Side Story (Part 10)

“Ah.”

Seowoo stretched as she entered the bedroom. After putting Eun-jae to sleep, she entrusted the night feeding to the babysitter. 

“Have a seat.”

He patted the bed, and Seowoo turned to him and sat down in front of Jiwook. As his large hands massaged her shoulders, it felt like all the tiredness of the day disappeared. 

“It hurts. Gently.” 

“It’s quite tense.”

The little ones were crying. Even with two sitters, Seowoo had to take turns holding them throughout the day because they only stopped crying when they were in their mom’s arms. 

“Mommy must be tired.”

“But they’re so cute. You have no idea how adorable they are.”

Even though she had just put them to sleep, she wanted to see them again. They say children are so precious you wouldn’t mind putting them in your eyes, and there’s truth in old sayings. Seowoo let out a small laugh. The soothing pressure from his hands on her shoulders, neck, and spine made her involuntarily sigh in relief.

“Ah, that feels good.” 

“Anywhere else you want me to massage?”

Yet, it was rewarding to feed them diligently. Worried that caring for the babies might weaken her immune system, Jiwook had been constantly looking after her. Thanks to him, Seowoo’s once frail body now looked a little better. 

“You can stop now. Thank you.” 

“You must be tired. Let’s go to sleep.” 

As Jiwook got up and lifted one side of the blanket, Seowoo slipped inside it. Jiwook lay down beside her, leaving only the mood light on, and turned off all the other lights.

“Come closer.”

At his words, Seowoo leaned against Jiwook’s arm and moved closer. Jiwook then pulled her waist tightly against him. Seowoo also wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body close to his.

As she buried her face in his broad chest, the familiar scent she loved filled her lungs deeply. 

“You’ve worked hard today.” 

After lightly kissing her forehead, he murmured softly. Seowoo looked up at him, and Jiwook lowered his gaze to meet hers. 

“Don’t be like that.”

“…”

“I wish you wouldn’t look at me so prettily.” 

Seeming pained, one of his eyebrows raised slightly. Then he deliberately averted his eyes and closed them. 

“Are you going to sleep well?”

“If I don’t. What else would I do?”

“Well, I was just curious.”

How tormenting.

Jiwook swallowed those words. 

Does Yoon Seowoo even know that even holding her like this is tormenting?

From the moment of pregnancy until now, fifty days after childbirth, he’s never been this celibate since he met her. It’s terribly tormenting.

“Come on, let’s sleep before I devour you.”

“Ugh.” 

She burst out laughing at his anguish. Burying her face in his chest, Seowoo swallowed her laughter. A heavy sigh came from above.

“Okay, let’s sleep. Hmm?” 

He mumbled, as if pleading for sleep. Seowoo moved her hand from around Jiwook’s waist. When she slipped her hand under his T-shirt and stroked his waist, his upper body went rigid, and he stopped moving.

Then, after a while, his hand grabbed her small hand tightly. 

“I’m not kidding.”

This kind of touching was extremely uncomfortable.

Just having her beside him was already making his body burn. This kind of intimacy was extremely problematic.

Jiwook sighed deeply, as if restraining himself, and removed her hand that had been caressing his waist. But then a small hand slipped back under his clothes, tracing his spine.

“Seowoo.”

Jiwook called her name with a firmer voice.

“I’m not joking either.”

Seowoo whispered softly, almost inaudibly.

He slowly opened his eyes.

As his gaze descended, Seowoo still fixed her gaze on his chest without meeting his eyes. Every time her small hand moved on his back, he felt a shiver run down his spine.

“They say C-sections… are okay after 50 days.”

“Who said that?”

“The doctor.”

She didn’t ask, but the doctor told her it was okay. She told her not to push herself too hard though. Seowoo heard it alone because she went to the examination room without Jiwook. 

“I’m fine.”

Seowoo said, then licked her lips in embarrassment.

Ah, really.

Her face burns with the realization that she basically initiated this herself. Before marriage, even after marriage, she had always responded when he wanted to be intimate, but she had never once told him she wanted to first.

“Ha.”

The sound of his deep sigh echoed in her ears. He remained silent without any response. A moment of silence passed. Seowoo still waited silently without even lifting her head.

Lately, Jiwook’s kisses had become more frequent. He hadn’t touched her even when her pregnancy had stabilized and the doctors said it was okay to have s*x. She was already worried about miscarriage, and he didn’t want to add to her anxiety.

But the man who had patiently restrained himself even after giving birth now seemed to be struggling terribly and she could see it in his eyes.

Seowoo swallowed soundlessly, feeling awkward in the silent room until his hand cupped her cheek and tilted her head up.

Jiwook’s gaze, now deeper, poured onto Seowoo. Her eyes fluttered relentlessly.

“Well, if, if you don’t want to, you don’t have to.”

“Who said I don’t want to?”

“No, no one said anything…”

There was no response. He didn’t even say anything, making it even more embarrassing that she had spoken first. 

Maybe I shouldn’t have spoken up. I should have waited a little longer.

It was time for regret.

“…!”

Jiwook, who had just climbed on top of her, tilted his head and swallowed her red lips. Seowoo clutched his shoulders in surprise at the suddenness of the situation.

Even though they had kissed while she was pregnant, they had never done it intensely. Seowoo could tell that Jiwook had held back, afraid of crossing the line.

But today was different. She couldn’t breathe as his tongue delved into her mouth.

“Hng, Ji, wook, ah!”

He immediately reached into her clothes and grasped Seowoo’s br*asts. Perhaps it was because he thought it was okay now, the patience he had been holding onto completely collapsed.

