A child who looks like me

A large hand suddenly reached out from the water. The overwhelming presence it occupied felt almost obscene to Jeong-oh. She hurriedly grabbed the hand.

“I’m all washed up. It’s fine.”

Her voice, raised in pitch, echoed in the bathroom. Startled by the sound of her own voice, which seemed louder than usual, Jeong-oh quickly lowered it.

“I was just about to get out.”

“Stay a little longer.”

As Jeong-oh tried to stand, Ji-heon gripped her waist and pulled her back down. Splash! She sank back down, sending droplets of water flying upwards.

Ji-heon had a bizarre knack for exerting strength without any effort. He casually turned Jeong-oh around, and she stumbled, grabbing onto his shoulder for support.

They had merely shifted the stage, yet the situation was becoming just like it had been on the bed. The only difference was that Ji-heon was looking up at her while she was looking down.

Water droplets clung to his face, and his broad shoulders glistened with moisture. Even though he looked clear and clean, his gaze felt oddly murky and enticing. It seemed as if he were begging for a kiss, or perhaps silently demanding one.

Under the spell of that aura, Jeong-oh’s head tilted down. As if he had anticipated her move, Ji-heon smiled and captured her lips. Their lips were the purest and most sacred. As he kissed her, he began to do what hands could do, savoring her breath.

With every movement, the sound of water reverberated through the otherwise silent bathroom. Before long, exhausted, she leaned into him and nestled close. Ji-heon kissed her as he saw fit.

After a while, Jeong-oh quietly asked, “How was today? Were you tired?”

“No. It was amazing.”

“……”

“I finally get to say who Jeong-oh’s husband is.”

She had expected him to be weary from the day, but he looked perfectly fine. In fact, he seemed genuinely happy. The sound of water continued to ripple around them.

Whether to call it a bath or a playful activity was debatable. After an indulgent soak that contradicted the initial intent to cleanse body and mind, Jeong-oh hurriedly stepped out of the bathroom and got dressed.

Feeling anxious about what might happen if she hesitated, she was in a rush.

“Jeong-oh.”

In the meantime, Ji-heon also stepped out of the bathroom.

“Hey, honey.”

“Yeah? Huh?”

Jeong-oh, fumbling to button her pajamas, responded.

“Come here. I’ll dry your hair.”

Ji-heon said, holding a hairdryer in his hand. Having put on her clothes without drying her hair, her shoulders were now completely wet. With a towel draped over her shoulder, Jeong-oh walked to the vanity and reached out to Ji-heon.

“No, I’ll do it, oppa.”

“I’ll do it for you.”

“Why are you being so scary?”

“Is a husband drying your hair scary?”

“No, it’s just that you’ve never done this before.”

“I’ve always wanted to do it, but there was never time.”

“……”

“If you want, I’ll do it for you every day from now on.”

Jeong-oh couldn’t resist his insistence. Like a docile lamb, she quietly sat down and allowed her husband to take care of her.

Having tensed up due to her husband’s sudden entrance while she was relaxing in warm water, she now felt like she was in paradise as she sat quietly, drying off and enjoying the warm breeze. The moisture in her hair slowly evaporated, leaving her body feeling fresh and dry.

Jeong-oh raised her head and asked, “Should I do it for you too?”

“Sure.”

This time, Jeong-oh took the hairdryer, and Ji-heon sat down in a chair.

The sound of the dryer filled the small space.

Jeong-oh suddenly found herself smiling.

Why are we doing this?

With things we can do for ourselves, why are we being silly and spending time helping each other?

The thought that these foolish moments were the source of happiness kept her smiling.

Ji-heon watched Jeong-oh through the mirror for a moment before turning his body to face her.

“Stop it.”

“Huh?”

Unable to hear him properly over the sound of the dryer, Jeong-oh moved to get up and leave his side. Ji-heon immediately pulled her back by the waist.

Jeong-oh struggled with the dryer still in her hand. He took the dryer from her and turned it off. The hot air that had been scattered around suddenly ceased, leaving the room in silence.

“It’s hot.”

He spoke again. His gaze was equally intense, making his words feel oddly charged. It was unclear whether he meant the air was hot or if he himself was feeling hot.

In an instant, the situation became just like it had in the bathroom. He had her trapped in his embrace, looking up and enjoying her flustered expression.

Things had definitely happened in the bathroom. But thinking about it for just a moment made the answer clear. Ji-heon was not the kind of person who would be satisfied with that. Perhaps she had already braced herself for what was to come.

He was an opportunist. With Ye-na asleep in her grandmother’s room, it was an unmissable opportunity for Ji-heon.

Seeing Jeong-oh sitting on top of him with a resigned look on her face, Ji-heon smirked.

“Did you think I was going to do this?”

“No, I didn’t!”

Jeong-oh’s face flushed bright red as he exposed her thoughts.

“Relax, it’s true.”

“I said I didn’t!”

She tried to protest, but her voice was quickly drowned out. This time, unlike in the bathroom, he pressed his lips against hers first like a thief. As her hands fumbled for balance, he pulled her in closer.

His large hand traveled up her back. Jeong-oh gripped Ji-heon’s arm tightly, urgency filling her touch. Their murmurs melted into their breaths.

With their lips still touching, the warmth surged between them, and a wave of heat burst in her mouth. Every time this moment happened, it sent shivers down her spine. Her head spun, and all worries about the future felt meaningless; she wanted to pour everything she had into the present.

It was a night where all the many events of the day felt distant and faded away.

.*. *. *. *. *. *.

