PIA 157

Jeong Hae-yi had become quite precocious.

That was exactly how Ji-an would sum up his current thoughts about his 4-year-old son in one sentence.

It was a lazy weekday afternoon. The low sunlight streaming through the window cast long shadows. Jeong Hee-seo sat reclined on the long chair positioned with its back to the window.

The person curled up and sprawled on his chest was none other than 4-year-old Jeong Hae-yi.

With each slow breath Hee-seo took, Hae-yi gently rocked up and down as if in a cradle. From his tiny nostrils came a soft, rumbling snore. Drool that had escaped his slightly parted lips left a round wet mark on his daddy’s chest.

Jeong Hee-seo was reading a book. The small book that fit perfectly in one hand was a travel essay by a photographer.

Ji-an had apparently discovered it by chance while participating in a community after developing an interest in photography following Hae-yi’s hundred-day celebration. Though Hee-seo usually tended to see others’ good points first, right now he was reading with an unusually critical eye, as if wearing red-tinted glasses.

Click – Ji-an captured them on film. When Jeong Hee-seo slowly looked up from the book, Ji-an also took his eyes away from the viewfinder. Their eyes met, and they smiled reflexively.

“Come here.”

Jeong Hee-seo called to Ji-an while adjusting Hae-yi who was sprawled on his chest. Ji-an set the camera on the table and quickly sat beside him. When Ji-an rested his head on Hee-seo’s shoulder, Hee-seo reached out and embraced him. They both chuckled softly when Hae-yi didn’t wake even after Hee-seo planted a kiss on Ji-an’s crown.

“Hae-yi must be really tired.” 

“Yeah, he started swimming lessons today.”

Jeong Hee-seo added while touching Hae-yi’s soft toes.

“You should’ve seen how hard he was kicking these tiny feet. He was surprisingly good at it.”

“Next time, I want to come watch too.”

“Sure.”

Jeong Hee-seo showed no signs of discomfort holding both Ji-an and Hae-yi. The sunlight was warm, and the sleepy atmosphere Hae-yi spread filled the entire living room. Ji-an let out a small yawn and slipped his arm around Hee-seo’s waist.

“He’s such an angel when he’s sleeping…”

“You don’t think so when he’s awake?”

When there wasn’t an immediate answer, Jeong Hee-seo looked at him. “Isn’t he?” he asked again, and Ji-an wrinkled his nose.

“Hyung, I think Hae-yi… he might survive well even if we threw him to the opposite side of the Earth.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Just saying.”

As Ji-an closed his eyes and snuggled closer, Hee-seo didn’t press further. He supposed Hae-yi would do fine anywhere, after all. Jeong Hae-yi took completely after Ji-an, being destructively cute. Jeong Hee-seo put down his book and closed his eyes too. And so the family of three tangled together for an afternoon nap.

* * *

“Noona, do you have to be pretty to work at a convenience store?”

The hand scanning the barcode of an egg-shaped chocolate stopped abruptly. The child who asked the question was holding onto the edge of the counter with both hands, standing on tiptoes. Even then, he barely reached the height of the counter.

“Hmm?”

He was an adorable child with large, bright eyes. The convenience store often had young customers due to the large kindergarten across the street. But this was the first time she’d received such a surprising question.

“I suppose so.”

Jeong Hee-seo helped answer on behalf of the flustered woman. Despite the reluctant affirmation, the little guest’s face brightened with a beautiful smile. The part-timer pressed the back of her hand against her burning cheek.

“Jeong Hae-yi, go get one for Yi-seo noona too.”

“Yes, I understand! Blue for noona, pink for Hae-yi.”

An overwhelming aura emanated from the man who appeared to be the child’s father. In contrast, the fairy-like child skipping back with chocolates in hand seemed quite out of place. Yet somehow, the two of them matched perfectly together.

The man gently placed his large hand on the child’s head. Then he whispered, “Let’s go.” His voice was unbelievably gentle.

Even after the child holding a chocolate in each hand and the tall Alpha left the convenience store, the part-timer kept staring outside for a while, as if their presence still lingered.

Meanwhile, Jeong Hee-seo’s gaze turned toward the kindergarten as he secured Hae-yi in the car seat.

It was the kindergarten where Yi-seo, now an elementary school student, had graduated from. Since it was carefully chosen by the notoriously particular Jeong Hee-young, there was no need to doubt its educational curriculum or environment.

‘Where did he learn to say such things?’

Jeong Hee-seo slightly furrowed his brow while checking the buckle of Hae-yi’s car seat. Where could he have learned to speak as if someone had taught him to?

