Chapter 11

” You have an intense sweet craving.”    

Mrs. Seo’s worried question made her smile heartily. Mrs. Seo, whom she hadn’t seen in two weeks, hugged her tightly and showed concern for her, even breaking down in tears.

As she recalled, It made her blush as she was moved by the sight. She thought crying was useless, so she tried hard not to cry, but she sighed at the thought of reminding him that she was crying like a child… …that she’d cried in front of him.

” I’ll be in trouble if I get an upset stomach.”  

” But how can you not have a sweet craving, especially when it comes to ice cream?…….”

She smirked from behind her back. Turning her head, Yunseul made eye contact with him. The corners of his mouth rose to the sky and fell back down in an instant.

She gave him her usual stony expression as if she had just laughed, and his face was as cold as ever. Something seemed to be bothering him.    

Was it because she had cried and fussed yesterday? That was the only reason. Yunseul’s eyes sank heavily.    

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and turned slightly, feeling unnecessarily embarrassed that she’d

“Do you need anything?” Mrs. Seo asked Ji Hyuk, sensing her discomfort.   

“No. I just need to get some water.”  

“Water? Wait a minute.”  

“Yes.”    

She’s not sure why her eyes turn to him as she talks to Mrs. Seo. She looked down, uncomfortable with the interrogating stares.

Mrs. Seo brings him water, but he doesn’t drink it, he just stares at her. She doesn’t know he’s making people feel uncomfortable by showing up in the kitchen when he’s not going to drink water.

Usually, he doesn’t show up in the kitchen at all. He had skipped breakfast to go to work, ate lunch at work, and ate dinner at her in-laws’ house, so it was only a matter of time before he showed up in the kitchen of the newlyweds’ house.    

Yunseul felt his stare on her and remained silent, looking at the floor.    

“…….”

He keeps staring at her, his gaze almost piercing through her forehead. She sighed and chose to leave the kitchen first.    

“Where are you going?” he asked, suddenly stopping her.

Yunseul’s head turned slowly. She looks at him.    

“You’re not feeling well so, where are you going?”

“Me? I’m completely fine”

She doesn’t know what he’s talking about, so she opens her eyes wide, and her head tilts to the side.    

“Last time I saw you, you were completely passed out.”

Unfortunately, she fell asleep in the car yesterday and woke up early this morning without waking up once. Imagine her amazement when she saw he’d changed her clothes.

Even her bra was being removed, and she almost screamed in her sleep.  Her ears pricked up at the thought of waking up in just his t-shirt. His lingering gaze was clinging to her earlobe.    

“I’m okay now.”    

She lifted her eyes to meet his, wanting to get out of here, out of the place with him.    

“I’m going to say see your mother.”  

“…….”

“It’s been a while.”

It’s been two weeks since her father imprisoned her, and she hasn’t seen her mother-in-law in that period.

“Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come with me.”

Yunseul’s eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected answer. He was a man who didn’t care where she went, so why would he ask her where she was going? Why does he ask her to go with him?

The questions that had been building up since yesterday, when she had jumped into his chest and cried, rose to the top of her throat.

In the past, he would have coldly told her to stop crying because it was noisy, and walked out.    But…… why…    

“Wait a minute. I’m going to change.”    

As he walked out of the kitchen, she kept her eyes staring at his back. Yunseul’s eyes widened slightly. What exactly is this creepiness?

Yunseul frowned and came to a halt as he and Yunseul walked side by side across the garden on the way to her in-laws’ house.    

“Why?”

They were walking side by side. Wasn’t he the one who always walked ahead? He got confused when she looked at him.  

She wondered if she was the one who had suddenly stopped walking. As he closed the distance between them, she stepped back as if to run away. Then his eyebrows wiggled together.    

“What’s wrong?”

When he asks why she suddenly stopped walking, she’s at a loss for words. She kept her mouth shut because she didn’t want to tell him the truth, that it was merely awkward walking side by side. They are separated by silence.

She doesn’t say anything, just stares, and avoids the issue. Eventually, Ji Hyuk speaks up.    

“I already told my mom that I’m not going to get a divorce……..”    

Ah…….

“So don’t ever bring up divorce again.”    

She pushed her heavy breath down her chest and shifted her feet again. She glanced at him as they walked side by side and asked the question she’d been wondering.  

“How about my Mom?”  

“I am now looking for your real Mom….” Yunseul’s eyes widened.

“Don’t worry, I’ll find her soon.”

