Before I knew it, it had been just over 10 months since Joo-ha was born, and as the new year dawned, I decided it was time to prepare myself mentally.
It was about returning to school.
With the university still on hold, I had been contemplating it a lot. To be honest, a college diploma meant nothing to me right now.
However, I had mentioned to my father-in-law that I planned to graduate someday when I first met him before the wedding, so I didn’t want to change my words now.
Plus, since I’m still awkward at making friends, I thought attending university might naturally help me improve in that area. That thought suddenly crossed my mind.
But there was one thing that had me worried: my wife and daughter.
It was a bit easier when I just got up and stayed home, but I worried a lot about what would happen if I returned and had to be away for half a day. It would be like I was leaving all the child-rearing responsibilities to my wife.
“So, honey….”
For that reason, I felt this couldn’t be a decision made entirely by me, so I set a date and subtly brought it up to my wife. I was considering going back to school and wanted her thoughts on it.
If my wife didn’t like it, I had no intention of going through with it.
Of course, it would mean going back on what I told my father-in-law, but family is more important to me than that. If I explained later that I dropped out for this reason, I didn’t think she wouldn’t understand.
“Yeah, I think it’s a good idea. College life is a valuable experience.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
After all my concerns, I was taken aback by her immediate positive response.
Is it really okay? I couldn’t help but worry if she was saying that just to make me feel better.
“But are you sure you can balance work and school? It might be tiring.”
“Oh, yeah. I think it’ll be okay. There are quite a few streamers who go to college, and I think I can manage my schedule a bit… I should be able to earn just enough credits to keep going.”
I wasn’t planning to work hard for scholarships or grades; I just wanted to enjoy a bit of social life while I was there. I wasn’t particularly interested in joining any clubs.
I just need to graduate without any trouble.
“More importantly, are you okay with me going to school? If I do, you’ll basically be alone at home all day…”
“Hmm… That’s true. I could take care of Joo-ha alone, but I might feel lonely without you to play with.”
…Was that the problem?
As someone who was worried about leaving Joo-ha alone, I found her answer quite absurd.
“Well, you know what they say: rabbits die of loneliness.”
“I didn’t know my wife was a rabbit.”
As my wife mockingly put her hands up like bunny ears, I couldn’t help but let out a wry smile.
Then she snuggled closer on the sofa, sliding her hand up my thigh.
“…Did you also not know that rabbits are in heat 365 days a year?”
“Excuse me, Mrs.? It’s broad daylight, and our daughter is right over there…”
“She’s taking a nap, so it’s fine. She’ll probably sleep soundly for another hour or two.”
Her blatant teasing and sultry eyes were almost like a fox’s.
Oh dear, I must’ve neglected my lovely wife too much lately.
“Oops!”
“Eek…!?”
The problem was that I felt the same way, so ultimately, I had no choice but to lift my wife into a princess carry and stealthily head to the bedroom.
At this rate, I might end up with another sibling for Joo-ha.
*
Today was the day I could spend a little more time with my wife, as it was my weekly day off from streaming.
After lunch, we finally heard Joo-ha’s cries and left the bedroom to have a meal together, sitting across the table with coffee in hand. My wife had black tea, though.
“Ba…! Ah, ba…!”
While we were chatting, I noticed Joo-ha, who had been crawling around on the floor playing with her toys, had somehow made her way to my feet, arms wide open, calling for me.
It’s usually around 12 months old that babies start saying simple words like “dad” or “mom,” but our daughter had picked it up much faster.
I still remember the time I first heard her say “dad” and felt so emotional that I couldn’t help but boast about how genius my daughter was—it’s an embarrassing yet cherished memory.
“Oh my, our princess. Did you miss Daddy?”
“Gyaaa…! Ba…!”
“Yes, yes, Daddy’s right here.”
Captivated by her adorable face, when I lifted Joo-ha to meet her eyes, her joyful laughter made my heart soar.
Our princess is just too cute, isn’t she? She must have inherited her cuteness from her mom. A genius of cuteness, truly.
“Joo-ha is doing quite well with calling Daddy now, huh?”
