The Bangtan Baby

uncles

The twelve-week scan had confirmed what the symptoms and tests had already suggested: life wasn't going to wait any longer. In just a few short months, Grace and Seokjin were going to be parents.

For most people, and for them as well, it was joyous, long-awaited news. They had hoped for this moment, dreamt of it quietly amidst the chaos of their careers. But there was one small issue. Well, not small. Quite a big one, actually: their careers.

BTS had returned as eight. One album was complete, a comeback had already lit up the charts, and the second album was nearly finished. The world tour was set to begin just two months after Grace's due date. That meant dancing, singing, promotional schedules, sleepless nights, and international flights, gruelling demands for anyone, let alone a pregnant woman or a new mother.

And up until now, everything had been kept secret.

They hadn't told anyone yet, not their parents, not the members of BTS. No one. But that was about to change. There were many who would later ask, "Who did you tell first? Grace's parents? Seokjin's? The group?"

It wasn't any of them.

The first to hear the news were Bang Si-hyuk, Bang PD himself, and the current CEO of HYBE. The couple had requested a private meeting with both men, an unusual move in itself. The last time the two eldest of BTS had made such a direct call had been after Grace's world tour wrapped up and Seokjin returned from his own solo tour. The executives arrived looking unexpectedly tense, as if they sensed something was coming, something that might change everything.

And, in many ways, it would.

Of course, they were overjoyed by the news. Bang PD, ever the mix of sentiment and humour, quoted Jurassic Park with a laugh: "Life finds a way."

No changes to the tour or comeback plans were made yet. The others still had to be told. For now, everything would stay under wraps while quiet, behind-the-scenes preparations began. More than anything, the priority was Grace's health and privacy.

Next came their families. Over dinner with Seokjin's brother, his wife, and their two little boys, Grace and Seokjin shared the news. Angela, Grace's mum, and Seokjin's mother both screamed with joy, jumping up to hug each other in pure elation. Seokjin's sister-in-law immediately crossed the room to embrace Grace, thrilled that her future sister-in-law was now expecting. The men, naturally, turned to Seokjin, grinning, clapping him on the back, and congratulating him with pride.

Every single one of them was sworn to secrecy: No pictures. No social media hints. No baby shopping.

And now came the last, and in some ways, the most daunting step: telling the boys. The six men who had long joked about Grace making them uncles. The ones who, in quieter moments, had spoken of wanting to see her little family grow, whether it was with Seokjin or not. Jungkook had once teased that he wanted a little brother or sister, but they all knew how unlikely starting a family was in the whirlwind of their careers.

"How do we tell them?" Grace asked Seokjin one night, as they drove home from rehearsals.

"With food," Seokjin replied, half serious, half joking.

With that in mind, they arranged a family dinner for all eight of them. They gave various reasons for the gathering: a little break before the chaos of another comeback, the fact that they missed having dinner together, and Seokjin joked that he had simply bought too much food.

Grace, ever the planner and always thinking one step ahead, had gone out and organised special gifts to break the news. Each item had been carefully chosen for the person it was intended for, complete with a matching gift box, handwritten tag, and personal card.