Wookyung swept back his still-wet hair while making a joke.
-I have to watch a kid.
“…A kid?”
Wookyung’s brow furrowed immediately.
“…Did you… have an accident? What bastard is it? I’ll just…”
-Oh, oppa too. Are you crazy? It’s not that, it’s a kid I’m watching.
“A kid you’re watching?”
At words that made less sense the more he heard, Wookyung narrowed his furrowed brow.
“Weren’t you a social worker…? Did you change jobs?”
-No. I’m still doing that job, but there’s someone I became personally close to. Their situation is so pitiful that I watch their kid every evening.
“Every evening? …Where does that person go in the evening?”
-Night work. I just let them sleep over with me. They eat at daycare until evening. The department I transferred to a few months ago has a relaxed workload, so I can leave on time every day. Of course, I’m getting properly compensated from that person too.
“…Really?”
At the unexpected situation, Wookyung muttered blankly.
The younger sister he had watched since childhood had a straightforward and refreshing personality. After their mother passed away, their only father remained in the countryside, and the only one left with him in the city was Yoonkyung. Wookyung truly cherished his lovely younger sister. Enough to have absolute loyalty to President Park’s orders, who had threatened him using her.
“Then why are you watching the baby today?”
-That person collapsed at their workplace because they’re sick now. They said they’d come as soon as they regain consciousness after getting some fluids at the emergency room. I’ll just watch until then. Fortunately, today is Saturday.
“…Won’t it be too hard on you?”
-The kid is cute so it’s okay. They’re well-behaved too. I’m busy so I’m hanging up. Oppa, I’m sorry.
“Hey. Wait a minute.”
Somehow, it felt disappointing to cancel the appointment like this. They were both busy with work, so it was a meeting after several months. Wookyung thought for a moment, then smiled playfully with sparkling eyes.
“Let me watch too, that kid. I’ll help you.”
-What? You, oppa?
This time, Yoonkyung burst into laughter on the other end of the phone.
-Do you even know how to watch kids, oppa? Imagining you holding a baby with those pot-lid-like hands is pretty funny.
“Hey, what are you treating my sincerity as? I just have to do what you tell me to.”
Grumbling, Wookyung got up. Walking slowly to the dressing room, he tucked the phone between his head and shoulder, rummaged through the hangers, and looked for an outer garment to wear.
“I’ll see your face and feed you lunch. You won’t be able to eat lunch properly while watching the kid, right?”
-Oh. I’m grateful for that? Then will you buy some things?
“Yeah. What do you want to eat?”
-I want sushi.
At the answer that came back without a second’s hesitation, Wookyung chuckled.
“Sushi. Okay. And?”
-Iced americano.
“Iced americano… Okay. And also.”
-One bag of rice puffs.
“…Rice…puffs? What’s that? Is that the name of a rice cake?”
At the incomprehensible word, Wookyung’s hand putting on socks stopped. Yoonkyung’s mocking laughter poured through the phone.
-It’s the name of a snack kids eat. You’re going to that sushi place, right? Yongsushi. There’s a big mart next to it, so buy it there. If you don’t know, ask an employee near the baby products.
“Got it for now. Rice puffs.”
-Yeah. Oh, right. Diapers too. We ran out.
“Diapers?”
-Yeah. Size 6, pull-up type, for boys.
“Wait…a minute.”
At the information pouring in like a storm, Wookyung frowned. Wookyung switched his phone to speakerphone, opened the memo app, and asked again.
“Say it again. What should I buy?”
-Size 6, pull-up type, for boys. Any brand is fine.
“Why is this so difficult?”
-That’s how kids’ stuff is originally. Difficult. I only learned this time while watching this kid too.
“…Got it. I’ll call you again if it’s difficult when I get there.”
-Yeah. What time will you come?
While listening to the voice flowing through the speakerphone, he checked the time and it was already almost 11 o’clock. If he went from now on and diligently shopped, bought sushi and coffee, it seemed like he could arrive before 1 o’clock. Wookyung picked out an outer garment and took it off the hanger.
“I’ll go now. If I go from now and buy things, it’ll be about 12:30 when I arrive at your place.”
