I've Been Possessed, But What If I Get Pregnant First? - Side Story 14

Side Story 14

Though I did better on the college entrance exam than usual, Korea University was out of reach. Really, the more I think about it, how shamelessly did I think I could be a Korea University student? I still occasionally kick the blanket when I remember it.

“Yuwon oppa!”

“Oh, hi Haesu.”

Thanks to everyone’s help, I was able to proudly enter a university in Seoul, and today I was planning to attend my first semester-opening party.

After the entrance exam ended, hyung also took time off and we went on vacation to Southeast Asia, which is relatively close to Korea. I couldn’t help but smile remembering Yubum splashing in the pool, though he’s still young. Just then, a familiar face approached me from afar.

“I heard oppa is also going to the semester-opening party today. Is it true?”

“Yeah. Haesu, are you going too?”

“Of course! Wow, but it’s the first time I’ve seen oppa going to a drinking party. You always said you were busy and went home.”

Yubum had been a bit sick lately. He was whimpering and his fever wouldn’t go down even with medicine, so I couldn’t leave his side. Later, when I heard from grandmother that children sometimes get sick when they need parental attention, my heart ached. I even considered quitting school, feeling I had neglected Yubum and hyung due to my selfishness.

“I got permission from home today. But I can’t stay out too late.”

If it weren’t for hyung’s words to try going to school first and think about it slowly, I might have given up university life early on. I awkwardly scratched my head at Haesu’s surprised question asking if I had a curfew at my age. No one at school knew that I was married and even had a baby. There was no need to mention it anyway. In any case, since there was some time left until the semester-opening party, I could study at the library and then go.

“Oppa, then let’s meet at the school gate at 6! Let’s go together.”

“Okay. See you later.”

Groups had already formed while I was unable to participate in various events. It wasn’t bad to be alone, but it was sometimes inconvenient. And every time, Haesu was the one who took care of me. She invited me to the group chat room created after orientation, which I didn’t even know existed, or suggested doing group projects together when groups had already formed and I didn’t know where to fit in. As these small things accumulated, my gratitude towards Haesu gradually grew.

“I should treat her to a meal at least.”

I muttered quietly to myself as I watched Haesu talking with a friend while fixing her hair blowing in the wind.

Ding-ding-

At the sudden ringtone, I looked down at my phone.

“Oh? It’s Uncle Dongjun. What’s the matter?”

A call came from Uncle Dongjun, who became Yubum’s nanny because he had the highest education among the uncles. Did something happen to Yubum? Checking quickly with a startled heart, I saw Yubum’s image filling the screen with his chubby cheeks pushed forward.

-Papa!

“My baby, aren’t you asleep yet?”

Looking at the time, it should have been his nap time, but Yubum’s eyes were still bright. Did he have fun playing with Uncle Dongjun…

-Yubumi made cookies for Papa!

As expected, crooked cookies filled the screen. He seemed to have called to show this. Now that I look closely, his mouth was also full of cookie crumbs.

“Did Yubum eat a lot of chocolate again?”

-Uh… hmph…

Yubum’s characteristic sound when caught doing something wrong tickled my ears. For a moment he was proudly showing off the cookies he made with an excited face, but then I found it adorable how he avoided eye contact – his eyes being the only feature he inherited from me, unlike his appearance which resembled hyung.

“Instead, let’s brush our teeth quickly before Taebeom daddy comes. Okay?”

-Okay! Yubumi will brush teeth well!

“Really?”

Just then, hyung appeared behind Yubum who was nodding his head earnestly with his chubby cheeks. Hyung picked up the child and blew a raspberry on his belly. The screen showed the living room ceiling and the sound of the child laughing flowed out.

-Haha, Yubumi, hi, it tickles!

-Then give me a kiss.

-Okay.

Thanks to Uncle Dongjun picking up the phone and showing hyung and the child, I could watch the adorable scene with my own eyes. With a smooch, Yubum kissed hyung’s cheek, making his face glisten with the child’s saliva.

-Yubum, let’s go brush teeth with uncle.

-Okay.

