WAK SSS 01

Second Side Story 1

Han-a and Jeonghan had special days in their lives.

Their birthdays and wedding anniversary were such days.

Another very special day had been added to the list—the day their twin children were born, September 1.

When the hour and minute hands passed midnight and the month and date changed, Han-a began having her first contractions.

Han-a, who had already gone to bed, calmly sat up and checked the time. First, she wanted to find out whether they were false contractions or real labor pains. Since the contractions had come earlier than her due date, she was being careful.

Jeonghan had been fully prepared for days and was waiting beside her.

“What do you think?”

He asked in a nervous voice.

Han-a looked at the time, put down her phone, and took a deep breath. Her expression was serious.

“I think they’re real.”

As soon as Han-a said that, Jeonghan’s eyes began to shake nervously. It was around 3 a.m.

“They’re down to ten-minute intervals.”

“What should we do? If they’re ten minutes apart, we should leave for the hospital, right?”

Jeonghan had run countless simulations of childbirth in his head during the past few months. But now that the moment had actually arrived, he began to panic.

On the other hand, Han-a smiled calmly as she watched her husband.

“Calm down and help me up.”

“Huh? Oh, okay.”

“I showered before going to bed, so I’ll just change my clothes.”

“Okay.”

Jeonghan carefully supported Han-a’s arm and helped her get dressed.

After she finished changing, he quickly changed into his outdoor clothes as well.

“I’ll get the bag.”

Jeonghan brought out the bag containing the things they had prepared for childbirth several days earlier.

When they arrived at the hospital and entered the family delivery room, Jeonghan tightly held Han-a’s hand with an anxious expression.

Seeing her in pain made him even more restless.

“Let’s have a C-section even now.”

Han-a firmly shook her head.

“The twins can be born naturally, too.”

“You’re in too much pain. I don’t want Gang Han-a to be in pain.”

Han-a smiled at Jeonghan, who was looking at her worriedly, as if telling him not to worry.

But when another contraction came, her smile disappeared without a trace.

“Ugh!”

“Are you okay?”

Jeonghan immediately stood up and asked.

Han-a could not answer for a moment because she was controlling the pain with deep breaths.

Jeonghan watched his wife with pity.

When the wave of pain finally passed, the deep wrinkles between her brows relaxed.

“I’ll try as much as I can. If it really doesn’t work, I’ll have the surgery then.”

As always, he had no choice but to respect her decision.

Jeonghan pulled himself together and held Han-a’s hand tightly.

The couple went through the intense hours of pain together.

Relying on each other’s tightly held hands, they solemnly prepared to welcome their new lives.

Han-a was the kind of person who would accomplish something once she decided to do it, and this time was no different. She safely gave birth to the twins through natural delivery.

“It’s a girl! The time of birth is 12:12 p.m.”

The doctor hurriedly moved around for the remaining baby.

“Push!”

Han-a did her very best, following the doctor’s instructions. She could not remember how she had endured those painful moments.

“You’re doing well! Almost there! Push a little harder!”

At the final moment, Han-a’s eyes met Jeonghan’s.

Seeing how terribly nervous he was, tears suddenly filled her eyes.

“It’s a boy! The time of birth is 12:17 p.m.”

Jeonghan passionately kissed Han-a’s forehead as she shed proud tears with her swollen face.

“See? I told you, if I say I’ll do it, I do it……”

Her voice was hoarse, but she looked so proud of herself.

To Jeonghan, his wife looked like the most admirable and beautiful woman in the world.

“You worked so hard. I love you.”

The cries of the twins reached their ears.

The two of them looked at each other and smiled brightly.

It seemed like only yesterday that Eun-ha and Tae-yang had been born, but time had passed, and the two children were now high school students.

As soon as it became 6 p.m., Han-a hurriedly began getting ready to leave work.

Today was a special day, so she had to leave exactly on time and go straight home.

Knock, knock.

Hearing the knock, Han-a, who was putting her phone into her handbag, looked up.

Even though he was now middle-aged, Jeonghan still looked handsome. He entered her office looking as stylish as ever.

“Did you pick up the cake we ordered?”

“It’s in the car.”

Jeonghan walked over to Han-a as she finished packing her bag.

He naturally wrapped an arm around her waist and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“You look tired.”

“I had quite a lot of work. There was also a trial.”

Han-a was no longer a divorce lawyer.

After the twins were born, she had become a human rights lawyer. Jeonghan earned plenty of money, so there was no need for her to struggle to make money as well.

She wanted to use her talents in a more meaningful way, and after much thought, she decided to devote herself to helping people in difficult situations.

“I’m done. Shall we go?”

Han-a put her shoulder bag over her shoulder and smiled.

