Let's Have a Second One
Time passed swiftly. A year had gone by, and who could say how the cold winter had slipped away before spring once again arrived. When they lived in a single-room apartment, spring had never felt this close. For a working adult who shuttled between home and the office, spring was just another seasonal shift that came and went inside their mind.
It had felt more like a time of clothing changes than spring itself, but in Choi Hyun-seo's home, spring arrived in a way that was utterly breathtaking.
Winter had been spent in golden hues, and between the yellowish grass that had lost its luster, green shoots were pushing up through the soil. The season bloomed with the vibrant colors of dogwood and plum blossoms.
Tae-yeon was savoring every inch of spring in the garden with Yun-woo. She breathed in the deep fragrance of the plum blossoms, and Yun-woo followed her lead.
“Oh. The scent is wonderful. Yun-woo-ya, flower. Try this. This is a flower!”
“Kko-o.”
“Flower.”
Yun-woo stared at his mother's mouth with sparkling eyes, then with determination copied the shape of her lips. Tae-yeon hugged him tightly, rotated him gently, and smiled with satisfaction at the way he pronounced it as “Kko-ot.”
Yun-woo, sensing the praise, kept shouting “Kko-ot” and beamed with joy. Tae-yeon took a photo of him standing beneath the yellow dogwood, for he looked so adorable. Over the years, countless photos of Yun-woo filled her phone gallery.
His profile picture on Kakaotalk was nothing but Yun-woo's photos. Tae-yeon had just taken one of him and sent it to Hyun-seo. He always received it without a word, yet she kept her duties up. She told herself it was simply to report on Yun-woo's growth, but she also hoped the man who was supposed to be his father would at least look at their son with a smile.
The photo of Yun-woo arrived at the office. Hyun-seo gazed at the image of his son smiling beneath the yellow dogwood for a moment, then checked for more. Only one. Nothing else.
“No photos of Min Tae-yeon? Just the one?”
He opened his own gallery. Among the many photos of Yun-woo, several showed the three of them together. His favorite was the one taken under the Christmas tree with Tae-yeon and Yun-woo.
Hyun-seo zoomed in on the picture. Tae-yeon’s smiling face filled the screen. As he stared at the eyes of the laughing woman, he suddenly drew a sharp breath.
“You really are a variable, Min Tae-yeon.”
His heavy gaze lingered on her for a moment before he switched the screen off.
Spring was in full bloom. The flowers that had only timidly peeked out earlier now carpeted the entire garden. It was also the month of Yun-woo's dol-janchi. In May, beneath the clear sky, warm sunlight bathed the fence, where rose bushes were once again in full bloom. Even Juliet, the one Tae-yeon loved, was blooming beautifully.
Ever since the baby talk began, Yun-woo had been using many words that sounded like his mother. But one day, when he suddenly said “Mom” with perfect clarity, the emotion was indescribable. Once the dam broke, he began calling her “Mom” again and again with exact pronunciation.
He had been taught “Dad,” yet it took some time for him to say it aloud. Hyun-seo did not seem overly eager, but Tae-yeon had steadily taught him every day.
The day after Hyun-seo returned from his business trip, he sat at the dining table having breakfast. He always made sure to eat something simple before heading to the office.
That morning Yun-woo had finished an entire bottle of milk much earlier and refused to go back to sleep. Wobbling outside, he spotted Hyun-seo and called out, “Appa.” Hyun-seo looked up from his spoon and stared at the child on the floor.
From where Yun-woo sat, the man at the table was towering above him. He lifted his head and looked straight into Hyun-seo's eyes before repeating, “Appa.”
That single word struck Hyun-seo like a thunderbolt. Appa? He had heard similar sounds before, but those babbling attempts had been hard to understand. Yet when the child said it while staring directly at him, Hyun-seo set the spoon down and walked over.
“Say it again, Yun-woo-ya.”
Hyun-seo looked at him with a serious face. Yun-woo repeated it clearly once more. “Appa.” “Say it again.” “Appa.”
No matter how many times he asked, Yun-woo kept saying the word with perfect steadiness. Then Tae-yeon approached from the side, and he turned to her. “Mom, Appa, Yun-woo. We are a complete family.”
Hyun-seo looked at Tae-yeon. She lifted Yun-woo and patted his back. “Whew, our Yun-woo is really speaking now. Mom, Dad, Yun-woo. Right?”
