By Zephyria Yu-jin’s brow furrowed immediately.
“Are you bringing that up again? Aren’t you tired of it?”
Anger naturally welled up in his voice. Is it my turn to be criticized for how promiscuous I am? He was sick of it now.
“Wait a minute!”
Winston urgently grabbed Yu-jin, who was about to turn around and leave right away. Yu-jin, who had unintentionally stopped walking, glared at him, and Winston immediately released his hand.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.”
Unexpectedly, he apologized immediately. Still wary of Yu-jin, he avoided his gaze as if embarrassed and muttered.
“It’s not that, I’m just… I was just wondering if you had someone else you were seeing besides me. I’m not trying to blame you for being bad, but you were alone. So you could date anyone…”
Surprisingly, he was rambling. Yu-jin frowned again, but the meaning was different from before. He had an expression that said he couldn’t understand why this man was doing this. He understood what Winston was saying. But is that really right?
“You’re wondering if I went on dates?”
At Yu-jin’s words, which he ended in one sentence, Winston made a blank expression and nodded hesitantly. But Yu-jin spat out curtly.
“Why are you curious about that? Do I have an obligation to tell you?”
“…No.”
Winston paused before answering.
“No, you don’t.”
And he closed his mouth, but he looked somehow dejected. Yu-jin turned around and went outside before he could feel sorry for him. Why is he doing this, really? Does he think I’ll waver if he acts like that?
Get a grip, he might be trying to steal Angie by pretending to be weak.
He secretly slapped his own cheek and raised his head with wide eyes. Just then, he saw Angela riding her board with the help of a bodyguard.
“Daddy, look at this! Look at me riding my board!”
“Awesome, Angie!”
Yu-jin quickly felt better and shouted. The sound of the child’s giggling lightened his heart.
I should have gone on at least one date.
Yu-jin suddenly recalled. He had told Winston that he was too busy making a living to meet anyone, but he seemed to have forgotten. Or maybe that was temporary and he thought he had done it once or twice.
Thinking about it later, he felt wronged. Winston had been engaged and frequently visited pheromone parties until recently, but he had never even been on a date with anyone else.
Thinking that way, he felt a surge of defiance. This was no time to be like this. As soon as he got back, he would search through dating apps and meet someone. He felt like he would feel a little comforted if he just met someone and had coffee with them.
Just thinking about it made him feel better, and his expression relaxed. Just then, Grant, who had been skiing, stopped in front of Yu-jin.
“Why are you smiling? Did something good happen?”
At the question, panting, Yu-jin shook his head, saying, “No.”
“Just because. You’re good at skiing.”
When he asked with a smile, Grant lifted his chin as if boasting and answered.
“I’ve been skiing since I was a kid. Kate was also fascinated by my skiing.”
He said proudly, but then lowered his head with a dejected face.
“She said I was the coolest in the world.”
“G, Grant, Grant.”
Remembering him crying his eyes out while drinking the day before, Yu-jin hurriedly called his name and changed the subject.
“Look at Phoebe. Phoebe’s really good too, she looks like a pro.”
Hearing the name of his beloved daughter, Grant quickly forgot his sadness. Grant smiled contentedly at the sight of Phoebe, who was balancing well and coming down, and waved one arm widely.
“She’s good, right? I taught her.”
“Really?”
Just as he said that, Winston came into view at the end of his vision. It was just a glimpse, so he couldn’t be sure, but he could feel it. The way he was looking at them.
Why wait until we get back?
Suddenly, a mischievous whisper came to his ear. You can go on a date now. It doesn’t matter if you don’t date Grant, right? After all, he thought it would be okay to just have coffee and break up. Grant was a reliable person, and since he was single and close to being a friend, it was actually more comfortable.
“Then Grant, will you teach me too?”
At Yu-jin’s question, Grant’s eyes widened.
“What? Skiing?”
“Yes.”
Yu-jin readily nodded and continued.
“You taught Phoebe, so please teach me too. I’ve never skied before. Even the basics are fine…”
Suddenly, the color drained from Grant’s face. Yu-jin looked at him, puzzled, but Grant, who had turned pale, looked back and forth between Yu-jin and the other side and opened his mouth in a trembling voice.
“U-uh, that’s, uh, how about asking your partner? Uh, I’m a little busy right now.”
