Chapter 423: Epilogue-18 Years Later
Chapter 423: Epilogue-18 Years Later
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
DOCTOR DEMON IS OUT NOW
LINK: /book/doctor-demon_20493883605820405
ALSO, PLEASE CHECK OUT MY OTHER BOOK 'TRIALS OF FIRE & LOVE'. IT'S A CONTEMPORARY MAFIA ROMANCE BETWEEN A MAFIA KINGPIN WITH A TERRIBLE SECRET AND THE WOMAN WHOM HE CAN'T EVER FALL IN LOVE WITH.
LINK: /book/trials-of-fire-love_20554444905405205
Also, do read my heartfelt gratitude in the auxilary chapter. A letter to all my beloved readers [3
...
*Eighteen Years Later*
A black Maybach stopped in front of the hospital. As soon as it stopped, a handsome man in his mid fifties dashed out of it while his secretary followed suit. The man looked much younger than his age but had a few grey streaks on his hair. His face was worried as he ran through the corridor towards the maternity ward.
"Sir, slow down!" his secretary Jongin called after him. "The madam is fine-"
But Minho did not listen to him. He cursed himself for listening to his wife! If she had not insisted him to attend the meeting, he would have never left her side. All throughout the nine months, he had been constantly fussing over her and stayed with her but just a few days ago, some investors insisted on having an out of country meeting to see some sites.
"Just go and attend the meeting!" Gayoon had insisted. "This one will not be out for another two weeks! And you'll only be gone for five days."
She patted her bulging belly and flashed her smile at him, knowing very well that he could never refuse her when she smiled like that!
Minho grudgingly agreed but as soon as he landed in Country H, he got news that Gayoon had gone into labor. By the time he landed back in the country, she had already given birth.
"Out of my way!" he barked at the patients who cursed at him. But he did not care.
As soon as he stepped on the pediatrics' corridor, he saw a group of people standing near the baby ward, cooing through the glass.
"She's so tiny!" a ten year old boy squealed. He had brown hair and dark eyes which resembled a doe. His innocent face was pressed against the glass, staring at a baby who was born only a few hours ago.
"Of course she's tiny!" another boy piped up. He looked exactly like the other boy to the point that it was impossible to tell them apart. "She's a baby!"
"Were we that small when we were born?" his twin asked an old man in his late seventies.
"Small and crying loudly!" the old man claimed.
"Don't lie, old man!" twin number two exclaimed. "Mom said that you were the one crying when we were born because you were very happy."
"Oi, Hwang Minyoon!" Junho scowled. "Who're you calling an old man?"
"I'm Yoonmin," the twin said. "That's Minyoon!"
"You still can't tell us apart?" Minyoon teased him. "How many coins are you gonna lose to us?"
"I AIN'T GIVE YOU ANY MORE COINS!" their grandfather growled.
"You promised us!" Yoonmin pointed out. "Every time you call us by the wrong name, you gotta pay a dollar to us!"
"I think we've made five thousand dollars already," Minyoon added. "This'll make five thousand and one!"
"WHY YOU TWO LITTLE MIDGET-" Junho yelled at them but Minho interrupted them.
"Move!" He ordered the others. "Let me see her!"
"You're late!" Yoonmin said.
"Blame your mother for sending me away!" Minho grumbled.
"We already named our sister!" Minyoon claimed. "Penny!"
Upon hearing that, someone whacked his head.
"Ow!" he complained and turned around to see Mina standing there.
"Stop naming people after money!" she scolded him. "Her name has been decided already!"
She turned to Minho and added, "Bro, you can go and check up on her. Be sure to wear scrubs."
"How's Gayoon?" Minho demanded.
"She's fine," Mina assured her. "She's resting. Jina is also here. She stepped out to bring snacks for everyone. Oh! There she is!"
They turned around to find a slim girl in her late twenties approaching them, carrying a bunch of snacks. Her long brown hair was tied in a messy bun. She was exhausted from all the work she had to do while her mother was in labor but she did not care about her own exhaustion.
Minho beamed upon seeing his daughter. "Dad!" she squealed, giving him a hug. "When did you get here?"
"Just a few minutes ago," he sighed. "And do you have to wear that all the time?"
He was referring to her police uniform which Jina wore almost all the time.
"It's quite useful," she nodded. "Gets me through the shopping queues. Besides, I'm still on duty. The Chief was just nice enough to let me patrol around the hospital for the past few nights."
Minho sighed and smiled at his daughter. He patted her lovingly and said, "Don't overexert yourself. Otherwise, your mother will barge into the station and give your Chief a piece of her mind."Thê sourc𝗲 of this conte/nt n/o/v/(𝒆l)bi((n))
Jina giggled and said, "Yes dad!"
"Take care of these devils," he said. "I'll go and see the baby."
"I'll go with you," Junho said, following them.
"Sis, did you get us soda pops?" Minyoon asked.
"You just got your cavity filled," she said in a stern tone. "No carbs for you!"
The twins were pouting while Jina handed them rice balls and soup. But they listened to their sister without much fuss. They glanced at their sister through the glass again.
"Oi, is that a boy baby next to her?" Yoonmin asked. Minyoon glanced that way and scowled.
"Why is that boy baby next to our sister?" Minyoon demanded. "What if he flirts with our baby Miyoo?"
"How?" Jina scoffed. "In their baby language?"
"Uncle Kanji said that all men are born scum," Minyoon said, feeling very wise. "This is why he doesn't let sister Haemi mix with boys."
