Side Story 10
Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, and a nurse entered pushing a small portable crib where Lucky was lying.
Hyun-oh rose from his seat and picked up Lucky with practiced ease.
Although Lucky was born earlier than expected, aside from being slightly smaller than the average newborn, he was healthy with no issues.
“He doesn’t look much like you, does he?” Hyun-oh said, sitting in the chair with Lucky comfortably cradled in his arm so Eunsol could see better. Hyun-oh’s eyes were as warm as sunshine melting ice as he looked down at the baby.
“He just fell asleep after having his formula,” the nurse said.
True to the nurse’s words, the baby’s eyes were tightly closed. Yet his expressions were so varied that just watching made Eunsol wonder what the baby was dreaming about.
Seeing the baby’s mouth moving slightly, Eunsol thought he might be eating something in his dream. The baby’s nose wrinkled as if uncomfortable, making Eunsol’s fingertips twitch.
“Just a moment,” Hyun-oh said.
Hyun-oh reached out to adjust the angle of Eunsol’s bed. Once Eunsol was in a position where he could lean back comfortably, Hyun-oh carefully transferred Lucky into his arms.
Eunsol tensed at the weight that felt as if it might crumble with the slightest pressure. But when Hyun-oh gently rubbed his shoulder as if to say don’t be afraid, Eunsol’s shoulders gradually relaxed.
“…Lucky,” Eunsol whispered.
As if recognizing Eunsol’s voice, Lucky’s closed eyelids twitched. With his index finger, Eunsol lightly traced the baby’s round forehead and the small nose below it. The baby repeatedly wrinkled his nose as if ticklish, making Eunsol’s nose bridge twitch in response.
“Our baby… is so beautiful.”
The small face with delicate features filled Eunsol with emotion.
It was hard to believe that such a beautiful being had come into the world through him.
Eunsol suddenly wondered if his omega father had felt such a moving moment when he saw his newborn child.
But he couldn’t ask someone who had already left this world. His momentary thoughts of his father caused Eunsol’s smile to wither.
“To my eyes, you’re more beautiful,” Hyun-oh said.
Hyun-oh cupped Eunsol’s cheek, drawing his gaze toward him. Eunsol’s eyes, growing moist, were as clear and deep as a newborn calf’s.
Unable to resist the impulse, Hyun-oh placed a softly ticklish kiss on the corner of Eunsol’s eye.
As if to sweep away the negative thoughts in Eunsol’s mind.
“Still, in front of Lucky, say we’re both beautiful. The baby might feel sad otherwise,” Eunsol said, looking up at Hyun-oh with a rather clear voice. Though he couldn’t hide his cheeks reddening from Hyun-oh’s affectionate gesture.
“I will.”
No sooner had Hyun-oh finished speaking than Lucky opened his eyes. Eunsol finally understood why Hyun-oh had said the baby resembled him.
The baby’s eyes took after Eunsol, holding the darkness of the night sky.
Eunsol had heard that babies at this age could barely see objects the size of a finger right in front of them, but Lucky stared up at Eunsol as if recognizing him.
“Did you, did you see that?” Eunsol’s voice trembled. Lucky had just smiled at Eunsol.
His heart raced violently as if he’d been running. A wave of varied emotions moistened Eunsol’s entire heart.
“Haaah…”
The brightly smiling face quickly surrendered to sleepiness, and the baby opened his mouth wide. It was such an adorable yawn that Eunsol wanted to hear it again.
Eunsol mimicked the baby, opening his mouth wide and then closing it. Hyun-oh watched them both as if capturing them in his eyes.
Eunsol, holding the baby and beaming like the happiest person in the world, was so radiant that Hyun-oh felt this moment would remain in his memory for a long time.
The faces of the two people smiling at each other seemed to personify happiness, making even the onlooker’s lips curl into a smile.
* * *
“Waaah…”
“Why is our Raon crying?”
Eunsol picked up the whimpering Raon. He rested the baby’s cheek on his shoulder and patted his back, and soon Raon stopped fussing, closed his eyes, and moved his lips.
Eunsol repeatedly kissed the side of Raon’s head, which smelled faintly of baby powder, making kissing sounds.
Even though his shoulder was getting soaked with Raon’s drool, Eunsol didn’t mind and sat down on the sofa.
