Chapter 125: Side Story Part 1 Episode 1 – Home Sweet Home

“Eun-han’s father is here!

Just a moment, I’ll bring Eun-han out.”

A bright, cheerful voice flowed through the intercom.

While waiting for the door to open, Han-geon swept his gaze over the daycare entrance with a fluttering heart.

The neatly decorated notices lined up in rows caught his eye.

What Eun-han had eaten today.

What event was scheduled for next week.

Even though he could check all of it in advance through the app, his eyes lingered on them anyway.

“Oh, hello, Eun-han’s father.”

“Ah, hello!”

He naturally exchanged greetings with other parents who were waiting at the entrance to pick up their children.

Smiling, they chatted briefly about how their kids had been doing.

Then the door opened, and several teachers stepped out, children in their arms.

“Our Eun-han!

Did you have fun today?”

“Pa!

Pa-pa!”

Han-geon’s eyes curved beautifully.

When he opened his arms wide with the warmest smile in the world, the child who had been in the teacher’s arms beamed back at him with gentle eyes that looked exactly like his own and leapt into his embrace.

Seeing that lovely face smiling so hard his eyes nearly disappeared, Han-geon’s smile deepened even more.

“Eun-han did wonderfully today too.

He finished all his lunch without leaving anything.”

“Thank you so much for your hard work.

Thank you, teacher!”

“Oh, not at all.

Eun-han, bye-bye!

I love you, sweetheart!

Make sure you give teacher a big hug again tomorrow!”

“Da!

Da!”

Seeing off the warmly smiling teacher, Han-geon set the child down on the ground.

Eun-han had started walking on his own a couple of months ago, and now he toddled along quite confidently.

Even as he walked, he couldn’t take his eyes off the grass, pebbles, and little bugs along the roadside.

Each time he discovered something, he pointed at it with his fern-like fingers, his big eyes sparkling.

“Papa.

Pa-ba!”

“Oh, did Eun-han say something?

You want me to look at this?

What is it?”

“Pa-ba.

Ba.”

“Oh, a butterfly?

That’s right, a butterfly.

Bu-ter-fly.”

The one-sided conversation made Han-geon chuckle even as he spoke.

Laughing or not, teaching him like this would help his speech develop faster.

Stopping and starting as Eun-han eagerly observed butterflies and wildflowers, they eventually reached the car parked by the roadside.

“Let’s get in the car, Eun-han.

Up we go.”

He buckled Eun-han into the car seat in the back with practiced ease and climbed into the driver’s seat.

When he handed over a tulip-shaped toy, Eun-han happily swayed his body to the music.

A ten-minute drive would take them to the two family homes standing side by side.

Arriving home in no time, Han-geon parked the car and lifted Eun-han out of the seat.

Together, with Eun-han toddling along, they headed toward the front door.

The door was already slightly ajar.

The comforting scent of soybean paste stew and freshly cooked rice drifted out.

Mixed with the sweetness of a spring evening, the familiar smell of home was always warmly nostalgic.

It had been about a month since Eun-han started attending daycare.

Even before that, both sets of parents had eagerly offered to take care of him themselves.

That hadn’t changed even after he started daycare.

There was quite a distance between Eun-gyeol’s apartment and his family home, too far to travel back and forth every day with a child.

Naturally, Han-geon continued staying at his parents’ house as before.

On weekends, they sometimes went to Eun-gyeol’s apartment to spend time together, but with how busy Eun-gyeol had been lately, even that wasn’t always possible, so most days were spent with both families.

Everything was good.

Taking care of a child alone would have been exhausting and lonely at times, but surrounded by constant noise and people, there was no room for that.

With so many helping hands, childcare wasn’t overwhelming.

For that, Han-geon was deeply grateful to the parents.

The problem was that none of these places felt truly like his home.

Not his parents’ house, not Eun-gyeol’s family home, and not even Eun-gyeol’s apartment.

In all three places, his and Eun-han’s belongings were scattered here and there, but none of them felt like a place he could truly call his own.

His parents’ house was clearly his parents’ home, and Eun-gyeol’s places were the same.

Of course, the moment Han-geon began coming and going from Eun-gyeol’s apartment, Eun-gyeol had insisted he use it comfortably.

He gave Han-geon the largest room and replaced the bed, bookshelf, and furniture to match his preferences.

