Chapter 697: Birth of a Family

In the president's office of Reverse Entertainment, Lee Yeon-Sil clutched her belly with her face tightening in pain.

Kang Eun-Gi quickly moved to support her. "Yeon-Sil? Are you okay?"

Lee Yeon-Sil forced a smile and nodded. "The kicking's just a bit strong today. I... I'm fine, so you two go see Mr. Chairman."

Worried that Kang Eun-Gi might skip meeting Choi Eun-Tae, Lee Yeon-Sil gestured for him to go.

That's when I stepped in. "We can visit Mr. Chairman anytime. Let's go to the hospital first."

A person knows their own body best, but I had knowledge of the future. My judgment carried more weight here.

"But I'm really fine..."

I shook my head and immediately told Lee Soo-Chan to get the car ready. The time was 6:20 a.m. We had to move before the real contractions began in earnest.

***

By the time we arrived at the VIP ward of Seoul Seven Star Hospital in Gangnam, it was past 7 a.m.

The attending doctor said she needed to run an examination, so we left only my mom inside and stepped out into the hallway. Kang Eun-Gi, along with Lee Soo-Chan and a few of the guys, sat outside the VIP room and began praying without anyone telling them to.

Meanwhile, I walked to the lounge at the far end of the VIP floor and called Choi Eun-Tae. He answered with a worried tone.

-Chief Jung, why is it taking you so long to get here? Did something happen again?

"Yeon-Sil might be giving birth earlier than expected, so we came to the hospital."

-Giving birth? At thirty five weeks? That's still a few weeks early, isn't it?

"Yes, sir. But it looks like she might deliver a bit early."

-I-I see... And Yeon-Sil? How is she? Carrying twins must be really hard...

Honestly, I wanted to call Choi Eun-Tae here. However, I couldn't risk adding more to Kang Eun-Gi's already turbulent day, especially after he had narrowly escaped danger twice.

"I'll update you after I see how things go."

-Alright. Please let me know what happens. And tell Yeon-Sil I'm wishing her a smooth delivery.

Oh

, and if you need anything, anything at all... just say the word. I'll scour the whole world if I have to.

"Understood."

Choi Eun-Tae's disappointed voice faded as the call ended. I put my phone back in my pocket and returned to the room's entrance. Kang Eun-Gi, Lee Soo-Chan, and the Reverse Entertainment guys all wore tense expressions.

Then the door opened and a nurse stepped out.

Click.

"Could the husband and Mr. Yoon-Ho come inside, please?"

Kang Eun-Gi and I quickly entered. Inside, Lee Yeon-Sil lay on the bed with cold sweat on her face, while my mother dabbed her forehead with a small towel. It seemed she had another contraction even during the exam.

Kang Eun-Gi rushed to Lee Yeon-Sil's side and gripped her hand tightly. "Are you okay? No, of course you're not okay... What can I do to help? Just say it."

Lee Yeon-Sil took a deep breath and asked, "Really? You'll do anything?"

"Of course!"

"Then... call Mr. Choi here. It's his first grandchild. He would want to be here."

Kang Eun-Gi froze. "That's..."

Before he could answer, Lee Yeon-Sil clutched her belly again, her brows furrowing. "

Ah

...

ah

, it hurts..."

Kang Eun-Gi flinched in surprise and shouted. "Why? What is it? Is it hurting?"

Groaning, Lee Yeon-Sil replied, "

Ooh

...

ah, oww

..."

It was clearly clumsy acting, but Kang Eun-Gi, half out of his wits, fell for it anyway. "Alright! I'll bring him here. That's enough, right? But nothing more than that!"

After a shaky deep breath, Lee Yeon-Sil slowly nodded. "

Mm

, okay... that's enough."

At that moment, Kang Eun-Gi turned his head to look at me. "Yoon-Ho, can you do me a favor?"

"Yeah. Just leave it to me."

As I was about to make the call for Kang Eun-Gi, I caught Lee Yeon-Sil winking at me with one eye. I gave her a small smile, then stepped out of the room and called Choi Eun-Tae again.

Choi Eun-Tae picked up thinking I was going to make another request, but when he heard me ask if he could come to the hospital, his voice lit up.

-I'll be there immediately!

"Just one thing—when you come, it'd be best not to expect too much progress in your relationship with Eun-Gi."

