PIA 114

The square light of the phone cut through the darkness, sounding a loud alarm. Ji-an quickly sat up as if he had been awake before it rang. A warm hand slipped around his waist, pulling his back down. Forced to lie back down, he was met with a whisper full of breath in his ear.

“Just sleep. Meeting grandmother now might not be a good idea.”

“No, we promised last night.”

Unable to stop him from getting up with a struggle, Jeong Hee-seo let go. As if it were the morning of a field trip, Ji-an finally got up and washed his face, like a child who had been eagerly waiting for this day. His puffy eyes looked quite funny, but that wasn’t important.

Myeong Hyun-sook reportedly wakes up at 4 AM every day for meditation. She drinks tea while waiting for the sun to rise, then takes a walk, so Jeong Hee-seo had promised to visit her during her tea time.

To make that time, Ji-an had stayed the night instead of going home, and couldn’t just go back to sleep now.

He tucked the borrowed t-shirt from Jeong Hee-seo into the equally borrowed sweatpants. The pant legs had to be rolled up several times.

“It looks a bit silly, but who cares…”

“No, it’s cute.”

Jeong Hee-seo, lying on his stomach on the bed with his chin propped up, grinned and gave a thumbs up.

“They’re too small for me now.”

His added comment about them being clothes from his student days stung Ji-an’s pride a little. It was obvious he was trying not to laugh, and he felt if he showed he was irritated, Jeong Hee-seo would only tease him more. Ji-an hid his prim expression and adjusted his clothes again.

He didn’t want Poggles to be revealed through someone else. Getting Myeong Hyun-sook’s blessings and support had become a sort of superstition for Ji-an. It had become important. This wasn’t just about having him as an ally.

Contrary to the fate that crumbled in the drama, he wanted his and Jeong Hee-seo’s baby, Poggles, to be loved by everyone. He longed for pure blessings and affection, unmixed with any dregs.

The place where Myeong Hyun-sook stayed was even deeper than the main house they had seen yesterday. It was said to be her private living space. Compared to other spaces in the house, it was small and modest. Of course, ‘modest’ wasn’t really a fitting word for this household.

Ji-an finally stood in front of her space after pestering Jeong Hee-seo.

“Really, do you have to do this?”

“Yes. I really want to tell her myself.”

“Is it necessary?”

“Yes. It is.”

Ji-an’s desire to talk with Myeong Hyun-sook without any support or interference was close to stubbornness, but he really wanted to do it. It felt like a hurdle he absolutely had to overcome.

Ji-an left Jeong Hee-seo outside and went in alone to meet her. It was Ji-an who had requested a private meeting, and Myeong Hyun-sook had readily agreed. Among them, only Jeong Hee-seo was anxious.

As Ji-an entered the quiet, cozy space, Myeong Hyun-sook looked up. She folded what she had been writing and moved the low desk aside. Her calm gaze was steady but heavy.

Ji-an bowed in greeting and sat opposite her. He briefly glanced at the gift he had given, neatly placed to one side, and Myeong Hyun-sook, being perceptive, noticed.

“This is very beautiful. Where did you find such a thing?”

“When I said I was worried about it, my mo- I mean, my mother helped me choose the gift.”

“Your mother has excellent taste. Tell her I said thank you and that I’ll use it well. Of course, I’m very grateful for your kind thoughts too.”

Ji-an shook his head, his cheeks flushed. He didn’t know how to react to such gratitude for a small gift.

“Well, you should rest comfortably before you go. Why did you want to see me? Wasn’t it hard to get up so early?”

“I thought you might have been disappointed at the dinner gathering yesterday, so I wanted to speak to you separately and clear up any misunderstandings…”

Ji-an bit his lip, stopping mid-sentence.

In reality, it wasn’t a misunderstanding, so finding the right words was difficult. Thinking he should have organized his thoughts better before coming, he was rolling his tongue in his mouth when Myeong Hyun-sook let out a gentle laugh.

“Were you upset that the gathering turned out that way?”

“Sorry? No, not at all.”

In truth, he was upset. Having his unspoken feelings recognized made him want to sulk like a child.

“My child, I’m not young anymore to judge someone easily based on one incident.”

She shifted closer to Ji-an. Taking his hand and looking into his eyes, she examined Ji-an closely.

“I know Hee-seo and Han-joo very well. Now they’re all grown up, but when they were young, I could tell what they were thinking just by their breathing. Do you know what expression Hee-seo makes when he looks at you?”

Recalling Jeong Hee-seo’s expression when he looked at him gave Ji-an courage he didn’t know he had. He wasn’t sure exactly what aspect Myeong Hyun-sook was referring to, but he understood what she meant.

Myeong Hyun-sook continued as Ji-an nodded.

