By Zephyria 
Thump, thump, thump.
Seo Yi-kyung felt the illusion that the loudly echoing heartbeat was his own. His own heart was racing so violently that it felt uncontrollable.
“Lower… lower the volume. Everyone will wake up.”
Seo Yi-kyung pushed away the device resting on his stomach. Han Seung-jae watched him, then placed the device back onto Yi-kyung’s abdomen.
There was no way the others would hear it, but even if the helpers residing in the house woke up, Han Seung-jae was not the type of man to bat an eye. In fact, he probably wouldn’t care at all. Yi-kyung would be the only one flustered.
While Seo Yi-kyung was aghast, Han Seung-jae spoke with an utterly composed face.
“What is it? Weren’t you unable to sleep because you were worried about the child?”
A shiver ran down Seo Yi-kyung’s spine at Han Seung-jae’s words. It was because the thought crossed his mind that it wasn’t because of the child. The reason he had been tossing and turning in bed until nearly midnight was because he had been thinking of Han Seung-jae. But there was no way he could say such a thing out loud.
Seo Yi-kyung’s dry lips parted slightly.
“T-that’s right. So, that’s enough now.”
The sound of the child’s fetal movements echoed through the silent room. The sounds ringing from all sides felt as if they were drumming against his entire body. Accordingly, Seo Yi-kyung’s heart was beating rapidly. He hoped Han Seung-jae wouldn’t notice.
‘Why am I acting like this?’
He had been fine until a moment ago, but the moment Han Seung-jae’s hand touched his body and he looked at him, Seo Yi-kyung felt himself shrink back, his thighs trembling slightly.
Unaware of this, Han Seung-jae remained focused on the monitor with the device still pressed to Seo Yi-kyung’s stomach.
As if drawn in, Seo Yi-kyung followed his gaze. When their eyes suddenly met, Seo Yi-kyung hurriedly pushed the device away from his stomach.
“That’s enough now…”
Seo Yi-kyung lowered his head deeply to hide his flustered expression. He then gathered his open pajamas to cover his stomach, which was glistening with gel.
“Now that I know it’s healthy.”
* * *
Swoosh—
Seo Yi-kyung dipped a towel into the sink. He pressed the soaking wet towel to his stomach and slowly wiped away the gel. He rubbed his stomach diligently, unaware that the dripping water was soaking the waistband of his pajama pants.
Seo Yi-kyung moved as if trying to erase the sensation of where Han Seung-jae’s hand had touched. His mind was filled with nothing but that thought.
Only when he wiped his wet hands on the towel did he realize that his pajama pants were damp. Seo Yi-kyung fiddled with the pants. After hesitating for a moment, he closed the front of his long cardigan. The dressing room was just a short walk away, so he could go there, change his clothes, and then head back up.
Click. As Seo Yi-kyung opened the door and stepped out, Han Seung-jae, who was sitting on the living room sofa, looked back. Butler Do was with him. Han Seung-jae beckoned with a flick of his finger.
“Come here and sit.”
Seo Yi-kyung’s stunned expression lasted only a moment. A delicious scent wafted through the air. Keeping his cardigan closed, Seo Yi-kyung walked toward him as if drawn. He looked down at the table. A plate of white rice with steam rising from it was set out.
Beside it were portions of fried eggs, soy sauce, and butter—things Seo Yi-kyung enjoyed eating.
Seo Yi-kyung perched on the edge of the sofa. Even while feeling Han Seung-jae’s gaze, he instinctively swallowed hard. Until a moment ago, he hadn’t had the leisure to feel hungry. It was inevitable, as all his nerves had been focused on Han Seung-jae. However, facing the food suddenly made him hungry.
“I’ll enjoy the meal.”
Seo Yi-kyung took a small spoonful of rice and put it in his mouth. Watching him, Han Seung-jae spoke bluntly.
“Why don’t you try changing your food preferences?”
Although Han Seung-jae had ordered the food because Seo Yi-kyung ate it well, he seemed dissatisfied with the menu Yi-kyung was eating.
Last time, he had felt embarrassed after having the clothes he wore at the hospital pointed out. Now, having his food criticized as well, Seo Yi-kyung stopped moving his spoon. Whether he noticed or not, Han Seung-jae clicked his tongue and continued.
“You keep losing weight because you only eat things like that.”
Han Seung-jae seemed to recall Seo Yi-kyung’s upper body as he had seen it in the room, then picked up the teacup in front of him.
