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Join the Server“Can’t you feel it? Yoo Seo-jin’s pheromones are filling this room.”
“Absolutely not.”
I was flustered, yet I brazenly pretended otherwise, pushing him away as he approached without permission. A smirk still lingered on his lips as he obediently stepped back.
“Dinner isn’t ready yet, is it?”
“Not yet, but I have no appetite.”
Partly, I had no appetite because I had only recently woken up. However, I had even less desire to eat dinner face-to-face with him.
“Hmm, that won’t do.”
He narrowed his brows in thought, murmuring to himself. Meanwhile, I tried to fully open the door to escape the room, which was thick with an uncomfortable atmosphere, but he stopped me once again.
“I heard you’ve barely had a proper meal these past few days.”
Though we hadn’t met, it seemed he had been receiving regular reports about me. After all, how many eyes here were watching me on his behalf?
Considering how he had been privy to my every move since my return, it would have been stranger if he weren’t monitoring me within the confines of this house.
“I’ve been taking care of myself quite well.”
“The ladies’ accounts differ, however.”
His eyes, cold and unwavering, demanded the truth from me. It was glaringly obvious that if I continued to lie, the repercussions would fall upon the ladies.
‘Yes, Han Jung-woo was precisely the kind of man to do such a thing.’
I had no wish to see the ladies troubled by my lies, so I had no choice but to speak the truth.
“To be honest, I haven’t had much of an appetite lately…”
“Then we can just eat dinner together.”
I was about to challenge why he’d reached such a conclusion, but he opened the door himself and gently nudged my shoulder.
“See you on the first floor in thirty minutes.”
“Wait—”
By the time I turned around, the door was already closed. I grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, but it only rattled, refusing to open.
‘He locked it?’
A disbelieving laugh escaped me. I considered pounding on the door until it reopened, but since I would be seeing him and eating with him soon anyway, I decided against wasting my energy.
‘I should rest.’
Clutching my throbbing head, I turned to go back to my room. Just as I was about to take a step, the door silently swung open. A strong force then pulled me inward.
Enveloped in his warm embrace, I realized, a moment too late, that he had pulled me into a hug. He rested his forehead on my shoulder, inhaling deeply before slowly exhaling.
“Just for a moment… let’s stay like this.”
I intended to push him away without hesitation, but the direct impact of his pheromones made my hands falter. It was a scent of an entirely different concentration than what had lingered in the room after he left.
My reason whispered that I should push him away, but my instincts yearned to prolong the moment. Regrettably, instinct won that fierce internal battle.
‘A little while won’t hurt.’
Having quickly rationalized my actions, I lowered the hands I had intended to use to push him away and closed my eyes. Then, I took a deep breath, inhaling the gentle pheromones that enveloped me.
****
The atmosphere at the dining table, where we sat facing each other after a long time, was as uncomfortable as expected.
Ordinarily, he would have engaged in various conversations, but for some reason, he remained silent, focusing solely on his meal. As for me, I was typically quiet to begin with.
I wished I could eat quickly and leave, but unfortunately, my slow eating pace meant more than half of my meal remained untouched.
‘I feel like I’ve eaten plenty.’
Feeling sufficiently full, I subtly tried to set down my spoon. However, he, still eating, spoke without even glancing my way.
“Eat all your rice, don’t leave any.”
“I’ve eaten enough.”
Upon hearing my curt reply, he looked up. Seeing me prepare to leave the table, he raised a straight eyebrow askance, then pushed his chair back and stood up first.
He moved his seat entirely to my side, bringing his own rice bowl with him. Then, he picked up a side dish with his chopsticks and placed it onto my spoon.
“Eat.”
“No—mmph.”
Seizing the moment my mouth opened to speak, he pushed the spoon, laden with the side dish, between my lips. Unable to spit out the food, I had no choice but to chew it thoroughly and swallow.
“Shall I feed you again?”
“…I can eat by myself.”
I picked up my spoon again and finished the remaining rice. I tried to eat only the rice as quickly as possible and leave, but he kept adding side dishes, so I ate those too.
