1st Chapter

DUCKLINGS OVERLOAD

Mister Cha Sunwoo was one of those carefree people who just wanted to live a relaxed life while focusing on the things he felt passionate about. He didn’t worry about his future or things like would he ever get married if he wasn’t even dating. He owned a little two story house with a garden in the backyard that he had bought two winters ago with his own money he had earned from working in a stable office job in a tiny company that only had two other workers beside Sunwoo. Aside from his work he enjoyed quiet evenings at home reading a book when he wasn’t swallowed by his slightly extraordinary hobby.

”Now Sunwoo, I know you’re eager to start the weekend so let’s just finish this one thing and go all home early,” Jinyoung, Sunwoo’s boss said and patted his shoulder friendly. Unlike any other boss Jung Jinyoung was fair and kind. He had built their company from a scratch but somehow there they were, selling off his creations. Jinyoung was the most impressive engineer Sunwoo had ever witnessed in work—his imagination and creativity knew no limits.

”You’re getting your new batch today, Sunwoo?” Shinwoo, the third and last co-worker of theirs asked.

Sunwoo couldn’t help but smile. ”New babies are finally coming home.”

”Make sure not to bring in any duck poop on your shoes with you on Monday,” Shinwoo joked as the last thing before Sunwoo stepped out of the door at the end of the day. It was still bright afternoon with sun high up in the sky, making Sunwoo whistle while on his walk to the bus stop. Even the bus came two minutes early, only reinforcing his good mood. Since he was early there weren’t many people and Sunwoo was able to have a pleasurable journey. Hopping off the bus he waved a thanks to the driver before it disappeared from sight.

Two hundred meters and Sunwoo’s white house came into the view. It looked neat for a bachelor to be living in it and Sunwoo couldn’t help but give himself an approving nod. He’d done good job. A dark blue delivery car was parked in front of his house and his heart lurched from excitement—were they here already? His babies?

Last steps were taken running as he reached his front gate just in time to see Chansik coming from his backyard. Gong Chansik had been delivering for Sunwoo ever since he had started his unique hobby after moving here.

Even if the house wasn’t big it was still a whole house – a whole house just for himself. He had soon started feeling lonely so he had decided to get himself a pet. Or several, actually. He didn’t like cats, and dogs were too high maintenance for his liking, so eventually Sunwoo settled for birds.

”Sunwoo! I’ve got them all ready for you in the garden. It’s a beautiful day and I knew you’d be coming soon so I didn’t–” Chansik said as his greetings.

”Thank you, Chansik”, Sunwoo said with a smile, needing no further explanations. Since Chansik had long been his trusty delivery man he could let him enter his backyard without guidance. ”Was the journey all right? Everything’s good?”

”Each of them all in good spirits. You know I take special care of them for you,” Chansik said. He was such a sweet young boy. ”Well, I know you’re eager to meet them so I’ll be going. See you again!”

”Thank you!” Sunwoo shouted even with the car already moving. Chansik’s left arm waved good-bye from the open window.

Sunwoo left his coat on the porch and walked around the house to get to the garden where his eyes immediately landed on little fluffy yellow ducklings jumping on the grass. Sunwoo had built them a shelter and a fence to keep them herded. Knowingly Chansik had released them from the tight delivery box to stretch their tiny feet around the small pool Sunwoo had prepared.

”Why ducks?” Chansik had asked the first time he had delivered ducklings to Sunwoo and together they had watched them to step on grass for the first time with awe in front of such delicate little things.

”Because no one else really cares for them,” Sunwoo had said. Because if he didn’t help them then who would?

Chansik was actually doing more than just delivering. He helped Sunwoo by picking up little ducklings from a certain ranch thats information Chansik never revealed, but Sunwoo knew that the ranch threw away ducklings that had somehow failed, born not good enough or different. Chansik’s actual job was to deliver duck eggs from that ranch so he secretly collaborated with Sunwoo to get the ”flawed” ducklings a better life than being just left to die.

Sunwoo regarded himself as a good-hearted person and if he didn’t use it for anything better than selling Jinyoung’s inventions wouldn’t it be such a waste? People with good hearts should spread it so that the goodness would reach further.

”But why ducks out of all the things in the world?” Chansik had insisted.

Sunwoo knelt down to meet his new guests that first seemed disinterested of his presence until food was brought to their attention. With their tiny peaks they gulped down seeds from the ground. One of them had a shorter left foot so it struggled to stay in balance and soon indeed it fell over.

Sunwoo chuckled. “Just as cute as the ones before, and before that.”

It could’ve been enough to answer Chansik’s question but Sunwoo was an honest person and honestly he didn’t think the only reason he got involved into this illegal action was just because they were cute. There had to be more to that but so far Sunwoo had failed to make the connection.

”Come to daddy now, let me take a better look at each of you,” Sunwoo spoke to the new ducklings softly—they seemed to listen to him and gathered around. To examine his babies Sunwoo held them in his large male hands inspecting their faults to find out if any of them needed medical help.

