A/N: Some mentions of sex that the young ones should probably just skip so skip the *** as usual!
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If you asked the ancient man of the Hyun Family House what his favourite spot was, he would tell you this.
His favourite spot in the house was where all the beautiful things in the world congregated in one beautiful system of chaos and order.
Bantering and laughter.
Rain and shine.
Weeds and flowers.
Chaos and order.
The family garden. That was Halabeoji's favourite spot.
Because even a deceivingly peaceful garden had its wilder parts and its tamer parts, a direct reflection of human nature.
But despite the uglier sides, the garden was nurtured just the same by a very loving mother. She cradles the plants as her own, coaxing them to grow and bloom to their fullest potential in every season.
Once upon a time, his wife was the garden's loving mother. Now, his grandson's wife had taken on her role. It was amazing, how the garden that was once barren and empty now held so much life.
Now, it was a testimony to nature's wonderment, a place where they could each bare their souls freely.
"Halabeoji." A tinkling voice melded into their early morning.
"Ah, Ye Jin." The elder greeted her kindly.
Quietly, Ye Jin placed a cup of tea next to Halabeoji before she took a seat next to him.
Just like the good old days, an elder and a child were embracing the peaceful morning together. Such times were rare these days ever since Ye Jin had their third. It wasn't easy being a full-time working mother and Ye Jin had gone from someone who embraced the early morning, to someone who preferred to sleep in.
But she held on. They all did. And now, they somehow made life look easy.
"The garden is flourishing." Halabeoji smiled.
"Indeed." Ye Jin sighed softly.
The pair lapsed back into silence although the smiles on their faces said it all. They didn't need words to fill the silence because their hearts did that for them. And as with all their garden talks, Halabeoji had more wisdom to share.
Even if all was good in their lives, a word of wisdom wouldn't hurt anybody. They all needed that constant reminder to hold on to what was true.
"Halmeoni and I were married for 59 long years. I'd like to think we would have been married longer if the heavens didn't take her away from me so soon." Halabeoji started.
"You and Halmeoni had an inspiring love, Halabeoji." Ye Jin acknowledged that with a soft, tender smile.
"Perhaps. We've been married for so long and till this day, there is one lesson I hold on to. I've told my grandsons this before and now, let me tell you what this lesson is." Halabeoji said quietly.
"Never speak ill of your spouse."
It was simple advice, but it was also one that many couples took for granted. If one thought hard about it, they would realise that it was incredibly easy to speak ill of someone that you share your life with daily.
It might be a fleeting comment, or an upright complaint, but the damage such ill words could do to a loving couple was tremendous. Even though Ye Jin could grasp that well, she was still waiting patiently for Halabeoji to explain this piece of wisdom.
"Words are powerful as you should know by now, child. But speaking ill of your spouse is akin to those weeds. Over time, the bitterness would accumulate and warp your hearts with negativity. Like weeds, you can't control when or where they will grow until it is too late.
"Respect is very important in any relationship. Speaking ill will only cause one to lose respect for the person. When that happens, then truly, what will you have left to fight for? No one wants to fight for someone they can't even respect." Halabeoji paused.
"To respect is to love. And because of that, I do not speak ill of Halmeoni, not even to our children. You would be surprised how many marriages failed because of such blatant disregard of basic respect." Halabeoji shared wisely.
Ye Jin nodded her head, fully understanding what Halabeoji was trying to say.
"Thank you, Halabeoji. I will make sure I'll never speak ill of Hyun Bin. I'm not going to sacrifice our love over such ill words. Not even a little bit." Ye Jin said, her eyes shining with determination.
"My grandson said the same thing, child. I have every right to believe that yours is a love that will inspire too. It already has." Halabeoji patted Ye Jin's arm lightly.
No truer words could be spoken because their children, brought up in love, were shining ever so brightly too. In every way possible, they were the living testament of love.
"No!" A loud wail sounded minutes later, one that the family was all too familiar with.
Looks like Hyun Bin was trying to wake their sleeping beauty again.
"Well, that's my cue." Ye Jin winked at Halabeoji who was already chuckling softly at the baby of the family.
"The little one has got a fight within her," Halabeoji commented.
"That she does. Poor Binnie." Ye Jin mused when another scream sounded above their heads.
Laughing, Ye Jin held out her arm for the elder. "Are you coming in, Halabeoji?"
"Ani, I'll stay out here for a while longer." Halabeoji bowed his head.
Bowing politely to the old man, Ye Jin left the garden, her footsteps light as she embraced another new day with her lovely husband and children.
