“……Did he come inside?”
There had been splashing sounds since early evening, but perhaps he’d gone back early—there was nothing to be heard now. Quietly focusing on the noises outside, he took his phone out of his pocket.
Multiple surveillance camera feeds filled the screen. Each one showed Eunho’s room and Yi-beom’s room, the living room and guest room, the swimming pool and the garden.
“Where did he hide this time?”
Scrolling through the screens, Yi-beom muttered under his breath. Ever since Su-hee left, Eunho had changed. Even when he wanted something to eat, he didn’t come looking for Yi-beom’s room anymore, and when they ran into each other, he wouldn’t greet him. He would just huff, “Heng!” and whip his head around so hard his ears flapped.
Just like Yi-beom had done, Eunho now treated him as if he didn’t exist at all. The gaze that used to trail after him, the occasional “Ahjussi!” calling out—both were gone. Without realizing it, Yi-beom let out a sigh.
Even this morning, when he’d left his door slightly open, he heard a scuffling, “ododo!” sound from outside. Soon after, bang!—the door slammed shut. On the camera he replayed, a rabbit performing a flying kick had been recorded in full.
“Honestly, I’d rather he just fly-kick me.”
Just as the impatient Yi-beom gripped his phone and started to rise—
Eunho appeared on the terrace camera feed. He must’ve been hiding behind the statue, out of sight. Only when Younguk and Jinwon approached from afar holding a bag of tangerines did Eunho finally peek his head out.
A tongue smaller than his foot poked out first in greeting. Realizing belatedly that his tongue was sticking out, Eunho quickly scooped it back in with his foot. Seeing that, Jinwon burst out laughing.
“Sorry. We’re really late, aren’t we?”
“N-No, not at all. I’m the one who’s sorry for bothering you so late…….”
With his eyes wide and round, Eunho bowed his head. Even then, his gaze was glued to the bag of tangerines.
“Don’t worry about us—just call whenever you want something to eat. Bringing you fruit isn’t that hard.”
Younguk let out a hearty laugh and carried the bag of tangerines inside.
“When I mentioned Student Eunho, my wife insisted we bring something really tasty. She said it’s a blessing you don’t have morning sickness, and that at a time like this, you have to eat well.”
“……Seems like the President is the one with morning sickness.”
Walking alongside them, Eunho snapped his head up at Jinwon’s words.
“Ahjussi does?”
Younguk jabbed Jinwon in the side with his elbow. “Aaagh!” Jinwon yelped, waving his hand and insisting that wasn’t what he meant.
“No, no. He’s eating enough to stay alive. You know how stubborn that man is.”
“Ah, hyung-nim could die and crawl back from hell, so don’t worry about him.”
Jinwon and Younguk hurriedly added, but it was too late—Yi-beom’s gaunt face had already floated into Eunho’s mind. Even as the two men peeled tangerines, set them in his room, and checked the rabbit-only intercom before leaving, Eunho kept his lips tightly shut.
Sitting down with a thump in front of the mountain of tangerines, Eunho plopped onto the floor.
“Ahjussi likes tangerines too…….”
How nice would it be if they could eat them together? Carefully, Eunho picked one up. Rolling it around in his foot, he scrunched his nose.
“No. Ahjussi is.”
Lowering his voice like he was revealing a secret, Eunho whispered,
“A real bastard.”
“Fucking bastard” was still difficult. But he had improved—from “fucking bastard” to “bastard.” Why shouldn’t he curse Ahjussi? Narrowing his eyes in determination, Eunho tried again.
He bared his teeth, opened his mouth wide, inhaled, and with a surge of emotion spat it out.
“Fucking bastard.”
At that very moment, as if agreeing with Eunho’s words, his stomach moved. Eyes widening, Eunho looked down.
It was the first fetal movement.
Something inside his belly moved distinctly. It felt like a fist had thumped it—tung—or maybe like a kick. Eyes round, Eunho stared at his lower abdomen.
“Huh—baby, was that you?”
Professor Hwang had said that usually you only start feeling movement once you reach five months. But maybe it was different because he was a rabbit. Gently stroking his lower belly, Eunho spoke again.
“Do it one more time. Please?”
“…….”
“Baby. I didn’t see it properly.”
“……”
“Just once. Pleeease?”
No matter how long he talked, his lower abdomen stayed quiet. As if what had just happened were an illusion, there wasn’t the slightest movement. The corners of Eunho’s eyes drooped.
How had he done it just now? Eunho carefully retraced the situation from when the movement happened.
“First, I was holding a tangerine…….”
He picked up one rolling on the floor. Then, just like before, he rolled it around in his hand.
“And then I, uh, cursed.”
Glancing down at his belly, Eunho hesitated. He worried about saying such bad words for the baby to hear. What if the baby really came into the world cursing?
But as always, curiosity won. Gulping, Eunho repeated what he’d said earlier.
“No. Ahjussi is…….”
