Perfect Possession - Episode 89

“So, there’s a carp bread shop, and they’ve been in business since last year?”

-Yes, Chairman. It doesn’t seem to be that couple.

“Then, ask around among the students. Maybe someone knows them. No, I should ask the teaching assistants first. Perhaps older students or staff might know something. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

-Yes, I understand.

Jaehoon had planned to investigate on his own, but since Hyun-shik’s house was near S University, he asked him to go check it out first. Of course, he intended to do the legwork of finding and buying the carp bread and sweet pancakes himself, but he thought he’d get a little help from Hyun-shik to save time.

“Just a little bit. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Jaehoon said as if Seo-yeon was watching him from the side, and entered the S University intersection. He parked his car in the school parking lot and called Hyun-shik.

-Are you here?

“Yeah. Where are you?”

-I’m heading to the parking lot now. You’re at the main gate parking lot, right?

“Main gate?”

Jaehoon checked his surroundings and then answered yes. After hanging up, he checked the time and got out of the car. This was the first time since she got pregnant that she craved something. Jaehoon was determined to find that couple’s shop, even if he had to search the entire world. If they had closed down or he couldn’t find them, he would have no choice but to buy something else. He desperately hoped that wouldn’t happen.

Hyun-shik, dressed in casual clothes, came running from the other side. Originally, Hyun-shik would stay at the company even after Jaehoon left work, but Jaehoon had sternly told him to go home early today.

‘And yet, he’s making me work again.’

Seeing Hyun-shik, Jaehoon felt sorry.

“What did you find out?”

“They moved to Hanseong University five years ago. That’s what a faculty member who used to live in that area said. But it’s not confirmed.”

“I’ll have to go and see. Sorry about this. Where’s your car?”

“Ah, I was just taking a walk nearby, so my car is at home. I’ll drive you.”

“No, I should be the one doing this.”

“Still, just in case, I’ll go with you as far as Hanseong University.”

Hyun-shik replied lightly and got into the driver’s seat before Jaehoon could stop him. Jaehoon chuckled and sat in the passenger seat instead of the back.

“Just to Hanseong University. Our Seo-yeon is craving this for the first time, so shouldn’t I buy it with my own hands?”

“Of course.”

Hyun-shik was deeply moved, treating Jaehoon, who had gotten into the passenger seat, as if he were a king for the day. He was happy to serve such a person. Hyun-shik said briefly in a slightly higher tone.

“You should do the buying, Chairman. I’ll just watch.”

“You rascal. Let’s go.”

“If you asked Sung-joon, or rather, Director Sung-joon, he would jump at the chance.”

“That’s why I don’t want to. My daughter wants to eat it, so her dad should be the one to get it.”

The two men laughed briefly, imagining Sung-joon, who would undoubtedly search every university district in the country with great fanfare, and then set off for Hanseong University.

***

Jaehoon couldn’t hide his disappointment. Hearing that they were selling in front of Hanseong University, he had been searching with his eyes wide open as soon as he saw the clock tower, which symbolized Hanseong University, from the main gate. But even though the car approached near the main gate, he couldn’t see anyone selling carp bread, not even at the back gate he had passed.

“It doesn’t look like they’re here.”

“…Let’s park and ask.”

Jaehoon couldn’t just leave the school because they weren’t there. He needed to find out if they were just taking a break today or if they had moved somewhere else entirely.

As soon as they parked the car, the two men started grabbing students and people passing by and asking them. When Jaehoon approached people who looked like students, they stopped talking and stared blankly. Everyone seemed overwhelmed by Jaehoon’s aura and appearance.

“I’d like to ask you something.”

At Jaehoon’s words, everyone nodded, looking as if they would answer anything. Jaehoon was momentarily flustered by the enthusiasm in their eyes.

“Um, the carp bread couple who sell near the main gate, did they perhaps stop?”

“Carp bread?”

A man wearing glasses stepped forward and asked again as if to confirm that he was really asking about the carp bread couple.

“Yes.”

“Did they stop?”

The man turned around, and a female student said.

