Chapter 381: Reunion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 381: Reunion
"Dammit."
I was standing outside the bathhouse at the main house.
I’d tried calling the girls, but no one was picking up. I’d seen a few missed calls earlier and got my hopes up, but since it was late, they seemed to be asleep.
They’re turning in earlier than usual.
Is it because they’re pregnant? Does their body feel heavy or something? Or... did something happen?
As I stood there staring intensely at my phone and biting my nails, my Little Hyung smacked the back of my head and jerked his chin toward the door.
"Stop staring at your phone. Let’s go in."
"Phew. Hyung, is it always this nerve-wracking when you can't reach your wife?"
"Well, isn't it usually the opposite? I get nervous when my wife does call me."
"I’m telling the Second Sister-in-law you said that."
"Don't you dare. I’ll literally die."
Even with her due date approaching, Little Hyung seemed quite relaxed. Meanwhile, I was a nervous wreck, and I’d only just found out.
"Calm down. There isn't much we can do anyway. We just have to help them stay comfortable."
"Sigh."
I followed Little Hyung into the bathhouse. Big Hyung was already in the tub, looking like he was meditating. Judging by his slightly swollen eyes, it looked like he’d been bawling his eyes out.
"How old are you that you're still crying?"
I tossed the comment out as I stepped into the water, but Big Hyung didn't seem to care. He looked peaceful, as if he’d reached a state of post-nut clarity.
"Haha, little brother. So, in the end, you really have three wives?"
"You could say that. Father acknowledged it, too."
I wasn't sure if the girls' parents would be as understanding, though. I’d probably have to take a serious beating for that.
"I knew you weren't ordinary since you were a kid, but I never imagined it would be to this extent."
"Is that a compliment?"
"It’s an insult."
I could live with a few insults. My mood was soaring, much like Big Hyung’s seemed to be.
There are still many mountains to climb, though.
Still, I could consider this a massive success. What would life be like with the girls from now on? As I sat there grinning while mapping out my future plans, Big Hyung called out to me.
"Woo-jin, are you going to keep working?"
"Work? Oh... at Uju Global?"
I thought about it for a moment before shaking my head.
"No, I’m done. I need to graduate first. Besides, I probably won't be able to do much there anymore anyway."
"Good. Wise choice."
"Just in case, Hyung, look after my team. There’s a very talented man named Section Chief Yoon. He was sidelined because he didn't care for office politics."
"Got it. I’ll look into it."
If Big Hyung said he’d do it, then it was as good as done. My line had essentially been transferred to Big Hyung’s line. This would probably help Section Chief Yoon realize that office politics is just an extension of the job. After all, to work hard, you have to know how to create the right environment for it.
"What do you plan to do now?"
"How about just staying with the company? I have to earn money, after all."
"Now? I told you, I have to graduate college first. You guys are seriously misunderstanding something—I’m only twenty-one."
Hearing that, my brothers looked like they’d genuinely forgotten.
"Oh, right. You are."
"You’ve been talking about marriage and pregnancy so much that I forgot without realizing it."
Well, it happens. I could forgive my brothers for being a bit slow. Today was just that kind of day!
*
By the time I finished my bath and came out, it was already midnight. I sent another Tok to the girls, but since there was no reply, they were definitely asleep.
"...That’s a shame."
I understood they needed to maintain a healthy routine now that they were pregnant, but I felt a bit slighted that they’d fallen asleep before the father of their children had even made it home.
"I wonder if they all went to their own homes."
How did they explain things? I was so worried I didn't think I’d be able to sleep. I went to my room and turned on the computer for the first time in a while. It was the same machine that had caused me so much humiliation because of Choi Jin-ah, but being at the main house, the specs were top-of-the-line. I checked to see if Seo Ye-rin was gaming, but she was offline. She really was sleeping.
"Hmm."
I was too wired to play games. No, playing games felt like a waste of time.
"What should I do for them?"
Since they were going to have a hard time, I wanted to minimize their suffering as much as possible as their husband. With the internet being what it is today, I didn't even need to ask anyone; I just went straight to Neutube.
The algorithm showed me a 'Cheer Up Team' video. The moment I saw Yoo Ah-rin smiling in the thumbnail, I clicked it.
"Ah..."
She’s so pretty. I can't believe she’s really my wife. To think she’s pregnant with my child.
"I’m going crazy!"
My body literally trembled; it was hard to put into words. If they weren't sleeping, I would have called or messaged them right then and there. After watching the entire video of Yoo Ah-rin, I searched for videos on what husbands should keep in mind during early pregnancy.
— Diet is especially important. There are certain 'taboo foods' that must be avoided at all costs...
"Oh, taboo foods? Note, note."
I grabbed a small notebook from the room and started writing.
"Why are there so many? What can they eat then?"
First, no undercooked food. Raw fish or raw meat was strictly forbidden. They’d probably struggle with morning sickness, but as the dad, I had to make sure they were well-fed.
"There’s massage, too. Back pain? Ah, Ye-rin is going to have a particularly hard time with that."
Her chest was already a burden; it would only get worse once her belly started showing. I took detailed notes on massage techniques to reduce swelling and even saved the videos just in case.
"There isn't as much I can do as I thought."
Compared to the struggle the girls would go through, my role seemed small. The video emphasized that emotional connection was the most important thing, and I was confident in that department.
"As for the hospital... Father will probably pick one."
He was quite sensitive about those things. I remembered how he’d quietly taken care of everything when my Second Sister-in-law was pregnant. He’d even hand-picked the doctor, so I didn't have to worry about that.
