Chapter 72: Honeymoon Confessions

Yoonwoo stretched his legs, leaned back, and turned his head toward the window.

Incheon Airport looked like a tiny anthill beneath them.

‘Finally, they were off on their honeymoon.’

A wave of emotion swelled within Yoonwoo as he gazed out the window, lost in thought, until the in-flight meal service began, instantly lifting his spirits.

His stomach, empty from their rushed departure, rumbled like distant thunder.

Yeon-chae quickly offered an apologetic look.

“You must be starving,” Yeon-chae said. “I should have woken up earlier. My apologies.”

“Hey… just pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Oh, right.”

The flight attendant’s lips twitched as they served them, a clear attempt to suppress a smile.

Embarrassed, Yoonwoo glared sullenly at Yeon-chae.

“Would you care for some wine?”

The attendant politely offered wine to Yoonwoo.

It looked undeniably luxurious, tempting him, but for an expectant father, it was an indulgence he couldn’t partake in.

He shook his head, and the attendant then offered it to Yeon-chae.

“No, thank you,” Yeon-chae declined.

To Yoonwoo’s surprise, Yeon-chae refused the wine, wearing a rather dignified expression.

After the flight attendant moved on, Yoonwoo asked why he hadn’t accepted it, and Yeon-chae replied with a mature air.

“It’s only our second day of marriage; getting drunk wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“Oh, really? So that’s why you got drunk on our first night?”

“…”

While Yoonwoo playfully teased him with incredulity, Yeon-chae steadfastly cut the steak from their in-flight meal.

After meticulously slicing it into several small pieces, he swapped his plate with Yoonwoo’s.

“Huh? What’s this?”

“The knife here isn’t very good,” Yeon-chae explained. “It’s hard to cut, so please eat this one.”

“Oh, uh…”

Yoonwoo felt a sudden awkwardness; it was a tenderness that shamed the one who had been teasing.

A piece of steak was gently placed into Yoonwoo’s pouting, grumbling mouth.

Its savory flavor spread throughout his mouth, melting delicately.

“How is it?”

Yeon-chae smiled brightly, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

And then, it suddenly came back to him: Yeon-chae’s face, flushed and innocent like an unripe apple, smiling charmingly after kissing Yoonwoo while intoxicated and half-asleep.

“Oh, it’s delicious…”

Yoonwoo had eaten steak at the wedding reception yesterday too.

However, he’d been so preoccupied with the surrounding glances that he hadn’t even registered what he was eating.

It was a relief he hadn’t gotten indigestion in that chillingly tense atmosphere.

Now, the true taste of beef enveloped his palate, a sensation he was finally able to savor properly.

First-class steak seemed infinitely more delectable than any steak from the outside world.

Upon their arrival at the airport, they met the waiting guide.

Despite Yoonwoo repeatedly emphasizing his desire to simply relax within the resort, Seowoo had insisted it would be necessary, arranging for both a local driver and a Korean guide for their trip.

Ultimately, it proved to be a blessing.

Even though the flight hadn’t been long, Yoonwoo’s condition had plummeted completely.

Without someone to pick them up, the journey to the resort would have been an immense struggle.

As the guide and Yeon-chae each carried a suitcase, Yoonwoo walked with his eyes half-closed.

Eventually, Yeon-chae had to support him, his arm wrapped around Yoonwoo, almost carrying him.

“I just sat there and was brought here, so why am I so tired?”

“It’s a flight, of course it’s tiring,” Yeon-chae replied. “And your condition isn’t great, hyung.”

“Sorry. You must be tired too.”

“I’m not tired.”

“How could you not be tired after chugging all that whiskey by yourself…?”

“…”

Yeon-chae, who had been consoling Yoonwoo with a rather mature demeanor, quickly puffed out his cheeks, looking sulky.

The drive from the airport to the resort took about an hour.

Inside the car, on their way to the resort, Yoonwoo had already started dozing off, eventually slumping over.

Unbeknownst to him, he fell asleep with his head buried in Yeon-chae’s lap.

When he regained consciousness, Yoonwoo found himself being carried in Yeon-chae’s arms.

It was the ‘princess carry,’ with his back and knees supported.

Yoonwoo, who had expected to be carried like a sack of luggage or, at best, piggybacked, was so flustered and embarrassed that he couldn’t bring himself to open his eyes.

Yeon-chae’s embrace was warm, and Yoonwoo could hear the rapid beat of his heart against his ear.

Listening to that rhythm, pretending to be asleep, Yoonwoo eventually drifted off for real.

It seemed he had slept through the entire night just like that, without washing or changing his clothes.

When he suddenly opened his eyes, Yeon-chae’s cheek was right beside him.

Yeon-chae was sleeping in an uncomfortable position, lying on his side, his left arm extended for Yoonwoo.

“Yeon-chae,” Yoonwoo whispered.

Yoonwoo called out to him softly, unsure if he truly wanted to wake him or not.

He wished to let the undoubtedly exhausted Yeon-chae sleep soundly, but lying uncomfortably in his outdoor clothes, it seemed unlikely he could rest well.

Yet, shaking his shoulder to rouse him felt wrong; Yeon-chae’s tightly closed eyes conveyed a deep weariness.

So, Yoonwoo simply watched him.

‘He’s handsome…’

The realization felt incredibly fresh and new.

His long eyes were like a painting brushed with delicate strokes.

With a sharp nose bridge and full lips, his features were strikingly defined and beautiful.