Han Raon. The name meaning “joyful” was given to Lucky by Eunsol and Hyun-oh after putting their heads together.
“I want Lucky to always be happy,” Eunsol had said.
Though life couldn’t always be happy, his honest feeling was that he didn’t want to show even a fragment of unhappiness to their precious baby.
“Let’s find a name for the baby together,” Hyun-oh had suggested.
They could have requested a renowned name consultant, but the couple wanted to choose Lucky’s name themselves.
Before being discharged from the hospital, they put their heads together and looked up countless words and Chinese characters. Then, as if by magic, the couple’s eyes stopped on one word.
“Han Raon. I think this name is beautiful,” Eunsol had said.
At that moment, Eunsol felt they had found Lucky’s name. Hyun-oh felt the same way. That’s how their child came to have the name Han Raon.
“I’ll hold him. Please give him to me,” said the babysitter, who had been sterilizing Raon’s morning milk bottle in the kitchen, as she hurried over in surprise.
“It’s fine. When he falls into a deep sleep, I’ll put him in his crib,” Eunsol declined with a shake of his head. Meanwhile, his white hand continued to pat the small back diligently.
“Isn’t it time for your studies?” the babysitter asked.
“I came out to take a short break,” Eunsol replied.
Currently, there was a babysitter staying at Eunsol and Hyun-oh’s home 24 hours a day.
Kim Soon-ja, the fifty-something veteran sitter now talking with Eunsol, and her sister took turns caring for Raon.
As she mentioned, Eunsol would normally be studying in the study room at this time.
“I… want to go to university,” Eunsol had told Hyun-oh on the day he was discharged from the hospital. While living an incredibly stable life, Eunsol had been thinking about his future.
When Eunsol married Hyun-oh, all he wanted was to become a spouse who shared his heart with him.
Building a happy family – that had been Eunsol’s wish since childhood. But after achieving that dream, he found himself concerned about the rest of his life.
Though he felt it might seem greedy, he wanted to become an even better father for Raon.
As Raon grew up, he would become curious about his father and ask all sorts of questions.
If Eunsol had to tell him that he had never properly attended school or graduated from university, he thought it might hurt a little.
“You can do whatever you want,” Hyun-oh had said.
Hyun-oh didn’t take Eunsol’s small request lightly. A few days later, a printed list of prestigious universities that Eunsol might attend was presented to him.
Profiles of famous instructors were included.
The schedule created by Kim Myungjun was designed so that if Eunsol followed it, he could take the college entrance exam next year and enter university the year after.
Eunsol adjusted his schedule to include a mix of private tutoring and academy classes.
At first, he considered taking classes only at home, but he thought it would be better to go out and meet various people to have a proper school experience.
Today was a day for private tutoring only. He had been doing homework before coming to the living room to see Raon’s face as a break.
“Then I’ll prepare a snack for you,” the babysitter offered.
Thanks to Hyun-oh’s careful selection, the two babysitters not only took care of Raon but also looked after Eunsol’s health with care.
“Thank you.”
Studying often made him hungry quickly. Eunsol was feeling somewhat hungry, so instead of declining the snack, he bowed his head.
Glancing to the side, he saw that Raon was already fast asleep, making soft breathing sounds.
Eunsol placed Raon in the crib and gently stroked his chubby cheeks. The hand wrapped in a baby mitten firmly gripped Eunsol’s index finger.
“Our Raon is so strong.”
Kang Ye-ryeong had said that Raon, who didn’t suffer from the minor illnesses that babies typically experience, took after Hyun-oh completely.
Though he resembled Eunsol in appearance, it was fortunate that his robust health took after Hyun-oh’s son.
“Please have this,” the babysitter said, offering a snack.
“Thank you. Please join me,” Eunsol invited.
“Oh my, I’ve been eating this and that continuously, so I’m full,” Kim Soon-ja politely declined with a wave of her hand. It wasn’t just a polite refusal; she really wasn’t hungry.
“Raon is the most gentle baby I’ve ever seen. That’s why it doesn’t even feel difficult,” she added.
Since it would be impolite to keep insisting after such a clear refusal, Eunsol backed down.
“Then please take some traditional sweets when you leave later. Mother brought a lot of them.”
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
