NOVEL NEXT Chapter 153: Past And Present (5)
(Two Months Later)
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the emergency stairs of a tall skyscraper as a young boy pushed open the rooftop door.
"Mi, are you alright?"
As soon as the man stepped onto the roof, his eyes landed on the woman cooking on a small outdoor gas stove, her hand resting on her stomach.
The moment she saw him, she smiled mischievously.
Beom-seok let out a tired breath at her grin. "You didn't have to prank call me."
The beautiful young woman, her stomach slightly rounded, walked closer to him with a small button phone in her hand.
"But you liked me calling you, right? Darling."
Beom-seok couldn't help but smile as he gently cupped her cheek.
"You know I was busy, right?"
She giggled, leaning into his palm. "You sound like a husband who just ran away from work."
"Aren't I though?"
Mi-kyong wrapped her arm around Beom-seok's neck. "You're taller than me now."
He nodded, his gaze drifting to the eggs she was frying. "Is that dinner?"
Mi-kyong pressed her face against his chest, breathing in his scent. "Mmm..."
It had been about a month since Mi-kyong announced she was pregnant.
At first, he was stunned and nearly fainted, but after much thought, he realized it wasn't such a bad thing.
The two of them weren't living the best life, mainly because they were still teenagers, but still, they dreamed of a happy family.
The kind neither of them ever had.
"Bemmy, so I was thinking..."
Mi-kyong's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. "Hmm..."
She lifted her eyes to him. "Let's buy a gaming set and start online gaming and streaming."
Beom-seok's eyes widened in disbelief. 'Why didn't I think of that before?'
It wasn't like gaming required them to show their faces.
And even if they needed age verification, they already had plenty of connections who could forge it for them.
Beom-seok nodded. "I'll try and get one by the end of the week."
Mi-kyong's lips curved into a warm smile. "Can we do it again tonight?"
Beom-seok took her hand off his neck. "Nah, I'll pass. Because of you, I couldn't get to work earlier—we didn't get a wink of sleep."
Mi-kyong laughed softly. "Okay then, let's dance."
Beom-seok, halfway through removing his jacket, turned to her. "Dance?"
She nodded twice, reaffirming her words. "I've been watching a lot of dance clips, and I find it romantic."
'Where did she watch those?'
Beom-seok's eyes flicked to the small phone in her hand.
'No way... right?'
He pushed aside the thought and answered, "Okay."
Mi-kyong, who was about to explain further, froze. "What?!"
Beom-seok blinked. "You said you want us to dance, right?" He smirked. "I can do that, as long as you keep up with me."
Mi-kyong pouted and tapped his chest lightly. "Don't get cocky, short stack."
The now shirtless man pulled her by the arm, letting her stumble lightly against his chest.
His arms slid carefully around her waist as he leaned in slightly.
Taking her hands in the posture of a royal dance, he began moving.
One step at a time.
One clumsy motion after another.
Mi-kyong's smile grew, the moonlight bathing her skin and the rooftop in a silvery glow.
She laughed as he dipped her slightly in his arms before pulling her back against his chest.
He grinned warmly. "This feels more like a mad dance than actual dancing."
Mi-kyong tilted her head playfully. "What's the difference?"
She rested against him as if tired from the movement.
To the two who danced on the rooftop, it felt like they were suspended between heaven and earth.
A different world, a different reality from everyone else's.
And in that small world, only the two of them mattered.
Mi-kyong's smile softened, her tone turning serious. "Bemmy, can you promise me something?"
Her companion raised a brow.
With a quiet breath, she continued. "I want you to love me forever, no matter what I do. And I, Mi-kyong, will never betray you. I'll be your eternal lover."
Beom-seok nodded with a faint smile. "I, Beom-seok, also promise to love Mi-kyong for the rest of my days."
Mi-kyong nodded twice. "Yes, and you shall kiss the bride."
Beom-seok chuckled softly but still lowered his head to kiss her.
"Now we shall both carry the surname Lee. And every time we greet, we'll dance a wild, mad dance."
The black-haired young man pressed his forehead to his lover's.
"I promise, Mrs. Lee Mi-kyong."
She giggled, leaning against his forehead. "Yes, Mr. Lee Beom-seok."
Pulling back slightly, she folded her hands behind her back. "Let's start over—just you, me, and our little boy, Jinwoo."
"How can you name our son without me?"
Mi-kyong turned away with a huff. "Humph, it's my job, that's why."
Beom-seok chuckled. "Cute."
Mi-kyong pouted. "I'm not cute."
The clouds drifted apart, letting the moonlight and glittering stars spill through the sky.
That day, the two of them made a vow.
A promise that should never be broken.
But life was never that simple. And pain always found its way into peace.
------
(A Month Later)
A month had passed since that day, and Beom-seok's and Mi-kyong's routine stayed the same.
In the morning, they would wake and spend time together before Beom-seok left for work, which meant stealing and selling drugs.
Meanwhile, Mi-kyong played games on their new gaming setup and called Beom-seok every thirty minutes.
It might have looked like a plain, even dull life to others. But to them, it was everything.
They never complained or wished for more.
Well, except for the intimacy they shared in their bed.
But that day was different.
The first of the month—a date both Mi-kyong and Beom-seok had overlooked—in 2015, at exactly 6:07 in the evening.
A day neither of them could forget, one tied to a number carved into their lives.
115607... 1/1/567.
That day, like every other, Mi-kyong cooked dinner on the rooftop of the skyscraper.
Because they had lived on the roof for over six months, both had grown complacent.
And there was one detail they always ignored.
The apartment belonged to Mi-kyong's family, and the receptionist saw them enter every day.
That meant her parents had known from the beginning and let it continue.
Perhaps they didn't care. Or maybe they thought it was just childish antics.
But that day, after gossip reached them through the receptionist, they decided to intervene.
Not out of concern.
No. It was because their reputation was being tarnished.
'The goddess of the Kim family and their only daughter ran away from home and got herself pregnant by a thug.'
And that very day, as Mi-kyong stir-fried their dinner, the sound of the pre-installed alarm blared.
Someone other than Beom-seok was climbing the stairs.
And not just one, but several grown men, ready to kill.
─── ✦ End of Chapter ✦ ───