Yoonkyung quickly agreed. When she jokingly said “Then how about leaving some of oppa’s clothes here? Training clothes and suits,” and Wookyung seriously nodded and answered “Then should I do that?”, Yoonkyung was truly taken aback.
“No… oppa… did you hide honey or something in my house? You know we’ve seen each other’s faces for like a year’s worth now, right?”
“Why are you making a fuss? It’s good for blood relatives to see each other often. You like it too, don’t you? I’ll buy and bring all your dinners, I’ll help watch the baby.”
“True… yeah.”
Having nothing to refute, Yoonkyung just chuckled, but Wookyung didn’t even seem to notice as he was busy looking at Dokyung making incredibly awkward sounds like “oojoo joojoo joo.”
“Oojoo joo, joo joo. Dokyung-ah, give uncle a kiss. …Are all babies this pretty normally?”
“Dokyung is exceptionally pretty.”
“Right?”
Anyone listening would mistake it for a conversation between the baby’s mother and father. However, the actual parties didn’t realize it and the flow of conversation continued naturally.
“Bbo-bbo. Bbo-bbo.”
Dokyung smiled while pursing his lips together going “oo.” Though he didn’t give the kiss Wookyung so desired today either, instead Dokyung giggled finding something so funny and slapped Wookyung’s face with both hands.
“Ow. That hurts. Don’t hit me, man.”
Even while exaggerating, Wookyung just happily brought his face close and smiled contentedly.
“He’s doing it because he likes you.”
“Are kids originally this bold in expressing affection?”
“They’re kind of like that.”
Answering carelessly, Yoonkyung spread out the dinner menu. Then she discovered a flat container buried at the very bottom of the packaged gamjatang and her eyes sparkled.
“What’s this?”
“It’s for Dokyung.”
“Ooh, really Choi Wookyung-ssi… you have exceptional sense?!”
Exclaiming in admiration, Yoonkyung opened the box. Inside was neatly cut pork cutlet. Wookyung added bashfully while holding Dokyung.
“I just… went to get takeout, and it happened to say children’s pork cutlet.”
“Mmm, excellent. Very excellent. Dokyung hadn’t eaten dinner yet either, so this worked out well.”
“Didn’t he eat at daycare? Dinner.”
“He usually does, but today they served a menu Dokyung doesn’t like so he barely ate.”
Wookyung followed Yoonkyung’s instructions and pulled over the baby chair that had been pushed into the corner and set it up in front of the table. After first seating the baby in the chair, he firmly attached the baby bowl on the tray-like stand where dishes could be placed.
“Baby dishes are interesting. They can stick to the bottom like this.”
“Because kids flip them over so much.”
When he portioned the finely cut pork cutlet and white rice into the bowl, Dokyung clapped his tiny palms together happily. Yoonkyung generously put lots of rice into the bowl, saying he originally likes pork cutlet.
“Dokyung-ah, aah.”
“Aa-ah.”
When he brought the baby spoon with Totoro drawn on it (at this point, he wondered if there even existed baby supplies without Totoro drawn on them in Korea) in front of Dokyung’s lips, Dokyung opened his tiny mouth wide like a sparrow. The lips that were a small pink triangle shape when closed looked somewhat like a human mouth when opened wide. When Dokyung took the pork cutlet and rice into his mouth full and said “Mm, delicious!”, Yoonkyung laughed heartily.
“So cute I could die.”
“I know. …Haa.”
Wookyung made a groaning sound at the sudden heart pain that struck. Once again, he felt something heavy plop down on one side of his chest. It seems like to raise such a cute baby, you have to train your heart to be strong or it would be hard to survive.
“But what’s that?”
Only after half-emptying the bowl did Yoonkyung point at the shopping bags piled up next to the sofa.
“You’re quick to ask. …Just, a gift for Dokyung. I went to a cafe to drink coffee… and there happened to be a baby supplies store next to it.”
“All of that is baby clothes!?”
Yoonkyung shrieked loudly. Even so, her hands didn’t rest and kept feeding the baby.
“Do you have something to distribute to the whole daycare!?”
“You really like distributing to the whole group since last time. Well, should I really give something to the daycare too?”
“Oh my, really… big spender came out.”
Yoonkyung clicked her tongue.
“Well, honestly Dokyung does… need winter clothes. So I’ve also been secretly buying one or two things and putting them on him without Lee Jeong-ssi knowing… but if you buy that much at once, the baby’s father will feel burdened.”
“Just say it’s a gift from an uncle he knows. Tell him he’s a Dokyung fan.”
“Oh geez… really.”
Even while shaking her head as if she couldn’t help it, Yoonkyung couldn’t hide the faint smile she wore. Seeing that she was more happy about Dokyung getting new clothes than regretful about her oppa spending a ton of money, she really seemed to have deep affection for this baby.
Yoonkyung blew on the soup packaged with the pork cutlet and fed it to Dokyung while speaking affectionately.
“Dokyung-ah, lucky you. Because a rich uncle with lots of money is your fan.”
“Appa. Appa.”
“Yes yes, milk that uncle for all he’s got. He has a lot of money. If you hold out your hand saying please and look at him cutely, he’ll probably buy you everything?”
Seeing Dokyung’s face pointing at Wookyung with his tiny finger stretched out wide, Yoonkyung smiled broadly.
“I told you I’m not daddy. Why, do you want to make me daddy?”
“Ung.”
“Our Dokyung is good at social life. You’re the best, Dokyung-ah. This is why the rich uncle became a fan of you.”
“Be… what?”
“There’s such a thing. It means to fall deeply for something.”
After finishing the meal and clearing the table, they started a full-fledged fashion show. Dokyung, in a good mood from eating lots of pork cutlet and rice, cooperatively participated in the fashion show. While putting on the fur hat and trying on the thick padding one by one, Yoonkyung kept clapping her hands or taking pictures with clicks.
“I should send this to Lee Jeong-ssi. He’ll totally love it.”
“Earlier you said the baby’s father would feel burdened.”
“It’s already bought anyway, so what. If he’s coming to see it in the morning anyway, it’s better to just see it in advance.”
Wookyung, who had been quickly taking off the fur hat and gloves from the side in case the baby got hot, sneakily peeked at Yoonkyung’s phone. Yoonkyung, who had sent the photo to the baby’s father, was typing a message [Look at this. My oppa said Dokyung is cute and bought clothes, isn’t it too cute? Doesn’t it suit him perfectly?].
Wookyung blurted out in an indifferent tone.
“Give me some too.”
“What, Lee Jeong-ssi’s number?”
“…Are you going to keep teasing?”
Yoonkyung giggled mischievously. Wookyung frowned seriously.
“The photos. Dokyung’s photos.”
“Why do you want someone else’s baby’s photos?”
“Are we strangers? That what’s it called, you said I became a fan or whatever.”
Even while continuously teasing her oppa, Yoonkyung selected three or four good photos and sent them to Wookyung.
“Here. How is it?”
“…Cute.”
