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Soohyun rubbed his nose against Haerin’s neck, his eyes still closed. The scent of Haerin’s skin, which he knew so well and had longed for, wafted richly through her soft hair.
“Haerin-ah. Haerin-ah.”
Even as he held her, Soohyun couldn’t tell if it was a dream or reality, and he didn’t let go of Haerin for a long time. If it was a dream, he didn’t want to wake up, and if it was reality, he wanted to hold her until it was more firmly imprinted on his body.
“Ugh, it tickles, Sunbae.”
The hair caught between Soohyun’s forehead and Haerin’s neck rubbed, tickling her, and Haerin shrugged her shoulders, laughing.
“...I wanted to hold you.”
While he was in the hospital, every time he saw Haerin, he had suppressed the urge to hold her. No matter that it was a private room, the comings and goings of caregivers and nurses meant he could only barely hold Haerin’s hand.
He had spent a whole month just looking at Haerin’s face.
His days in the hospital, unable to do anything with Haerin right in front of him, were a continuous string of unbearable moments for Soohyun.
There was a reason why he showed such a surprisingly rapid recovery, even shocking the doctor. He was desperate to hold Haerin in their own space as soon as possible and feel her.
So, as soon as he returned home, he couldn’t bear it any longer.
The body of Haerin in his arms felt fuller than he remembered. Already sixteen weeks pregnant, Haerin often grumbled that her morning sickness had turned into an insatiable appetite.
Soohyun rubbed his forehead against her neck, then pressed his cheek against it, and finally kissed along her neckline.
“Ah...”
Soohyun’s lips slowly traveled up Haerin’s neck, reached her chin, and then moved back up to her lips.
How many times had he looked at these lips?
While in the hospital, they had shared light kisses several times. When Haerin was leaving home, or when she had just arrived at the hospital room.
Every time they barely touched lips and then parted, he felt such regret.
“If it gets hard to breathe or anything, tell me, okay?”
“I’m still okay.”
Haerin opened her half-closed eyes and looked at Soohyun.
Her rosy cheeks were as pretty as a flushed apple. She was so beautiful that it was hard to just look at her.
Right now, Soohyun was so overwhelmed with his love for her that he was tense, afraid he might make a mistake.
Most of all, he was cautious because Haerin was pregnant.
But Haerin pressed her forehead against Soohyun’s chest and rubbed it, saying in a shy voice,
“They say it’s okay in the stable period. The doctor said the baby likes it when Mom feels good...”
“You asked?”
At Haerin’s words, Soohyun looked down at her in surprise.
Haerin, who had her forehead buried in his chest, also raised her head and looked at Soohyun. Haerin smiled brightly and raised one finger to stroke the bridge of Soohyun’s nose.
“...Yes. Just in case, I asked beforehand...”
But before Haerin could finish her sentence, Soohyun suddenly lifted her up and held her in his arms.
“Let’s go to the room.”
“Oh my. I’ve gained so much weight.”
“No, not yet. I wish you’d gain more.”
Soohyun held her in his arms and kissed her lips again.
Accepting the rush of Soohyun, Haerin placed her palms on his chest. The strong, firm chest muscles were felt all over her palms.
Watching him lying in the hospital bed, she had worried that he might never wake up like her sibling if he remained ill. Haerin’s heart swelled as she felt Soohyun’s healthy return all over her body.
“I love you, Haerin-ah.”
“I love you too, Sunbae.”
Sweet confessions flowed from their lips along with their fervent breaths.
Ever since he had opened his eyes in the hospital room, Soohyun had been expressing and confessing his feelings so frequently, as if he had become a different person. Even though they had exchanged those words dozens of times a day, it still felt good every time she heard them.
“I’m so glad you’ve recovered like this.”
“I’ll show you soon that I’ve completely recovered.”
Soohyun smiled confidently and headed to the bedroom with her in his arms. Haerin rested her face against his chest and smiled shyly.
Thump-thump, her body vibrated slightly with his footsteps. Haerin listened to the healthy beating of his heart echoing in her ears, then suddenly raised her head as if she had remembered something.
“Father said to call him when you got home.”
“Let’s do it later.”
At Haerin’s words, Soohyun immediately shook his head. Soohyun’s reaction was so firm that Haerin laughed. So she asked once more.
“Don’t you think he’s waiting?”
“We can just say we were late because we were making his grandchild and wife happy.”
“Surely not!”
“Just kidding.”
They exchanged playful words and then looked at each other and giggled. Their laughter filled the room.
Soon after, reaching the bed, Soohyun very carefully placed Haerin on it. Then, after hesitating for a moment, he sat down at the foot of the bed and said,
“...Now the baby will come out too, but you’re the most precious to me.”
Soohyun’s hands pressed down on her soles and ankles, then moved up, pressing her calves. He rubbed her knees in circles with his palms, then paused slightly.
