Chapter 36: A New Nickname

Seo-woo stood frozen at the door.

The young woman standing before him was breathtaking, her beauty almost blinding in the soft morning sunlight. The way her long, wavy hair cascaded down her shoulders and her bright eyes shimmered with emotion—Seo-woo found himself momentarily dazzled.

Before he could say a word, the woman's lips quivered slightly, and she took a step closer.

"Oppa."

A single word.

But the way she said it, filled with longing and affection, struck Seo-woo like lightning.

Ryu Ji-woo.

The youngest among the Ryu siblings.

Seo-woo had been preparing himself for this moment—for the day he would have to face his family again. But even so, his heart felt unsteady.

From behind him, small whispers and giggles echoed in the hallway.

Seo-woo turned slightly and spotted three little heads peeking out from the doorway.

The triplets.

Seo-jin, the most outspoken, gasped softly before whispering in awe, "She's so pretty!"

Seo-min and Seo-jun nodded in agreement, their round eyes wide with curiosity.

Seo-woo sighed, rubbing his temple.

"So much for keeping things quiet."

Finally, he stepped aside and let Ji-woo in.

"Come in," he said softly.

Ji-woo beamed and stepped inside.

As they settled in the cozy living room, Seo-woo turned to the triplets and instructed, "Go wash your faces and brush your teeth before breakfast."

The boys, still stealing glances at Ji-woo, scurried toward the bathroom.

Ji-woo watched them go with a small smile on her lips. She hadn't expected this morning to turn out like this, but seeing her older brother like this—calm, responsible, a father— made her chest tighten with emotions she couldn't quite name.

Seo-woo cleared his throat, breaking the silence.

"I'll go prepare breakfast. Just wait a bit," he said, already heading toward the kitchen.

Ji-woo quickly shook her head.

"Oppa, I can help—"

"No need," Seo-woo cut her off smoothly. "You're a guest. Just relax."

Ji-woo pouted.

She wasn't used to this side of him—gentle but firm, responsible yet still teasing.

Had he always been like this?

Or had fatherhood changed him?

As she waited, she absentmindedly glanced around the small yet warm home.

There were signs of life everywhere—a few children's drawings taped to the fridge, small mismatched socks hanging near the laundry area, and a soft toy resting on the couch.

It was nothing grand or luxurious—but it felt like home.

"Oppa has really changed..." Ji-woo whispered to herself.

Just as Seo-woo was setting the table, the triplets returned, dressed in fresh clothes.

Ji-woo's eyes immediately flickered toward them, but her expression faltered.

The clothes they were wearing were too old and didn't fit properly.

Her brows knitted together.

"Did Oppa not buy them new clothes?"

Before she could comment, the triplets approached her cautiously.

Seo-jin and Seo-min hid behind Seo-jun, peeking out shyly.

Seo-jun, being the eldest, stood his ground and greeted her with a small bow.

"Hello, Noona."

Ji-woo's eyes softened.

She smiled warmly and bent down slightly, meeting them at eye level.

"You can call me Auntie Jiji!" she said cheerfully.

Seo-jin, still gripping his brother's sleeve, tilted his head in confusion.

"Jiji? That means 'older sister,' but you're calling yourself 'Auntie Older Sister?'"

Ji-woo burst into laughter.

"I know, I know," she said, ruffling his hair. "But my name is Ji-woo, and my nickname is 'Jiji.' So Auntie Jiji sounds cute, right?"

Seo-min's eyes sparkled.

"I want a nickname too!"

Seo-min added, "Our daddy calls Seo-jun hyung 'Junnie.' So he is the only one who had a nickname."

Seo-woo, who had just brought the last dish to the table, paused mid-step.

"Oh no."

Seo-jun sighed, already knowing where this was going.

Seo-jin's eyes lit up. "Me too! I want a cool nickname!"

Ji-woo clapped her hands in excitement. "That sounds fun! What do you want to be called?"

Seo-min thought for a moment, then puffed out his chest.

