The warmth slowly spread in the living room that had been chilly due to the air conditioner boasting its performance.

Kanghyun, carefully pressing Seoyoon’s still slender cheek, expanded the space where he would intrude, on the narrow sofa, where their legs were tangled like lips that clung persistently to each other.

“I love you.”

Taking a moment to release their lips, Kanghyun, who pressed his forehead against Seoyoon’s, raised his upper body, uttering the three words that filled his mouth dozens of times a day.

Kanghyun, with his twisted hand, immediately threw off his T-shirt and opened the pants buckle.

“I love, too… Do you have to undress again?”

A sigh escaped from Seoyoon’s lips.

Looking up at Kanghyun, who had developed a habit of embarrassingly undressing even with a slight touch of lips, Seoyoon felt embarrassed.

Kanghyun, who was as gentle as an herbivore nurtured in human hands, often ended up being kissed on the cheek and dragged to the bedroom.

“So, now even undressing is annoying.”

Because he didn’t neglect exercise, the abdomen, noticeably more muscular than before, was getting closer again.

Watching the disappearing pieces of clothing one by one, Seoyoon gently bit Kanghyun’s shoulder that was now visible.

“Yuna, bite harder.”

“But then, Oppa will be in pain.”

A low laugh emanated from busy lips, preoccupied with gnawing the slender neck.

“You can hurt me. Bite if you want to bite, hit if you want to hit. As long as you can reach, you can do whatever you want.”

Seoyoon, pulling Kanghyun’s head buried in her with a passionate voice, hugged him.

It would have been nice if I had loved her like this from the beginning.

Although it was foolish to regret the irreversible time, Kanghyun often recalled those days.

Seoyoon’s empty face after being embraced. The voice begging to be together. The figure turning away from everything in resignation.

Everything floated in his mind without forgetting a thing.

The years spent categorizing Seoyoon as a necessary existence, not realizing the meaning of the word “love,” were too long.

“Seoyoon.”

“Yeah?”

“I wasn’t lying when I said I would give you everything you want.”

Kanghyun, lifting his face tainted with self-reproach, pressed his lips against Seoyoon’s eye corner, colored with blush.

“Let’s get married, have a baby. And I’ll study to raise the baby.”

As Seoyoon, who had been withering away, continued to hover in front of his eyes, Kanghyun declared parenting, even learning it from a book, with a very serious expression.

“Yooni, live doing what you want. If you want to go back to college, go. I kept you from traveling and making friends. Yes, I kept you from doing anything.”

A really crazy bastard.

As Kanghyun blamed himself with a flushed face, covering his eyes that were getting hot, Seoyoon looked at him like a sinner who suddenly confessed and burst into laughter.

Watching him emotionally tumultuous was somewhat amusing.
“Oppa, are you trying to make me cry now? Stripping people like this?”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Kanghyun continued what he was doing without answering, but his wet eyes and reddened ears couldn’t be concealed.

They say that if you endure three things, you can avoid murder.

Kanghyun now pursued a life of enduring countless things.

Leading up to the wedding, Seoyoon had exchanged messages with a few acquaintances from her college days and had a pleasant time attending an alumni gathering with scheduled plans.

Having gained quite a few friends, including the previously close Hajun and Seonkyung from her time as Sejian, Seoyoon had been going out frequently lately.

Thanks to that, Kanghyun found himself urging her to go out.

Although he diligently practiced self-discipline, there was undoubtedly a part that did not change despite human efforts. Whenever Seoyoon went out alone, he held onto his phone and lingered in front of the front door like a lost dog, but it was a problem he had to endure alone.

In fact, although it would have been possible to close one’s eyes, cover one’s ears, and wait for Seoyoon’s return without any thoughts like a faithful dog, Kanghyun found it challenging, especially as Seoyoon was as intimate with her friend Myeonghajun as he was.

Therefore, two hours and forty-five minutes after Seoyoon left the house, Kanghyun pressed the call button.

—Yeah, Oppa.

“Are you having a good time?”

—Yeah, I am. Oppa, what about you? Did you have dinner?

“I did. Should I come pick you up if you’re going to drink a lot?”

—No, no. Hajun arranged for a substitute driver, and Seonkyung and I were each brought here in turn!

Already sounding tipsy, Seoyoon answered candidly.

Feeling a bit too much, Kanghyun choked up, but he calmly endured his patience.

“But it might be more convenient for Oppa to come.”

—Hmm, really?

“Let’s do that. Oppa, I—”

—No! Just rest. I’ll go soon.

“Okay.”

Exhaling a small sigh that wouldn’t penetrate the handset, Kanghyun put down the disconnected phone.