SIDE STORY 9

Dylan flinched at the sight of Taejun looming silently behind Minhee, then calmly extended his hand for a handshake.  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Dylan McNaught. I’ve heard a lot about you from Rose.”  

‘Rose talked about me?’  

A bit surprised, Taejun shook Dylan’s hand lightly before letting go. He wanted to grab his collar instead and give him a stern warning, but he had no experience with such situations and didn’t know what to say.  

‘It would be nice if I could just tell him to get lost.’  

He only applied a little pressure in his grip, fearing Dylan might run to Rose and tell her. Watching Dylan flex his hand after the handshake, Taejun felt a mix of self-reproach for his childish behavior and a strange satisfaction.  

‘A thirteen-year-old brat daring to date twelve-year-old Rose and loitering in front of my house.’  

Taejun narrowed his eyes, sizing Dylan up and down, but Dylan simply looked at him with admiration and smiled shyly.  

“It’s an honor to meet the ‘Stapler Hero’ in person! I saw the video from Las Vegas. When I heard that the hero was Rose’s uncle, I really wanted to meet you. Rose bragged a lot about you.”  

Taejun froze for a moment.  

Suddenly, he felt an unbearable tickle inside his chest, near his heart.  

“She says you’re the coolest uncle in the world. That you showed up like a hero and saved her and Aunt Minhee when they were almost kidnapped.”

“…Uh, um.”  

Flustered, Taejun mumbled vaguely.  

For some reason, Dylan McNaught reminded him of the Kim Junhee and Kim Jaehee brothers mixed together.  

As soon as the stern frown on Taejun’s face softened slightly, someone tapped him on the back.  

When he turned around, he saw Rose, cheeks flushed, looking up at him with a gesture and nod that said, “Get out of here.”  

Taejun slowly stepped back and opened the door wide.  

Rose squeezed between Taejun and Minhee blocking the entrance and stood in front of Dylan.  

“…Hi, Dylan!”  

Rose’s voice was unnaturally high as she waved.  

Dylan also smiled awkwardly and raised his hand in greeting.  

“Hi, Rose. You look really pretty today.”  

“Thanks, you look great too.”  

Dylan smiled broadly and nodded toward the elevator.  

“Shall we go?”  

“Yeah!”  

Dylan politely greeted Taejun and Minhee.  

“Mrs. Baek, Mr. Baek. It was nice to meet you.”  

Rose bit her lip, waved slightly at them, and her ears turned red.  

Minhee suppressed a laugh that was about to burst out and nodded.  

“Have fun, Rose! It was nice meeting you, Dylan!”  

Taejun watched as Rose and Dylan maintained a distance of about 30 cm from each other while heading to the elevator, then suddenly called out to Dylan.  

“McNaught!”  

When Dylan turned his head, Taejun warned him in a stern voice.  

“Curfew is nine o’clock. Don’t be late.”  

Dylan playfully saluted Taejun.  

“Yes, sir!”  

Minhee pulled Taejun away, closing the front door as they watched Dylan and Rose’s fresh, youthful figures disappear into the elevator.  

“Haa… They’re so cute and sweet.”  

Taejun pulled Minhee into his embrace, burying his face in her neck and letting out a deep sigh.  

“Was I just ‘uncool’?”  

Minhee silently laughed and patted his back.  

“Hmm, a little?”  

She teased, and Taejun lifted his head.  

“Does it bother you?”  

“…”  

He shrugged wordlessly.  

“That’s how it usually is. There are probably fewer than one in a million teenagers who think their parents are ‘cool.’ We… even though we’re uncle and aunt, it’s probably similar.”  

Minhee playfully patted Taejun’s shoulder.  

“To me, my husband is totally cool. Handsome, tall, smart, sexy, and also…”  

Taejun chuckled and tilted his head.  

“Keep going.”  

Minhee caressed Taejun’s cheek with her fingers.  

“You have dimples when you smile—”

Taejun’s lips, curved into a long arc, met Minhee’s lips.  

After sharing a lingering kiss, Taejun pulled back and cupped her face with a gaze full of deep longing.  

“I wish I had met you earlier…”  

He wanted to see the childhood of Minhee he missed. When did Minhee first go to a dance party, and with whom?  

“Hmm, that would be difficult. When you were thirteen, I was only seven.”  

Taejun’s expression twisted.  

Minhee laughed out loud, wrapped her arms around his neck, stood on tiptoe, and pecked his lips. Then she whispered in his ear.  

“If we were the same age and met when we were young, I would have fallen for you at first sight, just like now.”  

***  

Minhee’s thirty-second birthday.  

The whole family gathered around the dining table, singing the birthday song while surrounding the cake. Minhee blew out the candles and cut the cake, distributing pieces evenly.  

Finally, it was time for the highlight of Minhee’s birthday party, reading her mother’s birthday letter.  

The notebook containing the birthday letters showed the passage of time.  

The cover page was barely hanging on, and the worn corners were neatly bordered with transparent tape. The paper was dry and crinkled, so Minhee carefully unfolded the pages.  

