M 173

[This is the start of Ki Tae-jeong’s POV mixed with a bit 3rd POV]

==========

“Lieutenant General, what if I woke up one day and I was a cockroach?”

“Why a cockroach of all things?”

“Quick, answer me. If you woke up with a cockroach lying next to you, using your arm as a pillow, what would you do?”

“First, I’d hold the residence manager responsible, for negligence.”

Lee Sehwa was adorable, shaking his head at my unimaginative answer, yet his cheeks twitching as if he enjoyed our meaningless hypothetical exchanges. So much so that I sometimes couldn’t help but bite his cheek, hard.

“I’ve been reading books and watching videos… If we had a second child now, the age gap with Hae-rim would be perfect.”

“What are you talking about all of a sudden? A second child?”

I assumed it was another one of those tests. But to my surprise, Sehwa seemed genuinely serious about wanting a sibling for Hae-rim.

“You’ve seen my checkup results every time, so you know I’ve gotten a lot healthier. Look, I’ve even gained some weight…”

Now he was even counting on his fingers, listing the reasons why he was fit to have a second child. He even pulled at his cheeks, showing how much they’d filled out, and tapped his bicep, telling me to feel how firm it was.

“……”

“And I only take one psychiatric pill before bed now. It’s the lowest dose, and the medication itself is mild. Maybe I won’t even need a prescription next time.”

Ki Tae-jeong was dumbfounded, just swallowing air before his face hardened after a long time.

“No.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Why? Do you even need to ask?”

Ki Tae-jeong’s gaze swept over Sehwa’s thin frame. It wasn’t about whether he’d gained weight or not. It was Lee Sehwa’s frail body itself that was the problem.

And he was the one who had contributed significantly to the destruction of his body, like cracked glass. But now he wanted another child… If I agreed just because he wanted to, wouldn’t that be even more problematic?

Sensing the unspoken pressure in my gaze, Sehwa subtly avoided eye contact, biting his lower lip. He hesitated for a while, but unable to give up easily, he wriggled closer to Ki Tae-jeong, pleading.

“Lieutenant General.”

“Stop it. My mind won’t change on this issue.”

“But…”

“Don’t beg.”

“You don’t dislike babies, do you?”

“I do. Hae-rim is my kid, so he’s an exception. More accurately, he’s your and my kid.”

“Exactly. If that’s the case, maybe a second child…”

“Honey. Why do you want to pursue something so uncertain that you have to add ‘maybe’ to it?”

“……”

“No. Let’s figure this out first. Why do you suddenly want another child? There must be a specific reason you started feeling that way.”

“……”

“Because Hae-rim seems lonely? Because everyone around us is having a second child? Because we already have help, so raising one more wouldn’t be difficult?”

I asked for the reason because I was confident I could logically refute whatever Sehwa said. The issue of children wasn’t some crude psychological test like finding a way for a monkey, a snake, and a bird to cross the desert together. But when Ki Tae-jeong asked for the reason, Sehwa arbitrarily got his hopes up, his big eyes sparkling.

“It’s definitely not any of those reasons. Regardless of Hae-rim or what others think, it’s just that I… I want a second child. I’m not saying this impulsively either. I think I’ve mentioned it a few times before… I’ve always wanted it, to have a second or even a third child.”

“……”

“Lieutenant Na also said so. Lieutenant General, I’m really healthy now. There are no problems, he said.”

Sehwa took Ki Tae-jeong’s hand and placed it on his chest. With his fingertips resting on the place where a quiet, peaceful pulse flowed, a testament to his being alive, he looked into Ki Tae-jeong’s eyes and spoke slowly.

“Lieutenant General, you know Hae-rim is bigger than other kids his age, right? He’s tall, and his legs are incredibly long… It’s not just his growth rate, but his physical abilities? Anyway, they said it’s on par with most elementary school students. The incubator Hae-rim was in, they’re still in an uproar because they don’t have it anymore, right? But Hae-rim didn’t even use any of its functions…”

“……”

“Oh, that’s not the point… Anyway, I’ve gotten so strong that I can easily hold Hae-rim, who’s so big and heavy. I can hold him for a long time without getting tired at all.”

“……”

“Right, I’ve been working out hard too. I had a physical exam last month… Would you like to see my score?”

“Sehwa.”

When I cut him off, calling his name softly, the ends of Sehwa’s eyebrows drooped sadly. He seemed disheartened by the rejection that showed no room for compromise. Ki Tae-jeong also felt bad, but still, what couldn’t be done, couldn’t be done.

“Just raise a dog or a cat instead.”

“Lieutenant General…”

“Or what else do you want? I’ll change the law and bring it to you, just name it, a dolphin or an elephant.”

“Lieutenant General!”

“Or how about flowers or trees? They don’t move like animals, but plants are fun to raise in their own way.”

“You know that’s not what I meant, I don’t want to raise something, I just… I just wish we could have a second child…”

“Lee Sehwa.”

“If you don’t have any other reasons besides my health, could you reconsider just once more? I’m not asking you to decide right away-“

“Other reasons? What other reasons do I need besides you?”

“……”

“Lee Sehwa, just imagining you lying on the operating table makes my blood run cold. And you’re asking if there are any other reasons besides your weak body, and telling me to reconsider if there aren’t? Do you really want to see your husband go crazy with worry?”

In the end, a sharp remark slipped out.

As I had told Sehwa many times, it wasn’t about discussing his basic fitness. Sehwa had a very unique constitution. It had only been a few years since he became like an ordinary person.

Until just a few years ago, Sehwa had been frequently taking harmful drugs, using his immunity as a basis. Then, he suddenly had a child, which was unexpected, and not long after, he underwent abdominal surgery with great damage to both his body and mind.

And in the process, a large amount of A7 was administered. At the time, Lieutenant Na, no, Captain Na, sighed, exaggerating a bit, saying that half of Lee Sehwa’s blood must have been replaced with A7.

It was all my fault. The body of someone who was already weak had been damaged to the point where dangerous drugs like A7 had to be poured into him.