Baek SeungJo

You’re cute. Every now and then.

There are also times when you’re beautiful. From time to time.

But… Why do I like you?

You’re not that pretty and you’re only cute now and then.

Why would I always miss you?

You… What did you do to me?

 

~

 

“HaNi-ah!” mother squealed as she came running towards HaNi in her bright pink apron and pulled her into a great big hug, “Did you have a good time?! How was it?! Was it as beautiful as it was on the internet?!”

 

Mother squeezed her so tight that she was only able to reply her with short nods, her chin bumping heavily on her shoulder.

 

I tried to hold back chuckle as I noticed that HaNi was having trouble breathing. To save my wife from any step closer to imminent death I cleared my throat loudly, gaining mother’s attention.

 

“Mother, would you please move out of the doorway, I can’t get the bags in,” I grumbled from behind, gripping the heavy suitcases from our trip in my hands, trying to fit then through the front door that just so conveniently mother decided to ambush HaNi.

 

My arms ached as the weight of the suitcases pulled on my arms.

 

After hearing what I said, mother looked up at me, her eldest son and glared, “Haven’t even been inside the house for 5 minutes and already back to the grumpy old grandpa! You know SeungJo, at this rate you’re going to start getting wrinkles and white hairs before you’re 30!”

 

I sighed inwardly.

 

I looked at mother skeptically, “Technically I’m not even inside the house yet,” I said waving my hand across the doorway, showing that I had not yet stepped inside the household.

 

Mother’s glare hardened, “I just hope that your kids won’t be smart mouthed like you, better be more like HaNi,” she growled hugging my wife closer.

 

HaNi’s surprised caught off guard expression flashed across her face and stared wide-eyed at mother. She held her hands up in front of her face and shook them hastily, stuttering, not knowing what to say.

 

Mother laughed and dragged HaNi inside to the kitchen, talking loudly.

 

I sighed and dropped the suitcases to the ground and decided to roll them the rest of the way into the house.

 

I kicked off my shoes and placed them neatly along the pile of shoes at the door and rolled the suitcases to the stairwell, blocking out the hazardous gossip of my mother.

 

At that exact moment EunJo came rushing down the stairs and jumped straight onto me, into a giant bear hug, wrapping his legs around my waist.

 

“Argh!” I yelled, just as he crashed into me, I immediately wrapped my arms around his waist and hugged him close.

 

At least someone appreciated me coming home.

 

“Hyung! You’re finally home! I missed you so much! I can’t stand another second of mum’s torture!” EungJo said, dropping to the ground in front of me.

 

I chuckled and ruffled his hair.

 

“I missed you too buddy,” I laughed.

 

EunJo helped me drag our suitcases upstairs to HaNi and I’s room.

 

We set the suitcases down in the corner before both collapsing on the bed in exhaustion.

 

“W-what does th-that Oh H-haNi have in that s-suitcase of hers!” breathed EungJo heavily staring at the ceiling.

 

“I h-have no idea,” I puffed in return.

 

We lay there in a few minutes of silence regaining our posture and calming our breaths to an even rate.

 

“You know hyung…” EunJo started.

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Mother’s been acting really weird lately,” he said.

 

“How so?” I asked. Mother acting weird was no surprise in this household.

 

“She… well… she’s been going around shopping in baby shops recently, you know the ones that sell child birth and baby merchandise?” said EunJo turning towards me on the bed.

 

I kept my eyes on the ceiling, keeping my face blank, “Maybe she’s just reminiscing what it’s like having us as babies around the house,” I said.

 

However inside I already knew what her real motive was.

 

She’s my mother, I’ve spent my entire life with her, so far, how can I not know what she is planning?

 

EunJo continued, “She’s also been looking up hospital and their childbirth facilities on her computer…”

 

That confirmed it.

 

I turned to EunJo and smiled, “Don’t worry, mother will always be her hyperactive self, she’s probably just trying to picture something for her blog,” I said waving my hand.

 

EunJo looked at me and sighed, “Okay then hyung,”

 

EunJo stood up and trudged out of my room.

 

I sighed, to my chest and rested my chin on my hands.

 

How stupid of me, how could I fall into one of mother’s traps again?!

 

I thought back to her insistent persuasion to get HaNi and I onto the plane to the Maldives.

 

Without knowing her instinctive motive I acted on impulse and handed exactly what she wished for into her hands.

 

The memories of that night flashed through my mind.

 

A warm fuzzy feeling grew in my chest.

 

I smiled and groaned in disappointment at the same time and buried my face into the bed sheets.

 

Its not that I don’t want what mother wants, it’s just that I don’t want everything happening according to her wishes.

 

I want to live my own life for once. With HaNi.

 

I closed my eyes and relaxed my muscles.

 

“What would it be like to be a father?” I whispered to myself.

 

~

 

Three weeks passed in anxiety as mother and I both kept a close eye on HaNi.

 

Mother was oblivious of my actions as I portrayed them discreetly. I kept a close eye on her eating and sleeping habits, I even woke up early in the morning to check if there are any signs of her “once a month” in the bathroom.

