SELA - Extra 6

Hoo. Bringing her mind back to the present, Sa-hee felt a shiver run through her body. Her hand trembled visibly as she turned the lever. Swoosh, as she stepped into the pouring water, her skin stung wherever the droplets hit, perhaps due to her heightened senses.

If only they had had a little more time... If so, Ji-hyuk would have plunged into her madly, driving her like a stud. And she would have cried and sobbed, but also enjoyed it...

Wait. What was she thinking? Was she really this regretful? Because they couldn’t proceed to insertion? It was unavoidable because of the baby.

Feeling ashamed of her lingering desire after their interrupted intimacy, Sa-hee shook her head. She even laughed at her own absurdity. A mother, being like this.

Pat pat, Sa-hee lightly patted her wet cheeks and quickly washed her body. Rather than longing for the unfinished sex, she wanted to hurry out and hold her angelic daughter in her arms.

________________________________________

It was a beautiful morning. Sa-hee was warming up the baby food she had prepared in advance to feed Ji-hee.

Just then, Ji-hyuk, adjusting his tie, approached the dining room. As he strode forward, he slowed down when he saw Sa-hee and Ji-hee side by side. He wanted to imprint that lovely moment deeper into his eyes, even for a little longer.

“You’re here? What are you doing, hurry up and sit down.”

It was Sa-hee who found him first. Sa-hee wiped Ji-hee’s mouth and smiled. Ji-hyuk smiled back and approached them.

“I’ll do it. You eat.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t eat properly because you’re taking care of Ji-hee first. I’ll do it today, so eat comfortably.”

While Sa-hee blinked blankly at him, Ji-hyuk stood her up. Then he sat down in her place. The baby food bowl and the small baby spoon in front of him couldn’t have looked more unbalanced.

“No... Ji-hyuk-ssi has to go to work. I’ll do it.”

“It’s not too late even if I feed my daughter one meal before leaving. Don’t worry and eat.”

His attitude was more resolute than she had expected. Sa-hee, who had been standing awkwardly beside him, eventually sat down in the opposite seat. She took a spoonful of the still-steaming soup and looked at her husband and daughter.

“Daughter. Ah, say ‘ah’.”

As if understanding, Ji-hee, who had been flailing her arms and looking away, turned to look at Ji-hyuk. Ji-hyuk didn’t miss the moment and brought the baby food to her mouth, feeding her spoonful by spoonful.

Watching her husband, who was doing better than she expected, Sa-hee’s heart felt warm and fuzzy, something a little strange. Happiness. Yes, it felt similar to happiness.

“Ji-hyuk-ssi.”

Ji-hyuk turned his head at the sudden call from beside him. Sa-hee was sitting next to him, holding out a spoon. The spoon held a large spoonful of rice.

“What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’? It’s rice.”

“I know that. I’m asking what you’re doing.”

“I can’t let you go to work hungry.”

“So. You’re going to feed me?”

Ji-hyuk asked back with a chuckle, and Sa-hee nodded. Her face was quite serious. After looking at her for a moment, Ji-hyuk fed Ji-hee another spoonful of baby food.

“Ah, say ‘ah’.”

“What?”

“Ah.”

Oh, brother. Ji-hyuk chuckled again. He was even experiencing something like this in his life. Ji-hyuk, holding the baby food bowl in his large hand, put down the baby spoon and turned to look at her.

“Alright. Ah.”

Sa-hee, with a very serious face, quickly pushed the rice into his mouth. Her determination not to miss the opportunity was evident. As Ji-hyuk chewed the rice, chopsticks were pushed in front of his eyes. This time it was a side dish. Ji-hyuk paused and then opened his mouth again.

“This doesn’t taste bad either.”

“I guess.”

“Ah.”

Ji-hyuk picked up his cup, took a sip of water, and then opened his mouth again. Sa-hee’s lips twitched at his surprisingly compliant attitude.

“If you want to laugh, just laugh.”

“No. It’s not funny at all.”

“Ah. A side dish.”

“That’s right, a side dish.”

Sa-hee quickly moved her chopsticks. She picked up a piece of braised food and put it in his mouth. Watching him eat it so readily, she felt like a mother bird. Of course, there was no baby bird this big and with such a strong temper.

“Why don’t you just feed me water too?”

“Should I?”

“I can’t even say anything.”

“Just say it. I’ll do anything.”