She shook her head and bit her lip, knowing he was concerned about helping her. Her sister-in-law and mother-in-law both crumpled their faces in disgust, as expected.

At least, her mother-in-law pretended not to. Her sister-in-law was looking at him.    

“Honey, you need to eat better. You’ve lost so much weight since I last saw you.”  

Yunseul’s shoulders shook as she ate. “Dad, thank you for your concern.”  

“I’d like you to eat some of your favorite foods for dinner tonight,”

Her sister-in-law curved her lips and smiled as if she hadn’t been thinking about it at all.

Yunseul smiles back at her. She repeated her fake smile. …But why is she staring at her?

Even though she was eating in silence, the constant looks made her feel quite uncomfortable. His dark eyes stare stayed on every detail of her face as if he were examining it.    

Yunseul, who had been avoiding his stares, raised her eyes and looked at him. Their eyes locked on the table. …It must be an illusion to look confused, right? It’s weird.

She doesn’t know what’s wrong with him now; he doesn’t seem to care and hasn’t even looked at her before. What’s up with that unreadable expression?

Yes, it must be an illusion. It’s Seo Ji-hyuk, not someone else.  It was Yunseul who averted her gaze first.

He scooped up a spoonful of rice and shoved it into his mouth.    

* * *

A long sigh escaped Yunseul’s mouth as she looked out the window at the rain. Her body felt heavy from the rain. It had been two days since she had escaped from her father’s house.

Even though she had gotten out of her father’s house with his help, it hadn’t changed her mind about leaving his side.

The only way she could protect her baby was to leave him. Yunseul looked down and noticed her flat stomach. It was time for her tummy to show, but she continued to stare at the flat belly with painful eyes.    

She wondered if her baby knew something if it didn’t come out because she believed it was dangerous. She stroked her belly carefully.    

Yesterday, she went to the doctor and was assured that her baby was growing well, but in just one day, she felt nervous again.

Yunseul felt bad since she assumed it was because she was going through a difficult time. She felt bad for having it think.

“What if my belly shows up and they find out I’m pregnant?”

She went into the hospital bathroom and cried for a long time. She went out yesterday and cashed in all her savings.

But it wasn’t enough. It was barely enough to keep her mother and her baby alive. Yunseul didn’t have as much cash as she thought because she spent most of it on cards.

She thought about selling the wedding gifts she had received. But……. It would bring in a lot of money if she sold it, but she wasn’t sure to whom she would sell the expensive jewelry.

What if it fell in his or one of his in-laws’ ears? She didn’t want anyone to find out. She was determined not to make a mistake.    

Yunseul dragged her heavy feet to her in-laws’ house, where her mother had ordered her to join them for dinner since she had been away.

She was about to storm out like she did two weeks ago, but she decided to pretend to listen to her, but it didn’t mean she wasn’t going to start making supper right away.    

At this point, she went to her in-laws’ house, assuming that the food was ready.

She took her umbrella and put it on the umbrella stand beside the door. As she opened the door and walked down the hallway, she saw her sister-in-law running after Ji Hyuk.    

“Ji Hyuk, why aren’t you answering your phone?” she barked.    

“Sorry, I forgot to charge it.”  

“That’s it? I told you to come early, didn’t I?”

“Oh…. I’m sorry, I just wanted to get some sleep”    

The more he answered, the more angry she became, even biting the bubbles.

“Sorry? Is that all you have to say?”

She lowered her eyes as if she didn’t see her jumping up and down like she was crazy. She clasped her hands together in front of them.    

“What’s going on?” she pauses, her shoulders shaking slightly at the low voice behind her.

“Yunseul Oh, you’re here?” her sister-in-law’s voice, which had been angry to the point of jumping up and down, was back to normal in an instant.

She forced the corners of her mouth to twist upward and lifted her head to see him staring at her.    

“What’s going on, and why is there such a loud noise?” she asked, wanting to know why.    

“It’s… Ji Hyuk hasn’t answered my calls, and it’s been a long time since he was supposed to come over…he said he’s been sleeping….”

“Hyungsoo, I’m sorry.”    Yunseul’s eyes widened slightly.

“What? Why are you apologizing?”

Ji Hyuk was right, it was just that his eyes widened at the absurdity of her apology.    

“He’s not feeling well, so I told him to get some rest.”

He had stood up for her for the first time in three years. She wondered if he was sick or something. Instead of being happy, she wanted to know what was wrong with him, and why he was like that.

She felt uncomfortable and uneasy. She couldn’t hide her discomfort and showed it on her face.

