NOVEL NEXT Chapter 157
Gyuri and Yoo-chan were born.
I thought our daily life changed a lot after Joo-ha was born, but with two kids, that change felt even bigger.
Now, at mealtime, I have to feed both of them at the same time. Unlike before, when one could relax while the other took care of things.
Back then, when Joo-ha fell asleep, we had a chance for some quiet time, but now with both kids taking turns sleeping and waking up, it became quite a challenge.
Still, the everyday scenes passing by felt incredibly fulfilling and rewarding. Maybe since we have more psychological leeway than when we first had Joo-ha, we can enjoy this moment.
About half a year after the two kids were born, they both started babbling at the same time, and Joo-ha, finding her younger siblings cute, would often check on them while stepping on the footrest of their crib.
“Hey Dad, Gyuri’s awake!”
“Really? Is she doing the ‘coo-coo’ thing?”
“Uh-huh!”
And then Joo-ha started reporting back to me or my wife as part of her daily routine.
Soon it’ll be time to stop using the crib. By the time Joo-ha was just over six months, she could sleep comfortably anywhere without it.
“Big…! Wow!”
Meanwhile, unlike her sleeping sister, Yoo-chan crawled over to Joo-ha, using the soft floor designed for kids.
It took Joo-ha a little more time to start crawling, but Yoo-chan, with his rapid development, began to babble and crawl pretty early.
Maybe because he’s an older brother, he feels the need to stay a little ahead of his younger sister, Gyuri.
“Joo-ha, Yoo-chan wants to play with you!”
“Uh-huh! I’ll play with her!”
Joo-ha seemed to realize she’s both an older sister and a ‘noona’ (older sister in Korean) and felt a sense of responsibility, often jumping in to help with her siblings.
Before, even though she could eat alone, she sometimes whined to me or my wife to feed her. But since having younger siblings, that behavior disappeared.
It seems like even a child just over 30 months old has the thought of setting an example for her younger siblings firmly etched in her mind.
“Honey, I’m home.”
While I was happily watching the two kids play, my wife’s entrance through the front door caught my attention. She looked quite sweaty, probably because it was hot outside, so I quickly grabbed a dry towel and wiped her forehead.
“Did you have a good time? It’s pretty hot, right?”
“I was driving, what do you expect? But the service is nice?”
“Well, the lady of the house is back, so I have to treat you well.”
As I said this with a chuckle, my wife smiled back and stood on her toes to give me a light kiss.
“How are the kids? Nothing happened?”
“Yeah, Gyuri’s sleeping, and Yoo-chan is playing with Joo-ha.”
As I pointed to the kids’ room and the living room alternately, I noticed a look of relief wash over my wife’s face as she glanced at both sides. Even a brief absence had made her worry a bit.
“That’s a relief. Oh, the new nanny will be coming next week.”
“Next week? That’s fast.”
Then she shared some news that surprised me.
You see, when it was just Joo-ha, we mostly didn’t have extra help besides the occasional housekeeper or professional cleaning service to manage the big house.
However, now that the kids have increased to three, we had to compromise with reality and hire a nanny.
It’s not like we’re living in some fantasy novel, but it’s fascinating that nannies exist in modern society. My wife mentioned she grew up with a nanny when she was about one or two years old, which made sense.
To be honest, my involvement in caring for the kids was part of the reason for hiring a nanny.
With three kids and an increased focus on parenting, my body began to tire, causing occasional disruptions in my work.
So my wife, who originally wanted to rear them by ourselves, decided that we had to hire a nanny for my sake too.
“They’ll probably look after the kids from midday until dinner. If possible, I wanted someone who could live here and help, but it’s hard to find someone like that these days.”
“That’s true.”
Living in someone else’s home is likely inconvenient, especially if it’s the employer’s house.
I heard that many of those who take nanny or housekeeper jobs often have their own families and do it as a side job, so they’ll definitely have to return home.
Honestly, I wouldn’t be comfortable living with a complete stranger, so this setup works better. If the kids cry or wake up at night, we’ll just have to deal with it ourselves.
“Anyway, you worked hard. I’ve made lunch, let’s eat together.”
“Did you? I could have made it….”
“You just came back hot and sweaty; you don’t need to make anything. Just sit down.”
“Thanks! I’ll hurry and wash up.”
She gave me a quick kiss and disappeared into the bathroom while I quietly headed to the kitchen.
Since it was a nice day, I had prepared samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup), hoping it would suit our tastes.
“Uwaaaaah!”
“Dad! Yoo-chan pooped!”
“What!?”
As I was about to sneak a ladle in to check the broth, Joo-ha’s shout about Yoo-chan made me dash out.
Before lunch, I have to check on my son’s situation. Seriously.
*
Even though I became a father of three, there was one thing in my daily life that remained unchanged.
That’s my main job.
“Ah, the laning phase isn’t going well today… I should have received some power from Gyuri.”
【Allfreed】- Your excuses are getting weaker.
