Chapter 67

“Your words about not thinking much and your expression are at odds.”

Considering Chaeheon’s usual self, yes, even if Haein is my younger sister, he might not be someone he usually pays much attention to. So, while I understand his answer, I don’t know why he seems so regretful.

“If I had known a little earlier, I wouldn’t have needed to break up with you.”

“That’s… true.”

The biggest problem was indeed the connection between Han Jeong-min and Chaeheon. Studying abroad was a convenient excuse to break up with Chaeheon.

“Even if it’s unavoidable because you and I didn’t fully open up to each other, it’s not that I don’t feel regret. Anyway, Han Jeong-min hoped for my help and actually wanted to hear an answer from me.”

It was a repetition of what was said earlier. Lee Jun pretended to drink his coffee, diverting his attention. Even though it was in a well-insulated mug, the strong wind had cooled the coffee completely.

Lee Jun, feeling a subconscious sense of regret, secretly smiled. He felt this way about just a cup of coffee, and realizing how much Chaeheon must have been hurt by his actions, he was filled with an overwhelming sense of apology towards him.

“I won’t grant what Han Jeong-min wants.”

“Ah…”

So that’s your answer.

Lee Jun put down his mug, taking a breath as he considered what to say. Until now, Chaeheon had consistently shown one reaction. He said he didn’t think much of it, and since he believed they broke up because of Han Jeong-min, he likely had even less intention of offering help.

“He’s foolish from beginning to end.”

Chaeheon began, his gaze fixed on the lake, chin propped up.

“Why does he keep dragging you and me into their relationship? Would Haein even marry Han Jeong-min if he proposed?”

“Haein?”

Lee Jun, who had been listening to Chaeheon, felt a strange snag in his thoughts and looked at him.

“Even if I offer to help, if Haein says no, then it’s over, isn’t it?”

“…”

Chaeheon turned his gaze from the lake to Lee Jun, and their eyes met briefly. Lee Jun looked away, preventing a full eye-lock.

How foolish.

He hadn’t considered Haein’s feelings. He had only thought that if Chaeheon helped, Han Jeong-min wouldn’t be able to approach her, or if Han Jeong-min wanted, he wouldn’t be able to refuse Haein in that family. That was all he had thought.

Just like us, there must be complex entanglements between Haein and Han Jeong-min, yet he was only thinking about the outcomes of Chaeheon’s intervention, without even considering how to untangle those complicated threads.

“I have no intention of helping Han Jeong-min, but I will help Haein to be confident. I will be an older brother who can support her, no matter what choice she makes.”

Chaeheon gently gripped Lee Jun’s chin, adjusting his head so their eyes met. Lee Jun bowed his head deeply at the look in Chaeheon’s eyes, which seemed to ask if he liked the answer.

“What are you going to do if you keep avoiding my eyes? You don’t say anything, you don’t even meet my gaze to tell me what you’re thinking…”

“Because I’m pathetic.”

Lee Jun took Chaeheon’s hand that was touching his face. He had felt a lukewarm warmth ever since Chaeheon’s hand touched his chin, and touching it with his own hand, it was indeed less warm than usual.

It’s strange. He thought lukewarm coffee was unpleasant, so why didn’t he mind touching lukewarm hands?

“As you said, Haein needs to resolve her pent-up feelings towards Han Jeong-min first. It would be good to give her that time.”

“Right? If you’re uneasy, just say the word. I’ll assign my Bodyguard to her.”

Chaeheon tapped his own neck. He was referring to the Bodyguard who had a scar on his neck. Lee Jun had been more nervous when he first saw that scar, so it might work on Han Jeong-min.

“Thank you.”

That was all Lee Jun could say to Chaeheon.

“Is that all? ‘Thank you’ isn’t good enough.”

“Not good enough?”

Lee Jun didn’t think he had said anything strange, but Chaeheon’s reply was surprisingly serious.

“That word sounds like it’s creating distance between you and me. I’m protecting her because she’s my lover’s sister, aren’t I? In that case, you should be hearing ‘thank you’ from Haein. What you should be saying to me isn’t that.”

Chaeheon said it would be better to say something else, then lightly “tapped” Lee Jun’s lips with his gaze. With that signal, expectant of whatever answer might come, the flow of the atmosphere now depended on Lee Jun.

Now that he knew Chaeheon didn’t want greetings like “thank you” or “I’m sorry,” the only thing he could say here was…

“I liked you a lot.”

…a confession.

“Ah, how should I take that?”

But Chaeheon, upon hearing the confession, couldn’t simply be happy.

“’I liked you’ is past tense, you know.”

