Flower Fiancé Chapter 100

“It’s not that… huh? Over there, behind you…”

“Behind?”

Following Ji Yeonwoo’s gesture, he absentmindedly turned around, confirmed there was nothing there, and turned back to Ji Yeonwoo.

— Smack.

“…!”

Soft lips pressed against Choi Moohyuk’s cheek with a wet sound. As if he had never expected Ji Yeonwoo to kiss him first, Choi Moohyuk froze with his eyes wide open.

Unable to hide his surprise, Choi Moohyuk’s russet eyes moved minutely, scanning Ji Yeonwoo’s face in detail.

Ji Yeonwoo looked at him and smiled with his eyes.

“Why are you getting all serious all of a sudden? It was just a joke, a joke.”

“….”

“Lighten up, okay?”

Even with his embarrassing aegyo, for some reason Choi Moohyuk’s expression didn’t relax. Just as Ji Yeonwoo, feeling awkward, was darting his eyes around…

“…Moohyuk, mmp!”

At that moment, Choi Moohyuk reached out and wrapped his hand around the back of Ji Yeonwoo’s head as he tried to pull away. Tilting his face and leaning in, Choi Moohyuk pressed their lips together. After deeply sucking Ji Yeonwoo’s lower lip, Choi Moohyuk pushed his tongue unhesitatingly between his parted lips.

As they continued kissing, tongues twisting, a horn blared from behind. Startled, they looked ahead—the light had turned green.

Reluctantly pulling his lips away, Ji Yeonwoo wiped his slick lips with his sleeve and pressed himself against the passenger seat. Choi Moohyuk slowly moved the car, glancing at him. Their eyes met as Ji Yeonwoo, face flushed red, fanned himself with his hand.

“W-what was that all of a sudden? You scared me.”

“I was joking too.”

With a light glare, Ji Yeonwoo smacked Choi Moohyuk’s forearm. Choi Moohyuk smiled, curling the corners of his lips, and simply accepted Ji Yeonwoo’s touch.

∞ ∞ ∞

The silence was frigid.

Today was the day to visit Ji Yeonwoo’s parents and pay his respects. He had mentioned it briefly over the phone, but his parents, meeting him in person, showed a cautious attitude as expected. Regardless of whether they approved or not, they wanted to see for themselves one more time through parental eyes.

Choi Moohyuk, always so composed, sat with a tense expression. Someone who had never bowed to anyone, he was even kneeling. With both hands resting on his knees, his expression and movements showed no wavering.

“Sit comfortably. Yeonwoo, you too. Go on.”

Just as the frigid atmosphere was becoming suffocating, his mother, unable to bear it any longer, stepped in. Ji Yeonwoo, unable to bring himself to uncross his knees, shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Choi Moohyuk beside him and his father.

Despite efforts to ease the mood, his father showed no sign of relaxing his expression. It wasn’t so much anger as a face deep in thought.

“I’ll go prepare dinner. Yeonwoo, will you help Mom?”

“Huh? Oh, yes.”

His mother, having decided this wouldn’t work, tried to take Ji Yeonwoo out.

“There’s no need to prepare dinner.”

Finally, his father, who had been sitting motionless, let out a small breath and rose. Everyone’s eyes in the room turned to him. Quietly picking up the jacket he had hung neatly on one side, he turned around.

“You come with me for a bit.”

“Yes, Father.”

Raising Choi Moohyuk, who had been kneeling until then, his father walked toward the entrance. Ji Yeonwoo grabbed Choi Moohyuk as he was about to follow his father. Choi Moohyuk touched Ji Yeonwoo’s worried cheek, gave a small reassuring smile, and followed his father out.

“Can you drink a bit?”

“I can drink enough not to get drunk.”

“Hm, is that so?”

His father nodded as if impressed, looking at Choi Moohyuk, and continued.

“I have a regular spot I go to often. Would that be alright?”

