By Zephyria “Sir, the pancakes are very well baked today. Would you like more butter?”
Angela asked elegantly, holding the butter and butter knife on the table. Yu-jin matched the child’s tone and clapped his hands exaggeratedly.
“Oh, that’s great, Miss Angela. Would you give me some jam too?”
“Strawberry, orange, mar, mar…”
“Marmalade.”
Yu-jin whispered softly as Angela stammered, reading the label on the small glass jar.
“Mar-uld.”
Angela, who barely followed Yu-jin’s pronunciation, cleared her throat and asked again.
“…Which one would you like?”
Yu-jin also pretended as if nothing had happened and answered.
“Strawberry, please, Miss Angela.”
“I’ll give you honey too.”
“How kind you are. Thank you, Miss Angela.”
With Yu-jin’s words, the role-playing ended. Today, Angela’s concept was that the young lady living in the Disney castle had specially invited the knight to breakfast. Angela, who had put the food that came out for breakfast on the table and acted naturally, pushed a large bite of pancake with plenty of maple syrup and sliced butter into her mouth and soon made a happy expression.
“Is it delicious, Angela?”
When Yu-jin asked with a smile, Angela nodded her head greatly and answered.
“It’s sweet and fluffy and so delicious, Daddy. It’s the best I’ve ever eaten in my life.”
“Is that so.”
Yu-jin, who almost burst out laughing at the evaluation of a child who was only three years old, barely held back and brought the pancake to his mouth. He swallowed the cake and opened his mouth to his daughter, who was waiting for a reaction with sparkling eyes.
“It’s really delicious. It’s the best Daddy has ever eaten in his life.”
When he repeated the child’s words, Angela got excited and said, “Right?” and cut another piece of pancake and put it in her mouth. Yu-jin smiled at the loveliness of his daughter, whose cheeks were flushed with happiness, and picked up a napkin to wipe the syrup from her mouth.
As promised, Yu-jin felt truly at ease having breakfast with Angela. The sky was clear without a single cloud, the wind was cool, and above all, Angela was so happy, what other happiness could there be?
He smiled as he thought so, but Angela’s thoughts seemed to be different.
“Daddy, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Yu-jin was startled and shook his head at the child’s face, which quickly became worried.
“No, that can’t be. I’m okay.”
Although he strongly denied it, Angela still looked unconvinced. To reassure his daughter, Yu-jin pulled up the corners of his mouth as much as he could and smiled.
“Really. Why would Miss Angela think that?”
When he changed his tone and asked, reviving the concept from earlier, his daughter frowned and said seriously.
“Daddy has dark circles under his eyes. Didn’t you sleep?”
At those words, Yu-jin quickly swallowed a groan that almost leaked out. He was embarrassed that his complexion was so bad that the child noticed, but it was understandable. He hadn’t actually slept much. Of course, the reason was Winston.
Yu-jin regained consciousness after an unknown amount of time. When he opened his eyes, he was lying on the bed again. The difference from before was that he felt an arm around his waist and someone else’s body temperature behind his back. He knew who it was without even looking back.
For a moment, Yu-jin couldn’t move in that state. The surroundings were quiet and there was no sound. Winston also didn’t move. Only after he listened carefully and was convinced that he was asleep did he try to slip out of bed.
“Where are you going?”
Immediately, the arm around his waist tightened, and Winston whispered behind Yu-jin, who paused for a moment. Yu-jin, flustered, blinked in that state and turned around with difficulty, and immediately met Winston’s eyes. Seeing his eyes, which were red and bloodshot in the darkness, Yu-jin couldn’t hide his embarrassment and asked.
“…Weren’t you asleep?”
He was scared at the thought that he might have been awake. Winston shrugged and felt Yu-jin’s stiffened reaction in his arms and opened his mouth.
“I woke up because you moved.”
Just that?
Yu-jin was half-doubtful, but he thought that there might be people in the world who were that sensitive to sleep. The problem was that he was holding him and wouldn’t let go.
“Let go of this.”
“Where are you going?”
Winston growled, hugging Yu-jin, who was trying to get out by twisting his waist, even tighter. Yu-jin, who was quickly exhausted, confessed honestly.
“You said I don’t have to have sex with you. Then there’s no need to sleep together, right?”
Let me go now, he added, but Winston’s arm didn’t budge.
“So, which guy’s bed are you going to?”
Yu-jin was speechless for a moment at the question that came back as if he had been waiting for it. Winston’s face, illuminated by the bright moonlight, was literally grim. As if he had caught a partner trying to sneak out to commit adultery on the spot.
“You may think I’m that kind of person in your imagination.”
Yu-jin took a deep breath and continued.
“You’re wrong. I’m going to my daughter’s room. I’m curious if she’s sleeping well, and the bed is big enough to sleep together. We always slept together. Angela will be anxious if I’m not there.”
It was a valid reason for him, but not for Winston. He was still holding Yu-jin with one arm, and stretched the other arm out of the bed and picked up something on the side table.
Winston held out a baby monitor in front of Yu-jin, who was bewildered. When Yu-jin’s eyes widened at the sight of the child on the screen, Winston glanced at his expression and said.
“Is that enough now?”
Yu-jin was speechless again at the attitude as if to say, ‘Don’t make any lame excuses.’ When did he make this? He was embarrassed, but it wasn’t a bad choice since he could see the child’s condition without waking her up.
As intended, Angela’s sleeping figure was clearly visible on the camera. The sound was also turned up to the maximum, and even the faint sound of her snoring could be heard. The child, who had been sleeping quietly with a doll in her arms, was lying in the opposite direction from before, as if she was swimming on the wide bed. Seeing her sleeping more comfortably than ever, Yu-jin was relieved on the one hand, but embarrassed on the other. He no longer had a reason to go to his daughter.
“There’s no need to share a room with me, since we’re not having sex.”
When he brought up his last protest, Winston scoffed at him without hesitation.
“Do you think I’ll let you roll around with anyone and tarnish the family name?”
He was determined not to let go. Yu-jin was at a loss.
Get a grip, you can’t give up.
He relaxed his body for a moment and lay back down on the bed, and the moment the arm around his waist loosened, he immediately tried to jump out of bed. But he was immediately stopped the moment he wriggled his body.
“Where are you going again? I told you not to.”
Winston gritted his teeth and spat out, pulling Yu-jin close and pressing him against his body. He wished he would hyperventilate, but Yu-jin was fine. He had no choice but to make an excuse.
“Um, toi, toilet… I’m going to the toilet. Let me go.”
In his mind, he was planning to go to the bathroom and then go to Angela’s room. He would lock the door from the inside and sleep in the child’s bed. It was a good idea. Of course, Yu-jin’s scheme was plausible, but Winston wasn’t fooled.
“Ah!”
Winston suddenly got up from the bed and picked up Yu-jin. Yu-jin, who was startled, reflexively hugged his neck, and he strode forward and opened the door to the bathroom, which was connected directly, with his shoulder. The bathroom, which had a large glass window above, was so bright with the moonlight that he could see clearly even without turning on the light. Winston walked without hesitation and opened the separate sliding door and put Yu-jin down in front of the toilet.”Alright, is this good enough?”
Caught off guard, Yu-jin could only stare up at him with wide eyes. Winston pressed a button on the bathroom wall to turn on the light and then walked out. Yu-jin stared blankly at the closed door, then paced around, unsure of what to do, before pointlessly flushing the toilet and exiting.