Chapter 12.3

Moonkyeong burst into sobs.  

“Why did you take so long to come?”  

I waited so long. You didn’t come, and I almost gave up and decided to go to you instead.  

I was disappointed, thinking you’d make me fly all the way to Korea. But even then, I would have been fine.  

I just wanted to see your face, even once. That’s all I wished for.  

His gaze slowly dropped to her rounded belly.  

Feeling self-conscious, Moonkyeong rubbed the bridge of her nose.  

“You really didn’t eavesdrop, did you? I thought you’d figure it out without me saying anything.”  

“You made me promise not to.”  

“That’s why I didn’t think you’d actually keep it.”  

Seojun smiled faintly.  

“Why didn’t you change your name?”  

“Just because. I thought about throwing everything away and living under a new name. Or maybe living as Min Bora. I thought about it over and over. But in the end, I decided to stay as Seo Moonkyeong. I used to think my life was full of bad memories, so suffocating that I could barely breathe. But it wasn’t. I realized I was deeply loved. More than I could have ever imagined.”  

“……”  

Moonkyeong wiped her tears. She couldn’t abandon the name Seo Moonkyeong. It was with this name that she had met him, spent such beautiful days being loved.  

The memories he had given her—all of them were part of her life as Seo Moonkyeong.  

And Bora, that name…  

You turned it into a piece of music so I could remember it forever. So, it’s okay.  

Seojun, who had been watching her red hands with concern, took a step closer, intending to embrace her.  

He wanted to tuck her hands into the large pockets of his coat, but to his surprise, Moonkyeong stepped back.  

She looked into his dark eyes, which had always seemed so sorrowful to her, even from the very first time they met.  

“Do you remember what I said? That I wanted to be a warm mom who hugs her child first before asking why they’re crying. What about you? If this child cries, can you hug them first without scolding them?”  

Without a moment’s hesitation, Seojun nodded.  

“I will.”  

His voice, as pure as freshly fallen snow, made Moonkyeong smile brightly.  

That promise was enough. She didn’t need anything else.  

From now on, they would always be together. That was all she needed.  

“Then now…”  

“……”  

“Can you hug me too?”  

Seojun extended his long arms and pulled her into his embrace.  

The memories of crying out in longing during their separation came rushing back like waves.  

Even if someone wielded a sharp blade against them again, he had to promise.  

He would never let her leave his side again.  

The two of them eventually entered the house and warmed their frozen bodies in front of the fireplace.  

It was so cold that their breath was visible, but inside, it was as warm as if the bitter chill had never existed. Moonkyeong struggled to get up.  

“I’ll do it.”  

Seojun couldn’t just stand by and watch her move, knowing she was pregnant, so he followed her.  

“You don’t even know where anything is. Sit down. I’m still fine moving around.”  

“…Okay.”  

Despite his agreement, Seojun closely followed behind her. When Moonkyeong opened the cupboard to take out a cup to warm some milk, he moved half a beat faster, reaching over her shoulder.  

In that fleeting moment when his face brushed close to hers, their eyes met.  

Even in such a brief moment, Seojun’s affection was palpable, tickling Moonkyeong’s heart.  

Everything felt like a dream. He had returned to her side, their child now had a father, and she no longer had to wake up alone in the dead of night, crying into her pillow.  

Lowering her head, she asked softly,  

“This isn’t a dream, right?”  

“No, it’s not.”  

She heard the sound of him placing the cup on the table. Slowly, Moonkyeong turned around.  

Seojun was looking at her with a tender gaze. His voice, rough yet filled with emotion, sounded like a confession.  

“I thought about it dozens of times every single day. Should I just throw everything away and come to you? Should I leave Leehan behind and go to you? Would that make you smile? I was the one so desperate to send you away, but what if you started hating me? What if, in the meantime, your feelings for me changed even a little? That scared me.”  

“It didn’t change. I haven’t changed.”  

“…But you looked happy. That’s why I came and then left again.”  

“What do you mean? You came here?”  

Seojun nodded slowly.  

In truth, he couldn’t last even two months after letting Moonkyeong go. He had flown to Canada to see her.  

The harsh reality that she was no longer by his side was unbearable, like a recurring nightmare.  

His dry eyes became even more parched, like a desert, and his once soft, red lips grew rougher by the day.  

He had once imagined her meeting someone else and living a happy life. But the mere thought of another man by her side filled him with jealousy and greed, almost to the point of bursting.  

Back then, Seojun had been impulsive. He had been ready to beg on his knees, telling her he couldn’t live without her, and to bring her back to Korea no matter what.  

But when he saw her daily life again, he realized he couldn’t destroy it.  

He couldn’t bring himself to ask her to return to Korea when she was happily planting flower seeds in the yard and playing with a dog.  

He didn’t have the courage to shatter that peaceful life.  

“I was afraid I’d ruin everything.”  

“You wouldn’t ruin it. I can’t be broken.”  

He looked at her swollen belly.  

“You’re lying. You were going to have the baby alone.”  

“That’s because I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”  

Seojun firmly conveyed that such a thing was impossible. He made her understand that even if he closed his eyes forever, he could still picture her face.  

From the first day I saw you until now. My love has always been for you alone.  

“I want you. I want you so badly that I can’t even put it into words. Even now, I’m crazy about you.”  

“……”  

“Every breath I take hurts because of you. But even when I hold my breath, I miss you so much it hurts.”  

Moonkyeong seemed to understand that feeling. The idea of hurting just by breathing.  

She raised her head.  

“I know. I know you sent me away to get me out of that dangerous situation. I know you were trying to save me. That’s why I thought we had no choice but to part ways. But we can’t, can we? Look, you ended up coming back to me anyway.”  

“If you were pregnant, you should’ve told me sooner.”  

Seojun’s voice softened, and Moonkyeong lowered hers as well. She was curious about his next words. 

If I had told you, would you have come to see me sooner?  

I was a little scared. What if you didn’t want the baby? Even though I knew you weren’t that kind of person, I sometimes believed your lies.  

Moonkyeong blinked.  

“What difference would it have made?”  

“It means you no longer have a choice. Seo Moonkyeong, your freedom ends today.”  

“Wow. That’s scary.” 

Seojun grabbed her hand tightly as she joked with a playful smile.  

When he said she had no choice, he meant it. She wouldn’t have the chance to meet someone else full of love or someone as warm and bright as the sun.  

Now, she couldn’t go anywhere. She could only breathe by his side.  

Seojun greeted her as he did the first time. Just like when he fell for her at first sight—with everything he had, he made a vow.  

I won’t make you cry ever again.  

Seojun’s eyes sparkled.  

Having endured a lonely and desolate childhood, and after loving one woman fiercely throughout his twenties, he now stood in the middle of a harsh winter.  

Perhaps, in the blossoming spring when two become three, he could finally smile a little.

For the first time in his life, Seojun imagined a peaceful daily life. He pulled Moonkyeong into his arms and kissed her deeply.  

Their lips, hot and suffocating, fueled their desire for each other.  

When Seojun’s hands, stripping away her clothes, momentarily hesitated at the nape of her neck, Moonkyeong drew him in even closer.

“The doctor said it’s fine. So…”  

Seojun smiled at her loving gaze as she clung to him, breathing faintly.  

“So?”  

“So, there’s no need to hold back anymore.”  

“Don’t regret saying that.”  

The scent of flowers already filled the air. Thinking of the flowers that would bloom beautifully in the front yard, Moonkyeong leaned into him.  

Life, after all, was a blessing.