When I suddenly asked, Baek Woojin’s brow furrowed. Maybe additional explanation was needed.
“I mean his dream. He must have wanted to pick out fish flesh and feed it to daddy.”
“…When Kkotsu becomes able to use chopsticks properly… he might not want to do that anymore.”
From his calm voice, it seemed Baek Woojin was thinking something similar to me. Or maybe that’s how parents usually think. But paradoxically, when you think about it, neither Baek Woojin nor I are real dads… so it might be difficult to call us ordinary.
“The kindergarten teachers are taking special care of Kkotsu.”
Then Baek Woojin said while closing the communication notebook. I think I knew what he was talking about.
“Is there… no treatment method?”
When I asked carefully, Baek Woojin was silent for a moment before opening his mouth.
“Actually, he was continuing speech therapy until last year.”
“Ah…”
“But there wasn’t much progress. Even when we had him examined, there didn’t seem to be major problems in other areas… It would be good to know the exact cause, but we stopped because it seemed to be hard on Kkotsu.”
“Then…?”
“I’m currently researching related matters.”
Saying that, Baek Woojin gestured toward the books stacked next to the dining table.
As expected… he’s no ordinary person. The way he personally stepped up for Kkotsu’s speech therapy was amazing. Even though he’s not the biological father genetically, Baek Woojin’s current appearance seemed like more than that.
“That day too, I attended a party disguised as a language research seminar.”
That day would be…
“Yes, I thought I had wasted precious time being held up until dawn that day… but meeting Chae Seungyeon-ssi was really…”
“Lucky?”
When I shamelessly asked, Baek Woojin laughed as if incredulous.
“So you usually study here at the dining table?”
I changed the subject. Actually, I’d been curious since earlier. Looking around the house, there was a study and more empty rooms, so I wondered why he studied here.
“This is the spot where I can see Kkotsu’s room best.”
“Ah…”
Now that I looked, from where Baek Woojin sat, I could see Kkotsu’s half-open room door directly. As expected, while pretending not to care and having a stern tone, he cherished Kkotsu more than anyone.
“Am I right?”
Baek Woojin looked at me as if asking what I meant by that.
“A warm person.”
“……”
When I smiled and said that, bewilderment appeared in Baek Woojin’s eyes. I quietly gazed into those eyes. I didn’t notice at first, but while Baek Woojin’s voice and expression always seemed calm, he was accurately expressing his intentions through his eyes.
Where was it that I heard this? That you can tell what someone is thinking just by looking at their eyes…
“Ah, maybe it’s because I took medicine… I’m already getting sleepy.”
I covered my mouth with my hand as a yawn was about to escape and muttered. I think I slept a lot earlier too, but I don’t know why I’m so sleepy.
“I’m sorry, I’ll go first…”
“Chae Seungyeon-ssi.”
Just as I was about to get up from my seat first, Baek Woojin called my name. The eyes that met mine were unusual.
“Do you know what kind of person Chae Seungyeon-ssi is?”
At the sudden question, I pretended to think carefully.
“Hmm… Am I also a warm person?”
“No.”
When I asked jokingly, Baek Woojin said no curtly.
“Well, there’s no need to be so blunt about it…”
“You’re a lovable person.”
“…What?”
Words I never expected flowed from Baek Woojin’s mouth. For a moment I didn’t know how to respond, then I blurted out whatever came tumbling out in my flustered state.
“Ah… haha, that’s… right? Kkotsu is lovable, and Hyeol is lovable, and Woojin-ssi is also…”
“No, you are the most lovable to me.”
However, despite my efforts, Baek Woojin appealed his opinion once more. My face heated up and sweat started trickling out. Should I say thank you… I was at a loss.
What saved me from the crisis was Kkotsu making a “mmm…” sound that could be heard through the half-open door. Baek Woojin got up from his seat, seemingly to head to Kkotsu’s room.
“…It’s late. Please go in first and sleep.”
“Oh, yes yes… Woojin-ssi, sleep well too…!”
I quickly said goodbye and hurried toward the guest room. I felt an intense gaze on my back, but I didn’t dare turn around until I entered the room.
*
The next day, feeling much more refreshed than the previous day, I personally took care of Hyeol’s kindergarten attendance. Even though I would just submit the withdrawal application and return, today I wanted to take care of everything myself.
“…Will you be alright?”
It was when we were about to leave the house before Kkotsu’s family. Baek Woojin asked me with worried eyes.
“Yes, I’ll be fine. I was worried a lot too… but there’s someone reasonable among that family…”
Yesterday I contacted them directly, knowing well what kind of people that family was. Not the stubborn mother-in-law I mentioned…
“Did you say it was Hyeol’s uncle?”
“Yes.”
I called the young master who had personally brought me the necessary luggage.
Of course, I didn’t just call him because we could communicate. I felt too sorry to ask Woojin-ssi to drive again today after yesterday, and I also had business with the young master.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance, I forgot too…”
When I smiled slightly in apology, Baek Woojin fastened the front of my coat himself with an uncomfortable expression and said,
“…Actually it’s half and half.”
What does he mean by half and half?
“Half worry, half envy.”
“…?”
I understood the worry, but I didn’t know why envy came into it. I just remembered what he said to me yesterday about being ‘lovable’ and felt embarrassed again for no reason.
“Then… we’ll go and come back.”
I tried to avoid Baek Woojin’s touch, take Hyeol’s hand, and leave.
“Wait a moment.”
That’s when Baek Woojin, as if suddenly remembering something, quickly went inside the hallway and brought something.
“Take this with you.”
“This is…”
“It’s small, so even beginners can use it easily.”
What Baek Woojin gave me was a self-defense stun gun. I quickly took it and put it in my coat pocket, worried the children might see.
“I hope you won’t need to use it, but… thank you, Woojin-ssi.”
“And if anything happens, be sure to contact…”
“Dad, uncle is waiting.”
While we were saying goodbye, Hyeol squeezed between us and spoke. Baek Woojin looked regretful and stepped back to open the front door.
“Kkotsu, teacher is leaving. Have a good day at kindergarten. Hyeol should say goodbye too.”
“Kko…”
“Kkosu!”
Before Hyeol could finish calling his name, Kkotsu shouted sharply. If he called him Kko-kko one more time, it looked like there would be a big fight.
“Right, Kkosu. Hyung is leaving.”
“……”
But Hyeol didn’t back down either. He just said what he wanted to say and quickly went outside the front door. Sure enough, Kkotsu trembled with his body and had eyes full of anger. It looked like he might do something, making my heart sink.
“Kkotsu, teacher will apologize instead of Hyeol. I’m sorry…”
“Little… brother… no, no…”
Kkotsu spoke with wide eyes as if it was unfair that Hyeol called him little brother.
“Yes, teacher will scold him for that too. Kkotsu and Hyeol aren’t brothers, you’re friends, right?”
“……”
I pretended to correct the relationship by asking if they were friends, but Kkotsu said nothing. As I suspected… he didn’t seem to accept Hyeol even as a friend. Was this a natural result? Their first meeting had been rocky from the start…
Sigh… I couldn’t help but sigh. If things go wrong from the beginning like this…
“No, no… ri-rival… is…”
That’s when Kkotsu spoke while still clenching his fists tightly.
“…Rival?”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
