Six Years Later...

Loud squeals and the pattering of tiny feet filled the room as a little girl bolted away from an exhausted and incredibly annoyed Mirei. With her wild black hair and round eyes, the little girl continued to sprint down the stairs, as fast as her short legs could carry her.

"Yah!" Mirei shouted, "Come back here!"

"No! No! No!" The little girl screamed, her long black hair, streaming behind her as she galloped down the stairs and made her way to the living room, where Kyungsoo was busy blowing up some balloons.

"Yah! Do Reimi!" Mirei shouted after the little girl, as she jumped down the stairs, two at a time. "Come back here! We still need to do your hair!"

Little Reimi ran as fast as she could, squealing all the way, and seeing Kyungsoo, quickly hid behind his legs as Mirei came rushing after her.

Kyungsoo looked up from what he was doing and glanced at his wife and then down at his daughter, who was using him as a barrier. "What's going on?" he asked quizzically.

"Appa won't leave me alone, umma" Reimi squeaked, as she clung onto Kyungsoo's trousers.

Mirei sighed. "Reimi, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not your 'appa'. I'm your 'umma'."

Reimi shook her head energetically. "Nah-uh!" she replied cheekily.

Kyungsoo, seeing Mirei stressed, bent down and picked Reimi up in his arms. "Why are you calling me 'umma', Reimi-ah?"

Reimi smiled at Kyungsoo to reveal a full set of white teeth. "Because umma always sings me lullabies and cooks really yummy food. And appa" she said, pointing at Mirei, "Always goes to fight and smells like sweaty men." She pulled a face to express her disgust.

Mirei frowned. "Reimi, not all ummas cook and sing lullabies" she explained. "I'm a cool umma that coaches the South Korean judo team-- now, how many ummas do you know can say that?"

"None" Reimi replied. "Which is why you're an 'appa'!" she giggled.

Mirei rolled her eyes in defeat.

"Uncle Chanyeollie said that all ummas can cook well and those that can't, are macho women like Auntie Yoora and appa!"

"Uncle Chanyeol said that, did he?" Mirei grumbled.

Kyungsoo tried to calm Mirei down, "Now, now, Mirei, Chanyeol-ah was just joking." He turned to his daughter whose long hair was still unbrushed. "Reimi-ah, why don't you let umma do your hair for you? Appa still needs to finish decorating the living room before your uncles come to visit."

"Nooo, umma!" she whined. "I don't want appa to do it. She always pinches my cheeks!"

Kyungsoo arched his brow at Mirei who was trying to mask her guilt by looking away. When Mirei finally met eyes with him, she sighed. "Fine. I won't do it anymore."

Kyungsoo set Reimi down on the floor and Mirei quickly grabbed hold of her face and pinched her soft cheeks together so that she was making an octopus face. She cooed, "Oh my baby girl, you're sooo cute!"

"Appa!" Reimi protested.

"Mirei" Kyungsoo said her name in an unimpressed tone.

"What?" she replied innocently. "I can't help it. It's your fault, Kyungsoo. You promised me you'd let me pinch your kid's cheeks!"

Kyungsoo gave her a small smile. "Yeah, but she's your daughter too."

"Which is why she's so adorable!" Mirei smothered Reimi with kisses and she shrieked with delight. "C'mon Reimi, let's get you ready for your party."

Kyungsoo watched as his wife and daughter walked over to the sofas where Mirei started combing Reimi's long hair. He smiled at the pair fondly before getting back to pumping helium into the balloons.

Kyungsoo couldn't believe that five years had already passed since his daughter was born. He remembered the day so vividly. The look of relief in Mirei's worn face when she held their daughter in her arms for the first time; the way Reimi's small pink hands curled around his; and the sound of Reimi's first laugh. Kyungsoo could almost feel a tear drop down his eye at the memory. Ever since he had married Mirei, every day of his life had been filled with joy and laughter. He couldn't be happier, and seeing the two people he loved most, side by side, only made him more thankful that he was alive to experience moments like these.

