Chapter 99: Unexpected Kisses and a Snowy Birth

Five people, including Yeon-chae and Yoonwoo, were unexpectedly drawn into the game. Despite her cheeks being flushed with alcohol, Da-eun’s hawk-like gaze never wavered as she expertly led the game of Go-Stop. A fierce determination to secure first place shone brightly in her eyes.

However, things began to take a strange turn.

“Hey, Oh Yeon-chae. It’s your turn. Hurry up.”

Da-eun snapped at Yeon-chae, her voice sharp. Yeon-chae had delayed slightly, meticulously choosing his card. He shot a glance at Da-eun, then snorted.

“Even if I hurry, I doubt you’ll come in first.”

“Ah, be quiet. How would you know?”

Da-eun bristled.

Yet, even to Yoonwoo, who was new to Go-Stop, it seemed unlikely Da-eun could turn the tide. Myeong-tae and Yoonwoo had long since fallen to the bottom, but surprisingly, Yeon-chae was playing well. Even more unexpected, Kevin was proving to be a formidable opponent.

Kevin was a Go-Stop prodigy.

“Are you still going to take forever?! Where did the person who knew how to play Go-Stop go?”

“Quiet. Can’t you be quiet, Go Cheol-yun?”

“You, you, you, you! I told you not to call me by that name!”

With Kevin and Yeon-chae bickering on either side of her, Da-eun sat with a grave expression, her eyes fixed on the game board. She had confidently bet on a kiss between first and last place, but now, even second place was precarious. It seemed she wanted to come in last just to steal a kiss from Kevin, but even that was proving difficult. Myeong-tae had claimed last place long ago.

“Um, I’m done. It’s your turn, hyung?”

“Uh, uh, uh….”

Though not as bad as Myeong-tae, who was dozing off with cards in hand, Yoonwoo was also incredibly sleepy. He was only holding back his yawns because he was afraid of Da-eun. Besides, the game was almost at its end.

After the final turn, a kiss between Kevin and Myeong-tae awaited—a sight Yoonwoo had no desire to witness. He had lost all motivation long ago.

“Me, here….”

And so, rubbing his drowsy eyes, Yoonwoo played a random card.

He shouldn’t have done that.

“Huh?”

“Oh!”

“Kyaa! Kevin is last place!”

“Y-Yoonwoo hyung!”

“It’s my turn now, isn’t it? Here! I’m first place! Kevin, come here!”

Yoonwoo’s mind snapped awake. He stared blankly at the board, utterly speechless.

The outcome was clear: Kevin was first, and Yoonwoo was last.

“Are you crazy? No!”

Yeon-chae shrieked, his face pale with horror. Da-eun, who had been sulking, now seemed amused; her eyes gleamed, and she made no move to stop Kevin. Myeong-tae, roused by the commotion, blinked his sleepy eyes and looked around, then gasped and hiccuped in surprise upon seeing Kevin pounce on Yoonwoo. The most bewildered person was Yoonwoo. ‘A kiss with Kevin? Are you insane?!’

Smooooch—!

A loud friction sound of lips hitting skin echoed through the room.

Yoonwoo slowly fluttered open one eye, then the other. Nothing had happened. His cheeks, which he had guarded with both hands, were safe, and Kevin wasn’t clinging to him. ‘What was that sound just now?’ Yoonwoo wondered, raising his head with a puzzled expression.

“……”

“……”

“……”

“Wahahahahaha! He kissed Yeon-chae! A married couple is one body, so it’s fine, it’s fine!”

“Ah, damn it….”

Yeon-chae’s cheek had somehow ended up between Yoonwoo and the lunging Kevin. Yeon-chae furiously rubbed his cheek with his palm, showering curses upon Kevin, who naturally paid him no mind.

“Wow, that was fun! Should we play again? What should we bet on this time?”

“Play again? What do you mean, play again? Ah, seriously, Go Cheol-yun!”

“Aish, I told you not to call me that. Kevin is Kevin!”

“Aargh, Go Cheol-yun, get out of my house right now!”

All this banter was lost on Yoonwoo.

Yoonwoo now knew that Yeon-chae’s first love, ‘Yoon-hyung,’ was himself, not Kevin. He also understood that Kevin was a good older brother Yeon-chae had relied on during lonely times (though Yoonwoo doubted the extent of that reliance), and that Kevin was naturally affectionate, like a social Sapsali dog, with everyone.

However, that was one thing.

This was another.

“Oh Yeon-chae!”

Yoonwoo stood up abruptly. Startled by his sudden movement, Yeon-chae and Kevin stopped bickering and widened their eyes.

“You, come here!”

“Yes? What?”

A hand shot out, grabbing Yeon-chae by the collar. His pale face, wide-eyed and bewildered, was instantly pulled close to Yoonwoo’s.

Yoonwoo then captured Yeon-chae’s lips.

