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Join the Server“Goodness, you’re doing so well.
That’s it, that’s it.
My baby really is a genius.”
“Oh my goodness, my grandbaby.
You like it?
Look at you giggling.”
The excited voices of the parents burst out from every direction.
As if trying to live up to the adults’ expectations—everyone clapping and watching only him—Eun-han wriggled diligently across the floor.
His pale, chubby cheeks looked so soft you wanted to scoop them up in one bite.
His little red lips puckered into a tiny triangle as they wriggled.
From his fluffy-looking hair to his plump fingers, there wasn’t a single part of him that wasn’t adorable.
Mixed in among the parents, Han-geon smiled contentedly as he shook a rattle.
“Eun-han, come here.
Come to Daddy.”
The dark eyes that turned toward Han-geon sparkled.
A dimple immediately formed beside his lips.
Planting one tiny palm firmly on the mat-covered floor, he dragged his body forward using his belly, slithering like a little snake.
That single movement alone sent the parents into explosive reactions.
“Oh my goodness, look at him go.
He’ll be crawling and walking in no time!”
“Exactly.
How does he have so much arm strength already?
Our Eun-han, who did you take after to be this good, hm?”
Basking in their enthusiastic praise, the chubby little body in its onesie slowly drew closer to where the parents and Han-geon were gathered.
He was just about to reach them—so close it made everyone hold their breath.
Click.
The sound of the front door unlocking snapped their attention upward.
Han-geon reacted first, lifting his head and rising to his feet.
“Oh, I think Eun-gyeol’s home.”
“Oh!
Eun-gyeol’s back?
Hurry, come in!”
“I’m home.”
With his greeting, Eun-gyeol kicked off his shoes and hurried inside.
The moment he came face to face with Han-geon, who had already walked toward the entrance, he stopped short.
“I’m back, Han-geon.”
As he spoke shyly, an endlessly gentle warmth spread through Eun-gyeol’s eyes.
Just as he’d said, he’d come straight from a photoshoot.
His hair and makeup were perfectly styled, and beneath that, he was neatly dressed in a crisp shirt and slacks.
Only a few months ago, ugly rumors had swirled, even whispers of a temporary retirement.
Eun-gyeol had silenced them all at once by making a dazzling return to the entertainment industry.
Right after giving birth, Han-geon had given Eun-gyeol a firm order.
Go back.
Return to the industry.
Stop abandoning your work like this.
Fulfill your dream, and become a father Podo could be proud of.
Eun-gyeol belonged on stage, acting and being loved.
Han-geon knew better than anyone how long he had dreamed of it, how much effort he had poured into it, and how immense his passion was.
And Eun-gyeol had followed Han-geon’s words without hesitation.
Despite the concerns of those around him, Eun-gyeol revealed upon his return that he had become a father.
To protect Han-geon, he did not disclose who the other parent was.
Instead, he gave a shocking interview, saying the child was from his first love.
The media erupted.
The response was explosive, and not all of it was positive.
Between the disapproval over a shotgun pregnancy and the added scrutiny from his brief hiatus, criticism flooded online communities for a time.
Still, Eun-gyeol said only one thing.
“I accept all criticism humbly.
I won’t disappoint you again.
I will repay you with better acting.”
And he quietly did exactly what he needed to do.
Even with the spotlight fixed squarely on him, he rebuilt the stamina he’d lost during his break and regained his sculpted physique at remarkable speed.
As time passed, the criticism faded.
Within just a few months, Eun-gyeol was dominating fashion magazine covers and commercials under headlines like “Returning with a more mature, refined presence.”
With preparations for Heart for Love Season 2 underway, anticipation soared.
Now that he had reclaimed his place at the top, Eun-gyeol carried himself with visible ease.
“…Welcome back.”
For some reason, meeting his face felt a little overwhelming today.
Han-geon greeted him briefly, avoiding his gaze.
The greeting was short and blunt, but even that made Eun-gyeol beam like a flower in full bloom.
“I really missed you so much.
I tried my absolute best to finish quickly.”
Closing the distance in one stride, Eun-gyeol leaned in and whined playfully by Han-geon’s ear.
It felt like a tiny spark had jumped onto his earlobe, and Han-geon quickly turned his head away.
“…You worked hard.”
“Today’s the day you promised to go on a date with me, right?”
“A date, my foot.
We’re just having dinner.”
He still had that habit of tossing out words that toyed with people’s hearts.
