#62
‘I never thought he would remember today…’
Eunsol had assumed this day held meaning only for him. After all, today marked their first wedding anniversary.
They never held a wedding ceremony, so it had been exactly one year since the date written on their marriage registration form.
Eunsol still occasionally took out the document that proved he and Hyun-oh were family, silently staring at it. Even though there wasn’t a strong emotional bond connecting them, just looking at the legal proof that they were husband and wife filled a corner of his heart with a sense of fulfillment.
‘Should I try to be brave one more time?’
With Ryu Jeong-woo’s help, he had already found a place to escape to. It was a two-story house in a quiet neighborhood with an ocean view.
The house in the photo Ryu Jeong-woo had shown him seemed too large for Eunsol to live in alone. He never imagined he could find such a nice place.
When Eunsol mentioned that a smaller house would be fine, Ryu Jeong-woo dismissed the idea, saying that a comfortable environment during pregnancy would be good for the baby.
For Eunsol, the word “baby” was nothing short of magical.
He thought he had given up all expectations regarding Hyun-oh. But today, Hyun-oh had sent a message through Kim Myungjun asking to have dinner together outside.
He hadn’t mentioned anything about their anniversary, but mysteriously, the date coincided.
Because of this, a tiny spark of hope flickered to life from what he thought were only ashes of expectation.
‘This isn’t for me, it’s for the baby.’
As he approached the meeting place, Eunsol nervously kept swallowing. Just in case, he had brought the ultrasound picture, which was tucked inside his suit jacket. His small hand caressed near his chest, as if tapping his rapidly beating heart.
“Mr. Eunsol, we’ve arrived.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
After the car stopped, Song Do-ye, who got out first, opened the rear door where Eunsol was sitting. After stepping out of the car, Eunsol took a deep breath.
Having scraped together the last crumbs of courage, he found that even breathing properly was difficult because of how much he was trembling.
“Would you like me to give you a Cheongsimhwan?”
“Ah…”
Even Song Do-ye had noticed how extremely nervous Eunsol appeared. She had been carrying Cheongsimhwan, a traditional Korean herbal medicine for anxiety, for Eunsol since some time ago.
“No, I’m fine.”
When pregnant, one had to be careful about what to consume. Since he wasn’t sure exactly what ingredients were in Cheongsimhwan, it was better not to take it.
“This way, then.”
When Eunsol declined, Song Do-ye didn’t insist further. Instead, she guided him to the reserved room.
Passing through the hotel entrance and taking the elevator with a view of Seoul’s skyline, Eunsol kept repeating to himself:
‘I can do this. Don’t tremble, just calmly tell him that we’re having a baby and please let me keep it.’
This wasn’t someone else’s child but Hyun-oh’s baby. Even though he had said several times that he didn’t want children, perhaps his mind would change upon seeing the “Lucky” in the ultrasound picture.
‘Lucky, can you cheer for daddy to do well?’
The child had come like a stroke of luck. That’s why, when Ryu Jeong-woo asked about a prenatal name, Eunsol chose “Lucky.”
“Mr. Eunsol, you’re here.”
“It’s been a while, Manager Kim.”
Just as Hyun-oh was too busy to come home or would just sleep there before leaving again, Kim Myungjun, who worked most closely with Hyun-oh, was equally busy.
Eunsol greeted Kim Myungjun, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, with a faint smile.
“The Chairman is inside.”
“Yes. I’ll go in.”
“I’ll be waiting outside.”
Eunsol smiled once more at Kim Myungjun and Song Do-ye before passing through the door held open by an employee and entering the room.
It was a restaurant similar to somewhere he had dined with Hyun-oh before. Through a large window on one side of the wall, the colorful night view sparkled brilliantly.
However, Eunsol’s eyes were drawn not to the dazzling cityscape but to Hyun-oh, who was looking down at a tablet PC with a serious expression. With the night view at his back under the chandelier, he was wrapped in an elegant atmosphere.
“…Hyun-oh, I’m here.”
“Welcome.”
Although he must have heard the door open, Hyun-oh only looked up after Eunsol spoke. He put down the tablet PC he had been reviewing and gestured to the chair in front of him.
Eunsol carefully sat across from him. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he had dined alone with Hyun-oh outside like this.
Today wasn’t just any ordinary day but a special one, which made it feel even more emotional.
