My Girlfriend Is Very Good to Me
142 - Three Years Later, A New Normal
TL/Editor: looloo
Status: ongoing
Illustrations: posted in discord
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Three years had passed since Sarang''s first birthday party.
From then on, well, a lot had happened, but nothing had changed drastically. The family was still harmonious, Heena still clung to me, and Sarang remained a daddy''s girl.
Still, if I had to pick the biggest event during that time, it would be Jeongwoo hyung and Yoonjung noona''s wedding.
They got married the year after Sarang''s first birthday. Both had established themselves in their respective workplaces and planned to move out right after the wedding. Unfortunately, that plan failed.
Not only was the cost of housing too high, but their jobs were busier than expected, making it difficult to handle housework after work.
So, noona—no, my sister-in-law—ended up living with her in-laws, much like how I lived with Heena’s family.
Sister-in-law had been living at our house half the time anyway, so it wasn''t a big inconvenience.
Another significant event was Heena passing the corporate recruitment exam in her fourth year and starting work in January.
Or perhaps the fact that I continued to receive freelance web design projects, a gig I had occasionally taken during my university years, even after graduation.
In my third year, I took on a freelance project to build a website through a senior''s connection. It was surprisingly well-received, leading to steady work.
The problem arose when Heena saw this.
"How about you work as a freelancer from home? Your major involves a lot of computer work, so why not?"
She would say this repeatedly. Honestly, web design was something I did on the side, using skills I had learned. It wasn''t something I could immediately turn into a full-time freelance career after graduation.
There was no way a fresh computer science graduate with no significant experience would get enough work. My web design gigs were lucky breaks from cheap initial work that spread by word of mouth.
But Heena seemed to love the idea of me staying home, insisting on it with sparkling eyes. It took days to convince her that it was impossible.
I was only planning to do it as a side job until I went to the military.
I had initially planned to apply for a non-active duty position and enlist right after graduating. That way, I could finish my service quickly and start my career.
Although my application was accepted, there were no plans for non-active duty enlistment at nearby units anytime soon. The earliest possibility was just after summer, so it got postponed.
As a result, I became a half-unemployed househusband, doing web design side jobs, taking Sarang to daycare, and waiting at home for Heena to come back from work.
Heena and Sarang loved it, though.
Because I was always at home.
On a day when Heena, Heeseong hyung, and my father-in-law were at work, and my mother-in-law was out, Sarang''s daycare was under construction, so she had to stay home all day. It gave me a chance to spend time alone with her, and I made snacks for her while wearing an apron.
I made pancakes!
Back when Heena and I lived together, I had taken up cooking as a hobby, and that knowledge was now coming in handy.
Even though I was a half-unemployed househusband, I didn''t spend every day just cooking and playing. I kept up by coding and studying English during my free time.
Moreover, Sarang was such a good child that she didn''t bother me when I was busy, so I could have studied during this time as well.
"Sarang, do this by yourself! Daddy’s okay!"
Sarang, who had grown so much that her long hair now suited her nickname of mini Heena.
With eyes slightly lowered like mine, she smiled and flipped through a picture book by herself, as if telling me not to worry about her.
How could I concentrate on studying like that?
So, I picked up Sarang and brought her to the kitchen to make pancakes.
It was about snack time anyway.
I made the pancakes not too thick to prevent Sarang from choking, even if they didn''t look perfect, and brought them to the table.
Sarang followed me, tiptoeing and staring at the pancakes on the table.
"Daddy! What''s this?"
"It''s a pancake. Do you know what a pancake is, Sarang?"
"I know! Uncle Heeseong gave it to me!"
"Uncle Heeseong gave it to you?"
"Yes! But~ the one I ate was different!"
"Different from this?"
Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening, signaling Heena''s return.
"Sarang! I think Mommy''s home!"
"Mommy!!!"
-Thud, thud, thud!
As soon as she heard the sound of the door unlocking, Sarang closed the book she was reading, stood up, and ran towards the entrance. I followed her slowly and saw Heena in her suit, taking off her shoes.
Her black hair, smooth as silk, and her white shirt and black suit were no different from when she was in high school.
Heena looked amazing in her pantsuit. Even until our senior year of college, I had always thought she was cute and pretty.
Maybe this is what a beautiful career woman looks like. After three months at her job, she seemed more composed.
Sarang greeted Heena with a bow.
"Welcome home!"
"I''m home~ My Sarang, did you listen to Daddy well?"
"Yes! I ate pancakes too!"
"Really~? They must have been delicious~"
Heena patted Sarang''s head as she walked in. Then, she approached me, wrapped her arms around my neck, and kissed me.
-Smooch!
"I''m home."
"Welcome. You worked hard today. Do you want to eat right away?"
"Yeah, I''ll eat after I wash up."
"Should I wash Sarang now too? Do you want to take her with you? If you''re tired, I can wash her later."
"Hmm~"
Heena thought for a moment, then looked at Sarang and spoke.
"Sarang! How about we all take a bath together today?"
"Yes! Let''s do it together!"
"She said yes, honey. Mom said she''d be late today, so it should be fine, right?"
"Sigh... Okay. I''ll heat up the water, so get Sarang''s clothes ready."
"Thanks~"
-Smooch!
Heena kissed me again and then went to the room.
I headed straight to the bathroom to fill the tub with warm water. But Sarang, instead of following Heena, was tugging at my clothes.
"Daddy, Daddy!"
"Hmm? What is it?"
"Sarang too!"
"You want a kiss too?"
"Yes!"
"Okay. Here, pucker up!"
-Smooch!
I gave Sarang a light kiss on her puckered lips, and she giggled and ran to the room.
"Mommy~ I kissed Daddy too!"
"Really? Should Mommy give you a kiss too?"
"Yes! Kiss!"
Listening to the cheerful conversation between mother and daughter from the room, I walked back to the bathroom.
This was our normal, everyday life.
A cute daughter, a wonderful wife, and a husband taking care of the home. Even though we were still living with my in-laws, we were a happy family.