“Ugh!”

A short scream burst from Kim Yi Hyun’s mouth. Whether it was from standing too long or not, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left leg.

“Ha……”

With a long sigh, Yi Hyun slowly moved his steps. Bok Seon, who had come out to the yard, was staring intently at his retreating figure.

Lee Ha Jun, who had looked outside through the door that Bok Seon had opened to come out, carefully came out to the yard when she couldn’t see Yi Hyun.

“Grandmother, what are you doing?”

“……”

“Grandmother.”

When Ha Jun grabbed Bok Seon’s arm, her gaze, which had been fixed outside, finally turned towards her.

“You know that pension down there, Seocheon Sori? You know Yun Woo’s mother too, right?”

“Yes, I know.”

“An incredibly handsome guest came, he’s so good-looking that just seeing him makes you feel good.”

“……”

A handsome guest? Could it be, is she talking about Yi Hyun?

“But that guest was standing right in front, and when he left, he was limping, like his leg was uncomfortable.”

“What??”

Ha Jun was startled by Bok Seon’s words. She had only seen Yi Hyun standing. But limping!

Seeing Ha Jun turn pale in an instant, Bok Seon swallowed her laughter internally.

“Why is Yun Woo’s mother so surprised? Do you know him?”

“Ah, no……”

“He must be having some hard times, his handsome face looked so down as he went limping, limping,”

As Bok Seon even started mimicking the limping, Ha Jun’s complexion became even paler.

“Is our precious Yun Woo sleeping~ Oh my~ How come I get so tired whenever Hyun Ju’s little rascals come and go, hehe~ Today I should lie down early with Yun Woo.”

Bok Seon went inside the house with a meaningful laugh. However, Ha Jun, who was already staring intently in the direction of the pension where Yi Hyun would be, didn’t properly hear what Bok Seon was saying nor see her go inside.

Ha Jun’s feet moved downwards without her realizing. At the entrance of the alley, not even 100 meters long, she stood in front of a white house that looked quite different from the quaint farmhouses and looked anxiously inside the darkened pension.

“Why… why are you sick……”

With all that money, why come here instead of going to the hospital when sick…

Just as Yi Hyun had done a few hours ago, Ha Jun stood frozen like a statue in front of the fence of the house where he would be. But at that moment, she heard the sound of the iron front door opening.

Startled by the sound, Ha Jun hurriedly moved her steps. However, Yi Hyun was quicker to discover Ha Jun’s figure.

“Lee Ha Jun!”

Yi Hyun, approaching at tremendous speed, grabbed Ha Jun’s wrist.

“Let go!”

“Did you come to see me?”

“No! I’m just… on my way to the mart. I didn’t know you were here.”

“Liar.”

Yi Hyun pulled Ha Jun into his arms. In his embrace, which seemed even broader than before, the scent of alcohol was stronger than his usual fresh body scent.

Sick, yet drinking…!

“You came to see me, didn’t you? Hm? Ha Jun… I’m the one you love, right? That child the old lady talked about… that’s a lie, right?”

“What are you…!”

Ha Jun, who had opened her eyes wide in bewilderment, quickly shut her mouth. She didn’t know what Bok Seon had said to Yi Hyun, but it was clear he was mistaking the man she loved for Bok Seon and Hyun Ju’s family.

“I told you earlier. I really have a man I love.”

“You like that bastard more than me? You… love him more?”

“I love that person more deeply than my own life.”

At the unhesitating, firm voice, red sparks flew from Yi Hyun’s eyes. The fiercely rising anger seemed to instantly blow away the effects of alcohol.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You think I’ll give up on you? Can’t you feel how madly your heart is beating right now?”

“That’s… because I’m surprised…!”

“We’ll see about that.”

As soon as the words ended, Yi Hyun’s face tilted diagonally downward and their lips overlapped.

Along with the tangy taste of alcohol, the scent of the man she had missed so desperately filled her mouth with longing as it passed her lips.

Heat ignited in an instant, enveloping her entire body.

Efforts to push him away were futile. Yi Hyun, like an unyielding rock, held Ha Jun in his arms without the slightest movement, clinging obsessively.

Ha Jun’s body scent, which somehow seemed to have become sweeter, breathed life into all the cells in his body that had been dormant until now.

It felt like he could finally breathe a little. And in fact, it was no different for Ha Jun.

In the end, Ha Jun gave up on pushing Yi Hyun away. Feeling the strength gradually leaving her palms that had been constantly pushing him away, Yi Hyun’s movements became even more intense.

Before they knew it, the two were pressed against each other without a gap, just like before, feeling each other’s body heat and breath.

The two stood at the boundary of a sweet and painful dream and fantasy, unable to distinguish whether time had stopped or they had stopped.

At this moment, nothing was felt except for each other’s existence.