"Minbear! (Min-gom!)"

Seo-jin, not wanting to be left out, grinned proudly.

"Jindragon! (Jin-yong!)"

The room fell silent.

Ji-woo's shoulders shook slightly.

Seo-woo's lips trembled.

Then, suddenly—

Laughter erupted.

Ji-woo covered her mouth, trying to suppress her giggles, while Seo-woo leaned against the table, wiping away tears.

Seo-min and Seo-jin looked offended.

Seo-jin pouted. "What's so funny?! It's a great name!"

Seo-min crossed his arms. "Yeah! I'm Minbear, and he's Jindragon! They sound cool!"

Seo-woo finally calmed down, his laughter softening into a warm smile.

"They're adorable," he reassured them. "I love them."

Ji-woo nodded enthusiastically. "I agree! Minbear and Jindragon are the best!"

Seo-jun, ever the responsible eldest, sighed.

"They're going to insist on using these names forever, aren't they?"

Finally, they all sat at the table.

Seo-woo had prepared a simple but nutritious Korean breakfast: Kimchi jjigae (Kimchi stew), gyeran-mari (rolled omelet), banchan (assorted side dishes), steamed rice, and hot soybean sprout soup.

Ji-woo, despite not feeling too hungry, took a bite.

Her eyes widened.

"Oppa's cooking is this good?"

She glanced at him as he carefully cut up food for the triplets, making sure everything was small enough for them to eat easily.

Ji-woo swallowed hard.

She had spent years being angry at her brother for leaving their family.

But looking at him now—

It was hard to stay mad.

"Eat up," Seo-woo said, nudging a bowl toward her. "You didn't come all this way just to leave on an empty stomach, right?"

Ji-woo stared at him for a moment—then, she smiled.

"Right."

And so, in the warmth of the small home, under the soft light of the morning, the Ryu siblings and the triplets shared their first meal together—

A moment of laughter, love, and unspoken healing.

---

After their heartwarming breakfast, Seo-woo went straight to the kitchen to wash the dishes. Ji-woo had offered to help, but Seo-woo refused, saying, "You're a guest, remember? Just relax."

Instead of insisting, Ji-woo stayed in the living room with the triplets, watching them play with their toys.

Seo-jin, ever the curious one, suddenly climbed onto the couch next to Ji-woo and started poking her arm.

"Auntie Jiji, are you really our dad's little sister?"

Ji-woo chuckled. "Of course!"

"But you're so pretty!" Seo-jin blurted out, eyes sparkling.

Ji-woo laughed, patting his head. "Aww, thank you, Jindragon! You're such a sweet boy!"

Before Seo-jin could say anything else, Ji-woo's phone suddenly rang.

She took it out of her pocket and froze when she saw the caller ID.

Jung-woo.

Her older brother.

Ji-woo gulped. She had a very bad feeling about this.

She hesitated for a moment before reluctantly answering.

"Uh... H-hello, Jung-woo oppa?"

"Ji-woo! VIDEO CALL. NOW."

Ji-woo winced at his tone.

"Oh no. He's mad."

Still, she reluctantly accepted the video call request.

The moment Jung-woo's face appeared on the screen, Ji-woo immediately regretted it.

His angry, sleep-deprived face filled the screen, his hair a complete mess, his eyes burning with frustration.

"Ji-woo!" Jung-woo snapped. "You sneaky little brat!"

Ji-woo laughed nervously.

"Ahaha... Oppa, why are you mad so early in the morning?"

Jung-woo's eyes twitched.

"Why?! You seriously have the nerve to ask why?! You KNOW why!"

Ji-woo pretended to think. "Hmm... did something happen?"

Jung-woo gritted his teeth.

"Don't play dumb! We made a deal! The three of us—Hyun-woo hyung, you, and me—we decided to settle it fairly on who gets to visit Hyung first!"

The triplets perked up at the mention of their dad.

"What deal?" Seo-jin asked, tilting his head.

