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MidReal Story
The Two Dads Prenatal Care
Scenario:In a world where men can get pregnant. Hyun, a 19 year old korean boy, works at a daycare where his 2 year old daughter misty goes. Hyun is twenty-two weeks pregnant with a baby boy. Hyun is married to his husband, Yi-jun, who is thirty-four. Hyun works at the same daycare that his daughter misty goes to. This is hyuns second baby
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Hyun
He is a 19yearold high school graduate working at a daycare in Seoul, Korea. He is caring, responsible, and determined. Hyun is pregnant with his second baby and his daughter Misty attends the same daycare he works at. He married his husband Yijun at 18, realizing his sexuality after the marriage. Hyun juggles work and family life while preparing for fatherhood for the second time.
Hwan
He is another coworker at the daycare in Seoul, Korea. He is serious, diligent, and helpful. Hwan takes pride in his work and often assists Hyun with caring for Misty during work hours. His dependable nature makes him an reliable colleague for Hyun to rely on when needing extra support at work.
Jang
He is Hyun's coworker and friend at the daycare in Seoul, Korea. He is humorous, loyal, and mischievous. Jang shares a close bond with Hyun and often provides comic relief in their lives. Despite being known for his pranks and jokes, he genuinely cares for Hyun's wellbeing and supports him through his personal and professional challenges, considering him a brother.
I am a nineteen-year-old high school graduate working at a daycare in Seoul, Korea.
I am also a man who is two months pregnant.
My husband is thirty-four.
I have a one-year-old daughter, and my baby is due in November.
I know it sounds weird, but men can get pregnant in Korea.
I don’t know how it works, but I do know that I am not the only pregnant man out there.
I was eighteen when I got married to Yi-jun, a man thirteen years my senior.
At first, I didn’t realize I was gay.
I just knew I liked men and didn’t want to be with any of the girls my parents introduced me to.
When Yi-jun asked my parents if he could marry me, they were happy to agree.
They had been worried about what would happen to me, so they were glad I had found someone to take care of me.
After we got married, Yi-jun asked me if I wanted to have a baby.
I didn’t know what to say, so I just nodded.
Then he asked me if I wanted to be the one to get pregnant.
Again, I nodded.
Looking back on it, I think I was in shock.
I didn’t know men could get pregnant, so I didn’t know what to say or do.
Yi-jun took care of me throughout my pregnancy.
I sit at the tiny table with six toddlers, including Misty, and spread out fresh sheets of paper and boxes of crayons.
My back aches from the growing baby bump, but I ignore it.
"Today we are going to draw a dog," I say in my best English.
The children stare at me with wide eyes.
I take a red crayon and draw a circle for the dog’s head.
Then I draw another circle for the body.
I show them how to make the ears and the tail.
Misty is sitting next to me, and she takes a brown crayon and scribbles on her paper.
Her tongue sticks out as she tries to make circles.
I gently take her hand in mine and help her make the ears.
Minho is trying to stuff a blue crayon up his nose, so I take it away from him and give him a green one instead. "Dog," he says happily.
"That’s right," I say.
"Dog."
The other children start making their own dogs, some of them looking more like cats than dogs, but they are all happy with their creations.
I walk around the table and help each child make their dog look more like a dog.
By the time we are finished, my back hurts even more, but I am happy with the results.
I realize that amidst the chaos and crayons, I've found a family of my own.
After art time is over, I help the children clean up and then take them to the nap room.
I show them where their nap mats are and help them get settled down.
My back is still throbbing from sitting on the tiny chair, but I ignore it and make sure each child has a blanket.
Misty tugs on my shirt and points to my belly.
"Baby?" she asks sleepily.
I nod and sit down carefully on her mat.
She climbs onto my lap and places her small hand on my stomach.
She curls up against my side, one arm draped over my belly as if she is hugging her future brother.
The other children stare at us curiously from their mats, but I don’t care.
While the children nap, I lean against the wall next to Misty’s mat and rub my lower back.
The room is dimly lit, with only a few soft lights on.
The children are all sleeping, their breathing steady and quiet.
The only sound is the occasional rustle of sheets as someone moves in their sleep.
I watch over the children, making sure they are all comfortable and safe.
As I sit there, I feel a familiar flutter in my belly.
It’s a gentle movement, but it’s unmistakable.
I’ve been feeling it for weeks now, and it never gets old.
Misty stirs in her sleep, her small hand still resting on my stomach where she felt her brother earlier.