“Did you? I had no idea you were sick. I apologize for getting angry”

“No, I didn’t.”

With a cold expression on her face, Hyungsoo turned away. Ji Hyuk held something out in front of her as she watched Hyungsoo walk into the house.    

“This is for you”

“…….”

“Take it”    Yunseul blinked slowly.    

“What is this?”

“Ice cream.”

“What? Ice cream?”

She was embarrassed. No, that was quite a surprise. What about ice cream? What about ice cream? She narrowed her eyes looking over his face.

She wanted to know what the hell was going on, and why he was doing this. She couldn’t find any answers in his expressionless face.    

“Ice cream?” she asked again, hoping she hadn’t misheard.    

“Yes, ice cream.”

“Oh…….”

She pursed her lips, not knowing what to say. She just stood there, staring at it in his hand.    

When she didn’t take it, he waved his hand slightly, and her eyes fluttered.    

“I met a friend earlier and he bought it for me.”    

Ouch.

Suddenly, the ice cream in his hand made sense. Yunseul reached out and took it.   

“Eat that”

She squinted, wondering if he was talking to her. She narrowed her eyes.

“Why?”

he frowned, wondering why she was staring at him like that.    

“…Me?”

 Why does it seem like he’s looking at her and asking her to eat the ice cream?    

“Yes.”

Yunseul felt uncomfortable, not pleased, when the answer came right away, contrary to his hesitant question. An uncomfortable feeling coursed through her body.    

“I don’t like ice cream.”    

A cold voice came out of her mouth. She erased the uncomfortable feelings and stood up straight and cold.    

“I have a sweet craving for a particular food that I like”

“What?”

She said this while straining her ears to hear his confused response.    

“No.”

A heavy sigh escaped his lips, and he stared at her coldly, an anxious air between them. In an awkward gesture, she stroked her palm across the nape of her white neck.

His gaze met mine, and she turned away, hating the goosebumps that rose where his eyes met her.

He saw JunHyuk Seo approaching, running towards him, he was happy to see his little father and reached for the cellophane containing ice cream.    

“Little Dad!”

“Seo Jun Hyuk, eat this.”

Seo Jun Hyuk saw the ice cream in front of her and stopped in his tracks.  

“Wow, it’s ice cream!”

“Little dad bought it for you, Jun-hyuk.”

He’d be able to enjoy whatever he brought. He got the cellophane containing ice cream from her hands and put it in his arms, smiling.

He’s just a kid, she thought at moments like this. She turned around to see an intense look lying on his cheek.

Was he going to say something? His lips trembled a few times before closing them tightly. With the ice cream in hand, Seo Jun-hyuk rushed inside.

“You too…….”Wash your hands and come out, you need to eat.”   

She gave him her usual emotionless look. What if he had something important to say? It didn’t make a difference. It was a good thing she didn’t have any expectations at times like this.     

She stood still, staring at him, unmoving, as if her feet were going to stick to the ground, but Yunseul turned away first.

She felt a piercing gaze on her back, but she walked into the house as she always did, her steps neither faster nor slower.    

Everyone was eating dinner at the dining room table a few moments later. There was a lot of talking going on, and Yunseul was getting frustrated.

She was tired of eating without making a sound, and the food that was supposed to be healthy and fresh tasted like nothing at all.

So she was forcing herself to move her jaw, forcing herself to get rid of the rice. She craved the kimchi noodles that Mrs. Seo had made for her. Mrs. Seo had told her that if the mother ate well, the baby would be happy.    

Her mouth watered at the thought of kimchi noodles. But she couldn’t show it, so she chewed and swallowed the rice instead of the noodles.    

A bitter taste tingles in her mouth, as if she’s the only one enjoying it.    

“Father.”

Her eardrums are pierced by a low voice. When she raised her eyes, she saw him sitting across from her.    

“Yes.”

“We’ll have separate dinners for a while.”  Yunseul s*cked in a breath.    

“Oh, my God, Ji Hyuk……. We’re still family, we should eat one meal together.”

Hyungsoo interrupted as if she couldn’t take it anymore. She almost laughed out loud at the way her face was smiling, but the corners of her mouth were quivering.    

“Isn’t it, Mother?” he asks, his eyes narrowing as he looks to his mother for support.    

“Hyungsoo,” Her head snapped up from her mother.    

“What?”

“Well, take note of that.”    

It was the first time she hadn’t sided with Hyungsoo. When the woman who always, always, always had her side didn’t back down, her face crumpled into a fine line.