“Bye Yubum, see you later with Papa~”

-Okay, bye-bye Papa~

Yubum, who had been laughing from tickling for a while, rubbed his eyes, perhaps because he couldn’t nap today. Hyung tactfully left Yubum with Uncle Dongjun and took the phone instead. Hyung’s face, which looked exactly like Yubum’s, appeared on the screen in place of the child.

“Hyung, you finished work early today?”

-Yeah, I had an external meeting today so I left right after it ended.

“That’s good. I was a bit worried.”

I had been worried about leaving the child at home for the first time in a while, since we had been together every day after finishing the entrance exam. There was just under 2 hours until the semester-opening party, so it was too rushed to go home and come back, and I had a general education assignment in the first week, so I came to the library. But seeing the child made me worried. But since hyung came home early, it seemed I could relax. As if sensing my feelings, hyung answered while curling his lips gently.

-It’s okay, so have fun. You should enjoy university life too.

“But I feel awkward since most faces are unfamiliar… And I’m not good at drinking.”

-Right. I’m worried about you not being able to drink. Drink moderately today. Should I come pick you up later?

I got completely drunk on one glass of wine after giving birth to the child. I didn’t know I was that bad at drinking, it was shocking even to me. Though they say universities these days don’t force drinking like in the old days, I was still nervous. But today I’m just participating to get a feel for the atmosphere and see my classmates’ faces, so I should leave before 11.

“Hehe, I’ll be home soon. I can take a taxi, so just take care of our little bun.”

-Okay. Leave a message when you arrive. Call me right away when it’s over.

“Alright. I love you, hyung.”

-I love you too.

After kissing the screen, I quickly put the phone in my pocket in case someone saw.

Looking back now, it was a daily life that had changed so much from what I could have imagined before. All thanks to hyung, and Yubum who came like a gift.

After the call, I missed hyung and the child so much that I couldn’t even think about the semester-opening party. I couldn’t skip it since I had already said I would attend, but I resolved to go home really early instead.

***

“Ah… I’m dizzy…”

“Oh no, oppa. Are you okay?”

The whole world was spinning and dizzy. In the unfamiliar and awkward atmosphere, I sipped one glass, two glasses, and before I knew it, empty bottles had piled up in front of me. Of course, I hadn’t drunk them all alone, but I could tell I had far exceeded my limit.

“Mmm… dizzy…”

“What should we do. Yuwon oppa seems really drunk.”

I tried to sit still, but my body kept swaying. Thinking it would be better to lean against the wall, I stood up, but the alcohol I had drunk on an empty stomach felt like it would burst out of my mouth at any moment.

“Urgh-“

“O-oppa!”

Pushing away the hands of people supporting me, I hurriedly headed to the bathroom. The bathroom condition was worse than expected, and I was about to retch again, but for a moment I gathered all my concentration to control my stomach. The heat and the smell of food mixed with all kinds of people’s body odors made me feel sick. At this rate, I felt like I might cause a big incident. After barely calming my stomach, I returned to the table where classmates I had exchanged names and brief greetings with asked me with worried faces.

“Oppa, are you okay? Seongjun oppa bought a hangover remedy. At least eat this for now.”

“Yeah… thanks. Ha… But my head hurts so I think I’ll go now…”

“Freshman? Want to get some air with me for a bit? Do you smoke?”

I turned my head at the touch on my shoulder to find a man with an unfamiliar face sitting next to me, I don’t know since when. I glanced at Haesu who mouthed ‘senior, senior’ repeatedly to let me know. Maybe because I had washed my face with cold water, or because this was the senior people meant when they said a 1-year older senior is scarier than a 10-year older one, I suddenly became alert.

“No, I don’t.”

“Is that so? Then just stay next to me. What are you doing, let’s go out.”

“Ah, okay…”

Though he was a man of few words, I sighed inwardly thinking it couldn’t be helped since I came to university late, and got up from my seat. I had taken off my clothes because I felt hot and feverish, but goosebumps rose in the cool weather when we went outside.

“Cold? Want to cover up?”

Cigarette smoke came with every word he spoke. My brow furrowed naturally as I stepped back and refused the clothes he offered. Then the man smiled lecherously and reached his hand towards my face.

I was about to hit him hard between the legs if he hit my face, but he lightly touched my earlobe and smiled.

“Cute, is it because your skin is so white? You blush easily.”

“What the…”