EXTRA 5 (END)
by Gideon“Oh, the father seems truly moved,” the doctor remarked.
Hyewan looked at Yundo, her eyes widening in surprise. “Yundo?”
“Hngh…”
He buried his face in her hands and burst into tears.
The baby is back.
Yundo only managed to compose himself after Hyewan, the doctor, and even the nurse offered their comfort. Though Hyewan’s eyes were merely rimmed with red, Yundo’s face was swollen from crying by the time they left the consultation room. After scheduling their next appointment and paying the bill, they got into the car and drove away from the hospital.
Hyewan stared at the ultrasound photo again and again, then searched for something on her phone. The thought that they had conceived the baby in Hawaii brought a specific dream to mind—a dream about a ribbon.
“They say a ribbon dream is a conception dream. A girl’s conception dream.”
So that’s why I stole it!
“I’m happy. I’m happy with anything.”
“You said your heart would beat too fast for you to survive if it was a girl.”
“I’ll just wear a guard. Listen to your mom and don’t be upset with your dad, Bongbong. Daddy doesn’t want anything from our Bongbong other than for her to be healthy.”
“Bongbong?”
“You had a ribbon dream, so it’s Bongbong. It’s better than Bonbon, right?”
His naming sense is a bit…
“Since you picked the fetal name, I’m picking the real name.”
“Do whatever you want.”
He’d agree to any name.
Both families, as well as Bora and Dong-yeong, were overjoyed by the news of the pregnancy, celebrating as if it were their own. Bora, in particular, hugged Hyewan so tightly and wept so much that it actually became a cause for concern.
Bongbong’s due date was two months after Bora’s baby, falling in December—right around the time of winter break. Yundo, who knew Hyewan’s plans, praised Bongbong for already being such a filial child. Dong-yeong jokingly suggested that if each family had a son and a daughter, they should arrange a marriage between the children, which infuriated Yundo, the prospective father of a daughter.
Bongbong gifted Hyewan a time of both dreams and nightmares. Her experience was completely different from Haetsal’s. She suffered through morning sickness, hunger-induced nausea, and vomiting right up until the birth. The symptoms varied by time of day, but the hunger-induced nausea usually struck in the dead of night, sending Yundo running all over the place.
Yundo sprang into action like a soldier on a five-minute standby, eager to help. But Hyewan, watching him, felt only dread. She worried he’d get into an accident in the middle of the night, and she felt guilty for putting him through this—but Bongbong refused to give Yundo a break.
Even when she did eat, the morning sickness kept her throwing up. Hyewan grew paler by the day, her belly the only thing that seemed to grow. Yet, she never missed a single class, never arrived late, and never left early. Her Civil Law professor, a man so fierce he was nicknamed the Venomous Spider, even acknowledged Hyewan as his successor, the Second Venomous Spider.
Still, Bongbong was considerate of Hyewan. Letting her take her final exams for her freshman year was a true act of mercy.
Two nights after the semester ended, Bongbong—who had been so patient—finally decided it was time to enter the world. Yundo had just finished showering and lain down in bed when…
Bongbong, if you were going to do this, you should have given me a signal before I got in the shower. Your timing is so suspiciously perfect, it’s almost like you’re trying to torment me.
Hyewan’s mind raced.
But what choice do I have? Bongbong is coming.
“Cha Yundo.”
Yundo frowned at the sound of his full name, a tone he hadn’t heard from her in ages. “Why are you calling me like that?”
Did I do something wrong? he wondered.
“I’ve packed the hospital bag next to your watch case,” Hyewan said. “The spare car key is in the front pocket, so don’t go looking for it elsewhere. I’ve also laid out your clothes, so change and come out.”
“…What are you talking about?”
“Let’s go meet Bongbong.”
“…”
Yundo froze, looking as if he’d forgotten how to breathe. Hyewan shook her head.
“No. Just stay there. I’ll call a taxi.”
“…That’s probably for the best. If I drive, we might all be dead before we even reach the hospital.”
“Don’t say such unlucky things!”
Hyewan slapped his thigh hard.
“No, no, no! We’re still two weeks away from the due date! Why is Bongbong coming out now?”
“Ask Bongbong yourself when she’s born.”
