Arrange Marriage

CHAP 38

Chapter 38: The Sweetest Arrival
Mingyu’s screams echoed through the hospital room as he clutched Wonwoo’s hand in a vice grip. The labor had stretched on for hours, leaving both of them exhausted but determined.
“This is all your fault, Jeon Wonwoo!” Mingyu groaned, glaring daggers at his husband.
Wonwoo winced—not from the grip on his hand, though it was quite possibly broken at this point, but from the venom in Mingyu’s words. “I know, love. I know. Just keep breathing, okay?”
“Don’t tell me to breathe!” Mingyu snapped, sweat dripping from his temple. “You’re not the one pushing out a human being!”
Wonwoo bit back a nervous laugh. “You’re doing amazing. You’re so strong.”
Mingyu’s glare softened for a moment, but then another contraction hit, and the daggers were back. “If we ever do this again, I swear to God, Wonwoo, you’re going to be the one giving birth!”
After what felt like an eternity—and only three threats to Wonwoo’s life—the room was filled with the most beautiful sound: the high-pitched cry of their newborn.
Mingyu collapsed back against the hospital bed, tears streaming down his face as the nurse carefully cleaned the baby. Wonwoo, who had been rooted to Mingyu’s side the entire time, suddenly found himself frozen, his breath caught in his chest as he waited to see their child.
When the nurse finally brought the baby over and placed her in Mingyu’s arms, Wonwoo’s vision blurred. She was tiny, with a full head of dark hair and rosy cheeks. Her cries softened as she nestled into Mingyu’s chest, her little fists waving in the air.
“She’s…” Wonwoo’s voice broke, and he quickly wiped at his eyes, but the tears kept coming. “She’s perfect.”
Mingyu, exhausted but glowing, smiled down at the baby before looking up at Wonwoo. “She is, isn’t she?”
Wonwoo leaned in, his hand trembling as he reached out to gently touch the baby’s tiny hand. Her fingers instinctively curled around his, and that was it—his heart completely shattered and reassembled in an instant.
“Hi, baby girl,” Wonwoo whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m your dad. And I promise, I’ll protect you with everything I have.”
Mingyu chuckled softly, his voice hoarse but full of warmth. “Looks like you’ve already stolen her heart.”
The nurse interrupted their moment to place a little pink hat on the baby’s head, making Wonwoo chuckle through his tears. “A pink hat, huh? Guess I’m outnumbered now.”
Mingyu smirked weakly. “Better get used to it.”
Wonwoo kissed Mingyu’s forehead tenderly, his lips lingering there for a moment. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“For what?” Mingyu asked, though his tired eyes already knew the answer.
“For giving me this family,” Wonwoo said, his voice cracking again. “For being you. For being everything I never knew I needed.”
Mingyu smiled, his own tears welling up. “You’re such a sap.”
“And you love it,” Wonwoo teased, his attention shifting back to their baby girl.
Hours later, as Mingyu rested, Wonwoo held their daughter for the first time. She had fallen asleep in his arms, her tiny chest rising and falling peacefully. Wonwoo couldn’t stop staring, marveling at how something so perfect could exist.
“Jeon Sooyeon,” he whispered, trying out the name they had agreed on. “You’ve got your dad wrapped around your little finger already, you know that?”
The baby stirred slightly, making a soft cooing sound that made Wonwoo’s chest ache with love.
Looking over at Mingyu, who was fast asleep with a soft smile on his lips, Wonwoo felt a wave of gratitude wash over him.
In that moment, there was no room for the chaos of their lives, no thoughts of the underworld or business. There was only their tiny family, and the overwhelming joy that came with it.
Wonwoo leaned down, pressing a kiss to his daughter’s forehead. “Welcome to the world, baby girl. You’re going to be so loved.”