Jeonghan warmly took his lovely wife’s hand, as he always did.

“Won’t the kids be late?”

“I told them to skip their academy classes, so they might already be home.”

“Did you call the kids?”

“Eun-ha.”

Thinking of their strange daughter, who loved studying so much, Han-a naturally smiled.

“Was Eun-ha sulking?”

“A little.”

“She’s really unusual.”

Even Han-a, who had lived fiercely before meeting Jeonghan, had never studied as crazily as Eun-ha did.

“Why? To me, she’s the most wonderful daughter in the world. She studies well on her own, she’s cheerful, kind……”

“Oh, I know, I know. Stop. Anyone would think you’re a daughter-obsessed dad.”

“I’m not. I’m not a daughter-obsessed dad.”

“You definitely are!”

“I’m a wife-obsessed husband.”

She could not help letting out a hollow laugh at her husband’s teasing.

“What about Tae-yang?”

“He’s not answering his phone.”

“He didn’t forget our plans today, did he?”

“He knows that we have dinner with the family every year on their birthday, so he wouldn’t forget. Oh, right. I heard their report cards came out today.”

“Really?”

“I’m worried about Tae-yang’s grades.”

Unlike Eun-ha, who was always ranked first or second in the entire school, Tae-yang still had no interest in studying.

He preferred sweating through exercise and playing with his friends.

“He’ll do it when the time comes.”

“Isn’t that a little too relaxed?”

“This is a secret.”

Han-a looked around before gesturing for him to bring his ear closer.

Jeonghan, looking curious, brought his ear close to her lips.

“I wasn’t that good at studying until the first semester of my second year of middle school.”

“Ahh, our Tae-yang is a high school student.”

“Hahaha. Tae-yang will do it when he finds his dream, too. Maybe something small will happen that gives him a reason.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

They continued talking like any other parents as they headed home.

When they arrived home, they saw the twin siblings sitting in the living room.

Just as expected, Eun-ha was memorizing English vocabulary, while Tae-yang was reading a webtoon.

“Welcome home.”

Tae-yang put down his phone and happily greeted his parents.

“As long as he’s healthy, that’s enough.”

Han-a murmured this so only Jeonghan could hear before smiling brightly and approaching the children.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

“I’m dying of hunger.”

Tae-yang, who was as big as Jeonghan, hugged his mother like a child and acted spoiled.

“I’m okay because the housekeeper gave me a snack.”

Unlike Tae-yang, Eun-ha, who was five minutes older than him, answered calmly.

“Mom and Dad will wash their hands and come out. Wait a little.”

As soon as Jeonghan and Han-a entered the bedroom, Eun-ha picked up her vocabulary book again and started memorizing words.

Meanwhile, Tae-yang went to the dining table, where the housekeeper was preparing dinner, and chatted cheerfully with her.

“Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Dear Eun-ha and Tae-yang, happy birthday to you.”

When the song ended, Eun-ha put her hands together and made a wish.

Tae-yang could not wait for his sister and excitedly blew out the candles first.

Eun-ha looked at Tae-yang as if he were a three-year-old and clicked her tongue.

“Hey, what are you doing blowing them out by yourself?”

“You should’ve blown them out faster.”

The two began bickering.

“Eun-ha, should I light them again?”

Jeonghan stepped in to mediate.

“It’s okay, Dad.”

Eun-ha answered maturely.

“Then you cut it.”

“Call me ‘Noona.’”

Eun-ha glared coldly at him before continuing.

“And what do you mean by ‘cut it’? It’s ‘cutting.’”

“Cutting or cutting it, it’s fine as long as you understand what I mean.”

“Mom, our mock exam results came out today.”

After cutting the cake into equal pieces, Eun-ha smiled brightly and looked at Han-a.

“Did you do well?”

“I did fine. I got all Grade 1s, but Tae-yang……”

Eun-ha slyly shifted her eyes toward Tae-yang.

“There’s no Grade 9.”

Jeonghan and Han-a could only find Tae-yang’s confidence amusing.

“But I always get full marks in physical education, music, and art at school.”

Tae-yang grinned and made a V-sign with his fingers.

“Ryu Tae-yang, don’t you have a dream?”

Unable to stand it anymore, Jeonghan scolded him.

“Why wouldn’t I? I have a dream, too.”

They were surprised when their son said he had a dream. They had expected him to say that he did not have one.

“What is it? What’s your dream?”

Han-a asked with interest.

“My dream is……”

Tae-yang looked upward and smiled shyly.

He looked happy just thinking about his dream.

“To date the most beautiful woman in the world.”

At Tae-yang’s cheerful answer, the expressions on Jeonghan and Han-a’s faces simultaneously became awkward.