Chapter 62: The Strange Dream and a Shared Bedroom

I had a dream. A strange dream, one where I was aware I was dreaming.

‘This is… my home.’

The home, unfamiliar now after so much time, was the officetel where I had lived as Yoo Joon-hee.

Neither particularly large nor small, it was the first home I had purchased with the settlement money I received after leaving my family.

Even after my earnings had significantly improved, I only changed homes much later, for this place held deep meaning for me.

‘I must have moved after finished.’

As I wandered through the interior, forgotten for so long, a wave of nostalgia welled up within me.

The memories of tears and laughter in this place were vivid, yet I knew I could never return.

‘What a strange dream.’

Wiping away the shimmering tears, I walked to the living room and settled onto the sofa.

I hoped that if I simply remained still, the dream would eventually break, so I closed my eyes in that place where time seemed to stand still.

A short while later, when I opened my eyes again, I saw the soft glow of a mood lamp illuminating the room.

Only then did I realize I had awakened from the dream.

‘A strange dream…’

It was an inexplicable dream.

Why had I suddenly dreamt of the house I lived in as Yoo Joon-hee, especially one I had moved out of so long ago?

Was I perhaps nostalgic? No, that couldn’t be it.

Who would wish to return to a life already shattered beyond repair?

‘I must be tired these days.’

Dismissing it as an insignificant dream, I rubbed my eyes, still heavy with sleep, and tried to stand.

Suddenly, a large hand reached out from somewhere and gently pressed down on my shoulder.

“You must be tired. Get some more sleep.”

Only then did I see him, seated beside me.

I was usually a light sleeper, easily roused by even the slightest noise, yet I hadn’t sensed his arrival at all.

“Aren’t you hungry?”

Hesitating, I nodded instead of replying.

Truthfully, I was hungry, but at that moment, I yearned for more sleep.

“Still, it would be good to eat dinner.”

Muttering to himself, he soon patted my shoulder, telling me it was too late and I should just sleep.

He seemed intent on lulling me back to sleep, yet with him so acutely present beside me, I found myself unable to close my eyes comfortably.

“There’s another bedroom, you know.”

My voice was hoarse, a residual effect of just having woken up.

He, who had been reading documents by the soft glow of the mood lamp, removed his reading glasses and looked at me.

“What did you say? I didn’t quite catch that.”

“I said there’s another bedroom…”

“No, there’s only one bedroom here.”

“…Pardon?”

His unexpected reply caught me off guard, and he tilted his head, as if bewildered by my reaction.

“Yoo Seo-jin, do you want to use a different room than me?”

“I naturally assumed that’s what we were doing…”

“Then it wouldn’t be cohabitation, would it?”

It seemed our definitions of ‘cohabitation’ were wildly different.

I had naturally assumed it meant living in the same house, but he apparently narrowed the scope to include sharing a room.

Sitting up, I met Han Jung-woo’s gaze at eye level.

I pondered where to even begin this conversation.

“Han Jung-woo, I think we need to discuss the…”

“Let me tell you now, I have no intention of compromising.”

I hadn’t even begun to speak, yet the quick-witted Han Jung-woo had already preempted me.

Struck speechless, I could only fall silent.

“There was only one thing I wanted: to cohabit with Yoo Seo-jin until the baby is born.”

“Han Jung-woo, about that concept of cohabitation…”

“I’ve accommodated all your other wishes, so I believe I’m entitled to be a little greedy about this one thing.”

Seeing his resolute stance, I instinctively knew that nothing I said would sway him.

Thus, I opted for a swift surrender.

Of course, I couldn’t possibly share a room indefinitely with Han Jung-woo, who was essentially a stranger, so I resolved to be the one to leave the bedroom.

Isn’t there a saying? If a monk dislikes the temple, they should leave.

Therefore, it was only right that I, the “monk,” should leave, allowing Han Jung-woo, the “temple owner,” to keep the bedroom.

“Where are you going?”

Han Jung-woo caught me as I tried to get off the bed.

Facing his clearly displeased expression, I offered a bright smile as I replied.

“Regrettably, there’s only one bedroom in this house, so please use it, Han Jung-woo, as you’re the homeowner. I’ll sleep in the living room.”