“Everyone has their own world. If there’s one thing I’ve learned at great cost as I’ve aged, it’s that we shouldn’t judge others carelessly. Simply believing in them, waiting for them to make the right choice, has always led to good results.”

Ji-an’s eyes immediately moistened at these warm words. He could also tell how precious Jeong Hee-seo was to Myeong Hyun-sook. Ji-an looked up at him with reddened eyes.

“I’ll do my best, grandmother.”

There was nothing else to say except to promise wholeheartedly that he would do his best. He didn’t have any outstanding abilities, nor was he a superior omega, and he didn’t have anything he could offer to help Jeong Hee-seo. All he had was a heart so full it brought tears to his eyes.

Myeong Hyun-sook lightly patted and rubbed Ji-an’s hand, instantly breaking the heavy atmosphere.

“An old woman like me might not need much sleep, but aren’t you tired? You’ve got sleepiness blooming all over your face. Go back to Hee-seo’s room, take another nap, have breakfast, and take some snacks when you leave.”

“Thank you.”

“Come visit again when you have time. I wasn’t joking about making snacks together.”

“Actually…”

Ji-an stopped Myeong Hyun-sook as she was about to tidy up.

“Actually, I have something else to tell you.”

“Oh, alright. Let’s hear what it is.”

As Myeong Hyun-sook widened her eyes, urging him to speak, just as Ji-an was about to nervously begin.

The sliding door behind them suddenly slammed open, and Jeong Hee-seo strode in. Myeong Hyun-sook burst into hearty laughter at the sight of her impatient grandson’s expression.

* * *

“Ah— how could you interrupt like that?” Ji-an complained, walking a few steps ahead. Jeong Hee-seo quickened his pace to keep up beside him. The dim dawn was receding, and the sun was rising beyond the low stone wall. Their shadows stretched out long behind them.

“But in the end, we achieved our goal, didn’t we?”

“It’s different. When you speak, grandmother might just pretend to agree because she can’t refuse you.”

“That’s only because you don’t know her well enough.”

“Hmph.” Ji-an puffed out his cheeks, curious about Myeong Hyun-sook’s genuine reaction.

“She really liked it, didn’t she? Isn’t that enough?”

Jeong Hee-seo poked Ji-an’s cheek with his finger. The soft flesh deflated like a popped water balloon. He hugged his shoulders gently, swaying Ji-an from side to side as if to comfort him.

Ji-an knew too. Myeong Hyun-sook’s expression wasn’t one of pretending to be satisfied just because it was his grandson’s child.

When Jeong Hee-seo took Ji-an’s hand and said there was a baby in his belly due to be born in winter, Myeong Hyun-sook was momentarily speechless. As Ji-an carefully observed her expression and added that he hoped she would love the baby, Myeong Hyun-sook shook her head vigorously with an overwhelmed expression.

“How could I not love them? I can’t even imagine such a thing,” she said, repeatedly thanking Ji-an for bearing such a heavy burden at such a young age because of her grandson.

‘You shouldn’t call it a burden. Poggles can hear you.’

‘Oh my, I made a mistake. My dear.’

With that, Myeong Hyun-sook suddenly pulled Ji-an into a tight embrace. The old woman’s thin body was both firm and soft. A warm, affectionate scent enveloped Ji-an. Closing the awkward distance between them, she stroked Ji-an’s hair and rubbed his back.

‘You only need to do what you can. If anything is even a little difficult, don’t hesitate to ask for help.’

When Ji-an expressed his fear about not doing well, the immediate response was that he didn’t need to do well. This was where he could see whose temperament Jeong Hee-seo had inherited.

Afterwards, the flurry of compliments and excited chatter didn’t stop. Ji-an’s heart swelled with joy at the unfamiliar yet delightful sight of Myeong Hyun-sook blushing like a young girl, excited about the new life.

Yes, to be honest, he could finally feel relieved and happy. That’s why he found himself grumbling to Jeong Hee-seo for no reason.

“Anyway, hyung, is that offer from before still valid?”

Ji-an stepped half a pace forward, blocking Jeong Hee-seo’s path. His steps abruptly halted, and as their bodies touched, he looked down at him with a smile.

“What?”

“The offer to date.”

“…”

Feeling something pressing against his lower body, Ji-an grinned with a slightly pained expression.

“Ah, what are we supposed to do with you, hyung? If this happens every time I call you ‘hyung,’ what am I supposed to do? Should I go back to calling you ‘hyung-nim’ instead?”

“That’s not allowed. Use your creativity.”

“Hmm…” He looked up pretending to think, but his gaze on him was obvious. Ji-an deliberately licked his lips. Just before his approaching lips were about to devour him, Ji-an asked:

“What would you like me to call you?”