Side Story 6
I could feel my heartbeat speeding up at the sound of my voice. Eunsol lifted his gaze while keeping his softening lips in the same position.
The sensation of lips landing on his brow bone was moist and damp.
“Are you hurting anywhere?”
Though Hyun-oh was being as careful as possible while caressing Eunsol, that was from his perspective. As Eunsol’s due date approached, he occasionally suffered from discomfort and pulling sensations below.
Hyun-oh moved his hand underwater, gently stroking the soft mound. When he rubbed the wrinkled hole with his fingertips, Eunsol wrapped his arms around Hyun-oh’s neck and nuzzled his forehead against his shoulder.
A slick fluid different from the water’s consistency coated Hyun-oh’s fingertips.
“No… hmm, I’m sleepy…”
Hyun-oh had no intention of stimulating Eunsol any further. Regretfully, he removed his hand from the opening and poured an appropriate amount of shampoo into his palm.
“Close your eyes.”
“Yes…”
Eunsol was walking the boundary between dreams and reality. In the steamy room, Hyun-oh’s voice sounded even more profound than usual.
The voice of his beloved lulled Eunsol to sleep more effectively than any lullaby in the world. Soon, the sound of gentle breathing like a baby’s seeped into Hyun-oh’s ears.
“Eunsol.”
Hyun-oh called Eunsol’s name just to be sure. It was a tender melody that could make even the listener’s heart flutter.
This time, Eunsol must have fallen into a deeper sleep, as he only responded with steady breathing instead of an answer to Hyun-oh’s call.
Hyun-oh’s movements became even more careful to avoid waking Eunsol. After thoroughly washing Eunsol’s body, he wrapped him in a bath towel and quickly dried himself off.
Upon leaving the bathroom, Hyun-oh laid Eunsol on the bed and brought body lotion and massage cream.
“Mmm…”
Thanks to Hyun-oh’s daily care, there were no stretch marks visible on Eunsol’s belly. As he gently massaged while applying the cream, Eunsol made a moaning sound.
Only after drying Eunsol’s wet hair and meticulously touching every part of him down to his toes did Hyun-oh lie down, holding Eunsol in his arms.
As if knowing it was a place made just for him, Eunsol rubbed his cheek against Hyun-oh’s arm to find a more comfortable position, even while asleep.
“I love you, Eunsol.”
Hyun-oh cradled Eunsol’s soft cheek and added his breath to his beautifully swollen lips.
As if in response, the weight added to his waist made Hyun-oh’s lips form a smooth curve.
* * *
Ryu Jeong-woo was finally discharged from the hospital. When Eunsol heard this news, he wanted to meet him despite being in the final month of pregnancy.
Hyun-oh, who had grown particularly weak to Eunsol’s requests, couldn’t refuse. Thanks to this, Eunsol traveled quite far from home to meet Ryu Jeong-woo.
A team of specialized medical professionals was on standby 24 hours a day on the floor below their home, so unless there was an examination that absolutely had to be done at the hospital, Eunsol spent most of his time indoors.
Only after hearing from the attending physician that staying indoors all the time wasn’t good did Hyun-oh take Eunsol out three or four times a week, solely for walks.
Ryu Jeong-woo had offered to come to their home, but Eunsol declined. Since this was a meeting to celebrate his discharge, Eunsol wanted to meet in a place with a better atmosphere.
“Eunsol, it’s been so long!”
“Jeong-woo Hyung!”
At the café that Eunsol had carefully selected, Ryu Jeong-woo had already arrived. The café had a botanical atmosphere, with greenery visible everywhere you looked.
Ryu Jeong-woo stood up from his seat and opened his arms. Eunsol, with a tearful face, fell into his embrace.
“Hyung, I’m sorry…”
“Why are you apologizing? It was an unavoidable accident.”
Though he had now fully recovered, traces of having spent a long time in a hospital bed were visible on Ryu Jeong-woo’s face. His jawline had become much sharper, and there were dark shadows under his eyes.
Despite Ryu Jeong-woo’s reassurances, Eunsol felt sorry for him. Not only had he spent several months in a hospital bed because of Eunsol, but the aftereffects of the traffic accident could follow him for life.
“It was my choice. The accident happened simply because of bad luck. So don’t feel guilty.”
Ryu Jeong-woo gently patted Eunsol’s back with a caring touch until his trembling shoulders calmed down, hoping that Eunsol’s guilt would be washed away with his tears.
Only after his eyes were completely swollen did Eunsol finally stop crying. Ryu Jeong-woo took Eunsol’s hand and sat down side by side on a three-person sofa.
