#04
“Oh, no…. I just think you’re pretty.”
Yeoul swallowed his saliva and lowered his head. Eun Sajun’s fingers came into view. Unlike his refined face, his fingers were rough. There were calluses here and there, and scars that looked like cuts from sharp objects were visible. Were these injuries from running a security company?
Eun Sajun also looked at his own hand following Yeoul’s gaze and opened his mouth.
“Why? Do you want it? Should I give it to you?”
“Yes.”
Due to his obsession with getting the ring, Yeoul had unconsciously blurted out his true feelings. He realized his mistake. More than anything, they weren’t close enough to exchange such things, so if he openly asked for it, it might arouse suspicion. Feeling embarrassed by his own mistake, Yeoul hurriedly shook his head.
“No…. No. I misspoke.”
“Hmm….”
Eun Sajun tilted his head and fiddled with the ring.
“I understand. Since it’s still night, let’s go back to sleep. If you don’t sleep well, tomorrow will be difficult.”
“I understand….”
Yeoul eventually lay back down on the bed. Eun Sajun also got into the bed. He could feel the man’s breathing and the sensation of the mattress moving nearby. Thinking that he was sharing a bed with him, pressure swelled up like a balloon. When he didn’t know, he had just slept, but knowing that he was obviously right next to him, sleeping together was quite burdensome.
“CEO-nim, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“What?”
“I think that would be better.”
Yeoul hurriedly sat up from the bed. At the same time, Eun Sajun’s brow furrowed and he reached out to grab Yeoul’s wrist and pulled him down. Then he laid him down on the bed almost like throwing him.
“Huh?”
When the flustered Yeoul tried to sit up, Eun Sajun covered him with a white blanket.
“What sofa? When you’re not feeling well, you should rest comfortably.”
It was definitely a gentle expression, but there was also a coercive side beneath it. He took the spot next to Yeoul again.
No, he got even closer than before.
Because of that, Eun Sajun’s hot warmth and soft presence could be felt vividly. When he turned his head, he could see his face with eyes already closed. It was like a flawless sculpture. He was looking at him as if appreciating a work of art when he wondered what he was doing and turned his head away. Then he saw the ring on Eun Sajun’s finger again.
Even though the key that would save his miserable life was right in front of him, he couldn’t take it off right away.
But….
It would be possible if I cut off Eun Sajun’s finger.
A bloody gleam entered Yeoul’s gentle eyes.
If I cut it with a saw, blood would flow down like a painting. I would vividly feel the bones of his finger joints too.
How hot would it be?
When his stimulating curiosity reached its peak, Yeoul shook his head like someone who had committed a sin.
No…. Let’s not think like this. It’s bad, I can’t do this.
Thinking of the incident when he almost got expelled in middle school, he couldn’t do this.
Then how could he get that ring? After pondering and pondering like this, eventually Yeoul fell asleep again as his consciousness became hazy, perhaps due to his body aches.
* * *
The next day. Morning came.
Eun Sajun entered the bedroom carrying abalone porridge. It seemed like he had prepared it considering Yeoul’s physical condition. Yeoul had no appetite but felt awkward refusing, so he ate it. But it was the most delicious abalone porridge he had ever eaten in his life. It was savory and smooth. He felt warmth and momentarily forgot about his current situation, but barely came to his senses.
After finishing the meal like that, Eun Sajun brought Yeoul to the reception room. Then he said he had something to bring and left his seat.
“Haah….”
Yeoul, who had settled on the sofa, sighed. He could see a large window that occupied one wall right in front of him. Whether it had snowed a lot overnight, a pure white garden landscape was spread out like a painting. But even this beautiful scenery only felt like an obstacle to Yeoul right now.
How could he steal the ring in Eun Sajun’s hand?
While he was pondering this way and that, stamping his small feet, Eun Sajun came in. He had a tablet in his hand. Why did he bring that? He was puzzled. Taking a seat across from Yeoul, he placed the tablet on the table. Then he stared intently at Yeoul’s face.
“Now your complexion definitely looks much better. How’s your fever?”
“It’s gone.”
It was also true. Although he couldn’t sleep at dawn, his fever had definitely gone down.
“That’s fortunate. Shall we draft the contract now?”
“What? Contract…? Ah!”
He quickly realized it meant the pregnancy contract he had mentioned at dawn today. Yeoul felt like his breath was completely blocked. Eun Sajun touched the tablet screen with elegant hand gestures. Then he quickly turned it around and held it out in front of Yeoul. On the clean screen, there was the word “contract” along with dense clauses and explanations.
