TKEP 69🔐

Chapter 69

“I don’t have anyone on my side.”

The only person she had on her side was asleep.

Yeon, muttering weakly, collapsed onto the table.

“I’ll just rest my eyes for a bit.”

“Go ahead and lie down.”

Even though she could have used the sofa or the guardian’s bed, Yeon stubbornly rested her head on the table for a short nap.

“This is fine. This feels comfortable.”

Not her body—her heart.

Yeon rested her chin on the table and looked at Seojun.

Only the spot where Seojun lay was tinted sepia. He looked lonely and forlorn, lying alone on the bed.

“Doesn’t your back hurt? You’ve been sleeping a long time.”

Yeon muttered, unable to fall asleep as promised.

Silan looked at her with sympathy.

“Are you that worried? The surgery went well.”

The doctor had repeatedly given thumbs-up signs, assuring that the surgery had been perfect.

“Then why isn’t he waking up?”

Usually trusting the doctor, Yeon couldn’t believe it this time.

“They said normally people wake up within a day, right?”

But Seojun had already been asleep for two days.

“Maybe he’s catching up on all the sleep he couldn’t get before.”

Silan tried to make a light joke.

“They say handsome men are heavy sleepers. I thought that wasn’t true for our Seoseo-nim, since you don’t usually sleep much, but I see now that isn’t the case. Looks like he’s making up for it this time.”

Fortunately, Silan’s effort worked.

Yeon let out a small laugh.

“Senior Court Lady, you don’t have to console me.”

“You’re just too drained. You haven’t been eating properly either.”

Yeon folded her hands with her left on top and buried her face.

Silan sighed and draped a thin blanket over her.

After dimming the lights, Silan quietly left the room.

In the now quiet room, Yeon stared blankly at the ring on her left ring finger.

It was the ring that had come from Seojun’s jacket pocket.

He prepared something like this, and yet he’s still sleeping?

Yeon looked at Seojun again. His defenseless state seemed unfamiliar.

Her eyelashes trembled. Her vision blurred.

One side of her chest quietly crumbled.

If only I were the one lying there… If I could take the pain instead…

She slowly closed her eyes.

Then the memory of the night Seojun was stabbed came flooding back—the terrible night.

Her heart skipped, and her breath caught.

If something had happened to him that day, I would have…

Yeon quickly opened her eyes.

Only when she saw Seojun could she finally breathe.

Moments spent with Seojun came back to her one by one.

“Yeon.”

His voice was low but resonant, and she liked it.

His expression was cool, but his eyes softened when he smiled, which she liked.

She liked how he always placed his hand over her head when she got into the car, and how he’d casually take off his jacket for her.

Since they had reunited, he had always supported her.

He willingly helped when she struggled and pushed her forward, even if her decisions were reckless.

Thump… thump… her heartbeat grew louder.

“Seojun.”

Calling him like that usually elicited an immediate response, but he kept his lips tightly shut, which frustrated her.

Her heart ached.

Then she realized:

‘I… like him…’

She had met him out of necessity, kept him by her side, and yet somewhere along the way, she had grown fond of him.

She closed her trembling eyes.

Admitting it made her heart feel lighter.

But separate from that, the thought of their promised farewell still weighed on her.

A long time ago, Jiyoung had asked:

“Seojun, it would hurt if you were stabbed, right?”

At the time, Jiyoung had appeared with her arm wrapped in bandages, claiming she had been cut.

Seojun had probably said something vague like, “Of course it would hurt.”

But when actually stabbed, the pain was beyond what he had imagined.

Energy drained from his body; a burning sensation and a cold chill struck simultaneously.

Although it happened in an instant, the feeling of the knife cutting through his organs was painfully slow and vivid.

It didn’t feel like he would die immediately.

Seojun only truly sensed death moments before losing consciousness.

Time spent with Yeon flashed before him like a panorama.

Ah, so this is a life review.