The difference was that before, it had been hard to tell how sincere he was beneath that teasing tone.
Now, the fluttering emotion came through unmistakably.
That was why his words no longer felt irritating.
Just occasionally confusing.
Was it really okay for Han-geon to feel the same fluttering excitement that transferred from Eun-gyeol’s voice?
Would he look like some clueless idiot moving too slowly?
That was why he kept responding curtly without meaning to.
Yet Eun-gyeol didn’t seem bothered at all.
If anything, the colder Han-geon became, the more affectionately and persistently Eun-gyeol clung to him.
“I’ll go wash my hands.”
“Okay.”
The hand that had nearly touched his brushed past instead, switching on the bathroom light.
The moment Eun-gyeol disappeared inside, Han-geon let out a small sigh.
He forcibly pressed down the heart that had begun to pound.
Eun-gyeol was unfailingly gentle with him, yet also extraordinarily careful.
Even seven months after Eun-han’s birth, he hadn’t once reached out to touch Han-geon’s body.
Knowing how hard he was trying to be considerate, Han-geon felt no dissatisfaction.
The arrogant, fiery, willful man Eun-gyeol once was could no longer be found.
Whatever face he showed the world, at least toward Han-geon, his attitude had completely changed.
“Eun-han, Daddy’s home.”
Eun-gyeol emerged from the bathroom, smiling brightly as he opened his arms to the baby.
Face-down on the floor, Eun-han looked up at him and smiled so widely his eyes disappeared.
It was his signature move, one that melted everyone in the house.
“Oh, so he smiles like that when his dad comes home?
After I’ve been changing diapers and feeding him all day, he never smiles like that for me!”
Ignoring Eun-gyeol’s father’s grumbling, Eun-gyeol lifted the baby with an easy smile.
Eun-han burst into loud giggles.
After lifting him toward the ceiling a couple of times, Eun-gyeol settled him comfortably into his arms.
“Did you have a good day, Eun-han?
And did Han-geon-daddy eat well and smile a lot?”
“You idiot.
You’re supposed to ask the baby how he did.
Why are you asking the baby about your partner?”
“Honestly, you’re such a lovesick fool.”
The parents teased him on purpose, pretending to be disgusted.
Eun-gyeol himself looked unfazed, but Han-geon’s face flushed red.
That was when Han-geon’s mother clapped her hands as if she’d just remembered something and motioned to them.
“Didn’t you two say you were going out to eat tonight?
Hurry up and go.
It’s already getting dark.
You must both be hungry.”
“Yes, we’ll be back.”
The moment permission was given, Eun-gyeol grabbed Han-geon’s hand and pulled him up.
Though he said nothing, his whole body radiated eagerness to leave, and Han-geon found himself hurriedly changing clothes without quite knowing how it happened.
In truth, he’d already decided what to wear earlier that day.
When Han-geon came out of the room in his new outfit, looking shy, Eun-gyeol quickly leaned in and whispered by his ear.
“You look amazing, Han-geon.
It’s my first time seeing you wear this.”
“…I just thought I should wear it before it gets colder.”
Han-geon mumbled, the tips of his ears turning red.
It was the outfit Eun-gyeol had suddenly gifted him before, saying it would suit him well.
He’d felt too shy to wear it right away, and it was expensive enough that he’d kept it stored away.
But seeing how much Eun-gyeol had been looking forward to today, he’d felt like this was the day.
“I fall for you every day, and I almost fell all over again.”
There he goes again.
Afraid the parents might hear and tease them, Han-geon instinctively grabbed Eun-gyeol’s wrist.
“Let’s go already.
We’re heading out!”
“All right.
Eun-gyeol, thanks for the card.
We’ll order something delicious.”
“Yes, enjoy your meal.
Thank you.
We’ll be back.”
The moment they stepped outside, a biting wave of cold air rushed at them.
Eun-gyeol swiftly zipped Han-geon’s jacket up to his chin and placed a hat on his head.
Even as he did, his excited expression, practically dragging Han-geon toward the car, made him look just like a child.
“Are you that happy?”
Settling into the passenger seat, Han-geon couldn’t help but smile.
Eun-gyeol answered with a cheerful “Of course,” as he started the engine.
“Obviously.
Do you know how long I’ve been waiting for today?”
A sweet, crescent-eyed smile.
Eun-gyeol drove smoothly and confidently, soon merging onto the road.
When asked where they were going, he only smiled vaguely and refused to give a clear answer.
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