PO 61

Han Jaegang stood alone in a place he couldn’t identify. Nothing surrounded him. Only the fresh blue sky and verdant fields stretched endlessly before him.

The blazing sunlight dazzled his eyes. Han Jaegang raised his hand to shield them. A breeze carrying the fragrant scent of grass blew by, gently rustling the hem of his clothes. Listening quietly to the rustling of blades of grass in the wind, Han Jaegang raised both hands and slowly spread them open. As he looked down at his empty palms, a hollow feeling welled up inside him, as if he had lost something.

“Ha…”

Just as he sighed, unsure what to do, the sound of footsteps crunching through grass reached his ears from behind. Before Han Jaegang could turn around, someone swiftly approached and wrapped their arms tightly around his waist.

“Director!”

He turned to find Woojeong standing there. His smiling face, bathed in the bright sunlight, glowed white.
Overjoyed, he turned toward him. Woojeong held out what he had brought.

“Look at this.”

It was a large, luscious peach. Dewdrops glistened on its skin, releasing a sweet fragrance that tickled his nose. Han Jaegang gently embraced Woojeong, who held the peach carefully.

“This peach is beautiful.”

The moment those words left his lips, the sleeping Han Jaegang’s eyes opened. The meadow that had filled his vision, Woojeong, all vanished. Only after shifting his gaze to survey his surroundings did he realize it had been a dream.

Han Jaegang rarely had dreams. Even when he did, he usually couldn’t recall their content upon waking.
But today, strangely enough, the dream’s details were vividly clear. The sky, the meadow, Woojeong’s bright smile, and the peach he’d been holding…

Rubbing his eyes with his palms, he glanced over at the spot beside him. Where was Woojeong? He should still be asleep at this hour. Where could he have gone so early in the morning?

“Woojeong.”

Pulling back the covers, he rose and called his name softly. But the room remained silent, no sign of life.
Han Jaegang slipped on the T-shirt he’d left beside the bed and stepped out of the bedroom. Woojeong was nowhere to be seen in the living room either.

He grabbed the lap blanket draped over the sofa and headed toward the front door. He had a hunch where Woojeong might be. The morning air at the Snow Reflection Residence, now fully immersed in autumn, felt distinctly different from before. While Han Jaegang found it pleasantly cool, the breeze carried a chill that might feel cold to someone pregnant.
Han Jaegang walked briskly to the corner of the building and peered around first. As he had expected, Woojeong was there.

Seated in his favorite spot, where he could take in the garden view at a glance, Woojeong was deep in thought, oblivious to anyone approaching. Worried he might startle at his sudden appearance, Han Jaegang deliberately cleared his throat as he drew near.

“What are you doing here all alone?”

Han Jaegang draped the blanket he’d brought over Woojeong’s shoulders as he asked. Snugly wrapped in the quilt, Woojeong ested his head against Han Jaegang’s shoulder and answered softly.

“I just woke up and came out for some fresh air.”

His voice was languid and relaxed. Han Jaegang, his arms wrapped around his shoulders, turned his gaze toward the scenery he must have been watching. Since returning to the Snow Reflection Residence, Woojeong had been busy sleeping day and night for several days. He barely had any time awake.

Worried that something might be wrong, Han Jaegang followed Madam Kwak’s advice and made sure Woojeong could rest comfortably. While Woojeong slept deeply to regain his strength, Han Jaegang took a week off work to stay by his side.

For those days, the two remained inseparable. They ate and slept together, occasionally took walks, and never left each other’s side even when one needed to attend to something. Confined within the Snow Reflection Residence, focusing solely on each other, their exhausted bodies and minds gradually began to heal.

Woojeong, who had been nestled in Han Jaegang’s embrace, suddenly asked.

“Hey, do you want go to the convenience store?”

“Convenience store?”

Woojeong looked up at Han Jaegang and nodded.