“Ha….”
Honestly, the content didn’t register in his eyes. It was difficult, and he only thought that if he signed this, it would be the end. Why on earth was Eun Sajun doing this? He must really be crazy.
“Please read it carefully and let me know if there’s anything you want to modify.”
Yeoul, who felt hopeless, saw Eun Sajun’s finger flickering before his eyes. That ring fitted snugly on his index finger felt hateful.
If I could just take that off….
How on earth should he do it? Yeoul felt like he was going crazy. First, since he couldn’t sign right away, he threw out a question to buy time.
“Why do you want to make this kind of contract?”
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand. Wasn’t it just a matter of getting married?
“What?”
Eun Sajun’s face was full of bewilderment as if he had received an unexpected question. Because of that, Yeoul broke out in a cold sweat for no reason.
“Oh…. No, I was just cur… curious…. That’s right. Someone of CEO-nim’s caliber would have omegas lining up.”
“It’s my private matter, so it’s difficult to answer.”
Eun Sajun smiled bitterly. It seemed like deep shadows had fallen. Yeoul, whose heart had softened, hunched his shoulders greatly as he felt like he had made a mistake.
“Oh…. Yes, I’m sorry.”
This made him feel even more indebted, like he had to sign, and he felt like he was going crazy. Sweat began to form on his palms.
“As I said last time, if Haneul-ssi successfully gives birth, you’ll live a prosperous life for the rest of your life.”
Then…. Does that mean he’d give him a huge amount of money? Yeoul’s pupils shook.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
His tone was as if he had really made such a contract with Yeojin. But Yeojin had clearly said he had never made such a contract. That’s why he felt even more like he was a crazy bastard.
But he couldn’t sign.
What to do. What to do. What to do.
Yeoul’s mind fell deeper into anxiety and fear. It was when he was floundering in bewilderment that knocking sounds came from outside the door along with a voice.
“CEO-nim. President Jang has arrived.”
“Already? I understand.”
Eun Sajun looked at Yeoul with a troubled expression.
“Actually, I had a meeting this afternoon. The client came earlier than expected.”
“Yes….”
“I’ll be back in a moment, so please review the contract carefully.”
“I understand.”
Yeoul had bought time for now, but he was hopeless since he would eventually have to sign. Because of that, his regret deepened and he stared intently at the ring positioned on Eun Sajun’s finger, looking at it again and again.
If I could just find that…. If I could find it…. I wouldn’t have to go through this….
“This ring. Do you want it that badly?”
Eun Sajun, who had been staring intently at Yeoul, raised the corner of his mouth.
“What?”
At the same time, Yeoul realized his mistake. He had been looking at the ring too intently. The flustered Yeoul hesitated for a moment.
But since things had come to this, he thought he might as well just close his eyes and ask for it. It wasn’t appropriate for their relationship, but he couldn’t sign that hopeless pregnancy contract as things stood. He had to get the ring first.
“Yes…. I want it.”
“You should have asked for it earlier then.”
Eun Sajun gently removed the ring and placed it firmly in Yeoul’s hand. It was an action without any unnecessary fuss.
“Huh?”
Yeoul looked at the ring that had come into his hand with bewilderment. Now that it was actually in his hand, he felt strange. He had thought it was an extremely difficult mountain to conquer, but it felt like he had suddenly taken a cable car up.
“Then, I’ll go take care of business, so wait just a moment.”
Soon Eun Sajun left the reception room. Yeoul, left alone and forlorn, was confused but soon felt intoxicated by victory and felt like his body was floating.
He had finally gotten it. This feeling of victory was brief before he thought he should come to his senses and quickly got up from his seat.
He had gotten the ring and it was his chance to escape.
Yeoul opened the reception room window. He took off his slippers and came outside. Fortunately, since this was the first floor, he immediately reached the ground of the garden. His clothes were indoor wear and his feet were cold, but he didn’t care.
Now that he had the ring, he would never have to come to this mansion again. Yeoul ran hurriedly through the garden. The snow that had briefly stopped began to fall slowly again, but it didn’t greatly interfere with his escape.
And….
There was someone watching the back of Yeoul’s head through another window.
“As expected.”
It was Eun Sajun.
“Go ahead and run away well. We’ll meet again anyway.”
The scent of obsession was thick in his eyes.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
