TL/Editor: looloo

    Status: ongoing

    Illustrations: posted in discord

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    It was Sarang''s first birthday and her first birthday party.

    From the morning, we spent time frantically heading straight to the hotel for makeup and outfit changes. While we relied on outside vendors for the basic preparations, we had to handle the thank-you gifts and detailed arrangements ourselves.

    Still, none of these tasks were particularly difficult or exhausting. However, as we started welcoming guests to the party, our bodies slowly grew tired. Even amidst all this, Heena was constantly blossoming with smiles.

    From the moment she woke up in the morning until now, while greeting relatives and friends.

    "Oh my~ our granddaughter-in-law. She''s so beautiful~"

    "Thank you, grandmother."

    Despite not being particularly strong, Heena didn''t lose her smile for a single moment while greeting people. It was truly impressive to watch.

    Moreover, Heena was elegantly dressed in the coral beige hanbok we had picked out together last time.

    It’s a cliche? expression, but she truly looked like a fairy descended from heaven.

    Even those of us who saw her every day, our family, our relatives, and Heena''s relatives.

    No one could take their eyes off her.

    "Wow~ Lee Heena looks amazing today."

    "For the first time in a while, I really want to kill Han Yeonho."

    "I really want to make him a corpse."

    "For real."

    My friends showed their murderous intent after a long time.

    "Wow, Yeonho hyung. What’s up with your wife? How did you get her?"

    "Hey, I didn’t get her. Heena fell for me and confessed."

    "Oh, come on. Stop talking nonsense."

    "Do you have no conscience?"

    "......"

    Even my younger cousins were cheeky enough to say such things.

    Today, Heena wasn''t just beautiful; there was something different about her entire atmosphere. Her face held a serene smile that conveyed she was happier than anyone else at that moment. ?

    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say she was the most beautiful in the world.

    Thanks to her, even though it was supposed to be Sarang''s birthday party, Heena was more noticeable than Sarang.

    "Mamaaaa!"

    Even Sarang seemed to notice how exceptionally beautiful her mother was today, seeking her more than me for once.

    I could understand that feeling. I was falling for her all over again.

    Whether Heena knew how we felt or not, she continued to show her flower-like smile to everyone who came to Sarang''s birthday party.

    Once the relatively small group of guests had all arrived, Sarang''s birthday party proceeded swiftly in an atmosphere filled with happiness and laughter.

    "Then!!! We will now begin!! Han Sarang''s very first birthday party!!"

    Heeseong hyung announced the start of the party with the flair of a game broadcast opening, and we bowed to greet the family, relatives, and friends who came to celebrate with Sarang.

    "Thank you so much for coming despite your busy schedules. We are honored to have you all here for Sarang''s first birthday. Though we still have much to learn, with the help of our family, we─"

    And as the family representative, I came forward, starting with a greeting speech honed through frequent assignments and presentations.

    "She''s amazing... Sarang is so cute..."

    "Half a year has already passed. Time really flies."

    "The baby looks exactly like her mom and dad."

    The first event was watching a video of Sarang''s growth. In about five minutes, it perfectly compressed Sarang''s first year with appropriately placed videos and photos we had sent.

    From the moment Sarang was born and held in Heena''s arms, to gradually gaining control of her body over time, and recently walking around holding our hands.

    The quality was so high that I wanted to tip the company that made it. Watching it made my eyes feel like they would tear up.

    I glanced nervously at Heena, but surprisingly, she showed no reaction to those words.

    "Hehe, our Sarang loves her dad so much~ She looks for him every day."

    Instead of being jealous, she just laughed it off like everyone else. It didn’t seem like she was just holding back to avoid showing an embarrassing side to others.

    She simply looked genuinely happy at that moment, as if such jokes didn''t bother her at all.

    Even though it was a birthday celebration, the atmosphere wasn''t like a wedding as we had initially anticipated.

    But it seemed that this incredibly lively and cheerful birthday party for Sarang, filled with bright laughter and conversations, was very much to Heena’s liking.

    After the doljabi, we had a meal. Of course, instead of eating, I walked around the tables holding Sarang, greeting and thanking the guests for coming and hoping they enjoyed their meal.

    It was quite exhausting, but with the meal over, we just had to give the farewell gifts and the party would be over. Since it was almost the end, I mustered up my last bit of strength.

    After making the rounds and returning to my seat, Heena handed me some water and light snacks.

    "Great job. You must be really hungry."

    "No, I’m fine."

    "Sure you are. I brought your favorites. I made them easy to eat, so have some."

    With Heena''s care, I forced some food into my mouth. Even though I was hungry, I wasn''t really in the mood to eat due to the fatigue, but since Heena had prepared it for me, I couldn’t not eat it.

    While chewing the food, I stared blankly at Heena feeding Sarang baby food right in front of me.

    My beautiful and lovely wife.

    Would she be just as beautiful when she wore her wedding dress in the future?

    It all felt surreal.

    We who met during our innocent high school days had become adults, had a child, and registered our marriage to become a legal couple.

    And now, we were confidently inviting people to our daughter''s birthday party as a couple in front of everyone.

    "Sarang~ Is it tasty?"

    "Abuaaah!"

    "Sarang is eating so well~ Good girl~"

    I wondered what my life would have been like if my wife, who was looking after Sarang with such a loving gaze, hadn’t become my girlfriend that day. If Heena hadn''t discovered me, living aimlessly without any particular dreams.

    I couldn''t imagine what my life would have been like without meeting Heena.

    Because now, Heena was my life itself. Without her continuous support from that day, I would be nothing now.

    Looking back to the past.

    From the moment we first met, Heena was very good to me. She was exactly what I imagined an ideal girlfriend would be.

    And as each day passed, she showed me more than just that side of her.

    She shed the shell that made her seem much older and more mature than me.

    She rejoiced like a girl my age, got jealous, and sometimes acted foolishly.

    If you asked whether I liked or disliked seeing her gradually change like that, honestly, it didn’t matter to me.

    Just the fact that Heena existed was a gift from heaven itself, and I would be grateful for it my whole life.

    I loved Heena when she was like an older sister in the past, and I loved the current Heena, who was cute but sometimes annoying.

    I loved her more than anything in the world.

    And Heena, still...

    "Sweetie! You must be exhausted from taking care of Sarang all day. I''ll take over from here, so you can rest a bit."

    Not as a girlfriend anymore, but now as a wife,

    Even in the little parts of daily life,

    Continued to be so good to me,

    Ever since it all started.

    I hoped she would always stay that way.

    Author''s Note:

    It’s not the end, but it seems like the end. It feels like an ending that isn’t an ending.

    The next chapter is Heena’s part.