The sound of the doorbell caused both Mirei and Kyungsoo to look up. Mirei asked, "Do you think they're here?"

"I'll see who it is" he answered. Kyungsoo went to the door and he grinned when he saw who it was.

"D.O-ah!" Chanyeol greeted with open arms as he grabbed him for a quick hug. "It's been so long!"

Once Chanyeol had pulled away, Kyungsoo spoke, "How have you been, Chanyeol? Congrats on recently getting discharged from the military."

"I was discharged a week ago" he replied, still smiling. "But then again, you were off filming that time, right?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry I couldn't come to your discharge party."

The pair walked into the living room and upon seeing Chanyeol, Reimi, with her hair finally brushed, ran up to him excitedly. "Uncle Chanyeollie!" she squeaked, as Chanyeol scooped her up in his arms and lifted her up into the air like a rocket ship. This only made Reimi laugh and squeal more.

"Did you miss me, Reimi-ah?" Chanyeol questioned her playfully, as he cradled her in his arms.

"Yes!" she replied.

"Give me a kiss then," he said to her, as he offered her his cheek.

Without hesitation, Reimi pecked Chanyeol's cheek and he grinned.

"Still quite the charmer, Chanyeol" Mirei observed, as she walked over to them.

Chanyeol's eyes softened at the sight of her. She was still the same Mirei but her hair was noticeably shorter and her figure was fuller too. He eyed her carefully and responded, "Yeah, I guess old habits die hard." He continued to smile at her as he asked, "Did you do something with your hair?"

Mirei tugged at her bob cut. "Oh, this? Yeah. I had it cut short again because it was getting too long."

Chanyeol was slightly dissatisfied. "Why? You looked better with longer hair."

"You think so?"

He nodded as he bravely mentioned, "I kinda miss seeing you with long hair..."

Kyungsoo cleared his throat which made Chanyeol turn to him. "So, D.O-ah, has anyone arrived yet? When's the party starting?"

Kyungsoo was about to answer when Reimi beat him to it. "You're the first one to come, Uncle Chanyeollie."

"Am I?" he asked her. "Well, that's good because that means I'm the first of your uncles to give you your present!" Chanyeol set Reimi down as he unhooked the gift bag he had around his arm. "Happy birthday, Reimi-ah."

Reimi had the cutest smile as she accepted Chanyeol's gift in her hands.

"Reimi-ah" Kyungsoo addressed her, "remember what I told you."

"I won't open it until afterwards, umma" she replied, and then she left to put it away on her gift table.

Chanyeol looked at Kyungsoo confusedly. "Why did Reimi-ah call you 'umma' just now?"

"It's because of what you told her" Mirei retorted, remembering her earlier irritation. "Now she calls me 'appa' and Kyungsoo 'umma'."

"For real?" Chanyeol smirked.

Mirei mock-punched him on the shoulder. "Yah! It isn't funny. Stop teaching Reimi weird things, Chanyeol."

He continued to smirk at her, "Well, you are more of an 'appa' than an 'umma' because you're so muscular--"

"Chanyeol!"

The doorbell rang again which caught the attention of everyone inside the flat. Kyungsoo went to answer the door again.

"It sounds like the others have arrived" Chanyeol beamed. "I can't wait to see them. It's been a long time since we last saw each other."

Mirei waited in anticipation as one by one, the EXO members arrived at her and Kyungsoo's home. Each time she saw a familiar face, she couldn't help being transported to the earlier days before Reimi was born. The EXO members had been with her every step of the way and she had come to consider them as family, more than anything. She smiled as she greeted the CBX trio, Chen, Baekhyun and Xiumin who came together and then, the maknaes, Kai and Sehun, who arrived after them. But of course, she was just as happy when Suho and Lay arrived fashionably late.

At last, everyone was present and she felt an overwhelming sense of happiness at being able to share with them every special moment of her and Kyungsoo's life.

"So where's the birthday girl?" Kai asked Mirei, as the EXO members gathered around to mingle and chat with each other while eating party food.

"She's probably trying to hide her opened presents" Mirei responded jokingly.