-Don't worry. I'm coming to see Yeon-Sil. Anyway, I'll head out right away!

I could already hear the sound of Choi Eun-Tae rushing to leave.

***

The current time was 8:20 a.m. With only my mom and Kang Eun-Gi in the room, I waited in the hallway for Choi Eun-Tae.

Ding!

The elevator at the end of the hall opened, and Choi Eun-Tae stepped out with Choi Yung-Ho, flanked by bodyguards. The guards formed a double line across the VIP hallway, creating a wall of human shields. It was an understandable precaution given the day's events.

However, Choi Eun-Tae's usually calm and collected face was tense.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"How's Yeon-Sil doing?"

"

Ah

, yes. She's in the room..."

At that moment, a scream rang out from VIP Room No. 2.

-

Aaaahhh!

Choi Eun-Tae's eyes widened as he stamped his feet nervously. "Oh no... my baby girl..."

It was strange to see such an unpolished side of a man usually so composed and deliberate.

I calmed him down and said, "It'll still be a while before the delivery. You don't need to worry too much yet."

"R-really?"

It seemed this was Choi Eun-Tae's first time experiencing childbirth up close. His nervousness was written all over his face.

Come to think of it, I had more experience than him after having accompanied female celebrities through childbirth before my regression. I was even good at changing diapers.

"And Eun-Gi... where is he?"

"He's inside with Yeon-Sil."

Choi Eun-Tae nodded, gazing at the door. After a moment of conflicted expression, he gave up on the idea of going in and turned to me.

"Then I'll be in the next room. When the delivery starts or if Yeon-Sil calls for me, let me know. I'll come out then."

"The next room?"

"Yes. I rented the other three VIP rooms on this floor under Yung-Ho's and the children's names. You never know who might try to come in and cause trouble."

Choi Eun-Tae had rented out VIP rooms that cost hundreds of thousands of won per day indefinitely, until Yeon-Sil had given birth and been discharged. It was exactly the kind of move someone would expect from the richest man in Korea in terms of liquid assets.

With that, Choi Eun-Tae headed for the next room, needing to rest himself after the exhausting day of worrying over Kang Eun-Gi.

***

The current time was 2:30 p.m. Now, even Yoo-Jin and Miso had arrived at the hospital.

Yoo-Jin clasped her hands together and asked me, "Oppa, when is Yeon-Sil unnie going to have the baby?"

Miso clasped her hands together in the same way and asked, "Uncle Yoon-Ho! When are the babies coming out?"

'

What am I, a midwife

?'

The two of them looked at me like I was some kind of goddess of childbirth. And it wasn't just them. Lee Soo-Chan and the rest of the guys were the same.

"Yoon-Ho hyung-nim, Yeon-Sil will be okay, right?"

"Hyung-nim... when do you think Yeon-Sil noona will have the babies?"

After saving Kang Eun-Gi today, the guys were treating me like a real fortuneteller. In truth, all I knew from the Fortune of the Day was that we would be welcoming a new family. But to calm everyone down, I had to give them a confident answer.

"She's fine. The babies will come today and Yeon-Sil will be okay too."

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief. At this rate, I had a feeling they would start asking me for their horoscopes from now on.

That was when the hospital room door opened and Lee Yeon-Sil's bed rolled out.

Rattle.

With her contractions getting shorter, it looked like she was on her way to the delivery room.

Following alongside, Kang Eun-Gi called out to me, "Yoon-Ho, come with us!"

"Alright."

Since not many people could be at the delivery room entrance, only my mom, Kang Eun-Gi, and I went along. As we moved, I sent Choi Eun-Tae a text telling him to come to the delivery room.

After all, Lee Yeon-Sil had signaled me with her eyes to do so.

***

In front of the delivery room, my mom, Kang Eun-Gi, and I waited. Choi Eun-Tae stood about ten meters away at the end of the hallway with Choi Yung-Ho, pacing restlessly.

The distance between father and son was only about ten meters, yet they didn't face each other. This was because Kang Eun-Gi kept his eyes fixed on the delivery room.

The tense moments dragged on until exactly 3:00 p.m.

-

Waaahhh!

A loud cry echoed from inside. My heart began to pound like crazy. For the first time since my regression, I was hearing the cry of Lee Yeon-Sil's child—something I had never experienced before.