“Haa, ha.”

Their bedroom was in the far corner of the house, but  Seowoo bit her lip and swallowed her moans out of anxiety.

The babysitter was in the children’s room, while a staff m*mber was sleeping in a room at the end of the hallway. 

Jiwook, while caressing her chest and pouring kisses, immediately stripped off her clothes above her head. Goosebumps broke out all over her body as the cool air hit her skin.

“Slow down, please. You’re too hasty.”

Jiwook raised his upper body. Then, crossing his arms, he quickly took off his T-shirt and threw it away. His eager hands roamed over her body again, causing Seowoo to tremble her delicate shoulders.

“Ah…”

A moan escaped her lips as he trailed down her collarbone.

With the long-awaited intimacy, her body quickly responded. Wherever his hands touched, shivers ran through her, and wherever his lips landed, red marks were left.

Unable to bear the sensation, her waist twisted. But he didn’t stop, driving her over the edge.

“Jiwook, ah…”

The sight of her squirming in his arms, unable to control herself, drained him of any remaining rationality. Finally, Jiwook couldn’t hold back any longer and pressed himself against her. 

“Mmm.”

With the long-awaited union, Seowoo’s chin rose. A new sigh escaped his lips.

Pausing for a moment, Jiwook looked down at Seowoo. After lightly kissing her tightly closed eyes, he moved to her forehead, the tip of her nose, and across her red lips.

“Open your eyes, Seowoo.”

As her eyelashes quivered, Seowoo slowly lifted her eyelids. Meeting his eyes, which were filled with intense desire, made her heart skip a beat.

“You’ll understand today.”

“What…?”

It didn’t take her long to understand what he meant. She had to suppress her moans as he moved like a storm. The touch of his embrace after so long sent electric currents coursing through her body with the slightest touch.

She’d collapsed in his arms more times than she could count.

Throughout the night, she listened to his sweet declarations of love.

***

“I told you not to worry.”

Jiwook’s face was extremely troubled as he faced the prospect of going to work. After about 100 days of remote work, this was his first time going to the office in a long while.

Except for important meetings or urgent matters, Jiwook had almost always stayed at home and taken care of everything by Seowoo’s side. As a result, even the secretary had to commute to his house.

“Why don’t I just quit my job?”

“No. We need the money. What nonsense are you talking about?”

As Seowoo immediately rejected the idea, Jiwook narrowed his eyes.

“I make enough to feed my daughters and my wife.”

“I’ve told you before, I like it best when you’re wearing a suit.”

“I’ll wear it at home.”

“Ah, really. Go now. Hurry up.”

They’d been like this for half an hour already. Jiwook held Eun-jae for 10 minutes, then Eun-ah for another 10 minutes, before finally standing in front of Seowoo for 10 minutes.

Seowoo clicked her tongue, saying his farewell was too noisy.

“It’s almost the 100th day; is there anything you want?”

“I don’t need anything. I already have everything I want.”

As long as the children were healthy, there was nothing more she could wish for. She had never been materialistic, and after giving birth, she desired even less. Just looking at her daughters made her feel content.

“How about I buy some rice cakes on my way back from work?” 

“Sure. But buy less this time. Don’t buy as much as you did last time.” 

“Okay, I got it.”

Jiwook dragged his reluctant steps. Standing in front of the entrance, he looked at Seowoo again with a troubled expression.

“Go on, hurry. I have to play with the kids.”

Pushing Jiwook’s back, he had no choice but to put on his shoes.

“I’ll be back.”

“Take care and come back safely.”

“I’ll take the day off on the day of your photoshoot.”

“We have a babysitter. You don’t have to do that.”

“I’ve already rearranged my schedule.”

I can’t believe it. This is too much.

Seowoo had a photo shoot for a baby probiotics ad scheduled for next week. Thanks to regular postnatal massages, her swelling had subsided. When she was offered a commercial for a baby probiotic, she hesitated but then said yes. Since it was just a one-day shoot, Jiwook was already determined to stay home and take care of the children himself.

“I’ll be back.”

“Ugh, really. ‘I’ll be back’, do you know how many times you’ve said that now?”

“A couple of times.”

“More than five times!”

Seowoo teased, but Jiwook remained unfazed. He stood in front of her and pulled her into a hug.

“Why are you making a fuss in front of the employees?”

Though Seowoo struggled to escape, Jiwook didn’t let go. After holding her for a moment, Jiwook lightly kissed her lips.

“If anyone sees us, they might think you’re going on a business trip for a month.”

“I can’t do this.”

“What do you mean?”

“I think it would be better if I stayed home for one more day.”

Passing by Seowoo standing in front of the front door, Jiwook walked back into the living room. Seowoo followed him immediately.

Jiwook took off his jacket and picked up Eun-jae, who was lying on the sofa.

“Eun-jae, Daddy’s home.”

“No…”

“I’ve missed you so much.”

She couldn’t believe that Jiwook was greeting Eun-jae as if he had just gotten off work. Jiwook winked playfully at Seowoo. It’s so natural that she can’t help but laugh.

Seeing Seowoo laugh beside him, Jiwook asked slyly.

“You, didn’t you miss me?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s go on a date tonight. It’s been a while.”

Really…

It was ridiculous to see him like this, but she didn’t hate it.

Seowoo gazed silently at the sight of her husband, in his suit, happily smiling at their two children.

The image of her beloved husband holding their daughter and laughing joyfully was one of the scenes Seowoo had always dreamed of.

A happy smile spread across Seowoo’s lips as she watched the father and daughter.