She lowered her eyes after watching her bite her lip like a child deprived of candy. She’s just curious as to what’s wrong with her.

“Is there any reason why we have to eat dinner separately?”

His father asked him a question. He waited for his answer, for he was curious. She watched him tightly close her lips without closing her eyes.    

“Why…….”    Finally, his lips opened.    

“I’ve been working a lot lately, and I wanted to eat at home in the comfort of my own home.”  

“Yeah, well, you should eat in the comfort of your own home, you should, so let’s have dinner separately from now on.”    

He gave his father a knowing look and went back to eating.

She felt Hyungsoo’s cruel look at him, and even though she was only watching, her cheeks tingled as if she were being pecked in the face.   

“I wish we were together”

She whispered, her lips pouting as if she was upset with him. It was sarcasm.

Well, it wasn’t the first time she’d heard it, so she didn’t mind, but he didn’t. The way he was looking at him made Yunseul speak up quickly.

“I’m sorry,” she said, and then her eyes turned to him. It was as if she was saying,

“Why are you apologizing?”

The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became. If he wanted to eat in peace, he could eat by himself, but she didn’t know why he was dragging herself into this.    

Yunseul suppressed his irritation and made eye contact with him. He was also looking at her with unappreciative eyes.    

She knew she shouldn’t apologize. However, apologizing would quickly defuse the situation, so the words came out of his mouth.    

“Mr. Ji-hyuk, I’m fine….”

“Do as I say.”    He cut me off mid-sentence and ordered her firmly.    

“…Okay.”

There was no way to say no here, so Yunseul blurted out that he would do as he pleased. Her hand trembled as she held the spoon.

Her appetite had disappeared. She put the spoon down without trying to force herself to eat.    

“We’ll go first, then.”

She doesn’t know why she keeps lumping them into the same category. The word “we” bothered her, and her irritation rose. A fire burns in her chest.  

He stood up and glared at his seatmate. Yunseul read the look in his eyes. Why aren’t you getting up? Letting out a small sigh, Yunseul followed him to his feet.   

“We’ll go first.”  

“Sure. Good night, sweetheart.”

“Okay, goodnight.”

She bowed to her father, who smiled benevolently, her mother, whose expression she didn’t recognize, and her sister-in-law, who glared at her.

Then she followed him out of the kitchen. This time, they walked side by side through the garden to the house behind the in-laws.    

Yun-seul stopped and stood. Then he stopped, too, and turned to look at her.    

“Why?”

That’s weird; normally he would just walk away, but now he stopped and asked why she stopped walking. He took a step closer to her as she nervously chewed her lip.

Yunseul took an involuntary step back. Her head tilted. Her eyes glinted in the night as if he could read her mind.    

“Don’t do that.”  

“Do what?”

Was he asking me, “Don’t be so arbitrary as you were today?”    

She didn’t want to do anything he did most of the time. They weren’t a normal couple, and she was ready to bend to his every whim.

No, that’s what she had been doing, and that’s what she intended to do before she left, but she had to. She couldn’t help it.    

“If you let it go, it will pass, so stay out of my way,”

She told him never to apologize to me again. As he understood, his face crumbled.   

” You should not apologize for anything you are not sorry for..”

She almost burst out laughing. She caught her breath and managed to keep from laughing.    

“If apologizing makes it go away faster, then I’ll do it.”

She doesn’t mind it because it’s always happened, but what’s up with him? She sighed in frustration.    

Her stomach twists as he runs his hand through his hair as if he doesn’t understand what she’s saying. She wondered why he was fussing about something she’d said a thousand times before.

It’s easier to just pretend she doesn’t know like she always does.    

“Don’t mind me.”    

“Then I’m going to my in-laws by myself for dinner….” Yunseul said

“I told you before, I don’t want to go back and forth,”

“…….”

“and I want to eat in peace.”   

She decided to let this one slide because her father was fine with it.    

“No way….”

She lifted her foot off the gas to go home, but she couldn’t move because of his voice, which sounded a little hesitant.

There was no way Seo Ji-hyuk could be hesitating, but the gentle spring breeze was tickling her ears.    

“Is it because you don’t want to eat with me?”

A moderately cool spring breeze blew between them. His eyes searched her face for an answer.    

“…I’m not comfortable.”   

It wasn’t at all uncomfortable. She gritted her teeth and turned away from him. There was silence for a little moment.    