Butler Do belatedly placed a glass of water next to Seo Yi-kyung. He then tilted the teapot to fill Han Seung-jae’s empty cup. However, Han Seung-jae stood up without hesitation.
“I’m going to change my clothes, so keep eating.”
Glancing at Han Seung-jae’s receding back, Seo Yi-kyung slowly put down his spoon.
“Have you finished eating?”
At Butler Do’s question, Seo Yi-kyung gave a barely perceptible nod. He desperately wanted to eat more, but for some reason, he didn’t feel comfortable continuing. Still, his hunger had been somewhat appeased.
Returning to the bedroom, Seo Yi-kyung took off his cardigan and hung it on a chair. The wet pajama pants had dried slightly in the meantime. While Han Seung-jae had gone into the dressing room, Seo Yi-kyung had taken the elevator up to the second floor.
Seo Yi-kyung lifted the duvet and leaned his back against the headboard. He stroked his stomach over his pajamas. Perhaps it was because he had eaten so late, but his stomach felt uncomfortable. If he lay down immediately, it wouldn’t digest well.
Click. At the sound of the door opening, Seo Yi-kyung’s gaze shifted. It was Han Seung-jae entering. Even though he knew that at this late hour, he was the only person who could enter, Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t help but be surprised. He thought he would go to the study to work.
No, it was time for him to sleep as well.
However, usually, Seo Yi-kyung would either be lying in bed asleep, pretending to be asleep, or acting as if he didn’t know he had entered before Han Seung-jae returned. But now, since he was leaning quite openly against the bed, it was difficult to avoid him.
Fearing that he might say something about him coming up first, Seo Yi-kyung fumbled to pull the duvet over his shoulders and lay down.
“I was so sleepy that I came up first.”
He acted like someone who was just about to fall asleep. He tried to hide his expression by turning his back to Han Seung-jae as if it were nothing.
Contrary to Seo Yi-kyung’s worries, however, there was no response from Han Seung-jae. Without saying a word, he approached the bed and adjusted the room’s lighting. In the darkened room, the lamp on the nightstand cast a soft glow. Feeling a heavy weight behind him, Seo Yi-kyung’s body kept shifting forward.
He had been tossing and turning until nearly midnight, unable to sleep. He hadn’t eaten until he was stuffed, but his hunger was satisfied. Thus, it seemed he could fall asleep quickly if he closed his eyes. Seo Yi-kyung lowered his eyelids.
Just then, a large hand gripped Seo Yi-kyung’s shoulder. Seo Yi-kyung was guided to lie flat on his back. His startled head turned fluidly toward Han Seung-jae beside him.
Han Seung-jae was looking at him, his long arm folded to serve as a pillow. With the lamp behind him, Han Seung-jae’s eyes looked cold. However, his pupils were deep, and the gaze fixed on one spot was sharp. When Han Seung-jae’s lips parted, the words that flowed out spread clearly through the utterly silent room.
“If you’re that anxious, we can check again tomorrow.”
It seemed Han Seung-jae believed the reason Seo Yi-kyung couldn’t sleep was because of the child. Seo Yi-kyung felt he should correct this, but no other excuse came to mind. He couldn’t exactly say it was because of Han Seung-jae, not the child.
Meanwhile, Han Seung-jae reached out his large hand. Seo Yi-kyung felt his eyelids naturally close as the hand approached his eyes. Just as the light in the room seemed to fade, the timer-set lamp finally turned off.
The room instantly turned dim. However, Seo Yi-kyung didn’t know what to do with Han Seung-jae’s hand resting on his eyes. He wondered if he should push it away and turn over. But his deliberation didn’t last long. Han Seung-jae withdrew his hand.
Seo Yi-kyung lifted his squinted eyelids. In the pitch-black room, the lights from the garden seeped in through the terrace. Seo Yi-kyung carefully took in the sight of Han Seung-jae, who was lying with his arm as a pillow and his eyes closed.
The more he looked, the more Seo Yi-kyung felt that the powerful sound that had filled the room on the first floor was still ringing in his ears.
But that had been the sound of fetal movements, and what was ringing in his ears now was the sound of a heartbeat. It was drumming and wrapping around his entire body as if traveling through his blood. Seo Yi-kyung knew exactly where that heartbeat, which was ringing with an almost unbearable intensity, was headed.
Seo Yi-kyung closed his eyes.
It was clearly headed toward Han Seung-jae.