I place my own hand over hers and feel the tiny kicks and movements inside me.
One, two, three.
Each one is like a little miracle. It reminds me of when Misty was growing inside me.
I used to sit like this and feel her kick and squirm around in my belly.
It was such an amazing feeling, knowing that there was another life growing inside me.
And now I get to experience it all again with this new baby.
The door creaks open, and Yi-jun steps in quietly, careful not to wake the children.
"How are you feeling today?" he whispers, kneeling beside me.
I smile softly, "Tired, but it's worth it when I see them all so peaceful."
He nods and glances around the room.
Misty stirs again, her eyes fluttering open.
She looks around, confused, then sees Yi-jun and smiles sleepily.
"Appa Yi-jun," she says clearly, reaching her arms out to him.
It's the first time she's said his name like that, and it fills my heart with joy.
Yi-jun's eyes widen in surprise, and he carefully lifts Misty into his arms, trying not to wake the other children.
"Did she just call me Appa?" he asks, his voice a mix of disbelief and happiness.
I nod, tears welling up in my eyes.
"She's been practicing," I whisper, watching as Misty snuggles into his shoulder.
Driving home from daycare, I glance at the clock on the dashboard and notice that it’s getting late.
I look over at Misty, who is buckled into her car seat in the back, playing with her toys.
She starts to babble excitedly about her day, telling me all about the art projects she did and the friends she played with.
I smile and listen attentively, happy to hear about her adventures.
As we continue driving, I notice that traffic is starting to slow down ahead of us.
I frown and wonder what could be causing the delay.
Suddenly, I hear the sound of sirens in the distance.
Misty stops talking and looks out the window, her eyes wide with curiosity.
I follow her gaze and see a line of cars pulled over to the side of the road, their hazard lights flashing.
An ambulance and fire truck speed by us, heading towards the source of the sirens. My heart starts racing as I wonder what could be happening.
Misty starts to point excitedly at something ahead of us, "Appa Yi-jun car!"
I look up and see a black sedan smashed against the guardrail, flames licking from its hood.
The car is completely destroyed, and I can’t help but feel a sense of dread wash over me.
"Mommy," Misty says again, pointing at the burning wreck.
"It’s Appa Yi-jun’s car."
My heart stops as I realize that she’s right - the black car does look like Yi-jun’s.
With trembling hands, I pull over to the shoulder and grab my phone from my purse.
I dial Yi-jun's number, praying he picks up.
After a few rings, his voice comes through the speaker, calm and reassuring.
"Hey, everything okay?" he asks, oblivious to the chaos around us.
I drive carefully through the evening traffic, Misty still babbling excitedly in the backseat.
My phone rings, and I glance at the screen - it's Yi-jun calling back.
His voice sounds different now, tense and worried.
"Hey, are you okay? You sounded really upset earlier," he asks.
I grip the steering wheel tighter, trying to keep my hands steady.
"I’m fine, just a little shaken up. There was an accident on the road, and I saw a car that looked like yours. It was smashed into a guardrail and on fire," I explain, trying to keep my voice calm.
There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I worry that something terrible has happened.
Then Yi-jun speaks up again, his voice filled with concern.
"I’m okay. I wasn’t in the car. But there was an accident outside my school. A drunk driver hit my car while it was parked on the street. It knocked my car into a light pole, and it caught fire."
My heart sinks as I process his words.
The black sedan we saw earlier must have been his car.
"Oh no, I’m so sorry," I say, trying to keep my emotions in check.
Misty starts to cry in the backseat, picking up on my stress.
"It’s okay. I’m fine. The car is gone, but I’m safe," Yi-jun reassures me.
I pull into a gas station parking lot and put the car in park.
I need a minute to process this news before I can drive any further. "Okay," I say softly, taking a deep breath.
"I’ll see you soon."
We hang up the phone, and I turn around to comfort Misty.
She’s still crying in her seat, her face red from sobbing.
I unbuckle her and pull her into my arms, holding her close as she wails against my shoulder.
"It’s okay, baby girl," I whisper into her hair.
"Everything is going to be fine."
As she calms down in my arms, I can’t help but feel grateful that Yi-jun is safe.
Misty sniffles, looking up at me with wide eyes.
"Appa Yi-jun is okay?" she asks, her voice small and trembling.
I nod, brushing a tear from her cheek. "Yes, sweetheart, he's safe and sound."