Chapter 158
This time, I’ll choose something even bigger than a spaceship.
With this determination, Jerome’s eyes finally fell on a display rack filled with block set boxes as he scoured the store.
His eyes sparkling, Jerome approached and hugged one box that looked suitably large and impressive. As he turned to head back to where his dad was, a sharp voice caught his ear – someone on a phone call.
“Of course I’m at the department store buying gifts for the kids!”
It was an adult’s voice, tinged with irritation and somewhat threatening. Jerome hunched his shoulders.
“What’s the point of working my fingers to the bone when it all slips through the cracks? Money, money, money! It’s killing me. It was tight even before having kids, but now I’m really going crazy.”
The lamenting voice was full of irritation.
“You better plan your kids well, man. Don’t end up like me. This isn’t living. My life isn’t even mine anymore. Because of the kids, it’s just…”
The person pouring out their complaints on the phone turned and noticed Jerome standing behind them, looking flustered.
“…Hey, let’s hang up. This doesn’t seem like the right place to talk. I’ll call you back later.”
Embarrassed, they quickly ended the call and hurriedly left. Even after they were gone, Jerome stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.
“Jerome, there you are. Dad’s been looking everywhere for you. How could you run off like that?”
Hyeon-woo scolded Jerome when he finally found him. He had been planning to give him a stern talking-to, but something seemed off about Jerome’s dejected appearance.
“…What’s wrong, Jerome? Did something happen?”
“……”
In Jerome’s quiet hand was a small dog keychain.
He thought Jerome would come back with something enormous since he had run off so excitedly…
“Jerome, we can buy something better if you want.”
“……”
“Dad can buy you anything you like.”
“……”
But Jerome just shook his head silently. He looked somewhat gloomy.
“Do you want to look around with Dad?”
“…No.”
Jerome shook his head repeatedly.
“Jerome likes this.”
“……”
“Doggy. Cute.”
“…Okay, I understand.”
Hyeon-woo had prepared a budget in advance, planning to buy Jerome a big Christmas present. But he didn’t push further when Jerome said he liked this keychain that cost only a few thousand won. Instead, he thought about giving Jerome a really nice present for Children’s Day next year as he finished paying and left the department store.
To buy a gift for the Director, who had a hobby of collecting antiques, they stopped by a vintage shop located in an alley near the department store. The interior was packed with rare items that showed the passage of time.
If Mom had known about this place, she would have been delighted for sure…
Just as he was about to feel melancholic from the sudden thought of his parents, a small music box in the corner caught Hyeon-woo’s eye. It was a wooden music box designed with a cute train running on a circular track around a clock tower.
As Hyeon-woo picked it up, the shop owner who was tidying a nearby display approached with a smile.
“It’s a music box made of birch. The sound is warm and nostalgic.”
The texture of the wood grain, neat without a single rough spot, felt nice. The owner reached for the base of the music box and wound the spring once. The train started moving along the track, and a gentle melody began to play.
Hyeon-woo listened quietly. The tone, which seemed lively yet somehow melancholic, was mysterious.
When the melody ended, the owner spoke again.
“Do you know the flower language of birch?”
“No, what is it?”
“It means ‘I await you.'”
“……”
“It fits the melody perfectly, doesn’t it?”
Hyeon-woo left the store with an antique-style ceramic pot for Director Jangmi and the wooden music box. Afterward, he stopped by a bookstore to pick up some fairy tales for Jerome and a few bestsellers displayed on the shelves before heading home.
Jerome, who seemed somewhat gloomy, didn’t cheer up even after getting home. Worried he might be coming down with a cold, Hyeon-woo gave him warm citron tea and put him to bed early. Throughout the night, he frequently checked Jerome’s forehead for fever. Fortunately, the feared cold didn’t materialize.
*
Hyeon-woo headed to Director Jangmi’s tutoring center with carefully wrapped gifts and cards. A delicious, savory smell wafted all the way to the lawn. The front door swung open almost as soon as he rang the doorbell.
“Come on in. It’s cold outside, isn’t it?”
“Oh my, our cute Jerome is here? Here, this is for Jerome.”
