CHAPTER 71

2 weeks later, Taeheon was discharged early at his insistence. The doctor recommended that he stay in the hospital for another week, but Taeheon was adamant about going home.

Yeonseo couldn’t hide her worries about the early discharge. Lost in anxious thoughts, she shook her head.

There were dozens of doctors who would rush to Taeheon’s aid if he called. He still wore a brace on one arm, but his mobility wasn’t difficult, so it was better to focus on what he needed to do after leaving the hospital. Yeonseo had no confidence in beating Taeheon.

Technically, the reason Taeheon came home early was because of her.

He didn’t allow Yeonseo to sleep at the hospital. He wasn’t pleased with Yeonseo going back and forth between the hospital and Yongin every day. Still, he advanced his discharge for her, who wanted him to stay at the hospital.

The two headed to Taeheon’s residence. It was her second visit to his house, but it still felt unfamiliar. It was undoubtedly a house designed to intimidate people.

Yeonseo wandered around, unable to find her way, until she finally found her dressing room. In the spacious dressing room, almost like combining several officetels, Yeonseo sighed as she pulled out clothes for Taeheon to change into.

“This is why cleaning is a problem.”

As she was thinking about it, she found Taeheon leaning against the doorway, dressed in the casual suit he’d worn when he left the hospital.

Her heart fluttered unconsciously at his comfortable appearance with only a shirt and a jacket loosely covering him. It was troublesome since he looked good in anything. She had to keep her composure.

It wasn’t the right time for Taeheon to be exuberant yet. Yeonseo tried to think of a ruse.

Now she had to shower and change her clothes.

“Are these clothes okay?”

She asked, holding up the clothes. Taeheon just stared at her, not paying attention to the clothes in her hands.

Taeheon was often like that these days. He watched her relentlessly as if looking at her was the most important thing in the world. His eyes always tracked her whereabouts.

It was one of the things that had changed about him, following her around like a child.

“I couldn’t see you, so I looked for you.”

“I mentioned going to the dressing room earlier, didn’t I? You didn’t hear me?”

“You weren’t there until just now.”

Yeonseo bit her lip, unable to say that she got lost in the house.

“Are you going to sleep?”

“I’m going to Yongin, so you’ll sleep better if I go.”

Taeheon’s eyebrows creased slightly. He seemed displeased. As unpleasant as it sounded, Yeonseo also had a lot of work to do in Yongin. For the next few days, while he fully recovered, she planned to commute between Yongin and here.

Now, the house in Yongin was in Yeonseo’s possession. Despite the extensive inheritance from Mrs. Kang, including so much wealth that it would make one’s eye pop out, it remained entirely hers without any interference.

Taeheon didn’t say it out loud, but he probably had a lot to do with it.

Initially, Yeonseo had intended to reject the inheritance. However, she was informed that if she refused, there was a will leaving the inheritance to Seungbin and Yoonbin. Rather than letting it go to them, Yeonseo decided it was better for her to accept it. Mrs. Kang had been foreseeing several moves ahead.

But even after paying off her debt to Hyeonho, she was left with an overwhelming amount of money. There were buildings belonging to Yeonseo scattered here and there, but she hadn’t been able to check them herself.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t excited about her newfound wealth, but she was actually more afraid. She had lived frugally, and every penny was precious. She was worried that her work would be considered insignificant when she returned to her real job later.

Anyway, Yeonseo had an obligation to do her best with the house in Yongin she received as an inheritance. Due to her pregnancy, she couldn’t properly clean yet. So she would take it one day at a time.

“It’s more comfortable when you’re around. Sleep here.”

“You said it would be inconvenient if I’m around.”

This was Taeheon’s excuse to get Yeonseo out of the hospital. Of course, she understood it was a well-intentioned lie about her pregnancy.

“It’s different at home.”

Taeheon changed the subject casually. It had been a while since he realized that the more time he spent close to her, the more difficult it became for him to act otherwise.

During his recovery, he used to leave the bed at night to give her space.

“I want to take a shower, but you have to help me.”

“Why? Can’t you do it yourself?”

Perhaps the pain returned soon after leaving the hospital, and Yeonseo approached him with cautious steps.

“It hurts a bit.”

That was a big problem.

Yeonseo quickly removed the suit covering Taeheon’s shoulders. She carefully loosened the brace, studying his expression. Taeheon was usually so reserved, but it was clear he was in pain for asking for help.

“If it hurts a lot, let’s go back to the hospital. Okay?”

“It’s not that bad, it’s just that it’s hard to get around by myself.”

Even at the hospital, the assistance of a caregiver was needed. Yeonseo looked at him with a worried expression and quickly unbuttoned his shirt.

“Then go wash up and get some rest, it’s better for you.”

The shirt fell open at the sides, revealing his hard muscles in distinct lines. His body was as unaccustomed to this place as it was to this house. How could it not be, with his natural frame and athletic build?

“You should take off the bottom clothes too.”

“….”

