TL/Editor: looloo

    Status: ongoing

    Illustrations: posted in discord

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    The morning of the exam day, the first thing that crossed my mind was just one thing.

    Ah, finally, freedom.

    I had truly given it my all. I gave up playing and watching sports like games, soccer, and basketball, focusing solely on studying.

    Still, my nights with Heena continued.

    Thanks to that, our relationship was still so strong that I was worried we might have a second child as soon as Sarang was born. From then on, I would definitely use contraception.

    Anyway, my grades consistently improved, to the point where I regretted not managing my GPA a bit better from the start. If I performed just a bit better than my last mock exam, Seoyeon University would be within my reach.

    Of course, my hard work played a role, but Heena''s devoted tutoring was a great help. She knew me better than I knew myself and could provide instant, real-time tutoring 24/7 whenever I had questions.

    "Did you bring your exam ticket? Is your stomach okay?"

    "Perfect."

    Heena, now six months pregnant and visibly showing, took care of everything for me, one by one, even with her bulging belly.

    So, as we were getting ready early in the morning without rushing, just like usual, the people around us were making a fuss.

    "Our son-in-law~ Here’s some gimbap for lunch. It would be better if you ate something more filling..."

    "No, this is great. Thank you."

    "Don''t be nervous. Just do as you usually do."

    "Yes, I will do my best."

    My mother-in-law and father-in-law were more restless than I was, causing a commotion. However, I wasn''t particularly nervous. Even though it was technically my second exam, last year I hadn''t even gotten near the test center, so it was practically my first.

    I knew better than anyone else how hard I had worked. That’s why, contrary to what I expected, I felt quite calm physically and mentally.

    After meticulously preparing, I left the house amidst the fuss and walked to the entrance of the apartment with Heena, who came to see me off.

    I couldn’t believe my eyes.

    -Bang!

    Heeseong and Jeongwoo were waiting for me with a huge car.

    "What’s this? What’s going on?"

    "What do you mean? Get in. The test center is close, so you won''t get car sick. You have to ride this."

    "You don''t have a choice. Let''s go, Han Yeonho."

    "It''s just a ten-minute bus ride..."

    "Honey, let''s get in. I’m coming with you."

    Heena, as if she knew about this all along, got into the back seat naturally and called me in. Heeseong was driving, and I didn’t know why Jeongwoo was there, but he took the passenger seat.

    It was absurd, but somehow, I let out a pleased chuckle. Given what happened last year, they probably did this because they were worried about me.

    Like they said, it was indeed a very close distance, so there was little risk of car sickness ruining my condition.

    So, I quietly got into the car, and the four of us headed to the test center.

    "Don''t feel too pressured. Just do what you always do. Got it?"

    "Got it. You take care of yourself too. Once the exam is over, I''ll take care of everything for you."

    "It''s okay. Just being by my side is enough. Good luck, honey! Sarang also says good luck to Daddy!"

    "Thank you. Thank you, Sarang, too~"

    "Hey! After the exam, don''t go anywhere and just wait at the school gate! We''ll come to pick you up!"

    "Alright~"

    I thought their worry was excessive, but if it made them feel better, there was no reason I couldn''t go along with it.

    Since the school where the exam was held was just two bus stops away, it didn’t take long to get there. We arrived without any accidents or problems.

    "Brother, stop saying weird things. If you keep doing that, you won’t get to hold Sarang later."

    "...That’s so unfair."

    With such lively banter, I couldn’t stop smiling at this noisy celebration party. All the hardships and the year of retaking the exam felt completely rewarded.

    Even if my scores hadn''t been this good, I would have felt the same if I had taken the exam without any regrets.

    With the atmosphere growing more festive, I drank more than I intended and rested my head on Heena’s shoulder for a while.

    What started as a celebration for me had turned into a discussion about the future among our parents, while my brothers and sister were deep in conversation about cars.

    "Are you very drunk?"

    "Uh... a little? But not so much that I’m out of it. I think I''ll be okay if I rest for a bit."

    "Really? You can get more drunk if you want."

    "Are you planning to record another weird video?"

    "It’s a cute video~"

    I vowed that one day I would erase that embarrassing record from when we turned twenty.

    With that determination, I gently placed my hand on Heena’s belly. We had recently taken a detailed ultrasound, and the baby was starting to take shape. The day when Sarang would be born wasn''t far off.

    "Is Sarang moving now?"

    "No, I think Sarang is sleeping. She’s been quiet for a while."

    We couldn’t have our intimate nights as much as Heena used to enjoy, but instead, we made it a routine to gently caress Sarang together.

    The due date was already early next year. There was a mix of anxiety and vague fear, but also the expectation of meeting our precious child.

    Sometimes Heena struggled, and I wished the baby would come soon. I wasn’t fully prepared and knew I lacked much as a father.

    But I was confident I could give all my love.

    "Really, you worked hard."

    Feeling sentimental, I spaced out for a moment, and Heena patted my head.

    "You worked harder than me. How are you feeling today? You had indigestion yesterday."

    "Today, I feel fine. I think Sarang knows it’s a happy day and is helping out."

    "Our Sarang is so good."

    Hearing Heena''s small laugh at my praise for Sarang was music to my ears. It was such a beautiful sound.

    Since her belly started to show, Heena sometimes tried to hide it out of embarrassment.

    But somehow, she looked even more beautiful to me now than before. Especially when she lovingly caressed her belly with gentle eyes.

    "Will you give me lots of kisses when we go to bed? Last night, you fell asleep early, so we couldn’t."

    "As much as you want, I’ll give you plenty. I won’t touch my studies or anything for a while. We can go all night."

    "Really~?"

    "Of course. Or should we start now?"

    "Huhuhu..."

    She laughed even more happily than before. That goofy laugh that hadn’t changed in years.

    The day when my adorable girlfriend would bring Sarang into the world was just around the corner.

    As I spent my leisure time taking care of Heena, before we knew it, Sarang would be here to welcome us, and we would be ready to welcome him.

    Very soon.

    Author''s Note:

    Hmm.

    To be honest, I intended to quickly wrap things up from here, progressing rapidly for about 15-20 more chapters as an epilogue. Showing snippets of their lovey-dovey moments in between...

    I’ve shown most of the sweet moments I wanted to during their high school days, and from now on, even if I introduce new things as adults, it might start to feel repetitive. In hindsight, there are things I think would have been nice to include.

    I initially planned for around 130-135 chapters, but since many readers want the story to continue a bit longer, I’ll try to extend it.