Six of a Kind

사십이: The TV Show

The last thing Namjoon expected the following summer was for a TV crew to show up at his door, looking hopeful. At first, he thought they must have the wrong address, but then he saw the newspaper being held by the director.

When the sextuplets were born, they made the local news. It was the first time their hospital had delivered anything more than triplets, and it was even more amazing that all six babies had survived the traumatic emergency c-section. Namjoon had posed happily outside the birthing ward, holding six birth certificates. His wife had been too unwell to take part at this point, so Namjoon had spoken of her love in her absence. Nowadays, he regretted saying it. That woman had never loved his babies.

After his first interview, he thought the story would get noticed by bigger news outlets, and maybe even they'd be mentioned on the main Seoul news, but that was the only time the media had recognised them. No one even came back to check if the boys had thrived in their NICU experience. The family had been forgotten amongst the missing cat posters and volunteers going above and beyond for the community.

When his wife left, he didn't mind so much that there was no update. He was crushed in those days. He wanted her desperately, despite his anger over her leaving their babies. He devoted all of his time to his sickly babies, and nothing else. In all honestly, he probably would have brushed off anyone trying to interview him. In the back of his mind, he wanted it. He wanted it so he could beg the journalists to help him find his wife.

So, with these strangers on his doorstep asking if he was the father to the six 'miracle babies', he opened the door wider to let them in, not fully thinking straight.

"Who's that?" Taehyung asked instantly, staring up at the three strangers filing into their living room. He wanted to get up off the floor, but he was tied down by the heavy cast over his leg. Yoongi had helped him onto the floor so he could play with his puzzle book, but he couldn't get back up on his own. Yoongi had since disappeared.

The director smiled at the little boy, bending down and offering his hand out comically. Taehyung took it, shaking his arm violently. "I'm Min Duri. I wanted to see all of you boys."

"Why?"

"Because you're very rare, and I think that you should be well known."

Namjoon rubbed his hands nervously at having strangers in the home. Jungkook wouldn't take it well, and Yoongi and Hoseok were very fearful of strangers. What if they judged Jimin, or teased Seokjin's accent?

Duri turned to Jimin, the only other sextuplet in the living room, whilst the two other men sat on the sofa, watching. Namjoon noticed that they had notebooks, and were already scribbling notes. The house was a mess with toys and books strewn on the floor. It wasn't like Namjoon was expecting guests. He offered his hand out to Jimin, expecting another handshake, but Jimin used his hand to pull himself up, and walk unsteadily towards his dad. Namjoon placed him onto his knee as he sat on the armchair. Duri sat between his colleagues, looking between Jimin and Taehyung.

"I almost thought they would look a little more identical."

None of the sextuplets looked similar. Namjoon could see who inherited what from where, though. Seokjin and Jimin had his lips, and Taehyung had his bigger eyes. Jungkook and Seokjin had their mothers' nose, whilst Yoongi and Jimin had his. Hoseok was the spitting image of Namjoon's father.

"They were fraternal," Namjoon said quietly, rubbing Jimin's back.

"So who are these two sweeties?"

"I'm Taehyung," Taehyung answered for his dad, "and that's Jimin. He can't talk very well, though, 'cos he's disabled."