Chapter 67: An Unwanted Kiss and an Unexpected Plan

As our gazes locked, he slowly drew near. Our lips met in a feather-light touch, parting almost immediately, so ephemeral that I realized it had been a kiss only a moment later.

Though the warmth rapidly faded, the damp, tender sensation lingered, an imprint on my skin. Our eyes remained locked, an unspoken connection holding us.

“Yoo Seo-jin…”

His hand, calling my name in a voice far deeper and more resonant than before, settled upon my still-damp chest.

Was the frantic pounding of my heart echoing through him? Against my back, his own heart began to quicken, matching the tumultuous rhythm of mine.

“May I kiss you?”

It was a cautious proposition, entirely unlike him. His face, turned toward me, seemed to merge with Seon Woo-jung’s, perhaps because of his damp bangs. No, to be precise, it was the same features, merely imbued with a different aura.

‘Right, this person is Han Jung-woo.’

There had been countless instances when, upon discovering a resemblance, I had desperately wished he were Seon Woo-jung. Yet, I resolved to abandon such futile imaginings now.

Just as everyone called me Yoo Seo-jin, not Yoo Joon-hee, I decided to accept that he, too, was Han Jung-woo, not Seon Woo-jung.

‘I’ve decided to accept that I will never see you again.’

Thus, the man before me was Han Jung-woo. Though we were bound together by unavoidable circumstances for now, he was someone I would eventually have to leave.

Therefore, I could not cross this invisible boundary any further.

“I wish to rest now.”

Having drawn an invisible line, I straightened my body, pulling away from his embrace. He stretched out a hand as if to detain me, but it failed to reach me as I walked away without a backward glance.

Emerging from the pool, I vigorously wrung out my trousers, heavy with absorbed water. After shaking my wet hair, I glanced back to find him still rooted to that very spot.

“Why aren’t you coming out?”

Fearing he might remain there all night if left undisturbed, I called out to him, feigning indifference. Only then did his gaze, previously fixed on empty space, finally follow my retreating form.

“Will you give me a hand?”

He extended his hand, asking for assistance, much as I had done moments earlier. I eyed him warily, suspecting he might try to pull me in with the same trick, but his face betrayed not a trace of mischief.

After a moment of deliberation, I extended my hand, and he grasped it, emerging from the pool. It appeared he could have easily exited without my assistance, yet I chose not to press the matter.

‘I wish he’d let go of my hand.’

Even after we were out of the pool, he did not release my hand. I considered simply relaxing my grip, but he tightened his hold further, frustrating my silent attempt.

“Are you going to keep doing this?”

“And will you permit it?”

His retort carried a playful lilt, yet his eyes held an ambiguous depth. Cutting short my spiraling thoughts, I explicitly asked him to release my hand, and only then did his grip finally slacken.

“I’ll go in and rest first.”

I bid him an early goodnight. Once we each retired to our separate rooms, we would not see each other again today, making this our final interaction face-to-face.

“You should rest too, Han Jung-woo. You must be tired after work.”

“…I suppose.”

The brief conversation concluded thus.

****

After a refreshing shower, I finally settled into bed. My belly, which had been distended from swimming and our brief game of tag, had long since returned to its flat state. Consequently, my body felt remarkably light.

‘Time to sleep.’

I extinguished all the room’s lights, leaving only the soft glow of a mood lamp. As I lay back on the plush pillow, poised to pull the blanket over me, a gentle, hesitant knock sounded at the door.

“Yoo Seo-jin, may I come in for a moment?”

A glance at the clock confirmed it was well past ten o’clock. What possible reason could he have for seeking me out at such a late hour? We had already exchanged our goodnight pleasantries.

“What is it?”

“It will only take a moment.”

Unlike me, who merely idled at home, he had to report to work again tomorrow. Concluding he wouldn’t prolong his visit, I eventually told him he could enter.

He slowly opened the door and stepped inside, hesitating for a moment at the soft glow of the mood lamp. He then approached and settled onto the edge of the bed where I was seated.

“Am I disturbing your sleep?”

“Honestly, I can’t say no to that.”

“I feel a bit sorry then.”

Despite his words, his expression betrayed no hint of remorse. Yet, I lacked the energy even to argue. All I desired was for him to state his purpose and swiftly depart my room.

