TL/Editor: looloo
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: posted in discord
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Even though Heena struggled a lot, she gradually found her own ways to cope.
For example, she started taking a lot more photos and videos, perhaps to prepare for the tis when she couldn't see my face.
In fact, there were so many frad pictures of us around the house that she could see my face no matter where she looked.
Besides that, the physical affection between us increased when we were alone. How should I put it?
"Honey, more... do more."
"Heena, we've been kissing for over an hour now..."
"We can't have s*x with Sarang sleeping next to us. Don't you want to kiss ...?"
"No, why does it have to co to that... Okay, let just get a glass of water first."
"I want so too."
"Ah, then let get a lot..."
"Feed with your mouth."
Every night, she craved kisses so much that my lips were getting chapped. But it wasn't just my lips.
-Smooch! Smooch!
"Mmm... slurp..."
"Please, spare my neck. It's a bit awkward if the daycare staff see it when I drop Sarang off."
"Okay... slurp..."
"Sigh..."
She kissed, licked, and slled my entire body, as if trying to imprint my scent more strongly in her mind. Honestly, it was still embarrassing when she pressed her nose against like this, but I couldn't stop Heena.
If doing this could cheer her up even a little, I could endure it. Of course, enduring the embarrassnt was one thing, but my body heating up from this intense physical affection inevitably led us to the bathroom.
We couldn't go all the way there, as the sounds would echo, so we did other things. But even those were done with more care and passion. Whether with her hands or mouth.
And when we were with Sarang, Heena made sure I held Sarang the whole ti while she hugged from behind.
Although Sarang liked , she should have felt stifled from being held constantly. But our Sarang showed no signs of discomfort.
Like Heena, Sarang quietly nestled against without a word.
"......"
People often said Sarang was well-behaved, but that didn't an she was silent and still all the ti. It just ant she didn't run around or make too much noise.
But when I held her tightly in my arms, she beca as quiet as she was when she was a baby.
"Sarang, aren't you uncomfortable? Should I let you go?"
"No. Sarang likes this."
"Really?"
"Yes..."
"I like this too, honey."
"As long as you both like it..."
However, recently, Heeseong, who disapproved of our behavior, grumbled from the side.
"Aren't you guys hot? Why do you do that every ti you co ho?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Hand Sarang over to ..."
He must have been really jealous of Sarang cuddling like a kitten. After all, whenever others tried to hold her, she would quickly say, 'Put down now.'
If Sarang wanted to go to him, I wouldn't stop her.
"I like it here..."
"See?"
"Sigh..."
Heeseong sighed at Sarang's drowsy response, as if she was about to fall asleep. Yet, he still checked the smartphone on the tripod that Heena had set up.
As usual, we were recording, adding to the ever-growing collection of videos. With my enlistnt approaching, each day grew heavier on my heart.
Could the mother and daughter clinging to right now be satisfied with just watching these videos?
Ti flew by. It was really imminent now.
Honestly, it would be a lie to say I wasn't worried about the military, but my worries for Heena and Sarang outweighed everything else.
Even though Heena and I spent most of our ti together, lately, it seed she felt it was never enough.
Sarang, on the other hand, was truly happy since I had been taking care of her more directly instead of leaving her with other family mbers.
She used to spend equal ti with Heeseong, my mother-in-law, and my father-in-law. But now, realizing that I was giving her extra attention, she sought out more.
"Daddy! Guess what! Jooeun showed a cat doll today! And it was yellow!"
"Really?"
"Yes! The yellow kitty was so cute!"
Seeing Sarang chattering away on my lap, I started to worry that spending as much ti with her as possible before going to boot camp might backfire.
I feared she would cry and cause a commotion if she didn't see for just one day. It wasn’t only my concern; both families were worried about it too.
Everyone loved Sarang, and Sarang loved them back, but no one could fill my absence.
The only person who might be able to console her was Heena, but I wasn’t sure she could hold it together.
Heena was perfect in most things, but she couldn't maintain her composure when it ca to .
-Click
"Honey, I'm ready."
"Shall we go then?"
"Yes."
As Heena finished getting ready and ca out of the room, I stood up with Sarang in my arms. We were heading to our usual hair salon.