"Maybe I should ask Little Hyung."
I should have asked him about this in the bath instead of teasing Big Hyung.
"Wait, where are we going to live?"
Second Sister-in-law stayed at the main house during her pregnancy. Would my girls do the same? No, more importantly, where would we live once the babies were born?
"...Should I just close my eyes and ask Father for a house?"
I could just tell him I’d pay him back later.
"Or I heard he prepared a place to live after he retires. Maybe I should snatch that."
I could already hear him calling me a 'devoted son' sarcastically, but my girls were much more important. Since Father had picked it out, it was bound to have good air, a great view, and nice people. Father was rich anyway; he could just go somewhere else.
"Man, I can't wait."
The vision of our future together kept bubbling up, leaving me with a permanent grin.
"I’m so excited."
I eventually stopped studying and searched for Seo Ye-rin on Neutube. There was a fan channel called 'Face Genius Seo Ye-rin' that had a compilation of her best moments. Since I’d watched Ah-rin, I had to watch Ye-rin too. It was a shame I couldn't find anything for I-seo, but I’d just have to make up for it by looking at her in person.
"Okay, I seriously can't stand it anymore."
I finally opened my door and headed out. As I was heading down to the first floor, the sound of my footsteps must have given me away. Big Hyung’s door opened, and he stared at me.
"What are you doing?"
"I’m heading back."
"...Now?"
"Yeah. I can't stand it. I miss them too much."
"Sigh. You can't go now. The drivers aren't here, and the buses aren't running at this hour."
"...Can't we call the drivers?"
"Don't be ridiculous. They’ve clocked out and have their own lives. Calling them now would be Gap-jil."
"Ugh, dammit. I really want to go."
"Go tomorrow. First thing after you wake up."
"Hyung, you aren't a dad, so you don't understand. The fatherly love inside me is literally boiling over right now!"
"Stop talking nonsense and go to sleep."
Thud.
Big Hyung went back into his room. He was right; it was too late, and I had no way to get there. I went outside to catch some fresh air to cool my racing heart before returning to my room.
If Ye-rin has a son...
I lay in bed, pondering names for the children, and eventually drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, the moment the dawn sunlight hit the room, I bolted upright. I washed up quickly, changed my clothes, and headed out without even eating breakfast.
"I’m leaving! I’ll come back with the girls next time!"
Big Hyung must have arranged it, because a driver was already waiting with a car. It was a family rule to eat breakfast together, but I decided to ignore it today. It was way too early for breakfast anyway. Father didn't try to stop me either. Perhaps he could sense how I was feeling. I was grateful for the small gesture.
This is going to make it harder to snatch Father’s retirement house later.
Well, I’d worry about that then. I was about to head out when Mom called me.
"Woo-jin! This! I forgot to give you this!"
"Huh?"
Mom handed me a special gift—the kind you only receive once in a lifetime.
*
"Hey, what are we going to do? Did you see the Toks Kim Woo-jin sent this morning?"
Inside the hotel room, Yoo Ah-rin sighed as she scrolled through Kim Woo-jin’s messages. He’d started by asking where they were, then moved on to baby names, told them not to worry about hospitals, and even suggested they live at his family’s main house. Just from the messages, it was clear he was incredibly hyped.
"Sigh."
Choi I-seo, who had just finished washing up, sighed as well, lost for words. It had gone way past the point where they could just brush it off as a joke.
The mention of 'the seven of us' meant he was already counting the babies. Not only that, he was discussing incredibly heavy topics far too casually.
"Hey, did we just decide the successor of Uju Group because of our prank?"
"..."
Choi I-seo kept her mouth shut at Yoo Ah-rin’s question. She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. After a moment of agonizing thought, she finally spoke.
"Isn't it a good thing we stopped Woo-jin from taking over? We couldn't exactly leave such a massive company in his hands."
"Are you joking? I agree with that, but it shouldn't be decided like this."
"...I know."
Choi I-seo buried her face in her hands. She seemed at a total loss as to how to handle the aftermath of their prank.
"Ughhhhh, what do we do?"
"Let’s wait for Ye-rin to finish washing up and then we can—"
Ding-dong.
"Hey guys, I’m here."
"..."
"...!"
Both of them jumped at the same time. They knew he was coming, but this fast? He’d been messaging since dawn; he must have left the moment the sun came up.
"Y-you open it," Yoo Ah-rin said, pushing I-seo forward.
Choi I-seo walked to the door with heavy steps. Had a doorknob always been this difficult to turn? Swallowing hard, she opened the door, and there stood Kim Woo-jin.
And then...
"I-seo..."
With tears in his eyes, he pulled Choi I-seo into a tight embrace.
"Ah."
Feeling his body trembling, she could sense just how much he loved her. But right now, that love didn't feel welcome—it felt like a crushing weight.
"U-Woo-jin... actually, we have something to tell you."
Choi I-seo, patting his back to calm him down, finally forced the words out. Yoo Ah-rin crept closer, watching his reaction. She was ready to step in and calm him down if he started acting out.
Seo Ye-rin, your timing is always so perfect.
She felt a surge of envy toward Seo Ye-rin, who was still in the shower.
"I... I’ll go first. I have something to say, too."
Kim Woo-jin slowly let go of Choi I-seo, his voice trembling as he cut her off. There was a strange sense of despair hidden behind his bittersweet smile. The moment Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin realized something was wrong, Kim Woo-jin pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
It was something with enough impact to make them forget all their previous worries and anxieties.
"I'm..."
It was an enlistment notice.
"Going to the military."