“You have to keep that promise. The promise to do anything.”

“What, this little thing?”

Sa-hee shrugged and smiled, and Ji-hyuk smiled too. Once again, Sa-hee fed him rice.

Just then, the housekeeper, who was bringing out the after-meal tea, noticed the scene. She wondered if she should rub her eyes, what was going on, but she soon couldn’t help but wear a broad smile. Watching these two exchange such overflowing loving gazes naturally made her feel that way.

The housekeeper turned around with the tray of tea. The dessert could be brought out later. She didn’t want to disturb the family’s time together.

After Ji-hyuk left for work, Sa-hee lay down on the bed with Ji-hee. She had become so sleepy when she was pregnant, and even after giving birth, her habit of napping during the day didn’t easily go away. Especially when she was next to gentle Ji-hee. Smelling the soft scent of the sleeping baby, her eyes would close on their own.

Letting out a yawn, she lifted her drooping eyelids. On her phone screen was a text message she had typed to send to Ji-hyuk.

[Are you coming for lunch today?]

She sent the completed message and closed her eyes for a moment. In the quiet room, only the soft breathing of Ji-hee sleeping beside her could be heard. Just as she was about to fall into a deep sleep, her phone vibrated. Sa-hee, startled awake, checked her phone.

[Looks like I can’t make it today because of a prior engagement]

[Okay, I understand]

[Why. Are you disappointed?]

[It’s work, what do you expect. Enjoy your lunch]

Sa-hee sent the reply and turned to lie on her side facing Ji-hee. As if waiting, another yawn escaped her.

As her due date approached, Ji-hyuk and Sa-hee had moved to a place near his company. It was so that he could rush to her more quickly if anything happened.

After that, although unintentionally, Ji-hyuk would come home for lunch once or twice a week. Even though he was always busy with prior engagements and work and she told him it was okay, Ji-hyuk stubbornly kept the unspoken promise he had started. Sa-hee was always grateful for that.

[Send me a picture of the baby]

Sa-hee chuckled at Ji-hyuk’s reply. Seeing him like this, he was undeniably a doting father.

Then, she suddenly remembered him mentioning in passing that looking at Ji-hee’s pictures gave him strength when he was tired or having a hard time. Sa-hee quickly took a few pictures from her phone album and a picture of sleeping Ji-hee and sent them to him.

“This much should give him strength.”

Hoping to be his endorphin.

But there was no reply from him, as if he was just looking at the pictures.

[Also of the big baby]

Then, after a while, another text message arrived. But the content was a bit strange. Big baby?

[Big baby?]

Ji-hee was their only child. Was he asking for more pictures of Ji-hee? Just as she was tapping on her phone screen, a reply came immediately. Sa-hee couldn’t believe her eyes.

[Yeah. Yoon Sa-hee, you.]

Sa-hee’s face flushed red as she stared at those seven letters.

Was I the big baby? This is so embarrassing.

[I’m surprised you can even say such things]

[What wouldn’t I say if it means I get to see you]

She wondered what his expression was like as he sent these messages. Was he smiling as he replied? Or was he just tapping away with an indifferent face? Either way, it felt strange. The fact that she was the big baby was so awkward that it was hard to imagine anything.

Sa-hee lay flat on her back, her hands holding her phone pressed against her chest. For some reason, her heart was pounding.

After a moment of 고민 with dry lips, Sa-hee turned on her phone camera as if she had decided something. Then, she put her face next to sleeping Ji-hee and took a picture of them together. Click. Two faces with a strangely similar vibe were captured in one shot.

Sa-hee looked at the picture for a moment before sending it to Ji-hyuk. She also included a text message she had hesitated to write, wondering if she should attach it. The content was simple.

[The big baby misses you too]

________________________________________

“Is he going to be late again today...”

Looking at the time, it was already past 11:30 PM. After putting Ji-hee to bed, Sa-hee, who was sitting on the living room sofa, idly flipped through the TV channels out of boredom. Lately, Ji-hyuk had been coming home late every night, and it was becoming a daily pattern.

Beep beep. Click.

“You’re here?”

At the sound of the front door opening, Sa-hee rushed out to greet him. Ji-hyuk looked a little surprised, perhaps not expecting Sa-hee to be awake. Well, she often fell asleep while putting Ji-hee to bed, so it was understandable.

“Is something going on these days?”

“No. Why?”

“Just. You seem to be a little late.”