Ch.133Chapter 133. In Times of Joy, Sorrow, Pain, and Pleasure

“What? Cheonghoon?”

Conrad grimaced as he shouted into the phone first thing in the morning.

It was news of his daughter’s marriage.

He had implicitly declared that he would support her, but…

He couldn’t help feeling heated about it.

“The beach at night… Yes. She confessed while giving a ring inside a heart made of fireworks…”

As Conrad listened carefully to his daughter’s explanation, he ended up grinding his teeth.

He wasn’t very pleased.

What kind of cheesy proposal straight out of an old movie was that?

Still, part of him thought it was somewhat romantic in its own way.

“Why is that guy proposing in such a tacky way? Tsk. I don’t like him at all.”

-Father… I was the one who proposed.

“What?”

-I’m saying I was the one who proposed, not the one who received the proposal.

“Oh. Right. You just told me that. I know…”

Conrad carefully thought back, wondering why she was repeating what she had just said.

“What?! You proposed?! Not him?! Oh my god! Ugh!”

-Dad! Are you okay? Dad!

He jumped up from his chair shouting, then grabbed the back of his neck and collapsed back into his seat.

A woman proposing?

Proposing marriage?

Giving a ring?

Despite all the strange identities floating around these days that transcend gender distinctions, like attack helicopters or whatever, wrong was still wrong.

Shouldn’t certain marriage customs be properly observed?

Conrad’s head was not only throbbing but he was starting to get furious.

“What has that bastard been doing all this time? Not buying a ring! Not proposing!”

-Ah, but Jinsoo did buy the engagement ring.

“That’s the bare minimum! Is he there with you? Put him on!”

-Ah! Dad! I proposed earlier because I liked him more! Jinsoo wanted to postpone the marriage, but I couldn’t wait so I bought a ring early and gave it to him! Okay?

“You…! Ack…!”

Conrad’s blood pressure suddenly spiked, and he clutched the back of his neck again, convulsing.

He had so much to say, but it all got jumbled up and wouldn’t come out properly.

Though Conrad was someone who could speak well without getting flustered even when called to a hearing, he couldn’t maintain his composure at his daughter’s bombshell announcement.

“Juliane! Does that bastard really love you? It seems like you’re doing everything from start to finish! I bet you’ll plan the entire wedding yourself and just tell the groom to show up with his body!”

-No, it’s not like that. Jinsoo does a lot too.

“Like what?”

-Jinsoo is a good cook, he cleans well, and… he’s also good at laundry, so he says he’ll quit his job and become a househusband after we get married…

“Hey! Is that guy really a man? Tell him to cut off his dick!”

-Father! Why are you talking like that!

“Good Lord…”

Conrad felt all his strength drain away at his daughter’s indignant voice.

He had heard that the world was changing, but he hadn’t really felt it much in his daily life.

Now that his daughter was grown up and getting married, he was feeling it acutely.

The sky had fallen.

True principles had been thrown to the ground.

Otherwise, how could a world arrive where women propose and men become househusbands?

Conrad was experiencing the most shocking revelation he’d had in the past decade.

“Fine… I understand… So when are you planning to have the ceremony?”

-Nothing’s been decided yet. I’ll come visit with Jinsoo later and tell you the details in person.

“Alright. Right now I’m too dizzy to continue this conversation.”

-Are you okay? Is your blood pressure up again?

“Whose fault is that! Hang up now! I won’t answer the phone until you come with that guy! Remember that!”

-Ah, Dad…

Click.

Conrad hung up in anger, took off his glasses, leaned back, and massaged his brow.

He had thought he had a fairly young mindset.

He had thought he was quite progressive compared to those pompous “nobles”…

Had he really been so unable to adapt to the changing world?

Conrad felt conflicted, wondering if he might be an old fogey after all.

“Was that Juliane on the phone?”

“Yeah…”

“She’s getting married, right? Hehe. You were always singing about how she should get married quickly, and now your wish has come true.”

“But this isn’t right…”

His wife appeared wearing an apron and approached him.

Finding Conrad unusually dejected, she took his hand with a sympathetic expression.

“You’re sad because your daughter is getting married.”

