EXTRA 4
by Gideon“You never even wore hairpins like that.”
“You’re right. I never wore red ribbon pins, even in elementary school.”
Hyewan shuddered, her shoulders trembling.
“I can still feel the handcuffs clanking on my wrists. What a nightmare.”
“Then let’s get up. I’ll make you feel better.”
“I’m hungry. Can we eat first? Suddenly, I’m craving shrimp.”
“Your wish is my command, my lady.”
Yundo scooped her up in his arms.
“Allow me to escort you to the bathroom.”
“No dirty thoughts.”
“I’ve never had a dirty thought in my life.”
She pushed him out of the bathroom, his smile practically dripping with mischief.
“You might not know this, my lady, but I need to wash up too.”
“Use the other bathroom.”
“Don’t be like this, my wife.”
Yundo lunged at her, determined to show her exactly what ‘dirty thoughts’ looked like.
“Eek!”
Her scream quickly dissolved into breathless moans.
After returning from her trip, Hyewan was swamped preparing for the new semester. Having a senior in law school was a godsend. Bora’s expert tips started with course registration. Since multiple logins were allowed, Bora, Yundo, and Dong-yeong all teamed up to help Hyewan snag the classes she wanted. With four laptops open and the group huddled around them, they successfully registered for every single one of Hyewan’s preferred courses. Bora and Dong-yeong had done all the heavy lifting.
This is why you need experienced help, Hyewan thought.
To show her gratitude, Hyewan treated Bora and her husband to a lavish meal and held a formal gift-giving ceremony with the presents she’d brought back from Hawaii. Bora loved the yellow onesie Hyewan had carefully chosen, but she was even more thrilled with the brand-new designer bag. Hyewan found it adorable how Bora kept insisting her own gift was better.
“And this,” Bora said, “is the set of summary notes and exam materials I put together while I was studying.”
“Today is my turn to give you a gift. Why are you giving me one?”
“Ko Hyewan, I’ve been painstakingly collecting these since my first year just for you. You’d better treat me well.”
“Should I filial-piety you?”
“Sounds good.”
Seeing Hyewan so happy, Yundo felt a wave of relief. He was grateful that Hyewan had a dependable friend like Bora, and even more grateful that her presence helped ease the stress of the pregnancy.
Honestly, Yundo felt that as long as he had Hyewan, that was enough. Madam Park hadn’t even mentioned the grandchild. She said it would be shameless of her to pressure Hyewan over it.
If another child came to them, just like Haetsal, it would be the greatest joy. But even if they didn’t, it was fine.
He wanted to cherish their current happiness to the fullest. He hoped Hyewan felt the same.
March was more chaotic and exhilarating than she’d ever imagined.
She was caught in a whirlwind of emotions: the thrill of finally becoming a law student, clashing with the sheer panic of quizzes, exams, and assignments that had been unleashed from the very first class. She woke up before dawn to head to school, only returning home when the night had grown deep.
Exactly two weeks after the semester began, on a Friday night, Hyewan found herself feeling a profound sense of respect for Bora.
“I can’t believe I have to do this for three whole years,” Hyewan lamented deeply, eating a strawberry-studded ice cream bar to soothe her melancholy. Ever since classes started, she’d been craving sweets—likely due to the stress—and she’d spent the entire week indulging in strawberry ice cream.
“You’re going to get mad if I tell you my opinion, aren’t you, honey?”
“Why would you think that? Not at all. I always respect your opinion.”
A lawyer’s fundamental skill is listening. Yundo had always believed that the first qualification of a good spouse was also the ability to listen.
“It takes courage to quit early if things get too hard,” Hyewan said, letting out a deep sigh.
“Isn’t it just foolish to keep trying until the last minute before finally giving up?”
“That’s called making a decision.”
Hearing his answer, Hyewan gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s my man.”
“I love Lawyer Ko Hyewan, and I love just Ko Hyewan. I love any version of you, for that matter. So don’t feel pressured. Just do as much as you can handle. Your health is what matters most. You know that, right?”
Though Hyewan had successfully completed her grueling rehabilitation and could now go about her daily life without issue, Yundo still worried about her constantly. Lately, his newest concern was how her appetite vanished whenever her stress levels spiked.