Ki Rai's screams soon quietened and Ye Jin found their children in the dining hall. Jeong Eun was helping the family set the table, whereas Eun Ae was hugging her rather grumpy baby sister. All three munchkins perked up to greet their mother when she walked in and Ye Jin gave them each a kiss in greeting.
"Where's appa?" Ye Jin asked.
"In the kitchen." Jeong Eun pointed.
"Thank you, sweetie." Ye Jin ruffled Jeong Eun's hair, her eyes lighting up with happiness when their son gave her his signature cheeky grin.
Sure enough, her man was in the kitchen preparing the fruits for a salad. Leaning against the wall, Ye Jin quietly observed Hyun Bin as he meticulously ran the apple under the running water, his dimples deepening when he was satisfied.
Hyun Bin calls her his angel all the time. But he was an angel to her too. The very visage of her man preparing breakfast for the family was especially ethereal to her especially with the sunlight flitting in to highlight his well-chiselled features.
God must have kissed this man when he was sculpting him because every inch of him was an imitation of the angels above.
Everything about Ye Jin was soft as she greeted her husband. Her glances, her smile. Even the way her arms were crossed as she leaned forward naturally towards him was soft.
"Good morning, Binnie."
"Good morning, angel." Hyun Bin's eyes instinctively met that of his wife's, trained on her and her beauty even from across the kitchen.
There was unspoken intensity between them, a fire that roared with life, a passion that neither of them ever wishes to suppress. Yet, there was also tenderness in their gazes. Reverence. A celebration of each other in love and in spirit.
"You were up early." Hyun Bin placed the apple on the chopping board before he moved around the counter to hug his wife.
An angel that looked especially huggable in her white linen coat.
White met white seconds later as husband and wife embraced each other in the kitchen, and a hum of appreciation escaped Ye Jin's lips as she buried herself deeper into the embrace.
"Mmm, I had a great chat with Halabeoji."
"I'm sure. I saw you two through the window. You really know how to make our old man smile."
"What can I say? It's a skill." Ye Jin jested.
Laughing, Hyun Bin traced the little crinkles in the corner of her eyes as his eyes softened. "Ani, it's a blessing. You're a blessing."
Now it was Ye Jin's turn to melt into his touches and his words.
5 years later and they were still happily married.
They still couldn't get enough of one another. They still melted because of each other. They still loved with all their hearts, their minds, and their souls.
And they're still here, together.
Just as Ye Jin was about to respond to his heart-stopping affection, the toaster recoiled as two perfectly toasted bread popped out. Startled out of their moment, Ye Jin good-naturedly giggled and took out the bread.
"Let me help, love."
Wordlessly, Hyun Bin planted a kiss on her temple and settled with chopping the fruits. Next to him, Ye Jin tossed the salad while waiting for the bread to heat up. Conversation flowed naturally between the couple, neither of them holding anything back.
There simply wasn't a need.
"Shin Hye's fetching you from the office?" Hyun Bin asked, referring to the girls' night Ye Jin was having with her friends tonight.
"Ne. She was very insistent on it. You should have seen our group chat." Ye Jin shuddered from the war flashbacks.
Chuckling deeply, Hyun Bin knew exactly where his wife was coming from. His childhood friend was quite a character. "I have an idea. She was very...convincing when she texted me."
"That's the Shin Hye we know and love." Ye Jin giggled.
"If you say so, love." Hyun Bin relented, not completely convinced by that statement.
Chop. Chop. Pop!
The lovers moved together in the kitchen as Ye Jin plated the toast while Hyun Bin arranged the fruits into a platter. Such menial tasks were now mindless to the couple who were more focused on their conversation and light bantering.
"Will you be alright with the children? Bedtime is at 9." Ye Jin checked.
"I know, Jinnie. It's not my first time watching them." Hyun Bin reminded her teasingly.
"Ani, I'm just being a mother." Ye Jin bit her lips worriedly.
"We'll be fine." Hyun Bin assured her, giving her hand a light squeeze. "Go have fun. You need that time to unwind."
"Arasseo but call me the minute something goes awry."
"It's one night, Jinnie. What's the worst that can happen? Eun Ae getting a comb stuck in her hair?" Hyun Bin shared the most ridiculous scenario he could think of.
But he ought to know by now that there are no ridiculous scenarios with children. There are only real situations.
Just then, Eun Ae ran into the kitchen with a pout on her face, whereas Ki Rai ran in seconds after with a cheeky grin on her face.
"Eomma...Ki Rai tried to comb my hair. Now, it's stuck." Eun Ae complained, pointing at the pink plastic comb in her hair.
