Love Born of Pity Chapter 122

Do Yeonjae, seated in the same position as before, leaned his upper body forward. He wore a calm smile, as if he had never once gotten up.

Kwon Jiho instinctively reached out his hand toward Do Yeonjae, who was leaning closer and closer to him. In an instant, his large body was tucked into his arms. As he awkwardly patted his back and praised him for doing well, a soft sound of laughter emerged.

“From next time… please don’t do that.”

“Alright, I’ll try.”

“…Yes.”

“Oh, right. I’m thinking of inviting your younger sibling, when is good? It seems Grandfather is in a hurry.”

At the sudden word “younger sibling,” the hand that had been slowly patting his back stopped. Do Yeonjae wanted to stay buried in his small, warm embrace a little longer, but he realized in an instant that it was time to get up. As he slowly straightened his upper body, Kwon Jiho asked about his sibling’s well-being with watery eyes. Being this kind-hearted. Not knowing what that younger sibling is thinking.

“Is Heeyeon… doing well?”

“She’s doing well. Eating well and resting well.”

“Are you… really sure she’s doing well?”

“Do you want to talk to her?”

After clearing Kwon Yoon Taek, he had Kwon Heeyeon moved out of the hotel. It was because the reason to keep her held there had disappeared. She returned to the officetel he had provided for her to stay in immediately after her discharge from the hospital. Although he had received a pledge from her that she would not say or do anything foolish, he had stationed a bodyguard just in case she did something stupid.

Similar reports came in from him every day. That she was going around to various study abroad agencies for consultations. She had high standards, so she said she was debating between the U.S. and Canada for where to go.

“Is that possible?”

At the cautious question, Do Yeonjae nodded. He immediately found the contact information and pressed it. The three characters saved as [Kwon Heeyeon] on the phone screen caught Kwon Jiho’s attention.

—Hello?

“…”

—Hello? What is it, can’t you hear me? Hello? Mister?

“Heeyeon-ah.”

As he quickly called her name in response to her irritable reaction, he heard the sound of her gasping for air on the other side of the receiver.

—Oppa? Jiho oppa?

“Yes, it’s oppa. Have you… been well?”

—Oppa! Oppa, why haven’t you been in touch! Really… I was really worried. Do you know how scared I was thinking something might have happened to you? Did you fight with that mister? That mister didn’t do anything to you, did he?

At the ringing question, Do Yeonjae laughed loosely. Talking on that mister’s phone, and yet she’s so brazen, pretending to worry about her brother. Hiding his true feelings, he stood up as if telling him to talk comfortably. He went into the kitchen with the empty glass bowl, pondering whether to scoop out more shaved ice.

During that time, the call continued. Kwon Jiho consistently lowered his stance and apologized, saying he was sorry for not being able to contact her in the meantime. Kwon Heeyeon familiarly gave him attitude and annoyance, then started by saying she had something to say.

—When can we meet? I have a favor to ask.

“Oh? Ah, actually… I was going to ask if we could eat dinner together. Um… along with the director’s family members.”

—Who? That mister’s family? Why would I eat dinner with those people? No, never mind. Eating dinner doesn’t matter. But that mister has a lot of money, right?

Kwon Heeyeon, who had been asking and answering by herself, shifted the question to Kwon Jiho this time.

—Is it true he has a lot of money? Is it not just all flash on the outside?

“Why… are you curious about that, Heeyeon-ah?”

—What do you mean why am I curious. I’m naturally asking because I’m worried you might have a hard time. Do you think I meant it with some other intention? Why do you talk like that, oppa? And can I not be curious? You call after such a long time and talk to me so disappointingly?

At the annoyance and rebuke that came back, Kwon Jiho stopped talking for a moment and then apologized, saying he was sorry. He didn’t know what on earth Do Yeonjae having a lot of money had to do with her worrying about him, but he didn’t want to fight with his younger sibling after talking for the first time in a while.

—Ah, fine. Stop it, stop. Saying sorry is for once or twice. How many times are you going to say it, really… More importantly, when are we eating dinner? The sooner, the better for me. Is tomorrow okay?

“Tomorrow? I have to ask… wait a moment.”

On the other side of the receiver, an annoyed mutter of who he was going to ask flowed out. Kwon Jiho, who frowned in trouble, turned his head back. Seeing Do Yeonjae coming out just in time, he asked when would be a good time for dinner.

“Anytime. Whenever you want to eat. When is good?”

At the affectionate question he asked while putting down the bowl of lemon shaved ice, Kwon Jiho blushed.

“Heeyeon asked if tomorrow… would be okay.”

“Alright, tell her I’ll pick her up tomorrow. The time is… until 7 o’clock.”

“Yes.”

Kwon Jiho, who nodded, swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth as soon as he saw the shaved ice and held his phone to his ear.

“Is 7 o’clock tomorrow evening okay?”