"Congratulations... Eun-Gi..."

Overcome with emotion, Kang Eun-Gi couldn't find words and only nodded.

Moments later, the second baby's cry rang out, even louder than the first.

-

Waaahhh!

My mom wept tears of joy as she prayed, and Kang Eun-Gi clutched her hand with his body trembling silently.

Then the delivery room door opened and a nurse stepped out.

Ding~

"They're both boys. Both healthy..."

Kang Eun-Gi quickly asked, "A-and the mother? How's Yeon-Sil?"

"The mother is healthy too, so don't worry. And she's asking for you. Please come inside."

Kang Eun-Gi turned and hugged me tightly. "Thank you, Yoon-Ho!! Thanks to you... Thanks to you I'm..."

I patted Kang Eun-Gi's back and urged him, "Go on, Yeon-Sil is waiting for you."

"Right, right. Okay."

After hugging my mom once, Kang Eun-Gi put on the surgical gown handed to him by the nurse. But just before entering the delivery room, he stopped and turned his head. For the first time, his eyes met those of Choi Eun-Tae standing at the end of the hall.

Kang Eun-Gi silently looked at him, then lowered his head as if to say thank you for coming. Choi Eun-Tae slowly nodded with a deeply moved expression. Father and son exchanged their first greeting with nothing but their eyes, and then Kang Eun-Gi stepped into the delivery room.

Buzz~

As the door closed, Choi Eun-Tae's legs gave out completely.

Choi Yung-Ho quickly caught him to keep him from falling. "Mr. Chairman! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. More than fine... better than I've ever been in my life...

hahaha.

"

All he had done was exchange a simple greeting with his son, but Choi Eun-Tae was shedding tears of joy as if he could finally let go of years of regret.

***

Buzz~

After seeing the babies' faces, Kang Eun-Gi stepped out of the delivery room. His eyes were slightly wet as if he had been crying inside.

I asked, "How's Yeon-Sil?"

"She's fine. The babies are healthy too. They're... so beautiful."

For someone who usually never trembled over anything, his voice was shaking.

"That's good."

My mom nodded in agreement, offering her congratulations. "That's great news. But you know, having two boys is going to be tough."

When my mom teased him, Kang Eun-Gi just smiled brightly, saying he could handle it as long as they were little angels like this.

"

Oh,

and Mom, I want you to name them."

"Me?"

Kang Eun-Gi wanted their names to be entrusted to our mom.

"I don't know if I can..."

"Yeon-Sil agreed too."

My mom glanced at Choi Eun-Tae, then nodded to Kang Eun-Gi. "Alright. But make sure to tell Mr. Chairman that I'm the one naming them."

"I will." After nodding, Kang Eun-Gi looked at me. "Yoon-Ho, I think I should talk to Mr. Choi... stay with me."

"Sure."

Leaving my mom to think of names for the babies, Kang Eun-Gi and I headed toward the delivery room area. Not wanting to show any weakness to his son, Choi Eun-Tae stood on his own, refusing assistance despite his legs bracing firmly.

When Kang Eun-Gi reached him, the two simply stood there, looking at each other for a long moment. It was almost as if trying to make up for the decades they hadn't seen each other's faces.

Then, Kang Eun-Gi spoke first. "I've asked my mother who raised me to name the children."

Sensing his son's heart wasn't fully open yet, Choi Eun-Tae kept his tone formal. "That's good. And... congratulations on becoming a father."

Hearing congratulations from his biological father, Kang Eun-Gi thanked him before continuing. "Honestly... I thought I'd never meet you for the rest of my life. But the moment I heard my children's voices, I changed my mind."

Choi Eun-Tae's voice began to tremble. "R-Really?"

"Yes. But... Please give me some time."

Choi Eun-Tae nodded. "I don't mind. I can wait as long as it takes. Of course I can wait."

Though he had only two years left to live, Choi Eun-Tae was willing to wait for the moment he could truly call Kang Eun-Gi his son.

"Thank you."

It seemed Kang Eun-Gi, now a father, was accepting Choi Eun-Tae faster than I had expected.

Then Kang Eun-Gi suddenly extended his right hand. When the surprised Choi Eun-Tae looked at him, Kang Eun-Gi spoke plainly. "And... I'll help you drive President Choi Man-Sik out of Hoop. I'm not the type to forgive a beating."