Throwing her husband a knowing look, Ye Jin would have laughed if not for the fact that Eun Ae looked absolutely frustrated with the situation.
"Omo, don't move sweetie." Ye Jin squatted to inspect the damage.
After some bit of struggling, Ye Jin managed to untangle Eun Ae's hair from the comb, much to their princess' relief.
"Want me to braid your hair, sweetheart?" Ye Jin offered.
"Ne!" Eun Ae exclaimed.
While Ye Jin was braiding Eun Ae's hair, Ki Rai had gotten her hands on the comb again. In her appa's arms, their littlest princess was now combing his hair. Thankfully, with short hair, the chances of a comb getting tangled was extremely low and the man simply let his daughter play with his hair.
Just like that, the day passed by. Between work and school, the family found themselves back home that night – apart from Ye Jin who was at Shin Hye's place.
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That night
"SPILL! You can't just tell us something like this and not tell us the details!" Shin Hye squealed as she grabbed onto Ye Jin's shoulders.
"It's so raunchy. Why would you want to hear any of that?" Ye Jin's eyes were wide as she blushed.
For context, the girls had asked her what their most experimental time was and Ye Jin had shared just that.
But none of them expected her answer, which was why despite the glasses of wine that they had already consumed, both Hyo Jin and Shin Hye were wide awake again.
"Omo I can't believe you two...Who would have thought?" Hyo Jin giggled as she pretended to faint into Shin Hye's arms.
"It didn't start out that way..." Ye Jin blushed.
"I need more. Tell us more." Shin Hye batted her eyelashes innocently at her friend.
"I was only using them to strengthen my pelvic muscles, but Bin decided to have some fun with them. That's all." Ye Jin tried to shrug it off.
"That still doesn't explain how you two ended up having sex in the dressing room. Omo, weren't we at that party too? Dang it, I should have known." Shin Hye cursed.
"I got too...aroused...Hyun Bin was only helping me relieve it." Ye Jin coughed awkwardly.
***Skip this***
Every inch of her felt heated as she thought back to that incident and how they almost ruined the million-dollar dress she had on. She was probably so wet from those damn Kegel balls that her dress was soaked by the time he dealt with them.
But of course, her man had the audacity to bring her to the pinnacle of orgasmic state, only to draw back and focus his attention on another part of her. It was truly a very frustrating yet soul-shattering night of sex.
***Much safer***
Summary: Nothing much...Just what happened that night
"Dang it, I'm actually envious. Bin really knows how to tease you." Shin Hye sighed dramatically, silently applauding for her childhood friend.
Their night was alive with raunchy sex stories and passion ignited that Ye Jin was getting increasingly flustered with time. She loves her best friends but sometimes, she prefers them in small amounts. If only Yeona was here to share her pain...
Meanwhile, the atmosphere at home couldn't get any purer as compared to the girls' night Ye Jin was having.
Correction, the atmosphere in Arendelle couldn't be purer.
"Let it goo! Let it go. You nevwer sweee me cry. Here I stan, in the ligh of day. Let the stor...on." Ki Rai was singing Let it go in her own Elsa costume, enthusiastically hitting the high notes like the mini princess she was.
Although their little one couldn't pronounce some of the words clearly and Hyun Bin couldn't quite identify a tune to it, the rather muddled gibberish of his daughter's singing had the man applauding for her, whooping and congratulating Ki Rai for her show-stopping rendition of the song.
Father and daughter were already starting their usual role-play of the Frozen characters while Eun Ae and Jeong Eun were changing into their costumes. Since Ki Rai had been more than willing to wear her Elsa costume, Hyun Bin didn't face any resistance changing her.
To their surprise, Eun Ae and Jeong Eun came down minutes later, dressed differently from what they had expected. Instead of her Anna costume, Eun Ae was wearing a pink maiden dress with a white, laced apron wrapped around her waist.
Meanwhile, Jeong Eun was wearing a green sweatshirt matched with brown pants, dark brown socks stretched to his knees, and loafers.
"New costumes, Anna and Olaf?" Hyun Bin put on his Kristoff voice, staying very much in character.
"It's Rapunzel and Flynn Rider to you!" Eun Ae revealed her toy frying pan, pointing it directly at her father.
Momentarily, Hyun Bin was startled out of his roleplay, and he straightened up. "Are we not playing Frozen today?"
"Ani, I'm bored of Frozen...I like Rapunzel better now! She's my new favourite princess." Eun Ae explained before she pointed the frying pan at her father again.
