Flower Fiancé Chapter 125

Meeting each other’s eyes and exchanging conversation, Ji Yeonwoo lowered his gaze to Geon-i in his arms.

“Geon-a, shall we go see the sea with your daddies?”

Geon-i, who had been sucking his thumb noisily, giggled and showed his delight. He probably couldn’t understand everything being said, but seeing Ji Yeonwoo’s noticeably brighter expression seemed to lift Geon-i’s mood as well.

Ji Yeonwoo rubbed his cheek against Geon-i’s cheek as if he were beautiful.

Just watching that scene was peaceful and harmless, making a smile come out naturally.

While Choi Moohyuk went into the bathroom to wash up, the housekeeper arrived. As soon as she put down her bag, she offered to prepare breakfast, but he declined and quickly got ready for work, leaving the house.

Receiving kisses from Ji Yeonwoo and Geon-i instead of breakfast, Choi Moohyuk set off to work feeling fortified. As soon as he got into the driver’s seat, he made a call somewhere.

“It’s me. Please look into a scenic sea area near Seoul. Ah, not a water park. We’re just going to sightsee outside. If possible, a place with a nice coastal road view would be even better.”

After relaying relatively specific preferences to his secretary, Choi Moohyuk started the engine and drove off.

Truth be told, he hadn’t not considered the sea. But thinking of Ji Yeonwoo, who had nearly drowned as a child and had trauma related to the sea, he had planned to choose somewhere else.

That was why he was surprised when Ji Yeonwoo instead said he liked the sea. It was admirable that someone who hadn’t particularly enjoyed even looking at the sea had found the courage to say he wanted to show it to his son.

The week passed quickly.

Choi Moohyuk was busy with company work, and Ji Yeonwoo was busy with the newly opened <Flower Fiancé>. After their busy week, the promised weekend arrived. From Saturday morning, Ji Yeonwoo busily prepared, dressing Geon-i in several layers of clothes before heading out for the outing.

The family’s destination was Gangneung, about two hours from Seoul.

Arriving at a relatively quiet spot not widely known to people, Choi Moohyuk drove slowly along the coastal road.

“Wow, Geon-a. Do you see that? There’s so much blue water, right? That’s called the sea.”

Ji Yeonwoo held Geon-i’s hand as he sat in the car seat and gently waved it as he spoke.

“Geon-a, shall we say ‘sea’? Se-a.”

Geon-i’s bright, sparkling eyes stared intently at the blue waves rolling beyond the window.

“Bba… bba…”

Geon-i, who couldn’t speak yet, moved his small lips and babbled. Choi Moohyuk, driving, glanced at the scene through the rearview mirror while trying to focus on driving.

“Not ‘bba.’ Se-a.”

“Bba… ba, ba-ppa…”

“…!”

At that moment, at the single word that came out of Geon-i’s mouth, exclamation marks simultaneously popped up over Ji Yeonwoo’s and Choi Moohyuk’s heads with a thud. Choi Moohyuk urgently pulled over to the shoulder of the road, and Ji Yeonwoo stared at Geon-i with wide eyes.

“Huh? Didn’t he just say ‘daddy’?”

“That’s right. Did you hear that? Geon-i said ‘daddy.'”

Choi Moohyuk, turning around while gripping the passenger seat, had a mix of surprise and regret in his eyes.

“Try asking Geon-i again. Quickly.”

“Geon-a, shall we say ‘daddy’? Dad-dy?”

“Bba… baba…”

Ji Yeonwoo held Geon-i’s hands and shook them, trying to get him to speak.

“Geon-a, please, just one more time. Dad-dy.”

Despite the earnest plea, Geon-i giggled and played around with unintelligible babbling.

Because it was a day trip and they couldn’t stay long in one place, they strolled along the beach road, and even during the meal at the reserved restaurant, Choi Moohyuk kept trying to get Geon-i to say ‘daddy,’ disappointed that he hadn’t heard it clearly before.

But after that, they never heard the word ‘daddy’ again. It seemed that Geon-i had been trying to say something like ‘sea’ by imitating Ji Yeonwoo’s mouth shape, and ‘daddy’ had accidentally slipped out.

On the way back home, there was traffic. It couldn’t be helped since it was a weekend evening, but the unexpected delay in arrival time made them anxious. Geon-i had already long passed his bedtime. Geon-i was generally mild-tempered enough to lie down and play with his feet when bored, but occasionally he would fuss about sleep.

