Please be my wife for just one year.

Side Story: Sanghyuk & Jaehyun

34 weeks pregnant.

Yeoju was sitting propped up against the bed. Even the slightest movement made her belly feel heavy, and at night, even falling asleep comfortably was difficult.

And by Yeoju’s side was Seongho.

He adjusted his company’s important schedule as much as possible. On the days when Yeoju had her regular checkups, he drove her himself, and he wrote down every caution the doctor explained without missing a word. They had already prepared even the crib and car seats, but Seongho never once thought that the preparations were finished.

Because he knew that welcoming two children was not something that ended with simply having the things ready.

Seongho "Yeoju, does your back feel okay?"

Yeoju "A little stiff. But better than before."

Seongho "Should I add another pillow?"

Yeoju "Yeah. Just one more."

Seongho took the pillow that had been set beside the bed and carefully tucked it behind Yeoju’s back. Then, after making sure she was leaning comfortably, he sat back down beside her.

Yeoju rested her head on his shoulder.

The two of them sat in silence for a while.

Whenever the babies moved in her belly, Seongho’s gaze naturally went to Yeoju’s stomach. The day he felt them kick for the first time, the day he saw both babies’ heartbeats on the ultrasound screen, still felt vivid.

Each time, Seongho was happy and frightened at the same time.

It still didn’t fully feel real that he was going to be someone’s father.

Yeoju "Seongho."

Seongho "Yeah."

Yeoju "When our babies are born, do you think we’ll be able to raise them well?"

Seongho didn’t answer right away.

After fiddling with Yeoju’s hand for a moment, he spoke honestly.

Seongho "I don’t know."

Yeoju lifted her head.

Seongho "I want to do well. But honestly, I don’t really know how I should give our babies the things I never got from my father."

His voice was calm, but within it was a worry he had carried alone for a long time.

For Seongho, who had lost his parents early, the place of a father had always been one filled with both longing and fear.

He wanted to be a good dad.

But whenever he thought that he hadn’t had enough chance to learn what a good father was like, he felt lost.

Yeoju held his hand tightly.

Yeoju "I don’t know yet either what kind of dad you’ll be."

Seongho "..."

Yeoju "But at the very least, don’t think you have to do everything perfectly by yourself."

Seongho looked at her.

Yeoju "We can learn together. It’s the first time for us, too—just like it’s the first time for the kids to have parents, it’s our first time becoming parents."

After a moment, Seongho nodded.

Seongho "Yeah. Let’s learn together."

He carefully kissed Yeoju’s forehead.

Then he placed his hand over her belly.

Seongho "Jaehyeon, Sanghyeok."

His voice as he called their two babies’ names was endlessly gentle.

Seongho "Dad’s been waiting for you a long time."

Yeoju placed her hand over his.

---


A week later.

It was just after 3 a.m.

Yeoju woke from sleep.

At first, it was only that her belly felt heavy. But after a moment, that strange feeling came back.

She gently woke Seongho, who was sleeping beside the bed.

Yeoju "Seongho."

Seongho "...Huh?"

Yeoju "My belly feels kind of weird."

Seongho’s eyes opened at once.

Seongho "Are you hurting anywhere?"

Yeoju "It feels like my belly is tightening periodically. It’s been like that for a while."

Seongho picked up the phone he had left beside the bed. He checked the hospital contact he had saved in advance and wrote down the symptoms and time Yeoju told him about.

Seongho "Let’s call the hospital first. I’ll be right here with you."

He grabbed a bag. After helping Yeoju into the car, he kept in contact with the hospital while driving.

After arriving at the hospital, she underwent examinations following the medical staff’s instructions.

Shortly after, the doctor in charge explained things to them.

Doctor "It looks like labor has started. Since you’re still early in pregnancy and carrying twins, from here on we’ll monitor your condition and prepare for delivery."

Seongho held Yeoju’s hand.

Her palm was cold.

Yeoju "...Seongho."

Seongho "Yeah. I’m here."

Yeoju "I’m a little scared."

Seongho wrapped her hand in both of his.

Seongho "I’m scared too."

Yeoju looked at him as if surprised.

Seongho "I’m never going to let you be scared by yourself."

Seoyoon nodded slightly.

The two of them listened to the medical staff’s explanation and prepared for delivery.

They had no idea how much time passed.

Seongho stayed by Yeoju’s side. Whenever she struggled, he held her hand, and he helped her steady her breathing according to the medical staff’s guidance.

And finally,

the first baby’s cry was heard.

Soon after, the second baby cried as well.

Seongho froze where he was.

Medical staff "Both the first and second babies have been born. We’re checking their condition now."

Yeoju shed tears with an exhausted face.

Yeoju "...Seongho."