Kai chortled. "She sounds quite the handful."

"You have no idea" she replied. Mirei observed Kai's trendy appearance and remembered that he had just opened his own dance academy. "How's everything at your school?"

Kai was happy to reply, "Very well. I'm fully booked for the year. I think I may have to expand to a bigger building if I'm going to accommodate the long waiting list of potential students."

Mirei grinned, "I'm glad business is booming."

"Yeah. Me too." He gestured at Sehun. "But you should hear about Sehunnie's news."

Upon overhearing his name, Sehun came waltzing over. "Hi, Little Umma, long time no see."

"Hey Sehun, Kai says that you have some big news to share."

Sehun nodded. "Yeah. I'm actually going start a bubble tea business soon and so far so good. I'll be opening three branches across Seoul."

"Wow! Three all at once?" Mirei was astounded.

He nodded proudly. "It's predicted to be a big hit."

"I'm so happy for you Sehun! You too, Kai! You guys are really doing well."

After mingling with the rest of the EXO members, Mirei found that Lay was going to be releasing another album soon and will be going on a world tour later on that month. Baekhyun was currently working on becoming an MC by hosting with Kim Heechul from Super Junior, in one of his most well-known variety shows, 'Knowing Brothers'. And Xiumin was working on his dream of opening his own coffee shop in his hometown while Suho was busy voice acting for kids' shows and animated films. Chen, on the other hand, was focusing on becoming a voice coach for trainees at SM Entertainment along with singing OSTs for upcoming Korean dramas.

Mirei was impressed by how every single EXO member was pursuing their own individual passions and yet was still able to meet up and make music together. She was glad that their friendship was still as strong as the day she met them.

"Happy birthday to you~" Kyungsoo sang as he brought out a strawberry shortcake with five lit candles. Everyone joined in with the singing as Kyungsoo put the cake down in front of his daughter who was grinning from ear to ear and had the cutest smile that revealed her two dimples.

Once the EXO members and Mirei finished singing, Reimi blew her candles and the members applauded.

"What did you wish for, Reimi-ah?" Kai asked her.

Reimi gave him a toothy grin as she tapped the side of her nose. "It's a secret, Uncle Kai."

Mirei patted her daughter's head with pride. "That's my girl."

"Guys, guys I brought some alcohol from China" Lay declared. "I thought we could drink up to celebrate Reimi's fifth birthday!"

"You brought alcohol to a kids' party?" Suho sounded like he was judging Lay.

"It's hardly a kids' party when there's literally only Reimi" Lay replied. "All of us should drink one shot for good luck." He got out some paper cups and started pouring the liquor out.

"Can I try some, Uncle Lay?" Reimi asked as she peered into the cups.

"Sorry, Reimi. This is for adults only. Maybe when you're eighteen I'll buy you a whole bottle."

"Well, I'm down for it," Baekhyun said gleefully. "Just one shot won't hurt. And besides, today's a special occasion. We should be celebrating!"

"You just want to get drunk" Chen joked.

"I brought coffee so that you guys can sober up if it's too strong" Xiumin offered.

"Well, I don't mind drinking" Chanyeol stated. He glanced at Mirei, "But I think you should sit out."

Sehun sniggered. "Yeah, Little Umma is a lightweight."

"I am not!" Mirei protested.

"Yeah, you are" Sehun insisted. "Remember that time during the retreat when you--"

Chanyeol rushed to cover Sehun's mouth by stuffing fried chicken between his lips. He smiled at Mirei awkwardly while she looked at him, befuddled by his behaviour. "No need to bring up what happened in the past" he chuckled nervously before saying to Sehun between gritted teeth, "Let sleeping dogs lie, Sehun-ah."

Sehun nodded as he chewed on his chicken obediently.

Lay offered everyone a cup, apart from Mirei, who got a cup of mango juice like Reimi. "To Reimi! May you grow up to be as strong as your mother!" Lay toasted.

"To Reimi!" everyone cheered.

Reimi giggled as she cheered for herself and then started sipping on her mango juice.

