jaehyun was going mental when the news broke out. of course none of it was true. he called his managers, his handlers, he almost rushed to attack his management and the journalists responsible for the article. now taeyong's definitely going to take this as a misunderstanding. he thought.

he didn't know how his kid reacted to the news, he didn't even know if his son already knows. he worries about the reaction of his children back in seoul too. they would think different of him now if he doesn't tell them the truth soon. but how is he going to explain it without sounding like he wants to get back with taeyong?

he remembers how taeyong practically begged him to stay out of his life. it's his one wish from me. he thought. i don't wanna mess up his life and hurt him again. no matter how much i want it.

surely, taeyong would understand. now, he just doesn't know how to explain it to his children.

it wasn't surprising, to say the least, how his own son started sulking and avoiding him inside their home for a day. he figured that he already saw the article online. considering the measures they had to go through just to set him and taeyong up back in seoul, it's pretty clear how the kids wanted them to be back together. he could guess a hint how his two other children would react.

but it's not that easy. how would he even begin explaining something like this? how would he redeem himself to his children over something this big? sure, this is not even real in any way at all but if he were to to clear up this mess without sounding like he wants his ex-husband back, it would be really hard. 

maybe i should just come clean. he thinks deeply. admit to everything and tell taeyong i do want another chance? how could i even do that? he'd hate me for life.

he was going hysterical, for sure.

"sir jung?"

his train of endless thoughts were cut by a knock on his door. "your package arrived." he sighed and put his screen and papers down. he stood up and went out the living room.

he opened the signed package using his keys in one swift move and ripped the bubble wrap open. he cut the tapes from the carton and it revealed the black case. he opened it and took out the long neck and head of a natural wood-coloured acoustic guitar he got for mark. 

he smiled softly. i have a kickback. he thinks.

he took the big case and went straight to mark's room to try and talk to him, even bribe him.

just as he was going to open his son's door, he noticed it was ajar. his son was speaking inside but nobody was with him. he figured he was talking to someone over the phone.

"well dad would've figured i saw the article by now but he still hasn't talked to me about it. this is gonna completely ruin everything, mark."

"should we abort the plan now?"

"then i guess we let them figure out how we ended up in countries we're not supposed to be in. they know us by heart now, it's not that hard to figure out that we switched again."

oh yeah?

"oh you think i don't get bullies in school back in seoul too? rich kids could get really mean in seoul just so you know, mark."

very clever, my boys.

"alright, i guess i have to talk to dad sometime soon. take care of papa, makeu-yah, and sungchanie too. i'll see you soon, i guess?"

instead of barging into the room, jaehyun decided to retreat and put the guitar on the long couch. he sat down massaging his temples as he called for johnny. "can you get me my tea, please? thanks."

as johnny came back, he handed his boss the teacup and saucer and placed french toast on the coffee table. "you found out, huh?"

jaehyun's eyebrow arched. confusion was written all over his face as he looked at his right hand man. "you know something?"

"they have a plan, it's not my place to say it." he answered back. "you want me to call him?" he added.

"yes, please do." jaehyun hung his head low and stared at his tea.

a slight knock was heard on the door of mark's room. he quickly turned around after pacing back and forth. 

"your dad wants to see you." johnny spoke with his head peaking from the ajar door.

"i'll be out in a while, hyung." the little boy replied.

instead of seeing his bodyguard leave, he saw him stiff in the doorway. he stared at the little boy with eyes full of sadness. he closed the door quietly and walked towards little minhyung.

holding his hand, he crouched and spoke to the boy saying, "i don't know what your parents might do after this night. but i want you to know that i'm always here for you, alright? i love you and your twin very much and i hope for the best in both of you."

"hyung, i do hope we fix this. i don't want to see papa and daddy hurting eventually." minhyung sighed.

"why don't you go start now, hmm? your dad's waiting."

minhyng took a glance at the door and huffed lightly. i know i have to talk to him again soon. he thinks. ok whatever, let's just get this over with.

as the little boy walked out the door, he felt jittery with his steps nearing the living room. and there he saw his dad rubbing his temples with a cup of tea at hand.

