Side Story 2.2

“You’re having ridiculous delusions again. It’s annoying!”  

The veins in Jingyeom’s neck bulged as he shouted. Startled, Joo-ah shrank back, then softened her tone as if to calm him down.  

“Right, my smart son would never do something like that. So let’s just move on now. Should I introduce you to a woman? There are plenty of girls who look just as good. I’ll set you up with someone celebrity-level.”  

“No, thanks… Just give me more allowance. I’ve already spent it all.”  

“The money I gave you last week? Already? Where the hell did you…! Never mind. Fine, I’ll transfer it. Happy now? But you’ll listen to me from now on, right?”  

“Alright, alright. Just leave already. My head’s pounding. I want some peace and quiet.”  

“Stop drinking so much! And if you do drink, always call for a chauffeur! There’s honey water on the dining table—drink it. Don’t ruin your stomach.”  

Jingyeom pushed Joo-ah out the door, cutting off her nagging. Even after she stepped outside, she continued muttering, and it was only after some time that silence returned.  

Dragging himself to the living room, Jingyeom spotted the glass of honey water left on the table and downed it in one gulp. He then slumped onto the sofa.  

Letting out a deep sigh, he stared blankly at the ceiling before suddenly glancing to his side. There, tucked protectively under his arm, was the envelope he had snatched from Joo-ah.  

‘How did it end up mixed with the bills?’ 

He usually kept the photos carefully stored in his room, but it seemed that while drunk, he had dropped them, and the housekeeper had picked them up. Lately, he had been blacking out more often when he drank.  

“Maybe I should cut back on drinking…? If she saw me like this, she’d think I was pathetic…”  

His muttered words sounded pitiful, even to himself. Not that anyone would care if he drank himself to death anyway.  

Finding himself ridiculous, Jingyeom let out a bitter chuckle as he picked up the envelope. When he turned it over, several photos spilled out onto his lap.  

Leeseo, smiling. Leeseo, stepping out of a gate. Leeseo, getting into a car. Every single one of them was of Leeseo.  

As if retracing fond memories, Jingyeom studied each photo carefully. His hand trembled as he picked up the last one. It was a picture of Leeseo gently cradling her rounded belly, smiling.  

Tears welled up, blurring his vision.  

“Damn it… What the hell am I doing? Crying like this after stalking her… Great job, Kwon Jingyeom.”  

Cursing himself harshly, he wiped his reddened eyes with the back of his hand. He then set the photo down on the sofa beside him and crossed his arms, glaring at the ceiling in frustration.  

“…Her belly’s gotten big.”  

Is it almost time for her to give birth? How does she manage to stay so slim, with only her belly sticking out like that? It makes people worry just looking at her… Did Kwon Taegyeom not feed her properly? They say babies take all the nutrients from their mothers during pregnancy…  

Without realizing it, Jingyeom’s thoughts wandered further and further.  

I heard giving birth is incredibly painful. She looks so frail—what if she passes out while delivering? She’d better get that epidural or whatever it’s called at the right time. Well, Kwon Taegyeom will probably take care of it…  

As his thoughts reached that point, a wave of crushing self-loathing washed over him. Jingyeom buried his face in his hands, gripping his hair tightly.  

“Ugh… Damn it, you crazy bastard…”  

He couldn’t even kiss her once, yet here he was, unable to let her go—even now that she was carrying another man’s child. Worrying about her pain during childbirth made him feel so pathetic that he couldn’t even laugh at himself. He felt like the dumbest fool among all the crazy people he knew.  

She probably thinks my very name is disgusting.  

Jingyeom glanced at the photo he had set down earlier. Picking it up again, he turned it over to look at it properly, and his heart sank.  

Her gentle smile, so beautiful it hurt, made him feel like a part of his chest was being torn apart. If only those hands, caressing her rounded belly, could touch him tenderly just once—how wonderful that would be.  

There are countless women in the world, plenty of beautiful ones too. I’ve tried everything to forget her, even resorting to stupid distractions. But why is it that no one can replace her? The frustration and anger boiled inside him.  

“It’s not because she’s beautiful that I like her…”  

He murmured softly, as if speaking to the person in the photo.  

“But damn, she is incredibly beautiful. What the hell am I supposed to do?”  

His laughter, tinged with self-deprecation, gradually faded. As he gently stroked the photo, as if caressing Leeseo’s cheek, his hand moved to his waistband.  

Pulling down his pants, his er*ction sprang free, slapping against his lower abdomen. He had been hard for a while now. The heat radiating from his groin pulsed upward, and his stiffened member twitched greedily. At this point, he didn’t care about self-loathing or anything else.  

Jingyeom gripped the base of his shaft. Spreading the bead of prec*m gathered at the tip along the length, he leaned back into the sofa.  

