Chapter 60: The Announcement

His rapidly beating heart thrummed, its unfamiliar rhythm echoing in Yoonwoo’s ears. Before his mind could fully grasp the situation, his lips moved on their own.

“Let’s do it.”

His own voice, echoing in his ears, sounded utterly alien. ‘Am I really saying this?’ Yoonwoo could hardly believe the words that had escaped his lips.

A tumultuous wave of surprise, confusion, and excitement crashed within his chest. ‘Marrying Yeon-chae, really?’ he mused. ‘Is this truly permissible?’

Yoonwoo’s eyes widened. In response, Yeon-chae’s eyes grew even wider.

The moisture that had clung to the corners of Yeon-chae’s long eyes now fell, one by one, tracing damp paths down their clear cheeks. In that moment, Yoonwoo knew there was no turning back.

Still, it didn’t matter. Yoonwoo decided not to think about anything: not their young age, nor the apprehension about the future that their unborn child would irrevocably alter. He wouldn’t dwell on the ‘true love and desired spouse’ Yeon-chae might lose forever by marrying him, nor would he consider Yoon-hyung.

Yoonwoo no longer wanted to snatch back the hard candy he had placed in Yeon-chae’s hand. Just as he didn’t want the sweet, melting candy in his own mouth to be taken away.

So, he spoke again, his voice firm.

“What’s life, anyway? Raising a kid together, it’ll probably be fun.”

A faint smile slowly spread across Yeon-chae’s previously frozen face. The corners of their long eyes curved gently, and their full lips formed a beautiful arc.

That smile was like the cherry blossoms that had bloomed profusely outside Yeon-chae’s officetel window one night long ago. Their transparent eyes, gazing steadily at Yoonwoo, were as beautiful as they had been then.

Yet, they seemed a little more mature, still retaining a youthful innocence, and exuded a warmth and softness reminiscent of a Christmas fireplace. This was true even in the hot season, as summer rapidly approached.

As Yeon-chae had confidently declared to Seowoo, a formal date was set. Since marriage was now on the table, it was a hurdle they would inevitably have to overcome.

Yoonwoo sighed heavily, watching Yeon-chae’s broad back as they strode forward. He stumbled along, trailing behind Yeon-chae, who carried a ginseng set and a box of jerky, making their way to Seowoo’s newlywed home.

As soon as they reached the 56th floor of Seowoo’s residential-commercial building and rang the doorbell, Seowoo quickly burst out. Behind them, Sihyung watched, gently patting the baby’s back cradled in their arms.

With arms crossed, Seowoo glared at Yoonwoo, then scanned Yeon-chae up and down. Their gaze was as sharp as a finely honed blade.

Far from avoiding the gaze, Yeon-chae smiled broadly, their eye corners curving gently. Unfortunately, this had no effect whatsoever on Seowoo, who believed their own spouse to be the most beautiful person in the world.

Seowoo merely snorted, sharply turning their head away. Only Yoonwoo’s heart, which had been foolishly racing while he stared blankly at Yeon-chae, thumped loudly and unnecessarily.

“Thank you for inviting us.”

Despite Seowoo’s blatant displeasure, Yeon-chae, still smiling brightly, offered a polite greeting. With a face as neatly sculpted as a statue, they possessed impeccable manners—it was hard to tell whose child they were.

Yoonwoo gazed at Yeon-chae, who would soon become ‘their child,’ feeling a wave of satisfaction. Regrettably, Seowoo did not seem particularly impressed.

“I didn’t invite you. You insisted on coming, so I reluctantly told you to.”

“Well, if you told us to come, then it’s an invitation, isn’t it, Seowoo?”

“I said no!”

“Are we going to keep talking out here? If the downstairs neighbors hear us shouting, I’ll be embarrassed.”

Seowoo was about to retort with a few more cutting remarks, but Sihyung intervened, ushering Yoonwoo and Yeon-chae inside. After bowing politely once more, Yeon-chae presented the jerky box and ginseng set they held in both hands to Seowoo.

“What’s this?”

Having lived with Seowoo for twenty-three years, Yoonwoo knew their tastes intimately. Indeed, it was harder *not* to know, as Seowoo’s palate was remarkably similar to his own.

Thus, when Yeon-chae agonized over choosing a gift, Yoonwoo suggested jerky. ‘Wouldn’t a fruit basket be better?’ Yeon-chae had asked worriedly. However, Yoonwoo knew that if presented with a beautifully wrapped fruit basket, Seowoo would merely make a sour face, complaining that it wouldn’t fill their stomach.

Yoonwoo’s prediction proved accurate. Seowoo glared at the jerky with a conflicted expression for a moment, before finally accepting the box with a sullen face.

“Why bother agonizing when you were going to take it anyway?”

Yoonwoo, momentarily forgetting they had come to plead their case, couldn’t help but interject. Seowoo, however, ignored him completely, clutching the luxuriously packaged jerky box to their chest while handing the ginseng set to Sihyung.

Sihyung blinked, their clear face showing a hint of surprise, as they accepted it.

“Sihyung, eat this. You need to stay healthy.”

“Why? Is Sihyung sick?”

“Not exactly sick, but my darling is just so frail.”

Sihyung was a physically robust dominant Alpha, nearly 190cm tall. By no stretch of the imagination could they be described as frail.