"dad?"

jaehyun glanced up. he saw the familiar face of his son who is the other half of his twin. how can i ever do this? jaehyun thought.

minhyung took a seat on the couch sidewise from him. "is there something you're not telling me, son?" and minhyung stayed silent, unknowing of what to say to his father. "you might as well tell me your plan now, i found out what you were hiding 2 minutes ago."

aw man, now we're really gonna abort the plan. minhyung thought in dismay.

thinking of it now, maybe they really didn't plan this secret trip very well. after all, they were just mere 11-year-olds who are in desperate need to bring their parents back together. the only thing the siblings wanted was to be a complete family, but by now they've figured that there are things that are far too complicated to fix and they were too young to understand things like this. 

a divorce? what do they know about it, they've never been married. that's probably what a lot of people might think but they understand things like this deep inside now. the figured this would be the last time they'd be this pushy to their parents. at least this last time, they're gonna make it count and they're gonna try their hardest to make it count.

"why would you fly out all the way here with me, minhyung-ah? your papa's gonna be really worried, you know that right?" jaehyun said, forearms resting on knees. but again, the little kid chose not to speak.

jaehyun sighed and tapped the space beside him on the long couch. "come here, son."

with that, minhyung obeyed and nervously sat down next to his daddy. jaehyun faced him sideways and looked at him intently.

"what is it that you and your twin wants, hmm? you can tell daddy, come on." he tried to sound as calm as he can.

minhyung finally let out a breath and faced his dad.

"mark and i just thought maybe we can try and bring you and papa back together at least one last time. we planned to switch places again for the second time so i could spend time with you and mark could spend time with papa longer. at the same time, we'd also find something like clues for us to say that you two really need to be together." minhyung played with the hem of his shirt and quietly sniffed.

"eventually, you're gonna find out we switched again and you're gonna have to unswitch us so you and papa would have to face each other again. i just didn't expect you to find me as minhyung here this soon." and he sniffed, tears slowly forming.

"i'm sorry, dad. mark and i, and sungchan, we just really wanted to be complete in one place. we just wanted a complete family and i know mark and i only met recently but we don't wanna be apart from each other anymore. when we were in camp, he told me that he never had a brother to play with and i don't want him to go through that anymore. it's just so complicated, dad. everything's so hard with this new york and seoul thing." a tear fell and the boy sniffed loudly.

"at one point, we felt like you guys didn't wanna be with us that's why you were so anxious to take each one of us and leave."

if i could fix it in a snap, my dear, i would. i really would. jaehyun thought. trust me, daddy wants this as much as you do, but daddy was far too late.

i've hurt your papa before, i can't do it again. the scar still hasn't healed, my love.

and so he held his son's hand. "son..." and tears were also starting to form on jaehyun's eyes.

"don't you ever think that way because i love you both so much equally. and your papa loves you too so much equally. never did i think of wanting one of you much more than the other." he held his son closer to him and kissed his head.

"i'm really sorry you have to go through this, son. but this is what your papa and i agreed on. because we can't be together, we settled on taking one of you with us instead. so you see, technically you belong to your papa and mark belongs to me." minhyung pulled away and took a look at his dad.

"but there's a sungchan now. and you didn't even know about it before. if you knew sooner, couldn't you form a new plan with papa to fix all this? you don't expect sungchan to fly out back and forth twice a year, do you?"

that's what i want, too.

"son, i'm really sorry. i know you want your papa and i to be together but it's so hard to do that now. your dad was stupid to not go back when he had the chance, i'm sorry for ruining it all for you."

suddenly, minhyung stood up in front of his father with tear stained cheeks.

"dad, you can't fool us any longer you know. we know you still love papa, please we saw it all when we were together in seoul. we even heard it all, why can't you just admit that you need each other?" he sighed.

"i mean, goodness dad. you're twice as a coward as i thought you would be. you gave up the chance before but life gave you another chance now. you still love him, i know it. and he still loves you too. if he doesn't, i would've read it in his journal."

there's a lot you don't know, minhyungie.

"son, you know, sometimes love isn't enough for two people to be together. there are limits, there are obstacles, and a ton of personal issues before we commit. you don't understand it yet and soon you will but there's a lot you don't know, minhyung." he held his son's hand once again.

"but can't you do it for us, dad?"