"Haemi is too busy ripping off his wallet," Jina muttered. "He could only wish that she cared about boys."
She sat them down on a bench as they nibbled on their snacks. In the past eighteen years, their family had grown big. The twins were born ten years after Minho and Gayoon's marriage. Jina had just graduated high school that time and even though she was much older than them, she insisted on taking care of the boys herself. Despite the grueling police training, she managed to make time for the twins during the weekends.
They inherited the Hwang genes and chased money as much as their father did. Minho might scold them a lot but he was overly protective of them, even teaching them many methods to bankrupt their grandfather. Sometimes, it backfired on Minho though.
Her aunt Mina and uncle Kanji got married two years after her parents did and by next year, her cousin Haemi was born. Junho still lived at Gayoon's old house, still exorcising ghosts with Shinjin. Even though everyone insisted that he live with them, he would not leave that house because Shujin had entrusted it to him.
Grandma Shujin passed away peacefully due to old age a few months after the twins were born. They were all sad by her passing but she lived a long and happy life. That was what mattered to them the most. Gayoon still had her sandals as keepsake. According to her, if her grandma had not thrown those sandals at her, she would have never gotten the courage to fall in love.
Jina still saw ghosts. They would occasionally come to her for help. Some were scary while others were adamant but she got a better hang of her powers now. If she did not want to help a ghost, she could chase them away using some exorcism tricks she picked up over the years. Others, she would happily help.
As for Gayoon. She lost her powers after the birth of the twins. Even though the twins did not inherit the powers, any woman born from their bloodline would get the power. The twins did not care though. They would rather focus on making money.
But her sister would inherit the ability and even though her parents said everything would be okay, she knew they were worried. Could Miyoo handle the invasion of ghosts?
She glanced through the glass. Her father and grandfather were now holding the baby. But Jina frowned a little before giggling. The twins looked up.
"What happened, sis?" Minyoon asked.
"Nothing," she sighed.
.
Inside the nursery, Minho was gently holding his newborn in his arms. She felt so delicate and fragile as if the slightest touch would break her. She was wrapped in a blanket, her eyes cloud and she sucked on her thumb as she slept.
"Miyoo," he gently called her. "Can you recognize your dad?"
The baby slowly opened her eyes and was glancing around.
"She has Gayoon's eyes," Junho said.
"Yeah" Minho nodded. He was cradling her while she looked around curiously before her eyes fell on something behind Minho. She stared at it for a while before giving a toothless smile.
"Is she smiling?" Junho asked in awe. Even Minho was surprised. Do babies smile a few hours after they are born?
"Maybe it's a fluke," Minho said, still cooing at his daughter.
Unbeknownst to them, an invisible figure was making funny faces at the child. The ghost was that of a clown who was passing by and upon seeing the child, he was simply making gestures to make her laugh. The baby stared at him, flashing lopsided smiles while being adored by her father.
She raised a thick palm to point at the ghost but Minho had turned around to talk to Junho.
"Ask Mina if we can take her to meet Gayoon yet," he said, not noticing that his daughter was enjoying the funny antics of a ghost clown.
..
Gayoon slowly opened her eyes to find Minho sitting beside her. He kissed her forehead and held her palm.
"You're back," she mumbled.
"Yes," he said, kissing her hand.
"Where's Miyoo?" she weakly asked. Minho pointed at a crib.
"She's there," he softly said. "You want to meet her?"
Gayoon nodded. He helped her to sit up straight before heading over to the crib. Picking up the baby, he gently handed her to Gayoon who was in tears.
"Hi" she whispered. "Miyoo."
Minho put his arm around his wife, rubbing her back as she gushed over their newborn. They watched their angel sleeping peacefully.
"She looks like you," Minho said.
"I think she resembles you," Gayoon remarked.
"No, she looks like me!" a cheerful voice claimed.
They looked up to see Jina, Junho and the twins had just entered. Gayoon beamed as her children gathered around her to fawn over the child. Mina and Kanji stood at the entrance, happily watching them.
"Where's Haemi?" Gayoon asked Mina.
"Haemi is crying at camp because they wouldn't let her return early," she sighed. "She even tried to bribe them but to no use."
"Damn those counselors for keeping my Haemi away from her sister!" Kanji cursed. "I'll sue them!"
Mina shook her head and turned to her family. Jina and the twins gushed over their sister while Junho was on the verge of tears.
"Old man, how long will you cry?" Minyoon snickered.
"Shut it!" Junho growled, wiping his eyes. "Someone's just cutting onions-"
"You've been cutting onions since the past nine months," Yoonmin muttered, earning the ire of his grandfather.
"Don't you two have work?" Gayoon asked Jina and Minho.
"Got a day off to see my sister!" she claimed.
"And I put Jongin in charge again," Minho shrugged. Gayoon sighed and turned her attention back to her daughter. Everyone was overjoyed with the birth of another angel in their family and even though she would inherit the same powers as her mother and sister, they would make sure that she was going to turn into a good human being.
As she watched her family's happiness, Jina prayed that they could remain happy.
Just then, she noticed a blue butterfly fluttering on the windowsill. It hovered in the air, as if watching her before flying away.
Huh?
"Jina!"
The sound of her name brought her out of her reverie. Gayoon and Minho were looking at her.
"You wanna hold Miyoo for a while?" Minho asked.
"Yes!" Jina exclaimed, reaching out to hold her sister, pushing away all other thoughts.
That's right, she thought as her gaze fell on her beloved sister. This is a time to be happy.