Yun-woo nodded vigorously and buried himself in her arms. Watching them, Hyun-seo felt his heart swell and fill his chest to overflowing. The air inside the house grew warm. After more than a year of feeding and raising him, he was finally calling them Mom and Dad. Hyun-seo smiled faintly.
“Min Tae-yeon-ssi worked hard. You made him say Mom and Dad.”
“Thank you,” Tae-yeon answered brightly. She had been so happy she could hardly speak. But around noon, an alarm notification arrived. The sender was listed as [Bonus]. It was simply a bonus because Yun-woo had called him Appa and made her happy.
The moment she received the money, her joy should have flared. Instead, a strange downward spiral hit her— from wife to baby-sitter in one step. The feeling of being pushed to the bottom was slow to fade. Her mind was in chaos over the fact that the love and sincerity she had given Yun-woo was being received in such a way.
Was it the same in other homes? If a child called its father Appa, the mother would receive a bonus and praise?
No. What was she even thinking? She was different from those other mothers. Different from other wives. Yet no matter how hard she tried to convince herself, while the balance in her account kept growing, Tae-yeon's heart kept shrinking.
* * *
Hyun-seo lifted the snow globe on his desk and set it down again without a second thought. Even though it was spring, the inside of the globe remained winter. The Christmas gift Tae-yeon had given him was this very snow globe.
A large evergreen tree stood beside a tiny cabin. Inside the globe, a happy family of mother, father, and child played together in the snow.
When you shook it once and set it down, snow would fall. Mother, father, and child would shake, and no matter who looked, it was always a happy family. Tae-yeon, who had given him such a simple gift, had not received anything special in return from Hyun-seo.
The snow globe Tae-yeon had given him was tucked away inside the house. She had probably hidden it because it was an insignificant present and did not catch his eye. But the gift was still sitting on his office desk.
Now it had become a habit. He would flip the snow globe and watch the falling snow. Right now, Hyun-seo was quietly gazing at it before standing up and neatly putting on his jacket. Today was the day the whole family would eat dinner together in Cheongdam-dong.
* * *
“The dol-janchi will be far grander than a Baek-il ceremony.”
They placed the toddling Yun-woo in the living room of the Cheongdam-dong house, and Chairman Choi and Oh Jin-hee could not hide their overwhelming joy.
“What do you think our Yun-woo will grab at his dol-janchi?”
“It doesn't matter what he grabs. If he grabs a brush, he can study. If he grabs money, he can become rich. If he grabs yarn, he can live a long life.”
Chairman Choi's mouth was smiling from ear to ear. Beside him, Tae-yeon noticed Hyun-seo entering through the door. Naturally, she accepted his jacket and said, “You’re later than expected.”
“There were some things to take care of. What about Yun-woo?”
“He’s been playing very well. He’s in a great mood right now.”
Yun-woo had grown without any illnesses. Emotionally stable, he smiled broadly even at strangers, and the childlike charm was becoming quite noticeable.
She placed Yun-woo in a baby chair and everyone sat down around the dining table. Watching Yun-woo now take up his own seat, Chairman Choi felt an enormous sense of pride.
After the meal, Chairman Choi looked at Hyun-seo and Tae-yeon and said, “Now that Yun-woo is this big, we should bring in a second child. If we get one now, the age gap will be two years. How wonderful is that? We should have many children in a relaxed house like ours. I heard the Korean race is going to go extinct one day?”
Tae-yeon felt a chill run down her spine at the words. For a fake couple to have a second child? But right then Hyun-seo’s voice rang out.
“That’s right. We’re working on it.”
She had assumed he would object. If it was just Yun-woo, one child should have been enough. She did not know if this was true or false. At that moment Hyun-seo looked at her and added one more sentence.
“Tae-yeon-ah, we should have a second child. We need to try even harder.”
Tae-yeon’s face flushed red. It was too embarrassing to say in front of her in-laws. Yet Chairman Choi and Oh Jin-hee smiled warmly at the words.
“Yes. Stop using birth control and just have a baby when you get pregnant. You must have been using it all this time, right?”
Tae-yeon had no answer. Hyun-seo then spoke up beside her.
“I’ll handle that on my own.”
“That’s good. Look at Yun-woo. How smart and pretty he is. We can have as many more as we want.”
A second one? A child between me and Choi Hyun-seo?
Tae-yeon felt her heart grow hot. Later that evening, after Hyun-seo finished working in his study, he entered Tae-yeon’s bed late at night. She hugged him familiarly, and Tae-yeon asked cautiously,
“Are you really planning to have a second child?”