Mirei smiled as she did the same but then suddenly, a wave of nausea hit her and she felt like gagging. She covered her mouth quickly as she sprang to the bathroom. Worried, Kyungsoo went after her. "Are you okay, Mirei?" he asked, from the other side of the door as he heard her retch.

Later, Mirei appeared from the bathroom and she smiled at him weakly. "I-I'm fine. I think it must have been the mango juice."

Kyungsoo peered at his wife's face worriedly and checked her temperature against his. "You're not looking so well and you have a temperature too. Do you want to rest? I can take care of the others downstairs while you do."

Mirei nodded feebly. "Yeah, I think I'll just lie down for a bit. I'll come and join you later on."

Kyungsoo kissed her forehead before he said, "Okay. I'll tell the others. Just come down when you're feeling better."

Once Kyungsoo joined the others again, he found that they were all gathered around Reimi who was showing them portraits that she had drawn of each and every one of the EXO members.

"Is Mirei alright?" Xiumin enquired when he saw Kyungsoo standing before them.

He nodded. "Yeah. She's fine. She's just feeling under the weather. Lately, she's developed a sensitivity towards tropical fruits. I think she might be having some sort of reaction to the preservatives or something."

"What? Like an allergic reaction?" Kai suggested.

"Maybe."

"You should probably take her to the doctor's, D.O-ah" Chen advised. "How long has this been going on?"

Kyungsoo thought for a while. "For about a week now."

"Omo, that is worrying..." Suho observed.

While Reimi pointed out and explained her drawings to her uncles, Baekhyun scooted closer to Kyungsoo. "So, you and Little Umma, you planning on making a number two?"

Kyungsoo was taken aback by Baekhyun's blunt question. "A what now?"

"You know" Baekhyun gesticulated, "a number two." He jerked his head towards Reimi's direction and Kyungsoo finally understood.

"No, no." Kyungsoo shook his head. "After seeing Mirei give birth to Reimi, I thought it was best that we didn't have any more kids."

This surprised Baekhyun. "Huh? Why not?"

"Honestly, it was the most extraordinary and most beautiful thing I've ever seen," Kyungsoo said with awe. "But, seeing Mirei struggle like that broke my heart."

"It's pretty frightening for you, huh? All that responsibility and all."

"It's not that really" he replied. "I would like to have as many kids as possible but if you think about it, each time a mother gives birth to a child, they are giving away a part of their life and facing danger each time." He eyed his daughter endearingly. "And when Mirei was in labour with Reimi I remembered feeling so scared that something bad might happen to Mirei." He gaped at Baekhyun with solemn eyes. "I'm scared of losing her by putting her through something like that again. I've already lost her once."

Baekhyun nodded understandingly. But then his playful side took over, "Well, if you don't want to make baby number two then, I'd be happy to take your place" he quipped.

Kyungsoo elbowed him in the ribs. "Yah, the only number two you will be making, is the one in the toilet and you better flush it next time!"

Baekhyun chuckled as he protested, "Yah, in my defence someone clogged up your toilet before I did!"

The pair laughed at their silly argument before turning their attention to Reimi.

"And this is Uncle Chanyeollie" she described, as she pointed at a scribbly portrait.

Chanyeol peered at Reimi's drawing and he narrowed his eyes. "Reimi-ah, why are my legs so long?"

"Because you're reeeeaaaally tall!" she replied with emphasis.

Sehun chuckled as he looked at Chanyeol's portrait. "I think she got your picture pretty accurately. Look, you're even taller than a normal building." He pointed at the background where a house was only up to his waist.

"And this one is of Uncle Chen, Uncle Umin and Uncle Bacon" Reimi declared as she raised her portraits of the CBX trio. The trio glanced at Reimi's drawing, curious as to how Reimi saw them.

Chen was puzzled. "So, I'm taking it that I'm the dinosaur in the middle?"

"At least you're a dinosaur," Xiumin told him as he eyed his portrait. "Why am I a princess?"