‘He would make a good husband.’

While one couldn’t judge solely by appearance, his face alone was enough to warrant such an assessment.

‘One good potential husband, now taken because of me.’

Yoonwoo chuckled softly, gently pressing his finger against the young spouse’s prominent nose bridge.

The image of Yeon-chae crying silently, tears streaming down his face when Yoonwoo had spoken of terminating the pregnancy, and then his persistent pleas for marriage, now overlaid the peaceful face of the sleeping Yeon-chae.

Each time these memories resurfaced, Yoonwoo’s chest would ache, and a sensation of his inner world crumbling would overcome him.

Where a solid wall had once stood, a strange new feeling now took root.

This burgeoning emotion was pleasantly soft and ticklish.

“Let’s get along well, Yeon-chae,” Yoonwoo murmured.

He said this while gently brushing back the fringe that covered Yeon-chae’s forehead.

The forehead revealed by Yoonwoo’s touch was neat and smooth.

One wall of the bedroom was a floor-to-ceiling glass window.

Even in the darkness, moonlight pierced through the glass, casting a pale glow upon Yeon-chae’s skin.

The entire surroundings were enveloped in the quiet of the night.

No one was awake but Yoonwoo.

Impulsively, Yoonwoo leaned down.

His lips, chapped from fatigue, brushed against Yeon-chae’s soft cheek.

He pressed a little harder, and the pleasant sensation of the yielding cheek was comforting.

Yeon-chae’s soft, rhythmic breathing echoed quietly.

His long, dense eyelashes fluttered subtly with each breath.

‘It’s just like a goodnight kiss for a younger sibling,’ Yoonwoo thought, looking down at Yeon-chae’s sleeping face.

Their faces were incredibly close.

From Yeon-chae’s nape, a fresh, youthful scent emanated.

As Yoonwoo inhaled to catch the aroma, he detected a faint floral fragrance.

Suddenly alert, Yoonwoo looked around the room with a surprised expression.

This was a southern resort where summer reigned year-round.

It was a place where the scent of spring flowers should be impossible to detect, yet the vibrant cherry blossom fragrance only grew stronger.

Yoonwoo’s dazed gaze returned to Yeon-chae.

He knew this scent; it was Yeon-chae’s pheromone.

The subtle cherry blossom scent, usually imperceptible because Yeon-chae carefully suppressed it, now gently filled the room.

“Even your pheromones truly smell just like you,” Yoonwoo murmured.

The first time he’d encountered this scent, Yoonwoo had caused the biggest trouble of his life.

After overwhelming Yeon-chae during his rut and spending a tumultuous night, time had flowed until today.

Tracing back those memories, Yoonwoo smiled faintly.

At that time, spring had been in full bloom, and the streets were permeated with the scent of cherry blossoms.

Then, all the petals of the cherry trees lining the roads had fallen, green leaves had emerged, and summer had begun.

Many things had changed since then.

Yeon-chae had become Yoonwoo’s spouse.

Officially, they were ‘household register mates,’ their names duly recorded in each other’s family registers.

Yoonwoo leaned his head a little closer to Yeon-chae.

The tip of his lips almost, but not quite, brushed Yeon-chae’s soft cheek.

After a moment of hesitation, Yoonwoo spoke as if making a decision.

“Please take care of me from now on, husband.”

It was such a tiny whisper that even Yoonwoo himself barely heard it.

He couldn’t recall when he had fallen asleep again.

Yoonwoo’s eyelids fluttered, and he awoke to a familiar voice drifting from a distance.

Yeon-chae was speaking with someone.

“They’re still very tired,” Yeon-chae’s voice carried.

“Still, you’ve come all this way for a rare occasion…” another voice responded. “Going out on a yacht to a secluded part of the sea would be lovely. It’s not particularly strenuous.”

“Perhaps later,” Yeon-chae said. “For a few days, we plan to just relax at the resort without any schedule.”

“Oh dear. Won’t you get bored? It’s nice that I get to rest too, but it feels rather awkward. Haha…”

“Please take this opportunity to rest fully,” Yeon-chae replied. “I’ll contact you if we feel like going out in a few days.”

The guide, having already received full payment, seemed rather embarrassed by the unexpected downtime.

After politely dismissing him, Yeon-chae approached the bed where Yoonwoo was still feigning sleep and bent down.

Yeon-chae’s breath brushed against Yoonwoo’s ear.

Yoonwoo felt an awkwardness creep in, so he squeezed his eyes shut.

He was pretending to sleep, but the proximity of Yeon-chae’s breath made his cheek tingle, a sensation he couldn’t control.

Involuntarily, Yoonwoo’s eye twitched.

From nearby, Yeon-chae let out a soft chuckle.

“Why are you pretending to sleep?”

“I am sleeping…”

“Oh, really? Are you talking in your sleep then?”

“Yes, yes.”

He couldn’t even begin to calculate how much he should be embarrassed by.

Thus, Yoonwoo conveniently chose to feign ignorance of everything.

This included falling deeply asleep in the car and being carried gently by Yeon-chae, as well as waking up at dawn, gazing at Yeon-chae for a long time, and impulsively pressing his lips to his cheek.

Though Yeon-chae couldn’t possibly know about the latter, Yoonwoo’s not-so-shameless conscience pricked him once he was fully awake.

‘There’s nothing wrong with giving a younger sibling a kiss, is there?’

He tried to rationalize it, to bury his head in the sand, but he couldn’t shake off the uneasy feeling.