Reasonable Loss - 63
Eunsoo straightened his slouched body and sat up. Dokwon immediately stood up.
“Wait a second.”
Dokwon said and disappeared into the bedroom. Eunsoo stared blankly as he walked away with long strides.
Dokwon quickly returned, holding a small box in his hand. The box was small, about the size of Eunsoo’s palm, and had a white ribbon tied in a sky blue color. It looked like a gift for someone.
But why suddenly?
Eunsoo tilted his head in confusion, and Dokwon, crouching under the sofa, placed the box on Eunsoo’s lap.
The box had a plastic cover over it, so Eunsoo could see inside.
“…”
Eunsoo took a deep breath after confirming the contents of the box.
Inside the box was a pair of shoes. Baby shoes, as small as Eunsoo’s finger.
The white shoes, fluffy with fur, didn’t have any decorations. They were just a white puffball with Velcro straps. It didn’t feel real. It seemed like if she touched them, they might collapse like cotton candy or blow away with the lightest breeze.
Eunsoo couldn’t take his eyes off the shoes, and Dokwon smiled and asked.
“Pretty, right?”
“Yes… they’re really pretty…”
Eunsoo couldn’t bring herself to open the lid, so he gently stroked the box with his thumb. To think that feet could fit into such small shoes. How tiny must babies be? In her life, which only revolved around work and home, she had no experience with babies, so she couldn’t imagine their size or appearance.
“I found these in my dressing room.”
“In your dressing room?”
“There are more than just these. There are rattles, dolls, and clothes too. One whole side of the room is filled with baby things.”
“……”
“From your expression, it seems like you didn’t know either, Eunsoo.”
Eunsoo nodded. From the moment Dokwon started bringing all sorts of nutritional supplements, Eunsoo had already guessed that he would unintentionally end up living a maximum lifestyle, not a minimal one. But he never imagined that Dokwon would buy toys and even clothes for the baby.
But well… if it’s this kind of spending, it’s welcome.
Eunsoo smiled faintly and looked at the shoes, when Dokwon carefully placed his hand on Eunsoo’s lower abdomen.
“It must belong to the child inside here.”
“……”
“Even though I’m cold-blooded, I couldn’t just look at this and stay unaffected.”
“……”
“So, I thought I should apologize for the future, and that’s why I sent the message.”
Eunsoo nodded as if he understood.
The two of them silently stared at the shoes for a while. A feeling they had never experienced before gently surfaced. Their hearts raced, their throats felt dry, and strangely, their eyes stung.
Sudden fatherly love, which they had never felt before, suddenly rose up.
After a long silence, Eunsoo slowly spoke.
“On the weekend.”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to go to the obstetrics and gynecology department with me?”
“……”
Dokwon’s eyes widened. His smile disappeared, and his cheeks stiffened. Eunsoo, interpreting that as a rejection, lowered his gaze and muttered as if speaking to himself.
“Well, it’s not necessary to go with me… I’ve already taken the suppressant, and I’m just curious if the baby is doing well…”
“……”