”I’ll find you a new home later I promise,” he whispered to one before releasing it back to the ground where it received a sunflower seed as a reward for good behavior before quickly wobbling away. That’s what Sunwoo did. He raised them up with love before finding them new homes from legally approved farms or anyone suitable and willing to take care of them properly. One by one Sunwoo held each one of the seven ducklings, quite pleased with the health situation of this batch. No major injuries that would’ve been obvious at this stage. Sometimes diseases came to the surface only within time.

Hold on. Seven?

Sunwoo was sure Chansik talked about eight. He checked their latest text messages and there it was written; eight little ducklings. Sunwoo made a recount doubting that maybe he hadn’t counted them right, but no matter what it still looked like seven yellow clumsy ducklings he had already examined. He was about to press the call button to ask from Chansik when he heard ruffling sound behind the little red shelter house—indeed a duckling was there, fully endorsed into hiding food into the ground. It was fluffier and much rounder than the other ducklings, and it avoided stepping on its left foot which made it stumble constantly, falling on its nose. Regardless of clearly being injured it looked content with its little mission and kept rising up bravely after each fall.

”Aren’t you a stubborn one,” Sunwoo said and the duckling finally seemed to notice his presence. Sunwoo blocked its escape attempt by lifting it high into the air to take a good look at it. The duckling didn’t try to get away from his embrace but stared Sunwoo straight into the eyes with its black orbs. Having a rather short neck and wings made it look like a total feather ball with big round eyes.

Sunwoo chuckled for the amount of cuteness the duckling carried within. It was adorable in every way, but he was worried about it. Having short body parts meant there could be big troubles ahead in the future once it grows. Also the limping had to be checked.

”You know what? I’m going to take you inside with me.”

It’d be too dangerous to leave it outside where others could stumble on it and where there were other risks. Leaving the other ducklings behind to study their new environment Sunwoo held the round duckling in his arms and went inside from his front door, picking up the coat he had left behind.

Inside the house Sunwoo headed straight to the bathroom for it had the brightest lighting out of all the rooms. Once again he raised the duckling high in the air and took a gentle hold of the injured leg. Carefully he squeezed through each part of the tiny leg trying to determine whether something was broken but luckily the problem seemed to locate in the toes that were bloody and looked like the other ducks had pecked him causing his injury.

It was nothing out of ordinary, sadly. Other animals notice when someone is different from them and target it without any better reasoning. Not that different from how humans tend to act, huh?

The duckling hated getting it's wounds disinfected and Sunwoo couldn’t blame it. “I know it stings,” he soothed the little one. Putting a small bandage to stop from bacteria and dirt getting into the wound was much easier since the duckling didn’t seem to mind getting touched.

”You like skinship, uh-huh?” Sunwoo laughed.

Knowing it wasn’t the best idea to release a duckling free to roam in the house, Sunwoo did it anyway. It seemed to follow Sunwoo’s every step and Sunwoo liked company. Besides this way he was able to keep an eye on it at all times, right? With eager steps it hopped forward stumbling through obstacles in high spirits such as a chair leg or a house-plant pot. Sunwoo thought for the better of the safety of his smallest sprout in a tiny pot and moved it from the living room to the guest room where he placed it by the window. The little sprout turned its two small leaves toward the bright light. Sunwoo didn’t know yet what plant it was – it was a mystery seed he had ordered online. Another hobby of his, one could say.

Sunwoo could hear stumbling from behind and indeed the yellow duckling had followed him.

”Do you want to sleep here–” Sunwoo asked from it, pondering over how to call it, ”–Deullie?”

He usually didn’t name his ducklings to avoid over attachment—at least he tried not to—but this case just seemed different. Deullie had been with him only for an hour and Sunwoo’s heart was already wavering.

For the night Sunwoo placed Deullie to his guest room that located right next to the master bedroom. Sunwoo prepared a large cardboard box lined with towels and a big fluffy duck plushie so that Deullie would have something to cuddle next to. Sunwoo made sure that Deullie was well fed—its appetite was clearly bigger than average but it needed energy to heal so Sunwoo wasn’t worried.

With a full heart Sunwoo watched Deullie to fall asleep in the dark room that only had a stream of light coming through the slightly open door. Sunwoo was already feeling considerably less lonely and he felt like he could save all the little ducklings in the world, just like he had saved Deullie and the others.

Watering the sprout that was located above Deullie’s box Sunwoo carefully but tightly closed the guest room door to make sure that Deullie wouldn’t move around too much even if it somehow got out of the box. Sunwoo himself headed straight to bed as well, feeling the weariness of the day on his heavy eyelids. Tucking himself in he secretly hoped that tomorrow would come quickly so he’d get to play with his ducklings—it’d be Sunday after all and all his Sundays were free.

Sunwoo’s wasn’t the only hopeful heart in the house as peaceful sleep landed upon them. The sprout shook it leaves sprinkling dust in the air that then landed on the little duckling cuddled in its box. Despite the delicious pictures of roasted sunflower seeds it was dreaming of, Deullie’s heart beat rapidly with all it had. Every grain of hope kept its heart sprinting to the next chapter ahead.

Every grain of hope to be loved.