“……”
“A fucking bastard.”
That was the moment. Thump—he felt a wave in his lower belly. Gasping, Eunho quickly looked down. His stomach looked slightly more puffed out than before.
“Fucking bastard.”
The instant the word left his mouth, his belly rippled. This time, the movement was far clearer than before. “Fucking bastard.” “Fucking bastard!” Each time he repeated the curse, the baby kicked hard in protest.
“Huhhh.” Setting the tangerine down, Eunho wrapped both hands around his lower abdomen. It felt strange. He’d only vaguely thought there was a baby inside, but to see it move so visibly like this—it was hard to believe.
It felt like the baby understood how hard today had been for him. Sniffling softly, Eunho scrunched his nose.
“Are you comforting me, baby?”
“…….”
“Th-Thank you……. for cursing with me.”
As if agreeing, the baby kicked again. Feeling the movement, Eunho’s eyes curved into a smile.
In the dream, the baby had seemed gentle. Still, the fact that it knew how to get angry when angry—it seemed to take after him.
“No. The way it kicks every time I curse…… maybe it takes after Ahjussi.”
It had decreased a lot now, but sometimes when talking on the phone with his other uncles, Yi-beom would let out curses Eunho had never heard in his life. As naturally as breathing. Eunho didn’t think swearing was bad per se, but if possible, he wanted the child to live gently in the world. In odd places, Eunho’s sense of ethics was weak.
It shouldn’t inherit being good at swearing. As if advising the baby, Eunho gently patted his lower belly.
“Only take after the good things. Okay?”
“…….”
“Be, be cool like Ahjussi. And me…..”
His words trailed off. He’d often thought it would be nice if the baby resembled Yi-beom, but he’d never deeply considered what of himself he wanted the baby to resemble. After pondering for a while, Eunho let out a small exclamation.
“Meeting good people. It’d be okay to take after that.”
“……”
“If nothing else, I have that kind of luck. I got to date someone as good as Ahjussi.”
Looking down at his belly, Eunho smiled faintly.
“And I met you too, baby.”
At that moment, a sound slipped from the closed door. When he looked up, Yi-beom was visible through the small crack where it had opened.
“Ahjussi?”
Hastily getting up, Eunho pushed the door open with his head. Then he strode toward Yi-beom.
What brought him here? This was the first time Yi-beom had come to his room. A faint anticipation filled Eunho’s eyes. As he quietly looked up at him, Yi-beom parted his lips.
“……”
Even after waiting, no voice came out. Yi-beom opened and closed his mouth several times before finally giving up on speaking. He looked confused about what he should say himself.
Has Ahjussi changed his mind too? In all the time they’d dated, Yi-beom had never once hesitated with him. Instinctively sensing that Yi-beom’s feelings had shifted, Eunho took a step closer. Yi-beom took a step back.
“Don’t come.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering, Yi-beom’s expression hardened. It was a signal not to come any closer.
“……Even so, I want to be with you, Ahjussi.”
For every step he retreated, Eunho stepped forward again. Because of the difference in their strides, he had no choice but to scamper—ododo—toward him. He could feel Yi-beom’s gaze resting on the crown of his head.
You can’t even take your eyes off me now. Laughing inwardly, Eunho called out to him.
“Ahjussi. Can’t you hug me just for a moment?”
“…..No.”
It was the reaction he expected. I won’t get discouraged over this anymore. Quietly, Eunho shifted his hips forward.
Before he knew it, his body had settled right on top of Yi-beom’s feet. “Heung,” ears twitching, Eunho wrapped his legs around Yi-beom’s. When he even pressed his teeth in with a firm bite, Yi-beom growled.
“You really don’t lis—…… don’t listen at all.”
“You knew that.”
And you still love me! His S-shaped nose twitched.
“And now you’re talking back.”
“Talking back, I love you too.”
This time, no scolding came in return. Without a word, Yi-beom pulled Eunho into his arms. Not missing the moment, Eunho quickly grabbed his hand with both feet and brought it to his lower belly.
“What is this—!”
Baby, it’s Daddy, so don’t be surprised. Eunho tightened his grip on Yi-beom’s hand.
“Fucking bastard.”
At that instant, the baby kicked—bam! Yi-beom’s body went rigid, as if he’d felt the movement.
“Kwon Yi-beom, fucking bastard, fucking bastard!”
Bam! Bam!
Every time he said “fucking bastard,” the baby kicked powerfully. Maybe we should make our baby a soccer player. I can just stand next to them and curse! With that small, ridiculous thought, Eunho looked up at Yi-beom.
At first, he’d worn a dumbfounded expression at “Kwon Yi-beom, fucking bastard!” But as he seemed to feel the fetal movement, his eyes widened. Each time the baby kicked, his expression changed by the second.
He pressed at different spots on Eunho’s lower belly, gauging the baby’s position.
“This is…….”
“It’s our baby, Ahjussi.”