"Now tell me. How do I get to the lanterns?"
"Princess, what do you mean you have a new favourite? Weren't we just singing our song yesterday?" Hyun Bin pouted.
"Keep up, appa. It's Rapunzel time!" Eun Ae squealed.
Unfortunately for her, Hyun Bin wasn't the only one upset with the change. Ki Rai who had been observing everything silently suddenly let out a loud scream when she realised she couldn't be Elsa anymore.
Disaster was just about to unfold, and poor Hyun Bin was still trying to understand why Eun Ae changed princesses. Wasn't a favourite princess a lifetime commitment? If Eun Ae was Rapunzel now, does that mean he's no longer her Kristoff?
Perhaps he was taking this too seriously, but Hyun Bin was highly disconcerted by the turn of events.
"No!" Ki Rai stormed off to the huge teddy bear in their common room, snuggling up to it as she let out open-mouth sobs.
The poor thing didn't like what she was hearing and was angry with her siblings for leaving her out again.
"Princess, what's wrong?" Hyun Bin was by her side in an instant, rubbing her back as she buried her face in the teddy's belly.
"No play Elsa." Ki Rai wailed, airing out her frustrations the only way she knew how to.
"But Ki Rai, you like Rapunzel too." Eun Ae tried to be helpful.
That only made matters worse for Ki Rai let out another angry scream as her sobs grew more intense.
This time, Jeong Eun tried to salvage the situation as he took his sister's hand. "Ki Rai, it's okay. We can play Frozen if you want."
"Ani. I want to play Rapunzel today!" Eun Ae rebutted stubbornly.
Faced with Eun Ae's stubbornness and Ki Rai's relentless sobbing, their poor father was admittedly at a loss of how to deal with the situation.
It was chaos.
Ye Jin would know what to do. She was a natural at this. But the problem lies in the fact that she isn't here now.
Despite that, Hyun Bin tried. As much as possible, he didn't wish to bother his wife since she finally decided to rest for the night.
"How about Ki Rai plays Elsa and the two of you can be Rapunzel and Flynn Rider? We can create a new story!" Hyun Bin suggested enthusiastically."
"No!"
"No way!"
His princesses shouted at the same time, much to Hyun Bin and Jeong Eun's collective distress. A few minutes later, the father of three stepped away to make a quick call while Jeong Eun watched over his sisters worriedly.
Over at Shin Hye's place, Ye Jin's phone rang, the ringtone sounding more urgent to her ears because a part of her wanted out.
Her best friends were currently waving their hands in the air as they celebrated her highly active sex life.
If that didn't make her blush, the fact that they were introducing new sex positions to her had Ye Jin dying bit by bit on the inside.
While chaos was unfolding back home, Ye Jin was living in literal chaotic hell now.
"It's me." Ye Jin heard her husband's breathless greeting through the phone. Ye Jin could also hear Ki Rai's faint cries, explosive despite how tiny she was.
"Is everything okay, honey?" Ye Jin frowned while swatting Shin Hye's hands away from her phone.
Standing up, Ye Jin found a peaceful corner in Shin Hye's apartment, away from her rather drunk friends.
"You know how employees have to give us a 30 days' notice before they quit? It should be illegal for kids to change their favourite Disney character without a 30 days' notice, honey." Her man grumbled through the phone.
"What happened?" Ye Jin pressed although she had a feeling she knew what was the reason behind Ki Rai's wails.
At her prompting, Hyun Bin launched into a full explanation of what happened, airing out his frustration in the process. By the end of it, Ye Jin was trying her best not to laugh through the phone.
"Are you sure you're not just angry because you can't be Kristoff to your little Anna anymore?" Ye Jin teased her husband.
"Ani, some warning would have been good. I could have prepared Ki Rai's heart." Ye Jin could already hear the pout in Hyun Bin's voice when he said that.
"Arasseo, you're right. The children are being unfair to you." Ye Jin said in a baby voice, stroking Hyun Bin's inner child who was seeking justice for the unfairness of the situation.
"So what do I do now?" Hyun Bin asked.
"For now, tell them they'll each get half an hour. Eun Ae can be Rapunzel for the first half and Ki Rai can play Elsa for the second. I'm sure Jeong Eun would back you up on that one." Ye Jin explained calmly.
"That's...Why didn't I think of that?" Hyun Bin said in amazement.
"You're welcome." Ye Jin teased. "I'll come home now."
"What? You don't have to, angel. I can deal with this." Hyun Bin protested.
