WWBU - 74

“What’s making you so flustered? I was just asking how it went.”

“Flustered? No, I’m not.”

“Then why is your face red?”

“Me? No, it’s not...”

Hyun-soo hastily rubbed his cheeks, trying to check if they were really flushed. His cautious demeanor was oddly irritating. It was probably because they were now married and there were some things that couldn’t be said aloud.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the wedding.”

Though Hyun-soo’s absence had bothered him a little, Han understood, so he just smiled awkwardly. However, the slightly forced smile caused Han’s expression to subtly tighten.

“It didn’t matter much, even though I wasn’t there.”

“No, I thought it would’ve been better if you were there.”

“Ah, I see.”

“...”

“But let me tell you something honestly... about how I truly feel.”

Han wore a sardonic smile as he looked at Hyun-soo, who slowly began to stiffen.

“I hate this marriage.”

“...”

“I wish this marriage ends in misery.”

Hyun-soo’s face turned deathly pale. He knew Han opposed the marriage, but he never expected him to harbor such intense hatred.

Han stared down at Hyun-soo’s shocked face as he stood frozen. Then, with an exaggerated yawn, he lightly covered his mouth and nose with a fist, muttering something about being sleepy.

“I’m going upstairs. Oh, by the way, your sister should go up too. Shall we go together?”

“...”

“You seem reluctant, so I’ll go first. See you later.”

With that, Han patted Hyun-soo on the shoulder before lazily walking up the stairs.

Hyun-soo remained rooted in place, overwhelmed by shock, unsure of what to do.

That day, aside from the staff, only Hyun-soo and Han were in the mansion. Chairman Yoon was abroad for business, and Jiyoung, the lady of the house, had been hospitalized due to a sudden decline in her health. Hyun-soo had intended to visit her, but upon learning that visitors weren’t allowed, he had no choice but to turn back.

“Where did you go?”

Upon returning to the mansion, Hyun-soo ran into Jeonjumae, who had just come into the living room.

“To the hospital.”

“The hospital? Oh, because of Madam Jiyoung? I heard visits aren’t allowed.”

“Yes, so I came back empty-handed.”

“You made a wasted trip, huh.”

Jeonjumae approached him with a warm smile, patting his arm affectionately. Despite being married to Guk and technically becoming the younger mistress of the household, she still spoke casually with Hyun-soo.

“Are you going upstairs now?”

“Yeah, I’m heading to my room. Why?”

“That works out perfectly.”

Jeonjumae grinned as if she’d struck gold, then handed Hyun-soo the tray she’d been holding. Caught off guard, Hyun-soo reflexively took it.

“What’s this?”

“Well, since you’re going upstairs anyway, could you drop this off at Young Master Han’s room?”

“Young Master Han… you mean Han?”

“Yes, he should be in his room. He came in early this morning and fell asleep without a care.”

Hyun-soo was well aware of this since he had bumped into Han when he returned home early that morning.

“I hate this marriage.”

“I wish this marriage ends in misery.”

Han’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind. Though he had momentarily forgotten, the memory resurfaced vividly as soon as he thought of Han.

“For the past few days, he’s been drowning in alcohol... I think his body’s taken quite a toll, so I prepared some medicinal tea for him. Make sure he drinks it, alright?”

Hyun-soo wasn’t exactly sure what “make sure” meant, but he gave an awkward laugh, adjusting his grip on the tray as he glanced at the teapot, teacup, and sweet rice cakes on it. A sigh escaped him involuntarily.

“What’s wrong? Is it too much trouble?”

“Huh? Oh, no. I’m just a bit tired. I’ll deliver it on my way.”

“Good, I appreciate it.”

“Alright, I’ll head up now.”

“Okay, see you at dinner later.”

After exchanging polite nods, Hyun-soo turned and headed toward the staircase. Each step felt heavier than usual. He hadn’t yet decided how to face Han, but avoiding him forever wasn’t an option either. Though married, his duty to watch over Han hadn’t ended—he still needed to stay by his side.

Knock, knock.

Hyun-soo rapped lightly on Han’s door.

“...”

He hoped for some kind of response, but only silence greeted him. It seemed Han was still asleep.

After shifting the tray to one hand, Hyun-soo carefully opened the door with the other.

Contrary to his expectation of dimness, the room was fairly bright. The curtains were drawn back, letting sunlight pour in, while soft lighting illuminated the corners untouched by the sun. There wasn’t a single shadowy spot in the room.

“Yoon Han?”

But strangely, Han wasn’t where he was supposed to be. Han wasn’t on the bed.

