“How do I look? Do I look strange?”

Eunha shook her head for what felt like the tenth time. He kept asking the same question over and over. Lowering her brows, she gave him a helpless look.

“You look amazing. Why are you so nervous?”

“Hyesung told me to dress up nicely…”

He fidgeted with his tie anxiously, staring at his reflection in the mirror. Just as Hyesung sometimes did to give him courage, Eunha walked up behind him and hugged him tightly around the waist.

“You’re the most handsome man in the world. I mean it.”

He tapped the back of her hand before turning around and cupping her cheek. His face broke into a satisfied smile.

“Hyesung will think his dad is the coolest too.”

Only then did the tension drain from his shoulders, which had been stiff like stone. Fluttering her lashes like butterfly wings, Eunha brushed off an invisible speck of dust on his chest.

“You don’t even need a suit. You’d look good in just shorts.”

Today was Hyesung’s parents’ open day.

Although Hyesung meant her “dress up nicely!” comment as polite encouragement, he took it so seriously that she couldn’t bring herself to tell him.

She also hadn’t been able to stop him from changing his outfit repeatedly.

Still, she meant it.

He would look incredible in anything. He would shine in a simple white T-shirt and jeans, and now, with his hair neatly styled and a vest under his suit jacket…

Eunha’s heart was racing.

She didn’t show it, but she couldn’t help stealing glances. Even though they were married, she felt silly sneaking looks at her husband. Yet she also felt proud and delighted that he was hers.

She wasn’t literally going to bite his face, but she felt like she could.

“Why are you smiling?”

Her private fantasy escaped as a smile, which he didn’t miss. He gently held her face with one large hand and guided her to meet his gaze. Then his gaze slowly traced her features.

As his dark, bottomless eyes swept over her like a wandering shadow, Eunha curled her toes. His gaze alone made her heart flutter and warmth gather under her skin.

“I… just. How do I look? Am I pretty?”

Before he could read her thoughts, she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. Her neck felt hot, but she lifted her chin and tried to appear confident.

She wished he would say something — anything — but he remained silent, simply looking at her.

His gaze held her so intently that her eyes became unfocused and wavered. She wanted to tell him to stop staring at her like that, but her mouth opened and closed uselessly, as though the words had forgotten how to come out.

“Of course you’re beautiful.”

His low voice brushed her eardrum so sweetly it felt as if a bee might fly toward the flower of it. She could listen to him like this all night and never tire.

“You’re beautiful even when you’re n*ked. No—that’s when you’re the most beautiful.”

The atmosphere shifted in an instant. The air thickened and became sticky with tension. Eunha took an unconscious step back, but followed it with an exact step forward.

“…Mm.”

His hand gripped the back of her neck warmly and firmly. But his eyes were scorching; hot enough to burn.

Goosebumps rose on her skin. She wanted to stroke down the raised hairs and stop the shiver, but she felt that if she moved even a little, he might bite her neck.

Like a frog about to be swallowed by a snake, she could only breathe faintly.

“We finished getting ready early… looks like we have some time.”

The most dangerous words in the world slipped from his mouth.

No—absolutely not.

She needed to run, now. But her feet felt nailed to the floor.

“I’ll just kiss you.”

…Liar.

Yesterday, the day before, and the day before that—he had said he would “just kiss her” and ended up keeping her from getting to work, and she remembered very clearly what had followed.

He read her expression and curved his mouth into the softest, most harmless angelic smile.

“…N-no!”

She made her refusal loud and clear, and he heard it—but acted as if he hadn’t. No—he acted as if refusal wasn’t even an option in his world.

“Put me down! Tae-yang! My makeup is going to smudge!”

He slung her over his shoulder, dangling her lightly as he carried her toward the bedroom. His footsteps were far too cheerful, enough to set sirens blaring in her mind.

“You want to mess up mymakeup?”

She was speechless in the face of that shameless question. The moment he set her on the bed, he moved over her, pinning her beneath him.

“I’ve wanted to do this since earlier.”

He buried his face against her neck and drew in a long breath. As though savoring it, he trembled with satisfaction—and when he pressed down, slow and heavy, she felt everything.

“When….”

