4 years old
Hae-won So you had a kid at 26?
ㅇㅇ
Is that a problem?
In case there was some urgent contact, Seo-an checked messages from Hae-won right away and left replies. He didn’t just pass over trivial messages either.
In any case, it was because Hae-won was there that he could now sit in the office with relative peace of mind. It would be good to buy some food on the way home too.
The foods Hae-won used to like came to mind in a row as if it were natural. Just as an absurd laugh burst out, Hae-won’s message appeared again in the bottom right of the screen.
Hae-won Ji-yu has a peanut allergy What about you, hyung? I think you didn’t have any
I don’t
Hae-won You eat everything well, right? I thought so
The messages coming one after another were no different from saying that Hae-won also remembered Seo-an from college.
At that, Seo-an was about to reply but paused and took his hand off the keyboard for a moment. He gently made a fist in the air, then slowly typed a message again.
Yeah If you’re tired from watching Ji-yu, just put her to sleep and rest too
It was about time for the child to start whining that she was tired. For him, Ji-yu’s whining was familiar now, but if it was someone unfamiliar with the child, they might get exhausted.
With that as the end, Seo-an really put on a spurt to leave work. Likewise, as if thinking it was time to go home, the messages from part members also began to get faster.
***
After leaving work and exiting the office, Seo-an ordered the spicy chicken stew that Hae-won used to like. He’d received a message saying the child ate a whole bowl of rice, but just in case, he didn’t forget to also order steamed eggs for Ji-yu’s portion.
He didn’t know how hurried his steps toward home were. His breath rose to the tip of his chin and breathing was difficult, but he didn’t slow down his pace because of that.
Only after getting on the elevator did Seo-an barely catch his breath, and while looking in the mirror, he tidied his disheveled hair and straightened his clothes.
Just as he let out a sigh with a tok, the elevator door opened. As soon as he entered the password and opened the front door, the scene he saw was…
“Dad—!”
“You’re home.”
It was greetings from two people pouring out at once.
Seo-an burst into laughter without realizing it. How close have they gotten in just one day? The child, who was buried in Hae-won’s embrace, had one arm wrapped around Hae-won’s neck and was completely leaning her body against his chest, comfortably settling her posture.
Hae-won, who was firmly supporting the child with one arm, didn’t look particularly uncomfortable either. After carefully setting the child down, he stroked Ji-yu’s head, then pressed down firmly to make her bow at the waist.
“You say ‘welcome home.'”
“Welcome home.”
As always, Ji-yu bowed at the waist while only lifting her head to look up at Seo-an. How pretty was her face smiling with a ‘hehe.’ Seo-an also gathered both hands at his navel and bowed at the waist to greet her.
“I’m home. Ji-yu-ya, wasn’t it hard being with samchon?”
“No, why are you asking Ji-yu first? I’m the one who watched the kid, you know?”
“Were you having a hard time?”
As soon as Seo-an attached a question to the complaint that immediately chased him, Hae-won grinned and tilted his head cutely. I thought he was pretty, pretty, but… It seemed like Hae-won himself knew well what kind of face he had. Otherwise, how could he lift his chin so primly like that?
“No, it wasn’t hard. Ji-yu listens well, doesn’t she? She plays well by herself too.”
“Ji-yu listened well to samchon.”
Seo-an forcibly tore away eyes that were difficult to remove and entered the house. Other than the block box that Ji-yu usually liked being out, the house wasn’t very messy.
Unexpectedly, does he have a talent for watching kids… Come to think of it, seeing how he checked for allergies first thing, it didn’t seem like he was completely clueless.
Really unexpected.
Well, do I really know anything about him properly? We stuck together so closely, yet we knew each other less than anyone and later even cut off contact.
After lightly brushing away thoughts that rose without him being conscious of them again, Seo-an immediately lifted Ji-yu who clung to his legs and went to the bathroom to wash his hands first.
The food will arrive soon, and concluding it would be good to put the child to sleep before that, Seo-an even washed her face and changed Ji-yu’s clothes with practiced hands.
“Ji-yu not sleepy? Not sleepy yet…”
Her characteristic mumbling increased. It was a trait shown when she was sleepy.
