Six months later, at the mansion…
Yuri sat on the sofa, feeding the triplets one by one with milk bottles. He gently patted little Noah's back until—
Burpp~
Noah burped, making Yuri giggle softly.
Just then, Akira leaned in and gently booped Noah's nose. The baby burst into laughter.
Akira smiled. A genuine one.
Yuri turned around and smiled warmly.
"Oh, brother-in-law."
Akira walked over and took Noah from Yuri's arms, cradling him and playing with his tiny fingers, making him giggle again.
Meanwhile, Yuri returned to feeding the other two.
At that moment, Astra entered the room.
"Yuri, are you ready to go for shopping?"
Yuri nodded, "Oh yes, mother-in-law."
Astra's gaze shifted to Akira holding Noah.
"Akira, you want to join us for shopping?"
Akira blinked. "Ohh, no Mom. You guys go… I've got work."
Astra chuckled. "Okayyy~"
Akira tried to hand Noah back to her, but—
Noah clutched Akira's shirt tightly, refusing to let go.
Astra giggled, cheeks slightly flushed.
"Looks like he'll take you to shopping with him~"
Akira sighed and smiled softly.
"I guess so."
Soon, they headed out—Astra, Yuri, Akira, and the triplets.
Mimi and Miko slept peacefully in the stroller, while Noah was firmly in Akira's arms, refusing to be put down.
In the toy section…
Akira pointed to a plush unicorn.
"Look, Noah, do you want this one?"
Noah's eyes sparkled.
Akira chuckled and placed it into the cart.
J, who was pushing the second cart, groaned.
"Boss… we've already filled two carts with toys…"
Akira ignored him.
Noah reached for a small teddy bear from the shelf and grabbed it.
"You want this too?" Akira asked, pausing.
He looked at the teddy bear for a moment…
His heart clenched. A memory flashed—
Aki Ghost… the time he gave him a giant teddy bear...
But before he could drown in it—
Noah squeezed Akira's cheeks with his tiny hands.
Akira blinked and smiled again.
They brought all the toys to the checkout counter.
As the cashier scanned items, whispers echoed nearby—
"Damn… he's so handsome… but unfortunately, he has a baby."
Teary but can't blink
A mother behind them whispered to her friend,
"The wife must be so lucky… such a tall and handsome gentleman."
Outside the mall, they walked with bags overflowing with toys.
Yuri and Astra, however, were still in the clothing section.
They had entered thirty minutes before Akira…
And still couldn't decide on anything.
---
That night, in the mansion…
The clock struck midnight.
The triplets were crying loudly.
Yuri tried calming Mimi. Yuke rocked Miko while holding Noah.
A soft knock echoed at the door.
Yuri, sleep-deprived and yawning, mumbled, "Yawn~ who could it be?"
Yuke laid Noah on the bed and opened the door.
"Brother?! What are you doing here?" Yuke blinked in surprise.
Akira stood in his nightwear, hair slightly messy.
"I heard the kids crying… Thought I'd help. You guys must be tired."
Yuke chuckled. "Aww, no, brother. It's fine. I can handle it—"
Akira placed a hand on Yuke's shoulder.
"Come on, Yuke. Give me the babies. You two go sleep. I got this."
Yuke scratched his head and looked at Yuri.
Yuri smiled, tired but trusting, and handed the triplets over.
"You sure, brother-in-law?" Yuke asked again.
Akira nodded. "No worries."
He left the room carrying two of the babies while the third clung onto his arm.
Yuri collapsed back onto the bed, yawning again.
"I trust brother-in-law… Good night…"
In the garden…
Akira walked with the triplets, pointing to the sky.
"See that? That's the moon… And those tiny ones are stars…"
The babies slowly calmed down, mesmerized by his voice and the sky above.
Soft giggles bubbled from their tiny mouths.
Not long after, all three were asleep.
Akira brought them back to his room, placed them on his bed, and lay down beside them.
The next morning…
Yuke quietly peeked into his brother's room.
There he was—Akira, fast asleep with Mimi sleeping on his chest, Noah tucked under his arm, and Miko nestled close on the other side.
All four of them, fast asleep… cuddled close.
Yuke stood silently, smiling.
A warm peace filled the air.