We were going there, of course, to get a haircut. My enlistnt was imminent. Although I considered going alone quickly, Heena suggested we make it a family outing, so we waited until the weekend.
"Sarang, put on your kitty shoes!"
"Okay. I can do it by myself!"
"Good. Show ."
While Sarang sat on the shoe rack, putting on her velcro shoes, I brushed Heena's hair back. She seed to smile slightly, but I could feel there was no strength behind it.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm okay. Sorry for making you worry."
"It's okay."
No more clumsy words of comfort would help Heena. No matter what I said, it was certain we wouldn’t see each other for five weeks, and there was nothing more I could do.
All I could do was spend as much ti with her as she wanted.
-Snap! Snap!
"I put them on!"
"You're so good at putting on your shoes by yourself now. You've grown so much, my Sarang~"
"I’m all grown up! I want to hold Daddy’s hand and go!"
"Shall we? Heena, give your hand too."
"Okay."
Usually, the child stands in the middle or the mother does, but in our case, I was always in the middle. Both Heena and Sarang preferred holding my hands.
As we walked through the neighborhood hand in hand, I felt sentintal. Thinking about not seeing this place for a while made emotional.
Wow, I would be commuting from ho after just five weeks of training, but how did others endure nearly two years?
I started to respect my friends who had teased rcilessly. Their constant complaints during their leaves made sense now.
"Where are we going with Daddy and Mommy?"
"Daddy is getting a haircut. Do you rember the lady who made Sarang’s hair pretty?"
"Yes! The lady who gave candy!"
It was funny how she rembered people by the food they gave her. She truly was my daughter.
"Daddy will get his haircut, then we’ll go eat sothing delicious with Mommy."
"I want ice cream!"
"Han Sarang. We said no ice cream before als."
"Okay... I want to eat sothing delicious and then have ice cream."
Seeing Heena disciplining Sarang made think she might handle things well in my absence. I hoped so. After all, apart from , Heena was the person Sarang relied on the most.
With a slightly stern tone, Heena gently spoke to the now slightly sulky Sarang.
"Shall we go eat your favorite hamburger steak later?"
It wasn't a burger, but hamburger steak. The kind that cos as a kids' al at a family restaurant.
Since my childhood mories of eating such als were vivid, I often took Sarang to eat there, and she loved it even more than I expected.
Even now, she was bouncing in her seat at the ntion of hamburger steak.
"I love hamburger steak! It's so delicious! Mommy! When are we going?"
"After Daddy gets his hair cut. Can you wait patiently?"
"I can wait!"
"If Sarang behaves well today, you can have hamburger steak and ice cream after."
"Really?! Daddy! Mommy said I can have hamburger steak and ice cream!"
"You're so lucky~ You have to be a good girl today, okay?"
"Yes! Sarang is a good girl!"
With a happy Sarang and Heena, who seed both sad and excited about the family outing, we arrived at the hair salon we had booked.
Our whole family used this salon, so we were quite familiar with it. We always booked the sa stylist, who knew us well.
Today, I asked for a 15mm buzz cut with the sides trimd, which made the stylist look at in surprise.
"Yeonho, are you enlisting?"
"Yes, next week."
"Oh... that's why Heena looks so..."
"Yeah, pretty much."
Heena, waiting with Sarang in the back seats, must have looked quite gloomy to the stylist.
Although she was a female hair stylist, she had heard a lot of stories about the military, so we chatted about it while she cut my hair.
It was done in no ti, given that it was just a buzz cut with the sides trimd. Usually, it took at least an hour.
After washing my hair, I looked in the mirror and saw a familiar yet strange face. It was striking how much hair affected one's appearance.
Feeling the emptiness on my head, I stepped outside, and Sarang, wide-eyed, ran towards .
"Daddy! Your hair is gone!!"
"How does Daddy look?"
"Great! I still love Daddy the most!"
"Thank you, Sarang..."
Well, as long as Sarang liked it, that was enough. But having my hair this short for the first ti in my life almost brought tears to my eyes.
The problem was, while I felt like crying just from losing the hair I'd had for over twenty years...
"Heeuk..."
Heena was actually crying.
Author's Note:
When will I write the 19 scenes...
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