Our Recovery Period - 2
Five minutes. Enough time for Ak I-yeon's fake coughs to die down, and for the embarrassment and elation churning in my chest to settle. The moment those five minutes passed, I cautiously opened my eyes. Now's the time—Ak I-yeon was too flustered to notice, but if I waited any longer, she might realize I was only pretending to sleep.
"Gaga. You're awake?"
Buooo~
And as soon as I opened my eyes, Ak I-yeon greeted me, cradling the baby mak to her chest.
"Ah, yeah."
I'd opened my eyes, but seeing her face made it impossible to string words together properly. I was the one who owed her an apology. At the same time, she was the one who'd collapsed at the sight of me, so I needed to check if she was okay. I'd sorted out my thoughts and opened my eyes precisely for that reason, but strangely, my mouth wouldn't move. My gaze was fixed only on her lips.
Guess I really have no resistance to this.
It was mortifying. Before reincarnation, I'd lived a life untouched by romance. After, aside from family and Ak I-yeon, I'd never even held a woman's hand. A guy like that suddenly getting this close? My reason and emotions had both gone haywire.
Watching her smile softly, I kept replaying the sensation from five minutes ago.
"...You feeling okay? Nothing hurts?"
But if the guy who'd just woken up stared blankly at her face, Ak I-yeon's worries would only grow. I barely gathered my composure and forced my mouth open. Asking if her body was alright. If she'd hurt herself fainting.
"Is that something I should be saying to you, Gaga?"
Of course, at this reversal of roles, Ak I-yeon raised an eyebrow as if annoyed.
Buo, buooo!
Even the baby mak in her arms shook its nose and honked at me, as if scolding. No room for excuses, so I shut my mouth again. Her voice held more exaggerated acting than real anger, but she wasn't wrong. She should be the one worrying about me, not the other way around.
Her brief faint versus my silence for over ten days, followed by a letter ghostwritten by someone else. No contest on who caused more worry.
"Sorry. Must've worried you a lot."
Thanks to that, after rolling my eyes around, I finally managed to squeeze out an apology.
"Tons. Like being in hell, wondering if that's what it feels like."
Saying that, Ak I-yeon set the baby mak down and spread her arms wide.
"Will you pull me out of hell now?"
"Of course."
At her not-quite-a-request, I pulled her into my arms without hesitation. I was the great criminal here. Even if she burst into tears and yelled at me the moment she saw me, or slapped my cheek and said she never wanted to see me again, I'd have to prostrate myself flat.
Yet Ak I-yeon was still worrying about me. Enough to kiss my face while thinking I was asleep. Even with lingering worry and resentment in her heart, she smiled at me. So how could I not feel both sorry and grateful?
I could only count having such a kind, considerate fiancée as the luck of a lifetime.
"Gaga."
"Yeah."
"I have so much I want to hear from you, so much to ask... but I'll hold off for now."
Ak I-yeon, gently stroking my back, buried her face in my shoulder.
"The moment I saw you, the relief that you came back safe outweighed any urge to know what happened."
"Thanks. I made it back safe because you were worrying about me, I-yeon."
At that, she tightened her arms around me even more. Looked like "Gaga" wouldn't be leaving her lips in favor of my actual name anytime soon.
Shiiik? Shiiiiiik?
Our embrace, which had lasted quite a while, finally broke at Samshik's bewildered hissing. He'd clearly fallen asleep on my stomach, but now he was in the corner of the bed. From his perspective, it must've been total confusion.
"Is this Samshik?"
Ak I-yeon slipped gracefully from my arms and smiled softly at him.
"Yeah. First time seeing him up close, right?"
"Yes. Cuter than I imagined."
Giggling lightly, she extended a finger toward Samshik, who blinked all six eyes. The scene was so peaceful and warm that it drew a smile from me too. Even knowing this tranquility would last only until I explained Jiayu Pass—and only briefly—I savored it.
Should I just pretend nothing happened and let it slide?
The temptation flickered, but I shook it off. Hiding the truth and glossing over it would hurt her twice. Once was already a capital crime; twice, and I'd have no defense even in death.
It's all karma.