As I said this and tried to push away Han Jung-woo’s hand, his grip only tightened.

Yet, I remained resolute in my intent to leave, no matter what.

Though the sofa would be uncomfortable, I knew sleeping beside him would be far more so, thus I could not give up.

If there wasn’t a bedroom, we could simply make one.

After all, there were plenty of spare rooms; we just needed to pick one.

He couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.

That’s why he was stopping me from leaving.

“Yoo Seo-jin, you use this room. I’ll go to the next one.”

Han Jung-woo, not so unconscionable as to kick out a pregnant person, surrendered just as I had predicted.

Grinning broadly in triumph, I turned my body, which had been facing the door, back towards him.

“That would be best.”

He got off the bed instead of me, gathering the documents he had been reading.

Having the spacious bed entirely to myself, I pulled the blanket up to my chin.

“Good night, Han Jung-woo.”

I offered a sweet goodnight to him as he departed, the vanquished party.

He paused with the door open, then replied, “Alright,” before finally exiting the room.

****

‘How many days has it been?’

I counted the days since I’d arrived here, folding down one finger at a time.

Five days, plus two more. So today marked exactly one week since I had moved into Han Jung-woo’s house.

All I did here was sleep, stroll through the garden, or occasionally float in the swimming pool.

When Han Jung-woo was home, we would eat together or sit in the living room, occupied with our own tasks, though these were never truly comfortable moments.

Consequently, I preferred to be alone.

Han Jung-woo was often away from home due to his busy schedule, and three days prior, he had even told me he would try to return by evening, a promise I hadn’t even asked for.

Fortunately, Han Jung-woo failed to keep his word; today, too, he had left early in the morning and only returned close to ten at night.

By then, I had already finished my day and fallen asleep.

*Click.* I heard the sound of the door opening, even in my sleep.

Though I had awoken, my eyelids remained heavily shut, obscuring my vision.

Yet, I instantly knew who the stealthy night visitor was.

He approached, muffling his footsteps, and carefully sat on the edge of the bed.

He listened quietly to my soft, even breathing for a moment, doing nothing, before extending a hand.

His warm touch gently brushed away the strands of hair clinging to my forehead.

His fingertips, tracing the curve of my forehead, then glided down the bridge of my nose.

And as they reached my gently closed lips, I inadvertently held my breath.

At the same instant, his fingertips also twitched.

“……”

“……”

The ensuing silence was broken by a soft chuckle.

Even though I recognized it as Han Jung-woo’s unmistakable laugh, I continued to feign sleep.

“Yoo Seo-jin.”

Han Jung-woo’s hand, after calling my name in a low voice, drifted a little further down.

It traced over my Adam’s apple, then the collarbone revealed by my pajama shirt, before gently unfastening a single button.

‘What is he trying to do now?’

I had been ready to open my eyes and demand to know what he was doing if he tried to remove my clothes, but after unbuttoning just one, he didn’t touch my attire further.

His hand, which I had expected to venture further, remained still for a long time, so I continued to pretend to be asleep for now.

As the silence stretched, he sighed and bent deeply at the waist.

A soft rustle, and his gentle hair tickled my neck.

A slight, heavy pressure settled on my chest.

He must have rested his cheek against my chest.

‘Calm down.’

My heart began to pound, startled and utterly dumbfounded.

If its rhythm quickened, he would surely realize I was awake, but tragically, I couldn’t control it.

“Yoo Seo-jin, are you sleeping?”

He knew, yet he asked for confirmation, and I, knowing I was caught, stubbornly persisted in feigning sleep.

Listening to my heart, which had once again quieted, he moved away from me.

“Don’t have painful dreams, or difficult ones…. Sleep well.”

Leaving a light kiss on my forehead, he quietly exited the room, just as silently as he had entered.

Only after the door clicked shut did I open my eyes, raising a hand to rub my forehead where he had last kissed me.

‘I should lock the door or something.’

Starting tomorrow, I vowed to lock the door to prevent him from sneaking in.

Of course, as the homeowner, he would likely have a key, but even so, I wanted to maintain a clear boundary between us.

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