Side Story 8

As Siyeon’s mother had cautiously guessed, a child came to Siyeon and Ijun. And this news immediately spread to Suwon’s house. 

“Is it really true?” 

Grandfather couldn’t hide his joy when he heard the news that Siyeon was pregnant. His chronic headaches and lumbar disc, which had been persistent illnesses, suddenly disappeared, and he jumped up and down like a spring. Moreover, he began showing a strong attachment to life, starting regular exercise routines to witness the growth of his great-grandchild. 

At the time the news spread, there were relatives visiting the Suwon house, and upon hearing the news relayed by Ijun, the quiet Suwon house instantly turned into a festive atmosphere. Tables were set up on the spot, and people who heard the news queued up to enter the Suwon house. Despite constantly welcoming guests, Ijun’s mother couldn’t hide the joyful smile on her face. 

“This is a matter of great joy for the family. A 19th generation descendant is being born to the Seorae Jung family, isn’t it?” 

Everyone made congratulatory remarks. Upon hearing a relative’s remark that a true descendant of the Baekya lineage was being born, Grandfather even shed tears. Although Ijun was not the firstborn, they subtly speculated that the child to be born would be a pillar of the family, and Grandfather did not object to that statement. If it had been in the old days, he might have responded with disdain, saying that there was already a descendant in the line, the firstborn, the first heir. 

Not only the adults in Suwon but also Siyeon’s parents were very pleased when they heard the news. Her mother told Siyeon that the dream she had dreamt was a prophecy and was excited, saying that the baby to be born would have skin as white as jade. 

“How am I so good at this?” 

As soon as Ijun made plans for his lineage, he succeeded in having a child, and he was extremely pleased. After finishing work at the company and coming home, he developed a new hobby of feeding Siyeon. Every time food entered her mouth, he smiled arrogantly as if he were the one who had accomplished a difficult mission alone. 

Siyeon, who had been suffering from poor appetite, began to eat properly thanks to her mother. Although there was no special difference between the food her mother made and what the helpers usually made, strangely, Siyeon didn’t feel repulsed by her mother’s cooking and managed to eat well. Therefore, the busiest person was Siyeon’s mother.

“What should I do to apologize to my mother?”

“It’s not necessary. If you tell her not to come, she might feel even more upset.”

Every day, in the morning, her mother would come with the car Ijun sent, prepare three meals for Siyeon to eat, and then return home. Despite doing so, she never showed any signs of exhaustion or fatigue. Now, she was finally able to properly fulfill her role as a mother to Siyeon for the first time, and she was rather pleased about it.

“It might seem that way, but… I don’t know if Dad is eating well.” 

“But they’re there.”

Team Leader, who used to pack side dishes for Siyeon, was now responsible for her father’s dinner along with Director Yang. It had become a routine for them to go to the CEO’s house for dinner with Director Yang, Team Leader and Manager Yoonsoo after work every day. Although it was a grateful gesture, Siyeon felt even more sorry. 

“But that’s actually something to be sorry about.” 

“They call it friendship of the century.” 

Ijun tried to generously pay for their gratitude, but they firmly refused with very determined faces. They even went as far as to express resentment, saying that he took their long friendship with Siyeon lightly. Ijun had already given up on surpassing their friendship that transcended age, gender, and age. 

“Oh right! Grandfather gave me some names earlier. He gave me three choices, so pick one, Ijun.” 

“How did he already come up with names even though he doesn’t know if it’s a daughter or a son?” 

“He said to choose carefully because it’ll be that name regardless of whether it’s a daughter or a son.”

“Was there a name you liked among them?”

At his question, Siyeon began listing the names one by one with a serious expression.

“Jeong Min-gu. Jeong Gi-bong. Jeong Si-moon.” 

“Jeong Si-moon.” 

“How did you know?” 

“You cried once before about how my great-grandfather’s name isn’t urban enough.”

“I did?”

Ijun put a small piece of sliced ​​apple into Siyeon’s mouth, which was making an unfairly accused expression. Next was a piece of orange. 

“Would you like some ginger tea?”

In fact, he was more interested in the food and drinks Siyeon consumed than in their conversation. What she ate and couldn’t eat, what she enjoyed and just tolerated. Distinguishing and remembering those things was the most important thing for Ijun. 

“No, I’ll stop eating. I have to work now.” 

“Umm…” 

At Siyeon’s words, pushing the plate away, Ijun frowned. He had been a heavy reader of her works for quite some time, but he no longer tried to figure out her laptop password. He was only concerned about her health, as she still had a few more months of serialization to go.

“How about taking a break for about a year?”

Siyeon, who briefly showed a puzzled expression at his words, looked at Ijun with narrowed eyes. 

“I once took a brief hiatus for personal reasons. At that time, a reader sent me a threatening email, saying if my life wasn’t in danger, I should resume serialization immediately. I was so scared after receiving that email that I couldn’t sleep for days.” 

“…What kind of threat was that? It sounds more like persuasion.”

“Anyway, since then, I’ve had a major trauma. The fear of receiving a similar email if I were to stop serialization has haunted me.” 