Letting out a deep sigh, he began moving his hand up and down. The calluses on his palm, hardened from drunken fights, created friction, making the veins on his shaft bulge prominently.  

“Ahh…”  

He gritted his teeth, squeezing his member tightly as he increased the pace. The wet sounds of friction grew louder and faster. His gaze remained fixated on the photo, unwavering.  

Will it be a boy or a girl? If the baby takes after Leeseo, it’ll be stunningly beautiful.  

“Ahh…!”  

His trembling lower body stiffened as he reached his climax. His shaft, darker and more swollen than usual, throbbed before a white liquid spurted out, painting an arc in the air.  

“Damn…”  

He greedily released his load onto the photo, defiling the image of the person he couldn’t touch. The act of desecrating something sacred filled him with a twisted sense of satisfaction.  

Biting his lip hard, he milked himself for every last drop, his hand moving rapidly down his shaft. The wet, sticky sounds gradually faded. When he finally let go, only a low sigh broke the silence.  

A drop of s*men, clinging to the tip, fell to the floor. Though the alcohol buzz had long worn off, the pounding headache in his skull only worsened. The lingering smell of s*men in the air made him feel nauseous again.  

“Ugh…”  

Jingyeom gagged, instinctively covering his mouth with his hand. Only after his hand touched his lips did he realize it was sticky with warm s*men.  

“Damn it… What the hell am I doing? This is a joke…”  

Spitting out the bit of s*men that had accidentally entered his mouth, he hastily bent over. Grabbing a tissue from the table, he angrily wiped his mouth, which was smeared with his own fluids.  

Even after wiping it off, the sticky feeling remained. So did the faint smell of s*men in the air.  

Shower. I need a shower.  

Stripping off his clothes piece by piece, Jingyeom headed to the bathroom. He deliberately avoided looking at the clumps of white fluid matting his pubic hair. Standing n*ked in front of the mirror, he muttered to himself with a bitter smile.  

“You disgusting pervert.”  

***

Screeech.

Jingyeom parked his car under the tall wall. He had driven impulsively, but this was his first time coming here directly, and he felt nervous.  

There wasn’t any particular purpose behind it. According to the detective agency boss he had hired to investigate, Leeseo’s outings had decreased even further since she became pregnant.  

‘It’s probably because it’s her first child, and the outside world is dangerous, so she’s trying to be cautious.’  

Thinking that, Jingyeom let out a hollow laugh.  

‘To Leeseo, I’m probably one of those dangerous elements in the outside world.’  

The self-deprecating thought wasn’t far from the truth, and it made him feel even more miserable. The wall was so high that he couldn’t see even the slightest glimpse of Leeseo, let alone anything else.  

He had hoped that, if he were lucky, he might catch sight of Leeseo leaving or returning home, but it seemed like a futile wish. Just as he was about to restart the engine, a pair of headlights cut through the alley from the opposite side, gliding smoothly over the asphalt.  

His grip on the steering wheel tightened instinctively, holding his breath. The garage door opened, and the car, which had been turning smoothly, suddenly came to a halt.  

For a moment, Jingyeom froze, his breath caught in his chest. Then, stepping gracefully out of the back seat was none other than Kwon Taegyeom.  

It was early evening, the sky darkening with the setting sun, and the car’s tinted windows were too dark to see inside. Yet, Taegyeom’s gaze locked firmly in Jingyeom’s direction before he suddenly began walking over. Jingyeom panicked, glancing around in confusion.  

Taegyeom, who had an uncanny ability to sense anything suspicious, strode forward without hesitation. His legs were unnecessarily long, making his steps appear slow, but he closed the distance quickly.  

No matter how tinted the windows were, if Taegyeom got any closer, he would undoubtedly recognize Jingyeom’s face. In a frenzy, Jingyeom started the engine and shifted into reverse.  

Vroooom!

With a loud roar, as if the car were about to explode, Jingyeom’s vehicle reversed out of the alley, turned sharply, and sped away at full throttle.  

“……”  

Taegyeom watched the scene calmly, his gaze fixed on the license plate of the car disappearing at the end of the alley. Taking out his phone, he made a call.  

“There’s a fly buzzing around near the house. Get rid of it without drawing attention.”  

After giving the brief order, Taegyeom stood in front of the main gate. It had been a while since he entered through the front gate instead of using the garage elevator. He could already picture Leeseo’s face, her eyes wide with surprise, asking why he had come in this way.  

The cold, sharp expression on Taegyeom’s face softened with warmth. It was an ordinary evening, just like any other, but the thought of being greeted by his beloved wife’s face made his heart flutter with excitement. Taegyeom reached out and pressed the doorbell.