Chapter Text
“What time is it?”
A soft groggy voice came from behind Jeongwon. He turned his back, finding his wife slowly propping herself on the headboard with her eyes half-open, waking up from her nap. Jeongwon put the watch he was about to wear back on the dressing table and sat in front of her on their bed.
“Hey, you’re up?” Jeongwon scooted closer and planted a kiss on her forehead. She responded with a small yawn and blinked a bit, which he couldn’t help but giggle at, finding her very adorable. “Around five. Sleep more,” he said, caressing the top of her head.
“Why don’t you wake me up, oppa? You’re all ready, I haven’t even showered yet, we will be late,” she whined, rubbing her sleepy eyes with the back of her hand. Jeongwon pulled her hand, mumbling your eyes will get hurt and gently dabbed her eyes with his fingers instead.
“You need that sleep, Gyeoul-ah,” he answered. He took her hands into his and started massaging them lightly. “I can attend the gala by myself, it will be better if you just rest than forcing yourself to come with me. Our little peach, remember?” Jeongwon’s voice turned softer as his hands moved to massage his wife’s legs lightly. “People will understand,” he continued.
The charity gala held by Yulje Foundation was an annual event to provide donations for Yulje Medical Center and several other affiliated hospitals’ patients in need. This year’s gala was one of the biggest held in the last few years because of the several highlighted changes that happened in Yulje — including the Daddy-Long-Legs program which Jeongwon started during his days in Kangwoon Medical Center.
Jeongwon had decided that he needed to broaden the program because if he wanted to help more people, it meant more funds and he couldn’t just rely on his personal funds (since he now had his own family to take care of) and the VIP ward’s income. That thought brought him to a long discussion with Songhwa and Gyeoul, and they decided to make Daddy-Long-Legs official and start accepting more external donations. They put more details into the fund allocations and established a more structured system. Their priority would be children and mothers, as Jeongwon wished, but it would still be open to help any other patient. Jeongwon would still be involved, of course, he wanted to make sure the program still ran the way he envisioned it to be. The preparations had just finished this year, and the gala would be the first event where the newly-curated Daddy-Long-Legs program started sharing its vision and open for donations.
Jeongwon wasn’t the type to attend galas and parties like these. Even as the late chairman’s son, he rarely went to any. His mother had basically dragged him to several galas and introduced him as the youngest son of the family, but he never fully enjoyed it. But today, he should attend as the founder of the Daddy-Long-Legs program and at least give a speech. For the first time in forever, he didn’t mind the spotlight. If it was for Daddy-Long-Legs, then he would do it. For Daddy-Long-Legs, for his little patients and more little friends all over Korea, he would do it.
And of course, he was expected to come together with his wife, the brilliant surgeon from Yulje’s HPB department-slash-one of the co-founder of the renewed Daddy-Long-Legs program, dr. Jang Gyeoul.
Gyeoul never liked any kind of excess exposure and attention, but when Jeongwon first brought up the gala in one of their late-night conversations, she unexpectedly was okay in attending.
“As long as I don’t need to make some diplomatic comments or such,” she laughed, and that added one more thing to his very long list of proofs that I married the right person. “Oppa will also be there, so I don’t mind. Just keep me close, please? I’m not comfortable being around rich people,” her voice turned mischievous. “Hey, but I’m also rich?” Jeongwon joked back. “I don’t think rich people got their car for free from a friend,” she teased, reminding him of the car he got from Songhwa years ago when they had just started dating. Amused, knowing he couldn’t beat her, he gave in and just peppered her face with pecks, earning ticklish giggles from her. He loved this side of her, despite her cold appearance, she was unexpectedly warm, laughed a lot, even liked to throw jokes and teasing around her loved ones.
But that talk was way before their little peach came into the picture.
It was only last month when Jeongwon found his wife half-conscious on the couch in his office because of a dizzy spell. Her grip on his arm was weak and she couldn’t sit up without help. He brought her to the ER and asked for blood work just in case, and his guts told him to ask for an extra hCG test. And his instinct was right — their little peach was on her way. Gyeoul’s period had never been regular, but she didn’t realize that this time, the delay was their little peach trying to announce her existence.
Gyeoul had been having it pretty bad since, she spent a lot of time napping at Jeongwon’s office and Ikjun even reduced her time in the OR because of her frequent dizzy spells. Mornings were worse, her stomach didn’t feel like accepting any kind of food except fruits and water. Afternoons weren’t any better, tired and sleepy was the daily mood and the usual active Gyeoul didn’t like it that she was being less productive. Jeongwon had to remind her that their little peach was settling down and adapting with her mom’s body, and she needed to rest. (But it’s not like she hated the resting time — especially when Jeongwon was there and they could nap together).
The gala day wasn’t an exception. Jeongwon had told Gyeoul multiple times that she didn’t have to attend, because attending the gala meant they would be roaming around and he didn’t like the idea of her standing too long. “But little peach behaves well today, I feel good, I’ll just take a little nap before evening. I even asked Minha unnie to do my make-up and chose my dress already,” she pouted that morning to him before they went to work. Knowing Gyeoul, Jeongwon gave in and checked them in a little earlier to the hotel the gala would be held at so that Gyeoul could steal a little nap, and she actually did. She passed out as soon as she touched the bed.
Jeongwon didn’t have the heart to wake her up, she needed that sleep and he really didn’t mind going alone to the gala. As much as he wanted to see her in that dress she chose for tonight, his worries for her exceeded it. So he took a shower, put on his shirt and tux, did his hair in quick, silent motion, letting his wife sleep more.
“But I want to accompany you,” Gyeoul pouted, earning a chuckle from her husband. “How can I let you go alone looking all dashing like this, oppa?” Her pout deepened, and Jeongwon’s chuckle turned into laughter. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was her husband in a white dress shirt, unbuttoned black slick tux, a perfect fit to his toned body, finishing his celebrity-like look with an updo to his usual fringed hair and a watch on his left wrist — no, she would never let Prof. Ahn Jeongwon went to the gala alone. “And it’s also a milestone to Daddy-Long-Legs. I want to be at least be present,” Gyeoul smiled, planting a quick peck to his smiling lips.
“Arasseo,” Jeongwon tapped her cheek. “Just promise me you’ll tell me if you don’t feel good later, we can always leave early.” Gyeoul nodded and quickly put away the covers. “I’ll just shower. Did Minha unnie come?” she asked, getting her robe from the cupboard. “Half an hour ago. I told her you’re still asleep. I’ll text her for you,” Jeongwon took the watch he didn’t get to put on earlier and clasped it on his left wrist. 5.20 PM. The gates would open in ten minutes.
“I need to go down now, Gyeoul-ah, call me when you’re ready so I can fetch you, alright? We can be fashionably late.”
“The punctual Ahn Jeongwon knows the word fashionably late?”
Jeongwon just laughed hearing his wife’s amused reply from the bathroom.
He was lowkey glad that they got to attend the gala together, and over all, his wife felt well today.
**