-That’s true. Then come quickly! I’m already getting hungry.
“Got it. Hang in there and watch the baby.”
-Yeah.
The call abruptly ended with a blunt voice without even a goodbye. A refreshing personality as always.
To think such a kid is watching someone else’s baby. Well, unlike her blunt exterior from before, she had a soft heart and liked helping others. That’s why she wanted a job helping others and went to the Department of Social Welfare.
A profession completely opposite to her brother’s. With a bitter smile, Wookyung put on his outer garment. Just as he was dirtying the world by doing bad things, this child was brightening a corner of the world.
He had been too busy for the past few months to even properly contact her. No matter what, still, watching someone else’s baby can’t be easy… Anyway, she has a bold side to her. With a faint smile, Wookyung grabbed his car keys and left the house.
Choosing childcare products was a much more difficult challenge than expected.
Among kind couples, or pregnant women with protruding bellies, or caregivers with children seated in carts, Wookyung stood alone blankly with his large frame. While choosing diapers lined up in similar sizes, Wookyung unknowingly frowned slightly. He had no idea what to buy.
He somehow managed to buy the diapers. Following what Yoonkyung told him, he first chose the size, then the gender, then the type, and the range of choices narrowed significantly. Among them, he picked out a product from a brand that seemed decent. The diapers had a transparent handle like a bag. Since he only needed to buy some snack called rice puffs or whatever and diapers anyway, he didn’t bring a cart.
With the diapers dangling in his left hand, Wookyung went to the stand set up next to it. No matter how much he looked, he didn’t know what rice puffs were. If I just buy something like potato chips that adults eat, I’ll get cursed at, right…? Just as he was about to search for it, he asked an employee standing nearby.
“Excuse me… By any chance, what are rice puffs…?”
“Pardon?”
The small-framed beta woman in uniform momentarily showed a surprised expression. Though he was dressed comfortably, he was twice as big as others. It would be understandable to be flustered when a burly man with a scar from a knife on his face suddenly approached and asked. Wookyung tried to make a gentle expression and asked again.
“Well… I came to run an errand for my younger sister… She told me to buy rice puffs, so I’m asking.”
“Ah, you mean the snack kids eat. Come this way.”
Fortunately, the employee smiled brightly and guided Wookyung. All kinds of baby snacks were displayed. Even kids’ snacks come in such variety these days… Wookyung frowned (it was a habit that came out unknowingly when he was concentrating) and carefully read the letters written on the snacks.
Spinach flavor, carrot flavor, broccoli flavor… Looking at flavors that seemed unappetizing just thinking about them, Wookyung turned his gaze. Even if they’re kids’ snacks, what is broccoli flavor… Sweet pumpkin flavor or sweet potato flavor seemed better.
He decided on the flavor, but now the shape was the problem. There were long stick-shaped snacks that could be held and eaten, and there were small, round ones that could be thrown in the mouth in one bite. Come to think of it, she didn’t seem to say what shape to buy. Scratching the back of his head, Wookyung took out his phone again.
-Yeah. At the mart?
“Yeah. I bought the diapers but… I can’t choose the kids’ snacks. What shape should I buy? Long ones? Or round ones?”
Through the phone, along with Yoonkyung’s small laughter, the baby’s innocent babbling voice could be heard.
-Mama. Bappa. Bappa.
-Do you hear? They’re telling you to hurry up and buy it. Anything is fine. Our Dokyung eats everything well.
“When you call him like that, he seems like your kid.”
-I could make him my child. He’s incredibly cute and well-behaved.
“An unmarried young lady has nothing she can’t say… Got it, wait a bit. I’ll be there soon.”
-Come quickly. Dokyung and I are hungry.
“Yeah.”
After hanging up, Wookyung chose the snacks. She said he eats anything well, so… Even so, he felt a bit sorry to buy spinach or broccoli flavor, so he bought four bags each of sweet pumpkin and sweet potato flavored stick snacks. Feeling like buying just that wasn’t enough, he also bought five bags of the round freeze-dried yogurt placed next to it. And the baby wafers next to them looked delicious too, so he bought three bags of those as well.