He tilted his head and gave Hae-yi a quick kiss on the forehead. Suddenly, he remembered Ji-an’s claim that Hae-yi was precocious and chuckled.

Today was a busy day. Pick up Hae-yi after kindergarten, pick up Ji-an from the exhibition, and take Hae-yi to his grandmother’s house. After finishing everything, they had planned to go on a date after a long time. Jeong Hee-seo was planning to settle the ‘second child’ issue tonight, something he and Ji-an had been disagreeing on lately.

Lost in thought while driving, they soon arrived at their meeting place with Ji-an. Through the rearview mirror, he could see Hae-yi waving. In the direction of the child’s gaze stood Ji-an with his elegant face.

“Dad! You came?”

“Ji-an, you’re here?”

As the two men in the car gave the same greeting, Ji-an, who had gotten into the passenger seat, smiled broadly. Jeong Hee-seo leaned over and pressed his lips to Ji-an’s cheeks. Kiss, kiss, once on each cheek. It was a greeting they did at least twelve times a day, so Ji-an no longer blushed.

“Ji-an is like spring. Look, flowers have bloomed here.”

Perhaps unsatisfied with the dry greeting, Jeong Hee-seo held Ji-an’s chin and deeply kissed his lips. He only pulled away after seeing Ji-an’s face turn bright red.

“…Because hyung keeps doing that, Hae-yi learns from watching.”

“Hae-yi? Learn what?”

Whether he was pretending not to know or truly didn’t know – both Ji-an and Hae-yi made pouty faces at the same time. Jeong Hee-seo burst into laughter after looking back and forth between them.

“I think Ji-an is the one learning from watching you?”

“What’s wrong with Hae-yi’s expression?”

Ji-an, who had turned to look at Hae-yi, opened his eyes wide. Hae-yi, who had been waving brightly and greeting him, had immediately turned sulky after the kiss. He was okay with the greeting, but if the physical affection continued, he would always make it clear that he was upset.

From a very young age, Hae-yi knew there was an unbridgeable gap between his two dads. Though he knew well that both Dad Hee-seo and Dad Ji-an gave him overflowing love…

When asked ‘Who do you love most in the world?’ both dads would answer ‘Of course I love Hae-yi the most!’ But Hae-yi knew very well that he was second place.

That was as certain as the stars in the night sky shining less brightly than the moon.

“Dad, do you love me?”

“Ah, of course. Dad loves Hae-yi.”

“But Hae-yi is lonely.”

Ji-an was surprised by the melancholic words, while Jeong Hee-seo just smiled.

“Jeong Hae-yi, do you know what it means when you say you’re lonely?”

Dad Hee-seo, who made him feel the loneliest, especially didn’t understand him. Hae-yi hardened his small chin.

As soon as the car stopped in the parking lot of the grand hanok house, Hae-yi unbuckled his car seat by himself and ran out. Though he politely bowed to the housekeepers who welcomed him, his steps were so quick that he soon created quite a distance. Ji-an left Jeong Hee-seo behind and hurriedly ran to catch up with Hae-yi.

“Hae-yi, walk with Dad. Hold Dad’s hand. You’ll fall.”

“No. I won’t fall. I won’t hold it.”

Finding it both troublesome and cute, Ji-an searched his pocket and pulled out a lollipop. When he waved it in front of his nose with a “ta-da,” the little one snorted.

“I already have this!”

Now he noticed he was holding egg chocolates in both hands. Ji-an raised his eyebrows sharply. He could clearly picture how he must have been taken to the convenience store, despite telling him not to give Hae-yi snacks. Slightly annoyed, Ji-an lowered his voice.

“Hae-yi, what if you lose Dad while running away like that? Would you be okay not seeing Dad?”

At Ji-an’s not-quite-threat, Hae-yi scrunched up his round eyes and pushed out his lips in a pout.

“I can just find another dad to raise me.”

Oh, really? Ji-an bit his lip tightly. Lately, Hae-yi had been constantly talking about feeling lonely. They were a perfect triangle of three people, but when one vertex said they were lonely, it was impossible not to worry.

Before the affectionate, cute little darling, genius son, perfect Jeong Hae-yi became even more rebellious, shouldn’t he, as a father, do something about it?

Ji-an reached out and wrapped his arms around Hae-yi’s shoulders. Then, in the gentlest voice he could muster,

“Hae-yi, would you like to have a younger sibling?”

Suddenly, the tiny footsteps came to an abrupt halt. His large eyes looking up at Ji-an trembled unsteadily.