—Uh, yeah, it’s okay. Then I’ll consider it set. Hang up, oppa! I have to do something now.

“Yes, call you tomor—”

Before Kwon Jiho could finish his sentence, the call ended. Do Yeonjae gritted his teeth with a nonchalant expression. That rude brat is acting like that again. Is she acting that way because she doesn’t even want to see my face? He didn’t like anything that Kwon Heeyeon was doing.

However, since he couldn’t show it directly, he just shut his mouth. He repeated to himself that Kwon Heeyeon would be cleared away soon and that she was a person who would disappear within a month.

“But it feels a bit too fast… am I allowed to decide on my own?”

“What would be wrong with that?”

Do Yeonjae, who had handed him a spoon, swept Kwon Jiho’s messy bangs aside. They had grown long, so it seemed like his eyes would be itchy. I should cut them for him; should I take him out for a bit?

“Do you want to tell your younger sibling about the pregnancy and the secondary gender change? Or do you not want to talk about it?”

“…I’m not sure.”

“What about marrying me? Still not sure?”

“Yes? Ah, that is…”

Although he had made up his mind that he would do so, it was difficult to put the decision into words. Do Yeonjae smiled, reading his face.

“Think about it slowly. I’ll ask you again.”

His lips were wet from eating the shaved ice. The soft ends of his flesh were slick.

“I want to kiss you.”

“…W-what…”

At the sudden sincerity that burst out, Kwon Jiho blushed. As if Do Yeonjae was just as flustered, he cleared his throat and added, Just, that’s all.

“Because you’re pretty.”

“…”

“Don’t eat too fast. It’s too cold.”

Do Yeonjae, who brushed his lips with his fingertips, took the bit that had gotten on them into his own mouth. Even though it was a trace amount where he could only tell it was lemon-flavored, it was sweet. He wondered if it was just sweet, or if a tart taste came through as well.

“Is it delicious?”

“…Just, lemon flavor.”

At the low question asked while nibbling at the nape of his neck, his white skin turned red all over. His hands, which had been moving busily, slowly came to a stop. His gaze, which had been fixed on the ice cream cup on the table, turned toward Do Yeonjae.

The gazes met without missing each other, at the close distance.

“Would you like to try?”

“Yes.”

Do Yeonjae answered with a smile at the offer. Before the small spoon Kwon Jiho was holding could scoop up the shaved ice, he leaned his head in quickly. Flesh overlapped with lips where the trace of moisture had disappeared after being licked by his tongue, leaving only a slight coolness and dampness.

“Ah…”

His tongue immediately dug into the space between his lips, which had opened as if in surprise. The inside of his mouth was cooled down. Just as Kwon Jiho said, it tasted like lemon. Tart and sweet.

As he licked the slick, wet mucous membrane and slowly pulled his tongue out of the mouth he didn’t want to leave, he saw wide-open eyes. He kissed those soft, supple lips a few more times. When he finally pulled away at the weak force pulling on his sleeve after holding them together a while longer, he let go.

“Should I apologize.”

“…”

“Or should I do it one more time.”

Every time he parted his lips at a distance where they weren’t completely separated, the wet ends of their flesh touched. Kwon Jiho swallowed a dry lump of saliva without realizing it. He was confused because he couldn’t decide whether he should push him away or not. It was stimulating to the point of being numb to the ends of his hair. If he disliked touching him, he should be filled only with unpleasantness, but that was not the case.

“I… don’t know.”

“Did you hate it?”

As soon as he confirmed the shaking of his head in response to the question, he kissed him. Kwon Jiho trembled, but soon closed his eyes. He opened his mouth with a compliant expression that hadn’t changed even a little from before.

Do Yeonjae, who wrapped his arm around the back of his neck and tilted his head, softly dug into the narrow mouth. He rubbed his tongue against the soft flesh and sucked up all the saliva pooling under his tongue. Ha, fuck. It’s sweet. But since he couldn’t let the swearing out, he barely swallowed it.

“Jiho-ya.”

“H-hng… Mm.”

The narrow, small mouth quickly became hot. It was lovely to see him moaning while tucked into his embrace. When he snatched up the small piece of flesh that was busy avoiding his tongue, which was roughly digging around, and sucked on it, Kwon Jiho shivered and gripped his collar tightly.

Do Yeonjae, who pulled his curved waist and sat him on his thighs, checked his flushed face and pulled his lips away.

“Breath, hmm? You need to breathe.”

“Hng, ha… haa…”

Chu, chok, chup, chu-ut.

Dropping kisses lighter than a feather, Do Yeonjae held Kwon Jiho tightly in his arms. While he was hospitalized, he brought to mind the 100 nursery rhymes he had looked up along with a prenatal name. Thinking of a cute and adorable voice, he calmed his excitement.

Then, because he had imagined Kwon Jiho wearing a fruit costume and doing a dance, he couldn’t hold back and swallowed his lips again.