As he thought that, consciousness faded.

Then, as if answering, Seojun’s senses gradually awakened.

His eyelids brightened little by little, and the hum of medical machines reached his ears.

The smell of disinfectant stung his nose, and a prickling pain in his abdomen grew sharper.

Amidst all the discomfort, Seojun desperately tried to recognize any sound or presence.

At last, he detected soft breathing and the gentle scent of soap.

A refreshing clarity like drinking ice water washed over him.

Seojun opened his eyes wide.

Before even realizing he was alive, he instinctively turned his head.

Yeon, sleeping in an awkward position, came into view.

I’m alive.

Only then did Seojun feel relief at his survival.

“Hah.”

A sigh escaped him.

He buried his head back into the soft pillow and closed his eyes again.

As if in a baton pass, Yeon opened her eyes.

She immediately searched for Seojun.

The intensity in her gaze caught his attention. She noticed subtle changes in him immediately.

“Seojun?”

Yeon ran to him.

Seojun raised his body slightly, frowning.

“Stay lying down!”

Yeon grabbed his hand. Warmth spread through her fingers.

“You really survived…”

Her reaction was full of relief.

“Did you think you’d die?”

Her slightly blunt tone was so comforting that her nose tingled with emotion.

Unable to get up because of pain, Seojun lay back and looked at Yeon.

The skin around her eyes was red; dark circles deepened, and her skin looked rough.

Her hand holding his trembled.

She worried a lot.

He wanted to hug her tightly, but couldn’t.

Seojun took her hand, interlacing their fingers, and flinched.

He saw the familiar ring.

It was the ring he had kept deep inside his jacket.

“Did this ring grow legs?”

“Finally found its rightful owner, huh?”

Yeon raised her hand toward him, her voice bright.

The thin fingers and the ring with tightly set diamonds looked perfect.

She wanted to put it on herself, but being quick as ever, she slipped the ring on.

“Late again.”

Seojun exhaled helplessly and fiddled with her hand, asking,

“Do you like it?”

“I love it.”

Seojun and Yeon smiled at each other.

At that moment, an indescribable emotion surged.

Tears quickly formed in Yeon’s eyes.

“Don’t cry.”

Seojun wiped the tears rolling down.

Her sorrow exploded at his gentle touch.

Yeon buried her face in his chest, sobbing.

“Do you know how worried I was? Don’t… don’t ever get stabbed in my place again!”

Seojun silently patted her back.

He would follow all her requests if possible, but this was one he couldn’t.

“Being stabbed hurts.”

Pain and hardship—I’ll take it instead.

Seojun kissed the crown of her head.

Her sobs grew louder.

“Why are you crying so pitifully?”

“Don’t look at me.”

Her crying face wouldn’t be pretty.

Yeon, realizing her feelings, wanted to show only a beautiful side to him.

She turned her head.

Seojun held her cheeks with both hands.

“I wanted to watch you sleep all night, and now you tell me not to look?”

Her squished cheeks, swollen from crying, and pouty lips were so adorable.

Her solar plexus felt warm, as if the stab wound had never been there.

“Did you… want me to watch?”

Seojun gently caressed her cheeks with a tender expression.

“Yes, I wanted to see if you were safe. Even while sleeping, it didn’t seem like you were really sleeping.”

In fact, he had saved her from danger in his dreams multiple times.

Each time, his legs gave out, the sky fell, and relief came repeatedly.

Yeon bit her lower lip.

Her wrinkled lower lip pressed against her big front teeth, making her look like a little bunny.

Wow, how is she so cute?

I just want to kiss her.

Without realizing it, Seojun kissed her lips. The tears left a salty taste.

“Did you… just kiss me?”

It was an unconscious act.

Both Seojun and Yeon stared at each other in surprise.

“Why did you kiss me?”

When Yeon asked again, Seojun’s eyes narrowed.

“Can’t a married couple even kiss?”