After quenching their burning thirst for a long time like that, the moment Yi Hyun’s large hand firmly grasped Ha Jun’s waist, her closed eyes flew open. She had come to her senses.

“Stop!”

Ha Jun, pushing Yi Hyun away with all her might, ran towards Bok Seon’s house. Yi Hyun also started running after her. However, before he could take even five steps, his left leg buckled.

“Ugh!”

Yi Hyun, who had fallen, gritted his teeth as he watched Ha Jun’s retreating figure getting farther away. And soon, he slowly got up and took one step at a time forward.

Blood was seeping through above the knee of his light beige pants, and his steps were unsteady, but he kept walking.

And finally, he saw the blue gate.

Yi Hyun, standing in front of the house with all lights off, banged on the closed gate so loudly that it echoed.

“Ha Jun! Lee Ha Jun! Come out!! Lee Ha Jun!!”

Yi Hyun’s shouts reverberated loud enough to wake the whole neighborhood. However, the darkened house remained silent without any movement.

Instead, the lights in the house next door lit up brightly, and a sharp elderly voice shouted.

“What rotten bastard is yelling at this hour!! I’m telling you, my voice is louder than yours, you bastard!! Get lost!!”

Following the angry shouts, an elderly person in underwear looked ready to jump out from the front door. Yi Hyun had no choice but to retreat.

The elderly person, glaring at him with thoroughly displeased eyes, went back inside.

And after a while, Yi Hyun, who had been standing blankly staring into the house where Ha Jun would be, also moved his heavy steps.

Ha Jun looked anxiously at Bok Seon sleeping on the floor, hearing the loud shouts from outside.

Fortunately, she was in a deep sleep, not hearing any sound. Rather, it was Yun Woo, lying in the middle, whose eyes suddenly opened.

“Waa, waaah~”

As soon as the small cry was heard, Ha Jun picked up the baby and held him in her arms. Then, as if wondering when he had made a sound, Yun Woo looked at his mother and smacked his lips.

Almost simultaneously, Ha Jun’s chest tingled. Both the baby and the mother knew feeding time uncannily well.

“Is it time for our Yun Woo to eat?”

As Ha Jun skillfully loosened her front and adjusted Yun Woo in her arms, it had already become quiet outside.

Ha Jun’s eyes, focused solely on the baby and patting the little one who was eagerly smacking his lips, turned towards the window.

“Yun Woo, actually, your father came today. But I couldn’t tell him about you, Yun Woo… I’m sorry.”

As if knowing the voice full of sadness and the large eyes brimming with tears, Yun Woo’s clear eyes looked at his mother with a pure gaze, unlike his usual curved eyes.

Don’t cry.

Looking at the clear eyes that seemed to be saying that, Ha Jun, with eyes full of tears, smiled brightly.

Because of the painful love outside,

And grateful for the shining love in her arms.

After Ha Jun had run away, Yi Hyun, who had returned to his lodging with staggering steps, was about to take out alcohol from the refrigerator when he paused, seeing the empty inside.

Whether it was left by the staff who had reserved this place or not, there was one bottle of soju in the refrigerator. Just before, Yi Hyun had gulped it down all at once like water without any side dishes, and then went out to buy more alcohol when he discovered Ha Jun in front of the house.

With a thud, the door of the empty refrigerator closed. Yi Hyun sat down heavily on the dining chair right behind him and pressed his fist firmly against his chest.

“Ha… it hurts like hell.”

A pain greater than when his leg was shattered in a car accident mercilessly crushed and trampled the heart that had just started beating again.

Ha Jun didn’t even try to listen to what he had to say. Rather, she hit Yi Hyun hard on the back of the head with an enormously large hammer and ran away. Stunned by this, Yi Hyun failed to convey any of the things he needed to say to Ha Jun.

“This is ridiculous……”

At the end of a short sigh, Yi Hyun’s fingers slowly brushed his lips. His lips, which seemed to still retain Ha Jun’s scent, were throbbing hotly.

Once, that is, after first having Ha Jun’s night and before realizing love, the burning thirst and possessiveness that had tormented him daily began to set fire to Yi Hyun’s entire body and blaze again.

“Tomorrow, I’ll have to tie her up if necessary and tell her. And get rid of that Yun Woo or whoever.”

He needed to sleep instead of drinking because he had things to do. Yi Hyun got up from his seat and slowly headed to the bedroom.

Because he had to use all the power and money he could muster to tear away the bastard who dared to take Ha Jun from him and reclaim her.

And tell her that Chairwoman Jang In Hwa, who will be your mother-in-law, has approved of us. And that now you’re quite rich, not inferior to me in any way.

He had to tell her.

Yi Hyun lay down on the bed as he was and closed his eyes. However, once again today, sleep didn’t seem like it would come.