Chapter 149: Promises
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 149: Promises
10
The next day, as I slowly opened my eyes, morning sunlight was streaming through the window.
The moment I tried to sit up, my body still a bit weary, I startled at the soft something nestled in my arms.
When I looked down, I saw gently closed eyelids beneath a cascade of silver hair.
My heart began to pound again at the sight of that incredibly beautiful face.
But that wasn't all.
Though we were under the covers, Seol-hyang was completely naked.
The problem was my hand, which was cupping her bare breast—reddened from my attentions the night before—as if that was exactly where it belonged.
“Hnngh.”
Overwhelmed by its softness and size, I unconsciously shifted my hand, and a soft sound escaped Seol-hyang’s lips.
Startled, I slowly pulled my hand away.
Judging by the warmth still lingering on my palm, I must have been holding her like that all night.
Thanks to that, the memories of what I’d done yesterday came flooding back.
So, I really did it with Seol-hyang.
I felt a bit pathetic for what I'd done, especially after calling her my older sister, but it was still a happy memory.
I remembered my childhood, walking to school hand-in-hand with Jin Seol-hyang.
As those fleeting memories connected to the present day, a wave of nostalgia and a mix of other emotions washed over me.
One thing was certain: Seol-hyang was here in my arms right now.
She’s beautiful.
I gazed at Seol-hyang’s face for a moment.
I’d thought she was pretty when we were kids, but at twenty-six, the same age as me, Seol-hyang was beautiful enough to be considered in the prime of her life.
It wasn't just love goggles; she was just genuinely beautiful. As I was staring blankly at her, Seol-hyang’s eyes fluttered open with a soft groan.
She looked at me with a drowsy expression for a moment, then lifted her head and kissed me.
Waking up and immediately going in for a kiss, Seol-hyang tangled her tongue with mine, holding me there for a long moment before pulling away.
“Hehe, good morning, Ha-chan.”
Having someone say that to you first thing in the morning… I never knew it could feel this blissful.
With that thought, I gently stroked Seol-hyang’s hair.
“Did you sleep well?”
“Mhm, but I’m a little sore down there.”
“Oh no. Should I put some medicine on it for you?”
At my playful words, Seol-hyang let out a laugh and glanced down below my waist.
“Well, I think I see some medicine right here. And it’s full of energy this morning.”
Her comment made me clear my throat and turn my head away.
Something under the blanket had made its presence known.
Seol-hyang smiled mischievously and suddenly slipped under the covers.
My eyes went wide at her action, and a moment later, she spoke from below.
“S-Seol-hyang?”
“This is the one that made me your woman. I have to repay the favor.”
I was treated to an incredible luxury first thing in the morning.
Afterward, I took a shower, and Seol-hyang and I had breakfast together.
The meal itself was simple, just side dishes from the refrigerator, so there wasn't much to prepare.
Every single side dish was delicious, like something you’d find at a high-end traditional Korean restaurant.
It seemed the culinary skills of the household staff were anything but ordinary.
After we finished eating, Seol-hyang snuggled into my arms and we just talked.
We hadn't had much time to talk yesterday, since things had escalated so quickly.
“Do you think I’ll get pregnant?”
As she asked, rubbing her stomach, my face flushed and I let out a dry cough.
Seeing my reaction, Seol-hyang chuckled softly before looking down at her stomach with a hint of disappointment.
“It’s not the right time of the month, so the chances are probably low.”
“If you had a baby, wouldn’t it cause problems with work and everything?”
The thought of Seol-hyang having my baby naturally filled me with happiness.
Still, pregnancy was a serious matter.
If we had a child, the burden on Seol-hyang would obviously be immense.
As the Chairperson of the World Returnee Association, she must have countless things to manage.
“Who do you take me for? It’s no problem. When the time comes, I’ll delegate all my work to my subordinates.”
“If you give birth, I’ll raise the baby.”
“Hehe, what a dependable father.”
“A father, huh.”
Hearing the word ‘father’ made me think of my own dad for a moment.
My eccentric father.
I couldn’t see him anymore, but I missed him from time to time.
Though what happened with Seol-hyang was a bit impulsive, the thought that we could have a child stirred a strange feeling inside me.
Was I thinking of my father because I might become one myself?
Even though we didn't even have a child yet.
But a child with Seol-hyang… wouldn't they be absolutely beautiful?
I worried they might take after me.
“I just wish the timing had been better.”
“You want to have my baby that much?”
“Of course. When I was talking with those two…”
Seol-hyang suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
She averted her eyes as if trying to change the subject, and I tilted my head.
“Those two? You don’t mean Ahyu and Si-ho? Did the three of you talk about something?”
“N-No. We didn’t talk about anything.”
I tightened my grip on Seol-hyang as she tried to subtly pull away.
Then I brought my face right up to hers.
“Tell me the truth.”
“Hngh, t-too close.”
“We were just kissing a minute ago.”
At my words, Seol-hyang seemed to remember the kiss and leaned in to kiss me again.
But I had no intention of letting her change the subject, so I pulled my head back.
Seol-hyang pouted.
“You’re not going to tell me?”
“Hmph. We just… talked about how maybe the first wife should be the one who has the first child. That’s all.”
As if she couldn't win, Seol-hyang finally confessed.
Hearing that, I was about to freeze in shock, but then I thought about it and realized it kind of made sense.
Marriage requires mutual consent, of course, but in our country, it’s customary for people to get married when a child is on the way.
Still, it was a little absurd.
“Don’t fight over positions by trying to have a baby. I’ll get angry.”
I wouldn't tolerate them turning having a child into some kind of competition.
Of course, I like kids and would love to have them, but this kind of thing would be terrible for the child.
“Sorry. Are you mad?”
“A little.”
