gets stuck in your head. That's the worst kind of music after all ; that kind which does not have an end.. and when you eat, bath, watch tv, play video games and even when you go to sleep, that tune will run in your head... Mae.. airy..had a lit tle lamb ... a lit tle lamb a lit tle _(sigh).. get it out of your head Hae Ryung!

Seems like... I'd better go check on the boys...

Even miles away from the sports complex one could hear the sound of splashing water... if the elephants in the zoo were unchained they'd probably come to our sports complex misdirected by their ears as if it was the ocean.

" Annyeong..!" The fish stopped swimming, and peeped through water as if pretending to be a blue whale breathing.

" oh Hae Ryung.. came for a swim?.. thought you couldn't swim because your ankle was twisted.."

" anniyo... I came to inspect you.. if you are doing it right... by the way, you are not supposed to bend your knees when you are kicking..."

" oh! It's that I am practicing a new style.."

Therewe go again...

" A new style?"

" Ye... I named it as the jellyfish style"...

pff.. wagging his arms and legs in every direction... if he wasn't talking, people would have probably thought he's drowning... after all.. that 's Gu Seong Min... he's always perfect ! Nothing he does is actually wrong.. It's rather a new way, or in the worst case, what everyone else do is simply wrong...

" Do you want me to show it ?"

"mwo?"

"The jellyfish style "

"Aa... no thank you.. after all I am on my way to check on Dae Jeong..."

Thank goodness... I got out from there...speaking of Dae Jeong, he should be in the far end of the aesthetic building which is nearer to the sports complex than to its other end. It was where the pottery section was. Normally it was when you enter middle school you get permission to enter there, but of course it's So Dae Jeong, the son of So Yi Jeong... ... even without his early displayed talents the legacy itself would have been enough to allow him...

How am I going to enter? Oh! Just cut off the word junior and you'll still have the name F4...

Just like I had assumed.. Dae Jeong was at the wheel highly concentrated on the moulding, making a vase which was taller than himself seated on the bench. His instructor was a lady named Mrs. Kim who is at her mid forties. Well, rather than instructing, the thing she does is staring fascinatedly at his hands flawlessly move on the clay. Ye...( sigh)... she's totally into him...

when he's seated, his feet barely touch the ground and even the apron is too large for him.. the only thing I see is, it's as if he's trying to pretend to be his appa. But of course, it works in some sort of a way...

" Don't you think it would be better if you'd stand up on the stool?"

he flinched,misshaping the smooth perimeter.

what a scary cat!

He then looked up and glared at me..As if it was all my fault..

" Just a suggestion..." I smiled. And he sighed.

" What brought you here?" he asked while giving his concentration back to the destroyed perimeter.

Oh! Let me guess.. probably my feet?

" Anniyo... I just have got nothing to do... so came to check on you..."

" You are not allowed to come here?"

" So aren't you?"

"Have you come to make pottery?"

"Anniyo .. I don't like to play with mud."

"Its not mud but clay. "

" Both the same. "

" Anniyo."

" Then what's the difference?"

He sighed... an argument is the best way to drive away your boredom, but So Dae Jeong is not the type who enjoys bickering. But who cares? I enjoy it...

"Jeez... look who's having fun hanging out together..."

"Appa! " we both uttered in unison seeing uri appas standing by the door, grinning widely...

ah! At last... I could go home......

ANNIYO!Nottheloungeappa...notthelounge... (Sigh.. sigh.. sigh...and a loud...SIGH!)

This... was another moment all four of us share the same expression...

Horror...

Normally it should be parents who wait till their children play, tolerating the annoyance of their child's best friends' parents. But for us... It's more likely the other way. We were forced to wait till our appas hang out together( which would take hours and hours... some days..)toleratingthe annoyance oftheirbest friends' children.

They would spend hours and hours playing a game of pool just to pretend themselves to be occupied as they talk all those unnecessary gossips and share those insanely boring jokes ( for which if you would pretend to laugh will hurt your cheeks till the next morning).

Seong Min, cuddling himself in to his fur coat, would likely take a nap rolling up himself on the sofa, as if he was a Persian cat sleeping inside a fish bowl. While Dae Jeong and Eun Hee would play a game of cards, I would occupy my self with one of the games in my phone.