“Eat it anyway,” he said, his voice cold through his teeth. He shook his head in disbelief as he turned and walked into their house.

So, did you think we’d get along or something? What’s the matter with him? That was it, that was all she wanted to know.    

It’s so relaxing to let go. Yunseul’s face relaxed like a spring breeze. She was confused, but she didn’t care anymore. She walked home, her hair tucked behind her ears in the spring breeze.    

* * *

Ha, ha, ha. Yunseul’s lips parted. Hot breath escaped out through the gap.   

“…Ugh…yeah.”    

Huh? She can’t help but smile. She must be dreaming. Otherwise……. She couldn’t believe she was making this noise, but why did it feel so real?

Someone was twisting and pinching her n*ppl*s fiercely, not through her clothes, but through her underwear.

Her sensitive n*ppl*s reacted to the slightest touch. He twirled the erect n*ppl* like a toy, and as if that wasn’t enough, he raised his nails and pressed them firmly into the center of the n*ppl*.   

 “…Hmm.”    

Her head tilted back at the hand that grabbed her br*ast with just the right amount of force, then squeezed it once more, as if to break it.

He seemed to know how she reacted to his touch. Her lower tummy tickled as his fingertips touched her n*ppl*s, and she felt heat rise between her legs.

No, the heat was spreading throughout her body, warming her from head to toe. The hand that had been touching her chest slid down her back.

His hips moved of their own accord, drawn back like a magnet, and something touched them. …There was someone behind her back.   

It wasn’t a dream. This sensation couldn’t be a dream.

Yunseul’s eyes fluttered open. A large hand was about to slip into her boxers, but Yunseul grabbed his wrist to stop it, his breath hot against the nape of her neck.

“…….”

There was complete silence in the bedroom. He must have touched her in her sleep because she didn’t move after a time. He was tucked against her back, so she couldn’t see his face.    

Yunseul moved familiarly in the darkness, coldly breaking away from the arms that held him near. She slid out of bed as softly as she could and stared at him. He was breathing normally, so she knew he had touched her in her sleep.

She walked into the living room, rubbing her weary eyes. He’d awakened her up partly because he’d touched her br*asts, but she was also eager to use the restroom.

She’d been going to the restroom in the living room in the early morning since she didn’t want to wake him up if she went to the bathroom in her bed.    

She’s delighted she’s not doing it as carelessly as she used to. She honestly expected him to ask her to spread her legs as soon they got home from her father’s house, but that’s not the only strange thing.

She muttered something and went to the restroom. Yunsul exited the bathroom and headed to the kitchen, where he took two ice cream cones before heading to the living room.

She sighed as she sat on the living room couch. She didn’t want to enter his room. No, she hated herself. Her eyes widened as she realized how ludicrous, stupid, and embarrassing her body felt.

She’d been doing it for three years, so it was only natural for her old body to react, but her mind and other parts were protesting.

She would have opened her legs if he had waited a bit longer. A deep sigh filled the spacious living room.    

She was frightened of herself crumbling in his hands at this point, which made her want him to treat her like an ordinary person even more.    

She hated the fact that he even showed concern. She was trying to sort out every last bit of her feelings to escape, and she wanted he’d just stay as cold to her as he always was, not as he had been, since it would be so much easier to sort things out…well, not that she had the heart to sort things out.

She smiled bitterly before her eye was drawn to ice cream. Yunseul’s lips drooped.

Her mouth waters when she sees the ice cream.    

“It’s delicious.”

She rarely eats ice cream, yet she can’t get enough. She laughed as she remembered Mrs. Seo, who makes sure her favorite ice cream doesn’t fall out even though she knows she’ll get in trouble if she gets a stomachache.    

Her jaw dropped as she took a bite, and the mouthwatering taste flowed throughout her mouth; she was eating ice cream.

“What are you doing?”

Her shoulders twitched as she heard a voice behind her. She hadn’t even noticed him come out of her ice cream. She looked startled and frozen in place.    

The heavy footsteps got closer. Surely, he didn’t like ice cream.  As he arrived, she sat down on the couch and looked up at him.

His jet-black eyes glided slowly over her pale face, which had been caught shoplifting. Gulp, His eyes focused on her mouth as she ate dryly then on the hand holding the ice cream.

Yunsul’s eyes widened. She tightened her shoulders and opened her mouth to say something.    

“Well, it’s…….”

“Eat slowly.” she blinked, unable to respond.    

“You’re going to be uncomfortable, so I’ll go inside.”    

