Clatter, clatter.
With even Do-Yun napping, the house was quiet, leaving the sound of water hitting the dishes to echo clearly. Mingled in with those sounds were Jin-Seo’s sighs.
Yesterday, after arriving at the hospital and regaining consciousness, Jin-Seo had undergone several tests while she was still disoriented. The very last one was a referral to the OB/GYN emergency room. And there, she heard the unexpected news.
“A third child.”
*So that’s why I felt so depressed.*
How honest our bodies are.
The strange symptoms of the past few days—the weakness, the occasional dizziness, and the loss of appetite—all culminated in pregnancy. Already, the baby was building a bean-sized home inside Mom’s belly, beating its heart: *thump-thump, thump-thump.*
Even after hearing the heartbeat, Jin-Seo couldn’t believe it.
“A third child.”
Children grow in leaps and bounds. A mother can never keep up with the speed at which her children grow.
Although she was a mother who always felt she lagged behind, she had been trying.
She hadn’t even become the perfect mother to her two children yet, and now another one was on the way.
Next year, Do-Bin would be starting elementary school; would she be chasing after him with a big belly? What if the third one was born on the day of his entrance ceremony?
The mere thought of that day made her vision go dark.
*So this was why I collapsed. Instincts are truly terrifying.*
“A third child….”
Seung-Gyu, who had come out to the living room after finishing the dishes, sat down beside her while cautiously reading her expression. He had taken the day off work to look after her, but sitting beside his wife, he couldn’t say a word.
“We’re having a third child.”
“…….”
“It’s not just me who’s having a hard time, right? You’re having a hard time too, aren’t you?”
Hearing Jin-Seo’s voice, flat and devoid of intonation, Seung-Gyu felt his nerves tighten.
“Honey, I’m sorry….”
“Sorry? The baby is listening. You shouldn’t say things like that.”
Even as she reprimanded him, there was no life in her voice.
“A child should be a blessing.”
“…….”
“When our Do-Bin enters puberty, the third one will be just like Do-Yun.”
Seung-Gyu bowed his head and swallowed dryly.
He didn’t know how it had come to this. Their first child had actually been a “shotgun wedding,” and having started their newlywed life unprepared, Seung-Gyu had felt sorry for Jin-Seo all along. But a third one?
“Honey, I’ll do better. I’ll take paternity leave or something. I’ll do anything. Please don’t worry too much.”
He wanted to say that if he could do anything for her, he would give birth to the child for her, if only he could.
That was his heart, but Jin-Seo just gave a faint smile.
It felt like her life changed every time she gave birth. She felt as if she were entering her fourth life.
*
The hand that had been patting him was caught. Holding both of Jeong-o’s hands with one of his own, Ji-Heon lowered his head, making it easy to kiss her.
Jeong-o didn’t know what to do, so she just closed her eyes. The tears that had gathered in the corners of her eyes squeezed out. She flinched when she felt his lips touch the corner of her eye for a fleeting moment.
The kisses, which had been grazing her eyelashes, moved downward.
The kisses, no different from the ones he had planted on the back of her hand, became increasingly intense. When they finally reached her lips again, he didn’t hesitate to devour them. He held her firmly as her legs began to weaken.
He was the same as he had been seven years ago. No, he had become an even more reckless and greedy man. His hands, his gaze, his breath—he was a wicked man. His ragged breathing, as if he had decided there was no need to maintain any decorum, pushed into her.
Every time she squirmed in his arms, his breathing grew deeper. As if he were determined to pour his own breath into her until she couldn’t take any more.
She had proudly said he was her man, but it felt like he had captured her very heart instead.
*I don’t know this man fully yet, so I shouldn’t like him too much. I shouldn’t fall for him too hard.* Even as her vision blurred, she repeated this to herself countless times, but the sensations he gifted her were so overwhelming that Jeong-o stood there with a tearful face, her lips trapped by his.
Her heart, racing uncontrollably, kept clouding her judgment.
She really didn’t know what to do.
*Why are you so fast? Can’t you hit the brakes? I’m a person with a child. My side is a school zone! Slow down.*
Then again, if one hides the sign and gives a warning, it wouldn’t even sound like a warning.
He was moving so fast that she couldn’t trust him. But on the other hand, she wanted to believe in him.
Ji-Heon’s large hand gripped the back of her neck and pulled her in. Just as much as she had pushed away, she was also pulled back, and she obediently let herself be caught by him. His fingertips, pressing against her scalp, felt burning hot the entire time.
There had certainly been a moment when death had felt easy.
For the first time, Ji-Heon felt grateful that he was alive and healthy like this.
Her efforts to stay sane while temptation stood right in front of her tickled his heart.
He knew what she was worried about.
But that didn’t mean he could stop. The loveliness of a person named Jeong-o Lee had already exceeded his limits. He couldn’t keep his reason as a gentleman in front of her.
He could no longer hide the instinct that made his insides burn.
In any case, she was accepting his courtship even while swinging her “spicy” hands at him.
Her soft lips and the sweet breath inside were dizzyingly pleasant.
“But I’m not your man yet, am I?”
He leaned in close, releasing his breath right in front of her lips, and asked.
“Make me one soon. Your man.”
Perhaps she misunderstood that he was still teasing her, so she shot him a sideways glance. Even that was so cute that he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Make me yours.”
*I don’t know what I’m supposed to give you, but I’ll give you everything you ask for.*
*
After parting ways with Ji-Heon, Eun-Yeop contacted his younger sister, Eun-Bi. He met her secretly, away from the Max Planning building.