【I’m Telling The Teacher】- Isn’t it just skill?
【Moscos】- Even Gyuri’s power can’t cover this clumsy hand…
Looking at the screen that changed to black and white after six straight losses, the viewers were, as always, throwing shade at me.
It’s ridiculous; just yesterday I had a nine-game winning streak, and now they call me clumsy? I’m a guy who’s about to reach Diamond soon.
“Hey, are you looking down on the power of our cute daughter? I didn’t think so, but… sigh….”
【Seafood Sauce】- ?
【BOOMBOOM】- Bro, you’re psycho?
【White Forest】- Seriously, this is the Talula moment ㄷㄷ.
【Crescendo】- Your honor, I didn’t say anything.
I didn’t want to keep making excuses, so I immediately hit the cancel button, hoping to bring some noise back but it soon quieted down. I couldn’t help but feel guilty about using my six-month-old daughter like that, but this was in the range of acceptable, right?
“Sigh, I can’t take this anymore. I’ll just play something else after this match. Today’s ranked matches are terrible.”
【Lucid Dream 7】- Not good (while I’m ruining it).
【Meat Curry】- A tricky gap’s mudfish ㄷㄷ.
【BlueRageGame】- Seriously, what kind of people had to face this team during my six losses?
Shut up. Anyway, if I say it’s not good, then it’s not good. I’ve been getting bashed for several matches now.
“Maybe I should just play ADC for a round? I could use some new energy.”
【Please be positive】- Let’s go!
【Octopus Sukhwa】- It’s a total cheat since we’re a duo ㄱㄱ.
【That’s It, Cosmo…】- They just ban you since you’re a duo.
【BINGO】- I’m busy sucking honey as Kokomo, want to try a taste?
“Ah, so you’re busy sucking honey as Kokomo? You’re welcome to enjoy it alone.”
【That’s It, Cosmo…】- Seriously LOL.
【Arisa Loves It】- They’re working the side hustle masterfully LOL.
【Alpaca Hunter】- Do you think you’ll find out if it’s poop? LOL.
That’s exactly my point. It’s been ages since Kokomo got stuck in the ranked matches. I haven’t seen him for about two seasons.
When the matchmaking started, I figured I’d just choose Caitlyn since I’ve been playing her a lot in the ADC role.
As long as I don’t get hooked in lane, I should be fine.
Knock knock.
“Honey, can I come in?”
“Yeah, come in.”
Determined to focus on my lane, I quickly answered my wife’s voice coming from outside.
It was getting pretty late; I wondered what was happening?
“What were you doing?”
“Uh? Oh, just playing a ranked game… why?”
“I just missed you and came to see you.”
I wondered if something urgent had come up, but her ordinary reply made me feel a little let down, even though I put on my best smile.
“Did you score a lot today?”
“No, I’m already on a six-game losing streak. Trying to win this last one, though.”
“Ohhh… I see?”
With a determined expression, I responded as if I were a warrior with no retreat left. My wife then looked at me mischievously, eyes full of playfulness.
Suddenly, she climbed onto my lap… Um?
“W-Wait, honey…!? I can’t see the screen!”
She unexpectedly perched on my thigh, blocking my view, creating a scenario that felt borderline inappropriate, leaving me flustered as I tried to stop her.
But there was no way to stop my playful wife now.
“Oh, oh.”
“Honey, please…! I really need to win this time!”
【TWS2425】- Whoa.
【Adios Dao】- Isn’t this a 19+ situation?
【BlueRageGame】- This position looks precarious…
【Pigeon Who Swallowed LEGO】- She comes in at midnight saying she missed her husband and hugs him… Man, I’m jealous.
I desperately pleaded with my wife as thoughts raced through my mind about finally breaking my losing streak, yet instead, the playful spirit in her rose, and she began to wiggle atop my lap, now hugging me around the neck.
Suddenly, I felt a soft sensation against my chest, and I couldn’t help but loosen my expression.
The day’s fatigue melted away like snow.
“H-Honey, I really need to win!”
“Uh-huh, you just have to win. I’m not doing anything.”
“Ugh, come on….”
Maybe that’s why, despite my voice trying to stop her, the urgency drained away, and even while I was about to die from getting hooked during lane, I ended up saying empty lines like I was reading a textbook.
【HolicShit】- Look at this guy grinning so hard LOL.
【Mushroom Soup】- Change your expression already, geez.
【Hyang Hyang Hae】- Should we just turn off the stream? It’s getting awkward.
【Rice Crackers All The Way Down】- Here we go again…
【Crescendo】- Waiter, a glass of laxative on the rocks, please.
【K-HipHopTopCosmo】- Ugh, I’m out.
【Dustball, Please Join】- Dustball lost again today…
In the end, I couldn’t break my losing streak, but for some reason, I felt so much lighter and kept streaming till the end.
Fortunately, we avoided a shutdown, but I still received a warning from the company for “Please refrain from overly suggestive broadcasting.”