* * *

We finished all the decisions about the contracted house.

I wasn’t good at decorating things like furniture or wallpaper, so I left that to Taeshin, and we discussed how to use each room.

The largest and sunniest room would be the bedroom, the next one would be Haeju’s room, a similarly sized room would be a study and library, and the rest would be a dressing room.

“But how do we move our stuff? If we suddenly have to leave, we can’t pack everything.”

“We can buy new clothes, and we should move the important things first.”

“Then let’s move Gam-sik first… Oh.”

I remembered we couldn’t bring Gam-sik because the house was too small.

Feeling dejected, Taeshin held my hand tightly.

“Sunwoo, you have to let go of some things.”

“…Okay.”

I knew that. I nodded at Taeshin’s words. But it still hurt. I reluctantly left Gam-sik, the top priority on my moving list, and wrote down other items.

I couldn’t leave out my elementary school diary, filled with complaints about Moon Jinwoo, and my tablet.

“Did you write a diary, Sunwoo?”

“Don’t look, you idiot!”

While sorting through the baby supplies and resting at Taeshin’s house, he started reading my list.

I quickly covered the tablet screen with my hand and growled. Taeshin laughed brightly.

“Why are you hiding it? Is there something in your diary I shouldn’t see?”

“W-what nonsense…”

There was.

My elementary school diary was filled not only with complaints about Moon Jinwoo but also my early impressions of Taeshin.

Reading it now, it was beyond innocent, it was downright silly, something I could never show Taeshin.

I decided not to move the diary. I’d burn it instead.

And come to think of it, I hadn’t burned those embarrassing childhood photos in the storage yet.

I’d burn all the kindergarten photos too.

“What cute things did you write that make Sunwoo…”

Smooch.

“Be quiet, or I’ll find your diary too.”

“One kiss won’t be enough to keep me quiet.”

I kissed him again to shut him up and glared at him.

Taeshin, who was cheekily asking for more, looked like he was struggling with all the house stuff, so I gave in and kissed him once more.

Taeshin didn’t miss the chance and turned the kiss into a deep one.

The deepening kiss made my body heat up. Taeshin’s soft pheromones enveloped me.

As my sensitive body pressed close, Taeshin held me tightly.

“Mmm.”

Matching Taeshin’s soft and rich pheromones, mine flowed out too.

As my body trembled and heated up, Taeshin gave me a short kiss and pulled away.

“It’s time. I’ll take you home.”

“…What?”

“Your curfew, Sunwoo. Shouldn’t you head home now?”

I looked at the clock, and sure enough, if I dawdled, Moon Jinwoo would call and throw a fit.

I silently cursed Moon Jinwoo and glanced at Taeshin, who was calmly grabbing his car keys as if he hadn’t just been passionately kissing me.

Doesn’t he feel anything?

Am I the only one feeling like this?

His nonchalant attitude left me feeling odd.

My fingers, still warm from the kiss, wriggled restlessly as I headed home with a hollow feeling.

Lately, touching Taeshin made me think inappropriate things, but he seemed unaffected.

Every time I asked for a kiss, it stopped at that.

If we’re going to do it, why not go further? Despite his teasing, it was all very wholesome…

No, snap out of it, Moon Sunwoo!

Haeju is in your belly! Haeju said they can see and hear everything!

“Sunwoo?”

“Yeah?”

“We’re home.”

“Oh, thanks.”

I snapped out of my thoughts and unbuckled my seatbelt.

As I opened the car door to get out, Taeshin grabbed my hand.

“Contact me when you get inside, and let me know if you need anything.”

Whose warmth was it?

The skin caught by Taeshin felt very hot.

The sensation of his fingertips brushing against the soft flesh inside my wrist sent a shiver down my spine.

I swallowed nervously and nodded absentmindedly as the heat spread through my body.

“Uh, yeah… go, go in.”

I pulled my hand away and got out of the car.

As soon as I dashed inside the gate, I heard the car start up and drive away.

“Wowww.”

I wanted to scream with my mouth wide open, but I stifled my voice.

My wrist, where Taeshin had touched, was too hot, and my body felt flushed.

I rubbed my body here and there with my hands and shuddered.

Lately, I kept having lewd thoughts, and even though Taeshin had only grabbed me, my stomach felt warm.

Frustration?

Lust demon?

Did I catch it from Lee Taeshin?

Whatever it was, it was only me who was troubled, as Taeshin seemed to be completely oblivious.

I doubted whether kissing was the end of the line in Taeshin’s mind.

Fortunately, Jinwoo wasn’t anywhere to be seen in the house.

Only my ever-joyful mom was there.

