Living with an Ex-Husband - Chapter 77:

Side Story (03)

“Euh…!”

Letting out a pleasurable sound, Eunchae arched her back. As she did so, Lee Joon’s hand became rougher as it cupped her breast.

“Hah… damn it.”

Lee Joon muttered a curse under his breath as he reluctantly pulled away from Eunchae’s lips. He knew that if he went any further, he’d end up taking her into his arms right then and there.

But it wasn’t only his promise to wait until after she had their child that held him back.

With Eunchae still in the early stages of pregnancy, Lee Joon was filled with both caution and concern. He treated her like she was made of delicate glass—fragile and easily breakable.

Yet, at times… it was incredibly difficult to suppress his physical desires. Eunchae was just too lovable, and he had an overwhelming urge to hold her close and make her cry out with pleasure until her voice was hoarse.

“Just hold on a little longer. They say once you reach the stable phase, we can.”

Eunchae, feeling equally disappointed, gently stroked Lee Joon’s hair.

“You won’t do anything even then. What if you and our baby get hurt?”

At his vow of continued abstinence, Eunchae decided to challenge him.

“The doctor said it would be okay. If you keep holding back… I might just pounce on you.”

Lee Joon’s eyes narrowed in disbelief at Eunchae’s bold proclamation.

“What did you just say?”

Thinking he might have misheard, he asked for clarification, and Eunchae repeated clearly.

“I said I might pounce on you.”

“Hah…! With that body?”

Especially considering that her belly would soon be visible, Lee Joon’s gaze shifted to Eunchae’s still-flat belly.

The thought of holding Eunchae when her belly was round made Lee Joon feel sinful just by imagining it.

“Yes. If you hold me carefully, it should be fine.”

Eunchae’s playful reply made Lee Joon’s mouth drop open in disbelief. Had he become naive or had Eunchae become bolder? His eyes flickered with confusion as he pondered.

Eunchae couldn’t help but laugh at Lee Joon’s rare moment of nervousness. His awkwardness was oddly entertaining.

“It’s still a distant issue, so let’s think about it when the time comes. Don’t get scared by worrying too much in advance. Hope, it seems like your daddy is quite shocked. Can you encourage him to stay strong?”

“Are you… teasing me right now?”

Lee Joon squinted at Eunchae, who was smiling brightly. Never in his life did he think he would find himself at the mercy of Yoon Eunchae over something as mundane as intimacy.

“Remember this, Yoon Eunchae. The pregnancy lasts for nine months. Starting now, I’m going to build up interest, so let’s meet again nine months later.”

Despite his ominous warning, Eunchae remained undeterred. She had her own confidence.

“You see, Lee Joon, you might not know this, but you can’t just jump back into intimacy right after the baby is born. You’ll have to wait at least six months because my body needs to recover.”

“What?”

The thunderbolt of that revelation left Lee Joon utterly stunned.

“Then what? Are you saying we can’t for almost two years?”

“Well, that’s essentially the case,” Eunchae nodded, smiling as she offered her realistic advice.

“So, we should take the opportunities when they arise. Mom says that when the baby is in your belly, it’s the most comfortable time.”

“…Alright. I’ll think about that.”

Taking a step back, Lee Joon began to rub Eunchae’s belly gently, speaking softly to the baby.

“I think your dad and mom have been having some rather inappropriate conversations, Hope. Just let it go in one ear and out the other. Daddy loves you.”

“I think you’ll be a warm and caring dad, Lee Joon.”

Eunchae pressed her nose against his as he placed gentle kisses on her belly and cheek, feeling assured. He responded with a light peck on her lips.

“I really want that. I hope to be a good dad who sets a good example for our child.”

Lee Joon’s expressed hope encouraged Eunchae.

“It will happen. I believe in you. You are so caring and deep-hearted.”

“That’s only for you, Yoon Eunchae. To everyone else, I’m still the arrogant and cold Tae Lee Joon.”

“That’s perfectly fine. You only need to be good to me.”

Eunchae smiled and added her praise before asking about the reason for his early leave.

“By the way, why did you leave early? The company must be really busy right now.”

Her gaze carefully scrutinized Lee Joon’s expression as she mentioned the word ‘busy.’ The recent events had left Geumyoung Group and Lee Joon with no time to rest, not even for a day.

Under normal circumstances, Lee Joon would have stayed late to handle work, stopped by home to see Eunchae, and then barely managed to catch a few hours of sleep before heading back to the office.

In that context, an early leave made her anxious—she feared that something else might have happened.

“Don’t worry. Nothing’s wrong.”

Noticing Eunchae’s anxiousness, Lee Joon gently caressed her cheek with a faint smile.

“Then why?”

At Eunchae’s insistence, Lee Joon explained the reason for his early leave with a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.

“Why do you think? I got jealous and worried about you being with Kim Woo-sung.”

“What? No way.”

“It’s not ‘no way.’ I’m more petty than you think. I get jealous easily, and I have a strong sense of possession and obsession. Just the thought of you exchanging even a meaningless glance with another man makes me feel like I could lose it with jealousy.”

“Lee Joon.”

