If You Want Me - Episode 75
<Episode 75>
Realizing that he was sincere, my face turned hot. I wasn’t used to such words, and there weren’t only the two of us in the car, but also Secretary Bae and the driver.
Even though we weren’t even a couple in the first place, it felt like we became a cringy couple showing off too much affection in the middle of the road. Seo-won explained the meaning of the prenatal name while trying to calm his heated face.
“Th-that’s not it, I picked it because they said the risk of miscarriage was high, so I wanted the baby to stay and not fall off.”
“Oh… is that so?”
Do-gyeom answered awkwardly as if he had no doubt that the reason he had thought of was correct. Who on earth would choose a prenatal name that way…
When Seo-won gave him a look that still showed it was absurd, he naturally changed the subject, perhaps feeling embarrassed.
“Come to think of it, you’ll be staying at your parents’ house in Seoul, right?”
“I guess… yes.”
Before going to the island, I had left a message to my mom and left. I didn’t even contact her because I was afraid I might want to come back, so I thought I should go see my mom first.
As I answered with that thought, Do-gyeom spoke up as if he just remembered something.
“I contacted your mother that you’re back in Seoul.”
“What? Young Master contacted my mom? I could have done that…”
“Your mother even filed a missing person report when you disappeared. So I contacted her as soon as I met you on the island. She’ll be waiting.”
“She even filed a missing person report?”
When Seo-won asked back in surprise, Do-gyeom nodded.
I’m not a child, and it’s true that contact has never been cut off like this before, but I thought it would be okay since I told her in advance before leaving… I never dreamed she would go that far.
Thinking of my mom made my heart sting with guilt. It may seem eccentric, but my mom lived with the intention of raising me well in a small room, and I couldn’t help but feel more concerned knowing that.
I did think I should contact my mom around the time I left the island, but I put it off, thinking I should contact her after leaving since the reception wasn’t good. Then after leaving, I fell asleep as if I fainted from seasickness, and as soon as I woke up, I was busy getting an examination at the hospital.
I had forgotten about it, but I was grateful that he contacted her on my behalf.
“Thank you for your consideration…”
“Of course. But can I take a picture of Tteokbokki?”
“…Sure.”
Just when I thought the atmosphere was getting warm, suddenly Tteokbokki…
With Seo-won’s permission, Do-gyeom immediately took out his cell phone and captured Tteokbokki’s photos one by one, as if he had been waiting. If someone saw him, they might think he was a dad obsessed with his child. It was an enthusiastic appearance.
Do-gyeom never dreamed of me getting pregnant and I thought he hated children… Does one-sided imprinting change a person to the point of liking a child as well? It was unfamiliar to see Do-gyeom being amazed by the fetal photos and even trying to take pictures.
As Seo-won quietly watched Do-gyeom taking photos, he fiddled with the photo of Tteokbokki taken today with his fingertips and asked.
“About Tteokbokki… will the baby resemble you or me?”
“Hmm… I wonder.”
“I hope the baby resembles you.”
“…”
Seo-won couldn’t bring himself to agree and had a faint smile.
If the baby resembles someone, wouldn’t it be better to resemble Do-gyeom? His appearance, constitution, and outstanding intelligence are all superior.
As he said on the island, dominant individuals marry other dominant individuals and have children. It was to manifest as dominant. Considering that, you’d think he would be reluctant to have a child with me, a recessive. But Do-gyeom saying he hopes the baby resembles me was completely different from what I knew about him.
It was completely different from the Young Master I liked, but Seo-won somehow thought that he didn’t dislike Do-gyeom’s changed appearance either.
* * *
“Go in and rest.”
When we arrived in front of the house and got out of the car, Do-gyeom also got out of the car and saw Seo-won off.
There was no need for him to get out with me. Seo-won stood in front of the gate and looked back at him.
“You said you have a meeting. Please go quickly.”
“Yeah… I should.”
Even though he said he would, for some reason, he had a face that showed his feet weren’t moving. He was exuding an atmosphere that he was reluctant to part like this.
Seo-won looked at him and lowered his eyebrows in a八shape. If Do-gyeom really had someone he loved, he would have reacted like that. It tickled my heart, but at the same time, it was bitter.
I was about to press the doorbell, but Do-gyeom, who had been standing still, suddenly called my name.
“Seo-won, I’ll contact you. Make sure to answer.”
“…”
I wondered why he said it like a request… Even after making a contract with Seo-won, he still seemed worried that Seo-won might disappear overnight.