Baekhyun pouted. "Yah. This isn't even funny. Reimi-ah sees me as something edible." He pointed at the neatly drawn rectangular shape that resembled streaky bacon.

Chen and Xiumin had to stifle their laughter. "Hey look, Reimi-ah even drew you some eyes and a nose too, Baekhyun-ah" Chen teased.

Reimi grinned at her uncles. "Uncle Chen is a dinosaur because he sings well-- like Barney. Uncle Umin is a princess because he has pretty eyes and Uncle Bacon is..."

"Reimi-ah" Baekhyun addressed her, "It's 'Baekhyun' not 'Bacon'" he corrected.

Reimi just stared at him blankly. "Uncle Bacon is bacon because his name is the same."

Baekhyun sighed in defeat.

"And what about me, Reimi-ah?" Lay asked.

Reimi took out another portrait. "This is you, Uncle Lay," she said as she pointed at what looked like a cloud with legs. "I drew you as a sheep!"

Lay was amused. "I guess you've been listening to my old albums, huh?"

"Oh. I am the sheep!" Reimi sang while re-enacting some of his dance moves. Lay could only smile at her cuteness.

"Sounds like Lay-hyung has the best portrait yet" Sehun commented. "I wonder what you think of me, Reimi-ah."

"You're a superhero!" she replied enthusiastically as she took out his picture. "You're Bubble tea Man."

The other EXO members stared at Sehun's portrait in envy as he had a cape and a what looked like a straw as some sort of weapon.

"I stand corrected" Sehun stated with pride. "Mine is the best one yet."

"We still have mine and Kai's left to go" Suho reminded him. "How about us, Reimi-ah?"

Reimi pulled out the last two portraits and Suho and Kai looked at theirs eagerly. Suho arched his brow as he looked at his. "Why am I wearing a suit and carrying a gun?"

"Because you're a boss" Reimi replied.

Kai peered at Suho's and commented. "Hyung, I think Reimi thinks you're into underground mafia stuff or something. Look, you're armed too."

"Sounds like Bubble tea Man needs to step in to clean up the streets of Seoul" Sehun joked, mimicking a heroic voice.

Suho peered at Kai's and saw nothing interesting about his. "What's the story behind Kai's, Reimi-ah?"

Reimi smiled shyly. "Uncle Kai is just... sexy."

The EXO members glanced at Kai who was blushing slightly at the unexpected compliment.

"Sounds like Reimi-ah is a Kai fan, D.O-ah" Chen teased.

Chanyeol asked her curiously, "Reimi-ah, out of all your uncles, which one do you like best?"

Reimi gaped at the EXO members and they looked at her expectantly. She replied honestly, "I like Uncle J-hope the best."

Disappointed sighs escaped the lips of all the EXO members. Suho looked like he took a bullet.

"Even being a BTS fan is hereditary!" Baekhyunn exclaimed. "Yah, D.O-ah, why are you letting Mirei influence your daughter into becoming an ARMY?"

Kyungsoo could only shrug. He wasn't pleased with the outcome either. "Reimi grew attached to J-hope, unfortunately..."

"Oh! Mirei!" Xiumin exclaimed, which caused everyone to turn around.

Behind them, Mirei was walking up to everyone, her face somewhat glowing as she hid something behind her back. Kyungsoo got up to meet her. "Are you feeling better now?" he asked.

Mirei nodded. "I didn't want to miss the opening of the presents" she mentioned, as she took out what was behind her back. It was a neatly wrapped gift.

Kyungsoo smiled. "Okay. You just came on time."

Once everyone had settled around a huddle, Reimi proceeded with opening the presents she received from her uncles. She opened the gift from Mirei and Kyungsoo first and was delighted to see that Kyungsoo had bought her a doll but less enthusiastic to find that Mirei had bought her a judo outfit.

"What's this?" she asked unenthusiastically, as she pulled out the neatly folded judo uniform.

"It's a judogi" Mirei beamed. "Now that you're five years old, you can start going to judo classes!"

Her daughter stared at her blankly. "But appa, I don't want to do any wrestling" she whined.

