Ch.283283. The Butterfly Effect

December 17th, the fifth day since Wooa was born.

Perhaps because she focused solely on recovery without any worries, Hwa Nabi’s physical condition had improved significantly. On the first day after giving birth, she complained of nausea and headaches, eating very cautiously, but now she slurps down seaweed soup without any particular symptoms and even enjoys dessert.

Though dessert is just one or two chocolates for sugar replenishment, this is tremendous progress compared to the first day when she could barely lift a spoon. The doctor mentioned that body aches can occur as side effects from painkillers… but even with that explanation, how could I not worry while watching her?

So I stayed by her side until the third day when she could walk properly again. I missed two days of lectures because of this, but that’s something I can make up for with more effort. Actually, what really concerns me is something completely different.

That is, giving Wooa a name. Others might think it’s no big deal, but this was surprisingly challenging for us. Since Wooa is a girl, we needed to give her a pretty name that includes the family character, but neither Hwa Nabi nor I had any knowledge in that area.

These days, it’s trendy for parents to name their children themselves rather than going to a naming agency, but you need to know something to do that. Thinking we might cause serious problems by deciding carelessly, Hwa Nabi and I decided after much deliberation to seek professional help.

So, we decided to visit a naming agency to get a name for Wooa. Of course, I’m going alone since Hwa Nabi isn’t in a condition to travel far yet.

Honestly, I wanted to visit the naming agency with Hwa Nabi. But our relatives have been making such a fuss about the baby’s name after hearing about our child that I had no choice but to come alone. What did they say again? Something about why we haven’t named the baby even though she’s already five days old?

It sounds like nagging, but it’s not entirely wrong. So I hurriedly left the hospital and drove to a supposedly reputable naming agency nearby.

“So, you need a name for your child?”

A man who appears to be in his mid-fifties looks me over as he asks. For some reason, he’s wearing a modernized hanbok, which combined with the 90s-style retro interior, gives off a strong professional vibe.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Sitting on the sofa sipping tea, I put down my cup and nodded. The middle-aged man who introduced himself as a naming specialist then places a tablet PC in the middle of the table.

…What’s this? Judging by the atmosphere of the place, I expected to see yellowed naming books, but seeing a cutting-edge tablet PC in front of me is a bit surprising. Noticing my confusion, the naming specialist looks at me and smirks.

“These days, we use electronic devices for naming. We could refer to naming books if you prefer, but that takes too much time, and waiting customers find it inconvenient.”

“Ah… I see.”

Right. In this day and age, flipping through naming books would be a waste of time. Hearing his explanation, I quietly agreed.

“Yes. So… father. Do you know the child’s birthday, time of birth, gender, and the family character that should be included in the name?”

“The birthday is December 12th. She was born at 12:12 AM, she’s a girl, and the character ‘Hee’ should be included in her name.”

“Year of Imin, month of Jeongchuk, day of Gihae, hour of Gabo, and a girl… hmm.”

The naming specialist mutters as if ruminating, then lets out a strange sigh. What’s this? Could there be something wrong with her fortune?

“Is there a problem?”

“A problem… it might not be, but this isn’t something I can judge just by looking at the birth chart…”

“…?”

“Do you happen to have a photo of the child?”

“Ah, just a moment.”

I have photos of Wooa on my phone that I took to send to friends and parents. Hwa Nabi’s face is also in the pictures, but I don’t mind showing them together.

I opened the gallery, displayed a photo, and handed it to the naming specialist. He stared intently at the screen, then stroked his short beard and clicked his tongue.

“Well… this is interesting.”

“…What? Is something wrong?”

“Let me confirm something—you said the character ‘Hee’ must be included in the child’s name, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I recommend removing it.”

The naming specialist firmly stated this and closed the tablet PC. It seems like he doesn’t need to look anything else up. But for me, this doesn’t make sense. There’s no reason given. I need a convincing explanation to relay to the elders.

I carefully probed for a more detailed explanation.

“Why? Is there a special reason?”

“Your daughter’s birth chart shows strong Dohwa energy, and if the character ‘Hee’ is included in her name, it becomes too intense. Have you heard of Dohwasal?”

“Isn’t that… charm? I understand it as an energy that makes one appealing to the opposite sex.”

“Yes. Interpretations vary, but that’s generally correct. However, your daughter’s case is a bit different. Her Yang Gan day pillar coincides with the Twelve Fortunes’ Bathing, and her Yin Gan day pillar coincides with the Twelve Fortunes’ Illness, creating an extraordinary Dohwa… if you add ‘Hee’ to her name, her life will be quite difficult. People won’t leave her alone.”

