Ch.197197. June Already

There’s a common joke that goes like this. I woke up and found myself at a wedding, I woke up and found myself a father.

I thought these were just stories from faraway places, but before I knew it, they became my own story.

When I first heard them, I thought they were just exaggerations. I assumed they were roundabout ways of saying how unreal something felt, but now that I’m actually in that position, I understand.

Wedding preparations are a continuous series of busy days where you can’t even tell how time passes.

Distributing invitations to family, relatives, and acquaintances; planning the honeymoon itinerary and routes; visiting the wedding venue in advance and coordinating the day’s schedule; purchasing baby supplies; making time once a week to visit the obstetrician…

Three years ago, when I first met Hwa Nabi, I couldn’t have even imagined doing these things. Now as we prepare for our future together, our wedding day is less than two weeks away.

The wedding itself was decided in a hurry so there was a lot to prepare, and trying to balance pregnancy preparations and studies made everything feel several times more time-constrained than normal.

No, it wasn’t just a feeling—it was actually like that, wasn’t it? I’m not exaggerating; I really cut back on sleep to prepare everything.

From May until now, which is the end of June, I’ve been sleeping less than six hours a day. There was just so much to do. Since it’s a once-in-a-lifetime event, I somehow gritted my teeth and endured, but if someone asked me to do it twice, I absolutely couldn’t.

“Hmm…”

Anyway, lost in all these thoughts, I stopped scrolling and looked at the monitor screen. Today is the last day of June and the day final grades are announced for the first semester.

Except for the few days I couldn’t attend due to unavoidable circumstances, my attendance is perfect. I submitted all assignments, of course, and I think I scored nearly perfect on the exams.

—Meow.

“Are you nervous too?”

—Meooow.

Nabi, who was occupying my keyboard, let out a long yawn. I gently stroked her bottom, then turned my eyes back to the monitor.

If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to aim for an average of at least A-, or even an A. So please, please let my grades be good. I really worked hard, cutting back on sleep…!

“Please, I promise I’ll live a good life from now on. Just an A, no, even an A- would be fine!”

Ding-a-ling, my phone rang, indicating it was exactly on the hour. I turned off the alarm and clicked the refresh button with an almost prayer-like mindset.

Then, at the top of the newly loaded webpage, the [View My Grades] button was activated.

“…!”

My hand gripping the mouse tightened. I held the mouse so tightly I thought it might break, and with my heart pounding, I clicked the grade viewing button.

The grades for all the courses I took were displayed, and at the very bottom, my GPA was calculated and printed.

“…4.3 points!”

I did it! After confirming the result, I tried to celebrate silently. Or rather, I intended to, but I couldn’t. That’s because I got a 4.3 GPA despite missing four classes.

Moreover, all subjects were A or higher without even a single B+. This is at a level where I can’t argue even if someone says God helped me. I jumped up from my seat, lifted cat Nabi who was sitting on the keyboard, and shouted:

“I did it, Nabi! Your oppa did it!”

—Arrrrrr!

Nabi seemed to get excited along with my joy, opening her eyes wide and making a surprised meowing sound. Or is she not happy but annoyed?

Well, it doesn’t matter either way. I’m very happy right now. I feel like dancing, but that would disturb the people downstairs, so I shouldn’t.

Just as I thought I wanted to share this joy with someone, the door burst open.

“Siwoo, congratulations!”

—Bang!

It wasn’t just a shout—a loud firecracker went off. Hwa Nabi, who had opened the door and entered, had set off a celebratory firecracker.

I put cat Nabi down on the desk and quickly approached the other Nabi, hugging her tightly. Then I shouted loud enough to shake the bedroom.

“Nabi-!”

It was my shout, but it was so loud it was almost a scream. Hwa Nabi seemed startled by it and scolded me.

“Eek! Siwoo, you’ll make the baby fall out!”

Ah, that can’t happen. Suddenly coming to my senses, I let go of Hwa Nabi and stepped back. Then she hugged me instead.

“I was just joking. Why did you suddenly get so serious?”

“Umm, when you said the baby might fall out, I instinctively…”

Is this what they call paternal love? I’m learning something new.

“So, what GPA did you get?”

“I got a 4.3. If I can get over 4.2 next semester, I think I can aim for early graduation.”

Our school only allows students with high GPAs from the previous two semesters to take 21 credits. Other students can take a maximum of 18 credits, so it means I can take 3 more credits per semester. If I also take the maximum allowed summer courses, I can graduate in just six semesters.

Of course, taking such a packed course load would be mentally and physically exhausting, but for my woman and child, that’s nothing.

“Really? That’s great. You worked so hard, Siwoo. Should we go eat something delicious to celebrate?”

“Yeah, let’s do that. The timing is a bit awkward now, so not lunch, but let’s go later for dinner. Is that okay?”

“Yes. It’s your celebration party, so whatever works for you.”

Hwa Nabi smiled as she spoke and gently patted the back of my head as if to say “well done.” I closed my eyes and enjoyed her touch, then opened them again after a while.

“By the way, Nabi.”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Um, why are you dressed like that?”

I was about to stroke her back out of habit but couldn’t. I hadn’t noticed from the front, but when I hugged her, I realized her back was completely exposed.

I hesitated to touch her bare skin and stopped my hand awkwardly, to which Hwa Nabi responded with a low laugh.

“What’s wrong with my clothes? It’s not like I’m completely naked. This is pretty normal for wearing at home, isn’t it?”

