Good Night, Brother! - Chapter 15

“Ahhh…! Ah… ah!”

“Push! Use your strength!”

“I can’t… sob… I can’t do it…!”

“Why not? You can do it! Push! Come on, push!”

“Ugh… ah… ngh….”

Eun Hyun groaned as he strained, trying to summon strength he didn’t think he had. Beside him, Yi Hyeon stood nervously, fidgeting and crying uncontrollably as he asked, “Are you okay, hyung?”

Clinging tightly to Yi Hyeon’s hand, Eun Hyun suddenly swatted it away and snapped, “Ugh, no! If it were you… ngh, it hurts so much! Ahhh…!”

How could I possibly be okay? The thought shot through his mind, but the searing pain radiating from his abdomen and lower body robbed him of the ability to form words. His mind flickered between clarity and haze, as if a switch had been flipped repeatedly. He felt as though his body had turned into a giant toothpaste tube, being squeezed with reckless force. A nurse—or was it the doctor? He couldn’t tell—called out loudly.

“Don’t scream—it’ll drain your energy! Save it for pushing!”

He’d lost count of how many times he’d been told to “push!” The command was starting to feel meaningless amidst the agony. But despite the unbearable pain, Eun Hyun bore down, straining with what little strength he had left.

“Ugh… ngh… ahhh!”

The pain was so intense that it almost felt like his body had gone numb, as if his nerves had short-circuited. A fleeting thought crossed his mind: Are all my limbs still attached? Then, he felt something—a distinct sensation of pressure and resistance below, as though something was finally moving.

“Yes, that’s it! Good! The head is crowning. Oh my, look at all that hair!”

The encouraging words snapped him back to the present. Gritting his teeth, he gave another desperate push. As he strained, over and over, his mother’s face kept flashing in his mind. Did she go through this kind of pain to give birth to me? Tears began streaming uncontrollably from his eyes, though he wasn’t sure why.

“Guardian, please help press on the belly!”

Press on his belly? Before he could fully process the request, Yi Hyeon and a nurse began pressing firmly on his abdomen, as though trying to force everything out of him.

Is this even allowed? The thought briefly crossed his mind before it was overtaken by another surge of pain. Unable even to scream, Eun Hyun clenched his eyes shut, enduring as best he could.

“Just two or three more pushes should do it! Push! Come on, push!”

With one last desperate effort, Eun Hyun bore down again, his body aligning with the timing of the nurse and Yi Hyeon’s pressing. Each push felt like his lungs were being squeezed, leaving him breathless, but suddenly, there was a strange, liberating sensation—something had slid free.

“Waaah, waaah!”

The loud cries of a newborn echoed through the room. The baby, inhaling the outside air for the first time, filled its tiny lungs and released its voice with a vigor that seemed impossible for such a small body.

So this is what a newborn’s cry sounds like, Eun Hyun thought, marveling at the sound. He didn’t feel the rush of parental pride or overwhelming emotion he’d expected—just sheer exhaustion, tinged with awe.

The medical staff placed the squirming baby on Eun Hyun’s belly. For something so small and fragile, it felt surprisingly warm. He had always imagined newborns to be reddish, but as the nurse wiped the baby’s face with gauze, a soft, fair complexion emerged.

“It’s a boy. Congratulations!”

“What a beautiful baby—babies this perfect are rare.”

The comments from the medical staff echoed softly in the background, but Eun Hyun barely heard them. He stared at the baby, a mixture of wonder and disbelief etched on his face. The tiny fingers and toes were so delicate, yet so perfect.

Tears streaming down his cheeks, Yi Hyeon leaned closer and stammered, “Hyung, he has ten fingers and ten toes. They’re all there.”

Hoarse from screaming, Eun Hyun glared weakly at him.

“Idiot. We already saw that in the ultrasound.”

“I know… but still.”

Just then, a nurse holding the pale umbilical cord called out to Yi Hyeon.

“Guardian, please cut the cord!”

“Oh, right!”

Yi Hyeon, uncharacteristically flustered, fumbled slightly as he took the scissors. Steadying himself, he carefully positioned the blades around the cord and snipped. The sensation of cutting through the cord, smooth yet firm, felt surreal. It marked the moment the baby became truly independent of the womb, and Yi Hyeon knew he’d never forget it.

The nurse finished cleaning the baby, swaddled it snugly in a soft blanket, and placed it beside Eun Hyun. Finally, a faint smile broke through the exhaustion on Eun Hyun’s tear-streaked face.

Even though he had seen the baby’s face in 3D ultrasounds, seeing him in real life was entirely different. The baby’s delicate features mirrored Yi Hyeon’s so perfectly that Eun Hyun couldn’t help but imagine his future. He’s going to grow up to be so beautiful.

Perhaps the baby would become a celebrity, just like Yi Hyeon had joked. Or maybe a scientist, a teacher, or even an office worker like himself.

You can become anything you want, Eun Hyun thought as he gazed at the tiny life beside him, the child who had made all the pain worth it.

Eun Hyun gazed silently at the baby in his arms, his thoughts filled with quiet wishes. The baby’s face was scrunched tightly as if lamenting the hardship of leaving the comforting, tailored world of the womb. The tiny creature cried inconsolably, as if the unfamiliarity of this new world was too much to bear.

Yi Hyeon, holding the baby awkwardly but tenderly, tried to soothe him with a gentle voice.

“Chanmin-ah, don’t cry. Shh, it’s okay. Quiet down now.”

Could the baby already recognize his father’s voice? Miraculously, at Yi Hyeon’s soft murmur, the baby’s cries ceased as though reassured.

The following day, their parents arrived from Daejeon.

