Ch.187187. My Husband Is Getting More and More Bewitching – side. Hwanabi

There’s an old saying that if you don’t block a problem with a small hoe, you’ll end up needing a big rake. It means if you don’t address issues early on, they become much harder to handle later.

“So, you can’t tell me about it?”

That’s exactly my situation right now. I swear to heaven I’ve never done anything suspicious in front of him, but I tried to hide something out of embarrassment and now it’s grown too big.

But it’s too late to take it back now. The glass has been tipped over, and it’s too late to gather the spilled water. More than anything, I hate admitting it.

Rather than hate, it’s more accurate to say I’m embarrassed or ashamed, but the important thing is that I absolutely cannot give a detailed explanation.

“Yes, I can’t tell you.”

How could I honestly say that while discussing my future with my dad, I got emotional and said something like, “I’m getting married right after graduation, so don’t try to stop me!”?

And it didn’t end there. When he asked sarcastically, “Did your fiancé actually say he would marry you?” I impulsively claimed we’d already made promises to each other.

Of course, the promise I made on my own and the promise he just mentioned are somewhat different concepts. But does that even matter now? What matters is that Narin was about to mention that conversation, and if he heard it, I wouldn’t be able to hold my head up due to shame.

He’d bring it up whenever he remembered it to torment me, and I can’t let him have that kind of leverage. It’s better to keep my mouth shut even if it causes a little misunderstanding.

…or so I thought.

“I’m starting to feel a little hurt.”

He said as he grabbed my right hand. And at the same time, my heart dropped. He’s feeling hurt? Because of me? Why?

I was about to ask why but hesitated for a moment. His eyes were slightly moist as he stared at me while gently stroking the back of my hand.

As soon as I realized this, my heart dropped a second time.

“……”

Sometimes actions convey more meaning than words. The emotions in his gaze were disappointment, hurt, and a bit of resentment. He felt let down that I wouldn’t speak plainly, yet couldn’t directly express those feelings.

As our strange eye contact continued, the look in his eyes gradually changed. I suddenly felt anxious. I couldn’t explain it well, but somehow I felt I shouldn’t leave him like this.

Without thinking, I shouted loudly.

“Ah, no!”

I was the one who shouted, but my voice was so loud that even I was startled. He seemed equally surprised, as his eyes widened.

After a moment, he regained his composure and asked me with just his eyes.

‘What do you mean, no?’

After a brief hesitation, I muttered as if spitting it out.

“It’s, really. It’s really not the kind of misunderstanding you’re thinking of. So, you shouldn’t feel hurt!”

“What kind of misunderstanding do you think I’m thinking of?”

“Ah, anyway, it’s not that. Really.”

What a mess of words. How can I expect him to believe me when I can’t even provide evidence? If I put myself in his shoes, I’d find it hard to believe too.

But… I couldn’t explain it properly. I’d die of embarrassment if I did.

So the only option left was to play dumb, but even that was difficult now. The way he looked at me was quite peculiar.

An expression I couldn’t describe—not completely believing, yet not disbelieving either.

“…Um, this is.”

What should I say to change his mind? My thoughts were jumbled and disorganized, but I needed to speak first. With that determination, I moved my lips.

But his mouth opened before mine.

“Then, you just need to explain it in a way that makes sense to me.”

He gazed at me intently with such a wistful look. I felt my heart breaking. His disappointment seemed to transfer directly to me, making my shoulders flinch involuntarily.

“…That’s not possible either?”

He drooped his shoulders like a rain-soaked puppy and fiddled with the back of my hand. Gone was his usual confident attitude, replaced by this pitiful gesture expressing only his disappointment toward me.

…For some reason, my heart suddenly raced.

“Um…”

Whether it was maternal instinct or a protective urge, I don’t know. But in my mind, I only wanted to comfort and embrace this man.

Without realizing it, I reached out my hand.

“…Well.”

He didn’t avoid my touch. Encouraged, I slowly moved my fingers to caress his cheek.

It’s soft.

As I was comforting him in a somewhat dazed state, our faces suddenly drew closer. He couldn’t wait any longer and moved in close.

He looked at me intently, blinking his large eyes as if demanding something. How long has it been since we were this close, just looking at each other without doing anything else?

“I’ll just listen and then forget about it right away.”

