Author's Note:
This chapter is dedicated to clytetistic, the very artistic mind behind Remember My Name's new cover ❤️ It's so wonderful that I immediately came up with this special chapter. Thank you, Clyte. Thank you for the beautiful cover! You're an angel and the whole fandom loves you so much.
Anyway, second installment of this special chapter will be published next week. ❤️
xoxo,
yejinhandlands
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SUNDAY
9:30 AM
"...But Noona...."
"Bin, I'm doing this for free as a gift to you both so no complaints!" Yejin's unnie adjusted the settings of her camera while waiting for the Hyun family to pose, "Go! Lie down on the grass!"
"Go, Appa!" Ae-Rin raised her little arms in the air, cheering on his Appa.
The weather was perfect for a little playdate slash photoshoot for the Hyun family. Wearing all white, the family of four had been posing for an hour now for the different shots for their family picture.
Yejin had recently discovered another hobby—decorating their house with photos of their perfect little family. At first he found it really adorable, but it somehow changed when he got up in the middle of the night to pee, only to scream his lungs out when he found his eyes staring back at him- Apparently, Yejin had placed a huge photo of him at the back of their bathroom's door.
Immediately taking the ridiculously huge photo off the wall, he tried to ask her sleep-laden wife, nudging her gently to wake her up. "Love, do you really have to put this one behind our bathroom's door?"
"Mmm..." She said with her eyes still closed.
"I almost wet myself in fear."
"I'll rearrange the frames tomorrow to make space", Yejin turned to him and continued with her bedroom voice, "I just put it there temporarily because there's no empty space on the wall anymore."
"Exactly....."
Her half asleep wife absentmindedly grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards their marital bed for them to sleep, rendering their conversation finished.
"I promise this is a wholesome shot, if that's what you're afraid of!" The mother of two whispered to her husband. For this certain shot, Bin is required by the photographer- in the guise of Yejin's Unnie- to lie down on the grass, while Yejin will lay on top of him face down, her face on his chest. Ae-Rin will also lay face down on her mother's back, and Yoo-jin will be placed on Ae-Rin's back.
Bin was still hesitating to lie down on the itchy bermuda grass in their backyard when Yejin whispered to him.
"Lie down now and we'll do number 5 on your list tonight."
His eyes widened, remembering their list and what he had written as number 5, and it didn't take another second for Bin to lie down on the grass and pose for the camera.
MONDAY
4:00 PM
If there's one thing Yejin absolutely loves about weekdays, specifically weekday afternoons of Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, it is when she would wait for Ae-rin's dismissal at school. Standing at the exact same location as she does for the past months, once the bell rang at 4:00 pm, it would not take too long before a cheerful little girl would come running into her.
"Eomma!"
She ran, clutching her little mermaid backpack, her pigtails bouncing as she made her way to her mother. Greeting Yejin with her most beautiful eye-smile, no one could ever deny that she's her mother's daughter.
"Look!"
Ae-Rin showed her arms full of stamped stars, and her mother's eyes also instantly formed into two creases.
It was like looking in the mirror.
Yejin was one proud mother. She remembered her own mother being so happy with her getting two stars, stamped each on the back of her hand, but her daughter had stars stamped until her forearm.
"What would you like as a reward, Love?"
Lips curling up into a devious smile, with her fingers poking her cheeks as she thought of what she wants, Yejin wanted to take that question back instantly.
"A BABY ALIVE!" Holding her mother's hand while they walked towards the car, she excitedly continued, "I want one that cries, drinks milk, pees... and oh oh! DIAPERS!"
Her amused mother replied, "We have a literally alive baby at home, Ae-Rin-ah."
"That's different, Eomma. I want a Baby Alive so I could practice taking care of Dongsaeng. I need to practice holding a baby, Eomma. What if I drop the real Yoo-Jin because I didn't practice?"
Girl got a point, she thought.
"Okay, how many do you want?"
MONDAY
4:30 PM
Giggles filled the car as Yejin saw just how Ae-Rin rolled her eyes when her ringtone interrupted in the middle of her storytelling. Now in first grade, the little girl was having so much fun talking about how she enjoys primary school so much- well, until someone called her mother.
Right. No one messes with Ae-Rin when she's talking about her day at school.
"Love, could you get my phone inside my bag?" she asked, and the little girl fumbled inside, trying to locate the loud ringing.