Watching Samshik lick her finger, I gave a wry smile. Koke Temur crawling into Jiayu Pass was scum, but I'd overdone the Righteous Heart Technique against a Hwagyeong master as a mere first-rate. Ak I-yeon had suffered innocently for my arrogance. No arguing if Ak Wang cursed me as a barbarian.
Ak I-yeon truly asked nothing. Not what happened at Jiayu Pass, why no letters for ten days, how Ak Wang ended up ghostwriting, or why I'd arrived piggybacked on someone. Plenty she wanted to know, yet she kept silent.
"Feels like we're already married, like this."
"Yeah. Want it to last forever."
We just lay side by side on our beds, enjoying the intimacy. Technically separate beds, but pushed together, it was practically one. "No sitting together past seven" meant nothing to us. Petty customs couldn't bind royalty.
Kkiiiiiing.
Kkiooong.
"Hee hee, you came? The garden's warm; you could've stayed."
In the midst of our "recovery"—aka bed date—Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i poked their heads through the slightly open window. Ak I-yeon's eyes trembled briefly at Kki-ing-i's single horn, but soon she was stroking their heads tenderly.
"Heard you got two new siblings while I was away. Getting along?"
Kki-ing! Kkiiing!
Kkiooong!
At her words, Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i nodded as if it were obvious. I couldn't help but chuckle. Sure, now they adored Samshik and the baby mak, but when Samshik first joined, he'd been batted around by Kki-ing-i's horn like a leaf. Hardly love at first sight. Thankfully more curiosity than bullying, but to Samshik, it was like a car crash.
"By the way, Gaga."
"Yeah? What?"
"You just call that one 'mak,' but does it not have a name yet?"
At that, I glanced at the baby mak scampering around Ak I-yeon's room. As if understanding, it paused its play and toddled toward the bed.
A name, huh.
I fiddled with its nose as it leaped onto the bed, organizing my thoughts. Truth was, I'd wanted to name it ages ago. Even stray village dogs had names; absurd for a spirit beast not to.
But every time, Kki-ing-i, Kki-ong-i, and Samshik gave me pause.
Theirs are such a mess; can't give this one a normal one alone.
Kki-ing-i and Kki-ong-i, named by Ak I-yeon. Samshik, bestowed by Nang-jung Wang. Couldn't change them on my whim. Lifelong fates. Naming the baby mak something fancy in that context? Could spark spirit beast puberty. "Why only the baby get a cool one?" Or give it a similar name, and traumatize it. Chosen me over its family; cruel if the price was a tragic name.
"...Can't think of a good one, so just 'mak' for now."
That's why I'd held off. Better delay than invite resentment—
"Mind if I name it?"
"Huh?"
Kki-ing?
Kki, kkioooong...
Her words startled me, Kki-ing-i, and Kki-ong-i alike. She had form. Obvious what she'd pick.
"Buong-i would be perfect..."
Ah.
Exactly as feared; I nearly closed my eyes in despair. Buong-i... our metal-munching spirit beast Buong-i...
Buooo!
The newly branded Buong-i, oblivious to its doomed future, just wagged its nose and acted cute. Small mercies: too young to run away hurt. Who knew when it grew up.
Fortunately, Yeon-i quickly came to. Intellectually, I knew exhaustion had made her doze off, but after her qi deviation, my heart wouldn't calm. What if something went wrong again? Back to those agonizing days? I fretted.
But hearing Yeon-i and my grandson-in-law chatting from her room, along with the spirit beasts' cries, eased my needless worry.
Acting like a fool of a grandfather, meddling with my granddaughter.
I let out the sigh I'd held back. If I hadn't ghostwritten that letter, things wouldn't have tangled like this. Now, even if he worried her, I was in no position to complain.
Better not butt in recklessly from now on.
No matter how I thought, this old fool had bungled things by interfering in the young ones' affairs. Henceforth, unless a dire crisis, I'd cheer from the shadows—
"Ak Hyeon!"
The front gate burst open with a familiar roar. He's here. I scowled the instant I identified the intruder. Yeah, I'd wondered why he hadn't shown. Figured he'd be back from Sichuan soon.
"Heard my grandson's here!"
His face twisted unlike usual, voice thick with rage. The sigh escaped me again.