“No, I bought some last week.”

“That’s right. I think they were selling yesterday too. Hyunju is a regular there.”

“Then, are they just taking a break today?”

So overjoyed to hear that they were selling, Jaehoon moved closer to the female student who had just spoken. The female student, her face flushed, nodded shyly.

“Do you happen to have their contact information?”

“I don’t have that.”

Jaehoon couldn’t hide his disappointed expression, feeling frustrated that they weren’t selling today of all days. He thanked the students and looked for Hyun-shik. Hyun-shik was walking quickly from the direction of the brown building.

“It seems they are selling. But they haven’t seen them today yet.”

“I heard too. Why today of all days? It seems they don’t have their contact information. Damn it.”

Hyun-shik was so frustrated that he couldn’t even comfort Jaehoon. The two men couldn’t leave the school and were feeling disappointed when they heard someone talking on the phone from somewhere.

“Auntie, are you not selling today? No, it’s about the church bazaar we talked about last time. The pastor really wants you to volunteer. Ah. Really? That’s a relief. My grandma called and told me to buy her some of your sweet pancakes. Then…”

Jaehoon couldn’t hear the female student’s voice after that. Only the word “sweet pancakes” felt like a lifeline thrown to him as he drifted in the vast ocean. He grabbed onto that word tightly and approached the female student.

“Could I possibly use your phone for a moment?”

“Excuse me?”

The female student, frowning as if wondering what nonsense he was talking about, turned her head, and then looked at Jaehoon with the same expression as the students from before.

“The person you’re talking to right now, is that the carp bread couple who sell here at the main gate?”

The female student nodded slowly.

“Then, let me use your phone for a moment.”

Jaehoon held out his hand, and the female student simply handed over the phone she was holding.

“Hello.”

-Hyun, Hyunju? Huh? Who is this?

It was too miraculous to be a coincidence. The student named Hyunju, who the students had mentioned earlier, just happened to be passing by Jaehoon, who was in despair, while talking to the carp bread couple.

“Hello. I’m calling because my wife is pregnant right now. And she wants to eat the carp bread and sweet pancakes that you two make. You used to sell at S University, right?”

-Yes. Oh, you must be a student there. My goodness, what a caring husband. Then, please wait a little bit. We have some things to do today, so we’re only selling in the afternoon, but we were just about to head out now. The batter is all ready, so we can make them for you as soon as the fire is lit.

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Jaehoon gave his thanks more politely than when signing a contract worth trillions of won, handed the phone back, and approached Hyun-shik. Hyun-shik, who had heard the entire conversation from the side, was also happy, smiling.

“That’s a relief, Chairman.”

“Wow, I’m happier now than when I saw the annual sales report.”

“Me too.”

The two men looked at each other and laughed, feeling dumbfounded. They waited in the car, eagerly anticipating the arrival of the carp bread couple.

***

“Mommy, is Daddy gonna buy the carp and bread and sweet pancake?”

“Maybe? But Mommy can say other things for sure, but I don’t know about this.”

Seo-yeon said honestly to Tae-yul, who had even brought a chair and was sitting by the living room window, waiting and watching the gate.

“Why?”

“Well, if there’s no one selling carp bread and sweet pancakes, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Daddy can do it.”

“Daddy? It’s not something just anyone can make.”

“Really? Is it that hard?”

Tae-yul asked, tilting his head. He couldn’t understand that there was something his Superman-like dad couldn’t do. Seo-yeon, feeling fond of her son, hugged him tightly and kissed his cheek, saying playfully.

“Will Tae-yul do it? Your sibling wants to eat it?”

“Um… Tanyul is a baby, so I can’t.”

“Not a complete baby, right?”

“Um… I’ll see if Daddy can do it.”

Thinking that it would be difficult for him no matter how much he thought about it, Tae-yul didn’t say he would do it in the end. Seo-yeon found Tae-yul amazing and admirable. Tae-yul, like Jaehoon, never rashly said he could do something he couldn’t or didn’t know how to do. He was stubborn, which sometimes made things difficult, but she was simply amazed by the genes he had inherited from Jaehoon.

