Once Love Begins - Chapter 23. Part1 (R-19)

Chapter 23. Part1

After finally shouting at him to leave the bathroom, I was left alone. He lingered by the door for a moment, but I gave him a firm look, and he closed it like a scolded puppy. He’s impossible.

It’s hard to believe this is the same Cha Kang-jae who once hurt me so deeply. Now, he adjusts everything for me, except for one thing—s*x. On the bed, it’s as if another person takes over him, almost like an animal possesses him.

I tore open the pregnancy test packaging. My hand trembled as I held the test.

A moment later.

I opened the bathroom door and there he was, pacing anxiously. He seemed too nervous to even ask how it went, standing there frozen. I walked up to him, and as soon as he saw my face, he hugged me tightly.

“It’s okay. We can try for a baby next time. Don’t cry.”

He gently rubbed my back, trying to comfort me as tears welled up in my eyes. I noticed that his hand was shaking slightly.

“We can take our time with having a baby.”

“…We don’t have to.”

“Huh?”

“I’m pregnant,” I said, my voice catching as I paused for a moment.

“…What?”

He widened his eyes in disbelief, grabbing my shoulders with both hands and staring at my face, specifically my lips, as if waiting for me to say it again.

“I’m pregnant.”

“Hah!”

I watched his expression closely. His face, frozen in shock, gradually softened and began to twist with emotion.

“Are you… crying?”

I was caught off guard. Cha Kang-jae, of all people, crying?

“…No, I’m not crying.”

“But you are. You’re crying right now.”

I could see him trying to hold back his tears, his jaw trembling as he clenched it tightly. Even though I knew he wanted this pregnancy, I couldn’t help but watch his expression closely, feeling strangely uncertain despite knowing he’d be happy.

“Thank you! *Sniff* Thank you!”

Suddenly, he hugged me so tightly I could hardly breathe.

“Thank you, Yeon-woo, thank you so much!”

He lifted me off the ground, spinning us around.

“Stop! Don’t do that!”

“S-sorry! I’m sorry.”

He gently set me down and quickly checked me from head to toe, making sure I wasn’t hurt or scared. I couldn’t help but laugh softly.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, I’m fine.”

Seeing him smile so widely through his tear-filled eyes made me smile brightly in return.

“Are you happy?”

“Is that even a question? I can’t believe it. This is amazing.”

I didn’t ask why he was crying. Instead, we both hugged each other tightly and cried together.

**2 Years Later**

“Oh, my beautiful daughter.”

I looked at Ji-woo who was kicking her legs in disappointment. She was so beautiful that it was almost unreal. They say that a child is so precious that you wouldn’t mind looking at it, and lately, I’ve realized how true that saying is.

“Ji-woo, where do you think Mommy is?”

Wearing a perfectly fitted black suit with a pink baby carrier made people glance as they passed by. I sighed. Ji-woo had drooled all over the one-of-a-kind suit, but I didn’t care at all.

When I looked at Ji-woo’s big, moist eyes and her wide smile, so much like her mother’s, my heart swelled with love.

But still… I was growing anxious because Yeon-woo wasn’t answering her phone.

I tried calling again, but all I heard was the all-too-familiar automated voice.

Sighing, I put my phone back in my pocket and gently bounced Ji-woo up and down to calm her whining. When she looked up at me, she flashed the most beautiful smile in the world.

“Don’t smile at me with the same face as your mom.”

And with that, Ji-woo’s smile grew even brighter. I had to hold back from laughing along with her.

*No, focus,*

I reminded myself. I was here to track down Ha Yeon-woo.

My eyes scanned her usual hangout.

Just as I was about to enter, a group of people came out.

“Oppa?”

Even among the crowd, I spotted her instantly—my girl.

Ha, Yeon-woo’s eyes widened when she saw me, then she broke into the same bright smile as Ji-woo and came running over.

Seeing her smile so beautifully, my anger melted away in an instant.

“Ji-woo, oh my, my sweet girl, when did you get here?”

Ji-woo, recognizing her mom, flailed her arms and legs in excitement.

“What happened?”

“Why didn’t you answer the phone?”

“Oh, did you call? My battery died…”

“You could’ve charged it.”

“Are you mad?”

Even after having a child, she’s become even more beautiful, with a mature charm that drives me crazy. Whether she knew it or not, she crossed her arms and fluttered her eyelashes. I wanted to bite her lips out of playful frustration.

“Hey there!”

“Wow, you’re here to find her again. Told you he’d come!”

I turned to her, confused by their comments, but she just widened her eyes, acting innocent as if she didn’t know anything.

Seeing her innocent face, I realized I had been tricked again.

“We’ll be off now. See you next time!”

I raised an eyebrow as her friends tried to slip away, clearly sensing the need to escape the situation.

“You two keep doing this, huh? Weren’t you supposed to help?”

“Haha, what are you talking about?”

I stepped closer to Hana and Jaeho, who I had grown friendly enough with to joke around.

“Oh, Ji-woo, do you like seeing your auntie after so long?”

Hana reached for Ji-woo’s fingers, but I swatted her hand away.

“You two just disappear.”

“Haha, well, you see…”

“See what?”

“We’re Yeon-woo’s friends, after all!”

I squinted at them suspiciously. Feeling guilty, they forced a laugh and avoided eye contact.

“…I prepared that gift I mentioned.”

“…Brother-in-law!”

“I’ll give it to you later.”

I had prepared a special membership to the new resort that just opened, especially for them. Looks like they won’t be getting it now.

“Brother-in-law! We’re sorry!”

“Too late. You can leave now.”