“…So what should we do?”

“Since we can’t change the birth chart she was born with, we need to adjust the name. Fortunately, a name without the ‘Hee’ character should work well. Her birth chart is truly intriguing. It’s not entirely good, but not bad either, so if you give her a good name, she shouldn’t have major problems in life.”

“Ah… I see.”

While birth charts aren’t scientifically proven and shouldn’t be blindly trusted… still, it doesn’t hurt to take it into consideration, right?

I was worried when he kept saying concerning things, but I’m relieved to hear that changing the name should resolve any issues.

“So, would you like to receive a few name suggestions?”

“Ah, yes. Please.”

“Han Soyul, Han Yeseul, Han Goeun if you’re Protestant, or Han Yueun would be good options. What do you think?”

“Ah, those are nice. They’re all pretty names that I like.”

“I put extra thought into them since she’s a girl. So she won’t be teased about her name later.”

Indeed, all four names have a sophisticated feel, like modern celebrity names. Children often get teased about their names when they’re young, but with such pretty names, that shouldn’t happen.

After waiting a bit longer to receive recommendations for the Chinese characters that would compose the name, I copied the information to my phone and stood up.

“Thank you, sir. This has been very helpful.”

“I’m just doing my job for payment, no need for thanks. Oh, if you need after-service, feel free to visit anytime. I offer one free consultation for customers who visit in person.”

“After-service?”

When I asked in confusion, the naming specialist extended his hand. Thinking he wanted to shake hands, I grasped it lightly, and he added with a smirk, as if joking:

“Name changes.”

“…Ah.”

*

Back at the hospital, I took a seat beside Hwa Nabi, who was lying in bed. I listed the name candidates for Wooa that the naming specialist had personally recommended and explained each one.

This one has this meaning, that one has that meaning. Though I don’t know much, I relayed exactly what I had been told, and Hwa Nabi stared at me.

“What?”

“Husband. They’re all good, but… will the family elders be okay with a name that doesn’t include the family character?”

“Well, we’ll have to persuade them somehow. What choice do we have? He said including the character ‘Hee’ would cause problems because of Dohwasal.”

“Birth charts and such are just superstitions, aren’t they? Wouldn’t it be fine to include it?”

“Hmm, is that so…?”

Now that she mentions it, maybe she’s right. As I was pondering this internally, Hwa Nabi turned toward me. It seems she can now lie on her side without any discomfort.

“You know how scary the elders are from taking their calls. What if they come barging in because we named her as we pleased?”

“…”

I want to tell her not to worry, that it won’t happen, to just trust me, but I couldn’t. If they really did come to confront us, I wouldn’t know how to respond.

It’s easier to persuade young children by coaxing them gently, but most elders much older than me are often impossible to have a proper conversation with.

It’s not that they’re all stubborn old-fashioned people… it’s just that most elders are like that. They value customs and formalities much more than we think. Charitably speaking, it’s an effort to preserve tradition; less charitably, it’s lecturing.

Well, of course, not all elders are like that, but the elders in our family certainly are. They’re extremely fixated on formalities. The fact that they’re urging us to name Wooa before she’s even five days old is proof of that.

“Should I ask him to create a name with the ‘Hee’ character instead?”

“Yes. Don’t you think that would be better?”

“Alright, then…”

Buzz—my phone rang in my pocket. The caller was someone I didn’t recognize, but somehow I knew who it was.

“Husband, who is it?”

“Well, I think it’s my grandfather…”

“Shouldn’t you answer quickly…?”

“…Just a moment.”

I put my index finger to my lips, gesturing for her to be quiet. Hwa Nabi promptly closed her mouth. I pressed the screen firmly to answer the call.

“Hello. I’m on the line.”

[Woo-ya. Have you decided on a name for my great-granddaughter?]

With his characteristic nickname for me and without any proper greeting, the voice that immediately cuts to the chase belongs to my grandfather. My back automatically straightens.

“Ah, yes. I have.”

[Oh, really? Let’s hear it then.]

I was about to answer but hesitated. Come to think of it, we haven’t finalized anything yet. We just decided to include the family character and choose again because we’re afraid of the elders’ pressure.

“…”

[Hello? Woo-ya. Why aren’t you answering? Haven’t you decided yet?]

“…Ah, no. Um, well.”

As I hesitated to answer, my eyes met Hwa Nabi’s. She mouths something to me.

‘Woo, Hee.’