“I ordered the chef’s special course menu. Is there anything else you particularly want to eat?”
“No.”
Eunsol shook his head slightly. He probably wouldn’t properly taste whatever food was served. Unless it was extremely salty or spicy, he would likely swallow without chewing much.
Just as Eunsol was nervously rubbing near his chest where the picture was kept and gathering courage to speak, it happened.
“I’ll bring you the welcome appetizer.”
A staff member entered and placed artfully plated dishes in front of Hyun-oh and Eunsol.
Then, the employee opened what appeared to be a wine bottle Hyun-oh had ordered and poured it into wine glasses. At the clear, trickling sound of the wine, Eunsol rubbed the back of his neck where cold sweat was forming.
Without realizing it, even his hands were trembling slightly.
He needed to say what he had prepared. Would he be able to do it once the food arrived?
After the employee left and the two were alone in the room again, Eunsol struggled to move his lips.
“I…”
“Do you have something to say?”
Hyun-oh, who had been lightly swirling the wine while holding the stem, looked up. The person before him had always appeared tense in his presence, but today it seemed especially severe.
No, “worse recently” would be a more apt description.
Recalling Eunsol’s recent behavior, Hyun-oh’s brow furrowed slightly.
With Hyun-oh’s somber mood, Eunsol stopped what he was about to say and clenched his fist. Even as his fingernails dug into his palm, his pounding heart showed no signs of calming.
Though Hyun-oh’s face looked coldly at him, Eunsol still liked him. As they were left alone, Hyun-oh’s pheromones, naturally and subtly released, came like a breeze, brushing against his entire body.
Eunsol clasped his hands together and bowed his head deeply. When his gaze met those eyes that seemed endlessly deep, he felt as if what little courage he had was withering away.
After his lips moved several times, the words that finally came out were different from what Eunsol had practiced countless times in his mind.
“I really… like you, Hyun-oh.”
Eunsol squeezed his eyes shut. He couldn’t believe what he had just said.
He had intended to talk about Lucky. He had made up his mind to beg Hyun-oh not to terminate the pregnancy and to let him have the baby, promising to raise it well.
But the words that escaped through his trembling lips were a confession that he liked Hyun-oh. He had been aware of his feelings for a long time, but he never thought he would dare express them.
His heartbeat seemed to echo in his ears. His already muddled mind became even more disoriented by the sound of his own heart.
He didn’t have the courage to open his eyes. Just imagining what kind of look Hyun-oh might be giving him filled him with fear.
While rubbing his sweaty palms against his pants, Eunsol listened carefully. But even after waiting for a long time, all he could hear was the sound of his own labored breathing.
Eunsol carefully opened his eyes and looked at Hyun-oh. Hyun-oh was staring down at his tablet PC with an indifferent gaze, as if he hadn’t heard Eunsol’s confession.
His blank gaze fell on the slender fingertips moving up and down the screen. Perhaps if Hyun-oh had looked at him with contempt, would the despair he felt now be less?
His hands began to tremble uncontrollably. Eunsol clasped his damp palms together.
Worried that his shaky breath might burst out in a strange sound, he bit the inside of his lip as hard as he could.
The sharp pain made tears well up in his eyes. Eunsol blinked rapidly. Trying desperately to prevent tears from flowing, he clenched his hands tightly and suppressed his emotions.
“I don’t mind if you like me. Just don’t bother me with those feelings.”
Hyun-oh stopped working on his tablet PC and reached for his wine glass. Following the tilted glass, the red wine disappeared as if being sucked between Hyun-oh’s lips.
The more his prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down, the more transparent the wine glass became.
Only when just a small amount of wine remained at the bottom did Hyun-oh put the glass down on the table. At the small sound, Eunsol flinched as if a thunderous noise had erupted.
Cold eyes thoroughly examined the pale face that was desperately suppressing emotions, scrutinizing it so intensely that Eunsol could feel the gaze.
He felt a wordless pressure. Eunsol dug his fingernails into his palms and with difficulty parted his lips.
“…Yes. I will.”
Though his voice cracked at the end, it didn’t tremble as much as he thought it would. Eunsol faced the gaze falling upon him without avoiding it and barely managed to pull up the corners of his stiff mouth.
However, as heat rushed to his eyes, he could no longer bear Hyun-oh’s gaze and lowered his moist eyes to the table.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
