Chapter 514: Children
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 514: Children
I’ve experienced it many times before, but it’s worth mentioning again.
Ye-rin usually calls me ‘Woo-jini.’
It’s a pet name that stuck at some point, and I didn’t mind it. It wasn’t like when I was dating Oh Yun-ji and we called each other ‘honey’ or ‘darling.’
Isn’t just stretching out the name ‘Woo-jin’ into ‘Woo-jini’ sort of charming and cute?
Anyway, I didn’t like the name ‘Woo-jini’ just because it was cute. It was also because it vividly revealed Seo Ye-rin’s current emotional state toward me.
Like right now.
The moment she enunciates every syllable clearly, it isn’t hard to tell she’s angry.
“…….”
Seo Ye-rin was staring intently at me.
I didn’t know where the other girls were, but for now, it seemed like I needed to soothe Ye-rin’s anger first.
“Ye-rin, it’s not that—”
“It’s not that?”
“I didn’t skip out on purpose.”
“Didn’t skip out on purpose?”
“I even set an alarm so I could come see you at dawn, but—”
“But?”
“……Can you stop doing that?”
“Stop doing that?”
I’d seen that somewhere on the internet. I have no idea why she’s using it in such a terrifying way, though.
“Woo-jin, Yu-na has been crying her eyes out since this morning.”
“Really? Why? Is she sick?”
“I think it’s because her daddy wasn’t there.”
“Ah……”
“Yu-na kept crying, asking where her daddy was. Do you have any idea how hard it was to comfort her?”
“……But Ye-rin, I’m not trying to be pedantic or anything, but our baby isn’t even a year old yet.”
“And?”
“How do you know she was crying because her dad wasn’t there?”
“Because I’m her mother.”
Seo Ye-rin glared at me with narrowed eyes, pressuring me as if asking why I was even questioning her.
“Why do you have so much to say?”
I decided to just shut my mouth and nod.
“Where is Yu-na?”
“She’s in the kids' room. I couldn’t exactly show her her father rolling around with another woman like this.”
“…….”
“Mmm, Woo-jini—”
Choi Jin-ah, who was still sprawled out asleep on the sofa, muttered my name.
Seo Ye-rin’s eyebrows twitched, and the corners of her mouth slowly curled upward.
“Woo-jin.”
“Yes!”
“You remember what you said when you asked us to marry you, right? You said you’d do your best to make sure it never happened, but if we ever got angry or jealous, you’d accept it humbly.”
“Ye-Yes! That’s right!”
“Then it’s okay if I get a little angry, right?”
“……Yes.”
“Uryaaa!”
Seo Ye-rin immediately slammed her head into my chest with a headbutt. Struck by the blow, I tumbled backward over the sofa.
“Kyaaa!”
Because I fell right on top of where Choi Jin-ah was lying, she ended up pinned under me.
“Do you know how long I waited outside the house this morning thinking you were coming?! When you didn’t pick up the phone, I was so worried you’d been in an accident!”
“Ye-Ye-rin, I’m sorry!”
“Can you be sorry to me too?! I think something’s broken!”
Choi Jin-ah, pinned beneath me, put on a tearful face and hurriedly pulled her clothes on. Seeing how she dressed herself, it didn’t look like anything was actually broken.
“Stupid Woo-jin! Hurry up and go say hi to our Yu-na!”
“Yes!”
I scrambled up, threw my clothes on, and headed into the kids' room.
Instead of the usual flooring, the room was covered in soft mats for the children. There were three cribs placed together. It was a staggering setup where if one started crying, the other two would follow suit.
Yu-na, who was crawling around, saw me and beamed.
“Dada!”
“Oh, my Yu-na! Daddy’s sorry! Daddy really wanted to come see Yu-na yesterday!”
I quickly scooped her up and kissed her cheek, and Yu-na burst into giggles while grabbing my nose.
“How can you be so pretty? Seriously, how much of your mother did you inherit?”
“Flattery won’t work!”
She caught me.
“A-Ahem. Our Yu-na, have you had breakfast yet?”
When I asked, Seo Ye-rin, who had stuck herself to my back like glue, answered for her.
“She ate.”
Sometimes Seo Ye-rin would deliver Yu-na’s lines like this, and surprisingly, it actually felt like a real conversation.
