Side Story 1: A Naughty Husband, A Bad Dad

Tap, tap. The raindrops that had started falling in the late afternoon drummed against the window. Ji-soo, who had been sitting on the sofa reading a book, cradled her noticeably rounded belly and stood up.

“Kongkong, wanna watch the rain with me?”

She stood on the balcony, gazing outside. The trees and flowers in the garden, carefully tended to during the day, now looked pale under the downpour. A baby swing peeked through the branches.

Given how restless the baby was inside her, she was convinced it had inherited Tae-ha’s athleticism.

“Your little prince is lively and healthy. Just make sure not to overexert yourself.”

Following the doctor’s advice, Ji-soo had planned to work until the last month of her pregnancy. But her frequent mistakes at work and lingering fatigue made it difficult. In the end, she had no choice but to submit her leave of absence last week—just as Tae-ha had wanted.

Of course, the reason Ji-soo had been dozing off at random times, her stamina noticeably weakened, was entirely Tae-ha’s fault.

The moment she entered the stable phase of her pregnancy, Tae-ha held her every night. The doctor’s warning—”Avoid intimacy in the early stages; it could be risky”—had only piled up frustration and dissatisfaction in him.

Holding Ji-soo, unable to take things all the way, Tae-ha repeated like a mantra: ”We are never having a second child.”

Maybe that was why. Honestly, he wasn’t thrilled about the baby making Ji-soo suffer.

And even though he had been the one insisting she quit work, the moment he heard that stress was bad for the baby, he demanded she submit her leave immediately—even requesting electronic approval while he was away on a business trip.

Knowing how her husband felt about the baby, Ji-soo tried her best not to upset him. She avoided going out unless it was for hospital visits.

“Looks like Dad’s running late again today.”

She cracked the balcony window open slightly, and a damp, chilly breeze rushed in. She hadn’t even realized the seasons were changing.

Ji-soo stretched her arm out, letting raindrops land on her palm.

“Eugh.”

Maybe it was the sudden cold, but the baby kicked vigorously. Or maybe it was a sign Tae-ha was almost home.

Unlike his grumpy father, the baby adored Tae-ha. No matter how much it squirmed and made Ji-soo uncomfortable, the moment Tae-ha was near or stroked her belly, it would calm down instantly.

Just like now, as he was about to arrive.

“Do you love Dad that much, Kongkong? More than Mom?”

Secretly, Ji-soo hoped it was a girl.

“Don’t devote yourself to the baby. Your priority is Han Ji-soo—not the child, not even me.”

Even the cold, prickly Tae-ha might soften for a daughter. After all, any biological male near Ji-sou—regardless of age—made him growl possessively.

But maybe once the baby was born, he’d change. She clung to that slim hope.

The baby’s signal today was spot-on as usual. At the sound of the garage door opening, Ji-soo stepped outside.

The rain pattered behind her as she descended into the garage, where Tae-ha leaned against the car, staring into the darkness.

Was something wrong? The sharp scent of alcohol clung to him.

It was too dark to see his expression clearly, so Ji-soo approached quietly, careful not to make a sound.

Suddenly, a mischievous urge struck her—to startle the ever-composed Tae-ha.

Rising onto her tiptoes, she tiptoed toward him, intending to hug him from behind. But she hadn’t accounted for her shadow stretching in front of him.

The moment she reached him, Tae-ha turned and pulled her in by the waist.

“Ah. Caught.”

His hot lips trailed from her cheek to her mouth, then down to her chest. Ji-soo stroked his thick, soft hair and asked,

“Did you drink?”

“Does it smell that bad?”

“Just enough to notice.”

Tae-ha lifted his head from her chest. Maybe it was the rainy night, but his desire-filled eyes looked pitiful today. He knew Ji-soo could never refuse him when he looked at her like this.

“No kiss?”

“Tch. Like you’d stop even if I said no.”

When had Cha Tae-ha ever listened to being told no?

“That’s true. But if you really said no, I wouldn’t.”

Tae-ha straightened up, the rainy scenery stretching behind him.

Why does he look so unfairly handsome today? Was it because of the dream she’d had?

Thanks to her husband’s insatiable appetite, Ji-soo considered herself quite knowledgeable about married life. But lately, she’d been having increasingly lewd dreams—and worse, she kept recalling the things Tae-ha did to her when she was alone.