“So, what is it you want to say?”

As he continued to prevaricate, I, unable to endure it any longer, directly inquired about his purpose. With his transparent attempt to prolong his stay exposed, he reluctantly began to speak.

“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at noon, so be ready.”

“Where are we going?”

“Hmm, a place Yoo Seo-jin doesn’t particularly like?”

Whether out of habit or intent, he refrained from disclosing our precise destination. Yet, sifting through the brief exchange, I instantly deduced he meant to go to a department store.

After all, if it was a place Yoo Seo-jin would have adored, and I utterly loathed, a department store was the most probable destination.

“Why do we have to go?”

“I’m planning to make a room for the baby, and I thought it would be better for Yoo Seo-jin to choose the furniture and items for it.”

“A baby’s room?”

“If we start filling it little by little now, it will be complete in about half a year.”

For male Omegas, they had said, a natural birth canal was unsuitable, making surgery the recommended option. This, of course, necessitated a period of recovery.

Moving immediately after childbirth would prove challenging, so he intended to allow me some leeway. Yet, I harbored no intention of remaining long enough to furnish a baby’s room, contrary to his expectations.

He could not possibly be unaware of this, yet perhaps he wished to believe that circumstances would shift with time, leading me to make a different choice.

I wondered if I should inform him beforehand that such a thing would never come to pass. After all, the greater the expectation, the deeper the ensuing disappointment would inevitably be.

“Han Jung-woo, I—”

“And let’s go to your next appointment together.”

He abruptly cut me off, speaking of something entirely different. As this was a topic we had already broached once before, I offered him the same reply as last time.

“As I said before, there’s no need to—”

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure the reporters don’t catch us.”

That wasn’t what I had intended to say, yet he arbitrarily misinterpreted my words and swiftly drew his own conclusion. Then, wishing me a good night, he pressed a firm kiss to my forehead before simply exiting the room.

‘What on earth?’

A weak, incredulous laugh escaped me, utterly dumbfounded. I considered seeking him out again, to meticulously argue every point and set things straight, but ultimately decided against it. I was both exhausted and certain our conversation would be futile.

‘I really should tell him I’m not going.’

It wasn’t just any trivial matter; I certainly didn’t wish to choose items for a baby’s room alongside him. My true desire was for him to avoid forming any attachment to the child, if at all possible.

‘I shouldn’t have told him the prenatal nickname.’

Reflecting upon it, his interest in the child had precisely begun at that point. Prior to that, he had never inquired about the baby, only concerning my own well-being.

Thus, I had been certain he never truly desired this child. After all, a child conceived from a one-night stand with someone he wasn’t married to could only ever be an impediment to him.

If, in the future, he were to regain his senses, meet Jung Hee-soo, fall in love, and father a child with her, he would undoubtedly view this child as a source of profound shame. He would, without question, come to regret it.

‘Well, the persuasion is Han Jung-woo’s responsibility.’

One might assume that when blinded by love, no adversity is insurmountable, yet even in the drama, Yoo Seo-jin’s pregnancy blackmail had been a pivotal event that severely rattled their relationship.

Ultimately, Jung Hee-soo had understood everything and embraced Han Jung-woo, and I could only hope for a similar outcome here. While Yoo Seo-jin had clung desperately even after his lies were exposed, I, conversely, intended to depart Han Jung-woo’s side completely, without any such theatrics.

‘For now, let’s sleep.’

Severing the thread of my deepening thoughts, I switched off the mood lamp and closed my eyes, plunging the room into complete darkness. Moments earlier, I had felt certain of a peaceful sleep, but that certainty had now vanished.

My sleep was plagued by unsettling dreams, causing me to groan and awaken repeatedly throughout the night. I knew I’d had a bad dream, but upon opening my eyes, it would swiftly dissipate, leaving only a persistent, unpleasant residue.

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Ultimately, I gave up on sleeping and stayed awake all night. As the darkness receded and the dawn light crept in, I left my room and descended the stairs. Entering the kitchen for a glass of water, I spotted a familiar back.

“You’re up early.”

Unlike me, his face, clearly well-rested, looked exceptionally radiant. A surge of irritation rose at his cheerful morning greeting, and I blurted out unfiltered words.

“Don’t expect me to stay.”

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