Ch.190Epilogue. Perfect Happiness (1)

Time really flew by.

I could only spend about a month thinking I was on vacation—playing, eating, pooping, and sleeping. After that, my body started itching with restlessness.

Eventually, after clinging to the old man who ran the hotel for a solid three seconds, I managed to get a job. The three-second rule of persistence worked in Hawaii too.

The old man owned three chubby vans that he rented to tourists, but they always came back looking like absolute wrecks. Yet somehow his eyes were so bad that even when people returned the vehicles completely trashed, he couldn’t figure out what was wrong with them.

He’d scrapped three cars over the past ten years this way. From his perspective, it must have been maddening—cars that looked perfectly fine on the outside kept breaking down, enough to make him do backflips in frustration.

Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and created inspection checklists for each vehicle, carefully checking them when they returned. No matter how creative these little punks tried to be with their scams, they couldn’t match my experience. After all, any trick they pulled would fall within the range of scams I’d already seen while tinkering with engines in space, or would be inferior versions.

But upon closer inspection, I realized the current state of the vehicles was the real problem. They weren’t just making concerning noises—they were comprehensively and thoroughly wrecked. Taking them to a repair shop would cost a fortune.

At this point, it seemed more economical to just open my own repair shop. So with the old man’s permission, I bought all the necessary tools and set up a small garage.

Initially, I only planned to fix the rental fleet. But somehow word spread that the rental cars from this hotel suddenly had sexy engine sounds, and people started bringing their own vehicles for repairs.

Oh my. I’m in a position where I can’t afford to be recognized. This is troublesome.

But when people need me, what can I do?

I had no choice but to run a garage with cars lining up every day…

“No, it’s too dangerous.”

“Why?!”

“Why? Are you trying to make your name known across all of Hawaii? We chose this crummy hotel because not many people come here. What happens if you keep improving things and attract crowds?”

“Ah…”

My dreams were shattered.

I had no choice but to turn away all the cars waiting their turn, engines rumbling.

Someone needing my skills… it had been a while.

“Only I know about your skilled hands, Jinsoo, and so does Cuss.”

“…”

As if sensing my feelings, Juliane’s hand traced down my neck. Her soft voice made my ears melt. When she pressed against me slightly, the feeling of her chest against my back was pleasant.

“I know you’re a man capable enough to work on engines that go to space. But… you don’t need to push yourself too hard. You don’t need to prove your abilities.”

“I know. I just got a bit greedy.”

I can’t put my family in danger because of my greed.

I turned around slowly and took Juliane’s hands in mine.

Her noticeably swollen belly was incredibly endearing.

To be honest, until recently it had looked like she’d just overeaten, but now it clearly showed she was pregnant.

“Ah, where’s Cuss?”

“Cuss is—”

“I got a big one!!!”

Just then, a sharp scream-like sound erupted from behind the hotel.

Startled, Juliane and I hurried across the deck to find…

“Jinsoo! I caught a fish! A huge one!”

Cuss was beaming with a fishing line in hand.

She must have remembered when I taught her how to fish, because she’d caught quite a large one.

The problem was that this was a no-fishing zone.

Moreover, that black-striped fish—I can’t remember the name—was definitely an endangered species.

I remember clearly because I once paid a hefty fine for catching one.

“Hey! Remove the hook! Quick! If it dies, we’ll get fined!”

“Eek?! Is that so?”

“Yes! And fishing is prohibited here! Just because you have a fishing rod doesn’t mean you can cast it anywhere! Get the ointment!”

“Ah, got it!”

I decided to properly treat the wound in case scuba divers later noticed a fish with a mouth injury and started searching the entire beach for the culprit.

As Cuss hurried to get the ointment and I was about to apply it to where the hook had been…

“Jinsoo. The fish isn’t moving.”

“Huh? No way. It hasn’t even been a minute.”

“That’s long enough for a weak fish to die…”

“Ah.”

We’d killed it.

A precious endangered species.

Now there was no choice but to destroy the evidence.

“We’re having spicy fish stew tonight!”

“Yay!”

“Sigh…”

Good grief. Spicy stew made with an endangered species.

It felt as sinful as making fish roe soup with caviar.

I wonder how delicious it would be.

Today I should properly cook a Korean-style spicy fish stew for them.

After all, my identity has now been reduced to that of an all-purpose chef.

***

Juliane kept caressing her swollen belly.

Her once-firm abs had completely disappeared, but she didn’t find it unsightly at all.

Thinking about Jinsoo’s child inside made her feel happier each time she stroked her belly.

“Number 12?”

“Ah, yes.”

It was her turn now.

As Juliane tried to stand up, a large hand held her back.

Jinsoo’s hand wouldn’t let go.

“I’ll be right back.”

“Okay…”

He seemed nervous.

When she gently removed his hand, Jinsoo’s grip loosened limply.

Juliane lightly kissed his palm and followed the nurse to the examination room.

“Yes, it’s a daughter…”

“A girl?!”