“That would be fine, Father-in-law.”

As he spoke, turning and grabbing the door handle, his father paused. Surprised by the naturally uttered “Father-in-law,” his eyes widened as he looked at Choi Moohyuk, but he said nothing more.

Ji Yeonwoo watched the tense, awkward atmosphere with unease. Awkwardness was natural for a first meeting, but his father’s particularly brusque attitude bothered him.

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I’ll be back. Eat with Mother.”

Seeing Ji Yeonwoo’s worried face, Choi Moohyuk wrapped an arm around his shoulder in a brief hug and followed his father out.

Father and Choi Moohyuk walked out the door, talking. Ji Yeonwoo, left behind, stared at the closed door for a long time. He wondered if his father wanted to get him drunk and see his true nature. After all, they say a person’s true character comes out when drunk.

He knew all of this was the butterfly effect Lee Hyunjoon had set in motion. But Mr. Moohyuk wasn’t that kind of person. As he stood murmuring softly, his mother approached. As if knowing all his worries, she touched his face, then wrapped an arm around his shoulder and soothed him.

“Don’t worry too much. Your father just wanted to have a drink with your boyfriend. He never told you, but he regretted not having a drink with that person before he married you off. No matter how highly you spoke of him, he thought he should have looked into him more, and he blamed himself terribly—you have no idea.”

Ji Yeonwoo looked up at his mother. This was the first he’d heard of it. His father wasn’t one to express himself well, but he hadn’t known he’d thought this deeply. His mother, meeting his gaze quietly, brushed his hair.

“We also know your boyfriend is a good person. He’s the one who even cured your pheromone deficiency—he’s practically our benefactor. But, Yeonwoo. Still, wanting to confirm one more time is just a parent’s heart. We only want you to meet a good person and live happily.”

Speaking her thoughts in a gentle voice, his mother smiled with her eyes at Ji Yeonwoo. Her eyes glistened, as if tears had welled up. Ji Yeonwoo, feeling a sudden lump in his throat, sniffled and smiled.

His father and Choi Moohyuk returned home close to 9 PM. Ji Yeonwoo, pacing the living room with worry, heard the door open and went to Choi Moohyuk as he entered.

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Yes. Did you eat, Mr. Yeonwoo?”

“I ate with Mother too. Did you drink soju?”

“We went to Father’s regular spot. It’s been a while since I had soju—it’s not bad.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You seem a little drunk.”

“I am feeling a bit tipsy, but I can manage.”

As soon as they faced each other, they clung to each other, naturally exchanging greetings. His father, standing at a distance watching them, quietly went to the kitchen, put ice in honey water, and handed it to Choi Moohyuk.

“Here, honey water—drink it cold.”

“Thank you.”

Receiving it respectfully with both hands, Choi Moohyuk emptied the cup in one go. His father watched him with a pleased expression.

It was impossible to know what conversation they’d had alone, but from the softened atmosphere, it seemed his father had taken a liking to Choi Moohyuk.

“It’s getting late, so I think we should be going.”

Checking the time by rolling up his sleeve, Choi Moohyuk said, wrapping an arm around Ji Yeonwoo’s shoulder.

“Why not stay the night?”

His father, already growing fond, showed a hint of disappointment.

“I have an early schedule tomorrow. Next time we visit, I’ll make sure to clear enough time.”

“Hm, if that’s the case, I suppose it can’t be helped.”

Choi Moohyuk spoke respectfully, and his father patted his reliable shoulder a couple of times.

Since Choi Moohyuk had been drinking, he called Park Jincheol. He must have been nearby, because Park Jincheol arrived by taxi before long.

“Then, I’ll visit again next time.”

Before getting in the car, Choi Moohyuk bowed to his father and mother, who had come out to the gate to see them off. The sight struck Ji Yeonwoo as somehow dependable.

“Yes, of course. Next time, let’s all have dinner together. Do you have any favorite foods?”