Side Story 3. Eui-woo and Baby
It was a peaceful winter day.
Snow fell beyond the large window, blanketing the world outside, while a thin layer of frost settled on the glass, adding to the serene atmosphere. It was a world of silver, shimmering like a dream, pure and clean. Inside, however, the living room was filled with soft warmth, like a comforting embrace.
Seo Eui-woo and Kwon Jae-jin sat comfortably on the plush sofa, watching TV. The two of them were nestled together like a single bundle, leaning into each other’s warmth. Eui-woo had his arms wrapped around Jae-jin’s shoulders, while Jae-jin rested his head against Eui-woo’s chest, his eyes half-closed. The thick wool blanket covering them was soft and warm. On the small coffee table in front of them, two steaming mugs sat side by side, filling the room with the rich scent of coffee.
Time flowed gently. Snow continued to fall outside, and the TV played a documentary in hushed tones. There was nothing more to ask for; it was a moment of perfect contentment. Time seemed to slow, stretching languidly, as if they could remain like this forever, lost in a timeless peace.
Indeed, it was a flawless winter day.
That was when it happened.
“Jae-jin, shall we have a baby?”
The words came out casually, startlingly simple.
“…A baby?”
Jae-jin had been dozing off, but his eyes flew open at those words. He blinked rapidly, his sleepiness vanishing.
“Yeah. A baby.”
Eui-woo responded without even taking his eyes off the TV.
On the screen, the documentary was now showing the world’s smallest marsupial, the pygmy jerboa, giving birth to five tiny babies. The pygmy jerboa, a marsupial native to Namibia, was incredibly small—just 10 cm in body length, with an 11 cm tail. The footage showed a mother jerboa cradling her even tinier babies in her pouch, their little tails twitching as they nestled inside.
“A baby, you say… What baby?”
Ah, so today was going to be another one of those days. Jae-jin thought to himself. Eui-woo was always coming up with nonsense like this.
“Don’t do anything weird.”
Jae-jin narrowed his eyes at Eui-woo. Whenever Eui-woo brought up something unexpected, Jae-jin knew he had to be cautious—especially when it involved a word as dangerous as ‘baby.’ This time, he had to be extra careful.
‘Is he seriously suggesting we have a kid? Or is this one of those things where he just wants to see how I’ll react and then laugh it off?’
Without a response, Jae-jin simply let out a slow exhale and relaxed back against the couch. His tension eased, the invisible boundary around him thinning. His hand naturally reached for the cushion beside him. If necessary, he was ready to throw it at Eui-woo’s face.
“No, it’s not something weird. I mean it. A real baby.”
“…What?”
“People in the general population get married and have children, right? I think it would be nice if we had a baby too.”
“……”
“……”
Jae-jin’s grip on the cushion loosened slightly.
“You… want a baby?”
“Mm… Yeah. Family is a good thing.”
“Family… Right. Family is good.”
“Sometimes, I think about your family, Jae-jin. That warm, peaceful atmosphere—it’s fascinating and new to me.”
“……”
“I want to have another home in this timeline. Your father was a good man, and your mother was kind. And your sister… well, you know. If we had a child, I think we’d do just fine. We’re not young anymore, after all.”
As Eui-woo’s words continued, Jae-jin’s pupils gradually constricted. His black irises darkened further, his gaze toward Eui-woo becoming unreadable. Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh.
“They say the average lifespan of a Special Forces soldier isn’t very long. It’s considered a disposable job.”
“That may be true, but I don’t think I’ll die before you, Jae-jin. Not a chance.”
“So you’re saying I’m the one who’ll die first?”
“That’s what I always thought before. I didn’t even know what it meant to live like a human being. But now… there’s too much keeping me here.”
“……”
“I want you to live a long and healthy life, Jae-jin. Maybe a hundred years or more? Haha.”
Eui-woo chuckled lightly, but Jae-jin couldn’t bring himself to laugh. His heart only grew heavier.
‘A baby… A baby.’
Jae-jin pressed his lips together and fell into a contemplative silence. No response came from him, so Eui-woo turned away from the TV to look at him.
There wasn’t an obvious change in Jae-jin’s expression. But when he blinked twice, Eui-woo, who was already nestled in his arms, tightened his grip on Jae-jin’s shoulders. His arms firmly wrapped around Jae-jin’s waist as he leaned in close, their faces almost touching.
“Jae-jin, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
That response wasn’t convincing at all, but Eui-woo didn’t press further. Instead, he puckered his lips and kissed Jae-jin on the cheek.