When Seo-won didn’t say anything, he urged for an answer as if he wouldn’t stop until he got a confirmation that Seo-won would answer.
“If you don’t answer, I’ll come find you.”
“…I got it, so please go quickly. Secretary Bae’s eyes look like they’re shooting lasers.”
Seo-won answered as if he had no choice and pointed with his eyes to Secretary Bae in the passenger seat.
Do-gyeom had been acting like a person without any urgent work from the hospital until now, but Secretary Bae wasn’t like that. He had an anxious face as if every moment was urgent. It seemed like the time was tight or they were late.
At Seo-won’s words, Do-gyeom checked his wristwatch and slightly frowned. I knew it wasn’t the time to act leisurely, but he seemed to have some awareness that he had to work.
Now I thought he would really leave, but for some reason, instead of getting into the car, he narrowed the distance by one step closer.
His big hands grasped both of Seo-won’s shoulders. Wondering what he was suddenly doing, I was about to look up at him blankly, but in an instant, a soft touch landed on my forehead and left. It was Do-gyeom’s lips.
“What are you doing…!”
“Rest well.”
Seo-won’s eyes widened in surprise like a rabbit, but Do-gyeom raised the corners of his mouth and quickly got into the car.
As soon as he got into the car as if running away, the car started quickly.
“Huh…”
Looking at the back of the car driving away, Seo-won touched his forehead.
The touch of his lips was a fleeting moment that didn’t even last a second, but it still tickled as if something was tickling his forehead.
…Oh, come to think of it, Secretary Bae and the driver will probably think it’s strange again.
Having that kind of conversation in the car, and kissing my forehead after getting out… Anyone who saw it would think we were lovers, so they might misunderstand my relationship with Do-gyeom.
I should clarify it the next time we meet. Seo-won continued that thought and stood still for a moment, then pressed the doorbell thinking he should go inside for now.
The familiar sound of the bell rang, and within a few seconds, the sound of someone running hurriedly was heard beyond the gate. Soon, the gate opened wide.
“Seo-won!”
“Mom.”
The face I had been longing to see. As Seo-won smiled brightly and tried to hug his mom, a slap on the arm came before the embrace.
Slap, slap, slap! Seo-won looked at his mom with a startled face as the stinging slaps suddenly poured down on his arm.
“Ouch, ah! W-why are you hitting me all of a sudden?”
“How could you leave without contacting your mom? Do you know how worried I was!”
“I did contact you… that I would be back soon…”
“So you did well?”
“No…”
Seo-won answered in a timid voice at her fierce spirit.
From what he heard from Do-gyeom in the car, his mom even tried to file a missing person report to find him. It was a part that showed how much she had worried, so he couldn’t retort.
As Seo-won answered with hunched shoulders and a shrinking posture, Ji-hee let out a sigh.
“Come in for now.”
“Yes…”
Seo-won answered in a powerless voice and carefully entered the house, watching her expression.
Seo-won, who entered the house, widened his eyes in surprise and looked around the interior. The house was messy enough to show how frantically she had spent each day. It wasn’t to the level of being dirty, but compared to her usual behavior of keeping the house neat and tidy, it was a mess.
If I had properly explained the situation before leaving, she wouldn’t have worried this much… As Seo-won felt guilty, she pulled him to sit on the living room sofa and asked.
“Now that you’re back, let’s hear it. Why did you suddenly disappear, and where and what have you been doing?”
“Um…”
A lot had happened. As I was pondering what to say first and how to say it, Ji-hee couldn’t even wait for that moment and urged for an answer by pounding her chest with her fist.
“You don’t want to say it? Do you want to make your mom’s heart burst?”
“Oh, no! It’s just difficult to answer. Let me think for a bit.”
When Seo-won hurriedly explained, Ji-hee finally stopped hitting her chest with her hand and waited for him to continue.
After a moment of silence, Seo-won slowly opened his mouth only after organizing his thoughts sufficiently.
“Actually… on the day I left, I confessed to Young Master.”
“Really? No… wait. So, what did Young Master say?”
Mom’s eyes sparkled as if asking why he only did it now, but she had an ominous face since the time she lost contact with Seo-won was around then.
Trying to talk about what happened then, the chilling gaze Do-gyeom had when looking at me vividly came to mind. It was still a scary and frightening face, so Seo-won fiddled with his hands and answered.
“I told him I liked him and that the child was also Young Master’s… But his reaction wasn’t very good. No, it’s not that it wasn’t good, he didn’t like it.”
“What…? Was he really trash?”
Ji-hee’s expression became quite serious upon hearing Seo-won’s words.