Ji-woo sighed dramatically. "Well... Hyun-woo oppa, Jung-woo oppa and I had a game."

Jung-woo glared.

"We played Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide who would get the chance to visit Hyung and convince him to come back home!"

The triplets gasped.

"Who won?" Seo-jun asked curiously.

Jung-woo didn't know who was asking about the winner, but he smirked and said, "Me, of course."

Ji-woo rolled her eyes.

"But!" Jung-woo continued, now furious. "This traitor—" he pointed an accusing finger at Ji-woo, "—turned off my alarm clock last night!"

The triplets' mouths formed perfect O's.

Ji-woo coughed into her fist, looking away innocently.

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

Jung-woo scoffed.

"You snuck into my room while I was asleep, turned off my alarm, and left me sleeping like a log while you went ahead to visit Hyung FIRST!"

Ji-woo, clearly unrepentant, smiled sweetly. "Oops! You visited him several times, didn't you? Hyun-woo oppa and I were supposed to be the only ones playing the game—excluding you."

Jung-woo groaned in frustration.

"You little—!"

Before he could finish, three small voices suddenly interrupted.

"Hello, Uncle!"

Jung-woo blinked in surprise.

On Ji-woo's screen, three tiny faces appeared, squishing together to fit in the frame.

They were staring at him with bright, curious eyes.

For a moment, Jung-woo forgot why he was mad.

"They're... so cute."

Seo-min spoke first. "Uncle, I'm Minbear!"

Seo-jin immediately followed. "And I'm Jindragon!"

Jung-woo, caught off guard, stared. "Huh?"

Seo-jin smiled. "We made new nicknames! What's yours, Uncle?"

Jung-woo was still processing the information.

"Wait, wait. Minbear? Jindragon? Where did those come from?"

Ji-woo giggled. "They made them up this morning."

Jung-woo shook his head.

"Aish... You guys are really Hyung's kids, huh?"

Seo-jin beamed. "So, what's your nickname?"

Jung-woo froze.

He didn't have one.

Well... technically, he did.

A childhood pet name, given by his second older brother.

But there was no way he was telling them that.

He cleared his throat.

"I, uh... I don't really have one."

Seo-min immediately perked up.

"Then we'll give you one!"

Jung-woo panicked. "Wait—"

Seo-min tapped his chin thoughtfully, deep in concentration.

Then, suddenly—his face lit up.

"I got it!"

Jung-woo braced himself.

"Your new name is..."

"Jungie!"

Ji-woo burst into laughter.

Seo-woo, who had just finished washing the dishes and overheard the conversation, choked on air.

Jung-woo's expression was pure horror.

"J-Jungie?!"

Seo-jin clapped happily. "It's perfect!"

Seo-min grinned. "Right?! Because Uncle Jung-woo sounds too long! Jungie is cute!"

Seo-jun, who was the most logical among them, nodded. "It's short and easy to remember."

Ji-woo wiped away tears of laughter.

"Aww, Jungie-oppa! It suits you so well!"

Jung-woo looked like he wanted to die.

"No. Absolutely not. Pick something else."

"But we love it!" Seo-min whined.

Jung-woo gritted his teeth.

"If I refuse, they'll just keep calling me that anyway..."

With a deep sigh, Jung-woo finally gave in.

"Fine," he muttered. "Whatever makes you happy."

The triplets cheered.

"YAY, UNCLE JUNGIE!"

Ji-woo giggled before smirking.

"You know, this is revenge for being mad at me."

Jung-woo glared.

"She really is evil."

Seo-woo, shaking his head, smirked from the kitchen.

"This family never changes."

And so, whether he liked it or not—

Jung-woo became "Jungie."

---

After the chaotic but amusing video call with Jung-woo, Ji-woo and Seo-woo finally sat down in the living room. The triplets, tired from all the excitement, had gone back to their room to play quietly.

Ji-woo's expression turned serious as she took a deep breath.

"Oppa... Dad isn't doing well."

Seo-woo froze.