“R-right away…?”

“Just tell me a little bit, just a tiny bit. Then I’ll never ask again, ever.”

Ah, this isn’t good. My heart is pounding so hard I can’t think straight. My man looking at me with those upturned eyes and that quiet smile is so lovable that I want to hug him tight right now…

“Ah, okay. So, what happened was…”

“Yes, what happened was?”

Just as I was about to explain as if under a spell—

—Nabi, are you staying for dinner?

Mom’s voice came from the kitchen, looking for Narin. We both jumped apart, having been close enough to feel each other’s breath.

—Are you not there?

“Ah, no. I’m here!”

—Did you hear what I just said?

“Yes, yes! I’ll stay for dinner!”

I’m having a normal conversation but my heart is pounding. The reason is obvious. It’s because of my man quietly smiling in front of me right now.

—Okay, got it.

As the voice grew distant, I finally came to my senses. Did I almost spill everything to him just now? Thinking back, it was really a close call. If I’d been just ten seconds later, I would have told him everything in detail.

This man… he seems to be getting slicker by the day. Was his hurt act all just pretense? I gave him a suspicious look. He ignored my gaze and casually took my hand.

“Shall we continue where we left off?”

“…Continue what?”

“You were going to tell me a little bit about what happened. Your mother’s gone now, so it’s just the two of us.”

Not just asking verbally, he put his hand on my waist and pulled me closer. As a result, I was half-embraced and got to see him up close.

The sharp jawline, gentle eyes, and pleasant voice. Even one of these features would make my heart flutter, but they’re all combined in one person. And that person is my boyfriend. Could there be any greater luxury in the world…

“So, hmm?”

As his face drew closer, my heart pounded fiercely. Maybe it would be nice to just stay like this, entrusting everything to him and feeling at ease.

“Ah, no. Do you think I’ll fall for the same trick twice?”

—I thought, finally coming to my senses and gently pushing him away. Then I pressed my chest firmly to suppress my pounding heart.

…Though it was useless.

“Ah, that’s too bad. I was just one step away.”

Despite his words, he didn’t seem disappointed at all. He backed away obediently and glanced behind me.

“By the way, Narin must be bored. Should I bring her back now?”

He stood up abruptly with an attractive smile. I was a bit surprised. I thought he’d give up so easily, and I was worried about what I’d do if he persisted and clung to me, asking more questions. Honestly, I wouldn’t have been able to resist if he had pressed me in a similar way.

“You’re, not going to ask anymore?”

I asked him with a mixture of relief and disappointment. He silently stared at me for a moment, then slightly bent his waist.

“Well, I already got the answer I wanted.”

“What…?”

What does he mean by that? He got an answer? When? Did I unconsciously say something? As I frantically tried to recall, he placed his hand on top of my head.

“Why are you so flustered?”

“No, of course I’m flustered. You said I made a marriage promise on my own…”

I stopped abruptly in the middle of my protest. What did I just say? Realizing my slip of the tongue too late, I froze, but his eyebrows were curved like half-moons as he looked at me.

“Ah, so that’s what it was?”

“…Did you know all along when you asked?”

“No? Of course I didn’t know the details. But I could tell roughly by looking at your eyes.”

“You could tell by looking at my eyes…?”

I blinked repeatedly for a while before finally asking. He didn’t answer but just smiled, gently stroking my bangs before whispering leisurely.

“Yes, you’re not good at lying. Just a little probing and you spill everything.”

“Wait, Siwoo? Have you been thinking of me like that all this time…?”

-Chu.

His face drew closer, and his lips touched my forehead before pulling away. Not fully grasping the situation, I looked up at him with blank eyes.

“I’m joking. I would never think of you that way.”

“…Can I believe that’s not a lie?”

“It’s not a lie, it’s the truth.”

He answered with a smile and embraced me. I let myself be held without resistance, and after a moment’s hesitation, I slowly closed my eyes.

He smells nice.

“Okay. I’ll… specially believe you this time.”

“Mm, I love you.”

“…Hmm.”

To think my heart would soften at just one “I love you”—I really am too soft.

I didn’t answer but hugged him tighter. He stroked my back with leisurely movements and whispered.

“Nabi.”

“Yes.”

“Since we’re hugging, should we go to the bed and continue?”

…This man, really.