Yeonseo reached for the belt. As she effortlessly undid the complex structure of the belt, Taeheon commented.

“You’re good at this.”

“When dealing with emergency patients, you sometimes have to assist with undressing.”

“Even if that’s the case, I don’t like it.”

Yeonseo looked up at him. 

Was this also jealousy?

“Just the thought of you undressing someone else irritates me.”

“Why? What’s wrong with that?”

Taeheon grabbed Yeonseo’s hand and pulled it up to the zipper.

“Finish it.”

He was being too forward. It seemed like he had become bolder than before. It hadn’t been that long ago. In the hospital bathroom, she’d witnessed Taeheon unwinding alone.

Usually, after dinner, Yeonseo would return to the Yongin house, but that day, she left her phone and went back up to his room.

Hearing water sounds from the bathroom, she knocked and opened the door. Since he had already showered before dinner, she was wondering if something was wrong, so she went to see if anything was wrong, only to find Taeheon leaning against the wall and calling her name.

She already knew that Taeheon was suppressing his sexual arousal. It couldn’t be unknown with the fluctuating temperatures and the hot, intense gaze.

However, Taeheon was a patient, and vigorous activities needed to be avoided. Therefore, it was a matter of patience. Moreover, Yeonseo wasn’t a hard-hearted person to the extent of causing trouble at the hospital.

That day, unexpectedly, Taeheon called Yeonseo while she was opening the bathroom door, not avoiding her gaze.

Slightly furrowed eyes and heavy breath escaping through parted lips.

Veins raised on the back of his hand. Tightly clenched abdominal muscles.

‘Why. Do you want a closer look?’

A lewd voice.

Lost in the memory of that sensual moment, she was startled back to reality. She had been immersed in a very explicit scene. Taeheon was in pain to the point that he couldn’t shower alone, and she was thinking such things.

Shaking her head, Yeonseo undressed Taeheon as professionally as possible.

This is just helping with a shower. Reminding herself to approach it with a respectful mindset, she entered the bathroom with him.

“Why am I the only one naked?”

“Huh?”

“You should undress too.”

Yeonseo’s shoulders jerked in surprise. He stood close, staring down at her as if he could read her lustful mind.

She smiled awkwardly at his flared nose. In the hospital, Taeheon had never asked her when at the hospital to help him wash up.

He’d done just fine on his own, even when she’d worried about him showering alone with a waterproof pad.

So, it was the first time she was helping Taeheon shower, she didn’t realize that she had to take off her clothes, too.

“You’ll get wet.”

Taeheon said slyly. His gaze drifted down to her belly button. Yeon-seo pouted, then spoke up.

“I can change later.”

“But you don’t have any clothes here.”

“Yes, I do. I asked Secretary Shin to move my things from the officetel to here.”

She had sorted out her old officetel. It was a space she no longer needed, so she decided to move the remaining belongings here.

“You two seem to keep in touch quite often.”

Taeheon murmured plainly. 

Was he jealous even about this?

She honestly liked it when Taeheon acted like this; it gave her a strange sense of superiority to have a grown man struggling, doing this only to her

As Yeonseo turned on the tap, a refreshing stream of water poured out. While the bathtub was filling up, she sat Taeheon on the edge.

The scars ran from his shoulder to his collarbone to his elbow. Every time she saw them, a sharp pain struck her heart, and she had to bite her lips tightly to avoid crying.

“I want to try that.”

“What?”

Taeheon reached out and tucked Yeonseo’s hair behind her ear. He still appeared expressionless, but now, the affection embedded there was easier to find.

Yeonseo smiled and retrieved the shaving foam and razor.

“This.”

“Sure, give it a try.”

Taeheon lifted his chin, encouraging her to proceed. While his jaw was neat, Yeonseo carefully spread the foam and gently scraped it with the razor.

“Press harder.”

“What if I hurt you?”

“It’s okay if you do it.”

“Ugh.”

Her hand slipped, and Yeonseo sighed.

“Don’t be afraid; it’s okay even if you kill me.”

Yeonseo abruptly lowered the hand holding the razor.

“Mr. Woo Taeheon.”

He opened his closed eyes.  

She wondered if the word death lurked in those black eyes.

Hiding somewhere, waiting to be unleashed again…

“Don’t say things like that.”

“I won’t.”

“Promise me.”

Taeheon nodded solemnly.

“What should we do? It hurts.”

“Huh? Does it hurt?”

“My arm hurts, Yeonseo.”

Taeheon dropped his forehead and leaned into Yeonseo.

“Does it hurt that much? Does it hurt a lot?”

“Yeah.”

Yeonseo paled and moved quickly.

“Let’s quickly wash and put on the brace.”

She gave up filling the bathtub with water and turned on the shower lever. Holding a towel with plenty of foam, she meticulously wiped his large body.

No matter how much she soaped his body, it felt endless. When she struggled to catch her breath for a moment, Taeheon brought his hand to an area, as if telling her to do it there too.

“We should do this part too. It’s the most important.”