"Oh, it's Appa!" Suddenly her irate expression vanished, nowhere to be seen.
Ae-Rin immediately accepted the video call and when she did, the crying sounds of a baby was all they could hear. The camera was initially pointing at the ceiling but when the other end heard her amidst the loud wails, the camera faced to the distressed doctor.
"Hi, Ae-Rin." Bin said as he swayed his body left to right to ease the crying baby in his hold.
Without taking her eyes away from the road, Yejin asked, "Love, you're home already?"
"Yes, my CABG was postponed." he said simply, "Love, I need your help."
(A/N: A beautiful edit. 🥺 does someone know who edited this? I want to give proper credit. But for now, credits you, talented editor!)
She stopped as she waited for the traffic light, nodding for her husband to continue what he was saying, "I think our son hates me."
A snort was heard when she tried so hard to stifle her laughter at her husband. "Why would our son hate you?" she asked incredulously.
"I tried feeding him, changing his diapers, swaying him... Nothing works, Love." She can hear a tinge of desperation in his voice and she tried so hard not to smile as she marveled at how adorable he was, "Help me, Yeobo."
"Let me hear him clearly."
Thankfully they reached the parking lot of the department store. She listened to their son's cry as she put the car on park and lifted the handbrake. "You need to burp him."
"Okay. Okay." Bin said in renewed determination. He looked at the camera to regard her, "I'm afraid I might hurt him.."
The Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery who received multiple awards for his magnificent techniques, and who always brags about his high grade in Obstetrics and Gynecology every chance he gets, is afraid to burp their little baby.
What an adorable man.
She loves him so much.
"You're not gonna hurt him, Jagiya. He's almost a year old, he can take it." She said reassuringly. "Sit up straight on the sofa and hold Yoo-Jin against your chest."
She can see the view shifting. Bin had placed his phone against the coffeetable's centerpiece, and she can see his boys on the sofa.
"That's it. Make sure his chin rests on your shoulder." She instructed, "Then gently pat him in the back. Cup your hand, Love. It's gentler that way."
Moments have passed and the cries subsided.
"Thank you, Jagiya." Bin said, giving them a thumbs up and a triumphant smile. "I'll wait for you at home."
"Bye, I love you." Ae-Rin, mimicking her, also yelled I love you before the call ended.
Again smiling so deviously at her, she cracked up at her daughter's next words. "Eomma, see why I need a Baby Alive to practice taking care of Yoo-Jin?"
Yejin has decided that she's gonna rest the crown for the Queen of Sassiness, as her daughter single-handedly ended her reign. And as if the little girl isn't done yet, she continued, "..Maybe we should get Appa one."
Definitely the queen.
TUESDAY
6:30 PM
The pediatric surgeon was reviewing the scans and tests of a patient in her office when she heard her door open.
Behind the door, peeking inside is her husband.
"Hi," he greeted with an adorable smile, "you ready?"
"Yes," She replied as she hurriedly gathered her stuff to her handbag, "But let's pass by the resident's locker room first, I need to talk to my resident."
Instructing the junior doctor on what medicine to give their patient for the night, the pediatric doctor ensured that everything is covered.
Waiting for her on the benches, he marveled just how gorgeous his wife is.
She is his fantasy- 16 years ago, to today.
Dressed in a red body-hugging dress beneath the knee-length white coat, he was awoken to his daze when he heard the sound of her black pumps against the hospital floor.
And she might have purposely wore her red lipstick to tease him, he thought.
"Come on." She said as he grabbed his arm and walked towards the parking lot.
"My wife is so beautiful." He said out of nowhere. Yejin narrowed her eyes at him, remembering exactly why they need to go to the mall to buy a sofa.
With their son being almost a year old now, they have undoubtedly adjusted to the life of parent caring for an infant. Yejin did it before, but Bin had a hard time taking it at first. Yet even if the man is always sleep deprived and had an almost non-existent sex life for the first few months, Yejin can see how much he loves his son, as he is taking the extra mile to care for not only him, but for the whole family as well.
Yoo-Jin growing up meant more hours of sleep for the couple, and the resurgence of what used to be a very active sex life.
Ah. The beast has awoken from his slumber.
She had clearly underestimated the power of the male libido.
Last night, as Yejin promised that they will do # 5 in his list, boy did they get too excited.. The thrill of doing new things beyond the confines of their bedroom had both of them riled up.