Just look at her now.
For the past few days, Hyewan’s staple food had been strawberry ice cream. He’d stocked up on the highest-quality brands he could find, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it was more nutritious than actual food. If she’s eating all that, she should at least be gaining weight! he thought. How is she getting even thinner while eating a mountain of fat?
Hyewan let out a soft chuckle.
“What?”
“Do you hate it that much?”
“Hate what?”
“You look like you want to snatch the ice cream container and throw it away.”
“I’d never do something like that.”
More accurately, I couldn’t. His wife adored it—it was the only thing she was eating. Who would dare snatch it away and throw it? Unless he was desperate to get a divorce, he couldn’t even dream of it.
“I’m a smart man. I always consider the consequences.”
Besides, he wasn’t that kind of rude jerk.
“Oh, by the way, I have something for you.”
Yundo, who had just stepped out of the study, handed her a small box.
“What’s this?”
“Open it.”
Hyewan opened the box and gasped in awe.
“Oh, this is…!”
“I don’t know if it’s similar to what you saw in your dream.”
“It’s exactly the same!”
She threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly as he stood there, unsure of himself.
“Thank you so much.”
It was enough that he had listened to her and remembered her words, but he had actually made it a reality. Having someone on her side felt so reassuring. Hyewan felt a renewed surge of strength to keep going.
The problem was that while her will was strong, her body couldn’t keep up. Her limbs felt heavy and limp, like waterlogged cotton. She even wondered if she should start taking those bitter herbal medicines she hated so much.
On the last Friday of March, as Hyewan left the classroom after her final lecture, her vision spun. A classmate caught her as she stumbled, steadying her.
“Hyewan? Are you okay?”
“I need to sit down.”
“Here, sit here.”
With her friend’s help, Hyewan managed to lower herself into a chair without collapsing.
“I’ll rest for a bit. You go on ahead.”
“How can I leave you like this? Should I call your family?”
“I’ll do it. It’s Friday night—go home.”
“Fine, fine. Just be careful, okay?”
“I will. Don’t worry, just go.”
After sending her friend away, Hyewan waited for the dizziness to subside. But the symptoms only worsened, showing no signs of improving. She’d never felt this way before. She wasn’t the type to overreact, but this was serious.
Hyewan called her driver, who was waiting in the school parking lot. Her stamina had plummeted recently, and she had been relying on him for her commute.
“Sir, could you come inside the building to get me?”
As she hung up, a wave of nausea washed over her. What’s wrong with me? Hyewan felt a sudden surge of panic.
With the driver’s help, she got into the car and headed straight to the nearest university hospital’s emergency room. While the driver checked her in, Hyewan lay on a gurney, undergoing a preliminary examination before waiting for the results. She was terrified and anxious.
“Hyewan!”
Just then, Yundo burst into the emergency room, his face deathly pale.
“Are you okay? What happened? What did they say?”
She tried to reassure him.
“Calm down. It’s nothing serious.”
This is why I hesitated to call him, she thought. He’ll be so scared his heart might stop. She couldn’t have called Min-suk, either. Min-suk would have probably clutched her chest and collapsed on the spot.
“Guardian of Ko Hyewan?”
“I’m her husband. What’s wrong? Is it something serious? Why did she suddenly collapse?”
“It’s nothing serious, so please don’t worry. Just try to calm down.”
The doctor tried to soothe Yundo, whose face was now paler than the patient’s.
“She’s pregnant.”
“What?”
“The OB-GYN will give you the exact number of weeks during the checkup.”
Hyewan and Yundo stared at each other. They never expected this. Every time they’d tried so hard and hoped so much, they’d been met with disappointment and heartbreak. And now, just when they’d finally stopped trying and let go, she was pregnant?
They sat in the OB-GYN’s office, their minds still blank. A doctor with a warm, friendly face smiled at them.
“You’re six weeks along. Shall we listen to the heartbeat?”
Six weeks… so, in Hawaii?
“Please come this way.”
Hyewan followed the nurse’s guidance into the ultrasound room. Yundo, just as stunned as she was, followed her with a tense expression.
The sound of the baby’s heartbeat filled the room, just as Haetsal’s had.
Baby. Our baby.
Thick tears streamed down Yundo’s face.
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