“I’m home.”

“Is my dear Sunwoo back?”

It wasn’t my mom.

Mrs. Kim Sunyoung called out to me in an eerily kind voice.

I shuddered in a different way than when Taeshin grabbed me, and then my mom spoke.

“Sunwoo, stay home tomorrow. Jeonghee is coming over to say hello.”

“Why do I have to be there when she’s coming to see you and dad?”

“She’s not just coming to see us; she’s coming to announce her engagement to the family. So make sure you show your face.”

“We’ve known her for over ten years….”

“Moon Sunwoo.”

Ugh, that was my mom.

“Fine, I got it! I’m going to my room!”

Mom doesn’t understand how I feel!

Detecting danger from my mom’s stern voice, I hurried to my room.

Even if I did greet the family, I’d just be sitting there doing nothing anyway, so why bother?

If my older brother’s getting married, maybe I should just go ahead and say I’m marrying Taeshin tomorrow too.

And then I’ll say Haeju was born earlier than expected!

“Mom, I’m sorry…!”

I was grumbling with frustration towards my mom when I stopped short.

Marriage? To Taeshin?

I retraced my careless thought and realized what I had completely overlooked.

Because of what happened with Lee Taeshin, Haeju was conceived, and since Taeshin said he would take responsibility, that meant Taeshin and I… were going to get married?

“…Oh my god.”

Lee Taeshin and I, married?!

---

I had never imagined it.

Until now, I had only thought about confessing to my parents that Haeju was conceived, giving birth, and raising the baby.

I had never considered marrying Taeshin.

In hindsight, it was obvious, but I had been so focused on the immediate issue that I didn’t realize.

Marrying Lee Taeshin.

Me? With Lee Taeshin? The clueless idiot?

Getting married means living together in the same house, eating, sleeping, and spending every day together, right?

Oh my god, doing all that with Taeshin…

Oh, and there’s only one bedroom in the house we rented together?

Oh, Moon Sunwoo, you idiot! Even when deciding on the bedroom, I never thought about living together with Taeshin.

It was only natural we’d live together since we both needed a place to stay.

There was only one bedroom and one bed.

We ate, studied, and often slept together in the same bed, but it wasn’t like that.

After Haeju is born and we, um, get married, our relationship will change completely.

Just like I’ll be Haeju’s mom and Taeshin will be Haeju’s dad, Taeshin and we will be husband and wife.

Images of me married to Taeshin popped into my mind.

Waking up with a kiss in the morning, kissing goodnight after spending the day together, holding Haeju and falling asleep side by side in the same bed.

Those images kept floating up.

Moreover, if we get married, Taeshin’s sexual urges as an extreme alpha will no longer be something to endure with just holding hands.

The desires we’ve been suppressing like a child’s play will be resolved with my spouse.

And that spouse is me.

The child’s play with Taeshin will become a real marital relationship.

Wow… I squinted my eyes with all sorts of complicated thoughts and looked at Taeshin sitting next to me in the lecture room.

He was listening to the lecture with a very intelligent look on his very handsome face.

Just looking at this, he seemed like someone I could live with.

I could see his handsome face for the rest of my life, and he was smart and diligent enough to get a good job and earn a steady income.

But this guy is clueless and lacks sense.

Even if his appearance is decent, I know better than anyone that he’s clumsy inside.

I’ve witnessed countless times when he couldn’t say a word to his cousin Park Kangseop and almost got deceived with his eyes wide open.

Even now, Taeshin probably doesn’t realize that by taking responsibility for Haeju, he means marrying me.

I was the one who decided Haeju’s name, I was the one who suggested we find a house, so he won’t have the slightest idea about marriage.

He wouldn’t even understand the significance of the fact that there’s only one bedroom in the house we rented.

“Taeshin, do you have anything to say to me?”

“Say what?”

“Anything. Like how you plan to take responsibility for the future.”

“…Sorry, Sunwoo. Are you worried about something again?”

“No. Nothing.”

As expected, Taeshin doesn’t know.

Even when I asked him how he planned to take responsibility last time, he didn’t mention marriage.

It was clear that in his mind, taking responsibility didn’t extend to marrying me.

Oh, my fate. Before marriage, I wanted to date a lot of alphas and have many relationships.

But now I have to marry Taeshin, and I can’t even have those relationships.

I wanted to have many relationships but couldn’t, and now I have to marry this idiot Taeshin without even thinking about marriage.

At this point, it must be destiny.

“This is unfair.”

“What is?”

“…Never mind.”

A bad thought crossed my mind.

Could it be that this guy… intends to have the baby without marrying me?

No way, right?

* * *