Chapter Text
There was a lot to sacrifice, in his opinion, when it came to being the man of the house. For example, he had to wake up exactly on time when his wife was halfway through preparing their breakfast. Waking up early would greet him with the consequence of making his own breakfast and waking up any late, would leave his stomach growling until lunch time.
Not to mention being a salaryman wasn’t an easy job. Having to be entitled to the title of a salaryman itself was a huge responsibility.
For a second example, he had to be an expert at sighing. He just had to emit the energy of an adult in his late twenties trying to understand the consequence of his choices made in the earlier half of his life. Sighing became a substitute form of breathing at one point.
Jaebum had been watching the morning talk show about a celebrity dating scandal, which he had no interest in but he was rather interested in the outcome of the scandal. Just when the scandal’s juicy details were about to be revealed, the man of the house found himself hearing someone sigh in the distance. His salary man radar made his ears twitch at the second sound of the sigh. Being the only two people in the house, he couldn’t let his wife win the sighing game.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he walked towards her in the kitchen’s dining space with his mouth still full.
“The fact that you chew with your mouth open and you can fit the whole meal at once. It’s mind-boggling.” she replied with a frown on her lips and her forehead slightly wrinkled.
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad. We’ve been married for four years and besides, we dated for six years. I am not that bad.” Jaebum defended himself barely putting effort into it.
“I married a total dumb ass.” she whispered under her breath before she opened a page of the newspaper. “Look at this.”
Jaebum put aside his plate and took a long sip of his strawberry soda, yes he was having soda for breakfast, before sitting beside his wife to take a look at what she had been sighing about. It was an enormous advertisement of a job opening at the JYP Enterprise, the largest corporation currently existing on this planet. They had entertainment branches to restaurants to production factories. They were currently seeking a general manager at their head branch which controlled all other sectors.
“Whoa, the new CEO is already making changes? It sure doesn’t take long for people to erase past employees.” Jaebum commented as he closed the page. He sighed too, wishing a peaceful retirement to the previous manager. Hopefully, he had made early retirement plans.
“Well?” Jieun asked raising an eyebrow.
“Well what?” the husband asked in confusion.
“Well you stupid, aren’t you going to think of applying for the position? You clearly have the requirements.”
“Oh, my innocent maiden wife,” Jaebum joked as he kissed the other on the crown of the head. He continued to laugh at her suggestion as he headed towards the sink to clean his dishes. When his wife continued to glare at him, he turned around with a ghostly pale face. “Wait, you’re not serious are you?”
“Bitch, of course, I am serious! Look at the salary! It’s USD 10,000 per month! Per month Jaebum-ah! And you clearly have the requirements for it! It’s worth taking a shot for.” She replied shaking him by the shoulders.
Jaebum held onto his wife by the waist and studied her eyes. They were glinting with hope and anticipation, as she looked into Jaebum’s confused eyes with horrible under eye bags. “No way, Jieun I think we make enough money for us. I don’t want us to be greedy now. We are doing fine aren’t we?”
“But we could do more than fine. This is could change everything for us.”
“But what will we do with so much money? I clearly don’t have the right skills for this position. Even if they gave it to me as a joke, I wouldn’t be able to satisfy them.”
“That’s why there are risks.” She insisted squeezing Jaebum’s hands inside her palm. “This is the risk that could change everything for the three of us.”
“I really don’t think—wait, did you just say three? Your mom is not moving in with us is she?” Jaebum asked in astonishment. “Because this house is way too small and I can’t give up my hobby room.”
“No dumb ass,” she chuckled as he cupped Jaebum’s face and smiled at him. “We are going to be a family of three.”
Jaebum made a few different expressions, expressing shock, disbelief, confusion, surprise, and denial before smiling wide with tears forming in his waterline. He couldn't believe the words he had heard and neither could believe the meaning of it. “I am going to...I am...I am going to be a dad?” he exclaimed, even though his voice was low and his smile tried to repress the urge to burst out into sobs.
“Yes you are, you’re going to the best dad out there no matter what you do. We will always be proud of you. So, will you take this chance?” She asked, wiping his tears away and placing a kiss on his forehead.
“Yes, yes I will. The interview will be held in a week, right? I’ll take a day off from work and take my chance. I can’t quit my current job yet, that would be too risky.” Jaebum informed.
“Do whatever you think is the best, I believe in you.” she replied, with a broad smile.
Jaebum held her into her embrace ever so lightly, fearing to hurt his wife and his future child. His daydreams hadn’t come to an end after college, neither after getting married. He was to enter another arc of his life.
Life hadn't been so bad to Jaebum, not the in the past six years at least.