CGC 21

Chapter 21

The loud slap! startled Yoo-eul.

“Wh–why are you doing that all of a sudden?”

Ji-hyuk approached her with a calm face, as if nothing had happened. Yoo-eul looked at him like he was insane.

Afraid she might ask why he’d just slapped himself, Ji-hyuk avoided her gaze and focused only on Doha instead.

Doha was chewing on a teething toy and playing happily.

“So he doesn’t cry if he’s biting that, huh.”

Even as he changed the subject, Yoo-eul kept a wary eye on him.

Ji-hyuk took the yellow lion-shaped teether from Doha’s hand. Strangely enough, the baby didn’t cry.

“Doha, your uncle’s acting weird today. Slapping himself, stealing your toys—what’s next?”

Tilting her head, Yoo-eul took out a new diaper from the container. She changed the baby’s diaper with surprising skill, even rolling up and taping the used one neatly.

Feeding the baby formula looked a little awkward, but her diaper-changing was impressive enough to make Ji-hyuk wonder.

Perhaps noticing his gaze, Yoo-eul said while putting on Doha’s pants,

“I watched some videos about how to change diapers. I thought it’d be the hardest part, but it’s actually easier than I expected.”

“Easy,” he thought. Maybe for her—but definitely not for him.

He still remembered Doha wailing every time he’d tried to change a diaper.

Clapping her hands in front of Doha’s face, Yoo-eul extended her palms. Doha reached out. Yoo-eul gently pulled, helping him stand on his own.

“There you go! Wow, look at that core strength! How can a six-month-old baby stand so well?”

Even though she’d practically lifted him herself, Yoo-eul seemed proud that Doha stood for a moment. She hugged him tightly, and Doha, apparently fond of her, snuggled comfortably into her arms.

He looked much better than last night—maybe it was the antibiotics from the hospital, or maybe just Yoo-eul’s presence. Whatever the reason, Ji-hyuk was relieved to see the baby’s condition improving.

“What do you usually play with him?”

The sudden question snapped him from his thoughts. When he didn’t answer, Yoo-eul asked again.

“What do you do when you play with Doha?”

Ji-hyuk slowly pointed toward the toy box.

“Let him play with toys over there, or sometimes I read to him.”

“Oh. Can I read to him now? They say it’s good to keep reading, even if they don’t understand yet.”

Yoo-eul went to the toy box, sat Doha beside her, and pulled out a thin, rounded-corner book.

Doha’s chubby little back looked adorable as he sat there quietly. Yoo-eul began reading the short sentences printed one per page.

Doha looked up at her calmly, as if he actually understood. Encouraged, Yoo-eul became more animated, reading like a storytime performer.

Apparently liking it, Doha tapped another book beside him.

“You want me to read this one too? Let’s see… oh, it’s about Ggomi going potty! Ggomi goes—”

Was he always that smart? Since when could they communicate like that?

Ji-hyuk stood frozen like a stone, watching the two of them closely.

Yoo-eul was too good with children, and despite meeting her only yesterday, Doha followed her without a hint of shyness.

Did he really think she was his mom?

Ji-hyuk began to worry that the baby might start crying and refusing to let her go.

“But, um…”

Her voice brought him back to focus. Doha was now playing with a worm-shaped plush toy.

“You’re not going to work today, right?”

“Yeah. I’m taking a few days off until I find a babysitter.”

Yoo-eul nodded thoughtfully, then suggested,

“Why don’t you get some sleep? If you’re leaving around eight, you could rest for two hours.”

“You think I’m crazy enough to leave the cat in charge of the fish?”

Offended by his tone, Yoo-eul opened her mouth to argue—but closed it again.

“Well, I do need to shower. Keep an eye on the baby.”

She didn’t respond.

As Ji-hyuk turned to leave, he stopped and called out,

“Hey, Kidnapper.”

“…What.”

“Just so you know, I have seventeen CCTVs installed. From the front door to the gate.”

“……”

“So don’t even think about running off with the kid.”

Frowning, Yoo-eul shot back, “I’m not going to do something like that.”

“Oh, really? Yesterday at the hospital you were about to kidnap him.”

“That was… just a moment of poor judgment. I was too desperate then…”

Ji-hyuk turned around fully and faced her.

“So you’ve changed your mind now?”

“Yes. I want to come to an agreement with you. And the baby’s sick—I don’t want to stress him out by changing his environment.”

Her sincere tone stopped him from teasing further. He said nothing and headed to the bathroom.

After Ji-hyuk went to wash up, Yoo-eul continued playing with Doha while memorizing the details written in the baby-care app he had shared.

“So baby food is just made like thin porridge, huh?”

She lightly patted Doha’s bottom as he played beside her.

“Our Doha’s grown up so much already. Eating solid food! Your mom would be so proud.”

The words made her chest ache.

She had only met Doha last night—less than ten hours ago—but she already felt attached to him.

If she loved him this much after so little time, how must her sister have felt?

Even in her final moments, she must have been unable to stop thinking about her baby.

Her throat tightened painfully at the thought.

“Da!”

Doha shouted, raising a toy.

Yoo-eul smiled and stroked his cheek. Looking at her sister’s little copy, she felt even more determined to care for him properly.

She lifted Doha onto her lap. Instead of squirming away, he settled comfortably.

Maybe he somehow knew she was his aunt.

Unable to resist, she buried her face in his soft hair.

“Our Doha’s so cute… Auntie doesn’t ever want to let you go.”

She whispered and glanced nervously toward Ji-hyuk’s room.

She didn’t know when he might change his mind and throw her out.

How could she convince him?

Threatening to release the recorded call hadn’t worked at all.

Maybe she could ask if she could come visit Doha every few days instead, since he liked her so much?

He’d probably refuse, saying it was a nuisance…

“Hmmm. Doha…”

Yoo-eul hugged the baby tightly. The warm baby scent filled her nose, and she felt a warning bell go off in her head—

She was turning into a total baby addict. From now on, her life would revolve around Doha.

“Oh, whatever,” she muttered, flopping backward with Doha in her arms.

Thinking it was playtime, Doha squirmed happily on her stomach.

When Ji-hyuk finished washing and getting ready, it was past seven.

He was about to lie down for a short rest before leaving at eight when a strange sense of unease hit him.

It was too quiet outside.

He rushed to the living room.

He’d warned her—but what if she’d still taken the baby and run?

He was ready to chase her to the ends of the earth if she had.

But when he reached the living room, he stopped dead.

Yoo-eul was fast asleep on the floor, sprawled out in the middle of the room, and Doha was sleeping peacefully on top of her stomach.

“…Is that even possible?”

Doha was notoriously difficult to put to sleep.

Housekeeper Shim always had to wear a baby sling and walk around in the dark until he dozed off, then carefully lower him into bed.

Ji-hyuk had struggled the same way to get him to sleep.

Sure, the baby had been exhausted and feverish yesterday, so he’d fallen asleep easily then…

But now?

How could he sleep so soundly in the arms of a woman he barely knew?

Ji-hyuk approached, filled with both curiosity and unease.

The clothes he’d given her were too big—her pant legs had ridden up to her shins.

She really was out of her mind.

Even if she was taking care of her nephew, how could she fall asleep like that in front of a man, legs bare, totally defenseless?

Ji-hyuk crouched down slightly and reached out to pull her pant leg down.