He bit Yeon-chae’s soft lower lip, then, as Yeon-chae flinched and his lips parted slightly, Yoonwoo plunged in. His tongue tangled with Yeon-chae’s soft, smooth one, past his even teeth.

“……”

“……”

“……”

This time, even Kevin was speechless.

At the end of the long, lingering kiss, as the silver thread of saliva between their lips finally broke, Yoonwoo grinned triumphantly. He had finally beaten Kevin.

“Wow… Kevin is really bold! But why did you kiss him?”

However, his opponent didn’t even realize he had lost. Yoonwoo, who had always tried to be kind to Kevin, finally exploded.

“I was trying to wipe off Kevin hyung’s kiss from Yeon-chae’s cheek, why?! Don’t you ever kiss him again!”

“Uh, uh… you didn’t like it…? Oh, you should have said something….”

“You don’t know unless I say it? Are you crazy?! Oh Yeon-chae is my husband! We even have a marriage certificate! Want to see it?”

“Ah, no… that’s fine….”

Kevin quickly deflated. As Kevin mumbled a few more words, Da-eun nudged his arm.

“Hurry up and apologize, quickly.”

The drinking party finally ended only after Kevin put his hands together and profusely apologized to Yoonwoo.

“Hyung, are you feeling better?”

Yeon-chae embraced Yoonwoo from behind as Yoonwoo lay on his side. A fresh cherry blossom scent filled the bedroom. Yeon-chae’s skin, cool from his recent shower, felt pleasantly chilled against Yoonwoo. Yoonwoo’s sulky cheeks gradually softened.

“I told him never to cling to you unnecessarily again. Kevin hyung said he was wrong. He left, insisting I tell you how truly sorry he was.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like Kevin hyung acting like that is new.”

“Even so, I’m sorry, hyung.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?”

“For upsetting you….”

‘It wasn’t even your fault,’ Yoonwoo wanted to say, but the words caught in his throat like a thorn, refusing to come out. He mumbled, looking sullen.

“I don’t like Kevin hyung being closer to you than I am.”

“Pardon?”

“I wish I was the closest person to you in the world.”

“……”

“I want to be the one you like the most and love the most, and also your closest friend. Can’t I? Because that’s how I feel….”

Yeon-chae remained silent for a moment. A heavy quiet settled between them.

It was when a puzzled and pouting Yoonwoo turned to look back that Yeon-chae suddenly wrapped his long limbs around him, clinging like a koala to a tree. Yoonwoo found himself with no room to breathe.

“Y-Yeon-chae. I can’t breathe. What’s wrong?”

“Hyung.”

“Huh?”

Yeon-chae loosened his arms. Then, before Yoonwoo could turn around, he pressed his lips to Yoonwoo’s ear and whispered softly.

“Of course, I feel the same way. If Go Kevin bothers you, should I just get rid of him?”

The soft movement of Yeon-chae’s lips and his gentle breath tickled Yoonwoo’s ear. Yoonwoo shook his head, letting out a soft laugh.

On the day their baby was born, a blanket of heavy snow descended.

Yoonwoo had opted for a C-section and already had a scheduled delivery date. However, labor pains began a few days before the surgery, in the early hours of the morning.

“Yeon-chae… Yeon-chae.”

“Hyung?”

Hearing the faint, trembling voice, Yeon-chae sprang up. Yoonwoo, with a pale face, was shaking Yeon-chae’s shoulder. Yeon-chae was utterly shocked.

“What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Why, why? What’s wrong?”

“It’s not that….”

Yoonwoo clutched his belly, groaning. His voice was terribly hoarse.

“My stomach feels strange. The baby feels like it’s coming out.”

“What? Really? Already? Why?”

“……”

Yoonwoo then glared at Yeon-chae with an expression Yeon-chae had never seen before. ‘Did you just ask “why”?’ Yoonwoo looked as if he wanted to grab Yeon-chae by the collar and shake him. Yeon-chae felt awkward despite the urgency of the moment.

“Let’s go to the hospital. The delivery bag is all packed… I’ll call the hospital.”

“Uh….”

Yoonwoo’s pale face trembled as he spoke.

The drive to the hospital felt excessively long. Yoonwoo, semi-reclined in the back seat, groaned, barely conscious. Yeon-chae, seeing Yoonwoo’s ashen face in the rearview mirror, calmly steered. Yet, his eyes kept welling up.

He had never seen Yoonwoo in such pain before. There was nothing he could do to help.

“Hyung, I’m sorry. Just bear with it a little longer. We’ll be there soon.”

“No… I-I’m, fine….”

Yoonwoo’s weak voice was barely a whisper, as if it might break off at any moment.

Yeon-chae strained his eyes, looking straight ahead at the road. But soon, his eyes became moist. Tears welled up and dropped onto his hand, falling from his chin.

Outside the car window, snow was falling.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

Evil Organization Executive, Forced to Become a Magical Girl

ComedyGender BenderGirlsLove

Read Now →
Not interested