Everyone wants to be somebody’s baby. That is the heart of Our Sunny Days, the BL Manhwa of the Month for March by Jeong Seok-Chan. This story is about finding family and giving them what your family could never provide you with growing up. I can’t stop smiling to the point of tearing up. Each character is healing their inner child in a way that makes me want to do the work on myself, be more tender to my husband, and, for god’s sake, my baby fever is off the charts.
A Heartwarming Story of Family and Healing
Our main characters are Sung Ho, a 28-year-old single father who has recently moved to a small Korean village with his daughter, and the 36-year-old village leader, Kwon Haebom. The two meet immediately after Sung Ho establishes the mountain village as the place to settle down and raise his child. Kwon Haebom’s initially gruff exterior melts as he grows fond of these new characters, and he feels a paternal urge to make sure Sung Ho and his baby are cared for. While this is in character for him, as he takes care of everyone in the village, especially the elderly, he can’t help but notice the difference in his affection for this little family and his desire to be a part of it.
Having grown up an orphan, Sung Ho is unused to being provided for or asking for others’ help. When he sees that his daughter is fond of Haebom, he can’t help but want him around all the time. The baby remains unnamed, and Haebom makes himself an integral part of the family by offering to come up with the perfect name. I fell in love with these characters. They boldly assert their need to be supported by each other and are trusting, communicative, and honest about their feelings. They are inseparable from the moment they meet, and their intentions to stay with each other forever are very clear. On top of that, they take special care of other lonely villagers and make sure no one feels isolated or misunderstood the way they had in their childhoods.
Unpacking the Emotional Core of the Story
Both characters grew up alone and are determined to forge a different path in adulthood. They both desire to give each other and the baby everything they didn’t have growing up – which is someone to hold them, see them, and keep them safe. They want to be someone’s baby and baby someone in return. So many times in this story, we see characters call each other baby, including a grandmother and granddaughter whose relationship is mended with the help of our main characters. This goes to show that everyone wants to be seen and loved. Everyone truly is just a little kid inside looking to be dotted on and paid attention to.
As someone with intimacy issues who was not held much as a child and had no father, I relate so strongly to this story. As an adult, I just wanted someone to put me on their lap and wipe my tears away, carry me through the house in their arms, or let me lay my head in their lap and tell me everything would be ok. All the things I saw other kids had but felt I lacked. I’m so happy I found that in my husband, and I love how it is represented in this story. Many people grew up having someone feed them, worry about them, and miss them when they are away – but some people like myself don’t know what that feels like until they find love later on. I’m so glad these characters found it, and I hope it eventually finds everyone.
Personal Connection: A Reflection on Love and Intimacy
Our Sunny Days healed something in me as the characters replaced bad childhood memories by giving each other exactly what they were missing. Where loneliness and overwhelm once dwelled, grows instead a feeling of calm and reassurance that they are not alone and don’t always have to be strong but can rely on and lean on others. One of my favorite scenes is when Haebom admits that after a day of babysitting, it felt like the baby was actually taking care of him. In this way every member of the precious clan is made to feel not only needed but wanted by the others. Learning and growing with your chosen family replaces feelings of failure or inadequacy. These themes gave me much-needed confidence that maybe one day I could raise a child and offer them the things I didn’t have or understand I needed. Maybe, without them even noticing that I ever lacked those things in the first place.
A Love that Heals: Why “Our Sunny Days” is a Must-Read
It must be next on your list if you haven’t read this story yet. The healthy relationship built in front of you will leave your heart feeling fuzzy and light. It is exactly the kind of love everyone needs and serves as a great reminder of how we should treat our loved ones and our community and how we should expect to be treated in return.
Join the Conversation: Share Your Thoughts on Our Sunny Days
Tell me what you thought of this manhwa in the discussion forum! How do you want this story to turn out in the end? Do you hear wedding bells? Or do you smell trouble on the horizon, seeing as the story hasn’t had any conflict up to this point? Look out for the full podcast episode covering this manhwa on March 15th! Thank you so much for reading and remember, until next time, sometimes the delusion is the solution!
Yours in Deep Delusion,
Courtney