“Oh, Daddy’s here.”

“Where?”

Turning her gaze, she saw the parking lot gate slowly rising. The two looked at each other at the same time, their eyes shining.

“Did Daddy buy it?”

“Yeah. Tanyul knows. Daddy can do anything. Let’s go quickly.”

“Let’s.”

Seo-yeon held her belly with one hand and tightly grasped Tae-yul’s small hand with the other, and ran towards Jaehoon. Jaehoon, who had opened the car door himself, smiled brightly at the two. The moment Seo-yeon saw him taking a black plastic bag out of the passenger seat, tears welled up in her eyes without her realizing it. It wasn’t even the early stages of pregnancy, but she was tearful all the time.

Compared to Tae-yul, who firmly believed that his dad could do anything, Seo-yeon had been half-doubtful. She had thought that he wouldn’t be able to do anything if there was no carp bread couple. Seo-yeon felt sorry for having thought that even for a moment, and before Tae-yul could run and hug him, she wrapped her arms around Jaehoon’s neck and kissed him on the lips.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for? Ah, for making me do this? Don’t worry. This is what husbands are supposed to do.”

‘No, for thinking that you wouldn’t be able to buy it.’

Seo-yeon only thought to herself and didn’t say it out loud. She believed that the enthusiastic welcome, including the kiss, was because Seo-yeon was touched by what he had bought, not because she hadn’t trusted Jaehoon.

She didn’t want to ruin the mood by saying it, and she figured that since she had kissed him anyway, it was enough.

“Daddy, where’s the carp and bread?”

“It’s here.”

Jaehoon took out the carp bread and handed it to Tae-yul. It had cooled down a bit on the way, making it perfect to eat. Tae-yul, holding carp bread in his hand for the first time, tilted his head and looked up at Jaehoon.

“Daddy, is this a carp? Then, where’s the bread?”

Jaehoon looked at Seo-yeon with the same expression as his son, and she burst out laughing. As if to say that the explanation was up to him, she shrugged her shoulders and smelled it.

“This is exactly the smell. Are they really still selling?”

“Ah… it’s a bit complicated, but. You can think of it that way. You can think of it as pure luck. Eat it quickly.”

As Seo-yeon took a bite of the carp bread that Jaehoon handed her, Tae-yul’s eyes widened. He thought that even though it looked like a carp, it wasn’t really a carp, so he asked, “Is this bread?” and then bit into the carp’s head.

“Wow, it’s yummy.”

“Um, it’s really delicious. This carp bread is the best.”

Seo-yeon looked at Jaehoon, her eyes glistening.

“Is it so delicious that you’re going to cry?”

“It’s so delicious.”

Seo-yeon held the carp bread to Jaehoon’s mouth.

“It is delicious.”

Jaehoon, who had taken a big bite, also widened his eyes. Then, he looked at Seo-yeon intently.

“What is it?”

“Now that you’ve eaten carp bread, give birth to a child who is carp bread-like.”

Seo-yeon couldn’t help but laugh at Jaehoon’s earnest gaze.

“Then, I should eat two.”

She took out another carp bread from the bag and held it in her hand.

“Tanyul wants two two.”

Tanyul, wanting to get in on the action, stretched out his arms and jumped up and down. Tae-yul, holding carp bread in both hands, smiled brightly and kissed Seo-yeon’s belly.

Jaehoon, not wanting to be left out, stroked Seo-yeon’s belly and told her to come out looking just like her mother. Seo-yeon, Jaehoon, and even her brother burst out laughing when their daughter suddenly kicked her belly in response.

Three months later, in the late winter, a small and beautiful child, unlike the loud voice, was born into the world. Jaehoon burst into tears at the sound of his daughter’s cry, which he was hearing for the first time, and Seo-yeon couldn’t help but laugh. Tears turned into laughter when Tae-yul gave a long-winded introduction of himself at the meeting with his younger sister.

Now a foursome, they could only be grateful for the miraculous happiness and love each other.

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