At my words, Seol-hyang grew anxious and hugged me tightly.
“I’m sorry. Please don’t be mad. All I need is to be by your side, Ha-chan. I won’t fight over things like that. Okay? Okay?”
She rested her chin on my chest and spoke in a sweet, pleading voice.
Seeing her like that, my anger began to melt away.
Am I that easy, Kang Ha-chan?
“But I really did it because I want to have your baby. You saw how happy I was last night, right? You know how much I like you.”
That was true.
The look on Seol-hyang’s face yesterday was one of pure bliss.
I imagine I probably looked the same.
“I’m not mad anymore.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. How could I stay mad at you?”
As I stroked her hair, Seol-hyang smiled happily, then looked up at me with a coy expression.
“Can I kiss you now, then?”
Damn it, I can’t win against her.
I finally understand why they say husbands are so whipped.
*
Chapter 16 – Offline Meeting
1
Before I knew it, it was early December.
Today was just another ordinary day at the company.
After that day, Ahyu had a long talk with Do Hwa, and they decided to live together for the time being.
They still seemed a bit awkward around each other, but I was relieved that they seemed to be adjusting well as a family.
Do Hwa ended up working for the World Returnee Association.
He wasn't the type to waste time doing nothing, and more importantly, the Association, being familiar with returnees, was the best place for him to adapt to life on Earth.
「But now if I invite you over, Domi-oppa, we won’t be able to be alone.」
The problem was Ahyu’s grumbling text after Do Hwa moved in with her.
So, I had no choice but to tell her to just come over to my place soon.
「R-Really? I-I’ll come over right away, then!」
I don’t know why my invitation made her so happy, but Ahyu’s voice was filled with excitement.
It looked like I’d have to clean my house sometime soon.
This weekend, maybe?
As I was checking my phone for the day Ahyu was supposed to come over, I sensed a presence and looked up.
Si-ho and Ji-eun were standing there together.
Both of them were hiding something behind their backs, and I tilted my head.
“What’s up, you two?”
“Manager.”
“Ha-chan-oppa!”
They both called out to me at the same time, startling me. Then, they thrust a piece of paper in front of my face.
It was none other than an official letter of admission from a university.
“Ah, so you both decided.”
University admissions were handled by the schools themselves, so I realized they had both received offers to enroll in a hunter university.
Si-ho was an S-rank hunter to begin with, and Ji-eun had recently climbed to A-rank thanks to Geumjok.
For hunters, rank is everything.
Because of that, hunter departments at universities send out admission offers to nineteen-year-olds based on their rank, regardless of their academic performance.
“Which university did you both decide on?”
“S University!” Ji-eun exclaimed excitedly, and I looked at her, surprised.
I never imagined it would be my alma mater.
“Heehee, I wanted to go to the school you went to, oppa.”
“Si-ho, too.”
The truth was, Si-ho hadn't been very interested in college until Ji-eun persuaded her.
She probably changed her mind the second she found out I had attended S University.
Having known Si-ho for a while, I could see right through her.
“What about scholarships?”
“They’re covering everything.”
“Well, that makes sense. You two are the top aces of our company, after all.”
An A-rank and an S-rank hunter.
In Ji-eun’s case, once she learned to sync with Geumjok more proficiently, she would naturally become an S-rank hunter as well. The university would probably pay to have them attend.
Going to university means they’re both becoming adults, huh.
I couldn't help but give a wry smile, imagining what these two, who were already a handful as minors, would become once they were adults.
“Sooo, we want to go shopping for clothes for college.”
Just then, Ji-eun clung to my arm.
At the same time, Si-ho had somehow appeared on my other side, resting her head against me.
“We want to go with you, Ha-chan-oppa.”
As Ji-eun beamed, Si-ho followed suit, grabbing the hem of my shirt.
“Si-ho wants to wear clothes that her manager says are pretty.”
Is this really how my work life is supposed to be?
Faced with their two-pronged cute-attack, I had no choice but to nod.
And since they were both going to college, I wanted to buy them each an outfit anyway.
“Wow, Ha-chan. Are you really allowed to work like that?”
Even Yu U-jeong, who arrived late, commented with a look of disbelief, which confirmed that my work life was indeed a mess.
After work, I took Si-ho and Ji-eun clothes shopping right away.
We went to a department store to strike while the iron was hot.
“Ha-chan-oppa, this one! This one’s pretty, right?”
“Si-ho, how do I look?”
The problem was, I had severely underestimated the stamina of two high school girls.
They spent nearly the entire day roaming the department store, trying on every piece of clothing they could find.
At first, I found it cute and complimented them, but at some point, I realized this was no easy task.
That Yu U-jeong.
She definitely knew this would happen. I was sure that’s why she’d said, ‘I’m good. You have fun with the two high school girls.’
I told the two I needed a break and stepped into the restroom. Suddenly, my phone buzzed with a text.
[ Ha-chan-oppa, I’m finally coming back to Korea this weekend! ]
The text was from none other than Kkotbi.
So Kkotbi’s coming back, too.
[ You worked hard. Let’s see each other as soon as you get here. ]
[ Really? ]
[ Yeah. Oh, right. We were talking about an offline meeting. Want to all get together? ]
[ All of us? ]
Kkotbi’s texts paused for a moment, and I tilted my head.
[ Yes, let’s all meet. Oh, I know a good hotel. Should we try having our regular meeting there? ]
[ Let’s do that. Send me the location. ]
[ Okay. See you when I get back. ]
After finishing the text exchange, I put my phone away.
Then, a certain fact suddenly occurred to me.
“…Ah.”
I promised to meet Ahyu at my place this weekend.
I cautiously took my phone out again.
And carefully typed a message.
[ Um, Ahyu-nim……. ]
And now Ahyu was pouting.