Ji-woo looked at him, concern written all over her face.

"After seeing the video sent by our third brother in the family group chat... he hasn't been eating properly. He just sits in his study all day, staring at old pictures. He's sad, Oppa."

Seo-woo felt a sharp pang in his chest. He knew his father was probably hurting, but... hearing it from Ji-woo made it real.

Ji-woo suddenly cursed under her breath.

"And it's all because of Jung-woo oppa's stupidity! Why did he even show Dad that video?!"

Seo-woo let out a deep sigh, rubbing his temples.

"I'm not ready to go back home... not yet. But..." he paused, glancing toward the triplets' room. "I can at least visit him with my children."

Ji-woo nodded eagerly.

"Yes! That's a good start, Oppa!"

But then, Seo-woo's expression darkened.

"Ji-woo... did Jung-woo tell you anything about my condition?"

Ji-woo blinked in confusion. "Huh? No. He just said you're a single dad now."

Seo-woo's jaw clenched.

"So Jung-woo didn't tell them the truth."

Seo-woo exhaled and looked at Ji-woo straight in the eyes.

"The triplets... they're my children."

Ji-woo furrowed her brows. "I know that—"

But Seo-woo interrupted.

"No. I mean... I gave birth to them."

Silence.

Ji-woo's eyes widened in shock.

She let out a nervous laugh. "W-What?"

Seo-woo nodded.

"I carried them, Ji-woo. I gave birth to them."

Ji-woo's mouth opened, then closed, as if trying to process his words.

"But— but how?! I mean, I know there are men who can get pregnant but... you, Oppa?"

Seo-woo smiled faintly.

"Yeah. I didn't believe it at first either."

Ji-woo was still in shock.

She stared at Seo-woo, then at the direction of the triplets' room.

Her heart suddenly ached.

"Just how much has my brother been through...?"

Then, Seo-woo's next words shattered her heart even more.

"I don't even know who their other father is."

Ji-woo's breath hitched.

"W-What do you mean?"

Seo-woo's expression darkened.

"I was drugged that night. And so was he."

Ji-woo's hands clenched into fists.

Seo-woo continued, his voice calm yet pained.

"I don't remember his face, but... I do remember that he was gentle."

Ji-woo felt like crying, but she held it back. Instead, she suddenly threw her arms around Seo-woo, hugging him tightly.

"Oppa... I'm so sorry."

Seo-woo hugged her back, patting her head. "It's okay, Ji-woo. I don't regret having the triplets. They're my everything now."

Ji-woo nodded against his shoulder, holding back her tears.

After a moment, Ji-woo pulled away and hesitated.

She bit her lip. "Oppa... there's something I need to tell you."

Seo-woo tilted his head. "What is it?"

Ji-woo fidgeted with her fingers.

"You bought a house here in Seoul, right? And you still have remaining debt left to pay?"

Seo-woo was shocked after hearing it. "Yeah, how did you know that?"

Ji-woo took a deep breath.

"Oppa... Jung-woo oppa paid off a big part of it."

Seo-woo's eyes widened.

"What?"

Ji-woo lowered her head. "Jung-woo oppa... he's been secretly helping you ever since you lost your ability to sing."

Seo-woo sat in stunned silence.

"I knew someone was helping me... but I never thought it was my own family."

He felt conflicted.

On one hand, he was grateful. But on the other...

"Why couldn't they just talk to me directly?"

Ji-woo suddenly remembered something important.

"Speaking of that incident, Oppa... I've been investigating your accident."

Seo-woo's expression turned sharp.

"You mean... the day my voice was ruined?"

Ji-woo nodded.

"And I found something."

Seo-woo clenched his fists. "What did you find?"

Ji-woo hesitated, then spoke.

"The little boy who entered your tent that day... his name is Haneul."

Seo-woo nodded slowly. "I know. He was the one who put something in my bottle."

Ji-woo bit her lip.

"Oppa... Haneul is the nephew of your ex-boss."