 

There was nothing.

 

Mother played a less discreet role and openly asked HaNi indirect questions about what she would like to eat, if she was feeling alright, and if she would like to go out for some sport.

 

HaNi kindly declined all her requests and carried on daily life normally, without suspecting anything.

 

Typical innocent Oh HaNi.

 

However, that wasn’t the only anxiety going around in my life.

 

Recently there has been a very bad flu going around Korea, and there have been an exceedingly large amount of patients coming to the hospital every day.

 

All the hospital’s doctors and nurses’ holidays were suspended and put on immediate call.

 

HaNi and I spent each of our days busy at the hospital, rushing around from patient to patient.

 

As the third week rolled on mother’s enthusiasm began to reside and begin to realize that her wishes may not have been successful.

 

However, at the hospital the amount of people falling ill have risen to a well above average, this along with a large number of doctors and nurses also catching the flu. This has thrown the hospital into havoc.

 

Luckily both HaNi and I have just gotten back from the Maldives and have had a long and restful holiday, which has reenergized our immune system and kept us safe from the sickness.

 

“Doctor Baek SeungJo!” I whipped around out of my trance and noticed my fellow college, Doctor Lee waving his hands wildly down the hallway trying to get my attention.

 

I immediately broke into a run towards him; pushing away the tiredness and fatigue that threatened to overwhelm my body.

 

“What is it?” I asked horridly as I rushed towards him.

 

“Immediate help is needed in the children’s department, we need to get over there immediately. Many nurses have already been sent down there to help,” Doctor Lee said, breaking in a run down the hallway with me following close behind him.

 

We made several sharp turns dodging many patients, and crashed through the entry doors of the children’s department.

 

The first thing that hit me when I fell in through the doors was the precious sound of young children’s wailing.

 

I cringed inwardly at the hurtful sound.

 

“Come on, we need to get working,” said Doctor Im ignoring the cries of the young ones and dragging me off to work.

 

I went from child to child, nonstop for 4 hours.

 

The more I spent with the children, the more I noticed the expressions on the parent’s faces as I examined their children.

 

Full of fear and concern, I watched first hand as parents went nights without sleeping just to care for their one beloved son or daughter; their fighting spirits were unbeatable.

 

It was near the end of my shift that I found HaNi in one of the children’s wards reading a storybook to several young children.

 

I stopped and leaned on the side of the door, watching her.

 

HaNi hugged one boy with a broken arm close to her and read out loud with a bright happy voice.

 

The children smiled along with her enjoying the book immensely.

 

When she finished the book, she proceeded to tuck each child into their bed, one by one, kissing them gently on the forehead before leaving.

 

She noticed my leaning on the door and eyes opened wide in delight.

 

I smiled.

 

As the rushed towards me, I noticed that the dark circles under her eyes have grown very heavy.

 

My heart thumped unevenly in my chest.

 

HaNi however didn’t notice and closed the ward door gently behind her, turning towards me with a bright smile on her face.

 

I couldn’t help but return the smile.

 

“So, Doctor Baek, how have you been recently? Working hard in the children’s department?” asked HaNi standing next to me.

 

I laughed, “Working hard cleaning up your messes,” I joked poking her on the tip of the nose.

 

HaNi’s eyes widened, “I-I’m so so-sor-..” she stuttered.

 

I burst out laughing, my laughs echoing down the hallway.

 

HaNi stared up at me shocked, “What?”

 

I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her head into y chest, “ I was just kidding, no need to be so flustered,” I laughed patting her head.

 

I felt HaNi’s mouth push into a put against my chest, and choke a hard forced laugh.

 

However her laugh was broken off hallway and her head lolled against my chest, her legs gave away and her body went limp.

 

I looked down at her in shock and slowly lowered her to the ground.

 

“HaNi,” I said worriedly, shaking her gently and tapping her on her cheek. She didn’t respond.

 

I cradled her in my arms and moved my hand to her neck, as my heart thumped unevenly in my chest in worry.

 

I gently applied pressure to HaNi’s neck to find the beat of her heart.

 

I waited as my fingers fumbled their way around her neck, I noticed that her lips were parched and white, contrasting her dark under eyes.

 

How could I not pay any attention to my own wife in a time like this?

 

How could she become of fragile?

 

At that moment my fingers found the pressure point…

 

I waited for 15 seconds counting the number of heartbeats.

 

I counted it once, shook my head in confusion and counted again.

 

No… I was correct the first time…

 

How could this be?

 

I double checked out more time, making sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

 

No, I was correct.

 

Oh HaNi is pregnant.

 

 

~~~

 

HEEEYYY GUYSSSSS

 

SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOOONERRR, BUT SCHOOL JUST STARTED TT.TT

 

WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OF THIS CHAP?!

 

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR UR THOUGHTS!

 

KEEP READING! I WILL UPDATE ASAP!!!

 

LOVE YOU ALL <3

 

SUBSCRIBE AND COMMENT!

 

UNTIL NEXT TIME CHAPS

 

XOXO