Hyewan’s fingers trembled as she tapped the app. She hadn’t told Yundo because he was already panicking, but she was the one most terrified by the situation.
Three hours after arriving at the hospital, Hyewan gave birth. It felt like a reward for her difficult pregnancy. Born amidst everyone’s blessings, Bongbong was a girl, just as Hyewan had predicted. She was a beautiful, sparkling 3.2-kilogram baby, just like her conception dream.
When they held their newborn baby in their arms and saw all ten fingers and ten toes, Hyewan and Yundo wept with joy, overwhelmed by a sense of relief and gratitude.
Bongbong, a source of pure joy and excitement just by existing, never had the chance to lie in her crib. Yundo, who had fallen in love with her the moment he learned she existed, held her constantly. Min-suk and Madam Park’s warnings that she would get too used to being carried fell on deaf ears.
Hyewan chose the baby’s name, and the whole family agreed on Hyeseo.
Cha Hyeseo, the daughter of Cha Yundo and Ko Hyewan.
Our daughter.
Yundo’s heart ached whenever the baby’s tiny hand gripped his finger. Mommy and Daddy will protect you. You don’t have to worry about a thing, our little baby—just grow up healthy and strong. We love you, our daughter.
“Do you really like it that much?”
The couple was taking care of their newborn, Hyeseo, all on their own, without any help. They wanted to cherish this once-in-a-lifetime moment together—just the three of them. They had known what they were getting into, but it was still exhausting. Hyewan already looked like a zombie, yet Yundo, who was doing ten times more work than she was, still looked completely fresh.
“I love it. I lose track of time just watching our daughter.”
She leaned against Yundo, gazing at their baby girl nestled in his arms. Their own little piece of heaven was fast asleep.
“I feel the same way. I love it too.”
A wave of pure happiness shimmered around them.
Yundo walked along the path, now blanketed in a fresh layer of snow. He walked alone, on the path he had always traveled with Hyewan. Ever since Hyeseo was born, he had spent every spare moment by her side, but today, he had a place he had to go.
He had only felt able to leave because Min-suk and Gyeong-ae were visiting to see Hyeseo. He was on his way to see Haetsal.
The snow, which had fallen from yesterday through early this morning, forced him to park his car in the village below and continue on foot. But the walk wasn’t difficult. Instead, the serene, snow-covered mountain temple calmed his mind.
The first time he had come to this temple, it had been snowing. Then, as now, his guilt and longing for Haetsal remained the same. No, they had only deepened with time.
“You’ve come,” a monk greeted him as he entered the temple grounds.
“How have you been?” Yundo replied.
“You came all this way to see Haetsal, even with all this snow?”
Yundo smiled. Hearing Haetsal’s name spoken so naturally warmed his heart.
“Yes, Monk. Happy New Year.”
“Happy New Year to you too, Sir. The weather is cold. Please, go on inside.”
Bowing his head, Yundo entered the hall where Haetsal’s memorial tablet was kept. He placed the chrysanthemums he had brought all the way from Seoul and lit incense in the burner. Then, he spoke softly.
“Haetsal, Daddy’s here. Have you been well?”
The smoke rose in a straight line. He sat facing the child’s tablet.
“Mom’s staying home today with Bongbong and the grandmothers,” Yundo said gently. “Don’t be upset that Daddy came alone, okay?”
He remained by her side until the incense had completely burned down. He had felt he had to come, though there was no specific reason why. To anyone else, this might have seemed meaningless, but Yundo wanted to share this time with Haetsal, even if it was only like this.
After sitting there for a long while, Yundo made a promise from the bottom of his heart.
“Haetsal, next time, I’ll bring Mom and Bongbong with me.”
Maybe we can all come together when the cherry blossoms bloom?
“Stay well until then.”
Every time he said goodbye to the child and left the pavilion, his throat tightened. A wave of conflicting emotions washed over him, bringing a sting to his nose. It truly felt like he was leaving her behind.
“Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. Goodbye, Venerable Monk.”
Wiping his face with his hands, he bowed to the monk and left the temple. As if to comfort him, the winter sun’s cold light bathed Yundo’s head.
It was Haetsal’s blessing.
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