As soon as Eun Hyun saw them, tears welled up uncontrollably. Lee Ji Min, who rarely displayed such emotions in front of her children, also had reddened eyes. Her heart ached at the sight of her son, swollen and visibly drained after the ordeal of childbirth.

“Oh, just look at you, all puffed up. Eun Hyun-ah, you’ve been through so much,” she said, her voice trembling.

“You did so well, Eun Hyun. Congratulations on becoming a dad,” Jeong Chae Hyun added, placing a basket of carnations on the bedside table alongside a shopping bag filled with premium seaweed and Eun Hyun’s favorite side dishes.

Just then, a nurse wheeled in the bassinet holding the baby.

“It’s bonding time with the baby! If he cries too much, just press the call button,” the nurse instructed with a smile.

“Thank you,” Yi Hyeon replied, already leaning over to check on the baby. Their parents followed suit, peering into the bassinet with curiosity and awe.

After carefully examining the baby’s features, Lee Ji Min remarked, “He’s the spitting image of Yi Hyeon when he was a baby—look at that sharp nose!”

“But the lips and ears… don’t you think they look just like Eun Hyun’s?” Jeong Chae Hyun added, carefully identifying similarities with his older son to avoid any feelings of exclusion.

“And look at all this hair!” Ji Min exclaimed, brushing her hand over the baby’s thick, jet-black locks.

The baby, with his strikingly clear white sclera and ink-black irises, looked calmly at the unfamiliar faces around him, observing them with curiosity.

With practiced ease, Chae Hyun picked up the baby and gently rocked him. “Peek-a-boo!” he teased playfully.

The baby opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue, his expression hovering between amusement and surprise.

“Oh my goodness, that’s so cute,” Ji Min gushed.

Chik, chik. The sound of a camera clicking filled the room as Yi Hyeon captured the moment. Ji Min, smiling at the scene, suddenly turned to ask, “By the way, have you two decided on a name yet?”

Eun Hyun replied, “We’re thinking of naming him Chanmin.”

“Chanmin? That’s beautiful. What does it mean?”

“It’s made up of the characters for ‘light’ and ‘steadfast,’” Yi Hyeon explained with a proud smile. “We combined characters from Mom’s and Dad’s names to create it.”

Ji Min’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Yi Hyeon, are you really okay with that?”

“Yes, it was my idea,” he answered cheerfully.

Her heart swelled at his confident and happy response. For a long time, Yi Hyeon had seemed unsettled, but today he exuded peace and contentment. Ji Min, who had hesitated to fully approve of their relationship, suddenly felt her doubts dissolve.

Chae Hyun turned to Eun Hyun. “Would you like to hold the baby?”

“What? Me?”

Eun Hyun hesitated, nervous about how delicate and small the baby seemed. Sensing his apprehension, Chae Hyun offered reassurance.

“Just support his neck like this, and you’ll be fine.”

Carefully, he handed the baby over to Eun Hyun, who cradled him awkwardly at first, supporting the tiny head with the crook of his arm and resting the swaddled body on his lap.

“Like this?”

“Perfect,” Chae Hyun affirmed.

The baby, securely nestled in his arms, blinked his large, dark eyes and stared up at him. In the baby’s reflective gaze, Eun Hyun caught sight of his own face and felt an unexpected tug at his heart.

For the foreseeable future, this tiny life would depend entirely on him. From feeding and sleeping to dressing and cleaning, the baby would need his care for everything. The weight of this new responsibility—this life—was both humbling and profound.

As Eun Hyun sat silently, staring at the baby, Yi Hyeon asked softly, “Hyung, what’s on your mind?”

“Nothing,” he murmured in reply.

The baby had fallen asleep in his arms, his tiny form exuding a serenity that seemed to wash away all the worries of the world.

Realizing the baby was asleep, the family lowered their voices and continued to talk in soft murmurs. Eun Hyun’s lips curled into a quiet smile as he gazed down at his son.

Back at home, the chaos of parenting began.

At the postpartum care center, Chanmin had seemed like the perfect baby—calm, curious, and cooperative. But at home, he rarely slept and cried at the slightest provocation. Both dads found themselves wondering if they’d somehow taken home the wrong baby.

Eun Hyun finally understood why his colleagues with newborns always looked so exhausted. No matter how hard they tried to split the responsibilities, maintaining a proper schedule was impossible.

But just when the fatigue seemed insurmountable, Chanmin would break into a joyful laugh or fall into a peaceful sleep, his long lashes resting against his rosy cheeks. At such moments, both Yi Hyeon and Eun Hyun couldn’t help but smile, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten.

This tiny, dependent life had an extraordinary ability to captivate their hearts, making them forget their fatigue and fall more deeply in love with him each day.

The baby’s face seemed to change daily. In the morning, he resembled Yi Hyeon, by afternoon, Eun Hyun, and by evening, faint traces of their parents emerged. It was fascinating, and they couldn’t resist documenting his every expression.

Eun Hyun, who had rarely taken photos before, now found his phone’s gallery filled with pictures of Chanmin. The same was true for Yi Hyeon. Whether he was playing, sleeping, or simply lying still, they couldn’t stop capturing every moment.

One warm spring day, Eun Hyun entered the living room to find Yi Hyeon and Chanmin napping together. Toys and books lay scattered around them, evidence of their playtime before they fell asleep. Smiling, Eun Hyun snapped a photo of the serene scene.

After checking the picture, he lay down beside them, switching his phone to selfie mode. With Chanmin nestled between them, Eun Hyun framed the shot, ensuring all three faces were in view—Jeong Yi Hyeon, Jeong Chanmin, and Jeong Eun Hyun. He pressed the shutter.

Click.

The peaceful moment was preserved—a family portrait to cherish forever.

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