Seongho tried to answer, but no sound came out.

Still holding Yeoju’s hand, he lowered his head. Tears fell onto the back of her hand.

After a while, once the medical staff had checked the two babies’ condition, they continued explaining. The babies would undergo the necessary tests right after birth. As they monitored both babies’ breathing and overall condition, they explained the treatment to come.

Seongho listened intently, not wanting to miss a single word.

Then he came back to Yeoju and said in a trembling voice,

Seongho "Yeoju."

Yeoju "...Yeah."

Seongho "Our boys were born."

At those words, Yeoju began to cry again.

Yeoju "Really... our babies are born?"

Seongho "Yeah, Jaehyeon and Sanghyeok."

"You really worked so hard. Thank you."

Holding his hand, Yeoju closed her eyes.

It had been a long time.

And now, the two of them had a day they would never forget for the rest of their lives.

That afternoon.

Following the medical staff’s guidance, Seongho met the two babies for the first time in the neonatal unit.

Two small cribs stood side by side.

The eldest, Sanghyeok, was sleeping quietly with his eyes closed, and the younger one, Jaehyeon, was moving his tiny hand and smacking his lips.

Seongho looked at the babies beyond the transparent incubator.

It was a moment he had waited for so long, but when he finally faced it, he couldn’t tell what he should say.

Seongho "...Hi."

He smiled awkwardly.

Seongho "It’s Dad."

There was no answer.

It was only natural, but Seongho waited for a long time anyway.

Then Jaehyeon moved his fingers a little.

Without realizing it, Seongho brought his hand up to the glass.

Seongho: "Jaehyeon."

Then he looked at the baby beside him.

Seongho "Sanghyeok."

As he alternated between the two names, Seongho’s eyes turned red again.

Seongho "Dad waited a long time for you two."

He paused for a moment.

Seongho "From now on, there’ll be a lot Dad doesn’t know. I’ll make mistakes too."

"..."

"But I won’t run away."

Seongho looked back and forth between the two babies.

Seongho "Even when it’s hard, even when I’m scared, even when I don’t really know what you’re feeling, I’ll keep staying by your side."

He smiled softly.

Seongho "So just grow up healthy, okay?"

In the neonatal unit, only the tiny sounds of breathing and the steady hum of medical equipment could be heard.

Seongho couldn’t leave that spot for a long time.

For him, family had once been something he had lost.

And now, it had become something he had to protect.

Evening.

Seongho returned to Yeoju’s hospital room.

Yeoju was resting against the bed.

Yeoju "Did you go see the babies?"

Seongho "Yeah."

Yeoju "How are they?"

Seongho thought for a moment before answering.

Seongho "...Small."

Yeoju burst out laughing.

Yeoju "I know that already."

Seongho "No, really small."

He sat beside the bed.

Seongho "Sanghyeok was sleeping quietly, and Jaehyeon kept moving his mouth."

Yeoju "I guess their personalities are already different."

Seongho "Looks like it."

Seongho held Yeoju’s hand.

Yeoju "You were really nervous, weren’t you?"

Seongho "Yeah."

He admitted it honestly.

Seongho "But I was more worried about you."

Yeoju gently stroked his hand.

Yeoju "I’m okay now. You should rest a little too."

Seongho "In a little while."

"I’ll just wait until I see you fall asleep."

Yeoju smiled softly.

Yeoju "Seongho."

Seongho "Yeah."

Yeoju "We’re really parents now."

Seongho looked at her for a moment.

Then he slowly nodded.

Seongho "Yeah."

He kissed Yeoju’s hand.

Seongho "Let’s do our best. Together."

That night.

The lights in the hospital room grew dim, and Yeoju finally fell into a peaceful sleep.

Seongho sat in the chair beside the bed, looking at the babies’ photo.

In the photo, Jaehyeon and Sanghyeok were asleep with different expressions.

After carefully saving the photo on his phone, Seongho gently held Seoyoon’s hand.

A marriage that had begun as a contract.

The time when they misunderstood each other, drifted apart, and chose each other again.

Because of all those days, they had the family they had now.

Looking at the sleeping Yeoju, Seongho whispered very softly.

Seongho: "Thank you, Yeoju."

"..."

"For becoming my family."

He looked back at the photo of the two babies.

Seongho "Sanghyeok, Jaehyeon."

"..."

"Dad loves you so much."

The light of dawn slowly spread beyond the window.

Now Seongho had a home to return to.

In that home, there were three people waiting for him.

And there was no deadline set by a contract there, no calendar counting down the day they would part.

There were only days to live together.

Kim Yeoju, Park Seongho. And their two sons, Jaehyeon and Sanghyeok.

The four of them would spend day after day happier than any time before.