I would play it till my phone's battery is dead, my power bank's all down and lastly my appa's phone's battery is dead... I am not a person with patience so I certainly do not wait till the battery levels to rise till five percent. And, I do not find that recliner near the plug point as much as comfortable as the sofa.

So ... it isobviouslytime to go home...

" Appa! Can we go home now?"

" Now?" he leaned to take his turn completely ignoring me.

"Her phone's battery is probably dead then" Yi Jeong Jageunabeojji let out a smirk.As if it is not obvious... not only mine... appa's dead too...

"Appa..." I hung my self on appa's hand and swung it. Appa and uncles smiled though I kept persuading. You are not supposed to give up just because they would laugh at you to make you embarrassed or maybe tell all those sweet things to make you feel cute and pathetic at the same time.

Appa stared at me smiling for a moment before lifting me up.

"Arasso... then..." he let out a sigh and then kissed my head.

Mission succeeded...

"Appa... can we go home too" It was Dae Jeong, looking up from his set of cards while Eun Hee dropped her own and ran to uncle Jihu tugging his coat... and even Seong Min woke up blinking his eyes wondering as if it was home or school...

Of course one should begin the rebel for the others to fire up...

Part II : home

( not in Song Hae Ryung 's perspective)

Venue: Gu household

Time: 20:32

Gu Seong Min ran out of the car as soon as he saw the familiar faced lady standing on the doorway.

"Noona imo..." he jumped to hug her while she embraced him and swirled him around.

" Ah! You don't run like that when seeing me ?" Junpyo complained still with a grin.

" Ae.. dongseongnah, at least admit it now! He loves me more..." she giggled and Seong Min joined her,

"Noona imo... when did you returned back to Korea?"

" Ah... let's say...about this evening?" she giggled again looking at Jandi who had joined Junpyo with smiles.

A maid came and bowed before announcing that the dinner was ready and all the four of them went to have dinner.

Madam Kang sat at the head of the table as Junpyo's father was sent to America for further treatments. At her left sat Junpyo and after him Jandi, followed by their five year old daughter Gu Seong Hee. At her right sat Jun Hee and besides him sat Gu Seong Min facing his omma. The dinner table was calm and quite if not for Seong Min who giggled and talked nonstop reporting everything that had happened at school to Jun Hee .

The calmness was interrupted as always by Madam Kang.

" So when are you going to return?" Madam Kang asked with a sigh, yet in a firm voice .

The whole household went silent.

" omma..." Jun hee's voice was calm and low but as well firm as her mother's. " How many times do I have to tell you? ...that... I...am not going back..."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Madam Kang slapped her hand on the table, " what about your husband and_"

"_ omma... I don't have a husband.."

" Boh?" Junpyo and Jandi gasped in unison while the old lady rubbed her temples.

"I..divorced him..." Jun hee answered looking firmly at them.

" omma did you know this ?" Junpyo looked at her confused.

" If you are not barren then none of this_"

" omma,he has got a child.." once again the whole room went silent and Junpyo stared back at his Noona..

" B-Boh?" he stammered. Junhee looked at the children and Jandi asked butler Lee to take them to their rooms while Junpyo was still clutching to his knife, his hand trembling, in anger.

Jun Hee's eyes were filled with tears when he looked up at her,

" Does that mean ...he had... cheated you?" she couldn't hold any more. She broke in to tears while Junpyo stared at her, still unbelievably.

"Unnie..." Jandi reached for her hand and gave a squeeze, trying to stop her crying, " unnie doesn't have to go back.. of course unnie could stay with us..."

" Boh?" Madam Kang scoffed, "stay with us?... you may not understand it as for being a commoner but there are people around us... there's the society we should face! what about the reporters_"

"_ and what about them... WHAT ABOUT THEM?" Junpyo raised his voice. He glared at his mother and stated firmly, " noona is not going anywhere else...ARASSO?" he yelled again, stood up and left. Jandi followed him and after sparing another single stare with disgust, Madam Kang left the table as well leaving only Jun Hee sobbing loud, her face buried in her arms. She was wailing loudly when she felt a little boy hugging her tightly.

She lifted her self up to see a Seong Min embracing her,

" Noona imo... are you really not going to leave this time?" he asked looking at her reddened face and despite her tears she smiled back at him and shook her head, " ani..." she stroked his curls.