The meaning of “normal” seems quite different between what Hwa Nabi knows and what I know. Since when did an outfit that shows shoulders, back, and even the navel become normal attire?

“What if someone sees you?”

“Who’s going to see? The only person who’ll see is you, Siwoo. And here I am, wearing this especially for you to see, and all you do is complain.”

This seems to be my fault. Hwa Nabi pouted cutely and tried to pull away from my embrace, so I quickly held her waist to prevent her from doing so.

Then her hand patted my bottom. What does this mean? I was about to pat her bottom in return but thought better of it and waited.

“At times like this, you just need to say ‘thank you’ and look. Got it?”

Hwa Nabi, who had been patting my bottom for quite some time, spoke firmly as if she wouldn’t accept any objections.

I pondered what to say for a moment, then gently caressed the part of her waist that was still covered by fabric.

“Yeah, sorry.”

“There’s no need to be sorry, just say thank you for showing you something nice.”

“…Thank you for showing me something nice.”

“Huh, good job.”

Hwa Nabi didn’t just praise me verbally but also gently patted my bottom. But those patting fingers gradually changed shape, turning into a subtle massaging touch.

…What is she doing in broad daylight? I subtly pushed Hwa Nabi back. She seemed disappointed and clicked her tongue noticeably, but I pretended not to notice and changed the subject.

“It’s not long now, is it?”

“Yes, it’s coming soon.”

There’s no subject, but we both know what it means. July 5th, our wedding day, set two days before Hwa Nabi’s birthday. With my efforts and my brother’s help, we’ve completed all preparations, so now we just need to wait for that day.

Hwa Nabi, who had given a short answer, took a step forward. She subtly reached out to try to hug me, so I slightly backed away to create distance.

“Hey, where are you going?”

“Aren’t you going to check your grades?”

“I was about to, but there’s no cushion to sit on. Without a cushion, the baby will hurt.”

Hwa Nabi spoke cutely and gently stroked her lower abdomen as if to show me. When she does this, I can’t refuse…

“…Ah, okay.”

Giving up resistance, I obediently sat in the chair. Hwa Nabi, with a very pleased expression, sat on my lap.

“Siwoo, please fasten the seatbelt.”

“Ah, yes.”

I extended my arms to wrap around Hwa Nabi’s abdomen and held her tightly. She seemed satisfied and smiled as she took the mouse and looked at the monitor.

I stared at Hwa Nabi’s white nape for a while, then asked something that had just occurred to me.

“Nabi, can I ask you something?”

“Yes. What is it?”

“Earlier, when I was organizing the closet, I saw a shopping bag with something in it. Is it yours?”

“The shopping bag lying in the corner? The one with the sealed opening?”

“Yeah, that one.”

“Yes, it’s mine. Did you open it?”

“No, it was locked, so I didn’t open it.”

“Okay, that’s good.”

I was curious about what was inside and was going to open it, but I’m glad I didn’t. Still holding her, I gently stroked her lower abdomen and casually asked:

“But what’s inside that it’s sealed so tightly? It was sealed with hot glue.”

“Hmm, are you curious?”

Seeing how thoroughly it was sealed with hot glue, it’s clear she’s trying to hide it from me. If I say I’m curious, she probably won’t tell me anyway, right?

My guess seemed correct, as Hwa Nabi’s face was full of mischief. The answer is predetermined, but she’s asking just to tease me.

“Yeah, I’m curious.”

I asked, knowing I was playing along. Sure enough, Hwa Nabi gave a lovely smile and shook her head.

“Huh, even if you’re curious, you’ll have to wait.”

“Wait until when?”

“About… two weeks?”

Two weeks from now would be after the wedding. Has she prepared some surprise gift? If that’s the case, it’s proper not to be curious.

“Two weeks is quite a long time.”

“It is a long time, but showing it before then would be meaningless. So, can you wait?”

What could it be that she needs to show me in two weeks? From her tone, it seems like something unusual is being prepared. But since there’s no use speculating at this point, I just nodded obediently.

“Yes, I’ll wait.”

“Good. Huh, our Siwoo is so good.”

“…”

Hwa Nabi giggled, reached her arm back, and started gently stroking my head. This is completely like treating me as a pet.

“Am I a puppy?”

“Hmm… there’s a bit of that feeling, I guess. Like a large dog with a big body but a gentle personality.”

“…So the conclusion is that I’m like a dog.”

It’s nothing more than literally saying “like a dog,” not meant as an insult. When I asked, feeling dumbfounded, Hwa Nabi muttered, “I guess it does sound that way?” and glanced at me with a smile.

“Nabi, you said that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Come on, why would I insult you of all people? Our Siwoo is such a wonderful man.”

Here you go. Take this and get off me—is that what I’m hearing, or is it just my mood? I narrowed my eyes and silently questioned Hwa Nabi with my gaze.

‘So, you think I look like a dog?’

‘Saying you’re like a dog sounds too much like an insult. So should I correct it to say you’re like a large dog?’

Saying it with a smile doesn’t change the conclusion.

…This won’t do. I grabbed Hwa Nabi’s arm that was stroking my head. Then I lifted it up to restrict her movement, slipped my hand between her belly and clothes, and tickled her hard.

“…Hah! Huang, heeeeng-!”

She hadn’t even started in earnest, but she couldn’t stand the tickling and trembled almost to the point of convulsing with laughter. I held her tightly so she couldn’t escape and whispered in her ear:

“You better be prepared.”

“W-wait. Siwoo, wait a moment! I’m sorry, I was wrong… Huaaang-!”