“Yu-na, you listened to Mommy well yesterday, right?”
“Yu-na listened to Mommy, but Daddy doesn’t listen to Mommy.”
“…….”
“…….”
I slowly turned my head to look at Seo Ye-rin. She was staring at me intently with her chin resting on my shoulder.
A brief silence hung between us.
Chu.
When I kissed her just like that, Seo Ye-rin frowned and shouted.
“You think this is enough?! Keep going for now!”
Just as I was about to kiss her more, I heard the sound of the front door opening.
“We’re home.”
“Hey, Seo Ye-rin. Why didn’t you pack the bags? I had to carry everything myself.”
It looked like Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin had arrived as well.
“Girls! Yesterday, Woo-jini—!”
Seo Ye-rin immediately tried to tattle.
I hurriedly held Yu-na with one hand and wrapped my other arm around Seo Ye-rin to keep her from leaving.
“Ye-Ye-rin! Please! I’m sorry!”
As I shouted desperately, Seo Ye-rin changed her direction and hugged me tightly instead.
“Are you going to tell me before you do it next time?”
Is it okay as long as I tell her?
“I-I will report to you immediately.”
“Good, keep that in mind. Your di—”
“Dada!”
“…….”
“…….”
Both our gazes slowly drifted toward Yu-na.
After an awkward cough, Seo Ye-rin whispered into my ear so Yu-na couldn’t hear.
“Your dick is under my management, got it, Yu-na’s dad?”
“Yes!”
Seo Ye-rin licked her lips while glancing at my lower half. However, mindful of Yu-na, she reached out and took the baby from me.
“Goodness, Yu-na. Come to Mommy. Daddy has to go kneel on the floor now.”
“Dada!”
Yu-na smiled brightly as if cheering me on.
“Daddy, bye-bye.”
“Dada!”
Seo Ye-rin waved Yu-na’s hand back and forth for her as a send-off.
As I stepped out of the room, I saw Choi I-seo and Yoo Ah-rin in the living room, holding the other babies in carriers.
“Woo-jin, if you ate chicken, you should have cleaned it up.”
“Ugh, the smell.”
“Y-You’re here?”
I greeted them awkwardly.
The children in their mothers' arms also smiled brightly when they saw me.
“Seo-woo and Chae-rin, hello to you too!”
I greeted them cheerfully, like a teacher on a children’s TV show.
“‘Hello,’ my ass.”
Yoo Ah-rin covered Chae-rin’s eyes and flipped me the middle finger.
“Hey, you said you were coming this morning. I waited specifically so we wouldn’t miss each other, and then this?”
“A-Ahem. My apologies.”
I didn’t know where Choi Jin-ah had disappeared to. She had slipped away on her own, which was incredibly annoying.
“Did you get along well with Jin-ah yesterday?”
On the other hand, Choi I-seo, who had been the one to ask Jin-ah to watch the house, asked nonchalantly.
“What? Choi Jin-ah was here? No wonder there are two boxes of chicken! Hey, Choi Jin-ah, come out!”
“E-Excuse me—!”
A voice came from below.
When I lowered my gaze, a hand popped out from under the sofa and flailed around.
“I’m stuck!”
Damn, can she not learn?
* * *
I placed the leftover chicken from yesterday, which I’d reheated in the air fryer, on the dining table.
Three people were sitting at the table.
Seo Ye-rin, Choi I-seo, and Yoo Ah-rin.
For the record, Choi Jin-ah was looking after the kids.
“Dada!”
“So cute! Should Auntie give you some pocket money? Here, take this—”
“Hey! The kids aren’t even a year old, what are they going to do with 50,000 won!”
When Yoo Ah-rin snapped at her, Choi Jin-ah quickly slid the bill back into her wallet. It wasn’t like she was paying microtransactions for the kids or something.
Since the chicken was still too hot to eat, the conversation naturally continued.
“So, did you work very hard with Jin-ah yesterday?”
Choi I-seo didn’t even show much of a reaction anymore. She spoke listlessly with her chin in her hand, and I nodded hurriedly, sensing an opening.
“Y-Yeah! Jin-ah came over and suggested we watch a movie and eat chicken. We just spent some time together.”