“That’s not it.”

“It’s okay, it’s okay. No one will say anything if you cry at the wedding.”

“Ah! That’s not it, I said!”

Conrad ended up snapping in frustration.

As if I would shed tears at the wedding.

He dismissed it as nonsense.

***

“It’s processed. Congratulations on your marriage.”

“What? Is that it?”

“Yes. That’s all.”

At the LA City Hall.

I was dumbfounded as I received the marriage certificate from the employee.

I had just handed over the necessary documents, waited for about ten minutes, and they told me it was done and gave me the certificate.

I thought the procedure used to be much more complicated.

It seems it was simplified while I was in prison.

“Wow… We got it…”

Juliane was pressed right against me, looking at the marriage certificate and trembling.

She kept pointing at one part and reading it over and over…

-Julia Kim

It was the part with her name.

We had discussed beforehand whether to change her last name, and it was decided she would, due to Juliane’s strong insistence.

She said it would make us feel like a real family or something.

Although this was already my second marriage, I still found Western marriage customs somewhat difficult to understand.

“Hehe, Cuss! Now Jinsoo and I are husband and wife! What do you think?”

“Hmm… I’m jealous.”

“Right! Right! Hehehe!”

What kind of conversation flow is that?

While Cuss was giving half-hearted responses as Juliane hugged her, Juliane seemed delighted regardless.

Though we haven’t had the ceremony yet, we were now officially husband and wife.

Life partners who trust, support, guide, and love each other.

There were several hardships and adversities along the way, but we overcame them all.

To be honest, I have no idea what our future holds, but I’ve decided not to worry too much.

After all, Juliane will never leave me behind.

She won’t abandon me.

“Let’s finish the adoption application and birth registration while we’re at it!”

“Um… can we finish all that today?”

“The court will accept the paperwork submission, but I don’t think we’ll get the results today.”

“The court again…”

How tiresome.

We’ve been running around everywhere getting documents, coming to city hall, and now we have to go to court too.

As we left city hall, I was thinking deeply and was about to suggest that we take the adoption process more slowly.

When I looked back, I saw Cuss and Juliane walking hand in hand.

In the past, it would have been an awkward scene, but not anymore.

They looked so good together.

They were walking, leaning on each other, laughing and chatting as if they had been family all along.

They didn’t look like mother and daughter… more like sisters.

As I stared at them, Cuss and Juliane looked at me in confusion.

“Let’s go to the court. It’s annoying, but let’s get it over with quickly.”

“Great! That’s good for you too, right, Cuss? You’re finally becoming my daughter officially!”

“Yeah… whatever…”

“What do you mean whatever! You’re happy about it! Ugh…”

“Juliane?”

Suddenly Juliane stopped talking and dry heaved.

I immediately sensed it.

I had seen this kind of dry heaving before.

“I must have eaten too much breakfast, hehe.”

“Juliane. Let’s go to the obstetrician.”

“It’s probably not that. I used a pregnancy test last night…”

“Let’s go.”

“Okay…”

When I firmly held Juliane’s hand, she quickly agreed and nodded.

I felt my mood sinking but my heart was racing.

It would be a lie to say I wasn’t happy about it.

The anticipation outweighed the vague fear of what might happen in the future.

Well, with how much we’ve been doing it, it would be strange if she wasn’t pregnant.

We decided to visit the obstetrician right after completing the adoption application.

*

“You’re not pregnant.”

“Ah…”

At an obstetrician’s office in LA Station.

Juliane let out a sigh upon hearing the female doctor’s diagnosis.

We had taken a test that was supposed to be 100% accurate, but the result showed she wasn’t pregnant.

But wait, isn’t something strange?

We do it every day, and she’s still not pregnant?

“Um, then maybe…”

“Are you worried about infertility?”

“Ah, yes…”

The atmosphere became solemn.

Juliane hung her head low and couldn’t lift it up.

If there was a problem, she probably thought it was with her.

I stroked Juliane’s hand, trying my best to calm her down.

“Then let’s do a detailed examination. Would you like to come with me?”

“Yes…”

After sending off Juliane, who was awkwardly smiling and waving, I went to the waiting room.