“And I think I’ll continue to like you.”

“…”

Lee Jun didn’t want to let go of Chaeheon’s hand.

“I hoped we wouldn’t reunite. Now that I know everything, I can say this: neither of us had sorted out our feelings. I liked you too, but I wasn’t confident I wouldn’t waver if we met again.”

“That’s right. You did waver for me, Lee Jun. I guessed as much when I saw your changed drunk habits.”

Chaeheon nodded, accepting it as no big deal, but the corners of his lips, turned upwards, didn’t drop.

“It was also wrong of me to suggest we get back together, thinking those feelings could be sorted out. From the start, it wasn’t that kind of feeling.”

“Don’t beat around the bush like that, just tell me. So, you love me now, don’t you?”

“I love you.”

The hand Lee Jun was holding trembled violently. He didn’t just feel Chaeheon’s emotions through his hand. Chaeheon’s eyes wavered, and his mouth hung foolishly open, his smile completely gone.

“Am I dreaming right now?”

Chaeheon ran his other hand through his hair and looked around. He saw the lake, felt the eye-watering wind, and only after confirming all of that did Chaeheon look back at Lee Jun.

“I just got a marriage proposal from you, Lee Jun.”

“…What?”

It was the moment the mood they had carefully built was shattered. Lee Jun stared blankly at Chaeheon for a moment, then scrunched his eyes as if crumpling paper.

“When did I propose? I confessed. I just confessed that I love you, so why is that a proposal?”

“What is a marriage proposal?”

“It’s asking someone to marry you.”

“Exactly.”

“So how does that become that?”

“If you love someone, you marry them.”

Lee Jun, almost involuntarily drawn into the naturally flowing conversation, belatedly shook his head. Not only that, but he tried to release the hand he was holding with Chaeheon, only to find he couldn’t shake it off, as their fingers were intertwined.

“We’ve complicated things with trivial matters until now, so it’s fine to go lightly and simply from here on. I’ve always liked you, Lee Jun, and I’ve loved you. I even wished Hae Sol was our child.”

“So, did you check if he looked like you?”

“Yes. If Hae Sol had been my child, I would have been so happy. I could live my entire life with you, Lee Jun.”

As Chaeheon expressed his thoughts, his voice grew louder, apparently fueled by rising excitement. Soon, other people nearby were glancing at them, and the Bodyguard, seated not far away, had slightly lifted himself from his chair, wondering what was happening.

“It doesn’t matter if Hae Sol isn’t our son. I received a marriage proposal from you, Lee Jun, and that’s enough.”

“Let go of my hand.”

Lee Jun tried to release his hand to salvage the situation, but it didn’t work. Instead, Chaeheon suddenly stood up, and Lee Jun involuntarily followed suit.

“I just got proposed to!”

Chaeheon shouted towards the Bodyguard, and cheers and applause erupted from elsewhere. Lee Jun, unable to respond to the congratulations, simply covered his face.

He wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.

“When did I ever propose…”

“What do you think it would be like to marry me?”

As he mumbled, overwhelmed by the embarrassing situation, Chaeheon’s amused question reached Lee Jun’s ears.

What would it be like to marry him? Well, of course…

Looking up at Chaeheon, Lee Jun felt his face flush with heat.

Marrying Chaeheon… would be good.

“That’s the everyday life with you, Lee Jun, that I told my grandfather about. So you should think of it simply too.”

Chaeheon picked up the two cups on the table one after another and drank them. Having finished both coffees, Chaeheon, no longer needing to stay, pulled Lee Jun’s hand. As he suddenly seemed to be in a hurry, Lee Jun looked at the empty cups and Chaeheon, then walked forward, compelled by his tugging force.

“Let’s no longer drag others’ circumstances into our relationship, and let’s not consider breaking up when we’re dating.”

Chaeheon continued walking forward, saying only what he wanted to say, without caring if Lee Jun was listening.

“I’m going to accept your confession as a marriage proposal, Lee Jun, and you’re going to think that the everyday life I want is married life.”

Only after reaching the car and opening the back door did Chaeheon turn to Lee Jun. Lee Jun, who had been following in a daze until then, met Chaeheon’s eyes.

“It’s good when things are simple like that, isn’t it?”

“Not having to think about it to the point of a headache is good.”

“Right. Then I’ll ask. What do you want to do right now, Lee Jun?”

At Chaeheon’s question, Lee Jun answered with a captivated expression.

“A kiss.”

“We’re on the same page.”

Chaeheon pulled Lee Jun’s waist, pushing him into the car, and simultaneously kissed him.