“Aren’t you proud.”
Yoo Ah-rin grumbled and kicked my shin repeatedly under the table. Seo Ye-rin was already preoccupied with the chicken, trying to grab a piece but dropping it several times because it was too hot.
“Ow, hot! Hot!”
“What about school today? Did you have an afternoon lecture?”
“Yeah, if I leave soon, I should make it on time.”
It was 11:00 AM now. If I left, grabbed a quick lunch at a convenience store, and then went to the lecture, it would work out.
“…….”
At my answer, Choi I-seo fell silent and stared at the chicken. She looked like she had something to say but was holding it back.
“Hey, just skip school for a day—ah, shit, it’s hot?!”
“Ow, hot! Hot!”
Yoo Ah-rin, who had grabbed a piece of chicken, dropped it in surprise. Beside her, Seo Ye-rin was still picking up and dropping chicken pieces.
“How long did you put it in for?! It’s damn hot!”
“Ow, hot! Hot!”
“I asked Jin-ah, and she told me to put it in for that long.”
When I pointed at Choi Jin-ah, who was surrounded by the kids on all sides, she answered promptly.
“I don’t know how long you’re supposed to put chicken in the air fryer! I just gave a random answer because you asked!”
“I feel like you would know, though.”
“I’m not the type to leave leftovers.”
That’s why she’s never used an air fryer. I vowed never to ask Choi Jin-ah anything again unless it was about good restaurants.
“I can eat it now!”
Seo Ye-rin quickly grabbed a drumstick and ate it. She smiled, munching happily.
“Woo-jin, should I call the driver?”
“Huh? Yeah, please. I should get going soon.”
“Oh, don’t call him. Just hang out today. A college student needs to know when to play hooky.”
“Mmm-mmm!”
Seo Ye-rin agreed with Yoo Ah-rin while a drumstick was still in her mouth. They were suggesting I skip university for the day and just stay with them.
“As if I-seo would ever allow that.”
When I glanced at Choi I-seo, she crossed her arms.
“Studying is necessary. You’re a college student, so you should act according to your duty.”
Classic Choi I-seo. Look at that lack of compromise.
“Still… if you’re going to study hard during finals, you can rest a bit today. It looks like you didn’t get much sleep last night anyway.”
“……Really?”
“Yeah, really. Instead, I’m going to manage your studying during finals.”
That sounded a bit scary, but regardless, I could rest today. People say it’s foolish to only care about the present, but you have to live happily today to have a tomorrow.
“Oh yeah! Then let’s play today!”
“What’s gotten into you, Choi I-seo? What should we do today?”
While Seo Ye-rin and Yoo Ah-rin were chatting and grinning, Choi I-seo looked toward Choi Jin-ah and smiled.
“Since that’s the case, Jin-ah, could you watch the kids today?”
“Huh?”
Choi Jin-ah, who was playing with the kids as if buried under them, let out a bewildered sound.
“You were with Woo-jin yesterday. So, please do this for us today?”
With a wink, Choi I-seo gestured toward me with her chin.
“Go wash up. Let’s go on a date outside for the first time in a while.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
As I dashed toward the bathroom, I heard the girls’ voices behind me.
“Ooh! A date! How long has it been?!”
“Stuff all that chicken into Choi Jin-ah’s mouth! We’re eating out today!”
Seeing the girls so happy, I grinned as I washed up and came out. Choi I-seo was waiting for me with several sets of clothes.
“Woo-jin, the girls want to wear matching outfits. Pick one of these.”
“Whoa?!”
Startled, I covered Choi I-seo’s face with my towel.
“……Why are you covering me?”
“It’s more efficient to cover your eyes than for me to cover myself.”
“I’ve already seen everything there is to see.”
It was just instinct. I removed the towel and took the clothes Choi I-seo was holding.
“The girls want to match, so which one do you like?”
“……But I-seo.”
Before answering, I voiced a question that had occurred to me while showering.
“Did you call Jin-ah yesterday specifically with this in mind?”
I wondered if she’d intentionally called her, knowing that if I was with Choi Jin-ah, we’d end up having sex and I’d arrive late—leaving Choi Jin-ah available to watch the kids.
Choi I-seo gave a small smirk and replied.
“Who knows?”
“…….”