When Cuss spotted me, she scurried over and clung to me.

She was about to hug me, but I had to stop her with my arm.

Not here, kid.

If we get misunderstood here, it could be really dangerous.

“Jinsoo. Is Juliane with child?”

“They said she’s not pregnant.”

“Is the probability of human conception normally so low?”

“No…”

“Then is Juliane a specimen lacking reproductive ability?”

“I don’t know…”

Talking about infertility like that makes it sound like she’s defective.

I placed my hand on Cuss’s head and sighed deeply.

Yeah. Cuss alone is exhausting enough.

This is actually for the best.

I spent a long time brainwashing myself with that thought.

“If Juliane cannot, I could bear Jinsoo’s child.”

“Hey. What are you saying?”

“Mmph…”

Are you crazy?

The whispers and stares from around us suddenly increased.

I was startled and covered Cuss’s mouth.

“No. You can’t do that with your daughter.”

“Is it legally prohibited?”

“Yes. It’s legally forbidden.”

“According to California state law, only marriage to one’s biological daughter is illegal. Sexual intercourse and conception themselves are not criminal acts. Moreover, in the case of an adopted daughter rather than a biological one…”

“Forget state law, it’s just not acceptable by custom. That’s a basic rule of human society.”

“Hmm…”

After I cut her off firmly, Cuss pouted but seemed to accept it, nodding her head.

She’s even looking up laws these days.

Since I gave her a smartphone, she seems to be looking at all sorts of things.

She might know the law better than I do now.

“Jinsoo!”

“Stay put. I’ll be right back.”

“Okay…”

Just then, Juliane quietly called me and beckoned.

I roughly patted Cuss’s head and headed back to the examination room.

I took a deep breath in front of the door and stepped in.

It was time to reconfirm what I already suspected.

“What were the results?”

“Your wife is not infertile.”

“What?”

“Her menstrual cycle is stable, and her eggs are in good condition. There’s no reason she can’t get pregnant.”

“Then why…”

I didn’t understand.

Not infertile?

Then why hasn’t she gotten pregnant despite all our unprotected sex?

Could the problem be with me, not Juliane?

“We found a cyst on her ovary.”

“What?!”

“Ah, don’t be too alarmed. It’s small, so it’s not serious and will likely disappear on its own.”

Ovarian cyst?

It was a disease I’d never heard of before.

Though they said it wasn’t serious, I was still worried.

“Is that why she can’t get pregnant?”

“Yes, that’s right. There are several causes for this, one of which is continuous ovulation. But since your wife’s ovulation cycle is stable, that’s not it, and the remaining cause is…”

The female doctor, who had been making eye contact with Juliane while speaking, glanced at me and trailed off.

What is it?

Say it quickly.

“Is your… husband’s penis quite large?”

“It is on the larger side… but why do you ask?”

“If there’s too much pressure on the cervix through the vagina, that impact can be transmitted to the ovaries and cause cysts. If this continues, the cyst will grow larger and could eventually rupture, which would require surgery. So it’s better to refrain from deep penetration and intense sexual activity.”

“Oh my goodness…”

Juliane covered her face with both hands.

The tips of her ears were red, indicating she was extremely embarrassed.

And for good reason—we had essentially advertised that we had sex so intensely that it caused ovarian cysts.

“Of course, you shouldn’t have sex until the cyst disappears.”

“Yes…”

“Please come back in a week. I’ll check the condition of the cyst and advise you further then.”

“Yes…”

We quickly stood up and left the examination room.

We couldn’t stay any longer out of embarrassment.

As the door slammed shut, Juliane tightly held my hand.

“That’s good news. At least you’re not infertile.”

“Yes. But…”

“We’ll have to restrain ourselves for a while. Do you think you can?”

“What are you saying? I’m fine. It’s probably harder for you, Jinsoo.”

“Just yesterday, someone asked me to take off all my prosthetics and ravage her like an onahole…”

“Ahhh! What are you saying here, seriously!”

Anyway, it was really fortunate that she wasn’t infertile.

If we just hold back a little, the cyst will heal.

One week? That’s nothing.

We can… endure it, right?