By Zephyria Kang Da-hyun stayed in Seo Jeong-won’s hospital room for quite a while. After Kwon Tae-hee came in and bought sandwiches and drinks for a snack, they lost track of time catching up on old stories.
Seo Jeong-won, having revealed most of his stories to Kang Da-hyun, except for the ones he had to keep hidden, felt much relieved, but Kang Da-hyun did not. He seemed confused by the sudden influx of information. However, he quickly realized that no matter how he reacted, nothing would change, and it was even more out of the question for him to interfere or meddle. Therefore, instead of jumping up and down or making a fuss, he simply responded with a casual, “Is that so?”
“So, the kid’s name is Hae-a?”
“Yeah, Hae-a.”
“The name is unique and pretty. Who does he look like? Since he was in your belly, he probably looks a lot like you, right?”
“I think so.”
Seo Jeong-won answered firmly, nodding his head. Indeed, the child looked more like him than Kwon Tae-hee. Especially his eyes and lips. It was the first time he had bragged about his child to someone else, and Seo Jeong-won’s heart fluttered so much that it beat too fast, so he placed his palm over it.
“Do you want to see him? He’s really cute. When he was first born, he was just red, so I didn’t really know. But he’s definitely cute and pretty. Maybe it’s because he’s a boy. I’ve never seen such a pretty baby.”
Seo Jeong-won’s voice rose. Kang Da-hyun thought to himself, ‘How pretty can a newborn be?’ and nodded nonchalantly.
“Yeah, I should see him and go home. It’s already this late. Aren’t you supposed to have dinner?”
“Yeah, do you want to have dinner and go?”
“No, later.”
Kang Da-hyun, tidying up the things scattered around, gestured to Seo Jeong-won. It was a signal to go see him quickly, but Seo Jeong-won’s actions were slow. It took him a long time just to get up.
“Why are you even slower now?”
“……Huh? Ah.”
When he sat down and stood up, his vision went black with orthostatic hypotension, no matter how slowly he got up. If he moved recklessly at that time, he was likely to fall, so he had to stay still in one place until his vision returned properly.
“My anemia is bad. No, it’s gotten worse.”
Seo Jeong-won openly told Kang Da-hyun, who was urging him on, about the symptoms that had appeared after pregnancy and childbirth.
“Are you going to get married later? And have kids?”
“Are you asking the obvious? I’m going to marry a wife like a rabbit and have kids like frog eggs.”
“I’m not trying to interfere with your family planning, but… anemia got really bad after I got pregnant. It’s even worse after giving birth. My vision goes completely black just from sitting down and standing up.”
Seo Jeong-won, watching Kang Da-hyun’s reaction, hesitated for a moment before continuing.
“So, what I’m saying is… treat them well. Your future spouse.”
He wanted to exaggerate, but he held back because even telling the truth as it was might be unbelievable. The pregnancy and childbirth he had experienced were not easy, either one of them.
“I will. It might sound a bit strange to say this, but it seems scary and unfair. The two of you made the child, but only one of you… gets weaker. Can this even be called a loss?”
“It doesn’t feel unfair or like a loss, but it’s inconvenient because there are more things to be careful about. I’ve fallen a few times because I moved around thinking about how I used to be. I had a comprehensive checkup after giving birth, and my bone density was incredibly low. I might really break something if I fall wrong.”
Kang Da-hyun, who had been listening like it was a joke, became serious at some point. He had planned to have at least three children, so he was also taken aback.
“Is it to the point where you can’t have any more?”
“……I don’t think it’s that bad. I think I could have one more.”
“Seeing you, I’m worried about having kids. You don’t look like a dad right now, you just look like a patient.”
“That’s right, I’m surprised every time I look in the mirror. But the kid is so pretty that I don’t even care about this.”
He quickly admitted it because he checked every day that his appearance in the mirror was getting worse. His face, which he used to think was not bad, was now haggard like a skull.
“It’s not that your face has become ugly, it’s just that you look sick.”
“I think my face is not good either.”
“You’re really, what should I say? That…”
Kang Da-hyun pondered to find the right expression. What was abstract yet pitiful, and not just sad? He rubbed his chin for a long time, staring at Seo Jeong-won, then snapped his fingers and opened his mouth.
“A kitten abandoned by its mother!”
“……What?”
“You look similar, but the atmosphere is even more similar. Especially like a kitten abandoned by its mother on the street on a rainy day. Your husband picked up such you. I think his care is the only reason your face hasn’t deteriorated more.”
“What are you talking about?”