"It's not wrestling, Reimi-ah" Baekhyun explained to her. "It's judo. It's much more sophisticated than that and can be quite fun too."

"Yeah" Xiumin agreed. "You should try it first. You might like it."

Reimi didn't look convinced. "It looks like it will hurt. Appa always hurts Umma when they wrestle in bed every night" she mentioned. "Sometimes I hear appa and umma screaming."

The EXO members exchanged uncomfortable looks with each other as they darted awkward stares at the married couple. Mirei and Kyungsoo were a pair of red tomatoes.

"You-you got it all wrong" Kyungsoo rushed to explain to the EXO members. "It's not what you think--"

"It's okay, D.O-hyung" Sehun replied offhandedly. "You're married. I don't think we want to know any more than what Reimi told us."

Lay looked dazed. "Yeah... that was too much information."

Baekhyun looked at him sheepishly. "And you said you weren't keen on making a baby number two..."

"You don't want another child?" Mirei suddenly asked him.

Kyungsoo turned to her immediately. "No. I mean 'yes'. I mean--" he let out a frustrated sigh to calm himself down. "I'm just scared of seeing you give birth again" he admitted. "When I saw you struggle so much with delivering Reimi, I got really scared that you might..." he didn't finish his sentence. "I don't want to risk losing you."

Mirei stroked his cheek gently. "You don't have to worry about that, Kyungsoo. I'm stronger than you think." She smiled at him as she reassured him, "I can handle it."

He returned her smile while pressing her palm against his cheek with his hand. "I know. You're not like most girls."

She grinned, "Exactly."

Kyungsoo let go of her hand and was about to turn back to the others when Mirei suddenly spoke up. "Actually everyone," she announced, catching the EXO members' attention. "I have some big news" she glanced at Kyungsoo and corrected herself, "we have some big news."

"We do?"

She gave him a shy smile as she pulled out a hastily wrapped present from her pocket. It was a narrow and long object that resembled a rod-shape. Mirei offered it to Kyungsoo and he took it curiously. "It's for you, Kyungsoo."

Kyungsoo looked at his wife quizzically. "But it's Reimi-ah's birthday."

"I know. But just open it and see."

Kyungsoo did as his wife told him and ripped through the wrapping paper. When he saw what the present was, his round eyes grew rounder and his heart-shaped lips formed a perfect O-shape. He turned to Mirei, lost for words.

A large smile was dancing on Mirei's lips as she nodded in confirmation to his questioning gaze. "Kyungsoo, I'm pregnant."

Kyungsoo's first reaction was to throw his arms around her and capture her in a warm embrace. He was trying so hard to choke back the tears of joy that was brimming in his eyes. "I'm going to be a father... again."

"Omo, congratulations!"

"Congrats to you both!"

"Happy blessings to everyone!"

The EXO members applauded the couple and congratulated them for their exciting news.

Chanyeol picked Reimi up into his arms. She was staring at her parents, puzzled as to what the commotion was about. Chanyeol guessed that Reimi was too young to understand what was going on. "Did you hear that, Reimi-ah? You're going to be a big sister."

Reimi cocked her head at him. "I am?"

Chanyeol nodded.

"Do you know the gender yet, Mirei?" Suho asked.

Mirei shook her head. "It's too early to tell."

"What do you want it to be, Reimi-ah?" Baekhyun queried. "Do you want a baby brother or a baby sister?"

Reimi contemplated this for a while. "I want a baby brother" she eventually answered.

"Why not a baby sister?" Kai questioned.

Reimi was quick to reply. "Because girls are stronger than boys. I want a brother so that I can protect him."

Mirei smiled at her daughter.

"I know it's a bit early but, have you thought of potential baby names?" Lay asked.

"I bet if it's a boy, you're gonna call it Sookyung" Chen mentioned. "Just the reverse of D.O-ah's name like you did with Reimi."

"Yeah, but what if it's a girl again?" Sehun pointed out. "Surely you're not going to go up the scale."

"Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do" Baekhyun sang. "So, the next one will be Faso?"