Grant even stuttered and rambled, then suddenly turned around and ran away. Yu-jin stared blankly at his back as he moved away on skis. What was that all of a sudden?
He soon found out why.
“You want to learn to ski?”
Suddenly, Winston’s voice came from behind. Startled, he turned around and saw him standing right behind him. Winston smiled and asked Yu-jin, who was blinking his reflexively widened eyes.”Shall I teach you, then?”
Yu-jin finally understood why Grant had run off in such a hurry. In short, it was a silent signal that he didn’t want to get caught in the crossfire between a couple. Couple or not, it was just Grant’s misunderstanding.
But even if he said they weren’t like that and would be breaking up soon, his attitude wouldn’t change. Grant had already been caught in the middle once and suffered, so he couldn’t even feel wronged.
“No, thanks.”
Yu-jin said curtly and turned away, only to lose his balance and stumble.
“Yu-jin!”
Winston shouted and immediately wrapped his arms around Yu-jin’s waist. He avoided falling, but ended up being held by Winston. He was trying to keep his distance, but their bodies ended up touching, making things even worse.
“I’m, I’m okay, let go.”
Yu-jin hurriedly pushed him away. Unlike before, Winston slowly let go. Only after confirming that Yu-jin was standing straight and balanced did he completely pull away.
“It’s snow anyway, it wouldn’t hurt even if I fell.”
Yu-jin grumbled, and Winston readily replied, “Yeah.”
“But I couldn’t just stand by and watch you fall.”
Yu-jin stared at him without a word. He now realized that Winston’s docile attitude was more of a problem. He couldn’t openly get angry. No matter what he said, Winston would respond with, “Yeah, sorry, I know,” which only made Yu-jin feel awkward and softened his emotions.
Is this a new tactic?
Yu-jin couldn’t believe that this man was sincerely apologizing and asking for forgiveness. He was definitely up to something. How else could such an arrogant man change his attitude so drastically overnight?
But the old Winston had been like that. He always gave in to Yu-jin, even if he didn’t do it for anyone else. He agreed with everything Yu-jin said and affirmed everything about him.
Get a grip, that was a long time ago.
He quickly whipped himself for trying to weaken again. You’re too soft. How are you going to protect Angie like that? Once he broke up with Winston, he would have to protect Angie all by himself.
“Daddy, Winnie!”
Just as he was steeling himself, Angela took off her board and ran towards them. He smiled and bent down to the child, and her small body immediately jumped into his arms.
“Daddy, Winnie! What are you doing? Aren’t you going to ski? We should ski together!”
She must have been envious of Grant and Phoebe skiing together. At the child’s question, Yu-jin awkwardly smiled and replied.
“Sorry, Daddy can’t ski…”
“You can learn.”
Angela immediately cut Yu-jin off.
“Phoebe’s dad taught her. Daddy can learn too, right?”
Behind the flustered Yu-jin, Winston spoke. As if he had been waiting for this moment.
“I did say I could teach you…”
At the slowly flowing voice, Angela blinked. Winston gave the child a bitter look.
“Daddy said he didn’t want to.”
“Whyyy? Why don’t you want to?”
Yu-jin wanted to glare at Winston, but he held back and forced a smile.
“It’s just, Daddy doesn’t really want to ski…”
“Daddy, it’s bad for your body if you don’t exercise.”
The child scolded Yu-jin in an adult-like manner.
“You’ve been lying down all the time. You have to exercise to not get sick. Okay? Got it?”
There was nowhere to run. Yu-jin was trapped in a dilemma. Behind him, Winston stood waiting for his answer. After standing there for a while, Yu-jin took a deep breath in and out. He slowly turned around, his face contorted.
“Winston, will you teach me to ski?”
His voice was as subdued as possible, but his pronunciation was somewhat slurred. Winston smiled brightly and replied to the words he had said through gritted teeth.
“Of course, with pleasure.”
In the end, this man is getting his way.
Yu-jin was angry at that fact, but there was nothing he could do.
“Angie really cares about Daddy.”
Winston went even further and praised Angela. Angela proudly puffed out her chest and replied.
“Of course. Daddy can’t live without me.”
At her gaze asking, “Right?” Yu-jin nodded with difficulty.
“Good girl.”
Winston said with a smile, then naturally picked up Angela and put her on his shoulders. Winston’s back as he walked ahead seemed lighter than ever.