Apollo’s Heart - Chapter 170
Chapter 170 – Side Story (1)
The sky was exceptionally clear compared to other days. Yuri put her hand on her baby bump. Until two weeks ago, she could wear baggy pants, but now she didn’t feel comfortable if she didn’t wear a dress.
‘He’s not moving today either.’
After the early pregnancy, when she lived in worry over the baby’s health, she finally entered the safe stage at 18th week. She still couldn’t feel the quickening when it was already past 16 weeks. The doctor told her…
“It depends on the mother, and you’ll feel it around 22 weeks of your pregnancy at the latest.”
But still, Yuri wanted to receive a signal from her baby as soon as possible.
‘Bidan, are you all right?’
The nickname of the baby was Bidan, named after the silk carp which appeared in the conception dream. When she visited the hospital with her husband at 16 weeks, she was told that the baby was a male. Unlike Yuri, who expected a son, Tae-jun, who expected a daughter judging from the conception dream, showed disappointment. In fact, the nickname ‘Bidan’ was part of Tae-jun’s wish to see a daughter.
(*Bidan – means ‘silk’ in Korean)
“Are you sure? What if the baby turns out to be a female…?”
“No, that won’t happen. The sex of the fetus is determined after the pregnancy.”
“I heard that it’s not always 100 percent accurate.”
“That’s when the genitals are not clearly identified, and that’s not the case right now. I can see it clearly.”
Recalling Tae-jun, who seemed disappointed, and the firm attitude of the doctor, she couldn’t hold back the laughter. Meanwhile, the car that had been running for over two hours arrived at its destination. Jin-wook, who was waiting for Yuri, opened the door.
“Welcome. Was there any inconvenience on the way?”
His gaze naturally turned to Yuri’s belly.
She smiled softly. “Yes, I’m good.”
Although she took a car driven by a professional driver, the 2 hours and 30 minutes ride to T City wasn’t easy. Still, she had a reason for coming here.
“When is Tae-jun’s game starting?”
Today was the day the Federation President’s Cup Shooting Game was held at the International Shooting Stadium in T City. After marriage, Tae-jun almost gave up on shooting and hunting. His reason was that there’s no time for a newlywed to play with a gun. The problem was that he was still acting like a newlywed after several years. The federation that managed the licenses eventually contacted him to at least be present at the event. He couldn’t help but participate in the game.
When Director Choi, Tae-jun’s manager back in the days when he was a player, heard the news that he would be competing, filled her with many stories. When Tae-jun first started shooting, he had to start with an air rifle because the junior class didn’t recruit a shotgun player. She also told her about how the female players blushed whenever he entered the stadium, but he himself was indifferent to their interest.
As she listened, Yuri suddenly became curious. ‘What would he look like as a shooter?’ So she waited for the man to come home after his late practice.
“Can I go see your game?”
He asked back as if it was something he hadn’t thought of.
“All of a sudden? You told me you don’t like hunting.”
“I don’t like hunting, but shooting is a game. I will go there to support you.”
Tae-gun slightly scrunched his eyebrows.
“I’m getting enough support from you already. The stadium is far away from here. And the noise or the smell of gunpowder can be bad for Bidan.”
His concerns were not wrong. Yuri consulted with the doctor about whether she could go watch Tae-jun’s game. Fortunately, the answer was that it would be ok as long as she’s watching from a distance. She then convinced the guy by sharing the doctor’s conclusion from the consultation. Of course, he couldn’t refuse her request. He spoke as he sighed.
“All right. But come for the final only.”
“Why only the final?”
“The start of the game is often delayed because the gun inspection takes too long and the game itself is also long. The game often doesn’t end as scheduled.”
“Is that so? But what if you don’t make it to the final? It’s been a long time since you last practiced.”
Tae-jun laughed as if he heard something funny.
“There’s no way I can’t make it, so don’t worry. If you don’t feel well even just a little, go to the hospital immediately. Although you’re in a safe stage now, you still have to be careful.”
So that’s what happened.
Jin-wook answered as he checked the time.
“The women’s match is a little delayed, so we have about an hour to spare. Do you want to rest, or do you want to take a look around?”
“Can I take a look around?”
“Sure. This place was built by Seoin Group with T city. On days when there’s no game, people can experience shooting or take lessons. By the way, the indoor shooting range is now empty since the game ended yesterday.”
The place where Jin-wook guided her to was an indoor shooting range. It was refreshing to see it in real life, for she had only seen it when a big sports event broadcast. The place they went after seeing the indoor shooting range was an outdoor stadium. Jin-wook led Yuri to the very back seat of the audience. A launchpad and billboard were installed on the green lawn. It was before the game started, so the players had not entered the stadium yet.