The next morning.

For once, Jeong-oh woke up first. Accustomed to waking up in a landscape filled with her child, she took a moment to catch her breath in surprise.

Ah, I’m married.

The time spent living as Ji-heon’s wife was so short that in her dreams, she appeared carefree, only to rush back to her true self with the arrival of morning. The fact that she still had a husband felt so strange and wonderful.

While she had felt a little resentful at night, his sleeping face was as lovable as Ye-na’s.

As she gazed at Ji-heon’s face absentmindedly, she finally realized that he had given her all the blankets and was sleeping in just his underwear. Jeong-oh got up, lifted the blanket over him, and then let it fall back down as she traced his abdominal muscles.

As the room brightened, the scars on his body became more visible. They were surgical scars from seven years ago. Every time she saw those scars, her heart ached. Even though he always insisted he was fine, Jeong-oh felt a pang of sorrow on her own.

“Why are you touching me so much? It’s morning,” Ji-heon said in a languid voice as he woke up. Jeong-oh quickly withdrew her hand and asked, “Are you awake?”

Instead of answering her question, Ji-heon cast a glance at her.

“What happened to my clothes? Did you take them off?”

“……”

“Oh, beast.”

The words spilled from Ji-heon’s mouth. He teased her as if returning a jab from earlier. Jeong-oh was at a loss for words.

“No, you took them off yourself…”

Even so, as soon as Ji-heon got up, Jeong-oh flinched and stepped aside.

When she kept her distance, he would pull her waist closer; when she tried to escape, he would just come right back to sit her down or lay her down again. And when he laid her down, he didn’t let her sleep; pretending to be asleep was pointless.

That’s why she flinched every time he came near. Seeing her shrink back, Ji-heon, perhaps thinking she was sore, spoke in an exceptionally gentle voice.

“Take the day off work. It’s okay to miss one day.”

“Right after announcing our marriage, it would look really good if I called in sick,” she replied.

“It’s fine. I’ll handle everything.”

As always, he spoke lightly. Thinking that he wasn’t making any sense, Jeong-oh left the room first. Ji-heon quickly followed after putting on his clothes.

At the same time, Ye-na, who had also woken up, spotted Ji-heon coming from the other side and ran over.

“Daddy!”

“Did you sleep well, Ye-na?”

Ji-heon scooped Ye-na up in his arms. Jeong-oh raised an eyebrow. Despite being a man who made his living off the same things as her, she couldn’t understand how he was so full of energy alone.

“Daddy, why did you come home late yesterday?”

“Daddy was busy with work, so I came home late. I’m sorry.”

Ji-heon said this while still holding Ye-na in his arms, greeting Guk-soon as well.

“Good morning, Mother. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes. Did you sleep well, Ye-na’s dad?”

“Yes.”

Ji-heon’s overly polite morning greeting made Jeong-oh’s eyebrows raise again.

Everyone. You’re all being fooled. That man…

The things Jeong-oh could not reveal to her family about how lewd, persistent, and mischievous he was made her sigh as she turned away.

Guk-soon’s gaze followed Jeong-oh as she walked away for a long while.

Before breakfast, Jeong-oh and Ye-na made up. In truth, there wasn’t much to reconcile. Forgetting about yesterday overnight, Ye-na easily clung to Jeong-oh and insisted on doing a ballerina hairstyle today.

After breakfast, helping Ye-na get ready for school, the morning was busier than ever, but Jeong-oh felt happier than usual. Finally, starting today, she could go to work with Ji-heon. She was relieved to be done with the trouble of sneaking off a few blocks from the office building.

“Mom, I’m off!”

Jeong-oh’s voice was as bright as her mood when she said her goodbye. Guk-soon called her back.

“Lee Jeong-oh.”

“Yes?”

“Wear these. Those look uncomfortable.”

Guk-soon picked up a pair of sneakers from the corner of the entrance and set them in front of Jeong-oh. Jeong-oh shook her head.

“No, these shoes match the fit of these pants.”

“These are pretty too. Wear these.”

“What kind of sneakers are appropriate for the office?”

“They said in advertising companies you can wear whatever you want. Wear something comfortable.”

“I don’t want to.”

As Jeong-oh grumbled, Ji-heon chimed in.

“Lee Jeong-oh, you should listen to your mother.”

“Right! Don’t just tell Ye-na what to do; you should listen to your mom too!”

Ye-na joyfully chimed in from the side.

In the end, with the family’s persistence, Jeong-oh took off the heels she was wearing and put on the sneakers. With her height lowered to match the shoes, she sulked.

“I feel shorter now.”

“You look cuter and it’s better,” Ji-heon said as he easily draped his arm over Jeong-oh’s shoulder.

“Just don’t trip and watch where you’re going,” Guk-soon urged, still worried even after switching her shoes.

“I’ll keep an eye on her,” Ji-heon answered on Jeong-oh’s behalf. Guk-soon smiled, seeing Ji-heon’s reliability. Ji-heon smiled back at Guk-soon, but just then, his phone vibrated. It was a text message from Seung-kyu.

– Did you see this?

Beneath Seung-kyu’s short message was a link to an internet address. Clicking on the link brought up a post. Ji-heon’s expression soured as he read the post’s title.

“‘Chairman Jeong Jae-gwang of the Seonryeon Group’s second son, Jeong Ji-heon’s bullying’”

As he read the elaborate, fabricated story, Ji-heon felt his mood darken. But since it wasn’t true, he thought he could quickly handle it.

However, the uproar was just the beginning of his troubles.