PIA 115
by Sorai“Ah, wait a moment.”
As they parked in the department store’s underground parking lot, Jeong Hee-seo stopped Ji-an as he was about to unbuckle his seatbelt and get out.
“This is a gift from my sister. I forgot to give it to you.”
His hand rummaged in the back seat. Inside a mint-colored shopping bag was a mint-colored box. When Ji-an untied the ribbon and opened the box, he found a small doll and a silver rattle inside. His eyes widened in surprise.
The car they rode in today was one that Jeong Hee-seo rarely used among his many cars. If Ji-an traced his memory, this box must have been sitting here for at least ten days.
“Why did you leave the gift in the car?”
“Well, it’s from Hee-young.”
Ji-an snorted in disbelief. He had suddenly become someone who received a gift without remembering to say thank you.
“Hyung, do you know you act like a total kid whenever it involves your sister?”
Jeong Hee-seo frowned slightly, as if unwilling to admit it.
“You don’t know what kind of woman Hee-young is.”
From his narrowed eyes, it looked like countless dramatic sibling memories were flashing through his mind. Ji-an forgot his indignation and burst out laughing. As his laughter subsided, the color of the box in his hand suddenly caught his attention.
“This… could it be…?”
“What?”
“You didn’t tell her the baby’s gender, did you? Hyung?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Really?”
“That brand always uses this color for their boxes. And don’t call me ‘hyung’ with those big eyes. Before I—”
He paused for emphasis. “—take your pants off.”
Ji-an, who had been intently examining the box, looked up. His expression went through a range of emotions.
“You must be crazy.”
“What?”
Ji-an stuck his tongue out playfully and hopped out of the car. Jeong Hee-seo followed, repeatedly asking what Ji-an had said while poking his waist, but he didn’t answer. When Hee-seo retaliated by grabbing Ji-an’s buttocks with a firm squeeze, Ji-an shouted, “Are you crazy?!” and promptly ended up in a parking lot corner with swollen lips from a long kiss.
If Ji-an’s earlier insistence about the gender was to avoid getting attached, now it was because he wanted to hold onto the anticipation and excitement.
Suppressing his burning curiosity only made him want to see and cherish the baby more. So he insisted that he keep it a secret.
Jeong Hee-seo seemed to regard Ji-an’s fuss about covering his ears whenever the gender was mentioned as a cute act.
After revealing everything from his existence to Poggles’s to Myeong Hyun-sook, Ji-an felt lighter than ever, as though a weight had been lifted.With steadfast determination and a growing army of allies, what could possibly scare him now? Especially when his strongest ally was none other than Jeong Hee-seo.
Why had he been so scared before? Reflecting on it, he realized it was the result of learned fear. He must have suffered a lot under Seo Ji-hyuk. But that was all in the past now.
Ji-an placed his hand on his lower abdomen as if having a conversation and murmured.
“Poggles, don’t worry about anything.”
“It probably isn’t thinking anything, Ji-an.”
Jeong Hee-seo came over holding out a yellow sock with a green frog attached to it. He wasn’t asking for Ji-an’s opinion on whether he liked it or not. The sock was simply added to the list of items to be purchased.
Since they were shopping without giving hints about the gender, their shopping bags were filled with all sorts of colors equally. The two of them swept through the store, picking things according to their own tastes. At this moment, in this space, there wasn’t a single person who wasn’t happy, including the store staff.
“Ji-an, I also bought a gift for your mother.”
“Oh, really?”
Towards the end of their shopping spree, which looked like they might clean out the entire store, Jeong Hee-seo suddenly said this. He didn’t openly urge Ji-an to act, but it was clear he was subtly anticipating a meeting with Yoon Okhee. Ji-an felt conflicted as his eyes darted around nervously.
‘Shouldn’t you be the one to tell Ji-an’s family first?’
That’s what Myeong Hyun-sook had said when Jeong Hee-seo formally mentioned their relationship to her. That became the starting signal. If they were to follow the order, she was correct. Poggles due date fast approaching, introducing Jeong Hee-seo to Ji-an’s mother was the logical next step.
Ji-an was also looking forward to the two of them meeting.
“We’re telling my mom about our relationship, right?”
Ji-an said as Hee-seo wrapped his arm around his shoulder and pressed his lips to the top of his head. Hee-seo rolled his eyes, wondering what he meant.
“I mean, you and me…”
“A couple that’s done everything?”
Ji-an closed his lips tightly and raised his eyebrows. His cheeks turned a bit red, looking quaint.
“Your mother already knows you’re pregnant.”
“Knowing and confirming are different. Plus, if we sit side by side and talk, mom will know for sure.”