“…I’m healthy. Really. That one time I was sick was because I suddenly gave a lot of blood for a donation…”

Sihyung protested with an aggrieved voice, but was cut off by Seowoo, who waved a dismissive hand and replied casually. With a resigned expression, Sihyung disappeared into the kitchen with the ginseng set, only to reappear moments later carrying a tray laden with tarts and teacups.

“You know Yoonwoo hasn’t presented long and their pheromones are weak, right? Yoonwoo is still so young, yet you caused such a huge mess and even made them hospitalized.”

Seated comfortably on the sofa, Seowoo began to pick a fight in earnest. Yoonwoo was about to interject that Yeon-chae was younger, that the ‘accident’ was mutual—not just Yoonwoo’s doing—and that the hospitalization was a result of Yoonwoo foolishly running away from Yeon-chae, when Yeon-chae preempted them.

“That’s why I intend to take responsibility. This time, legally and definitively.”

“And Yoonwoo agrees to this legal responsibility?”

“Of course. I should have greeted you sooner, I apologize, hyung.”

Seowoo bit down hard on their lower lip. A distinct red line of blood became visible.

Yoonwoo, a frightened expression on his face, reached for Seowoo’s arm, only to be immediately shrugged off. Seowoo, looking utterly flabbergasted, questioned Yeon-chae again.

“Hyung?”

“Ah, my apologies. Shall I call you *hyungnim*, then? *Hyungnim*?”

“Just don’t call me anything.”

Seowoo’s face hardened.

“Still, it would be awkward without a proper title, wouldn’t it? As for me, please just call me by my name, informally.”

“No, I said it’s fine…”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you for the first time. I am Oh Yeon-chae.”

Regardless of Seowoo’s stern expression, Yeon-chae, grinning, finished saying everything they wanted to, then politely introduced themselves.

Yoonwoo nervously darted his eyes, gauging Seowoo’s mood.

After being dumped by a former lover, who had promised marriage, for someone else, Seowoo had immersed themselves in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for a long time. While it was good that they were now living happily ever after, having traded a ‘lemon for a luxury car,’ the habit of learning jiu-jitsu remained, and their fists would often fly up.

Feeling on edge, Yoonwoo subtly grabbed Seowoo’s arm. And once again, he was shrugged off.

“It’s not the first time. I guess you want to forget seeing me at the hospital.”

A vein pulsed visibly on Seowoo’s forehead as they replied with a defiant smile. Yeon-chae, with an embarrassed expression, their eyebrows drawn into an inverted ‘V,’ gently countered.

“I apologize for not properly greeting you then; things were quite chaotic. I had to quickly transfer pheromones, so I was in contact with Yoonwoo hyung…”

“Oh, come on! Don’t you have any shame?!”

Seowoo abandoned all pretense and yelled at Yeon-chae. Even Seowoo, who could brazenly discuss the most embarrassing topics, shaming everyone around them, apparently didn’t want to hear the intimate details of their sibling and an Alpha’s pheromone-related predicament. Meanwhile, Yoonwoo felt unjustly accused. After all, the only thing he’d done after Seowoo left that day was comfort a tearful Yeon-chae and agree to marry them.

“Seowoo. Why are you treating our guest like this?”

“No, they’re picking a fight!”

“You started it first.”

“When did I?!”

“Stop it. They came to greet us, right? This jerky is delicious.”

Yoonwoo had worried about a major clash between Seowoo and Yeon-chae, but fortunately, Sihyung, Seowoo’s perfectly rational spouse, was there to mediate. Sihyung deftly shoved a few pieces of jerky into Seowoo’s widely open mouth.

Seowoo’s cheek bulged as they mumbled and chewed the jerky filling their mouth. The furrow in Seowoo’s brow slowly smoothed out. It was such excellent jerky that Yoonwoo, after tasting it, had bought an identical set to take home himself. He felt a pang of guilt that Yeon-chae had bought his set too, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it was okay not to, even as a polite gesture, so he just accepted it. Saliva pooled in Yoonwoo’s own mouth.

“Hyung, isn’t the jerky delicious?”

Yoonwoo also picked up a few pieces of jerky from the plate, put them in his mouth, and mumbled his question. Seowoo nodded, their face a picture of complicated emotions.

Thereafter, whenever Seowoo’s expression changed, Sihyung appropriately placated them. Yoonwoo’s foresight in calling Sihyung beforehand and earnestly asking them to be present during Yeon-chae’s visit had paid off. Given Yoonwoo’s significant role in bringing that couple together, he felt he deserved this much reciprocation.

With Seowoo’s aggressive demeanor somewhat subdued, the conversation continued smoothly until, at one point, Seowoo took a deep breath, collecting themselves. They were about to bring up the subject they had been holding back.

“Have you told your parents?”

Seowoo’s eyes narrowed sharply as they pressed Yeon-chae. Next to them, Sihyung’s broad shoulders, which had been impassive until then, twitched slightly.

Yoonwoo had heard about the chaotic drama Seowoo had experienced with Sihyung’s mother during their own untimely pregnancy and marriage. Remembering Seowoo’s past distress, Yoonwoo looked up at Yeon-chae with concern. He couldn’t imagine how Yeon-chae’s parents would react to their twenty-one-year-old son announcing he was tackling marriage and parenthood all at once.