Side Story Chapter 126 - Engagement Ceremony (4)

Side Story Chapter 126 - Engagement Ceremony (4)

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

Cha Yeon-Joo glared at Oh Kang-Woo in anger. Although she was third, she was also one of Kang-Woo’s lovers.

She questioned aggressively, “You’re not discriminating just because I’m the third, are you?”

Kang-Woo smirked and shook his head.

“Of course not.”

“Then why am I the only one who’s not getting a ring?” Yeon-Joo asked in rage.

“I’m not saying I won’t give you one. If so, I wouldn’t have even bothered to make this one here.”

Kang-Woo took out a ring box from his pocket and shook it in front of her.

“Then what...?”

“I have a condition.”

“A condition?”

Kang-Woo nodded.

Yeon-Joo frowned. “The hell? There weren’t any conditions for Seol-Ah and Lilith unnie.”

“That’s because you’re special, Yeon-Joo.”

“Special how?”

“Well...”

‘You’re fun to tease, obviously.’

The corners of Kang-Woo’s mouth soared. Just thinking about teasing her sent sparks throughout his body.

‘Aaaahh, I’m so thrilled!!!’

He felt like he was dying of joy just imagining it— Yeon-Joo’s red face and her shivers of humiliation.

“Haaa,” Kang-Woo exhaled heatedly.

Teasing Yeon-Joo was like a powerful narcotic he could never free himself from.

“Wh-What? What?! Y-You son of a bitch!!! You’re planning on teasing me again, aren’t you?!!” shouted Yeon-Joo, her face bright red. “Goddammit!!! Don’t you ever get tired of constantly teasing me?!!”

“Man... What are you talking about? How could I ever get tired of it?”

Teasing Yeon-Joo was always a fresh new experience.

“Hehehe. Now, then, I can tell you what my condition is, right?”

“No!! I won’t do it!!! Fuck the condition, I won’t do shit!!!” shouted Yeon-Joo teary-eyed.

“Is that so?” Kang-Woo shrugged and put the ring box back in his pocket as if he had nothing to lose. “Well, forget the ring, then.”

“Ngh...!” Yeon-Joo flinched as she bit her lip anxiously. She stared at Kang-Woo as her eyes shook and asked in panic, “Y-You bastard... Y-You’re joking about not giving me a ring, right?”

She knew Kang-Woo was blatantly teasing her but was also worried that someone like Kang-Woo wouldn’t give her the ring to the very end.

“Hehe. You know what you have to do if you want the ring, don’t you?”

Kang-Woo smiled slyly and tapped the ring box in his pocket over his clothes. Yeon-Joo bit her lip and clenched her fists.

She narrowed her eyes and asked cautiously, “What is... the condition? What do I have to do?”

She didn’t want to fall for Kang-Woo’s ploy but didn’t want to give up on the ring either. Kang-Woo smiled.

“I’m not asking for much.”

He took out his smartphone and handed it to her. On the screen was a short manga titled The Clichés of an Average Japanese Romcom.

“What the hell is this...?”

Yeon-Joo frowned and read the manga.

- Welcome home, dear.

The manga showed a woman in an apron welcoming home the protagonist with a seductive smile.

- Would you like dinner? A bath? Or...

“Ah.”

Yeon-Joo’s eyes widened the further she went into the manga. It was such a famous line that even she knew how it went despite not being interested in a subculture like this. She did not even need to read the final part of the sentence to know what it said.

“You want me... to do this?”

Yeon-Joo glared at Kang-Woo, her eyes brimming with fury. She couldn’t believe he wanted her to say something so crazy that no sane person could dare say it.

“Yup.” Kang-Woo nodded with a smile.

Yeon-Joo’s expression crumpled.

It was a load of bullshit that didn’t even deserve to be refuted.

‘But... why is it so convincing?’

An inexplicable sense of thrill rose from deep inside Yeon-Joo when she imagined Kang-Woo calling her noona.

“F-Fine! Leaving all that aside!! Why am I the only one who has to say that embarrassing line?!”

“Because you’re the most special to me!!!”

“Wh-What?”

Yeon-Joo stepped backward, her face as red as a tomato. Kang-Woo walked forward and grabbed her by the waist.

“Darling and Lilith feel like newlyweds to me. No, it goes beyond that; I sometimes feel like we’ve been married for years.”

However, Yeon-Joo was different. Unlike the two women who were not embarrassed to express their love, Yeon-Joo was still embarrassed to actively express her love for Kang-Woo.

“I don’t want anyone else. I want to see... a fresh side of you, Yeon-Joo,” said Kang Woo as seriously as one traveling the world in search of the truth.

“U-Urgh...” Yeon-Joo bit her lip, influenced by his mellow words.

“Here, I’ll give you the ring. It’s up to you whether you want to do it or not.”

Kang-Woo took out the ring box from his pocket and placed the ring on Yeon-Joo’s left ring finger. Yeon-Joo’s eyes shook.

“D-Do you want to hear it that badly?”

“Yeah.” Kang-Woo nodded without hesitation.

His eyes no longer carried any hint of playful emotion; they were completely serious. They were blazing with pure desire to see a new side of his wife.

“...”

Yeon-Joo hesitated. She dragged the tip of her heel on the floor and repeatedly opened and closed her fists.

“D-Do you really want to hear me say it because... I’m the most special to you?”

“Of course.”

“A-Ahem!!” Yeon-Joo coughed as she averted her gaze from him. “D-Don’t you dare... tease me for it afterward, got it?”

“I swear I won’t.”

“A-And don’t take pictures of videos!!!”

“Okay.”

Kang-Woo took out his smartphone and tossed it on the couch.

“Urghhh,” Yeon-Joo groaned as she twisted around. She recited the words she had read in the manga, “W-W-W-W-W-W-Wel... Welcome h-h-h-h-ho...”

She couldn’t stop her voice from trembling. A mind-whitening sense of humiliation and embarrassment filled her head.

“H-H-H-Home... Dear.”

Her teeth clacked. She opened her eyes and saw Kang-Woo staring at her lovingly without any intention of teasing her.

‘Th-That fucking pervert!’

She was getting hot despite criticizing him in her head.

‘D-Does he love me that much?’

The moment of Kang-Woo calling her the most special to him continuously replayed in her head. The corners of her mouth rose despite being so embarrassed that she could die at any moment.

“W-Would you like... dinner? A-A-A-A b-bath? Or... Or...”

It was time to say the final word.

“M-M-M-M-M-M-M...” Yeon-Joo shut her eyes tightly and said, “Me...?”

‘O;noa;dnfonqo;ncvo;andfklj;;lasdbnfkj wl;dbclASD fl e cvk;aBD’

Fragments of language stormed inside her head. She was so embarrassed that she felt like she was about to puke out her intestines.

‘B-But...’

She was also curious to see Kang-Woo’s reaction. She wondered if he was just as embarrassed as she was or if he was happy despite the embarrassment. She opened her tightly shut eyes and stared at him full of anticipation.

“Wow,” Kang-Woo chuckled as he stared at Yeon-Joo.

“...?”

“Dayum, you seriously said it?”

“...”

“You’re in your thirties. Don’t you have any shame?”

Something broke inside her head.

“YOU MOTHERFUCKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEER!!!!!”

Yeon-Joo’s red hair, which was in a ponytail, fluttered as she landed a clean somersault kick on Kang-Woo’s chin.