She couldn’t finish the question—When did you get like this? Her thoughts scattered as the heat of his mouth pulled at her skin. Eunha shut her eyes, letting her body melt, anticipating the pleasure he would give.

***

“…Wow, it’s incredible!”

Eunha’s mouth hung open. The magnificent sight before her made her eyes sparkle. She couldn’t tear her gaze away for even a second. He stroked her back and smiled with pleasure.

“I knew you would like it.”

He suddenly said that he wanted to take her somewhere and took her to Haman to see the Nakhwa No-ri Firefall Festival. She had never imagined it would be so beautiful.

Long ropes suspended in the air held cylinders filled with charcoal powder. They were lit, and the burning embers cascaded down like flowers — a traditional fire display, he explained.

When more than three thousand fire cylinders dropped their showers of sparks, the sky bloomed with a spectacle unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Even falling fire could be beautiful.

Eunha etched the sight into her heart. He watched her, warmth softening his eyes.

“I love you. If you told me to die, I’d bite my tongue and do it.”

“You express yourself so well now. Before, even when I said I liked you, you never answered.”

“…I liked you too much. If I said it out loud, I felt like you’d disappear—like a mirage.”

Holding her hand tightly, he adjusted Hyesung in his other arm. Their child had fallen fast asleep.

“I guess I was a coward.”

“And now?”

“Now I know. You have to express it often. The moment I meet your eyes, ‘I love you’ just comes out. I can’t hold it back.”

Eunha laughed out loud.

Could someone really be this happy?

“I love you.”
“I love you too.”

He leaned in and kissed her without caring about the people around them. Even holding Hyesung, he looked completely at peace, completely content.

“Tae-yang… I have something to tell you.”

“I’m listening.”

“I… I can’t… have another child…”

All this time, she hadn’t been able to say it.

Would he be disappointed?

No—she knew he wouldn’t be. She trusted him that much. But even so, saying it out loud made her chest ache.

“It’s okay. As long as I have Hyesung.”

“…I wanted… one son and one daughter… I always dreamed of having two children who look like us.”

It had been her quiet wish once.

“Eunha… you can just be my daughter forever. I’ll take care of you—preciously.”

It wasn’t a joke — he really did mean it. Eunha’s eyes welled up with tears. She didn’t know why he suddenly looked apologetic. Rising onto her tiptoes, she pressed a firm kiss onto his cheek.

“Eunha, I love you.”
“Mm. I love you too.”

She could hear those words dozens of times a day and never tire of them.

Even though their love was currently like seeds buried in the dark, she knew it would bloom into something beautiful. It would sprout and push through the soil to grow into countless flowers.

Eunha wasn’t afraid anymore. She could already see the happy days ahead. Joo Tae-yang was the person she needed to make that future real, so she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

All the pain melted away like cotton candy dissolving in water.

It was happiness.

***

〈Bonus Story〉

Hello? I’m Lee Hyesung. I’m nine years old.

“Haaah…”

Why are you sighing? you ask.

It’s because I want to read my book, but I think Mom is about to come in and say good morning.”

Reading is my favorite thing in the world. But Mom says I read too much.

Dad understands me, but Mom keeps telling me that I should run around and play more.

I don’t like swimming anymore. I don’t like building with blocks either. Books are the best!

Maybe I should pretend I wasn’t reading when Mom comes in. I love Mom more than anyone in the world.

Dad once told me that men are supposed to make women happy. That’s what he said.

Ah!

There’s something I wanted to try after reading a book last night. I should go to Mom and Dad’s room. But first, I need to find my shoelaces.

Dad wakes up at the slightest sound, so I have to be careful.

Good.

Mom and Dad are still asleep.

What am I going to do?

Sea otters hold hands while they sleep so that they don’t drift apart in the water. Sometimes they even wrap seaweed around themselves to stay together.

I don’t want the two people I love most in the world to drift apart, either. I want them to stay close forever.

So, I’m going to tie their wrists together with my shoelaces!

I think they’ll like it! Mom and Dad always hold hands and kiss whenever they get the chance. Sometimes it’s a bit embarrassing.

“…All done.”

I can’t tie a ribbon very well yet, but I still think it looks nice.

What now?

I’m going to eat a delicious cake with Grandma!

Okay then—bye, everyone!

—The End —