Seo-woo didn't react, but Ji-woo was confused.

"You knew their relationship?" Ji-woo asked

Seo-woo nodded. "Yeah. I knew."

He added, "I forgave Haneul. He was just a kid. He didn't know what he was doing."

Ji-woo nodded.

"But... I won't forgive the person who instigated it."

Ji-woo's eyes widened.

"Oppa..."

Seo-woo's gaze hardened.

"Haneul wouldn't have done that on his own. Someone manipulated him."

Ji-woo nodded fiercely.

"Then I'll investigate it further."

Seo-woo sighed but gave her a small smile.

"Be careful, Ji-woo. I don't want you getting hurt."

Ji-woo grinned. "Don't worry, Oppa! I'm tougher than I look."

But Ji-woo stared at her older brother in disbelief for a moment.

"How is this possible?"

Just a few months ago, doctors had declared that Seo-woo's vocal cords were permanently damaged. His once smooth, melodious voice was supposedly gone forever. His career as a singer had been ripped away in an instant.

And yet—just days ago—she had watched him perform on stage. His voice was different, but still powerful. Still moving.

"Then... was the diagnosis wrong?"

Ji-woo swallowed, still trying to wrap her head around it.

"But, Oppa... the doctors said you wouldn't be able to sing again."

Seo-woo smiled faintly, his fingers tracing the rim of his teacup.

"They weren't entirely wrong," he admitted. "When my voice changed, I thought I'd never sing again. My vocal cords didn't heal the way they were before."

Ji-woo felt a pang in her chest. She could only imagine how painful it must have been for him—the realization that the dream he had worked so hard for was gone.

"But," Seo-woo continued, his gaze steady, "I didn't stop trying. At first, I couldn't even hold a tune properly. My voice cracked, it sounded strained. But over time, I learned how to control it again. My range isn't the same, and my tone is rougher, but..."

He paused, looking directly at Ji-woo.

"I can still sing."

Ji-woo's heart swelled with admiration.

Her oppa was amazing.

Despite everything—despite losing everything—he never gave up.

Seo-woo chuckled, shaking his head.

"Some things never change."

But deep inside, a storm was brewing.

He would protect his children.

He would protect his family.

And most of all—

He wouldn't stop until he found out who destroyed his dream.

---

While Seo-woo and Ji-woo were having their serious conversation in the living room, the triplets were busy in their makeshift office—which was actually just a small desk in their shared bedroom.

The three little boys huddled around their tablet, checking new orders for their small online business.

Seo-min, the most energetic of the three, pointed at the screen.

"Hyung! We have a new client!"

Seo-jin, the meticulous one, immediately leaned closer. "Let me see."

Seo-jun, the eldest and most responsible, adjusted his posture and read the name aloud.

"Inoue Ren."

Seo-min tilted his head. "That's a weird name!"

Seo-jin squinted at the screen. "It looks foreign."

Seo-jun nodded. "That's because he's probably from Japan."

Seo-min let out a small gasp. "A Japanese person is buying from us?!"

Seo-jin grinned proudly. "That means our business is international now!"

Seo-jun chuckled at his brothers' excitement. "Okay, okay. Let's focus. We need to pack the package."

Seo-min checked their list. "Grandma Song isn't here, right? She went to visit her relatives with Uncle Ye-joon."

Seo-jin nodded. "Yep. So we need to ask Dad to deliver it tomorrow!"

The three of them opened the door and glanced toward their father, who was still talking with Auntie Jiji in the living room.

Seo-min puffed his chest. "I'll ask him!"

Seo-jin grabbed his brother's shirt. "Wait! Let's bring the package first so he won't say no!"

Seo-jun shook his head but smiled at his younger brothers' strategy.

"Alright. Let's get the package ready first."

As the triplets prepared the package, Seo-jun couldn't shake a strange feeling.

The name Inoue Ren sounded familiar...

"Where have I heard that name before?"

Little did they know, this new client was about to bring something unexpected into their lives.