Chapter 132. Ready To Be Parents (4)
Translator: Lili
Weekly Chapter 6/6
Walking over to the infant toys section, Chayoung became engrossed. A blue rattle caught his eye, as did a yellow one. After much deliberation, he picked up both. Standing beside him, Gyuha frowned.
“Why are you holding two?”
“I can’t choose. I like them both.”
Annoyance flickered in Gyuha’s eyes. Last week, a similar argument had ended with them buying two identical bunny plushies in different colors. At this rate, they’d end up with duplicates of everything.
“Just pick one.”
Chayoung looked down at the rattles in his hands with great seriousness before finally turning to Gyuha for help.
“Which one do you think is better?”
“The blue one… But the yellow’s nice too.”
Although he gravitated toward blues, softer colors like yellow or pink seemed more fitting for a baby. Then again, since the baby was due in the summer, the coolness of the blue felt appropriate too…
As he weighed his options, a familiar suggestion came.
“Let’s just get both. One for you, one for me.”
“…”
“The baby might get bored seeing the same thing all the time.”
“…Fine.”
And so, the list of impulse purchases grew.
Continuing their browsing, they spotted a display of baby clothes in the next store. As expected, Chayoung was the first to move.
“These are so small. I can’t believe our baby will wear these one day.”
Spotting an opportunity, a store employee approached with practiced cheerfulness.
“Looking for baby clothes?”
“Yes, just browsing.”
“How old is the baby?”
“The baby is still in his—ouch!”
Before Chayoung could finish, Gyuha pinched his arm and interjected.
“We’re just looking. No need to worry about us.”
Despite his flat expression, which might have been mistaken for irritation, the employee didn’t react. Sensing the wealth radiating from the two men, she remained all smiles as she stepped back with a polite,
“Of course. Let me know if you need any help.”
Turning to his partner, Gyuha muttered through gritted teeth,
“Why say something like that?”
“I can’t lie and say we already had the baby.”
Looking at Chayoung’s grinning face, Gyuha could only scowl and look away.
‘That’s true.’
His smile disarmed him.
Unlike himself, who only wore his wedding ring out of obligation, Chayoung never took his off and openly embraced his roles as a husband and expectant father. While they kept the details of their situation private, Chayoung never denied the baby’s existence or twisted the truth, as if to atone for his past denial of their child.
While he mulled this over, Chayoung was already captivated by more baby clothes. From a rack, he pulled out a pastel onesie adorned with tiny stars.
“Isn’t this cute?”
“Put it back.”
Without so much as glancing up, Gyuha responded curtly. Buying toys was one thing, but clothes felt premature. Shuffling awkwardly, he flipped through a rack when something caught his eye.
“Hey.”
“Hmm?”
“Why is the tag on the outside?”
He pointed to the label, which should have been sewn on the inside near the neckline but was instead affixed to the outer fabric of every garment.
“Ah, that’s why…”
Lee Chayoung said after carefully examining the tag,
“I think it’s because if the tag is on the inside, it could irritate the baby’s skin. Babies spend most of their time lying down, after all.”
It seemed like a plausible answer. Nodding in agreement, Seo Gyuha noticed something else strange,
“But the sizing looks off, too.”
He pulled out a onesie and held the tag closer for Chayoung to see. This time, even Chayoung was stumped.
‘What could ‘6m’ mean?’
It seemed to indicate some detail about the clothing, but its meaning was elusive.
Turning to face Chayoung, Gyuha asked,
“It doesn’t mean the baby’s height is 6 meters, does it?”
“…I doubt that.”
“Then is it 60 centimeters?”
As they whispered to each other, the store employee seized the opportunity to approach and explain,
“‘6m’ means it’s for six-month-old babies. For infants younger than a year, sizes are labeled by age in months, like 3m or 6m.”
Listening to the explanation, Gyuha let out an embarrassed cough, remembering how ridiculous his earlier comment about ‘6 meters’ had been.
“How about these?”
The employee suggested, holding up another outfit,
“These are 100% cotton and perfect for sensitive skin.”
Seizing the moment, the employee launched into an effortless sales pitch, showcasing her expertise. A short while later, the two men left the store, each holding a shopping bag filled with rattles, swaddling blankets, and newborn clothes.
***
READY FOR MORE?
Unlock 20 advanced chapters 🔒