Though it was his first outing far from home since birth, fortunately, Geon-i slept well in the car seat without fussing. Perhaps the swaying of the car felt like a cradle to him.

It was late evening when they arrived home. Geon-i’s eyes were drooping as if he would fall asleep any moment, but because they had been outside, they couldn’t just put him to bed.

After discussing what to do, Choi Moohyuk and Ji Yeonwoo soothed the fussy Geon-i and gave him a bath. With exhaustion and the warm water bath, Geon-i grew languid and fell into a deep sleep, oblivious to the world. Even as they diapered and changed his clothes, jostling his body, he only stirred slightly without waking.

Ji Yeonwoo laid Geon-i down in the crib and positioned stuffed animals on both sides to secure him. With his long eyelashes closed and breathing softly, Geon-i’s face looked like an angel’s.

“When will our Geon-i finally say ‘daddy’ to his heart’s content?”

Ji Yeonwoo murmured to himself, still feeling regretful. He had heard that Seo Eungyeom’s daughter, born two months earlier, was already talking and saying ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ well, so he was a little worried that only Geon-i might be slow in speaking.

After gazing at his sleeping face for a while, he gave a light kiss to his chubby, fleshy cheek and left the room. Turning the doorknob, he quietly closed the door without making a sound, and when he turned around, he saw Choi Moohyuk leaning against the wall. Apparently having washed up, Choi Moohyuk was dressed comfortably, with his unstyled hair falling down to cover his forehead.

“Is Geon-i sleeping well?”

“Yes. He wouldn’t even notice if we shook him. He must have been tired.”

“It was his first trip, after all. He’ll enjoy it more when he’s a bit older.”

“I suppose so.”

“How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

Ji Yeonwoo nodded with a smiling face.

“I’m good. What about you, Mr. Moohyuk?”

“I’m good too. Thanks to someone.”

The quiet exchange of conversation was ticklish. Choi Moohyuk, gently stroking Ji Yeonwoo’s hair, came closer.

When their eyes met, without anyone starting first, they embraced each other. Because of the difference in height and build, Ji Yeonwoo struggled to wrap both arms around Choi Moohyuk’s waist, while Choi Moohyuk wrapped one arm around Ji Yeonwoo’s back and shoulders. After a brief kiss, Choi Moohyuk bent slightly and buried his face in the crook of Ji Yeonwoo’s neck, rubbing his nose before taking a small breath. Ticklishness surged from the nape of his neck throughout his whole body.

Ji Yeonwoo laughed softly and shrank his body. When a chuckle escaped a little louder, he flinched in surprise and covered his mouth with his hand. Like playing a game of freeze tag, Choi Moohyuk and Ji Yeonwoo stopped moving and watched Geon-i’s closed door. Fortunately, the house was silent without any fussing sounds.

Turning his head to look at Choi Moohyuk, Ji Yeonwoo narrowed his eyes. He poked Choi Moohyuk’s side with his elbow, and Choi Moohyuk covered his stomach with both hands, pretending to be hurt. Then he suddenly lifted Ji Yeonwoo up and headed toward the bedroom.

As soon as Choi Moohyuk closed the bedroom door and set him down, Ji Yeonwoo turned around and wrapped his arms around Choi Moohyuk’s neck. Standing on tiptoe, he lightly kissed his closed lips, and Choi Moohyuk supported his waist with one arm and bent his head down.

Choi Moohyuk didn’t refuse Ji Yeonwoo, who came into his arms first. They pressed their lips together and held their breath for a moment, then Choi Moohyuk pressed kisses successively on his cheek and neck, moving a little lower. He pulled down the bothersome round-neck shirt and pressed kisses all over the hollow of his collarbone as well.

As if out of habit, he rubbed his lips and pressed his nose against the fine skin, savoring Ji Yeonwoo’s fragrant pheromones. As time passed—as if to confirm that the heat wasn’t far off—Ji Yeonwoo’s sweet peach-scented pheromones grew increasingly intense.

Ji Yeonwoo, who had been squirming in Choi Moohyuk’s arms, wrapped his arms around his waist and leaned his head on his shoulder.

“Come to think of it, that was really the first time I’d seen the sea in a long time. It’s been almost ten years, I think?”

“That long?”

He had guessed from hearing about Ji Yeonwoo’s bad memories of the sea, but he couldn’t help being surprised to hear it had been ten years.

“Aside from going with my family as a child, I’d never actually traveled to see it.”

“It seems you liked it.”

“Yes. I think it would be fine as long as it’s not summer. It’s pleasantly cool, and not humid either.”