Why is it that I’m the only one who doesn’t know who my own child resembles…?

“Husband-bun, I know you’re worried, but please calm down and sit.”

“…You of all people should know I’m not in the mood to sit.”

“Standing here won’t change anything. The mother is healthy, and the baby is healthy, it’s just taking time…”

“I know that, but of course I’m worried, yeah…”

The doctor just quietly patted my back, not saying anything more.

I suppressed my burning insides and sat down in front of the chair.

Ji-hye was suffering alone beyond that thin steel door, giving birth, and there was nothing I could do.

“This is driving me crazy…”

I ran a hand over my face and waited anxiously.

Every second, every minute of this time, not knowing when or how it would end, was so agonizing.

It felt like capsaicin solution was being dripped into my empty stomach, without a single drop of moisture, so I bowed my head and silently waited for the reaction inside.

“…”

I waited silently for hours.

The anxiety had lessened, but my insides were still burning with tension, and even turning to get a drink of water felt difficult.

My throat was parched, and I could feel every drop of saliva entering my empty stomach.

My body craved water, but I stayed put, quietly watching the door.

Shouldn’t it be ending soon? But it’s still quiet, is there something wrong?

Click-

“Husband-bun?”

A masked doctor came out and looked for me.

“Yes, I’m the husband.”

“How should I put this…”

“…Yes? Is there a problem?”

The doctor’s words didn’t sound good.

How should you put it? What’s happening inside that makes you say that?

Without realizing it, I grabbed the doctor’s shoulder.

“Is there a problem? Ji-hye, how is Ji-hye?”

“Well… that’s… quite… First, could you go to the newborn nursery?”

Normally, I’d want to hear everything clearly right here to feel relieved, but my half-gone mind couldn’t point that out.

I quickly followed the doctor to the newborn nursery, and a huge glass wall came into view.

“What is it? Yes? What’s so serious that you’re saying that?”

“First, could you look inside the glass wall?”

“The glass wall? No, what’s inside…”

A huge glass wall.

Beyond the glass wall, two babies were visible.

Two, not one but two.

Ji-hye was the only pregnant woman at the hospital today, so those two babies must be…

“…Don’t tell me they’re twins?”

“…That’s right. That’s why I said quite…”

The doctor spoke in a serious voice, and I thought Ji-hye was hurt or something, but that’s not it.

This damn doctor, does he have to give someone a heart attack?

“What the fuck! I thought something terrible happened! Are you trying to die? Really!?”

“Didn’t I say ‘quite’!? I didn’t mean to cause a misunderstanding.”

“Just tell me normally in situations like this. I thought she was hurt or something.”

Quite, yeah, he didn’t say more than that.

But if you say it like that in this situation, of course I’m going to misunderstand.

For a moment, the thought of beating up the doctor and going to the police station flashed through my mind.

Still, the doctor calmly extended his hand at my harsh words and said.

“Okay. I’m sorry. I was surprised too. The mother is exhausted and asleep, so you don’t have to worry.”

“How surprised do you have to be to scare someone half to death? Honestly, you should be grateful I didn’t punch you.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I heard it was one baby during the check-ups, so I was surprised it was twins. I’m grateful you didn’t hit me.”

You could see the apology in his expression, so he must be sorry. I took his outstretched hand and shook it lightly in a gesture of reconciliation.

If it’s different from the check-up, it’s understandable to be surprised. But, isn’t there usually a midwife or nurse helping in these situations?

If the doctor had to go in, was it really dangerous?

“Isn’t it rare for a doctor to go in? It wasn’t really dangerous, was it?”

“Abso-lutely not. The mother closed her eyes after giving birth, so I rushed in, but her vitals were normal, everything was normal.”

The doctor shook my hand a little harder and continued.

“But I guess no one expected her to fall asleep… so they called me…”

“…This is driving me crazy, really.”

“You know how in dramas, everyone thinks they’re going to die when they fall asleep after giving birth? The nurses haven’t been here long… so I think that’s why.”

I’m going crazy, really. They were all rookies?

I can’t tell them not to learn, but please put a veteran in with them in situations like this…

The doctor saw my expression, patted my shoulder, and nodded.

“Anyway, that’s it. The mother is healthy enough to be moved to a regular room, so go see the kids and go to the room.”

“If you scare the shit out of me and then talk like that, am I going to get angry or not?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“…Okay, that’s enough. First, let’s check on the kids.”

Oh right, my kids. I quickly turned my head and looked at the two babies beyond the glass door.