"Arasso! Then Noona oni could stay with me forever..." he hugged her again.

" ye.." she smirked through the tears.

Venue : Yoon household

Time : 20:47

Jihoo was seated at the head of the table while his wife was feeding the one year old with his cereal . Eun Hee giggled everytime when her little dongseong refused to open his mouth or to swallow anything that was put in it. She mimicked her mother's tone and made funny faces at him. The toddler giggled as well seeing his Noona, and all in all Jihoo was silently enjoying the dinner.

" Omma... can I have more noodles?" she reached while asking.

" Ani... first finish your salad.." Hani replied, " the vegetables will help improve your brain so you could be a doctor like your appa..." Ha Ni exchanged a smile with Jihoo.

" The fish sauce is a lot healthy too... I've read that it contains a lot of minerals as well... besides.. I don't want to be a doctor, I want to be a lawyer." she smiled benevolently. Jihoo and Ha Ni froze for a moment, but Jihoo broke the silence with a smile and offered her more noodles.

Time: 21:04

The children were fast asleep while Jihoo was busy in his study. Oh Hani slowly crept in and took a seat before letting out a sigh.

" I know what you are thinking.. " she began. " you must be thinking that I am selfish..." she sighed again. Jihoo stood up and came near, sat himself besides her.

" it is just that I... don't like to admit the fact that she's not ours...to tell you the truth..." a tear was streaming down her cheek, " I... was terrified... that uri..EunHee.. will forget us ... once she would find out... that ... we are not her real parents.." another tear rolled down and Jihoo let out a smirk wiping it out.

"Don't do that..." he shifted his sight to something across the room.

" boh?"

" You make me fall in love with you again ..." he said in a stern tone, and Hani let out a chuckle.

Jihoo continued,

" after her passing away...taking in her child..." he swallowed, " for me it was just returning the favour... it was you ... who really became her omma..."

Oh Hani's eyes followed Jihoo's sight, which was fixed on a photo, kept on the display; a photo of a girl and a boy holding a horse and smiling happily.

A small smile drew in each one of their faces while they stared at those grinning children in the photograph.

Venue: Song household

Time: 22:30

"Anyeong!" Hae Ryung and Woo Bin grinned at the Jaegyeong on the screen who was waving her hands . They were having a video call with her.

" So... did appa and princess have dinner?" Jaegyeong asked.

" ye" Hae Ryung nodded.

" It seems from your happy faces... was it pizza?" Jaegyeong narrowed her eyes and Hae Ryung and Woo Bin stiffened their smile.

"Thought it was_ ah you two..."

"It was appa's idea.." Hae Ryung split out.

" Boh?" Woo Bin shot a glare at his daughter and started tickling her as a punishment for lying. She giggled and giggled until Jaegyeong from the other side awoke her voice.

" hey! You two! I am serious!" she said with an ordering tone and Woo Bin and Hae Ryung sat straight on the bed obeying her.

" that's not all... we are going to buy a puppy tomorrow.." Woo Bin uttered resulting Hae Ryung to shoot a glare at her appa while Jaegyeong stared back at them covering her mouth with a gasp." I really can't leave you two alone ... and the whole house would turn upside down...tsk task tsk " she shook her head in disappointment.

" Omma doesn't have to worry... it seems uri baby... doesn't have the allergy anymore..."

"Boh?"

" Omma, see.." Hae Ryung got her hand near the web cam. " there's not a single spot! " she exclaimed. Jaegyeong stared for a moment before smiling. " it's time for you to go to bed..."

" Omma.. Iamon the bed!" and Woo Bin couldn't help but smirk for that before he patted on her head and tug her into the covers..

" Omma..." Hae Ryung yawned " Good night..."

" Good night..." Jaegyeong replied and after Hae Ryung fell asleep Woo Bin hung up the video call and went out of Hae Ryung 's room to take another from his phone.

" So... how was your day?" Jaegyeong started.

" We had a gathering..."

" Mmhmm..."

" She ... reminds me of you... when dragging me out... " both of them chuckled.

" How's her ankle?"

" Getting better ... I guess " Woo Bin let out a sigh.

" She misses practicing Karate... doesn't she?"

" Hmm" Woo Bin nodded and Jaegyeong smiled.

