Perfect Possession - Episode 19

Seo-yeon took Tae-yul to the bathroom she used. There, a baby bathtub she hadn’t seen before was placed. The bathroom was so large that even with the baby bathtub next to the regular one, it didn’t look cramped.

“I’ve prepared just a few essentials. I paid special attention to the bathtub.”

The cypress bathtub was different from the light, portable ones.

“It smells nice and should be good for your skin. Tae-yul, shall we wash up?”

Seo-yeon gently asked as she put Tae-yul down from her arms. She had no experience bathing a child.

She worried about getting water in his eyes or if her touch would be too rough, but she still wanted to bathe him with her own hands.

Tae-yul, who had been standing still at Seo-yeon’s words, suddenly pulled at his pants. Thinking he was trying to undress himself, Seo-yeon quickly helped him take off his pants, and he immediately peed as if he was in a hurry.

“I’m sorry. Mommy didn’t realize Tae-yul needed to pee.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t notice either.”

Kim Yeo-sa hadn’t noticed because he didn’t show any change in expression.

“It’s okay. Wow, Tae-yul must feel refreshed.”

Seo-yeon even clapped her hands to make Tae-yul feel less embarrassed. Kim Yeo-sa smiled warmly at the sight. Seo-yeon’s heart, completely devoted to Tae-yul, was evident.

Kim Yeo-sa cleaned the floor with the showerhead and helped Seo-yeon carefully take off his top. She sighed in relief inwardly.

She had been worried that he might be too small for 16 months and that he might be nothing but skin and bones. Kim Yeo-sa’s heart ached at the thought of Seo-yeon being upset by that.

Seo-yeon took off Tae-yul’s clothes and checked his body for any injuries. It was unlikely, but he might have bumped into something while walking or gotten hurt in a fight with other children.

Only after checking behind his ears did Seo-yeon breathe a sigh of relief.

“It looks like he’s okay except for a bit of a rash. Is this redness heat rash?”

Seo-yeon asked, pointing to his neck.

“Yes. Babies often get heat rash on their necks and armpits. After washing him just a moment.”

Kim Yeo-sa checked her text messages and looked up with a pleased expression.

“It seems the personal shopper has arrived. Everything you need should be there. It’s good to wash him and then apply powder.”

“That’s a relief. Tae-yul, shall we check if the water is okay together?”

Kim Yeo-sa was surprised. She thought Seo-yeon would just check the water temperature and put Tae-yul in the bathtub, but instead, she held his hand and let him touch the water in the tub with her.

“Water. The water isn’t too hot or too cold, right?”

Seo-yeon repeatedly said “water” as if she were teaching a child to speak for the first time. She was careful not to startle Tae-yul, knowing he might cry if she suddenly put him in the tub.

“Want to get in?”

Seo-yeon thought that if Tae-yul was like Jaehoon, he wouldn’t dislike bathing. She didn’t want him to be too much like him, but if he was like the germaphobe Jaehoon, he wouldn’t like being dirty.

He couldn’t stand having sticky hands after eating pudding a little while ago. As expected, Tae-yul didn’t cry and readily lifted his foot to get into the bathtub. Surprised, Seo-yeon quickly picked him up and put him in the tub.

Splash, Tae-yul sat down and splashed around, waving his hands in the water. Then, he looked around.

“What? What are you looking for, Tae-yul?”

Even when Seo-yeon asked, he didn’t make eye contact and just turned his head, looking for something.

“Could he be looking for the doll he brought?”

“It’s being washed right now.”

Seo-yeon looked at Kim Yeo-sa with a troubled expression.

“Please have them bring it when it’s done.”

Just then, there was a knock, and Jaehoon came in with a plastic bag. Seo-yeon looked at him with a welcoming expression.

“Please get Tae-yul’s doll.”

“It’s drying right now.”

“Just take it out. It’ll probably get wet anyway. Tae-yul is looking for something.”

Tae-yul, who had been looking around, turned around at Jaehoon’s voice. Tae-yul blinked and stared intently at the plastic bag Jaehoon was holding.

The next moment, all three were surprised. Tae-yul suddenly stood up in the bathtub and tried to get out. The child’s gaze was still fixed on the thing Jaehoon had brought.

“Jaehoon, give it to me.”

Seo-yeon held Tae-yul to keep him from falling and reached out her hand. Jaehoon approached, opened the bag, and showed him the toy inside.

Tae-yul grabbed the biggest duck toy and immediately sat down in the bathtub and floated it on the water. A look of relief crossed Tae-yul’s face as he watched the duck bobbing around.

Just seeing Tae-yul looking for something with such a desperate expression made Seo-yeon’s heart sink and made her feel anxious. She knew she shouldn’t be like this every time, but she became flustered and impatient.

