By Zephyria 
Glance. Seo Yi-kyung looked up. Han Seung-jae loosened his tie and hung it on the chair. In front of him sat the tea and fruit that Butler Do had left behind. He also took off the vest he was wearing and placed it on the chair.
Soon after, Han Seung-jae, who had rolled up the sleeves of his open dress shirt, picked up the teapot. The blue veins in his arms stood out. Han Seung-jae skillfully filled the teacup.
“Come and sit.”
“…….”
Seo Yi-kyung wasn’t surprised. Han Seung-jae’s question fell within his expected range. He figured there was no way Han Seung-jae wouldn’t know that his mother had visited. After all, wasn’t this his house?
Seo Yi-kyung stood up and sat at the table. Han Seung-jae sat opposite him and looked down at the plate containing apples, green grapes, strawberries, and cherries. The composition was quite different from what he had seen in the living room earlier.
“Being a picky eater isn’t good. Is there any fruit you want?”
Since Butler Do had brought it, Han Seung-jae seemed to assume it was fruit that Seo Yi-kyung liked. Seo Yi-kyung simply picked up the teacup and placed it in front of him. Then, the fruit plate followed, sliding closer.
“Tell me while you eat. What did you talk about with your mother?”
It sounded as if he wouldn’t be allowed to leave until he answered. Seo Yi-kyung stared ahead, his lips parting slightly.
“She said she came personally because you were busy, and we exchanged greetings.”
Despite the conversation being about his mother, no significant change appeared on Han Seung-jae’s expression.
“And?”
“I showed her the painting studio, and she said she wanted one of my paintings as a gift.”
Han Seung-jae’s eyebrows shot up thinly. That was likely something even he hadn’t expected. He rubbed his temple.
“That would be problematic.”
“So I told her it would be difficult. My hands are very slow. I felt it wouldn’t be polite to keep her waiting.”
At those words, Han Seung-jae didn’t say anything further.
Seo Yi-kyung judged that his skills weren’t enough to gift a painting to someone. Nor could he give his mother an unmanaged canvas tucked away in a corner.
Seo Yi-kyung calmly continued the conversation with Han Seung-jae.
“And since it seemed she came because she was curious about how far along the baby is, I told her it’s been six weeks.”
Seo Yi-kyung emphasized the word ‘because.’ There was a high probability that Han Seung-jae also believed the reason his mother had come all this way to see him in person was because of the child. Until now, she hadn’t visited this house. Moreover, hadn’t she left before Han Seung-jae arrived?
With that alone, it wasn’t difficult for Seo Yi-kyung to guess the reason Yeon So-jeong had come here.
In particular, nothing Seo Yi-kyung had said was untrue. Everything had been part of the conversations shared with Yeon So-jeong from the drawing room to the painting studio, and finally while seeing her off to her car.
“Was that all?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps because he had been saying ‘yes’ all day, his unwavering voice flowed out like a machine.
“Drink your tea.”
Han Seung-jae slowly stood up. He brushed past Seo Yi-kyung and entered the bathroom. Seo Yi-kyung lowered his head. His face was reflected in the clear teacup.
As the door closed behind him and the faint sound of water began to echo, Seo Yi-kyung let out a long breath.
Ripples formed in the clear teacup.
—But your stomach isn’t showing at all; how many weeks is the baby?
Only after Yeon So-jeong had finished preparing to leave did she ask the question she most wanted to know.
—It’s been about six weeks.
—Nothing would be showing. Take good care of your health.
Then, as Yeon So-jeong brushed past Seo Yi-kyung, she whispered lowly.
—Make sure you give birth to an Alpha.
Once the baby entered the world, the manifestation could be known in advance through genetic testing. And the time of manifestation was five years old.
“…….”
Recalling Yeon So-jeong’s words, Seo Yi-kyung lifted the rippling teacup. He pressed the lukewarm tea to his lips. There was no way he could tell Han Seung-jae such a thing. And hearing those words seemed to remind him of the situation he had been trying to forget.
Click, the bathroom door opened and Han Seung-jae emerged wearing a bathrobe. Seo Yi-kyung, who had unconsciously turned his head, straightened it. He had simply been staring toward the source of the sound while lost in thought.
“The fruit hasn’t decreased at all?”
Han Seung-jae sat opposite him at the table once again.
“Does Butler Do not even know what fruit you like?”
Seo Yi-kyung reached toward the plate of fruit. He was worried that Han Seung-jae might call Butler Do useless and say he would fire him.
Han Seung-jae spoke while brushing back his wet hair.
“Eat an apple. It looks delicious.”
As if to show him, Seo Yi-kyung picked up a strawberry. It wasn’t a fruit he liked, but he figured that by doing so, Han Seung-jae wouldn’t be able to make any more suggestive remarks.
Having watched this the whole time, Han Seung-jae picked up the cooled teacup.
“Eating a strawberry? You chose something the same color as your nipples.”
