Episode 7. The Second Child is Even More Suspicious (2)
After finishing the first visitation with their second daughter, Kang Dae-oh, who returned to the hospital room, explained various things he had been additionally informed about at the hospital.
“They said meals start from tomorrow. Even if you’re hungry, just bear with it for today.”
From Min Seung-yeon’s mouth, a heavy sigh escaped.
“I guess I’ll be eating seaweed soup again for a while.”
After childbirth, the soup mothers eat is almost fixed as seaweed soup for a while.
Not only in the hospital but also in postpartum care centers, the only soup given to mothers is seaweed soup.
Due to milk expression, spicy and salty foods must also be avoided for a while.
“Still, it seems like my breast milk is already trying to come out, perhaps because I’ve given birth once before.”
“Didn’t you struggle quite a bit back then because your breast milk didn’t come out?”
“That’s right. How did you manage to remember that?”
“It’s because the image of you wanting to feed Yera a lot of your milk, but getting upset because the amount was less than you expected, is still vividly etched in my mind.”
Even then, Kang Dae-oh told Min Seung-yeon it was okay, that formula milk is good these days, so there’s no need to cling to breast milk too much, and offered words of comfort multiple times.
Nevertheless, Min Seung-yeon still had lingering regrets.
“They say that if you’re breastfed as a child, you become smarter.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. There won’t be a baby as smart as our Yera, anyway.”
Despite not even being 3 years old yet, Kang Yera already possessed all the knowledge adults would know.
She just didn’t overtly show it in front of her mother.
Only the father, who knew his eldest daughter’s secret, could say with conviction, ‘Everything will be fine.’
“What did Yera say after seeing her younger sibling?”
“She said she’s pretty and cute.”
“Wasn’t she incredibly happy about having a younger sibling?”
“She was h-happy. Probably.”
Kang Dae-oh recalled the conversation he had during the phone call.
When he said that the ‘younger sibling assistant operation’ might be difficult, Kang Yera initially reacted as if she didn’t understand what her father was saying.
So Kang Dae-oh directly told Kang Yera this:
that the second child also showed reactions similar to when she was first born into the world.
Nevertheless, Kang Yera maintained a ‘no way’ attitude.
Although she herself was a regressor, for someone other than herself—and what’s more, for a family member, her own younger sibling, to also have grasped the same opportunity for regression as Kang Yera—was practically impossible.
If you think about it, Kang Yera’s very existence was difficult to explain in the first place.
Even if such a thing happened only once, it would be extraordinary.
For it to happen twice?
And even more, for them to be family?
‘It’s an impossible thing, indeed.’
Kang Dae-oh himself, even after saying it, found it hard to believe honestly.
However, in a corner of his mind, the seeds of doubt kept sprouting.
So, in the end, Kang Yera decided to take drastic measures.
Just before she ended the call with Kang Dae-oh, she brought up this:
‘Alright. Then I’ll go and check it myself…’ she said.
Because a regressor might be able to immediately recognize another regressor. That’s why Kang Dae-oh agreed with Kang Yera’s method.
Anyway, she was planning to come visit the hospital in person once.
Killing two birds with one stone, to see if what Kang Dae-oh was suspecting was true or not. If Kang Yera was brought along to verify it thoroughly, the uneasiness would also disappear.
It was beneficial in many ways.
After the call, Kang Dae-oh earnestly requested his father to definitely bring Yera when he came to visit the hospital later.
This was the entire content of the phone call Kang Dae-oh had in the visitation room.
However, the conversation he had alone with Kang Yera could not possibly be told to Min Seung-yeon.
So he omitted only this part and told the story.
“Father said he’d stop by the hospital the day after tomorrow.”
“The day after tomorrow… I hope by then I’ll have no trouble standing up and walking.”
“The doctor came earlier and said your recovery speed is very fast, so wouldn’t you be able to walk without difficulty on that day, if possible? You, too, walked immediately after two days when you gave birth to Yera.”