As soon as he met her, Eun-Yeop frowned and demanded an explanation.
“You, what did you do to Jiheon Jeong? What did you do to make him look at you with such utter disgust and say he’s calling off the fake relationship?”
Eun-Bi’s eyes were filled with tears.
“Jiheon oppa said that? He did? Does he look like he’s completely disgusted?”
“I asked you what the hell happened!”
Eun-Yeop yelled, ignoring her reaction.
His sister’s successful marriage.
Actually, Eun-Yeop had thought she would achieve that goal before she turned thirty. But the wall that was Jiheon Jeong was unexpectedly high and solid.
If she had invested in someone else, his sister would have been married by now.
Time had passed before they knew it. At some point, it became a matter of stubborn pride for Eun-Yeop, too.
Since they had come this far, he had to make his sister marry Jiheon Jeong, no matter what. There was no turning back.
Eun-Bi sobbed, her shoulders shaking, and spilled the truth along with a tear.
“It’s because of that girl.”
“That girl?”
“Ever since she came to the company, oppa has been acting strange. She keeps trying to seduce Jiheon oppa. She lied to him saying she looked like her dad, then said she looked like an ex-boyfriend… that’s how she’s trying to seduce him. She keeps following him around, trying to stick to him, no matter what….”
“Is Jiheon Jeong the kind of guy to fall for someone just because she tries to seduce him?”
“That’s why it’s so strange!”
Eun-Bi raised her voice, frustrated by words alone. And then.
“You do it, oppa.”
“…….”
“You’re the one who always handled the women who clung to Jiheon Jeong. You’re good at that kind of thing, right? Huh?”
She clung to her brother.
Eun-Bi knew that it was her brother, Eun-Yeop, who had created all sorts of rumors about Jiheon Jeong four years ago. By effectively delivering those rumors to Mrs. Jang, he had cornered Jiheon, forcing him to cooperate with the fake relationship.
Even after that, Eun-Yeop had worked tirelessly to block any woman who showed signs of clinging to Jiheon.
“Seduce her, play with her, do something!”
Eun-Bi shouted. It was the first time she had spoken with such desperation. Eun-Yeop, too, began to take it seriously.
“What’s that woman’s name?”
“Jeong-o Lee.”
“…….”
“Jeong-o Lee, a copywriter in Planning & Production Division 2.”
Jeong-o Lee.
At the sound of the name, Eun-Yeop’s eyes widened.
Eun-Yeop had heard that name before.
*
Eun-Bi was anxious. Every second counted. Just then, she received a call from a headhunter.
Skipping her overtime, Eun-Bi left work early to meet the headhunter. The meeting place was quite a distance away, but Eun-Bi willingly endured the trouble of traveling.
“Manager Eun-Bi Chae.”
As she entered the café, the headhunter waved at her. Sitting next to them was a woman in a suit—her target.
“Manager, this is the AE I told you about. This is Deputy General Manager Nam Ji-Ae.”
“Hello. I’m Eun-Bi Chae from Max Planning.”
Following the headhunter’s introduction, Eun-Bi greeted the AE cheerfully and concocted her business.
“It’s nothing major, but you might or might not know that my boyfriend is the division head at Max Planning. We ended up working in the same division, and it’s been uncomfortable in many ways. I love my work, but I feel a bit sad that I’m not being recognized purely for my own abilities. So, I’ve been thinking about changing jobs. I heard the atmosphere at Two H is great, so I’ve been interested in looking into it.”
The headhunter and the AE looked pleased and began listing various things about the company. All of it was useless information to Eun-Bi, but she nodded along enthusiastically to everything they said.
“Thank you so much for the information today. It’s going to be very helpful. I’ll be in touch soon.”
“Yes, Manager. It was a pleasure meeting you, too. I look forward to hearing good news.”
The AE responded pleasantly to Eun-Bi’s farewell.
Then, as if in passing, Eun-Bi brought up her real reason for being there.
“Oh, and Deputy Jeong-o Lee—you used to work with her, didn’t you?”
“Oh, Deputy Jeong-o Lee? Ah! Max Planning acquired Sanga Planning, didn’t they! So, Deputy Jeong-o Lee is there? At Max Planning?”
The AE’s eyes lit up at the topic. Eun-Bi cheered internally.
“Yes. I’m in Production Team 1, and Deputy Jeong-o Lee is in Team 2.”
“Is she doing well? Deputy Jeong-o Lee?”
“Yes. I think she’s doing just fine.”
“She is such a brilliant talent.”
“I suppose so.”
She felt like gagging at the praise for Jeong-o, but Eun-Bi managed a polite smile.
“She’s great at her job, she’s pretty, and she’s smart. This is a secret, but there were occasional clients who had a crush on Deputy Jeong-o Lee. If she didn’t have a child, she would have received so many marriage proposals.”
“…She has a child? Deputy Jeong-o Lee does?”
“Huh? You didn’t know? Oh… am I not supposed to talk about this?”
Pure ecstasy filled Eun-Bi’s eyes.
*Even when the sky falls, there is a way out!*
“It’s fine. Please, tell me. I have nowhere to spread rumors anyway.”
“She has one incredibly cute daughter. I think the child is about seven years old now?”
A shudder ran through her entire body, from head to toe. She couldn’t hide her triumphant smile.
*A mother like you dares to touch my man?*
*This is it, now!*
Her heart pounded as she thought about how to expose this fact—completely unaware that she was opening Pandora’s box.