A Confession
***
"Mom, Dad, I’m back!"
[Yes, I’ve come back safely.]
"By the way, Mom… I have something I want to ask."
[What is it?]
"Why is Dad’s face so red? Is Dad sick?"
Beatrice covered her mouth and laughed softly at Hana’s question.
[It’s because your Dad is a shy person.]
"…That’s not it."
"Is Dad shy?"
"…No, that’s not it."
Hana ran over, laughing, and hugged the red-faced Cheon Seong who was hiding his mouth with his hand.
"Dad, your cute face!"
"…Don’t say cute."
[Why? Even I think it’s cute.]
"…It’s because of you, Beatrice."
Thinking back to the things that happened in the mountains before I came back, my face still burned.
"The first time…"
It had been the first time ever—before and after regression—but Beatrice had taken that from me.
Before regression, I hadn’t been with any woman since Yuna’s death. After regression, training and dealing with trash left almost no time to meet Yuna, and I hadn’t even confessed my feelings.
[You waited for my confession, so shouldn’t you let me go first?]
"…I wanted to give it to Yuna first…"
I wanted to give my first love to the woman who had shown me love for the first time in my life… though it was now impossible.
[If someone heard that, they’d think I was covering you.]
"Kyaa! There’s a child here—why are you saying that!"
"What do you mean covering?"
"That’s a bad word—don’t say it!"
Had there ever been a time after I regressed that I was this flustered?
I had vowed to change the future, but this felt like it had changed too much.
Raising a child for the first time in my life, becoming a disciple of the Heavenly Demon, receiving love, and then having my first kiss stolen away—it was unexpected, or rather, very unexpected.
And my promise had been broken too.
"Haa… What should I say to Yuna…?"
"Uung? Why is Yuna Mom?"
"Because Yuna Mom… wait, Yuna Mom? Hana… are you calling Yuna Mom right now?"
"Yeah! Maybe Dad did something wrong to Yuna Mom?"
Hana calling Yuna "Mom" made me stare at Beatrice with a look of disbelief.
[Why are you looking like that?]
"You really said that?"
[Isn’t that the truth?]
"Say it again right now!!"
I was already struggling to explain to Yuna about Beatrice and Hana, and now Hana was calling Yuna Mom? What kind of nonsense was this?
[You were going to confess to Yuna first anyway, so this is your own fault.]
"Ah… no."
With a shameless smile, Beatrice used my guilt toward her as a shield, leaving me no choice.
"Ah… no… Haa… okay. Dad did something wrong to Yuna… Mom… so that’s why…"
In the end, I lowered my head first. After listening, Hana thought for a moment and said,
"Isn’t it enough to just say it honestly? Yuna Mom likes Dad, right?"
"Hana, that’s not how it works…"
If I told the truth, I was terrified of Yuna’s reaction.
Even just talking to another woman made her ask what was going on, so how was I supposed to explain that I lived with Beatrice, raised a little nine-tailed fox named Hana, and loved both Yuna and Beatrice?
"Mom says she gives up because she loves you. Yuna Mom likes Dad, so it’s okay, right?"
"Loves so she gives up…"
That was a selfish way of thinking.
Love should be equal. Giving up because you love someone meant one side’s love was bigger or smaller than the other’s.
'…It’s not what I should say about someone who loves both Yuna and Beatrice…'
Of course, the fact that it was about me was the problem.
[Follow Hana’s advice and be honest. The shock of being caught might be even greater.]
"That’s true… but… I’m awkward about this too…"
Telling the truth to Yuna seemed harder than clearing a dungeon.
"…Okay, I’ll try what they said…"
[Good thinking.]
"I don’t know if this was a good idea…"
"Dad! Then play with me now!"
"…Sure. Let’s play together, Hana."
In the end, unable to come up with an answer, I looked at Hana pleading to play with me and answered while still feeling guilty.
***
Early morning, Yuna smiled as she finished bathing, dressed, and was adjusting her clothes.
"~Hehe, why did Seong come to meet me first this time?"
She had always been the one to suggest meeting first, but Yuna’s smile bloomed wide after receiving Seong’s message.
"What should I wear so Seong likes it? This one is the one I wore last time~ Is this too plain? Hmmm… since Seong is meeting me first for the first time… is this too much?"
Yuna stared at the low-cut top, her face turning red as she hesitated, then put it on.
"Umm… people might stare too much if I wear this..."