“Yeah, you’re not sleepy. Let’s just lie down with dad.”
“…Going to keep eyes, open like this.”
“Yeah, keep your eyes open.”
Seo-an didn’t even think about forcing the child to sleep. After leaving words to Hae-won to wait a moment, Seo-an, who entered the room holding the child, answered Ji-yu’s words without fail and patted the child’s chest a few times.
There was no time to ask how daycare was today, if she made friends, or how the teacher was. When he played her favorite song, caressed her head, and then kissed her cheek, the child’s eyes slowly closed.
Because she was such a docile child, there was no need to make an effort to force her to sleep.
When he carefully went outside the room in case the child woke up, he saw Hae-won, who had received the delivery food at some point and was organizing it on the table. Seo-an took out spoons and chopsticks to match. And he put the small steamed eggs he’d ordered for Ji-yu’s portion in the refrigerator. There was a separate portion for Hae-won anyway.
“Is that for the baby?”
“Yeah, Ji-yu likes steamed eggs too.”
“You’re really devoted, seriously.”
“She’s a kid. Today was really urgent, so thank you for coming. It would have been hard without you.”
“See? Who told you to be so confident?”
“Ah, the nagging isn’t over yet.”
Seo-an smiled softly and sat facing Hae-won.
There was no need for sentiments like this seat being new. Strangely enough, even though there were years when he lived without contacting him, the present moment of facing him again was as familiar as if he’d returned to college days.
Has it already been 4 years…
During the meal, the two people didn’t exchange any particular conversation. Though it could have been uncomfortable and might be awkward, the strangely comfortable air flow didn’t give any pressure that they had to make an effort to talk.
Around that time, Seo-an smiled softly.
Right, even without reconnecting the relationship, wouldn’t it be okay to get along to about this extent? If we’ve become next-door neighbors anyway, now to the extent of helping each other according to need…
It wasn’t like trying to be as close as before, nor was it saying he’d repeat the same wound, so he thought this extent would be okay.
Isn’t it that relationships aren’t cut off cleanly like cutting with a knife in the first place? Society was where severed connections according to the times meet again, and even for Seo-an, though not deep, he had enough social skills to maintain surface-level relationships.
Having come to that conclusion, his mind became much more at ease.
Seo-an looked at Hae-won while brushing away the nostalgia of the past that came for no reason. His gaze, resting his chin while eating, not knowing from when he’d been looking at him, was falling squarely on his face.
It was a gaze full of curiosity.
Likewise, he had many curious things, but Seo-an didn’t particularly drag them out. When he lowered his gaze again, a low laugh touched the top of his head as if understanding the intention.
“Why are you avoiding me?”
At the question asked aggressively, Seo-an burst into a rough cough with a keok.
“…Well, never mind that. I have something I’m curious about, can I ask?”
Hae-won said while handing water to Seo-an. He looked like he’d ask even if told not to. Seo-an reluctantly nodded while receiving and drinking the water.
Hae-won asked while sweeping the interior of the house once more.
“There are no traces of a woman in the house?”
It was a question containing the doubt he’d had the whole time while caring for the child. He said he got married and there should be a child’s mother, but for some reason, he couldn’t see any traces of a woman in the house. Just as Hae-won blinked his eyes, purely curious in his own way about who the person Kwon Seo-an married was—
“Uwaaeng—”
Ji-yu’s whining was heard from inside.
The question he was about to ask next—Does the baby’s mother not live together?—went right into his mouth. At the same time, Seo-an, who reflexively jumped up, hurriedly entered Ji-yu’s room and first lifted the child up.
“Yeah, dad’s here.”
“Dad, dad…”
Though she usually spoke clearly word by word, when she woke up from sleep, that whining was severe. Because if the sleep whining started like this, he’d have to stay up all night, Seo-an’s gestures became increasingly urgent.
Seo-an, who came outside while holding the child and patting her back to soothe her, looked at Hae-won.
“Let’s finish talking next time. If the kid’s like this, I can’t sleep all night.”
“You’re telling me to leave?”
“Thank you so much for today. I’ll contact you.”
“No, just like this?”
“Sorry. You must have been tired from watching the kid too, so you should at least sleep comfortably.”