A deep emotion settled on Min Seung-yeon’s face as she looked at Kang Dae-oh.
“What is this? You remember even such small details?”
“Of course I have to remember. Of course.”
In fact, it would be more accurate to say that it was imprinted on his memory.
Because his wife had difficulty moving, and Kang Dae-oh became her hands and feet, the days he moved frantically were unforgettable in his mind.
So he sincerely wished for his wife to recover as quickly as possible, even a day sooner, and to recover enough to at least go to the restroom by herself.
That’s why the hardships of that day were remembered hour by hour.
Although this was his second experience.
Nevertheless, Kang Dae-oh wore a deeply troubled expression.
And for good reason.
‘If Yera’s words are true, she said the second one wasn’t the last.’
There’s still one more left.
The day before moving to the postpartum care center.
Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon visited the nursery again.
When there were about 10 minutes left until visitation time.
As the elevator doors opened, a very familiar group greeted the couple with bright smiles and greetings.
Kang Dae-oh’s father and mother.
And their daughter, Kang Yera.
“My daughter-in-law! You’ve worked so hard!”
“You worked so hard giving birth to the second child.”
“Thank you, abeonim. eomeonim.”
Not to be outdone by her grandfather and grandmother, Kang Yera also looked up at her mother and comforted Min Seung-yeon.
“Mom, were you very sick? Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m okay now. Because our Yera’s younger sibling was so calm and well-behaved, Mom was quite comfortable this time.”
“That’s a relief.”
Was she truly feeling relieved?
Kang Yera’s purpose for coming here today was to ‘discern’ (?) her second daughter.
The self-proclaimed regressor discriminator, what was Kang Yera’s opinion?
Kang Dae-oh was very curious about his eldest daughter’s thoughts.
That’s why this meeting was arranged.
Kang Dae-oh, who checked the current time on his wristwatch, gestured for his family to come closer to the nursery’s glass wall.
“The curtain will open soon.”
No sooner had Kang Dae-oh finished speaking than the blackout curtain was drawn back.
Then, a nurse approached and gestured for Kang Dae-oh to show the certificate paper with the newborn’s information.
As Kang Dae-oh showed the certificate he had prepared in advance…
Finally, the second daughter appeared before the family’s eyes.
Fortunately, the couple’s second daughter was awake with wide, bright eyes.
If she had been sleeping, it would have significantly hindered Kang Yera’s discernment.
So Kang Dae-oh considered it a huge stroke of luck that his second daughter was awake.
Meanwhile. Kang Dae-oh’s father and mother couldn’t take their eyes off the appearance of the second baby.
“She’s a hundred, a thousand times prettier than when we saw her on video call, isn’t she?”
“Can she see us? It’s like she’s making eye contact with this grandmother… Oh, how cute! My goodness, she’s already so admirable!”
Amidst the outpouring of praise, only Kang Yera gazed at her younger sister with calm eyes.
The moment her eyes met her older sister’s.
The second daughter showed no special reaction.
She just waved her arms and legs, or yawned. These simple actions were all she did.
After closely observing her younger sibling’s behavior for a while.
Kang Yera whispered to Kang Dae-oh in a small voice and replied like this:
“I think you misunderstood, Dad. To me, she just seems like a normal baby.”
“I-Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Just as a professional recognizes another professional, someone who has experienced regression once knows it better.
That’s why he had asked Kang Yera for ‘discernment’ (?).
The conclusion she reached was ‘no’.
“Perhaps it’s just a coincidence?”
Coincidence. It could very well be.
But, how should I put it?
Kang Dae-oh, who had personally witnessed his second daughter’s gestures, felt it was more like destiny than coincidence.
At this moment, Min Seung-yeon lightly tapped Kang Dae-oh’s shoulder and asked.
“What are you talking about with Yera?”