“If it’s nothing, then what’s with that face?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Is it because I said I wanted a baby? Hey, don’t take it so seriously.”
Eui-woo’s lips brushed against his cheek again, playfully fluttering there. Jae-jin exhaled, his gaze wavering. Eui-woo’s affectionate touch was as natural as the sun, radiantly warm. But the weight in Jae-jin’s chest still wouldn’t lift.
“I was just saying it. You know, like how the pygmy jerboa family was all huddled together? It looked cute.”
Eui-woo gestured toward the documentary as if it was just a passing thought. But Jae-jin couldn’t take it so lightly. A baby, a family, Eui-woo—
If Eui-woo were to truly want something like that, there would be nothing Jae-jin could do to stop him.
“It’s really not a big deal.”
Eui-woo kissed Jae-jin on the nose, then pulled him in tight, pressing him down against the sofa. With the weight of two grown men, the couch sank, and a cushion tumbled onto the floor beside them.
“A baby? What baby? Kwon Jae-jin is my baby.”
“?”
“Look, what do we need a baby for? We already have one right here—my baby Jae-jin.”
“Oh, enough.”
“Even just saying ‘baby’ sounds cute. Wow, so adorable.”
No, not this again…
Caught off guard, Jae-jin tried to push Eui-woo away by pressing against his forehead. But Eui-woo didn’t back down. Instead, he stole a kiss against Jae-jin’s palm, then, to Jae-jin’s obvious horror, lightly nibbled at his lips.
“Soft, soft.”
Jae-jin, whose patience had just about run out, scowled at him. He pried Eui-woo off with sheer force, baring his teeth slightly in warning.
“Enough.”
“Jae-jin, your lips are really soft. Should I sing the ‘Soft, Soft Jae-jin’ song for you?”
“Seo Eui-woo, you asshole.”
“Oh, I know that one! That song went viral online. Everyone knew it just from hearing a snippet—how do regular civilians even recognize that stuff? Just because it was recorded during a mission, damn it.”
He had told him not to fidget or mess around during missions, but Eui-woo had completely ignored him. Instead, he had clung to Jae-jin and purred “soft, soft” until they got caught on camera. That short clip had somehow made its way onto the internet.
Kwon Jae-jin, forever branded as “Soft, Soft Jae-jin,” had become a meme. There was even a challenge based on it, spreading the nickname even further. Because of that, he still had no idea how much damage his dignity had taken.
‘I was just quietly laughing at it. Damn it.’
Then, to Jae-jin’s absolute horror, Eui-woo actually started singing the song.
“Soft, soft Jae-jin. Baby Jae-jin. Eui-woo’s baby~ Don’t look at anyone else, don’t let them touch you~”
“Stop. Stop it!”
But Eui-woo had no intention of stopping. Jae-jin, unable to hold back any longer, lifted his arm and smacked Eui-woo’s shoulder with a sharp thud. This crazy bastard. Eui-woo was just as annoying as ever.
Eui-woo merely flinched at the impact before continuing onto the second verse of the “Soft, Soft Jae-jin” song. Jae-jin didn’t even know there was a second verse, but Eui-woo seemed to be making up the lyrics as he went along.
“Soft Jae-jin. Baby Jae-jin. Eui-woo loves you~ Kiss me~ Love me a lot~”
Jae-jin smacked Eui-woo a few more times, flustered, his movements more of a clumsy patter than actual hits. Eui-woo simply chuckled, nuzzling against Jae-jin before pulling him into a tight embrace, sinking deeper into the sofa. If they had been on a bed, Jae-jin probably would have flipped them over in retaliation. But here, the armrest of the couch kept him trapped.
“Hah, Eui-woo, you’re seriously—”
“Hahaha, are you in a better mood now?”
“Fine, whatever. I’ll let it go. I’m not about to die from anger.”
“Oh? Should I keep going until the third verse, then…?”
“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever actually been mad. Let’s call a truce.”
“Haha, is that so? Hahaha.”
Eui-woo chuckled and planted a light kiss on Jae-jin’s lips. Like a bird pecking at seeds, he playfully nipped before gently licking Jae-jin’s lower lip.
Jae-jin, who had long since given up, simply stared at the ceiling, his face unreadable. But after a moment, his gaze slowly shifted, his eyes narrowing as he watched Eui-woo’s smirking face.
That wide, beaming smile—so bright and cheerful. And yet, looking at it always left Jae-jin with the strangest mix of emotions.
‘There’s no helping it.’