“When I worked at that convenience store, Junho would sometimes come by, and we’d eat ramen together. It just popped into my head. Can we go eat ramen together?”

Woojeong, who had once been cautious in every action, now readily voiced desires like wanting to eat something or do something. Finding this adorable, Han Jaegang simply watched him. But Woojeong ugged at his sleeve, shaking it as if pleading. There was no reason to refuse.

“Sure.”

Answering, Han Jaegang stepped closer to Woojeong, placing his hands on either side of where he sat. Looking into his wide eyes, he brushed his lips to the tip of his nose before speaking again.

“Get in. Let’s go home, change clothes, and head out?”

Woojeong, seemingly thrilled, wrapped his arms around his neck. Han Jaegang lifted him up, supporting his hips. Carrying Woojeong, Han Jaegang’s steps felt light as they headed home.

‎

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Woojeong at with his chin resting on his hand, watching Han Jaegang. Dressed in light workout clothes with a baseball cap, he was pouring water into a cup noodle he’d just unwrapped. Han Jaegang preparing instant noodles at a convenience store? It was a sight he never would have imagined before.

He poured hot water into the cup noodles Woojeong had chosen, carried them to the table, and returned with the microwave-heated food in hand.

Seated side by side at a table pressed against the glass window, the two watched silently out the window while their ramen cooked. The commuter road was packed with cars, and people hurried along the sidewalk. Han Jaegang, who would normally be one of them rushing about, felt only leisure today.

“Is this your first time eating ramen somewhere like this?”

Had someone like Han Jaegang ever had reason to come to a place like this? He’d certainly come to buy necessities, but he wondered if he’d ever stopped for a meal like this before. To the unexpected question, Han Jaegang nodded absently.

“Yeah.”

Han Jaegang picked up the slightly warmed triangle rice ball he’d brought. His hands peeled the wrapper with practiced ease. He used the discarded wrapper to make the rice ball easier to hold, then handed it to Woojeong.

“Just kidding.”

He chuckled softly, split a pair of wooden chopsticks in half, and stirred Yoojeong’s noodles for his.

“I went there countless times as a kid. I ate so much ramen I got sick of it.”

“With Director Yoon?”

“Usually. We often moved together.” Wrinkling his brow in surprise at the answer, Woojeong took a bite of the triangle rice ball. Han Jaegang reflexively cupped his hand under Woojeong’scchin.

“Can’t you eat it? Are you feeling sick?”

Once, when Woojeong couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time and vomited, he had caught it with his hands.

Even when told it was dirty, he paid no heed and tended to Woojeong.

Woojeong shook his head, picked up the remaining triangle rice ball, handed it to him, and smiled.

“Mmm. It’s delicious. Have some too.” Hearing that, Han Jaegang turned his head to survey the food displayed in the refrigerator.

“If it’s edible, should I buy a few more?”

“It’s fine. I’ll have ramen and hot dogs too, so this is enough.” Woojeong stopped Han Jaegang, who seemed poised to raid the entire fridge, and picked up his chopsticks.

Just like Chief Choi had once said, morning sickness was truly mysterious. Some days, his stomach churned so badly he couldn’t even swallow a sip of water. But on days like today, when he had a sudden craving, he could eat until he was full without any discomfort, as if nothing had ever been wrong.

“Take your time.”

Eating his ramen, Woojeong quietly observed Han Jaegang. There was something he’d wanted to ask him for a long time.

He hadn’t been able to bring it up easily before, but somehow, now felt like the right time.

“Director.”

Han Jaegang turned to look at Woojeong, chopsticks in hand. Woojeong asked his question, as if it were nothing important.

“When you found out… about the baby… how did you feel?”

He asked calmly, but the moment the words left his mouth, his heart began pounding. This was the first time he’d properly asked about the baby, and he trembled, unsure how he would respond.

Hearing this, Han Jaegang wiped his mouth with a napkin. He took off his baseball cap, ran his fingers through his hair a few times, and stared straight ahead, lost in thought.