After I emptied my bowl as he wished, my stomach visibly protruded. The feeling of fullness was pleasant, but the anxiety of potentially gaining weight was not.
“I won’t tell you to eat like this for every meal. But let’s aim for at least one meal like this.”
“One meal a day?”
“It will be good for you, Yoo Seo-jin, and for the baby as well.”
While everything he said was true, I simply couldn’t manage such a meal every day. I had no appetite, and the increased quantity of food made me anxious about gaining weight.
“If it’s too difficult, I can feed you every day.”
“Feed me what?”
“We’ll always eat dinner together, so I think it wouldn’t be bad for me to feed you, Yoo Seo-jin.”
I imagined him clinging to my side and feeding me, just as he had moments ago, and my stomach churned. I was certain I’d suffer from severe indigestion within a few days.
“I’m not a child; I can eat by myself.”
“Well, maybe not.”
He brazenly shrugged his shoulders and began clearing the dining table. Since the live-in housekeepers were sent home every evening, cleaning up after dinner was always his responsibility.
When I felt awkward just sitting, I sometimes offered to help move dishes, but each time, I was simply told to go rest. Now, I merely watched him as he bustled about.
“Don’t go up to your room; rest in the living room.”
He, clearly aware of my habit of lying down immediately after eating, spoke to me as I subtly tried to rise.
I glared at him, disliking his constant interference in every matter. However, since I had no intention of returning to my room until my food had digested, I quietly walked to the living room.
Sitting on the sofa, I drew my knees up and rested my chin on them. As I stared blankly at the swimming pool beyond the living room window, thoughts of swimming came to mind.
‘Should I go for a swim?’
Changing clothes after getting wet was bothersome, but for light exercise, swimming was unparalleled. Besides, I wasn’t planning on returning to my room until my meal had digested anyway.
I rose from the sofa, removed my top, and then fully opened the living room window. After a light warm-up, I carefully stepped into the water, which was always kept at a lukewarm temperature.
Floating on the water, I gazed up at the inky black sky. Since the house was slightly removed from the city, the stars, like pinpricks of light, shone with remarkable clarity.
As I gently moved my feet, my floating body began to drift. I was moving idly around the spacious pool when he, having finished the dishes, came outside.
“What are you looking at?”
“Just the sky.”
He looked up at the sky too, after hearing my reply. Meanwhile, having reached the end of the pool, I changed direction again. When I was about halfway back, his gaze returned to me.
“Do you like swimming?”
I wished to simply enjoy my quiet solitude, but he kept speaking to me. Changing course, I swam closer to where he stood by the pool.
“Will you help me get out?”
Pretending I couldn’t get out by myself, I extended both arms towards him. Seeing my soaking wet clothes, he hesitated for a moment before reluctantly bending low to help me.
“Come up slowly.”
Seizing the opportunity as he drew near, I wrapped my arms around his neck and, with all my might, leaned backward. Losing his balance, his body plunged into the swimming pool with a splash.
Emerging from the water, I laughed heartily, intoxicated by the triumph of finally having gotten the better of him. He surfaced moments later, and seeing my glee, he let out a scoff of disbelief.
“Thanks to you, Yoo Seo-jin, I’m completely drenched.”
“What does it matter? We’re at home.”
I scooped up handfuls of water and splashed them towards his face. He pushed back his soaked fringe, then mimicked me, cupping his large hands to gather water.
The childish water fight continued for quite some time. I moved around the pool, splashing him and dodging the water he splashed back.
When I, growing tired first, paused to catch my breath, he swiftly seized the chance, approaching me quickly and firmly grasping my waist.
“Got you.”
The surprisingly earnest game of tag ended in his victory. Leaning my tired body against him for a moment, a laugh escaped me.
I had never played like this even as a child, so it was simply amusing to be engaging in such childish games now that I was grown.
‘Why did this feel so good?’
“Yoo Seo-jin.”
I lifted my head, following the sound of his voice calling my name.
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Read : Not Me, The Fans