Despite the bewildered voice, Kang Da-hyun continued to speak. Until Kwon Tae-hee, who had briefly stopped by earlier during their conversation, left again, Seo Jeong-won’s gaze followed him sharply. Seeing that, he thought that the words that he didn’t get married because of the child must be true.
“It’s annoying, but…”
“Huh?”
“I’ll forgive you for not contacting me and disappearing. I’m more generous and have a better personality than you. I can’t even get angrier now that I see you.”
Kang Da-hyun shrugged his shoulders. He joked that there was no need to thank him for his generosity, but he also threatened, not so subtly, that if he cut off contact like this again, he would be the one to sever ties first.
¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸.•¨•¸
Seo Jeong-won shared the delivered lunch box with Kang Da-hyun, who had said he wouldn’t eat dinner, and talked about the child for a long time. After seeing Kwon Hae-a and coming up to the hospital room, Kang Da-hyun kept saying that the baby didn’t look like him at all.
“What to do? The kid just looks exactly like one of his dads.”
“What are you talking about? He looks like me.”
“To give an objective evaluation from the eyes of others, he doesn’t look like you. His eyes, nose, and mouth all look like your husband.”
“I’m telling you, he does! I’m going crazy.”
Seo Jeong-won, who was jumping up and down as if he was really dumbfounded, emptied his seaweed soup and glared at Kang Da-hyun.
“He looks like me.”
“Well, he probably does look like you. A child’s face changes as he grows.”
“Leave.”
Kang Da-hyun burst out laughing at the order to leave as soon as he put down his spoon. He roughly cleaned up the things he had eaten and threw them in the trash can, then grabbed his coat.
“Let’s talk more in detail when you get discharged. You’re coming to Seonam, right?”
“Yeah, I have to.”
They seemed to have had enough conversation, but how much more was there to talk about? He had only eaten, drank, and moved his mouth, but he was already exhausted. His steps to see him off were heavy. As he followed behind, dragging the IV stand, Kang Da-hyun turned around just before opening the hospital room door.
“It’s okay. What’s with the send-off, it’s making me cringe.”
Kang Da-hyun stopped Seo Jeong-won, whose words had suddenly decreased, and patted his shoulder, telling him not to come out. Then, he said he would see him again soon and left without even hearing a reply.
Seo Jeong-won, left alone in an instant, watched his back as he fled and smiled quietly. He moved his feet, which had stopped abruptly, and collapsed onto the bed as soon as he returned.
“I’m drained.”
The cheerful commotion disappeared, and only silence remained in the hospital room. Then, he heard the sound of the door opening. Seo Jeong-won slightly lifted his upper body to check who was coming in and smiled faintly.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
“……Does it.”
“You seem to have had fun all day, why are you passed out?”
Seo Jeong-won slightly moved his upper body and turned to his side, and Kwon Tae-hee quickly approached. He sat on the edge of the bed and reached out towards the face he had missed all day.
“What did you talk about with your friend?”
“Just how we’ve been doing, things like that.”
“Anything else?”
“He said he doesn’t have any friends around him who have given birth, so he doesn’t really know what state I’m in. He thought he would get married to someone, but he didn’t know he would even have a child.”
Kwon Tae-hee listened attentively to the soft voice and nodded in response to his words.
“So, what did Jeong-won say?”
“I said that I didn’t know I would have a child either. Because that’s the truth.”
Kwon Tae-hee lost his words for a moment and slowly blinked his eyes at the fairly bold words he had said without erasing the smile from his lips. A strong impulse arose to ask if he regretted it. However, he bit his lip and endured, fearing that he would only get hurt if he asked a question he wanted to hear a negative answer to.
“Jeong-won is too young to be a dad.”
“Is that so? But I would have become a dad someday anyway, so I don’t think the timing matters…”
Kwon Tae-hee smiled brightly at the words that flowed out similarly to the answer he wanted to hear. He mumbled that it was a relief and met his eyes.
“Talking with Da-hyun made me want to give Hae-a a sibling. I think he’ll be lonely alone. Executive Director, weren’t you lonely?”
Seo Jeong-won’s mouth moved incessantly, as if it was useless to have been lying down due to lack of energy.
“It would be nice if Hae-a had a sibling.”
“……”
“Our son would be a good older brother if he had a sibling. But… to do that, Jeong-won needs to get healthy first.”
Kwon Tae-hee recalled the doctor’s words that even if natural pregnancy was possible, the probability of miscarriage was high in his current state. A second child when his body wasn’t even normal was out of the question. To be honest, he didn’t want to have any more children, but he only agreed because he thought Seo Jeong-won would be upset or hurt if he told him honestly.