My children, the twins that Ji-hye and I created. Seeing them moving healthily almost made me burst into tears.

Of course, I thought I held it in, but a single stream of water flowing down my cheek told my body that I couldn’t control my emotions and shed tears.

‘…But who do they look like? I don’t see any resemblance to me.’

I remembered the adults saying who the baby looked like after giving birth, but looking at them now, I didn’t feel any resemblance at all.

They’re just two babies lying down, babbling, or crying…

Where do I have to look to be able to say who the kids look like?

No matter how much I look, I don’t feel any resemblance.

‘Did the adults learn a skill as a group, how do they tell?’

I showed an expression full of emotion and questions, and the nurse smiled.

Do all new fathers make this kind of expression?

I kept looking, and the nurse finally burst out laughing and looked at me.

“…Can’t people usually tell who their own kids look like when they see them?”

“It depends on the person. Some people can, and some people can’t.”

“I guess I’m one of the people who can’t. I don’t know who they look like.”

“It’s natural for someone who just became a father. You’ll know who they look like as they grow up.”

“Couldn’t the doctor tell at first either?”

“No, I could tell.”

I laughed in disbelief at those words, and the doctor laughed with me and guided me.

I had a slight suspicion that this person deliberately said that earlier.

–

“Are you awake now?”

“…Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital room. The kids are healthy.”

“…I want to say something, but I only remember falling asleep.”

“You gave birth to twins and fell asleep from exhaustion. You worked hard.”

I carefully took Ji-hye’s hand.

She barely had any strength, and her hand followed mine as I led it. Even when I fiddled with it, she barely reacted and just accepted my touch.

It’s an exaggeration, but she did the great work of giving birth, so it’s normal to be exhausted.

As I kept fiddling with it, Ji-hye’s hand twitched and started to react little by little.

“Now you’re not just oppa, you’re a dad.”

Ji-hye smiled weakly.

“That’s right. I’m really a dad now… Ah, I’m really a married man? I suddenly feel old.”

“Someone who’s already old enough is complaining about getting old.”

“Now I’m really old and a dad… yeah.”

“Yeah, you’re a dad. A twin dad.”

We looked at each other and smiled quietly.

Ji-hye must have been tired too, because she smiled at me and quickly fell asleep, and I just watched her from the side.

It was strangely amazing that we started in a bad relationship and ended up as a married couple.

My younger sister, who used to bare her teeth at me, is now my wife and the mother of my children, sleeping peacefully.

“Time flies so fast.”

I lay down on the low bed for guardians and took a rest.

I had to be next to Ji-hye until she could recover, so I didn’t mind sleeping in the hospital room and closed my eyes for a moment.

I couldn’t help it if they criticized me for being an irresponsible father.

I was exhausted from waiting, and if I forced myself to stay awake and couldn’t help Ji-hye if something happened, what would I do?

–

“Wow! The kids are so cute!”

“Look at this, they really look just like their mom and dad.”

“Wow… this is a bit of a problem, the daughter looks like the dad and the son looks like the mom… Ugh!”

“Did you lose your mind and your senses as you got older, Unni! That can happen!”

Joo-a smiled and covered Se-a’s mouth.

It was okay that they were talking. Ji-hye was tired after being discharged and was sleeping in the room, so it was just me and the kids.

But I couldn’t understand where they looked like each other.

…Where do they look like each other?

‘No matter how much I look, I don’t see any resemblance to me or Ji-hye.’

How could a newborn baby just born look like anyone?

Eun-ha seemed to recognize it at a glance, but I couldn’t see it, at least.

Se-a seemed to have figured out where they looked like each other from what she was saying… but where?

“…But the daughter really looks like Oppa. Look, isn’t this eye shape like Oppa’s?”

“Is that a compliment? They’re your nieces and nephews.”

“Anyone would think I’m cursing you. I’m just saying they look alike, why are you taking it so badly, Oppa, why are you so grumpy?”

“The atmosphere is like a curse to anyone who hears it. Why did you hesitate before?”

“No! Look here, the son has Ji-hye Unni’s eye shape.”

They’re talking like they’re teasing me, but their expressions are bright and smiling as they look at the children.

I felt relieved that I had become a father, but on the other hand, my heart was heavy.

But I really can’t see the resemblance, so why are they saying they look alike?

Is there something that only they know? I tilted my head as I looked at them.

I wondered if I was qualified to be a father if I didn’t even know where my children looked like. Just for a moment…