Choi Eun-Tae, his expression shaking, took his son's hand. "Nor am I."

Before my regression, the two had gone to their graves without ever knowing each other. But now, because of me, their fates were connected. This also meant the shareholder war in Hoop Entertainment had swung even more in our favor.

Just then, my mom, who had been thinking about names for the babies, called out in a lively voice. "Eun-Gi! I've decided on their names!"

Kang Eun-Gi asked with an eager smile, "What are they?"

"Yoon-Soo and Eun-Soo."

"You don't mean..."

"That's right. I took them from your name and Yoon-Ho's."

She explained that the older boy, Yoon-Soo, used the characters for prosperity and excellence. And for the second son, she chose the characters for grace and outstanding to name him Eun-Soo.

"I named them hoping Yoon-Soo and Eun-Soo will get along as well as you boys do. What do you think...?"

Kang Eun-Gi looked at me and Choi Eun-Tae with a satisfied expression as if asking for our approval.

"I like it," I said.

Choi Eun-Tae smiled. "I don't think it could be any better."

When we both answered, Kang Eun-Gi smiled brightly and replied to my mom. "I like it too."

And just like that, we had two new members in our family.

***

With my mom and Kang Eun-Gi staying to care for Lee Yeon-Sil, everyone else began preparing to head home. After all, no one could see the babies yet because of the mother's health and the risk of infection.

Yoo-Jin looked at me with her big round eyes blinking, reluctant to leave. "Oppa~~ So we can't see Yoon-Soo and Eun-Soo?"

Miso also looked at me with sad eyes. "But Uncle Yoon-Ho~~!"

The two of them batted their eyes and acted cute, begging to see the babies.

'

Sorry. I don't have that kind of power.

'

"Eun-Gi said he'll send pictures. I'll forward them to you as soon as I get them."

Yoo-Jin and Miso sighed in disappointment.

"And you two should go ahead with Ms. Yeon. You both have schedules to get to."

Yoo-Jin tilted her head. "What about you, oppa? Aren't you coming with us?"

"I'm going to have a talk with Mr. Chairman before I leave."

Right now, Choi Eun-Tae was waiting to speak with me in the VIP ward area.

Yoo-Jin nodded in understanding. "Okay~ See you later then~"

Yoo-Jin and Miso gave a small bow to Choi Eun-Tae, who was standing off to the side of the VIP ward. Choi Eun-Tae returned the greeting with a polite nod.

Once I watched Yoo-Jin and Miso wave goodbye and step into the elevator, I headed toward Choi Eun-Tae.

Seeing the flush of excitement on his face, I spoke carefully. "Mr. Chairman. Since Eun-Gi's heart has begun to open, please just give him a little more time. He's got a surprisingly soft side."

"How could I not believe the man who brought Eun-Gi to me? I can wait as long as needed."

Although Kang Eun-Gi hadn't yet called him father, just seeing him in person and shaking hands today was enough to satisfy Choi Eun-Tae.

"

Oh

, and... congratulations on becoming a real grandfather."

"

Hahaha

. That's right. Me, a grandfather...

hahaha

," Choi Eun-Tae laughed, overcome with joy.

"So, how will you deal with President Choi Man-Sik?"

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae took a deep breath without answering. The atmosphere around him shifted instantly. His kindly eyes now gleamed with a razor-sharp glint. His warm chuckle vanished and cold fury took its place.

In an instant, the doting grandfather was gone, replaced by the king of Myeong-dong and Korea's loan shark king.

"We'll wipe them out. Not just Man-Sik, but every last one involved in this incident."

"Even Assemblyman Park Sang-Gon?"

"Of course. The by-election is right around the corner. It's the perfect opportunity."

Choi Eun-Tae made it clear he would take down Park Sang-Gon, who had clearly been backing Choi Man-Sik.

I nodded. "Yes. I'll help as well."

"Good. Then let's set the IPO and Park Sang-Gon's ouster for April 1st. Be ready."

Today was March 1st. Everything was moving ahead faster than expected. At last, we could finally deal with both Choi Man-Sik and Park Sang-Gon.

At that moment, Choi Eun-Tae began making an utterly unexpected request with a serious expression. "By the way, there's one thing I'd like to ask of you..."