" Wae?.. " he asked.

" Ani.." she let out a sigh, " I am both happy and ...sad."

Woo Bin went serious, " Jaegyeong... it's just that she likes it... it doesn't mean _"

"_ ye I know " Jaegyeong nodded.

" I... at any cost.. won't let her take the paths ... I had to take..."

Venue : So household

Time: 21:30

It was Yi Jeong's turn to put Dae Jeong to bed, while Ga Eul did Ha Neul. Yi Jeong was stroking his son's hair so he would fall asleep. He examined how every feature of Dae Jeong resembled him, and felt like looking in to a mirror seeing a younger self of him. That thought made him smile. He kissed on Dae Jeong's forehead and stood up to leave. Just then he felt his small finger caught in a grip.

" Appa... say omma to stay away from the kiln..." he was talking in his sleep... again.

" Arasso.. I will... " Yi Jeong sighed and stared at his son for another few moments before again kissed him good night and slowly closed the door. Yi Jeong peeped in to Ha Neul's room and saw he was fast asleep, which meant Ga Eul might be in their room.

While stepping towards their room he recalled the events of the day before... After they had finished their latest piece, and when they went to bake it in the kiln... all was right for a while. Dae Jeong helped him to light up the kiln, and as for their habit they took a seat; Dae Jeong on his lap, gazing at the kiln god...

He wasn't away for more than five minutes, but when he returned he found Dae Jeong staring at the blazing fire, seated on the ground only inches away from the kiln... and he was reaching for the fire...

Yi Jeong did not remember how fast he ran and how terrified he was, when he grabbed his little hand before it touched the heat.. he remembered examining it to see whether it was burnt..

" Gwaen- chanaeyo?" He could recall how he asked while catching his breath and how Dae Jeong flinched at his voice and shook his head. He remembered how he blinked his eyes waking up from whatever dream like thing he was...

"Appa..." he looked back at Yi Jeong in pure confusion. And Yi Jeong remembered how he hugged him tight as if just to convince himself that his son was alright...

Since that night.. he was telling the same thing... and it was thankfully when Yi Jeong peeped in his room last night he heard... " appa... say ..omma to stay away from the kiln..."

Yi Jeong let out another sigh when entering their bedroom Ga Eul just came out of the washroom to see her husband very much disturbed.

" Sunbae...are you alright?" she came near him and one of her hands reached for his face while the other rested on her slightly swollen belly.

" Anniyo.." Yi Jeong plastered a grin," I am alright.." and he went an arm around her waist to pull her closer. Ga Eul chuckled as she slightly bumped onto his chest. " it's just.. that ... I am a bit tired.. how about we having a shower?" he was already burying his face in her soft hair when Ga Eul let out another chuckle.

The water splashed on their bare skins while Yi Jeong planted kisses trailing along the familiar paths and curves of Ga Eul. He felt his fears draining away as his hands traced along her . One, along her curves, starting from her face around her breasts and along her arm down to her waist, while the other caressed the slight swell of their third baby...

They did not care to wear any bathrobe coming out from the shower and not even to dry themselves when falling to the bed. It was the late night and their children were fast asleep. The whole manor was silent except for their room. Yi Jeong smiled when hearing Ga Eul 'a soft moans and it was a habit for them to fill these hours of night with passion and love. They were indeed drowning in love. After the night was pleased as possible Yi Jeong a parted himself from Ga Eul and laid beside her . They exchanged another few kisses while looking straight in to each other's eyes.

" Sunbae... there really is something bothering you...what is it?" she asked again. Yi Jeong took her hand and planted a kiss on her palm," Anniyo... everything is going to be alright..." and they exchanged a smile.

Ga Eul turned to the other side leaning her back on his chest while he kept caressing her belly.

" Sunbae... it had started moving..." and she adjusted his hand so he could feel the movement. Yi Jeong smiled and kissed her hair again. She fell asleep in no time but Yi Jeong kept awake feeling the unborn baby's movement while recalling Dae Jeong 's words...

"Appa... Say omma to stay away from the kiln..." that was a warning, and Yi Jeong dreaded even the idea of any harm for his precious family. So that night, though Ga Eul fell asleep soundly, Yi Jeong stayed awake uncertain of the fears the future may hold...