Ch.308308. Burning Three Hundred in One Meal?

[Raincoat.]

“Raincoat? You mean the thing you wear when it rains?”

[Yeah, the spelling is right. But the meaning behind it is a bit different, want to hear it?]

“Sure, go ahead and explain. What does it mean?”

[…Am I the one who was asked to do this? Why do I feel like I’m getting your approval?]

Regardless of Park Sehyun’s grumbling, the meaning behind the name “Raincoat” was this:

They took one character each from the end of my name and the end of Hwa Nabi’s name, and since their first child Woohee was born on a rainy day, for their second child, they wanted something to protect from that rain… hence, Raincoat.

When I first heard just the word “Raincoat,” I thought it was a joke, but after hearing the explanation, it wasn’t entirely silly. There was a meaningful intention behind it, and people often use their parents’ names when creating baby names anyway.

[So, what do you think? Isn’t it good?]

“Hmm, Raincoat… it seems fine. Thanks. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

[Why later? Don’t make promises without a set date. Why not just treat me now?]

“I told you I’m with my wife. Did you forget?”

[Right. That’s right. Is she right next to you?]

“Yeah, that’s why I said we’d meet later.”

[Well, can’t be helped then. See you later.]

“Sure, get home safe. Let’s really meet up sometime.”

[Yeah, you enjoy your time with your wife… Oh, right. I almost forgot. Can you make it to the class reunion next month? Nothing fancy, just some classmates getting together for a meal.]

It was a sudden proposal. A class reunion… Before giving my answer, I glanced at Nabi. This didn’t seem like something I should decide alone.

She was still lying down getting her IV nutrients, but noticing my gaze, she met my eyes.

“What is it?”

“Well, they’re asking if I can make it to the class reunion next month?”

“Class reunion? Oh, you mean that thing where everyone meets at a nice restaurant?”

“Wait, you already knew about this?”

“Yes, of course. It’s been mentioned several times in our class group chat.”

“Ah…”

We must be in the same group chat, so why was I the only one who didn’t know? Feeling a bit embarrassed, I rubbed the back of my neck.

“…Anyway, what do you want to do? I’ll decide based on what you want.”

“I’ve already decided not to go. With the baby and all, I don’t want to put strain on my body by traveling far.”

“Hmm, is that so? Then I’ll just stay home too…”

“No, no. You don’t need to worry about me. If you go to your reunion, I can visit my parents’ home and see them after a long time.”

“But that feels like I’m just going out to have fun by myself, which makes me feel bad…”

“Honey, think about it. Right now I’m in early pregnancy so I’m fine being alone, but later when my belly gets big, will you be able to go anywhere by yourself without feeling guilty?”

“…”

When I think about it, she’s not wrong… but still, something felt off. It didn’t seem right to leave pregnant Nabi alone while I went off to see friends.

As a decent human being, that just doesn’t sit right with me. She’s not carrying someone else’s child—she’s my wife carrying my baby… How could I just leave her and go somewhere by myself?

[Hello? Did you hang up?]

“No, no. I was just thinking.”

[Why are you taking so long to decide? Are you coming or not? We need to make reservations soon since we’re a large group.]

“Hmm…”

It would be a shame to miss out on a gathering that might not happen again for a while, but leaving Nabi alone doesn’t feel right either.

Isn’t there a good solution? Something that would solve both problems at once…

“Hey, listen.”

[Huh? What is it?]

“Sehyun, you haven’t made the restaurant reservation yet, right?”

[Yeah, that’s right. We haven’t confirmed the headcount yet, so no reservation. But we should soon…]

“Then how about this—I’ll make the reservation and pay for everyone if you all come to the place I choose. What do you think?”

[Well… I’m fine with it, but I’d have to ask the others…]

“If everyone’s okay with it, I’ll reserve a really nice place. It’s called Mosu Seoul, a famous restaurant in Itaewon.”

Restaurant Mosu recently received three Michelin stars. It’s so popular that they only take reservations for the next month starting on the first day of the current month.

Even then, you might need to make over a hundred calls just to get through, and the price is five or six times what you’d pay for dinner at a regular restaurant.

Obviously, it’s not suitable for a class reunion, but… for me, it’s a different story.

[Mosu? Isn’t that place super expensive? Forget reservations—each meal costs over 200,000 won. Most people won’t come if we split the bill.]

“That’s why I said just bring yourselves. I’ll cover everything.”

