CHAPTER: 004 No— Why?!
CHAPTER: 004 No— Why?!
As soon as he entered the room—
“Hwae— hwaeeng—”
The baby was crying and flailing, so Yoonseul picked him up.
Maybe the patting soothed him a little—the baby stopped crying.
Just in case, Yoonseul touched the diapered bottom.
The diaper’s fine?
Did he cry because he was anxious with no one around?
Yoonseul grabbed the carrying wrap he kept beside the crib and put the baby on his back.
Swish— swish—
A wrap he had grown used to over the past month.
He secured the baby so his head wouldn’t flop back, then carried him.
“Hwing— uae—”
Maybe he felt cramped—at the whining sound, Yoonseul reached behind him and patted the baby’s bottom.
Swish—
He felt the baby lean against his back.
Suck— suck—
At the sound of him sucking his thumb, Yoonseul gave him a pacifier.
He could feel the baby’s warm body heat against his back.
Maybe he finally felt stable—Garam stayed still.
With the baby on his back, Yoonseul went out to the kitchen.
He went back to making side dishes.
He plated the golden-browned pink sausage, opened the pressure rice cooker after releasing the steam, and fluffed the rice.
He had cooked about one and a half servings.
He moved the doenjang stew that was still boiling on the stove to the table and scooped the rice.
When he took out kimchi from the fridge and set it down, it looked like a proper meal.
“Thank you for the food.”
On Yoonseul’s back, Garam was going crazy.
Haa— I can eat that, you know…
Whenever it was mealtime, the smell drove Garam insane.
Being stuck in a baby’s body was unbelievably inconvenient.
They could start baby food, but his older brother said he had to drink formula until at least ten months.
Soon, once they started baby food, he would eat everything.
Kimchi stew, doenjang stew. All of it is mine.
Staring at the side dishes and the doenjang stew on the table, Garam clenched his fist.
The unfairness of having to drink only formula because of his digestive system.
Just wait until baby food starts.
“Hwae— hwaeeng—”
Garam let out a small cry.
Yoonseul couldn’t even start eating—he stood up again and began mixing formula.
After loosening the wrap and holding Garam in front, he put the bottle to his mouth.
Garam drank the formula with vigor.
Gulp— gulp—
Yoonseul looked down at the baby.
Watching him hold the bottle in his arms and guzzle like he was truly starving, Yoonseul felt a little guilty.
“You were upset because I only made food for myself and didn’t take care of you.”
At Yoonseul’s words, Garam only blinked and quickly finished the bottle.
Once he was somewhat full, he pushed the bottle away, and Yoonseul rubbed his back to help him burp.
“Keuk—”
After he burped, Yoonseul put him back on his back and tied the wrap again.
Haa—
The doenjang stew had cooled a bit.
A sigh escaped Yoonseul on its own.
Eating one meal is really hard…
•
A few days later.
Bzz— bzzz—
When his phone rang, Yoonseul stopped sterilizing bottles and rushed over to answer.
“Yes— this is Yoonseul.”
—Mr. Yoonseul? Is Mr. Yoon Kiyeong your father?
His father’s name, coming from the other person’s mouth.
It felt like his heart dropped.
Maybe it was trauma from suddenly having a baby at the funeral.
—Hello? Mr. Yoonseul?
“Huh? Ah— yes. That is my father’s name, but…”
—This is a law office. Your father prepared a will addressed to you, so could you make some time to come in?
“…Is there an inheritance?”
—Yes, and there are also things we need to tell you in person.
“Understood.”
Yoonseul set an appointment for a few days later, after lunchtime.
On the day of the appointment, he went to the meeting place with the baby carrier strapped to the front.
Garam had a pacifier in his mouth.
Ding—
As he entered the café, everyone’s eyes turned to him.
A young man in a black padded jacket and a beanie, walking in with a front baby carrier, must have looked unusual to them.
Soon, the customers covered their mouths or whispered in low voices.
“The dad’s really young.”
“Look at the baby. He’s seriously like an angel.”
“Oh my— the baby’s so cute. The dad’s handsome too.”
“Guess you can’t beat DNA.”
Whispers everywhere.
Yoonseul ignored them.
He walked up to the kiosk and ordered a cup of coffee.
A single coffee costs… haa— say one useless thing today. Just try it.
He lingered by the pickup counter for a moment.
Then his warm café latte came out.
He carried the coffee to a seat.
In his arms, Garam twitched.
“Hot? Want me to take your hat off?”
“Kkaa—”
Seeing him squeal softly like an answer, Yoonseul took off the hat and tidied his hair.