Even so, it still didn’t feel like his home.

He felt as if he were always slightly out of place.

He didn’t show it to Eun-gyeol, thinking he might be overly sensitive, but the feeling persisted.

‘Should I suggest getting a new place with Eun-gyeol?’

That thought had begun to surface more often lately.

If he brought it up, Eun-gyeol would surely agree immediately and start looking together.

But Han-geon didn’t want to burden him when he was already so busy.

And so, he kept putting it off.

Since returning to the entertainment industry, Eun-gyeol’s momentum had been rising sharply, and now he was busier than ever.

Han-geon didn’t want to complicate things further by bringing up moving.

First, let Eun-han stay in daycare for a few more months and fully adjust.

Then talk to his parents and slowly look for work again.

After both of them were settled, they could find a place.

Thinking this way to lighten his heart, Han-geon lifted Eun-han up and stepped inside.

“Oh my, our little prince is home!”

“Ha-bu!

Ha-bu!”

“Yes, yes, it’s Grandpa.

Grandpa.

Oh my, our prince.

Did you eat well?

Hmm?”

“Come here, Eun-han.

Come to Grandma.

How can you be so good?

Such a tiny thing, going out into society already?”

Before Han-geon could even finish taking off Eun-han’s shoes, the child toddled inside with an innocent expression.

But his feet barely touched the floor before he was scooped up by three grandparents and showered with kisses.

Only after the lively greetings ended was Han-geon able to greet them properly.

“Anyone would think you hadn’t seen him in months.”

“He’s adorable even if we see him every day.

Come on in, Han-geon.

Did you work out?”

“Yes.”

“Good.

Go wash your hands.

Let’s eat.”

Soon the family gathered around the table as dishes were brought out one by one.

After seating Eun-han in his high chair, Han-geon busied himself serving rice and setting utensils.

Stew and side dishes followed, completing a generous dinner spread.

“Thank you for the meal!”

“Yes, yes.

Eat plenty.

Oh, by the way, did you hear from Eun-gyeol?”

“Right.

Did Eun-gyeol say when he’s coming?”

As Han-geon blew gently on a spoonful of food for Eun-han, he paused, looking puzzled.

Something about their tone felt oddly awkward.

And suddenly, why bring up Eun-gyeol?

He was impossibly busy, and they knew that.

“Ah… no.

He didn’t say anything in particular.

He’ll probably be late today too, right?”

“Really?

Of course.

Ho ho ho.”

“That’s right.”

What was that about?

Han-geon eyed them suspiciously.

It was strange.

There hadn’t been any message.

He checked his phone, but the last message from Eun-gyeol was from lunchtime.

[Eat well.]

But his suspicion didn’t last long.

His attention quickly returned to Eun-han.

Now fully off baby food and eating regular meals, Eun-han had grown even plumper.

Watching his chubby cheeks puff as he stuffed rice, egg, and mild soybean paste soup into his mouth, Han-geon smiled contentedly.

“That’s it.

Say ah, Eun-han.”

“Ahh—”

“Oh my, you eat so well.”

“He really eats just like Han-geon did as a baby.

Right, dear?”

“I think so.

Han-geon was such a chubby baby.

Just like this, with arms all dimpled like little sausages.”

His mother gently nibbled Eun-han’s short, plump arm.

Eun-han flailed in surprise, eyes wide, and laughter spread around the table once more.

As they chatted over dinner, Han-geon’s father spoke up carefully.

“Han-geon.”

“Yes, Father.”

“I’m only asking just in case.”

After a brief pause, his voice remained cautious.

“Have you… thought about working again?”

“Ah…”

Han-geon slowly blinked and set his spoon down.

Why wouldn’t he want to?

He was at the prime age for working, and before having a child, he had found fulfillment in every job he took.

Whether as a bodyguard, an auxiliary police officer, or a taekwondo instructor.

But until now, childcare had come first.

Raising a child was difficult, but it was deeply meaningful.

It was also his responsibility as Eun-han’s father.

So he had focused entirely on raising Eun-han together with the parents.

Even now, he was receiving so much help that he hesitated to ask for more.

And so, whenever the desire to work quietly surfaced within him, he pushed it aside for later.

Telling himself that once Eun-han was a little older, he would pursue the work he truly wanted to do.

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