The Birth of the Devil

FIRST TRIMESTER: Fetal Stage

TEACHING TAEYEON

I stretched my hands to the air as I wake myself up to a brand new morning. I knew I have a lot of things to do. I need to go to the village dump and search for some metal scraps I can sell as per my usual activity to earn a living. The earlier I get there, the better my chances to get my needs. I quietly crept out of our room, leaving my wife in her deep slumber. I went to the kitchen and headed to our meager food storage which I later found out to be only containing two pieces of breads. I took one and put it in a neat package.  I just gulped a glass of water into my mouth and I then hurriedly went out of the house. The chilly breeze hit my pale cheeks and I felt a quiver crawl into my spine. It was still dark and a little foggy—just the typical Jeonju dawn. I grabbed a gray empty sack, put it on my shoulder and started walking towards Soo’s house.

A thin male with an old worn cap was leaning on a red-bricked wall—his figure being illuminated by the post lamp above him. It was my little buddy. Sooyoung was there—already waiting for me. With a similar carriage in his hand, he straightened his back and hollered when he saw me coming.

“What took you so long, hyung? I’ve been here for a few and I am glad to tell you that I haven’t had anything in my stomach yet.” He showed me his stomach and rubbed it.

I took the bread I packed a while ago and handed it to him. “Here. Eat.”

He grabbed it faster than I can pronounce the letter ‘H’ in the word ‘here’ and bit a big portion. I acted surprised at his actions; my jaws dropped, my shoulders lowered and my eyes widened for dramatic effects.

He coughed and I had to pat his back to help him. A part of the bread must have gotten stuck at his throat. “Yah! Bite the food. See, you’re choking.”

He must be tired and still sleepy as I saw him rubbed his eye with his palm. “Yeah. Yeah.” Then, he suddenly shoved the remaining bread inside my mouth.

I stared at him confusedly, the bread still in between my frontal teeth. “Wha—?”

“Eat. I know you only got two pieces of bread in your house. Don’t ask how I knew.” Sooyoung glanced at his feet—his head hung low. “And you’re not the kind to leave halmuni with nothing. And…and I’m too smart you can’t trick me. This bread is one of the two while the other one was left in your house.” He smiled timidly. “Thank you for taking care of me, hyung.”

***

The profits from the metal scraps Soo and I got were enough for a day’s meal. We happily walked our way back home, holding a bag of rice and a box of fried chicken. It was almost noon and the sun was scorching hot. I saw halmuni in a distance. She was wearing his usual straw hat, picking some leaves in the nearby self-created mini greenery.

“Halmuniiiiiiiii!!!” I greeted her and Sooyoung followed with a louder vocal prowess.

Halmuni squinted her eyes and used her hand to protect it from the sun’s rays while she straightens her back. “Aigoo! These kids! I can still hear you. Do not shout! Hahahaha~~” She laughed and called us to come nearer.

“Halmuni! We bought fried chicken!”Sooyoung stated enthusiastically.

“Ahahahha. Jinja? That is good, very good. I just picked a few vegetables. It’ll be good side dishes!” Halmuni smiled back. “Come inside. Miyoung’s been waiting for you. She was sulking a while ago. You still didn’t allow her to go work with you.”

“Oh-oh.” Sooyoung mischievously stared at me. He knew what’s to come.

It has been almost three months since Miyoung came here—since, well, since she became my wife. It was really awkward at first but then, she was too kind and lovely—it was awfully hard not to like her. I’ve always thought that I needed to be overprotective of her—to shelter her from my poverty. You can’t blame me though, she was a princess and it was the least I could do. She had probably been born with a golden spoon embellished with pink diamonds in her luscious lips. And it’s scratching my ego as a man, as his husband and as the provider of this family to make her work. I’d rather she stayed with halmuni in the house. She noticed my decision to protect her from my poor condition and had been constantly pleading me to take her with me in my work escapades. Well, subtly. I’ll just nod at her request but leave her sleeping whenever I can. And this is one of those moments when I had succeeded in doing so.