Ijun’s expression became serious as he listened to her explanation. He rested his chin on his left hand, looked at her  pensively before speaking.

“If you’re struggling, so is Si-moon.” 

“Si-moon?” 

“Have you already forgotten our eldest’s name?”

“Oh, Si-moon. I won’t overexert myself. When I’m not working, I’m just lying down, doing nothing.” 

Siyeon spoke confidently, her eyes sparkling brightly. She knew well that she shouldn’t show any weakness in front of Ijun, even the slightest. Although her mother worried about her health, it wasn’t to the extent of Ijun’s concern. 

“What about just killing off all the main characters? How can main characters live forever? They could all die in an accident at once.” 

“Would that really be okay?” 

“No. Spare my favorite character. He can’t die.” 

With Ijun’s full of complaints, she finally burst into laughter.

As each day passed, there were more and more reasons to smile. There were moments when she stopped laughing, wondering if it was okay to be this happy, but these days, her face never lost its smile. 

“I won’t push myself too hard.”

Siyeon said with a smile. Among the many things that made her happy, Ijun was still the best.

***

On the day when the snow fell heavily, just like the white horse in Siyeon’s pregnancy dream, the 19th descendant of the Seorae Jeong family was born into the world.

Si-moon. The first child born into the precious household of Ijun was a boy. 

Despite being born with a skin tone far from the color of the white horse in the dream, Si-moon, with his eyes slightly upturned like Ijun’s, received love and attention from the nurses with his clear eyes and rosy lips. 

While Siyeon was in the hospital for a week after giving birth to Si-moon, Ijun was also there with her. His main task in the room was expressing complaints to the visiting relatives twice a day, before breakfast and dinner. Among them, Ijun directed most of his complaints to his grandfather, who visited the room before breakfast. 

“Why don’t you just get admitted to the next room?”

Leaning his shoulder against the wall with his arms crossed, Ijun, looking somewhat annoyed, pointed at Grandfather, who was sticking to the baby crib like a magnet, and spoke bluntly. 

It was fortunate that Siyeon’s bedroom space was separated. It would have been very troublesome for her if she had to see people coming and going several times a day from her bed. Of course, she would have locked the door before it reached that extent.

“I do feel like doing that, but wouldn’t Siyeon be very uncomfortable if I did?”

Grandfather replied with a pleased expression, still not taking his eyes off Si-moon. 

“It’s already uncomfortable enough, Grandfather.” 

“Si-moon. I’m your great-great-grandfather. I couldn’t sleep at all last night because I was so eager to see you.”

Ignoring Ijun’s complaints, Grandfather gently shook the crib. Si-moon, who was sleeping, wrinkled his forehead and slowly opened his eyes. His large, dark eyes without double eyelids gazed back at him. The grandfather’s eyes widened with joy.

“How can his eyes be so radiant?”

A cautious hand touched Si-moon’s cheek. Then, as if waiting, Ijun’s complaints came flying.

“Did you wash your hands properly?”

“You rascal! Do you think I would touch my great-grandson without washing my hands?”

The grandfather retorted with irritation, but his voice was dripping with sweetness. Ijun, quietly observing the scene, finally spoke.

“…Do you really enjoy this that much?” 

Ijun chuckled as he watched the grandfather cooing and grinning at Si-moon. 

“I might just be, but if Si-moon asks me to stare at his face all day, I might just do that. Anyway, how can a boy be so handsome like this? I’m already worried about how he’ll survive in this harsh world.” 

“Fortunately, it seems he’s inherited my temperament, so he won’t be easily pushed around.”

“Who said he inherited from you? He’s just too gentle.”

Watching Grandfather playfully tease Si-moon and chuckle, Ijun chuckled. It was clear the grandfather hadn’t heard yet that Si-moon was rumored to be the most fussy newborn in the hospital this year.

“You should stay at our place, Grandfather. Since you’re coming back tomorrow anyway, why bother traveling back and forth to Suwon?”

“I’ve already asked your father to look for a suitable house near your place.”

“What do you mean?”

Ijun raised an eyebrow. 

“I’m not busy, unlike you and Siyeon, so I should take care of Si-moon. Don’t worry, I won’t be a bother.” 

“Looking for a house near our house is already a bit too much. And Si-moon will be taken care of by a babysitter. We’ve already found someone.” 

“How can I leave my great-grandson in someone else’s hands? Even if they take good care of him, will they care for him as well as family?”

“They’ll probably do a better job than you, Grandfather. They are professionals, after all.”

Ijun countered firmly, leaving no room for negotiation, causing the grandfather to quickly turn his head and glare at him resentfully.

“This old man who doesn’t know if he’ll die today or tomorrow wants to spend the rest of his life looking at his great-grandson’s face. Isn’t that too much to ask?” 

“Shouldn’t Mother and Father move with you when you come to Seoul?”

“Your mother and father need to take care of the ancestral home. They have Gwihyeon and the others there, so it’ll be fine.”

With the grandfather’s firm stance, Ijun shook his head in disbelief.