[…What? Really? You’re not going to change your mind later?]

“Have you ever seen me lie about something like this?”

[No, never. …Wow, so you’re really paying for everyone? Can I tell the others that?]

“Yeah, please do. It’s better coming from you than from me.”

If I said I’d pay for everything and asked them to come to my chosen place, it might seem like I’m showing off. Appearances matter in these situations.

[Okay, got it. I’ll spread the word then.]

“Hey, Park Sehyun.”

[Yeah, what?]

“This covers the baby name favor.”

[…You’re something else. Fine, we’re even. See you later.]

With that, the call ended. Nabi squeezed my hand tightly. Having been quiet the whole time, her eyes were now full of curiosity.

“What was that about? Did you tell them you’d pay for the meal if they come here?”

“Yeah, good summary. I said I’d cover everything if they come to a restaurant near here. It’s not far, so you should be able to join us too.”

“Hmm… that sounds good to me. But honey, are you sure? Mosu is expensive. With you, me, and the others, we’re looking at fifteen people at least. That’s easily over 300,000 won.”

“It’s fine. I have a plan.”

…What’s family for? Isn’t true family about helping each other in difficult times? Even if it costs 600,000 instead of 300,000, my brother will take care of everything if I ask him.

With that casual thought, I immediately called my brother. After explaining the situation and asking for help with the reservation, he said he’d handle everything.

“As expected, my brother is the best. Thanks, bro.”

[Save the thanks. We’re family. But Siwoo, this means you owe me one.]

“I’ll definitely repay you later. Or if you ever have any trouble, just tell me. I’ll help you anytime.”

[Really? Don’t forget this promise. Remember it well, okay?]

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Got it.”

[Tell your wife to take good care of herself. I need to go into a meeting now, so I’ll hang up.]

“Okay, take care.”

…What’s this uneasy feeling? Even after hanging up, something felt off, making me tilt my head. It’s like I just mortgaged my future with that phone call.

I feel like I’m caught in some grand conspiracy unfolding somewhere I don’t know about, and it won’t let me go. Unable to shake this strange, uncomfortable feeling, I fidgeted with Nabi’s hand.

“Something feels weird…”

“Huh? What’s weird?”

“I’ve been noticing lately that my brother’s acting strange. He keeps asking me about international affairs, whether I’m interested in economics…”

He casually drops these questions in the middle of our conversations, and I’m not stupid enough to think he’s just making small talk. I know he’s not asking without reason, but I can’t figure out his hidden intention.

“Could it be that he was serious about wanting me to help with the company…?”

“…Are you not interested in management, honey?”

“Well, it’s what my father and brother do. So it’s not that I have no interest at all.”

“But you’re not actively wanting to learn about it, right? I’m sure you have your own career path in mind.”

“Oh, exactly. That’s exactly it.”

How does she understand my feelings so precisely? Genuinely impressed, I smiled and stroked her hair. Nabi closed her eyes, enjoying my touch, then opened them slightly and suggested in a subtle voice:

“Then, how about learning just a little bit from your brother?”

“Hmm… just a little?”

“Yes, just a tiny bit. You know what they say—you can’t predict what will happen in life. Who knows? Maybe you have talent in that area. And even if you don’t, you’ll still gain something from learning. They say when three people work together, one of them can become your teacher.”

She’s not wrong. There’s that old saying, right? That even a child has something to teach us.

If that’s the way of the world—that we can learn even from children—then wouldn’t I have much more to gain from my brother, who’s studied more and is smarter than me?

“You think so…?”

“Yes. I think it’s worth trying… but your thoughts might differ. So do whatever you want. Whatever decision you make, I’ll always be on your side.”

“Okay, I got it. I’ll talk to him about it. If it doesn’t work out, I can always back out, right?”

“Yes, exactly. Taking the first step is always what matters most.”

Nabi smiled brightly and wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me closer. I obediently leaned forward following her gesture, thinking to myself:

Yeah… as Nabi said, taking the first step is what matters. So learning various things when I have the time would probably benefit my future.

“I’m really fortunate to have met you.”

“Huh, why do you think so?”

“Just look at now. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have thought to learn from my brother first.”

“So, that’s thanks to me?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Well then. Since all your success is thanks to me, you’d better treat me well. Understood?”

“Yes, I’ll treat you well for life.”

“…Hehe, hehehe.”