She’d even tried reading the Bible and Buddhist scriptures to calm herself, but the moment she saw Tae-ha coming home, all her resolve crumbled.

“I don’t mind, but… wouldn’t it be better in the bedroom? Eek!”

Before she could finish, Tae-ha scooped her up. Their lips never parted as he carried her from the garage into the house.

Thankfully, they’d moved the master bedroom to the first floor as Ji-soo’s due date approached. If it had still been upstairs, Tae-ha would’ve carried her all the way.

He was that impatient.

“Tae-ha, wait. Let’s take off our clothes and shower first—”

The moment their lips parted, Ji-soo’s nagging spilled out. Did she know how much her chattering mouth made him want to bite it?

Her slender fingers loosened his tie and tugged. His lips, buried deep inside her earlier, finally pulled away.

“Ask me how my day was. Say hi to the baby too. Hmm?”

Seizing the chance, Ji-soo undid the rest of his shirt buttons. Shhk, shhk. As she peeled it off, his firm chest was revealed. Her gaze traced the hard ridges of his muscles, burning with desire.

“Kongkong, you played nice today, right? Didn’t make Mom too tired?”

At his indifferent greeting, Ji-soo took Tae-ha’s hand and placed it on her rounded belly. She whispered in her stubborn husband’s ear:

“Be gentle.”

Tae-ha stroked her belly before lowering his lips again, capturing Ji-soo’s trembling mouth in a sweet, sucking kiss.

“Not this… I meant with Kongkong… Hng!”

He knew what she meant, but Tae-ha devoured her lips relentlessly. His large hands easily slipped off her loose clothes.

Lifting her, he carried her to the bed.

“Or… do you want to shower together?”

Ji-soo wanted him desperately too, but they needed to cool off this scorching heat first. This was the only way to calm her boiling-hot husband.

Things in the shower unfolded much like they had on the bed. Tae-ha lathered soap all over her body, then pressed against her, rubbing himself against her.

He traced her smooth skin with his lips, nipping lightly to leave red marks—proof that Han Ji-soo belonged to Cha Tae-ha.

When standing became too much for Ji-soo, he sat her on his thighs, and soon they slid into the bathtub together.

Facing him on his lap, her rounded belly pressed against his firm abs.

“I think Kongkong really likes you.”

“And you?”

Tae-ha playfully nibbled her fingers.

It was always like this. The moment she mentioned the baby, he drew a line, emphasizing their relationship.

“You know I’ve loved you for so long, right?”

“I forget sometimes. So remind me every time you see me.”

“Kongkong tells me when you’re close to home. They did today too.”

“Good kid. My little filial child.”

How could someone be so consistent? Ji-soo giggled, and the hardness between Tae-ha’s thighs grew even more pronounced.

“We should start thinking of names, shouldn’t we?”

“Cha Kongkong. Global and catchy. Easy to remember, easy to say.”

His hand, which had been stroking her belly, slid lower—to the warmth between her legs, already slick from the bathwater.

“You’re really going with that?”

Ji-soo scowled, trying to scoot back, but Tae-ha’s sharp gaze pinned her in place as he pulled her closer.

“Name them whatever you want. I don’t have any special ideas. I’ll leave it all to you.”

He forced down the urge to plunge into her right then.

This had been her idea—to get Tae-ha to bond with the baby. But now that he was reacting exactly as expected, Ji-soo felt a petty urge to tease him.

“Then I’ll really name them whatever I want? No complaints later?”

“Mm.”

Tae-ha mumbled between bites on her shoulders and the tender skin below. His mouth was busy, but his hands were positioning her perfectly.

“Then I’ll name our son after my first love.”

His grip on her breast tightened painfully. Ji-soo winced slightly.

“Naming a son after his father isn’t uncommon.”

“Hmph, who said my first love was Cha Tae-ha?”

He knew she was doing this because he hadn’t been enthusiastic about naming the baby. But even the fictional idea that someone else had come before him made his temper flare.

“If not me, then who? Some bastard?”

In one swift motion, he entered her. Despite his rough tone, his movements were sweet and gentle.

“A very bad guy. The kind who gets jealous of his own son.”

“That’s only natural. Han Ji-soo is mine. Not my son’s wife.”

“Weren’t you the one who told me to live as my own first priority?”

“Because I am you, and you are me. We are the first priority.”

Tae-ha swallowed Ji-soo’s protests in a searing kiss. The bathwater sloshed and spilled over all night from their movements.