As he gazed beyond the glass wall, raindrops began to fall. The increasingly heavy rain carved speckled marks onto the floor, which had been dry and white.

“…It felt strange. I couldn’t believe it.”

His gaze deepened he recalled the moment he learned the truth. Woojeong lowered his gaze, unable to voice his own unease.

Woojeong felt the same way. When he first heard about the pregnancy, his mind went blank. Above all, fear overwhelmed him, he didn’t know how Han Jaegang would take the news.

He was tormented by thoughts endlessly oscillating between hope that he might welcome the baby and despair that he might not.

“In that brief moment, so many thoughts rushed through my mind. First, I felt sorry for you, and at the same time, I was worried, but…”

Han Jaegang slowly turned to look at Woojeong. Contrary to his worries, his face was bright. He lifted the corners of his mouth into a pleasant smile and continued.

“To be perfectly honest, I was happy. It was like receiving an unexpected, wonderful gift.”

His sincere words soothed Woojeong’s anxious heart. The simple admission seemed to melt the tension that had hardened within him.

Han Jaegang, who had been looking at him with affectionate eyes, suddenly stiffened as if something occurred to him.

“Ah… did I perhaps dream a conception dream?”

“What?”

Han Jaegang, who was stroking his chin, recalled the dream he had just before waking and he spoke with a bewildered face.

“You were holding a peach that was strangely large, and it was so pretty. The scent was very good too.”

Woojeong’s expression brightened when he listened to his story. When Han Jaegang said that the dream remained in his memory with abnormal vividness, Woojeong placed his hand gently on his lower stomach and he blinked.

“Madam Kwak asked me what my conception dream was. When I said that I didn’t dream one, she said that another person could have dreamed it. Then, it seems that Executive Director dreamed our baby’s conception dream.”

“Is that so?”

“…Our baby’s conception dream is a peach dream.”

Woojeong muttered softly as if he spoke to the baby, and he sincerely rejoiced. Han Jaegang took in Woojeong’s appearance.

He could not be certain if the dream he had truly a conception dream, but when he saw that Woojeong rejoiced after hearing that story, one part of his heart started to feel warm as well.

Woojeong, who picked up his chopsticks again, spoke as he made a resolution.

“I will eat, and I will eat ice cream too.”

“Do that.”

“Buy a lot. I will bring them home and eat them.”

“Alright.”

After eating a satisfying breakfast at the convenience store, Woojeong returned home with a peach flavored ice cream in his mouth.

“Where did you both go together in the morning? I was so surprised because both of you were gone without a word.”

Woojeong showed the plastic bag that Han Jaegang carried to Madam Kwak, who came to the entrance to greet them.

“We ate ramen at the convenience store. Please eat ice cream.”

“Oh my, the baby wanted to eat ramen today?”

“Our baby has a conception dream.”

“Oh my, really? What dream did you dream?”

Han Jaegang, who watched the two converse affectionately like a mother and child for a moment, headed to the bathroom.

He turned on the water in the sink and he washed his hands thoroughly, and he looked into the mirror.

When he knew that Woojeong carried a child, he was truly happy, but on the other hand, worry came before.

He sometimes heard the cases of acquaintances and relatives who married, and he knew to some degree how hard a time an omega who carried a dominant alpha had to endure.

Moreover, the thought that the baby in the womb might be born with the same problem as himself approached him not as worry but as fear.

Therefore, until Woojeong returned to the Snow Reflection Residence and found stability as now, he often suffered from nightmares. When he dreamed that he lost Woojeong, anxiety that he had never felt in his life shook him.

He clenched his molars, and he raised his right hand and he clutched his left chest. The man who once thought that it would not matter even if he died because his heart failed no longer existed.

Now that two people who were like his very life existed, Han Jaegang had to be stronger than anyone. He washed his face with cold water, and he moved his steps back to Woojeong’s side.