"Ani, Ki Rai will throw another tantrum if she doesn't see me by bedtime. Her emotions are all over the place now. I have to be home."
"You're right. Mianhae, love. I'll see you soon."
"Don't be sorry, Binnie. Just between us two, you're my saviour." Ye Jin spoke in a hushed voice.
"That bad?" Hyun Bin chuckled.
"Oh, you have no idea."
Crash!
"I wanna swinggggg from the chandelierrrr from the chandelierrrr!" Shin Hye's off-key singing was followed by Hyo Jin's shouts for her to get down from the couch.
Oh dear...
"Sounds like you need to deal with that first, Jinnie. Love you." Hyun Bin spoke after a minute.
"Mmm, love you too, Binnie." Ye Jin rushed out before she hung up.
Back in the living room, Ye Jin was in mummy mode as she forced Shin Hye down from the couch with a promise of ice cream as a reward. Once both her friends had sobered up slightly, Ye Jin left, relieved that Shin Hye was sober enough not to try jumping onto the chandelier again.
"Make baby number four soon!"
That was the last she heard from her best friends before the door slammed shut. Praying for her friends' safety, Ye Jin got into a cab. Her phone remained silent on her lap, a good indication to the full-time mother. It was either things went very well or very wrong but Ye Jin had every right to believe that it was the former.
Back home, Ye Jin relaxed when her husband and children came to greet her at the door. It would seem everyone was playing well together again and even Hyun Bin had moved past his initial grievances.
"It's time for bed time, sweethearts." Ye Jin checked the time.
"Awww, just a little while longer?" The children whined.
"Listen to your mother. Whoever brushes their teeth and gets under the blankets first will get to choose the next game!" Hyun Bin winked.
Just like that, the children ran off while Ye Jin helped their littlest one to the bathroom. Minutes later, the house was silent again as Ye Jin and Hyun Bin carried Ki Rai to her bedroom after Hyun Bin had told all their children a bedtime story.
Tucking their littlest princess in, the couple sighed softly, silently squeezing one another in their half hug.
Back in their bedroom, the couple snuggled up to each other under the blankets, letting their muscles relax bit by bit now that another day was over.
"Angel?" Hyun Bin whispered.
"Hmm?" Ye Jin hummed.
"Should we have a fourth kid?"
If Ye Jin was surprised, she didn't show it as she peeked up at her big baby. "Wherever did that come from?"
"I was just thinking...Eun Ae and Jeong Eun have each other and they take good care of Ki Rai too. But...it would be good if Ki Rai had someone too, you know? Closer to her age that is." Hyun Bin felt a tad bit bad when Ki Rai had mentioned feeling left out after the whole princess incident.
Sighing softly, Ye Jin recognised the truth in that statement. But...
"Honey, even if I say yes now, you know now's not the time. Not with-" Ye Jin shook her head, trying to stay brave as she breathed harshly.
"You're leaving in a week, Binnie. I-I can't go through another pregnancy without you by my side." Ye Jin confided in her husband openly, her voice shaky from the sudden onslaught of sadness she was feeling.
She was vulnerable.
Simple as that.
Vulnerable over a past that can't be changed. Vulnerable over Hyun Bin's impending departure. Vulnerable because she didn't know if she could be strong for them.
Perhaps it was the alcohol running through her veins, but Ye Jin felt as though she could no longer ignore the ache in her heart when she thought about Hyun Bin's departure. They have both been trying to deny it and life has been normal. But in a week, their lives would change.
It would be a new normal.
A part of her still didn't feel ready for that change.
"Hey, hey, Jinnie. It's okay. I'm not saying we have to do it now. I understand and I'm not planning to miss out on another milestone because of an oversight. Mianhae if I made you sad. Please don't cry." Hyun Bin kissed her tears away, rubbing small circles on her arm to soothe her weary soul.
Sniffling slightly, Ye Jin finally smiled through her tears. "Gosh, I don't know why I'm being such a baby today. Gomawo for understanding. I would love to have another mini you running around the house. I promise, Binnie. When you're back for good, we'll talk about this again."
"That's all I'll ask of you. I love you, Jinnie." Hyun Bin whispered.
"I love you too, Binnie." Ye Jin cupped her husband's face tenderly.
After chaos, there is order.
A minute later, Ye Jin was gazing at her husband mischievously. "You know..."
"It doesn't mean we can't practice." Ye Jin said suggestively, trailing her fingers up and down his torso.
"Then let's practice, my love." Hyun Bin growled darkly, pinning her against the sheets.
And...the rest was history.
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A/N
Cheer Up! ❤️