Overeager to please, the sofa broke.
I mean, just...how.. how do you break.... How much force..
Nevermind, she thought.
Yet in his defense, that was an old sofa.
But still.
TUESDAY
7:00 PM
Picking a sofa for their living room was harder than he thought.
While his wife considered the materials used, the padding, the color, and child-friendliness of the sofa, the cardio surgeon's only judging criteria is how soft it feels when sat upon.
Narrowing her eyes again at her husband blatantly ignoring the 'please do not sit' sign, he replied with a teasing smile.
"Ugh!" She grunted masking her fondness in mock annoyance, "I loved that sofa!"
And as they lined up in the counter to pay for their new sofa, he remembered the furniture's state after they were done last night: with broken armrest and visible scratches on the leather, he wasn't able to say anything else but feel proud.
The new sofa? Worth every penny.
WEDNESDAY
7:00 PM
Yejin visibly stiffened while in the kitchen when she heard Bin speak, absentmindedly pouring more soup to the bowl in her hand.
"Jagiya, did a patient gave you the flowers on the coffee table?" he asked casually, "it's pretty."
She felt a dull stabbing pain in her arms as she realized that the bowl had overflowed.
"Ah!" She grunted, putting down the bowl in the kitchen counter and inspecting her hand. Her husband hurriedly ran over to her.
"Are you okay, Love?" He asked, concern resided within his eyes.
She nodded, and the voice of their daughter caught both of their attention.
"It's mine, Appa." The child said casually, as she chomped on her food still in her mouth, "a classmate gave it to me."
Yejin just closed her eyes tightly, not because of the pain in her hand, but because she didn't know how her husband might react to this.
Earlier when she picked up Ae-Rin from school, she was holding roses in her hand, the other showing her a folded paper with a drawing of a boy and a girl holding hands. Below the drawing was her daughter's name, Ae-Rin, written in a child-like handwriting that did not belong to her daughter.
How adorable! She immediately thought.
Proceeding on eating their dinner, Yejin did not quite expect Bin's reaction to what their daughter said.
Out of force of habit, he continued feeding their son seated in his highchair.
To be honest she didn't know how quite he'll react, but judging from her own experience way back when she told her father that someone has a crush on her, she was bombarded with questions and his father practically boxed out every guy from her, taking and fetching her to school himself everyday.
Yejin was in high school back then.
Bin must be taking it really well, considering Ae-Rin is still in 1st grade.
..Yet she observed that Bin forced out a smile when Ae-Rin continued telling them stories about her classmate.
Apparently, the two always share their meals during recess and lunch.
No wonder Ae-Rin asked her Eomma to pack more rice for her.
WEDNESDAY
8:00 PM
Yejin and Bin always take turns in household chores, but today Bin volunteered to wash the dishes even if it was her turn.
Back facing her, Yejin wrapped her arms on his, tiptoeing to lay her chin on his shoulders. Bin turned to face his wife, pouting like a child.
Just what she thought.
Bin leaned on the kitchen counter, thinking. As a father, how would one feel when your baby girl is growing up (at a really fast pace no less) before your very eyes?
Yejin could hear his fingers tap relentlessly against the marble countertop, a tell that he's uneasy.
"I think I need a cigarette."
Yejin bit back her threat of having him sleep in the guestroom if he did that, giving kind consideration to her husband in distress.
"It's a childhood crush, Jagiya. I don't even think you could call it puppy love."
"..what if.. what if she gets a boyfriend?!" He asked incredulously.
"She's 7." Stating the obvious, Yejin grabbed and held his hand that was fiddling with her kitchen utensils. "Don't worry about these things, Love."
"But..."
She kissed the words off his lips.
WEDNESDAY
9:30 PM
Engulfed in each other's embrace and ready to sleep, they didn't notice Ae-Rin standing on the edge of the bed until she climbed up and wiggled herself between her parents.
"Can I sleep here?" She asked, sporting her adorable puppy dog eyes and small pout, "pretty please?"
"Of course you can." Bin replied. "You're still our baby girl, right?"
"I will forever be a baby girl, Appa."
In that moment, he realized that he needs to enjoy every moment with their precious children before they grow up.
He let the future Hyun Bin handle the stress of meeting his daughter's boyfriend, making a mental note to create a comprehensive test for the future boyfriend to earn his approval.