He turned and quickly walked away without waiting for an answer. Yunseul didn’t let go of her shoulders until she heard the door close behind her.

It’s strange. It’s too strange. He isn’t like that. He isn’t like that. He isn’t like that. He isn’t like that…..

Someone with the ability to spit venom and stab you in the chest…

Her body was overflowing with nervousness, and she couldn’t eat anymore ice cream. She walked into the kitchen, threw away the ice cream, and brushed her teeth.    

Her worry does not subside. She must have eaten something wrong. She didn’t want to pay attention, but she couldn’t help herself. With a start, she opened the door to the master bedroom and walked straight to the bed.

“Go to sleep.”

“Yes, go to sleep.”

Yunseul was lying down with his back to him.  Yunseul sat on her side, back to him, and drew her blanket up to her neck. She lay at the edge of the bed, trying to fall asleep as far away from him as possible, but she could still hear his breathing in the distance.

Her anxieties about not being able to sleep got away as she closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep.

* * *

“…….”  

Ji-hyuk’s eyebrows twitched as he wondered how her even breathing could be so faint. He didn’t know why he didn’t like the way she looked with her back turned to him.

His lips jerked upward at the foolishness of her perching on the edge of the bed, as if touching her could cause trouble.    

He is used to being in the dark, so he can see her movements quite clearly. He could hear her weak breathing and see her narrow shoulders and arms that seemed to break at the slightest effort.    

He stood there silently watching her shoulders move slightly with each breath. He almost screamed when she warned him to stay out of her way in the garden.

There was something about her that was both typical and unusual, something about the way she seemed bitter and as if she’d given up on something, he felt his heart sink for a second.    

He’d been like that previously when she was sick. He was as strange as she was. What bothered him about it? He didn’t know if she was struggling because she was doing so well.

He didn’t give a damn. He felt she was able to handle it because she’d never made a sound or shown any signs of distress. But he was taken aback when he saw her crying like a child.  

After that, she returned to her regular expressionless self, but Ji-hyuk couldn’t stop thinking about her crying.

He was terrified when she would abruptly enter his mind when he was eating or in a meeting.

He couldn’t concentrate on work today, so he went out and bought her favorite ice cream. She likes ice cream.

Mrs. Seo continued to speak to her, but Ji-hyuk heard her. She is currently obsessed with ice cream. It had to be the ice cream that kept her going.

But he wasn’t expecting her to be so cold. It irritates him that she draws the line. He was irritated and angry that she was enjoying her ice cream so much and that she was terrified when she saw him.    

He wanted to ask her about why she lied about what she said such as she didn’t like ice cream. When she was red in the face, what could he say to her?

“Uh…yeah.”    

He sheepishly smiled as she wrapped her arms around him in looking for warmth. She placed herself as far away from him as she could.

He was well aware of it. Ji-hyuk smiled broadly as his eyes rolled back in his head. He almost tugged on her arm and brought her into his arms when she turned away and laid on her back.

He locked his eyes on her as she clung to his side like a firefly. He attentively watched her sleep for a long period. Her lashes are quite lengthy.

He couldn’t take his eyes off her clean white face. Her entire body is the same color as her face. His fingers longed to touch her, and his eyes ended up on her lips.  

“Ji-hyuk’s eyes widened as his heartbeat; he took a deep breath, and thankfully, it stopped. He must have been mistaken; is it because he hasn’t slept recently?”

Is that why he’s so sensitive? These are the days when he’s not letting things slip as he normally would. No. Not since she cried in his arms, to be exact. Not since the dinner table.    

When he heard her voice from within the slightly open front door, he came to a halt, and when he heard her apologize, he opened the door and interrupted her.  

He didn’t know why he was so angry at the sound of her apology, which was so familiar to him. He told her they’d have dinner together but she told him not to cross the line.    

“…What’s wrong with her?”

he asks, cuddling onto her body for warmth. Ji-hyuk grumbled and wrapped his arms around her, encircling her.    

Sleep seemed to be on the way. He wished his warmth could reach her, so small, so tiny; he prayed she could be warm right now, when all she had left of herself was a tiny little being like she always lived in the winter cold.

“…Ha.”

He lowered his gaze from her face to her chest, which he could see through her nightgown. …Damn.  He recognized the sensation and clinched his itchy fingers.  

“She should lie on the end of the bed as far as she can,”

Not her, he said, but himself. How long had it been since he’d done something like that? He’d never done it for so long before. Ji-hyuk’s brows knit together.