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It was a little past two in the morning. Minju was shaking but not due to the cold—both her meetings went terribly! She bit her nails and swallowed, hoping her nervousness went down with it.
The truth is, however, that she could eat all of her nails and nothing would be able to stop her mind from racing.
Jiwook was supposed to be there with her during her first meeting, but he didn't show up at all. Thanks to the stars, she was able to convince their client to work with them again, but she knew he wouldn't be so forgiving if Jiwook ever repeated his stunt.
And Jiwook—oh, Jiwook. Minju loved him more than anything in her life, but he could be so difficult sometimes! Not only did he abandon their client, but he also made a scene in front of Red! Sure, Black had attacked them but drawing his sword to the Crimson Society was too much!
The only reason a turf war didn't start then and there is because Red didn't seem to take their encounter seriously at all. If she did, they'd be dead, for certain!
The rattling of her keys was enough to take Minju back to reality. She sighed, annoyance bubbling up in her chest. “We need to talk,” she thought, focusing on the man standing in front of her. “This can't go on like this! I won't always be here to clean up his messes.”
“Jiwook,” she started, closing the door behind her. “Can we talk?”
He didn't reply. Instead, he took off his shoes and put them neatly next to hers. Minju frowned, finally noticing just how quiet he had been this entire time.
Usually Jiwook is cheerful and loud. He always had something to talk about. And when he didn't, he listened.
Her annoyance slowly faded and made way for worry. Minju raised a hand and touched his back. His red jacket was still wet with wine.
“Jiwook,” she repeated, softly this time. “Are you alright?”
Minju thought he was going to ignore her again, but after a few heartbeats, she got a faint hum as a response.
“Oh no. That won't do.” She held his arm and looked up at him. His expression was empty, as if reminiscing something long past.
“What's wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Minju cupped his cheek and dragged her thumb across his scar. “We both know that's not true. You know you can tell me anything, right?” She insisted.
“I'm just tired. I need some sleep.”
“Not without a shower.” She quickly added. “You're soaked! And you smell of wine.”
She noticed the way his expression darkened for a moment.
“Let's go, then? I'll join you.”
For the first time that night, Jiwook looked her in the eyes. He seemed tired, but a fond smile spread across his face as he kissed her palm.
“Alright.”
The water in their bathtub was warm. Jiwook sat with his back turned to Minju. She touched it with her bare hands, seeing how sticky it was due to the alcohol. She frowned as she remembered Yesol and their near fight. “Was that really necessary? Now his favorite jacket is stained…”
Their bathtub was filled with bubbles soon enough. Minju scrubbed his back before pouring shampoo on his head.
“I thought you told me not to wash my hair at night?”
Minju bit her lip. “I did tell you, but this is an emergency.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, right.”
Minju smiled to herself. “He laughed! That's a good start.” She rinsed off the shampoo and applied a generous amount of conditioner on his hair. She massaged his scalp, letting the product settle in.
She took a strand of his hair and wrapped it around her finger before letting go. She repeated the action a few more times, appreciating the way his curls fell onto his shoulders.
“Your hair is beautiful, you know? You should take better care of it.”
When he spoke, Minju felt like she was about to melt.
“You think so?”
“Of course I do.”
Minju knew how much Jiwook hated his appearance. His eyes, his scars… They were a permanent reminder that he'd never truly be human.
With time, he'd begun to hate himself as well, thinking he was some type of unlovable monster. Thankfully, Minju knew better than that.
While she couldn't deny their line of work, Minju couldn't brush off the fact that Jiwook was loyal, kind, and the best man she's ever met. She thought herself lucky that he chose to love her instead of anyone else, especially when she didn't have anything special about her.
Once they were dry and Jiwook sat on their shared bed, Minju walked up to him and held his head. She leaned down and gently pressed her lips against his.
Jiwook wrapped his hands around her waist and pulled her closer before slipping his tongue inside of her mouth. When she pulled away, she kissed his cheeks before hugging him.
Jiwook let out a deep sigh and rested his head on her chest.
“Do you want to talk now?”
“About what?”
Minju combed her fingers through his hair.
“About what's bothering you. Is it because of Yesol?”
“Yesol is a stuck up bitch. I don't give a shit about her.”
“Then why are you so upset? You didn't talk to me at all after the meeting with Red.”
His grip on her waist tightened and he hid his head between her breasts.
“Have you ever thought about having children?”
Minju froze at the question. “Children? With Jiwook?” The idea didn't sound half bad at all—she loved him deeply and knew his feelings were mutual. But how would they manage a child while working for the Begonia Group? “Well, others have done it before so it can't be impossible.”
“I did. Many times.” Jiwook said after he didn't get a reply. “But I never told you about it.”
“Were you afraid that I'd say no?”
He shook his head before pulling away from her embrace. “And even if you did, it wouldn't be a problem. It's just that… I was thinking about my life. Before I joined the Begonias. Before I met you.”
He fell into silence once more, and Minju sat by his side. She rested her hand on his thigh, silently urging him to keep talking.
Jiwook was a man that lived in the present. Even after years of dating, he barely told her about his past. The only thing she knew for certain is that he had a brother somewhere within the Corps.
“When I was a child,” he began, “the kids used to bully me a lot. They beat me up, poured their drinks on me… It didn't matter that I was bigger. I was an aberrant and they hated me for it. My mother told me to ignore them and live a normal life as an officer, but I didn't. And she ended up dying because of it.”
Minju leaned up against him and he took a deep breath.
“I'd like to be a dad someday, but…”
“You don't want our child to suffer, too?”
He nodded.
Minju placed a hand on his chest and gently pushed him onto their bed. Then, she made herself comfortable on top of him.
“I didn't think you worried about this sort of thing.”
“I think nobody expects me to worry at all.” He paused, then added, “nobody ever expects anything from me.”
Minju could hear his heart beating and couldn't help but hug him tighter. There were so many things she wanted to say, so many feelings that lumped up in the back of her throat and refused to come out. “I'm sorry this happened to you. It wasn't fair. Your scars are beautiful to me. I want to have a family, too.”
In the end, she said, “Jiwook, if we ever have a baby, then I don't want you to worry at all.”
When he made a confused noise, Minju sat up, straddling his hips.
“We're partners, remember? You're mine. And I'm yours, too. You need to remember that you aren't alone, not anymore, at least. We'll figure things out together.”
A determined expression took over her features and she could feel her entire body burning up. Minju wasn't one to express her feelings out loud. She preferred gentle touches in the privacy of their home, and even then she kept to herself most of the time.
Her heart skipped a beat when Jiwook pulled her in for a passionate kiss. The last time she felt this flustered near him was when he confessed his feelings to her and she could finally tell him she felt the same.
“I'm so lucky you're mine.” He breathed. “I love you.”
Minju hid her face in the crook of his neck and he chuckled, holding her close as he laid back down.
“Was that a yes, then?” He asked eventually.
She furrowed her brow. “A yes? To what?”
“To having children. Would you like that?”
Her eyes widened and she started pulling his cheeks angrily. He swatted at her hands but she didn't move an inch. Her face was red with embarrassment.
“We were having a cute moment and you ruined it!”
She let go of his cheeks and crossed her arms indignantly. Then, she laid down on the other side of the bed with her back turned to him.
“I'm sorry, princess. I was just messing with you. Forgive me? Please?”
Jiwook hugged her from behind and started peppering her shoulders with kisses.
Minju kept silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice was a murmur, just barely audible for him to hear.
“It was a maybe. And I love you, too.”
Minju didn't need to turn around to know he was smiling, because she was, too.