Seo-yeon watched Tae-yul playing happily and then turned her gaze to Jaehoon.

“How did you know?”

“Sung-joon saw this and said he used to play with it when he was little, and it made bath time less unpleasant.”

“Please thank him for me. I was surprised because he suddenly looked so anxious.”

Jaehoon watched Tae-yul playing with the duck for a moment and then left the bathroom. Seo-yeon poured water on the child’s body and bathed him as Kim Yeo-sa instructed.

Tae-yul was still while she washed his body, but when she tried to wash his face, he squeezed his eyes shut and held his breath. It seemed he was afraid, not because he disliked washing his face, but because he had a bad experience with water getting in his eyes. She finished washing his face as quickly as possible, trying to avoid getting water in his eyes.

It felt like just yesterday that she had been imagining bathing her child hundreds of times and tearing at her heart. It felt like a dream that she was now bathing her own child like this.

Seo-yeon wrapped Tae-yul in a large towel that Kim Yeo-sa had given her and came out of the bathroom. When she came outside, there were a few of Tae-yul’s things laid out.

There was powder and diaper rash cream, a diaper, and pajamas.

“This must be the diaper rash cream.”

“Yes. It’s not severe, so don’t apply too much.”

“I won’t. Tae-yul must have been very itchy here.”

Seo-yeon carefully examined Tae-yul’s body and applied cream to the areas with heat rash. She applied powder to his bottom and put on a diaper.

Just as she was putting on his pajamas, Jaehoon came in with the doll Tae-yul had brought. It was then. Tae-yul, who was in a good mood after being washed and was fiddling with his pajamas, turned his gaze to the sound of the door.

Then, he saw the doll Jaehoon was holding and opened his lips in a circle. It was as if he was saying, “Wow, it’s my doll!” Everyone stared at Tae-yul’s mouth, waiting to hear even the smallest sound.

Tae-yul pointed at the doll and looked at Seo-yeon. She smiled gently and nodded, thinking that he was saying it was his doll.

When Tae-yul looked at Jaehoon again, he held out the doll. Tae-yul ran over, making tada-tada sounds, grabbed the doll, and surprisingly bowed his head to Jaehoon.

Jaehoon felt as if dozens of needles, blunted and broken, were stabbing his heart at the same time. He knelt down without realizing it and hugged Tae-yul.

It was a formal thank you without any heart. Tae-yul would have bowed his head like this no matter who gave him the doll. Because that’s what everyone would like.

Thinking of his son, who had been through so much since the moment he was born because of the adults’ greed, he was grateful for this pain. Jaehoon stroked Tae-yul’s head and gently pulled away so as not to startle him.

“It’s your doll, Tae-yul. You don’t have to thank me.”

Tae-yul, who had no idea what Jaehoon meant, stared blankly and then went to Seo-yeon. She saw the pain reflected in his face.

Seo-yeon thought that everything was her fault. She wanted to take all of Jaehoon’s pain and Tae-yul’s painful memories upon herself.

“Does Tae-yul want to play some more?”

She couldn’t just wallow in self-pity and be depressed. Seo-yeon spoke in a deliberately bright voice. Tae-yul fiddled with the doll and buried his face in it as if he liked the smell. Then, he inhaled and moved his lips almost imperceptibly.

“I think he’s about to talk.”

“Don’t be impatient. Once he starts talking, he’ll chatter your ears off.”

Jaehoon, who had come up beside her, said.

“Is that what you think?”

Seo-yeon smiled at the expression “chatter your ears off.”

“No, Jae-moon said that he understands everything but just doesn’t feel the need to talk, so he keeps his mouth shut.”

“So, all we need to do is make him feel the need to talk?”

“In theory. Is he hungry?”

Jaehoon asked, watching Tae-yul smacking his lips.

“He had milk before bed, I think.”

Listening to Kim Yeo-sa, his eyelids were half-closed as if he was sleepy.

“Is it okay to give him any kind of milk?”

“He ate whatever they gave him at the orphanage. There’s milk among the things the shopper brought.”

Jaehoon looked back at Kim Yeo-sa as he said the last part.

“I’ll go prepare it.”

Seo-yeon picked up Tae-yul. His body slumped in her arms as if he was sleepy. He seemed like he would fall asleep if she patted him a few times, but Tae-yul just smacked his lips and pretended to drink milk without asking for it.

“When will he start demanding things?”

“Maybe tomorrow.”

It was Jaehoon’s wish. He saw Seo-yeon’s slender waist bending backward, but he didn’t offer to hold him. He just wanted to watch her, she looked so beautiful holding Tae-yul. Suddenly, Seo-yeon turned her gaze to Jaehoon.

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