Hearing her softly call his name made Lee Joon’s heart swell. It was incredible that a man with such pride and self-esteem would openly share his innermost feelings. He realized how much he loved her.

“Are you disappointed? Because your husband is so petty?”

As Lee Joon gently wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, he worried whether she might tire of his personality.

However, contrary to his fears, Eunchae beamed brightly, her happiness evident.

“Oh, my heart is racing! Hearing you say that makes it feel like my heart could explode!”

“Really…?”

“Yes!”

Eunchae answered with absolute certainty, her smile brightening even more as she continued.

“You’ve tried so hard not to show your feelings during our marriage. That’s why I like this side of you. If you’re going to be jealous, I want you to be ridiculously jealous, okay?”

“Yoon Eunchae, you…”

At her request, Lee Joon couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Overwhelmed with joy, he pulled Eunchae into a tight embrace.

“Eunchae, I’m going to burst at this rate.”

While only playfully complaining, Eunchae tightened her embrace around Lee Joon.

“Actually, I left work early today because I had to go somewhere.”

“Where to?”

As Lee Joon revealed the real reason for his early departure, Eunchae’s eyes widened with curiosity.

“A trip. Let’s go see the night sea like we did last time. We need to take a break.”

“Right now? Without any preparation?”

Eunchae frowned at the sudden plan, feeling caught off guard. She wanted at least to prepare some clothes to change into.

But Lee Joon was quite adamant. He planted kisses on each of her fingers and replied with a warm smile.

“Let’s just start our trip and we can prepare on the way. We’ll also be able to enjoy the fun of shopping at a market.”

***

“What a sight! It fits toy your body perfectly!”

Eunchae’s eyes widened in surprise at the thick dialect that struck her eardrums like a hammer.

After driving for quite a while, Lee Joon and Eunchae finally arrived at Haeundae in Busan. As soon as they checked into the hotel, they set out to explore the market to buy some clothes and other necessities.

“I’m a bit worried because I’ve gained some weight from the pregnancy.”

But the older woman waved her hand dismissively, showing her a simple design of underwear with full confidence.

“Oh, if that’s what you call gaining weight, then I must have been pregnant all year long! It might be a bit big, but it won’t be too small.”

“Really?”

Eunchae tilted her head, pondering the lady’s strong conviction. At that moment, Lee Joon, who had been silently observing, interjected into their conversation.

“Do you have any more provocative designs?”

“Lee Joon!”

“Oh my! The husband is bold! Of course, we have some!”

Eunchae’s flustered shout was drowned out by the boisterous laughter of the lady. Lee Joon, on the other hand, couldn’t help but smile, clearly enjoying the moment.

“What do you think of this one?”

With a mischievous grin, the lady held up a piece of lingerie that seemed barely there, presenting it to Lee Joon.

“Looks good to me!”

“Lee Joon!”

As Lee Joon happily accepted the lingerie, Eunchae felt utterly flustered, unsure of how to react.

“You’re not just teasing; you’re actually going to look at it. Why do you dislike it so much?”

At the sight of Eunchae’s embarrassment, Lee Joon playfully raised an eyebrow.

“I’m just embarrassed.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s only for me to see. I’ll take this one. Oh, and could you show me some men’s underwear as well?”

“There’s some good stuff for men too!”

The shop lady, excited, showcased underwear that would suit Lee Joon.

“I’ll take this one.”

Having quickly chosen his items, Lee Joon also purchased a comfortable dress-style nightgown for Eunchae.

“Come again! Have a great time!”

“Yes, thank you!”

“Wishing you lots of sales.”

The two responded to the lively shopkeeper’s farewell and left the store. They then strolled through the bustling market, picking up snacks.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Taking a break at a café, Lee Joon checked on Eunchae as she sipped her drink. While it was good to see her smiling and eating well, he was worried that she might be tired from the long drive and the market exploration that followed.

“I’m still okay! Since we’re out, let’s have dinner too. I found so many great places online. There’s a Taiwanese rice bowl shop, a samgyetang place, and I heard the pork soup is really good!”

As Eunchae listed off famous eateries, her eyes sparkled with excitement, indicating that her appetite was returning now that her morning sickness was nearly over. Watching her, Lee Joon couldn’t help but smile.

“Then let’s try to eat at each one.”

“How are we supposed to eat all that?”

“Simple. We can spread it out over dinner tonight, breakfast tomorrow, and lunch. Are you planning to eat everything at once?”

“Yes! I want to try a little bit of everything at once!”

Eunchae’s hopeful wish to sample everything made Lee Joon laugh heartily.

“If you want, we can buy everything and take it back to the hotel, but you’ll definitely leave some behind. So, let’s just pick one for dinner.”

“Okay, I understand!”

With a bright response, Eunchae chose Taiwanese rice bowls for dinner.

“Now that we’ve picked a menu, let’s head out. We’ll eat, take a little rest at the hotel, and then go for a walk by the beach.”

“Sounds great!”

Eunchae cheerfully responded as she took Lee Joon’s hand and stood up.The two stepped out of the café and blended into the crowd, each holding a black plastic bag filled with their snacks. The vibrant atmosphere of the market buzzed around them as they made their way through the busy streets.