Jeong Hee-seo’s eyes seemed to say, “What nonsense are you talking about?”
“The whole world knows, Ji-an. You and I every night—”
Ji-an reached out and covered his mouth. Jeong Hee-seo laughed loudly with his mouth covered. While Ji-an’s train of thought was often unpredictable, it was generally cute.
“I’ll talk to mom and set up an appointment.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. If we can’t avoid it, we might as well get it over with.”
Ji-an puffed up his cheeks as if making a big decision.
“I’ll do everything one by one. Without fear.”
“There’s nothing to be difficult about.”
“My mom’s going to like you, I’m sure of it.”
Ji-an was seriously considering future events. Jeong Hee-seo looked down at his young lover with a smile on his lips. Seeing Ji-an’s round eyes rolling around with a rather serious light, he must be diligently drawing his own future.
‘When should I tell him about my plans…’
Jeong Hee-seo wanted to have a grand wedding that lacked nothing. He would get him a car so impressive that no one on the road would dare come close. They should go on a honeymoon too. While Ji-an’s plans seemed to focus on giving birth to Poggles and raising the child in a house on a hill, but…
Honestly, he was looking forward to what came after that even more.
“After Han-joo’s engagement party, let’s have dinner with just mom. Is that okay?”
Ji-an’s bright smile suggested he’d picked up on something in Jeong Hee-seo’s expression, as though sensing his vision of their shared future.
It all felt like it was falling perfectly into place.
* * *
The custom-ordered clothes for the engagement party arrived at home.
Ji-an stared intently at himself in the mirror. His heart was beating with an unpleasantly misaligned feeling.
The suit with narrow lapels and a design that hugged his body line looked terribly familiar. The unique design is reminiscent of a tailcoat with a long tail gnawed at Ji-an’s heart. Although the fabric itself was slightly different, it looked too similar to the clothes he wore on the day he met his doppelganger and had the car accident.
‘No. Back then it was a dark color with light stripes.’
Was it because the design was flashy? Or because the shape of the collar was similar? He couldn’t understand why this custom-designed suit, which fit eerily well, gave him this feeling when it clearly wasn’t made by the same place.
The designer who brought the clothes to their home seemed to read Ji-an’s mind and said:
“This type of collar suits Ji-an’s face. It accentuates your slender lines. Although it’s a bit flashy and unique, I thought you could pull it off. Anyone else would have designed it this way too.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Was the suit he wore to his older brother’s wedding also custom-made? Or was it from the same boutique? He couldn’t remember. It was something he had neither interest nor curiosity about at the time.
Ji-an tried hard to suppress his unsettling feelings. Even as he twisted his waist to examine the design of the back again, he couldn’t shake off the thought that it was similar, no, identical. Turning his eyes to the three designs hanging on the rack, the other two also felt similarly familiar.
Was it just his imagination?
Unaware of Ji-an’s feelings, the designer was all smiles, hovering around with a face very satisfied with their own work.
They took out a fancy box from the accessory case they had brought and approached Ji-an. Standing between Ji-an and the mirror, they adjusted something near his chest, then stepped back with a proud expression.
Ji-an caught sight of himself in the mirror and let out a low gasp.
“Isn’t it pretty? It might seem flashy, but it suits you perfectly.”
A somewhat elaborate boutonnière with a mix of pink and white flowers was pinned to Ji-an’s chest. He felt the color drain from his face.
“This… I don’t want to wear this.”
“Really? Then we’ll have to remove the set from the Director as well.”
“Please do that.”
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
“There are other main characters for that day’s party. We’ll just go with a simple handkerchief or pin.”
Ji-an firmly refused. Even if it was just a coincidence with no connection, it felt eerie and unpleasant. Just a design that suits him? If Jeong Hee-young hadn’t taken care to have it custom-made, he might have taken off this outfit right away.
Ji-an wished he had just said he’d wear ready-made clothes. A belated regret came over him.
Ji-an deliberately avoided the eyes of the designer who was fiddling with the boutonnière with a disappointed face. Feeling a bit short of breath, he slumped into a chair. A staff member, noticing his discomfort, quickly brought him something to drink.
…It must be just his imagination.
He barely suppressed the urge to run straight into the bedroom filled with Jeong Hee-seo’s pheromones. He raised his anxious gazes to check the clock. Soon, Jeong Hee-seo would come home through the front door. Everything would feel fine again once he arrived.
Leaning back in the chair, Ji-an absently rubbed his lower belly. A faint, bubbling sensation, like a knock from inside, reassured him. Ji-an relied on that sensation to take deep breaths and drive away the bad feelings. His pounding heart slowly regained its rhythm.