“You want me to… read all of these…?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
As if saying what’s so strange about that, Baek Woojin picked up another book and showed me the table of contents. If my eyes weren’t deceiving me, it was all in English.
“It’s in English, but it has quite a few case studies recorded, so it won’t be boring to read. If translation is difficult, I’ll help you.”
“……”
“This book is an essay. The author manifested as an omega later in life and describes his experiences over six years. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s a steady seller… Of course, it’s a different case from yours, but I thought you might feel similar emotions, so I bought it.”
That’s when I finally realized.
“Don’t tell me, Woojin-ssi… Is this perhaps…”
Was this what he meant when he said he needed to set something other than a hug as a token of gratitude?
I was taken aback by Baek Woojin’s unexpected decision. I understood why he brought me these books. But when was I supposed to read all these books? I don’t think I even read all my college textbooks…
Actually, I’d rather have a hug…
“Chae Seungyeon-ssi?”
“Yes?!”
Wait, what was I just thinking?
I immediately shook my head to erase my previous thought. Baek Woojin caught my shaking head and stroked it as if to calm me down.
“Are you in pain?”
As he spoke, he rubbed my temple with his large fingers and then cupped my cheeks. Completely enclosed in his warm palms, I met his gaze directly.
“Nuh… I’m fye…”
My words came out slurred because Baek Woojin was holding my cheeks with his hands. I grabbed his wrists to ask him to let go, but Baek Woojin stared at me as if he had more to say.
“What, what is it…?”
“…Nothing, I almost lost my self-control for a moment.”
“…?”
Why would he suddenly lose his self-control, and he doesn’t look like someone who would almost lose it…?
While I was puzzled, looking at Baek Woojin’s calm eyes like a lake, he removed his hands from my cheeks and quietly looked at his own palms.
“Also… I was going to tell you anyway… As the doctor said, you need to rest, so I’d like you to refrain from childcare and housework for the next few days.”
“What?”
Wait, does that mean… I’m supposed to recover at home…?
“No, but that’s a bit…”
Even though my heat cycle had started, my condition had improved a lot in the past few days, and I’d been taking my prescribed medication regularly, so I was fine. It’s not like I had broken bones or was sick, so being treated like a patient felt strange.
Besides, today was the first day of Kkotsu and Hyeol’s vacation. During the vacation, I needed to take care of the children… Was he saying to leave everything to the housekeepers? I was also a hired domestic helper, after all.
“Woojin-ssi, but the kids’ vacation has started… It doesn’t make sense for me to rest because of my heat cycle…”
“It’s not unreasonable. Regular companies give separate leave for such matters.”
“But…”
“You can think of it as special leave.”
Baek Woojin didn’t seem like he would easily change his mind. Above all, his eyes said so.
“No, I really… really, my condition has improved… Don’t I look fine to you?”
“If I’m not fine with it, what will you do?”
When I tried to persuade him somehow, Baek Woojin threw a somewhat prickly question at me. It was the first time he had spoken with such an attitude, so I was quite taken aback.
“Am I… not okay?”
Had I been thinking only of myself? I thought everything would be fine if my condition improved…
“I’m holding back.”
Baek Woojin said firmly, looking at me with sharp eyes. His eyes, which had been like a calm lake until just a moment ago, now seemed to ripple like water under hot sunlight.
“This isn’t just about this time. Every time your heat cycle begins, don’t go anywhere and rest at home. Someone else can handle the cleaning and childcare.”
“Every time…?”
“Yes, every time.”
“……”
“And you’re not allowed to meet other alphas besides me. Don’t even think about meeting that raccoon-like guy or those Gwak family men.”
“What…?”
I could understand not going outside, but I wondered why he suddenly brought up the raccoon and the Gwak family.
“Woojin-ssi, wait. I understand what you’re saying perfectly well…”
This doesn’t seem like it’s going to be easily resolved…
As I was racking my brain for another strategy, I suddenly thought of something.
“Ah, I have something to show you.”
I quickly got up and headed to Kkotsu’s room. I took out his communication book from his beetle backpack and showed it to Baek Woojin.
I pointed to the number one item on Kkotsu’s recent list of “Top 5 Places I Want to Go During Vacation.”
[Going to Wabes World with Dad]
“Kkotsu says this is where he wants to go the most.”
“…You mean the amusement park?”
Baek Woojin raised an eyebrow as if he didn’t like it.
“Yes, and I…”
I showed him the amusement park discount coupon that I rummaged out of my pocket.
“20% discount for 4 people including adults and children!”
“……”
“I got this when I was coming back after sending Hyeol off on the school bus the day before yesterday, someone was giving these away saying they didn’t need them. Lucky, right? I checked online, and it’s not fake, it’s a valid coupon.”
I waved the coupon in front of Baek Woojin’s eyes, making a strong appeal.
“It’s only valid until this weekend, will you go?”
To persuade him, I added that Kkotsu would really love it. Baek Woojin thought for a moment with a contemplative face and then said with a serious expression:
“Fine. Then let’s see if we can rent out the entire amusement park.”
“What…?”
*
Fortunately, we were able to enter the amusement park without any issues. Perhaps because I had given Kkotsu advance notice, we finally broke through Baek Woojin’s stubbornness against going out, and since it was Hyeol’s first time at an amusement park, we ended up following the children’s wishes.
“Have a wonderful time at the dreamland of hope, Wabes World!”
Just as we entered the amusement park after purchasing discounted tickets, Baek Woojin grabbed my shoulder.
“That’s an outfit I haven’t seen before.”
“Oh, this outfit?”
I felt more confident when Baek Woojin showed interest in the clothes I had carefully chosen for the amusement park trip.
“Isn’t it nice? I didn’t know, but when I was looking through my bundle of belongings this morning, I found this outfit. It looks like new, as if it’s never been worn. There’s also this brooch attached.”
I showed him the cream-colored knit sweater without a single pill and the cute apple-shaped brooch pinned near the chest.
“The color is pretty, and it’s warm.”
“Yes, it really suits you well.”
“Thank you.”
Chae Seungyeon seemed to prefer generally simple clothes, but finding this outfit that matched my taste made me very happy.
“Did you take your medicine?”
“Medicine? Yes, I took it this morning… oh.”
I realized that I had only thought about taking medicine but completely forgot while taking care of the children.
“Let’s take it now.”
Somehow knowing I hadn’t taken my medicine on time, Baek Woojin took out my medication and bottled water from his pocket and handed them to me.
“Thank you…”
I was grateful to Baek Woojin for always taking care of me like this.
I quickly took the medicine and adjusted Hyeol’s collar. It was because I felt the cold more than expected.
“It’s still… quite cold, isn’t it?”
I thought the weather might have warmed up a bit since the snow had stopped this morning, but it was still cold. Well, I suppose that’s what makes it winter…
“I should have rented out the amusement park after all.”
Baek Woojin still had a tendency to say jokes very seriously.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