After placing the tray of medicinal tea on the table, Hyun-soo quickly scanned the room. Sure enough, Han was nowhere to be found.

“Where could he have gone...?”

The rumpled bed sheets suggested Han had indeed lain down at some point, but he clearly wasn’t here now.

It was unlikely he had gone out again while drunk, though Hyun-soo couldn’t rule it out completely. Perhaps Han had slipped out unnoticed by him or the household staff.

As this thought crossed his mind, Hyun-soo sighed. He didn’t approve of Han’s circle of friends.

Uncertain of what to do with the tray, Hyun-soo decided to leave it there for now. He figured Han would drink the tea if he left a short note.

After scribbling a quick reminder to drink the tea, Hyun-soo turned to leave. Just then—

Thud.

A faint sound came from somewhere. When he looked toward the source, it was the bathroom.

Instantly, goosebumps prickled Hyun-soo’s skin. The bathroom—quiet yet suspicious. Memories of the past overlapped with the present. Surely Han wouldn’t be harboring ill intentions, would he?

Heart pounding, Hyun-soo approached the bathroom door. Just as he reached out to open it—

“Haa, hoo...”

Heavy breathing reached his ears. Hyun-soo froze, pulling his hand back and pressing his ear against the door instead.

“Aah, ah—Kim, Hyun-soo. Hyun-soo...”

The voice unmistakably belonged to Han, though it was strained, almost pained. And intermittently, he called out Hyun-soo’s name.

Was he hurt somewhere? Had he collapsed? Should he go in and help? Various thoughts raced through Hyun-soo’s mind.

“Kim Hyun-soo, ugh...!”

Then it hit him. Han’s tone wasn’t purely one of suffering. Though it wasn’t immediately clear, Hyun-soo recognized it as similar to a sound he’d heard before. From someone else...

Yes, from Guk. When they were intimate, Guk would moan in pleasure with a similar tone. If Han was making this sound now, it could only mean one thing...

Realizing Han was pleasuring himself, Hyun-soo was utterly stunned. As if paralyzed, he took slow, deliberate steps backward, trying to retreat unnoticed. But in his haste, he accidentally bumped into a storage cabinet he hadn’t noticed.

Crash!

The sharp sound of shattering glass froze Hyun-soo in place. Turning his head, he saw fragments of a glass instrument-shaped objet scattered across the floor. What was he supposed to do now? Panic blanketed his mind.

With no other choice, Hyun-soo fled the room like a deer caught in headlights. He couldn’t risk Han opening the bathroom door and catching him there.

Gasping for air, he descended to the first floor, then hurried out the front door into the garden. The vast, serene garden seemed almost unreal in its peaceful beauty. Only then did Hyun-soo collapse onto his knees, panting heavily.

“Hyun-soo... Kim Hyun-soo... Haa, Hyun-soo... Ugh...”

Han’s voice, calling out his name in pleasure, echoed in his ears. Hyun-soo shook his head violently, trying to shake off the memory.

“No, no... This can’t be real. No.”

Struggling to his feet, Hyun-soo spotted a tea table and chairs. Staggering over, he collapsed onto one of the chairs, completely drained.

“I hate this marriage.”

“I wish this marriage ends in misery.”

Could it be that those words held this deeper meaning? Now what was he supposed to do? Dizziness overwhelmed him as his vision blurred. He slumped over the tea table, the garden’s lush greenery still sprawling before him.

“This can’t be happening...”

Yet inside, Hyun-soo’s heart burned with despair. Overwhelmed by confusion and disbelief, he squeezed his eyes shut, unable to process the situation.

Meanwhile, the sound of shattering glass caused Han to pause mid-motion. He had been touching himself under the shower, careless of the water streaming down.

Turning off the shower, Han pushed back his wet hair and stepped out of the stall. Since he hadn’t closed the stall door in the first place, exiting was effortless.

Walking out barefoot, Han opened the bathroom door without hesitation. Still dripping wet, he stood naked.

“...”

His gaze fell on the floor of the hallway—shards of broken glass were scattered everywhere. He tried to recall what it had been. It wasn’t something he particularly cherished, nor had he paid much attention to it, so it took him a moment to remember.

“Ah.”

A crystal instrument model. The realization brought a vague sense of relief, and Han relaxed his furrowed brow. But why was it shattered like this?

At that moment, something caught his eye.

Spotting it, Han walked out of the bathroom. Water droplets fell from his body, splashing and bursting on the floor.

Unbothered, he stepped closer to the shards, his bare feet inches away, and stared intently at “it.”

“...”

With an unreadable expression, he reached out and picked it up. Han clenched his fist tightly around it, ensuring it wouldn’t slip from his grasp.