Seo Yi-kyung plopped the strawberry back onto the plate. He shouldn’t have picked it up. It wasn’t even a fruit he liked. He lifted his teacup and drained the tea. His throat felt parched.
Seo Yi-kyung stood up immediately. He had told him everything he wanted to hear. So, there was no need to keep sitting face-to-face, was there?
However, Han Seung-jae reached out his long arm and pulled Seo Yi-kyung’s wrist. As if he had known he would do that.
Stumbling, Seo Yi-kyung’s legs, which had been moving forward, were pulled back.
“……!”
Seo Yi-kyung’s eyes widened. He ended up perched on Han Seung-jae’s thigh. He tried to stand up hurriedly, but Han Seung-jae held his waist and rubbed the wrist he was gripping with his thumb.
“I held you gently. Will you have another bruise tomorrow?”
The touch of Han Seung-jae’s finger on his wrist felt ticklish. That’s why he thought he wanted to get up and go into the bathroom as quickly as possible. However, Han Seung-jae let go of the wrist he had been caressing and, while holding Seo Yi-kyung, leaned his upper body down to pick up a strawberry.
Ah. Han Seung-jae opened his mouth. Then, he brought the strawberry to Seo Yi-kyung’s lower lip.
Because he was perched on Han Seung-jae’s thigh, their eyes were level, and Seo Yi-kyung’s lips parted slightly. The strawberry juice pushed through his lower lip.
“My bo-body hurts, so I can’t do any more.”
At Seo Yi-kyung’s words, Han Seung-jae tilted his head. He used his finger to push the strawberry entirely into Seo Yi-kyung’s mouth.
“I didn’t say anything. Ah, did you think I was going to lay you on the table and ram my cock in?”
Seo Yi-kyung’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. He swallowed the strawberry. He could neither affirm nor deny it. Above all, wasn’t Han Seung-jae the kind of person who would actually do that? His track record was illustrious.
Even just the places Seo Yi-kyung remembered: the terrace, bed, bathtub, shower booth, sink, hallway, elevator, painting studio. He had memories of having sex with him in countless locations.
Whether he knew that fact or not, or whether he knew but pretended not to. Han Seung-jae picked up another strawberry and brought it to Seo Yi-kyung’s lips.
Lips that were redder than before parted seductively.
“Is it delicious?”
Instead of answering, Seo Yi-kyung ate the strawberry. Otherwise, he couldn’t be sure that Han Seung-jae wouldn’t lay him on the table and fuck him. He struggled not to provoke him.
As Seo Yi-kyung obediently accepted the strawberries, Han Seung-jae wrapped his hand around the back of Seo Yi-kyung’s neck and pulled him down.
Han Seung-jae sucked firmly on Seo Yi-kyung’s lower lip. Then, he pushed his tongue in as if parting the gap between the teeth. He entwined the sweet flesh and scraped the root of the tongue. He pressed against the tender mucosa, following the escaping tongue and sweeping across the roof of the mouth.
“Haa……”
As his lower lip was released, Seo Yi-kyung took a short breath. Han Seung-jae sucked on his upper lip. Soon after, Han Seung-jae’s lips overlapped his once again. It was as if he had been waiting for Seo Yi-kyung to exhale. A wet, popping sound leaked from their touching lips. Han Seung-jae entwined his tongue and explored the inside of the mouth even faster than before.
Seo Yi-kyung felt a hardening foreign object beneath his thigh. Instinctively, his eyelids flickered. However, Han Seung-jae grabbed Seo Yi-kyung’s chin and pressed their lips together firmly.
The long, long kiss continued endlessly.
* * *
Haseon Hospital.
As the sedan stopped in front of the hospital, Secretary Park, who got out of the passenger seat, opened the rear door. Seo Yi-kyung, wearing a coat, stepped out of the car. A cold wind swept through his hair. Han Seung-jae got out from the other side. He had pushed back his arrival time for work today.
Seo Yi-kyung climbed the stairs. Although he had received check-ups at Seju Hospital following Jin Seon-yu, he eventually moved back to the place he originally used.
It was what Han Seung-jae wanted, and it was also what Seo Yi-kyung wanted.
Would it be enough if he gave birth to a healthy Alpha? Would that give him a reason to stay here?
Seo Yi-kyung looked at the back of Han Seung-jae, who was walking ahead. Wearing a black coat, he stopped his pace and looked back.
The doctor, who had been waiting, came outside and greeted Han Seung-jae kindly. Seo Yi-kyung took the elevator side-by-side with Han Seung-jae and entered the consultation room. Seo Yi-kyung took off the coat he was wearing. Secretary Park took it and stepped out of the room. He continued talking with the doctors at the door.
Seo Yi-kyung lay on the examination bed. Even though it was something he had clearly experienced before, perhaps because Han Seung-jae was watching, his heart pounded. It was hard to find the reason why he was so nervous and anxious.
However, contrary to Seo Yi-kyung’s worries, the doctor spoke to Han Seung-jae with a joyful face.
“The baby’s heartbeat is strong.”