With expectant faces watching her, she placed the letter on the table.  

Though others didn’t notice, Minhee saw that her mother’s neat handwriting was smudged and faint.  

Minhee’s face darkened.  

It seemed to be a letter written when her mother’s health had rapidly declined just before she passed away.  

Tears welled up for a moment, but Minhee composed herself for her family watching her and read the letter calmly.  

“Seol Minhee!  

Happy thirty-second birthday!  

Wow, thirty-two. You must be a full-fledged adult now, right? Do you have kids? A daughter or a son?  

When you were a baby, people passing by would always touch your cheeks, saying how pretty you were…  

You were such a smiley baby.  

My grandchildren must be as lovely as you, right?  

Wow, the word ‘grandchildren’ feels so unfamiliar.  

Minhee, I’m sorry I can’t be your child’s grandmother.  

Mom is actually scared.  

I feel like there’s not much time left.  

I’m scared of dying, and I’m afraid you and your dad will forget me.  

I resent why this happened to me.  

Thinking about the two of you struggling after I’m gone hurts my heart more than the physical pain.  

I’m sorry for saying such weak things on your birthday. You’re an adult now, so please understand a little. I’ll calm down and write again.  

Goodbye, Minhee. It’s Mom again.  

Writing to you always brings some peace to my heart.  

I’m happy to have another chance to tell you how loved you are. Your birthday letters have been a great comfort to me too.  

I once read something by a writer named Elizabeth Stone.  

‘Deciding to have a child is to forever have your heart go walking around outside your body.’  

I didn’t understand it then, but now it resonates deeply with me.  

You are my heart.  

Minhee, my baby, Mom loves you so much.  

XOXO,  

Mom”  

The whole family surrounded the sobbing Minhee.  

Violet, not knowing why, clung to Minhee and cried along, while Leo kept wiping his mom’s tears with his small hands, tears streaming down his own face. Rose also leaned on Minhee’s shoulder, sobbing.  

Then Taejun approached and opened his arms to them. Minhee and the three children all embraced Taejun’s broad chest at once.  

Holding them for a while and waiting for the tears to subside, Taejun kissed the top of Minhee’s head and whispered.  

“I love you, Minhee. Thank you for being born.”  

***  

“Dear Uncle,  

Happy Birthday!  

I struggled with what to give someone who has everything,

So, though it’s a bit late, I’ve decided to give you me as a gift.

Today is the last day I’ll call you ‘Uncle.’  

It might be a bit awkward, but from now on, I’ll call you ‘Dad.’  

Actually, for a long time, you’ve been my dad, and Aunt Minhee has been my mom.

I love you, Dad.  

XOXO,  

Your first daughter, Rose”  

♥ EPILOGUE ♥  

Long ago in Korea.  

Her dad called out loudly to Minhee.  

“Minhee, Seol Minhee! Come and watch TV.”  

“Why? Is something interesting on?”  

“Yeah, a documentary.”  

Wondering why he was asking her to watch TV, Minhee stopped in her tracks.  

“A documentary? I’ll just play games.”  

“It’s not boring! Look at that kid. He’s a genius, a genius.”  

Curious, Minhee glanced back at the TV screen.  

A boy around Minhee’s age was laying out 300 cards, glancing over them for exactly thirty seconds, then quickly matching the pairs of flipped cards.  

“Hey, didn’t they train him beforehand just because he’s on TV?”  

With a mix of curiosity and suspicion, Minhee plopped down at the foot of the sofa.  

“No. A famous neuroscientist from the U.S. came and said he’s a real genius. They’re taking him to the U.S. to study.”  

The boy’s face appeared on screen, frowning slightly in concentration. His name and age were displayed in white calligraphy.  

Baek Taejun (9)  

“Wow, he’s handsome too.”  

Her mom, who had brought a plate of sliced apples, popped a piece into Minhee’s mouth and sat next to her dad.  

“He’s the same age as Minhee.”

Her dad stabbed an apple with a fork and brought it to his mouth.  

Then her mom suddenly clapped her hands.  

“Oh, I remember this show! It’s a rerun. I watched it years ago, so he’s probably about 13 or 14 now. At the end of the documentary, it shows the whole family going to the U.S.”  

Her dad exclaimed in admiration.  

“Our Minhee should marry a smart guy like that… Why do all the geniuses go to America? Should we immigrate to the U.S. too? They say even geniuses become average here, so everyone goes to America to study.”  

Her mom shook her head and offered an apple to Minhee’s lips.  

“Oh dear, Minhee. Your dad’s got ‘America fever’ again. He might really drag us all to immigrate. Minhee, do you want to go to America? Want to marry that boy?”  

Minhee chewed the apple and focused intently on the screen.  

She wasn’t interested in the genius talk, but the boy’s dimples when he smiled were kind of cute.  

“Yeah.”  

Minhee nodded casually.  

“Oh my, look at her!”  

“See! Minhee, let’s go to America!!”  

With her mom and dad’s laughter, the cool autumn night faded away.  

― Special Side Story Fin