His gaze, which had been on Haerin’s knees, slowly traveled up her body. His eyes scanned her belly, chest, and collarbone, then lingered on her lips before looking into Haerin’s eyes.
“I love you.”
Haerin, who had been quietly following and watching where Soohyun’s gaze went, also opened her arms and said to Soohyun,
“I love you too.”
“Yeah.”
“I really love you. Limitlessly.”
Repeating the confessions he had made, Soohyun embraced Haerin and lay down on the bed.
And then, as if she would disappear if he didn’t, he held her tightly against his chest, saying words that felt like they would never be enough.
“I love you.”
At those words, Haerin turned her body and looked at Soohyun.
“I love you too. So much.”
“Thank you, Haerin-ah.”
Soohyun’s throat tightened for a moment at the warm look in Haerin’s eyes as she looked at him. It was a peaceful and languid afternoon, as if all those things had never really happened.
‘We’re really home.’
It felt like everything was back in its place.
The memory of being left alone in the bed the last time he was in this house seemed like it was time to erase.
Soohyun closed his eyes, holding Haerin in his arms.
________________________________________
[Several months later]
“...Therefore, I believe that the second option in the report, which has greater growth potential, is more suitable.”
The voice of the employee giving the presentation rang out clearly in the conference room where all the executives were gathered.
Soohyun, sitting at the head of the table, however, was preoccupied with other thoughts and couldn’t concentrate on the meeting. It was because Haerin had experienced something similar to false labor yesterday while they were shopping at the department store.
He had abandoned all the baby clothes and toys they were holding and rushed straight to the hospital, only to be told it wasn’t time yet and returned home.
He had heard that the first birth could be slow, but Haerin’s face contorting in pain during the false labor kept replaying in his mind.
What if she suddenly collapses again today?
“Haah...”
As Soohyun let out a deep sigh, the conference room suddenly fell silent.
Soohyun, who had been frowning and twirling his pen, realized after a while that the conference room was filled with silence and raised his head.
The employee standing in front and all the executives sitting behind were looking at Soohyun. He then realized that everyone was paying attention to him because of the sigh he had just let out.
“Ah. Don’t worry, I didn’t sigh because of the meeting content. If it doesn’t seem like we’ll reach a conclusion on the agenda today, let’s end the meeting here.”
Soohyun closed the tablet PC in front of him and stood up. He felt like he should go home and stay by Haerin’s side.
Just as he was about to leave the conference room, Executive Director Park, who was in charge of the department store and distribution lines, rushed over.
“CEO.”
“What is it?”
“The baby products you saw when you visited the department store yesterday have been sent to your residence. Please let me know if you need anything else.”
“Ah. Thank you. For your thoughtfulness.”
Executive Director Park, who had bowed his head at Soohyun’s greeting, straightened up and then asked again.
“Um, CEO, by the way, what’s the baby’s gender? I’d like to get a small gift for the baby...”
“Ah. It’s okay. I appreciate the thought.”
“I sincerely wish you a safe delivery.”
“Thank you.”
Vibrate.
As soon as he felt his phone vibrate, Soohyun answered it instantly. He had been waiting for Haerin’s call all day, so his body moved reflexively.
“Haerin-ah.”
Before Haerin could even speak on the other end, Soohyun called her name first. His voice was urgent, wondering if something had happened.
He had a driver on standby for Haerin, and her mother visited frequently, and he even assigned a personal secretary to her. Still, Soohyun felt anxious unless he was by her side.
-...Sunbae, I called to tell you I’m okay because I thought you might be worried.
“Yeah. I was just about to head home anyway.”
-Why don’t you finish your work and come? The driver is at home, and my mother said she’ll come if anything happens.
“No. I’ll go.”
-Okay then.
Just as Soohyun was about to hang up, he suddenly remembered something and called Haerin again urgently, asking,
“Haerin-ah. Is there anything you want to eat? I’ll buy it on my way home.”
-Well. I don’t have much appetite, maybe because I’m nervous.
“Just wait a little longer.”
-.......
Just as he was about to end the call, Haerin’s voice suddenly cut off on the other end. Then, a moment later, a groaning sound came through.
“Haerin-ah. Haerin-ah.”
Soohyun called Haerin urgently and got on the executive elevator.
-...Su, Sunbae. I.......
It only took a few seconds for the high-speed elevator to reach the lobby, but even in that short time, the signal was cut off, and Haerin’s voice wasn’t clear. As soon as Soohyun got off the elevator, he called Haerin’s name again and ran urgently towards the company’s main gate.
“What’s wrong?”
“My stomach... ugh...”
“Haerin-ah!”
Soohyun, who had hurriedly gotten into the car waiting at the main gate, immediately signaled the driver to go home and grabbed his phone again.
“How much does it hurt? I’m on my way, so just wait a little longer. Okay?”
-...Wait... ing... ugh.
Haerin couldn’t finish her sentence and hung up. Instead of calling back, Soohyun urged the driver to hurry home.
Something felt very wrong.
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