Was he teasing her?
Dasung glanced at Jaeho, who was casually arranging the apples on a plate. His ambiguous statements, seemingly in jest, were irritating as he appeared to enjoy her flustered reactions.
“You search quite often, it seems. You might end up being my fan.”
“!”
“Eat.”
Jaeho approached the sofa and fed her a piece of apple with a fork.
“Why that face? Should I not go to Seoul?”
“No, no. You should go. It’s Grandpa’s birthday, right?”
“I don’t want to.”
“Eh, go. Did you prepare a gift? What will you give him?”
Jaeho played with Dasung’s earlobe.
“I’m going to receive it. He prefers giving.”
“What are you receiving?”
“Well…”
Before Jaeho could answer, Dasung quickly put another apple in her mouth to avoid escalating intimacy, a frequent occurrence with Jaeho. She was determined not to be easily swayed.
“I can’t. We agreed not to today. And I can’t speak. Because of the apple.”
“Look at you.”
Jaeho laughed softly.
“You keep acting boldly. You know that’s more stimulating.”
Yet, he earnestly responded to her question.
“He’ll probably give something big and expensive.”
“A house?”
Jaeho’s smile widened.
“Bigger than that.”
“What’s bigger than a house?”
“Guess. There are things.”
Jaeho took the plate of apples from Dasung, placing it on a table behind him and moved closer.
“I want something sweet too.”
“Are you a conglomerate heir?”
Dasung blurted out unexpectedly, catching Jaeho off guard. He knew he had to talk about this someday, but not now. He had planned to reveal the truth in his own way, with family issues being the least priority.
“Why? Someone said I’m a conglomerate heir?”
“You said you’re receiving a big gift.”
“Does receiving a big gift make everyone a conglomerate heir?”
“Well, not exactly.”
Dasung edged away slightly.
“Don’t run away.”
Jaeho gently pulled her chin toward him.
“I’m asking for my sweet.”
“Stop joking.”
Dasung pushed his arm away and asked again.
“So, are you really a conglomerate heir, or not?”
He hadn’t thought of an answer yet. An attempt to divert the conversation with a kiss failed miserably. Jaeho decided to tell a truth that was close enough. It didn’t have to be the current reality.
“I lived in a semi-basement when I was young.”
He spoke, knowing it might lead to misunderstandings.
“!”
“It had sunlight for about two hours in the late afternoon. No father, a busy mother. My childhood wasn’t the happiest.”
“Ah.”
“Counting coins to buy triangle kimbap. Using erasers to the very end.”
“Ah…”
Dasung’s eyes widened in surprise, her curiosity about his alleged conglomerate status seemingly dissipated by his unexpected story.
“But how did you manage to attend a prestigious American university? Studying abroad and all.”
“People think I’m a conglomerate heir because of that. There are quite specific rumors.”
“Just, there was a good opportunity.”
A heavy contemplation briefly crossed his face.
“Just, I had a good opportunity, that’s all.”
Struggling to find suitable words of comfort, Dasung gently held Jaeho’s hand. She seemed genuinely moved by the unexpected truth she had heard.
But Jaeho was simply pleased that their hands had touched. A fleeting thought crossed his mind, ‘A little more, and I might get a hug.’
“I met a friend in high school.”
“A friend?”
“The one I mentioned before, the unlucky guy with a pretty younger sister.”
“Ah, that handsome guy.”
“You wouldn’t believe how much he looked after me, noticing my difficult circumstances. He always found ways to help without hurting my pride. He’d challenge me to snack bets and make sure he never won. Or pretend to find textbooks and give them to me. He was the original tsundere, you know. His phrase ‘found it on the way’ became so popular.”
“…”
“Even his mother took great care of me. I haven’t forgotten any of the kindness I received. I always pray for their long and healthy life.”
Dasom smiled innocently, following Jaeho’s lead in the conversation, just feeling grateful for such a good connection.
But then.
“Is that friend not around anymore?”
“!”
“Because you said you ‘should have seen him’.”
“Ah.”
Jaeho looked at Dasom with a sincere, straightforward gaze, and gently pulled her into an embrace. It was just that, but it made her feel sentimental. His embrace sometimes made happiness feel like sorrow.
“Yeah, he’s quite far away now. Anyway, I’m running late. I have to pack. See you in the evening.”
Kyungjoon thoughtlessly turned on the TV, only to find Jaeho’s starring drama “Loving You Then” being rebroadcast. He was about to change the channel when Kyungmi came over with two cans of beer.
“Hey, don’t change it. I haven’t seen this one.”
“Ugh, Jaeho.”
“Hey! I’m not watching it because of Jaeho. It’s a good production. Who thinks of Yoon Dasom?”
Kyungmi popped open the beers, handing one to Kyungjoon. They hadn’t seen each other much lately, with her night shifts and visiting Dasom’s mom in the hospital.
“How are you doing?”
“Fine.”
Kyungjoon replied disinterestedly.
“That’s good.”
They watched TV in silence.
The Villainous Demon Lord Laid an Egg for Her (Female-Dominated)
Several months after transmigrating into a book, Yu Wu found herself facing the demon lord Li You, who could no longer conceal his dragon horns. With one hand on her aching waist and the other gripping a sharp sword, she stared at him.
The demon lord’s eyes were red with fury:
“This is all your doing! Today, I won’t rest until I kill you!”
Yu Wu rubbed her temples. Putting aside the taboo against bloodshed during pregnancy, wasn’t it this very man who willingly walked into her trap that day?!
Warnings:
- Male pregnancy.
- Height ratios are set to mirror typical male-female height proportions.
- Characters include a foot-loving demon lord and an eldest daughter from an immortal family’s concubine lineage.