The two women who had arrived earlier welcomed Hyeon-woo and Jerome. Director Jangmi put a headband she had prepared on Jerome. With the reindeer antlers headband, Jerome looked as cute as a baby Rudolph.
A large tree in the center of the living room, decorated with pretty ornaments, created a full Christmas atmosphere. On the wall hung a circular wreath of green leaves interwoven with gold ribbons, pinecones, and red berries.
The somewhat clumsy appearance suggested that the tutoring center’s children had made it themselves. Thinking of the children earnestly making it with their little fingers, a warm smile spread across Hyeon-woo’s face.
Dinner started with Yejun joining in late. The main dish was oven-roasted whole chicken. They had a bountiful and enjoyable meal, spreading out the drinks and food each had brought on the table. Afterward, they continued with the gift exchange while enjoying cookies that Director Jangmi said she had baked herself, along with black tea.
Hyeon-woo received a cozy cashmere muffler from Mrs. Kyung-ae and a leather wallet from Yejun. As he opened the small box that Director Jangmi had prepared and checked its contents, he looked up in surprise.
“…Is it really okay for me to receive this?”
Inside the box was an expensive latest model smartphone.
“Jerome is at his cutest age now. I prepared it so you can take lots of photos.”
Hyeon-woo had been using a low-end phone with the cheapest plan, and he had been feeling regretful every time he took photos of Jerome, who was growing day by day. As if seeing right through his desire for a better camera, there was a high-end smartphone with three camera lenses in the box.
“Thank you so much. Thank you all, I’ll use it well.”
Hyeon-woo expressed his gratitude, unable to hide his joy. They also sincerely thanked Hyeon-woo for the gifts he had prepared.
“Jerome, here’s a gift for you too~ We all chose it together. Come quickly and open it!”
Even Jerome, who had become noticeably quieter recently, couldn’t hide his delight at the surprise gift. Responding to Mrs. Kyung-ae’s call, Jerome approached with a face full of excitement and unwrapped the large box with his small hands.
“Wow! It’s the block toy that Jerome likes!”
The revealed box contained a picture of a large castle. It was the very same impressive block castle that Jerome had hugged and then put down in the toy store just a few days ago.
“You’ve already finished assembling the spaceship and were bored, right? This is perfect!”
“…Waaah~!”
Jerome, who had been pouting and getting teary-eyed, finally burst into tears.
He’s not the type to cry over something like this…
Hyeon-woo, flustered by Jerome’s reaction, hugged him tightly.
“Are you crying because you’re too happy? At times like this, you should say ‘thank you’ instead of crying. Come on, stop crying and say thank you.”
“…Tank you.”
Jerome’s nose was bright red as he tried hard to swallow his sobs, his shoulders heaving with hiccups. As he bowed deeply in thanks, the reindeer antlers on his head swayed left and right, making him look exactly like Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
“Oh my, oh my~”
“Oh goodness, how adorable.”
The two women were busy taking pictures of Jerome.
After spending a happy time with everyone and returning home, Hyeon-woo only prepared for bed after putting Jerome to sleep.
Lying in bed and looking at the moonlit window, Tae-geon suddenly came to Hyeon-woo’s mind.
What would he be doing now?
Would he be sitting in his armchair, looking at the window rattling in the wind? No, since he couldn’t see, he would be in complete darkness.
Thinking of Tae-geon spending time alone in the mansion made Hyeon-woo’s heart heavy. He couldn’t understand why he had to suffer these feelings. The rare happiness he had felt today had turned into discomfort, now weighing on his mind.
“Haah…”
A heavy sigh escaped Hyeon-woo’s lips as he tossed and turned, unable to sleep.
*
The long holiday ended with New Year’s Day, which began with the sound of the New Year’s Eve bell. Not long after Hyeon-woo sent Jerome off on the daycare center bus, Driver Yoon arrived to pick him up. For some reason, he felt glad to see him.
“Driver Yoon, happy new year.”
“Happy new year to you too, Ian.”
Driver Yoon’s car soon arrived in front of the mansion.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
