The long winter has ended. Tiny buds resembling grains of rice sprouted on the bare branches of the delicate maple tree. A few hasty forsythia flowers popped open their yellow petals. Despite the chilly winds in the morning and evening, spring had finally arrived.

When cherry blossoms, azaleas, and royal azaleas start blooming one after another, the scent of flowers may whimsically waft through the air. At this time, everything looks beautiful. It was a beautiful season.

Taeseok looked at Yeoreum with a wrinkled forehead. He seemed like an unwelcome guest who had intruded into the midst of spring.

“Should we make boiled pork slices or something?”

Yeoreum gave him an uncompromising expression.

“We should talk about these practical issues again!”

“Why did you accept the proposal, then? Are you playing with me?”

Yeoreum’s mouth hung open.

“Oh, Oppa! Should I have rejected you right there?”

“Rejected?”

Taeseok’s expression instantly chilled. It was the predatory gaze of a predator with its prey right in front.

“My proposal?”

Before Yeoreum could say anything, he bent her waist, embracing her with one hand. In the spacious sofa where ten people could comfortably sit, the two of them were pressed closely together.

“Did you just say rejection? Looks like you have a considerable sadistic hobby tormenting yourself.”

Taeseok said provocatively, sweeping over Yeoreum’s entire body.

Seeing the explicit gaze revealing how he wanted to torment her, Yeoreum swallowed her saliva. She shouldn’t be drawn into his words. She could end up being pulled into bed against her will.

“Put that down and talk!”

Yeoreum, who managed to escape from his embrace with a fresh cry, sighed internally.

How did the conversation turn out like this?

Just last week, until she received the dreamlike proposal, she felt like she had everything in the world and was happy.

“We should do it right away. Get married.”

“W-Why on earth!”

She wanted to cry.

Taeseok’s argument was firm. A proposal is the process of obtaining permission for marriage from a beloved partner, and since she accepted, they should proceed with the marriage.

Of course, Yeoreum understood that much. However, Taeseok was really insisting on getting married “right away.” Within a month. Within two months. At the latest, within three months.

This was absurd!

Certainly, Yeoreum thought about marriage with Taeseok, but “now” was not the time. Both were still young, especially Taeseok, who was too precious to become a married man.

At least one year. If possible, let’s get married in three years. She brought up the idea, only to be met with a vehement rejection. Flames flickered in Taeseok’s eyes.

“Are you trying to dry me out and kill me by breaking up every day for three years?”

“Why would we break up? We meet every day!”

“We meet and eventually go home.”

Before Yeoreum could find the right words, Taeseok cut in.

“Even now, I’m slowly withering away every day. If you want to kill me, do as you wish.”

Nothing made sense. Although she thought he was a quite rational man, apparently, he wasn’t. Today, Seo Taeseok was at the level of talking to a wall. No, the wall would be better. The wall wouldn’t give such absurd answers.
“Getting married in your early thirties is a minus for your career, Oppa.”

“I feel like I’m dying a bit more than before.”

…What a bizarre flow of conversation.

“You’re still dying, Choi Yeoreum. Because of you. If not, I must be going crazy.”

Taeseok embraced Yeoreum, who seemed almost about to cry, again in his arms. With a tender expression, Taeseok brushed his lips against Yeoreum’s neck. Gently teasing, he stimulated Yeoreum’s breath.

Ah, this man. He knows all too well how to act pitiful.

Since the threat didn’t work, it was evident that he decided to act like a big dog. Still, she couldn’t let it go unnoticed. After all, this was a matter of marriage. Mar-riage!

Yeoreum grabbed his arm to pull him away. However, his body temperature was too hot.

“Oppa, please stop.”

From the neck down to the collarbone, and down to the earlobe, Taeseok was burning up.

“Oh, Oppa…”

A slightly stuttering voice that seemed embarrassed tickled Taeseok’s heart. Taeseok first deeply swallowed his lips. He murmured softly, expressing his desire to swallow Choi Yeoreum whole.

“You always make me thirsty.”

“!”

“I want to swallow sweet rice cake, but if that’s not possible, let’s get married first. Why on earth do you dislike it?”

“Wait a minute…”

“Especially when you like it so much.”

Descending below Yeoreum’s collarbone, Taeseok said, moving his hand lower.

While emitting a burst of red cheeks, in the end, he knew that he would cling more. What expression she made in the decisive moment, what voice she uttered, each one was deeply engraved into his skin. He couldn’t take it anymore. Now, he really wanted to see her every day.

“How much is the ring?”

Taeseok paused for a moment to catch his breath.

“After receiving the ring and giving an answer, why aren’t we getting married? Deceiver.”