By Zephyria 
“It’s true. I have my subordinate—no, my friend—at kindergarten. So it’s fine.”
“A friend? You made a new friend at kindergarten?”
When a surprised Yu-jin asked, the child nodded and said, “Yeah.”
“He’s a bit dumb, but nice. Can you believe he can only count to ten?”
“You shouldn’t call your friend dumb.”
Yu-jin gently scolded her, but Angela continued nonchalantly.
“But it’s okay, because I’m smart. I can play while teaching him well.”
Soon, the child added with a bright smile.
“And Spence is really cute. It’s fun playing with him. I really like him.”
Just as Yu-jin was about to say, ‘Oh, really?’ a shadow suddenly fell over them, and a large hand abruptly descended, lifting Angela up.
“Papa!”
“Winnie.”
Winston, who immediately embraced his daughter, then kissed Yu-jin, who had stood up, on the lips.
“I’m home. What were you talking about?”
With a gentle smile, he asked his daughter.
“Who do you like?”
Though his tone was affectionate, Yu-jin felt an ominous premonition somewhere. Completely oblivious to this, Angela, as always, cheerfully hugged his neck and answered.
“My kindergarten friend. He’s really cute. He listens to me really well, I really like him.”
“……Oh? Is he a boy?”
At the question asked with a strange pause, Yu-jin thought, ‘No!’ but the child, completely unaware, readily nodded.
“Yeah, he’s a boy. He’s really fun. So today, what happened was……”
Winston watched his daughter’s face, now excitedly chattering about what happened during the day, with a pleased expression. For some reason, one of his hands was clenched into a fist.
***
Winston, who had headed to the room to change clothes, roughly threw his tie onto the backrest of the fish sofa, more roughly than usual. Yu-jin, who entered the room a moment later, couldn’t help but give a wry smile seeing him using more force than necessary to take off his shirt and undo his belt.
“He’s just a kindergarten friend, Winnie.”
“Of course. If he seriously has his eyes on my daughter, I’ll blow that bastard’s head off.”
He meant it. As proof, Winston immediately gave an order to the butler attending him nearby.
“Order a shotgun, right now.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Winston, if you’re going to threaten Angela’s boyfriend with a gun, you still have over ten years to go.”
The image of Winston glaring murderously at his daughter’s boyfriend who came to escort her to a graduation party was already vividly drawn in Yu-jin’s mind. To top it off, with a serious face, he looked at Yu-jin and asked this.
“Does she really have to get married? Can’t she just spend money lavishly and have fun? I’ll leave everything I have to my two daughters, right?”
“Winnie, that’s a story for the far future.”
“Just imagining some bastard taking my precious daughter makes my teeth grind. Honey, right? How can you be so cold? Think about it, my precious children, some damn bastard we’ve never seen or heard of……”
“Winnie, that’s something over 10, no, 20 years from now.”
“If he even dares to kiss my daughter, I’ll put a hole in his head right……”
“Winnie.”
He called his name again, but he wasn’t listening at all. Eventually, Yu-jin used his last resort. Immediately grabbing Winston’s face and pulling him close, he pressed their lips together. Winston, who had been wildly imagining and cursing some future opponent who may or may not exist, finally returned to reality.
Naturally embracing his lover, who was engrossed in the kiss while holding Yu-jin’s waist, Yu-jin smiled faintly with relief. What an easy man to handle. It was ridiculous, yet a corner of his heart warmed. That must mean this man loves me that much.
“I decided to do the party.”
When their lips barely parted, Yu-jin brought up the topic he had kept hidden. Winston, who was looking down at Yu-jin’s face with still hazy focus, muttered blankly.
“What? What party?”
Feeling the gaze still fixed on his lips, Yu-jin laughed. Stroking and wiping Winston’s still-wet lips with his thumb, he whispered.
“A movie adaptation celebration and charity party. Mr. Pittman’s secretary visited today.”
“What? Who? Ah, right.”
As if belatedly remembering, Winston immediately reacted. Seeing his usual sharp gaze return, Yu-jin felt an inexplicable regret and hugged his waist. Naturally stroking Yu-jin’s buttocks, Winston asked.
“So, did the talk go well? Did you agree?”
“Yeah.”
Yu-jin nodded.
“Mr. Pittman’s secretary was excellent. Explained things well, listened to me a lot……”
Having said that far, he paused and reluctantly confessed.
“Actually, Winnie, I had lost a lot of confidence.”
“Why?”
Winston looked down at him with a surprised face. The fact that he was so surprised that the hand stroking his buttocks stopped made Yu-jin laugh shortly.
“Angie couldn’t get along with the kids at kindergarten, right? I wondered if it was because of me…… I worried that maybe because I wasn’t living properly, even Angie was getting hurt.”
“That’s……”
“I know, it was a ridiculous thought.”
Before Winston could deny it, Yu-jin, who spoke first, stretched his neck to look up at him and confessed.
“So I was afraid to step out in front of people. I was worried that if I made my face known here and there for no reason, the kids might get hurt……”
“That’s nonsense. If anyone dares to talk nonsense about you, I’ll kill them all.”
“Your words are enough.”
As Winston gritted his teeth and spat out, Yu-jin gave a wry smile and calmed him.
“It’s okay now. Since Angie is doing her best, I should work hard too.”
Then, he took a deep breath and declared.
“I’ll go to the party and meet people. I’ve lived hard and haven’t done anything shameful, so I won’t be intimidated.”
“Of course, absolutely.”
Winston said emphatically, cupping Yu-jin’s cheeks with both hands and whispering.
“I’ll kill anyone who makes you suffer, including myself.”
“Don’t die, and don’t kill anyone.”
Yu-jin covered the hands holding his cheeks with his own and looked up at him.
“Just stay by my side.”
That was an easy thing. It was also what Winston wanted most.
“Always, for a lifetime, forever.”
Winston muttered as if swearing and tilted his head. Yu-jin closed his eyes, and soon the awaited kiss followed. This is enough. Yu-jin exhaled a breath full of emotion and wrapped his arms around Winston’s neck. As if waiting, Winston lifted him, and Yu-jin wrapped his legs around Winston’s waist.
Spence.
Suddenly, a name flashed through his mind. What was that? It sounded familiar.
“Focus, on me.”
Winston warned petulantly. Yu-jin smiled apologetically and returned the kiss. Soon, the question vanished from his mind, and things proceeded exactly as Winston wanted.
And the fact that the largest donation ever was raised at the party held to commemorate the movie adaptation of ‘Children of November’ was a story from one month later.