"Do Faso," Xiumin said aloud. "It sounds awful."

"If it's a girl, I think you should call her Nami" Chanyeol suggested. Everyone glanced at him. Mirei's eyes softened at his suggestion. That name held so much meaning for the EXO members.

"It will be too confusing to call it Nami" Kyungsoo replied after a while. "After all, it took you guys ages to call Mirei by her real name, remember?"

The EXO members nodded in agreement. They remembered how they struggled to adjust after Kyungsoo and Mirei got together.

"Then what about... Narei?" Chanyeol suggested.

"Na...rei?" Kyungsoo repeated.

"Yeah. It's a combination of Nami and Mirei, Narei."

"I like that" Suho stated. "It's like a mixture of the past, Nami, and the future, Mirei."

"Yah, what about me?" Kyungsoo pointed out. "Where's my contribution to the name?"

"Your kids always inherit your surname so that's your part in the mix" Chen teased.

Mirei clapped her hands to draw their attention. "You know, it's still way too early to discuss baby names. Let's just get back to the presents, shall we?"

Chanyeol set Reimi down and they resumed with the gift opening. Reimi opened all her presents enthusiastically and revealed an array of toys, books and hair accessories. Mirei watched happily as she saw her daughter squeal in delight at the many interesting and thoughtful things the EXO members had gifted her. But there was one gift that caught her attention the most.

"Who got her these?" Mirei enquired as she picked up a kid's size grey hoodie and leggings.

Chanyeol smirked, "I did." He turned to Reimi who was currently trying out the colouring book that Suho had got her. "Reimi-ah, can you try these on for me?"

Reimi sauntered over to Chanyeol and let him dress her in the hoodie and leggings. She was currently wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top so it wasn't too much hassle. Once he was done, Chanyeol scooped up her long black hair and tied it into a messy bun. The EXO members smiled delightedly at Reimi's transformation.

"Omo, it's a mini Little Umma!" Baekhyun exclaimed.

There were mumbles of agreement as they stood around Reimi and gawked at her.

"Seeing Reimi like this feels so nostalgic..." Kai commented.

Sehun addressed Reimi, "Do you want to be a dorm mother one day, Reimi-ah? You can be our dorm mother."

Reimi blinked at him innocently. "What's a dorm mother?"

"Well, a dorm mother is someone who looks after people who live in a dorm" Xiumin explained to her. "All of us, including your umma and appa used to live together before you were born."

"Yeah" Chen chipped in. "In fact, we had three dorm mothers. Uncle Suho, your umma and your appa" Chen said while pointing to each person.

Reimi was in disbelief. "No way! Appa can't be an umma!" she replied as she pointed to Mirei.

The EXO members turned questioningly to Mirei who shook her head as if to say, 'it's a long story'.

Baekhyun insisted. "It's true. We even had nicknames for them."

"Let's see..." Chanyeol thought aloud. "It was big umma, middle umma and little umma."

Reimi giggled as she pointed to Suho "big umma", to Kyungsoo, "middle umma" and to Mirei, "little umma."

"You see?" Lay said to her. "Your umma used to be our dorm mother."

Suho chuckled. "And she still kinda is."

"And she'll always be" Kyungsoo added as he gazed lovingly at Mirei. He planted a kiss on her forehead. "She's our little dorm mother."

Mirei smiled at Kyugsoo and then at all the EXO members. They had been together for many years and have gone through so much as a team and as a family. When Mirei looked back on her life almost ten years ago, she would never have expected to be where she was right now. Who would have known that she, Mirei, an avid BTS fan, would end up meeting the love of her life amongst the EXO members?

If it wasn't for Hyemi breaking her leg and if it wasn't for her dick of a boss, Richard, forcing her to go undercover, Mirei wouldn't have been as happy as she was right now. It was funny how the strangest of circumstance could lead to the most beautiful of endings.

Mirei continued to smile as she glanced at her daughter, her husband and her life-long friends.

Yes, she was EXO's little dorm mother. And this time, she was happy to be so.

~*~