Light brown hair.
His father’s hair had also looked almost golden when it reflected light.
Yoonseul’s own hair was similarly light brown, so it glittered almost gold under the light.
Seeing traces of my father in a place like this…
After smoothing Garam’s hair with his hand, Yoonseul took a sip of his café latte and waited for the person to arrive.
In his arms, Garam glanced at the customers drinking coffee and other drinks.
Every time he heard people calling him cute and handsome, it felt like his shoulders lifted.
In his previous life, Garam hadn’t been handsome.
Fighting the Red Dragon on the gate tower, he’d suffered a grievous wound—half his face torn off—and had lived with his face covered.
It’s peaceful…
Using what he knew from his previous life, Garam decided he would make his older brother rich.
The lotto drawing date already… passed, though…
Hmm—
He wanted to spit out the pacifier in his mouth, but strangely, keeping it in made him feel good.
Comforted, almost.
The whispering in the café sounded like a lullaby, and he grew sleepy.
Pat— pat—
Sleepy, and his older brother’s patting felt nice, so he fell asleep completely.
I need to hear what the lawyer and my brother talk about, though…
Inhale— exhale—
When he heard the baby’s steady breathing in his arms, Yoonseul sipped his warm café latte and waited for the lawyer.
Right on time.
A middle-aged man entered the café.
The way he was dressed screamed “professional.”
He wore rimless glasses, an eight-to-two part, and a neatly styled perm.
In a plain dark denim-black suit, carrying a briefcase, he looked around the café.
When Yoonseul raised his hand slightly, the man set his bag down, glanced at the cup in front of Yoonseul, and spoke.
“Looks like you arrived early.”
“Yes. I came out a bit early and ordered first.”
“I see… Would you like anything else to drink?”
Yoonseul looked down at his cup, then said,
“Could you get me one more café latte?”
Hearing the order, the lawyer went to the kiosk and selected items from the menu.
A little later, he returned and sat down with a tray holding a café latte and an iced Americano.
“Here.”
“Thank you.”
The lawyer then took out a business card and introduced himself.
“I’m Han Gisu, the dedicated attorney for the late Mr. Yoon Kiyeong.”
“…Dedicated attorney?”
“Yes. Mr. Yoon Kiyeong—”
“Wait.”
Yoonseul cut him off.
“I don’t want to know what my father did. Just tell me what you called me here for.”
At Yoonseul’s sharp words, Han Gisu nodded as if he understood.
He took out two envelopes from his briefcase and slid them across the table.
Slide—
They were sealed.
When Han Gisu held the envelopes out, Yoonseul stared at them with cold eyes, then looked up.
“What is this?”
“The will. Since it’s addressed to you, the other heirs are not allowed to see it.”
“Other… heirs?”
A bad feeling crept over Yoonseul.
His mother’s words came back to him.
—Babies like starlight and moonlight… I saw you holding them, Seul.
He shook his head.
No way. It can’t be.
Han Gisu crushed that hope without hesitation.
“Besides your mother, there are other heirs… For example, Han Yesul, the baby’s mother, and another woman named Hong Jiyeon.”
“…Are you saying my father had another mistress besides Han Yesul, his second wife?”
“…First, please confirm the will.”
Rip—
Yoonseul opened the envelope with his name on it and read.
Garam read it too.
That crazy bastard… No, he’s this body’s father… Even so, an insult wouldn’t be enough…
While Garam cursed internally, Yoonseul’s whole body trembled.
Rip—
He opened the will addressed to his mother.
[To my beloved first wife, Jiye.]
…
Crunch—
Yoonseul crumpled the will.
Held in Yoonseul’s arms, Garam could feel his body shaking.
Ha… hahaha… hahahahaha—
Yoonseul laughed.
When something was too absurd, all you could do was laugh.
Garam was Han Yesul’s child.
And Hong Jiyeon also had a newborn.
When the laughter stopped, the café was deathly quiet.
Attorney Han Gisu spoke softly.
“If you raise Ms. Hong Jiyeon’s child as well, your mother’s entire inheritance will go to you.”
“…How many months is Ms. Hong Jiyeon’s baby?”
“Seven.”
“So he’s the same age as this one?”
“The births overlapped.”
Hoo—
Yoonseul slammed the table.
“Only they have bright futures? What about mine?”
Pat— pat—
A small hand patted him.
Tears fell.
“Hwae— hwaeeng—”
Yoonseul stood, bouncing the baby gently.
Small hands touched his cheeks.
“You’re wiping your older brother’s tears?”