After wiping away the tears from Eunsol’s eyes with his thumb, Ryu Jeong-woo firmly held Eunsol’s other hand as he sniffled.
“I heard from mother that Hyun-oh treats you like Rapunzel locked in a tower. Is it okay for you to be out like this?”
“Ah, well…”
Just then, Hyun-oh also had urgent business to attend to outside. Hyun-oh reluctantly agreed to handle his urgent matters while Eunsol met with Ryu Jeong-woo, planning to join them later.
“Ahem.”
After Ryu Jeong-woo had heard the backstory from Eunsol, he lifted his teacup to hide his twitching lips.
Only after taking a sip of the warm tea could he finally compose his expression.
“I never thought I’d see the day when I’d think of Hyun-oh as a doting father. It’s almost unbelievable.”
Though the change seemed incredible, Ryu Jeong-woo was endlessly happy for Eunsol, seeing it as a fortunate development.
“So today I get to have a date with you until Hyun-oh comes to pick you up?”
“…That’s right.”
Eunsol nodded shyly. Then, realizing he might have appeared too happy in front of Ryu Jeong-woo, he bit his lip slightly.
They used to be in similar situations, both having received deep wounds from their spouses, but these days Eunsol was continuing to live a dream-like life, which made him feel awkwardly self-conscious.
“…Ah.”
Ryu Jeong-woo, having completely read Eunsol’s thoughts, flicked his nostril gently.
When Eunsol’s already large eyes widened, Ryu Jeong-woo felt as though he had played a mean prank.
“Eunsol being happy makes Hyung happy too. Why do you keep worrying about me? The more you do that, the more my heart hurts, you know?”
Though said playfully, there was truth in his words. Ryu Jeong-woo wanted Eunsol to now become a person with the highest self-esteem in the world.
Because he was still a child with many more days ahead than behind him. For the sake of the lucky baby soon to be born, Ryu Jeong-woo sincerely hoped that Eunsol’s shrunken heart would spread its wings like a butterfly.
“Aren’t you hungry? You’ve gotten thinner everywhere except your belly.”
Ryu Jeong-woo expressed concern while massaging Eunsol’s arm. Though Eunsol’s belly wasn’t very large compared to most full-term pregnant women, even taking into account that male omegas typically don’t show as much.
“I eat well regularly, but I just don’t gain weight.”
This was actually a concern for both Eunsol and Hyun-oh. Even the attending physician had indicated that Eunsol could stand to gain a bit more weight, but it wasn’t something Eunsol could control.
“This won’t do. Let’s try all the delicious items on this café’s menu today. I also need to eat high-calorie foods since I’ve lost a lot of weight.”
Ryu Jeong-woo rolled up his sleeves and stood up. Eunsol had also been concerned about Ryu Jeong-woo’s thin frame, so he joined in rather than trying to stop him.
The two went to the showcase and put their heads together, examining the appetizing bakery menu.
“The scones look delicious, and there are many cake varieties too. What cake would you like?”
“Hmm. That one.”
Eunsol pointed to a cream cake topped with plenty of sugared peaches. The cake’s cross-section also had pale pink peaches embedded throughout.
“Then let’s get that one and a green grape cake too? And tiramisu as well.”
“The éclairs look delicious too.”
The clerk at the counter watched the two with curious eyes. Judging by their appearance, they looked like they might share one cake between them, but they had already mentioned four types.
“We’d like to order.”
“Yes, customer.”
Ryu Jeong-woo ordered three types of cake, two types of éclairs, and one scone, then examined the drink menu.
“Would you like a warm chamomile tea?”
“Yes.”
“One hot chamomile tea, and I’ll have an iced Americano.”
“I’ll confirm your order.”
As the clerk recited each item they had ordered, Ryu Jeong-woo and Eunsol nodded in unison like twins.
Though they didn’t look alike, they somehow had a similar atmosphere, like brothers born from the same parents. The clerk quickly scanned Ryu Jeong-woo’s hand after stating the total amount.
Eunsol was initially confused but soon realized he appeared pregnant. However, looking at Ryu Jeong-woo’s silhouette, there was no couple ring visible on his finger.
Though it would be impolite to ask a customer for their number, the clerk’s eyes kept being drawn to Ryu Jeong-woo’s appearance and behavior.
Just as the clerk was about to make a subtle gesture indicating interest in Ryu Jeong-woo, even at the risk of being scolded by the manager—
“…Um, I’ll, I’ll process your payment.”
The moment the clerk’s eyes met those of the person who appeared behind Ryu Jeong-woo, an instinctive sense of threat was detected.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