“Right? I wonder if her grandparents will be happy when she calls them that later?”
“Mom will probably be so thrilled that she might faint. Dad might not show it, but he’d be super happy too.”
“That’s true. He could definitely express that surprise.” The way my wife playfully suggested this made her even more lovable.
How is it that both mother and daughter can be so charming? As a husband and dad, I feel truly blessed.
“Should Joo-ha have a snack with Daddy and Mommy?”
Nodding.
We already had a meal together, but I felt a bit guilty for just enjoying tea time, so I casually asked Joo-ha, and she enthusiastically nodded her head as if she understood.
Should we test our little Joo-ha’s intelligence with some IQ tests soon?
Her understanding seems far beyond that of an 11-month-old baby.
“Here, our Joo-ha’s favorite cheese.”
“……!”
When my wife brought out some toddler-friendly cheese and placed it on a small plate, Joo-ha’s eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between us.
It felt like her eyes were saying, “How did you know I wanted cheese?” and I couldn’t help but smile as a proud father.
Just too cute.
Chomp. Chomp.
“Good, good. You’re eating well, our princess.”
Joo-ha picked up the little cheese pieces off the plate, munching away happily. It seems the nutty flavor of the cheese was just perfect for her taste.
Watching her devour the cheese almost as if she would swallow her hand was quite fascinating to my wife and me.
“Other kids take a long time to eat alone, but how come our Joo-ha listens so well?”
“I know! I told Mr. Park Gun-ho as well, and he was amazed.”
Typically, kids reach a point where they can eat by themselves around this age, but I’ve heard that if habits aren’t formed well, many end up not eating properly or leaving snacks half-eaten.
In fact, I’ve heard that Mr. Park Gun-ho really struggled with instilling those habits in his child.
In contrast, our Joo-ha has been self-sufficient from the moment she could hold a bottle or spoon, and since then, she’s been eating well on her own. She’s truly an interesting child.
♪~
“Huh? Honey, the phone is ringing?”
“Oh, it’s probably my mom. I called her briefly earlier.”
Now that I think about it, I do remember seeing the call disconnect. It must have been a call from my mother-in-law.
“Yes, Mom. Yes, yes… Oh, we were just having lunch and then a little coffee break. Yes.”
I could sense the polite tone my wife had while on the phone with her mother, and it struck me how different it was from my old self, making me feel a bit ashamed.
How foolish I had been. Even after becoming an adult, I used to speak informally to my parents. I’m just thankful I matured after getting married.
“Oh, you can make it? That’s a relief. Alright, then I’ll call you later. Yes, Mom.”
“……?”
While sipping coffee, I overheard her conversation, which seemed a bit puzzling, sparking my curiosity.
“Did you ask something to your mom? What did she mean by ‘you can make it’?”
“Oh, I actually asked her if she could come over regularly to help watch Joo-ha.”
“Joo-ha?”
What suddenly prompted that? Is parenting getting too tough?
Of course, there have been times when my mother-in-law or my mom, who moved to Seoul recently, came to help with Joo-ha, but the thought of regularly asking that felt a little concerning.
“Yeah, she’s gearing up to go back to school soon.”
“That’s true, but do you think it’ll be too hard for you to handle everything with Joo-ha on your own? If it’s better to not trouble your mom, maybe we should cancel your plans for school…”
I felt guilty just putting the pressure on my wife, but thinking about burdening my mother-in-law too made me consider scrapping my return to school plan altogether.
But I had to shut my mouth quickly when my wife’s nonchalant response followed.
“Well, actually, I was thinking of going too.”
“……?”
You’re thinking of going too? Where?
“I thought it would be fun to join you on campus. We could just ask my mom to help out when we’re both not home, and we can enjoy college life together.”
“…Wait, you mean you want to transfer to my school?”
“Yep. This way, I won’t have to feel lonely when you’re at school, and we can be together, right?”
Looking at my wife, who innocently asked this with no problems at all, I just stared at her in shock.
My dear wife has a knack for surprising me every now and then.
At least let me know you’re coming in!
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