Even though she went out fully dressed, there were always men trying to hit on her, and she worried more about this outfit. But since Seong would protect her, she finished her makeup and left the house feeling safe.
"Excuse me, could I have your number? I think you’re my type..."
It was too soon after she left the house for a man with round glasses and messy hair to come up blushing and ask for her number. She told him she was meeting her boyfriend and tried to leave.
"No, it’s not a lie! So you don’t need to lie."
"It’s not a lie—I really am meeting my boyfriend, so stop touching me."
"No, don’t do that—give me your number just once—!"
"Hey. Let go of that hand when I’m being polite."
*Thump*
A familiar hand and voice landed on the shoulder of the man who kept trying to get her number.
"You… what do you think you’re doing! Don’t interfere!"
"Seong!"
"Yuna, what’s wrong? Did this guy do something?"
"Ah… no… the… the words were true, right?"
"So why aren’t you letting go?"
*Crunch*
"Kyaa! Sorry! Let me go—I’ll play with you!!"
"Tsk. You should have done that sooner."
"Thanks! Seong. But the meeting place is far away, right? What’s going on?"
Seong checked Yuna’s outfit and put his outer jacket on her. From around them came the voices of men full of regret.
"I came looking because I was worried those trash would stick to Yuna again. Let’s go."
"Ah… uu… okay."
Yuna’s cheeks flushed red as Seong held her hand and walked.
'He’s become so bold…'
A different side of Seong made her heart race.
But that racing feeling didn’t last long.
"Wh-what did you just say, Seong?"
"…I’m sorry I couldn’t say it until now. There’s a woman I live with at home… and I have one child I’m raising…"
The emotions that had been building crashed into a bottomless pit.
'When did it start? Which woman got close to Seong?'
The women around him were all gone, but where did this one come from?
And a child…
Did Seong really violate the rules with another woman?
Was the child the one he lived with at home?
"Do I have to…?"
"Y-Yuna?"
"Seong… who is she? Wait, did you already have a child? How old is she? And when did this happen? Maybe the perfume scent from last time was hers?"
"Y-Yuna, calm down first—"
"How am I supposed to calm down!!"
Yuna’s tears fell on her burning cheeks as she couldn’t hold it in.
"How can you do this when I’ve loved you for so long? It’s been fifteen years since I was five!"
I had loved Seong since I was five, but hearing he had a woman made me want to cry.
"If that’s how it is, I should have tied you down back then. I should have made you love only me for the rest of your life—!"
*Slap*
"?"
To stop Yuna’s outburst of pain, Seong brought his face close to hers, and their lips met with a soft sound. Yuna, unable to judge the situation, stared at the stunned Seong who was pulling away.
*Smack!*
When Yuna realized Seong had kissed her, her face turned bright red, and she stared at him in disbelief.
"Listen to me first. Please."
"A… okay."
Seong, still blushing, told Yuna everything except the regression.
"Was the Heavenly Demon still alive…? And an underground auction house? Seong, you went to that dangerous place alone?"
"Yeah. Now I live with her and she trains me. And the underground auction house… I’m sorry."
"Haa… so you mean you became the Heavenly Demon’s disciple, everyone thought you were dead, you live with a woman at home, and you raise the child you rescued from the underground auction house?"
"Yes… and I…"
"You both love the Heavenly Demon and me."
"Yes… I’m really sorry."
Yuna had no face to look at Seong.
If Yuna hated me, I couldn’t understand… It was too selfish, too dirty, but I didn’t want to lose Yuna and I didn’t want to give her to another man.
What would I do if Yuna rejected me?
'…Should I lock her up? Then I could live with her under my control…'
*Bang!*
No. That wasn’t love. It was just my desire wearing the mask of love.
"Seong, why are you slapping your cheek…"
Whoosh
At that moment, Yuna placed her hand on his swollen cheek and activated her healing ability.
"I’m sorry… I know I don’t deserve to say this to you, but please don’t leave me. I beg you… I don’t want to send you away. I love you, Yuna."
"…Seong, you really are selfish… If you say that, I can’t reject you."
Seong looked at Yuna, asking in disbelief.
"Re-really? You won’t leave me?"
"Where would I go leaving you, Seong? And I… I love you too… since a long time ago."
*Whoosh*
"Thank you… thank you so much…"
"I’d rather hear other words than 'thank you' right now, Seong."
Seong, knowing what she wanted, smiled and answered.
"I love you."
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