It was amusing to see Hana and Jaeho clinging to me, claiming to love me more than Yeon-woo. I laughed to myself. Maybe I’ll let them sweat a little longer before I give it to them.

“We’ll make sure to always tell you where Yeon-woo is from now on, just give us a pass this time.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, I’ll trust you this time.”

Yeon-woo, oblivious to the conversation, tugged on my arm.

“What are you all talking about?”

“Shall we go?”

“Yeah. But why did you come here?”

“Now you’re curious?

I gently stroked Yeon-woo’s black hair. Her cheeks were flushed, probably from drinking. Without thinking, I reached out and gently caressed her cheek. She closed her eyes, obviously enjoying the touch, and I pulled her closer and planted a kiss on her forehead.

“Hand Ji-woo over to me.”

“Okay.”

I placed Ji-woo in the car seat, and she immediately began to whine. But as soon as I handed her a snack, she smiled like she had just been given the world.

“Just hang in there a bit longer,”

I said, as Yeon-woo sat next to Ji-woo and closed the door.

As soon as I got into the driver’s seat, she asked,

“So, why did you come?”

“Your mom called.”

“My mom?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, I see.”

Her sassy tone made it hard for me to keep my smile down.

*She’s just too beautiful—what am I going to do?*

“Yeon-woo.”

“Yeah?”

“…Can’t you spend some time with me, too?”

“What?”

“I mean… play with me, too.”

I looked at her, trying to gauge her thoughts, but her expression was hard to read.

“Hmm, you’ve had plenty of time to play, though,” she teased.

“….”

“You’ve been meeting all kinds of women, drinking as much as you want,” she added, making my stomach tighten with guilt. I gripped the steering wheel harder.

“I want to have fun too.”

“Come play with me. I’ll make it fun, I promise. Hmm?”

“No!”

It seemed like her friends were putting strange ideas into her head again. Last time, they’d mentioned that I’d had my fun, but Yeon-woo, who married young, had missed out. It had caused a lot of tension before. My head was already starting to hurt.

“So, why did your mom call? Is something going on?”

“Not sure.”

“Maybe she just wants to see Ji-woo?”

I looked over at her as she tilted her head, looking curious.

“Probably.”

Since my parents’ house was nearby, we arrived quickly. As soon as we walked in, my mother greeted us warmly.

“Yeon-woo, did I call you too late?”

“No, not at all.”

My mother, now holding Ji-woo, apologized to Yeon-woo for calling so late.

“Is something going on? Where’s Dad?”

“…Sit down,” my mother said with a serious expression.

We sat side by side on the sofa as my mother gently soothed a sleepy, fussy Ji-woo in her arms. The atmosphere felt a bit tense, and I couldn’t help but wonder what this was about.

“Mother, is something…?”

“I’m getting a divorce.”

Her words overlapped with Yoon-woo’s, and I wasn’t sure if I had heard correctly.

“What?”

Yeon-woo, just as shocked, jumped up from her seat.

“W-wait, what do you mean, Mother?”

“I’m getting a divorce. It’s late, but I want to live my own life now.”

I realized my father had caused another issue with a woman.

“If I go through with the divorce, it’ll make the news, and things will get noisy for a while. But I’m ready for that. Don’t worry about me.”

Strangely, my mother’s expression looked peaceful.

“Alright, do what you think is best.”

Growing up, I secretly wished they’d divorce. I had watched my mother suffer for years because of my father’s infidelity. Now I just wanted her to be at peace and finally get on with her life.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice calm. I gently squeezed Yeon-woo’s hand, which was still frozen in shock.

“Oh, and I’ll take care of Ji-woo today. You two should go on a date or something. It’s the weekend.”

“No, it’s okay, Mother.”

“It’s fine. Just go. All of Ji-woo’s things are here, so don’t worry.”

Ji-woo was very fond of her grandmother, so I took the opportunity to grab Yeon-woo’s hand and stood up.

“Let’s go.”

“But…”

I pushed her along.

“Come on, let’s go.”

“Mother, I’ll come back early tomorrow.”

“Take your time,” my mom replied in a playful voice, holding Ji-woo’s hand.

I smiled at the sight.

“We’re going now.”

“Alright.”

As we got into the car, I noticed Yeon-woo’s shoulders were slumped.

“What’s wrong? Worried about your mom?”

“…Yeah.”

“Don’t worry. Your mom thought about this for a long time before deciding.”

She nodded, and seeing how much she cared for my mother made my heart swell.

*When did she grow up so much?*

I grabbed her cheek and kissed it repeatedly. She playfully slapped my shoulder and pretended to gasp for air before looking around.

“Oppa.”

“Hm?”

Her soft, teasing voice calling me “Oppa” tore at my heart. I leaned closer when she muttered something I couldn’t catch. Blushing, she hesitated before whispering in my ear, “Let’s do it in the car.”

I blinked slowly.

*Did I just hear that right?*

When I looked at her, she was smiling mischievously. My heart felt like it was about to explode.

“Did I hear you wrong?”

“No, you heard me perfectly.”

As I watched her lips twitch into a smile, I tried to remain calm, but my chest heaved in response. When she deliberately ran her hand down my thigh, I let out a small gasp. My leg jerked involuntarily.

“You want to do it in the car? You didn’t like the idea before…”

“So, do you not want to?”

“No, it’s not that…”

“Then fine, we won’t.”

She pouted and turned her head sharply, crossing her arms and looking out the window. Just then, I suddenly started the car.

“Put your seatbelt on. I’m in too much of a hurry to help you with it.”

Of course, he wouldn’t resist for long.