“Oh, just… we were talking about various things, like what parts of her younger sibling are pretty and how.”
When the topic of the second daughter came up, Kang Dae-oh’s parents, with expressions suggesting they had something they wanted to ask, spoke to their son.
“Now that you mention it, what name did you decide for the second child?”
“Didn’t you say you had a name in mind last time?”
Kang Dae-oh and Kang Yera exchanged a brief glance.
Then, nodding deeply, he replied as follows:
“Yes. We plan to name her Kang Yebin.”
Kang Yebin.
The same name as her younger sibling who existed before Kang Yera regressed.
After the family had left.
Another day passed, and Kang Dae-oh and Min Seung-yeon went through the discharge procedures and headed to the nursery, which had become the next most familiar place after their hospital room.
A nurse came out and handed over their deeply sleeping second daughter, Kang Yebin, to the couple.
“I’ll take your first family photo. Alright, one, two~”
Click!
Was she startled by the shutter sound? Kang Yebin, who had been deeply asleep, slowly opened her eyes.
Min Seung-yeon smiled gently and welcomed her daughter’s early awakening.
“Baby. Are you awake?”
While the second child made eye contact with her mother and shared mother-daughter affection.
Kang Dae-oh, to perform his role as a porter, pulled the carrier and got on the elevator.
The fact that the postpartum care center was located on the upper floor of the hospital, meaning there was no need to go far, was a big advantage.
Moreover, if anything happened, they could just come down to the floor below and get medical attention.
That’s why the couple decided to rely on this obstetrics and gynecology department again when giving birth to Kang Yebin, following Kang Yera.
‘On the other hand, the postpartum care center fee is a bit expensive.’
Even so, Kang Dae-oh didn’t care much.
Because more than money, the comfort of the mother and daughter was the priority.
After temporarily leaving Kang Yebin in the nursery.
Kang Dae-oh, as before, headed to the room where they would stay, along with Min Seung-yeon.
As soon as they arrived at the room, Min Seung-yeon let out a short exclamation.
“Oh my! Honey. This room, it seems like the same one I used when I gave birth to Yera?”
“It really is?”
No wonder. It felt familiar, and it turned out there was such a secret.
As they looked around with a sense of nostalgia.
Knock knock.
With the sound of the knock, another memory visited where they were.
“Oh! Hello! You’re back again, aren’t you?”
The director of the postpartum care center seemed to recognize them immediately, and expressed her delight with a broad smile.
“Since both of you are already experienced, it will be easy to explain.”
“But aren’t there things that have changed in the meantime?”
At Kang Dae-oh’s question, the director shook her head.
“It’s the same, exactly the same. The feeding call system is also the same, and the mother-baby rooming-in time is unchanged. Oh, right. It’s just about time to disinfect and clean the nursery. You can bring the baby over now.”
Kang Dae-oh stood up from his seat and took the initiative to leave first.
“I’ll go get her. You listen to the director’s explanation.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
Leaving the room, Kang Dae-oh, who headed to the nursery, joined the waiting line with other people.
It wasn’t long before it was Kang Dae-oh’s turn.
“Room 201… Yes, that’s right. You can take the baby.”
“Thank you.”
Within a few minutes, Kang Dae-oh met Kang Yebin again.
While slowly walking down the hallway.
Kang Dae-oh looked at Kang Yebin, who had wide, sparkling eyes, and casually brought up a question he had harbored for days.
“Yebin. Did you… perhaps regress?”
Kang Dae-oh had just said it as a joke.
If Kang Yebin were like any other baby, she wouldn’t have understood Kang Dae-oh’s words themselves.
But.
The baby’s reaction deviated from Kang Dae-oh’s expectations.
Kang Yebin, who had been still for a long time, suddenly.
Nod nod.
She performed a head nod, indicating affirmation.
Even after this, could it still truly be called a coincidence?
Kang Dae-oh’s mind became complicated.