The doctor who had been carefully examining the ultrasound smiled, then was startled by Jinsoo’s outburst.

Soon Jinsoo sighed deeply, showing his disappointment.

Meanwhile, Juliane received the picture from the doctor and examined it with a bright smile, not seeming disappointed at all.

“You wanted a son so badly. Aren’t you disappointed?”

“Hmm? Why would I be disappointed? We can have a son next time.”

“Excuse me…?”

Jinsoo’s pupils shook violently.

Next time?

Her tone seemed to assume the next child would definitely be a boy.

Did she mean they would keep having children until they had a son?

How many children would that be? Jinsoo was terrified at the thought.

“Two daughters… one son… or maybe three daughters… one son…”

“Is your husband alright…?”

“Yes, yes. Don’t worry about him. More importantly… am I in the stable period now?”

“That’s right. You can put aside most concerns about miscarriage, just be careful about major impacts to your abdomen.”

“Then… what about… relations…?”

“You can continue as you normally would.”

“As we normally would?”

Jinsoo’s pupils shook again.

As they normally would?

Noticing Jinsoo’s unusual reaction, the doctor asked with a serious expression:

“May I ask how you normally do it?”

She couldn’t possibly say they enjoyed removing her prosthetic limbs and lifting her during intimacy.

Juliane’s face turned bright red from embarrassment.

“Hahaha. We enjoy normal positions with normal play. I absolutely do not engage in perverted play involving my wife’s physical disabilities.”

“…”

The doctor gave Jinsoo a suspicious look.

Embarrassed, Juliane covered her face with both hands.

She wanted to leave immediately.

“I guess pile drivers are out of the question.”

“Of course they are…”

On the way back to the hotel—not home—

Juliane held onto Jinsoo’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder as they walked.

Though he could be clumsy at times, he was such a big, dependable man.

Although it took over a month, he kept his promise to return.

Knowing this man would stay by her side no matter what, that he would find her wherever she went, made her feel secure.

“Since we’ve entered the stable period, I think we can increase the intensity a bit. You’ve always complained that I’m too gentle.”

“When did I ever say that?!”

“Was I mistaken? Should I keep being gentle then?”

“N-no…”

“Then how would you like me to do it? Tell me with your own mouth, Juliane.”

“Ugh…”

This man…

She had just been praising him in her mind, and now he was teasing her.

Juliane gritted her teeth, quickly looked around, and pulled on Jinsoo’s arm.

Jinsoo bent down slightly with an intrigued expression, bringing his ear closer.

“Since you’ve been so gentle until now… please thrust hard into me…”

“I can’t hear you well. One more time— YEOWCH?!”

“Hehehe.”

Unable to take it anymore, Juliane bit Jinsoo’s earlobe.

As he jumped in surprise, she hugged his arm again and laughed with happiness.

Would it be greedy to wish days like this would continue forever?

“Juliane! Male or female?”

“It’s a girl.”

“A female!”

When they returned to the hotel room, which now felt as comfortable as home, Cuss ran up to greet them.

As Juliane sat on the sofa with her heavy belly, Cuss immediately sat beside her and began caressing it.

The way she barely touched it, hovering her hands slightly, afraid of hurting the baby, was adorable.

Juliane took Cuss’s hand and guided it over her belly, letting her feel the warmth.

Cuss’s face immediately brightened.

“It’s so warm…!”

“Hehe. Your hands are cold, so the baby must be feeling refreshed right now.”

“Is that so! Come out soon, little sister. Come out and be my faithful servant who follows my commands.”

Cuss pressed her cheek against Juliane’s belly and whispered quietly.

So as not to startle the baby.

And she spoke clearly so it could hear well.

“What’s this? Your ambition is lacking. You should be prepared to train her as a slave, not just a servant.”

“Jinsoo. Slavery was abolished in North America in 1865.”

“I know that. Why are you suddenly getting so serious? What does that make me?”

“Pfft…”

Juliane burst into laughter at their exchange.

When she first met Cuss, she was like a robot who had just learned human speech.

She merely expressed her thoughts without showing much emotion.

But now she exchanged jokes with Jinsoo and played pranks.

Who would think this child was an alien?

She was every bit a human child.

“Do you really know? Then was 1865 before or after the Civil War?”

“Ha! You’re underestimating me too much. That! What was it! That speech Lincoln gave, that’s when slavery was abolished. Ah, right! The Gestapo speech! That was during the Civil War, wasn’t it?”

“Um…”

“You little… You’re trying to trick me by only giving before or after as options? I won’t fall for it. During the war, I tell you. Am I right?”

“It was after the Civil War, Jinsoo…”

“Damn it. You dare make fun of an adult? Come here, you.”

“Ahaha! Juliane! Jinsoo is bullying meee!”

Cuss began running around like a monkey, jumping over the sofa, with Jinsoo desperately chasing after her.

As they circled the sofa, things were knocked over and broken, but Juliane paradoxically felt at peace.

She had missed this chaotic atmosphere.

She could only pray to the heavens that these noisy, messy days would continue forever.