"Just so you know," Seungcheol grunts, his voice laced with frustration, "I'm only putting up with you because of my mother. Nothing else." He forcefully pushes down on the accelerator, the car lurching forward.
Jeonghan, ever the tease, smirks and...
Seungcheol's eyes widened in disbelief, a mixture of shock and horror etched across his face as he locked eyes with Hyori.
"What...?" The realization hit him like a sudden storm. His mother knew? That he and Jeonghan were merely pretending to be husbands and weren't actually married? Questions lingered, and he couldn't fathom why she hadn't comforted him about it earlier.
"How do you..."
"I am your mother, Seungcheol. Of course, I will delve into the background of my son's supposed-to-be husband," Hyori declared, her gaze carrying a complex emotion. Despite her reputation for being tough, a mother's concern was undeniable. She never wished for Seungcheol to endure what she had.
"I was waiting for you to confess, but you never did. So I had to do it myself..." Her disappointment resonated in her voice as Hyori's sturdy demeanor softened into a somber tone. Her hands clenched tightly by her sides, and she turned away, a tumult of emotions playing across her face.
"You could have at least confided in Sohee or Grandma about it; they have so much trust in you, Seungcheol." The weight of those words hung in the air. Seungcheol's breath quickened, and he slumped to the ground, his throat constricting as hot tears streamed down his face.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to... I was planning to reveal everything on the day of the gathering. I was scared, Mom," Seungcheol confessed through his broken voice, his attempt to steady his breath revealing the vulnerability beneath his facade.
"It's alright," Hyori uttered with a comforting sigh, her presence a balm in the charged atmosphere. Kneeling gracefully before Seungcheol, she tenderly brushed his disheveled bangs back, her fingers tracing a soothing path.
The weight of unspoken emotions lingered, yet her touch conveyed understanding. Cupping his cheeks with a gentle warmth, she bridged the gap, offering reassurance in the delicate dance of shared vulnerability.
In a calm, measured voice, Hyori's words hung in the air like a foreboding melody. "You know how Jihyun and Mingyu would react if they found out you have been lying about your wedding to them," she uttered, the gravity of her statement painting the room with an atmosphere pregnant with anticipation.
As she guided Seungcheol to the couch, each step seemed to echo with the unspoken tension, creating a palpable sense of impending revelation.
"I'm aware, which is why I've decided to confess during the annual gathering, in front of everyone. I don't care if it costs me the CEO position," Seungcheol admitted, a hint of vulnerability in his voice. He sniffed slightly, his gaze fixed on the lamp adorning the nightstand.
Hyori simply hummed, gracefully rising to her feet. With a purposeful stride, she reached for a water glass, extending a silent gesture of support to Seungcheol in the midst of his internal storm.
"After that? What will you do?" Hyori's question pierced through the tumultuous sea of Seungcheol's thoughts, halting them in their tracks.
In that suspended moment, Jeonghan's face materialized in his mind, casting shadows of uncertainty. The weight of the impending aftermath lingered, and Seungcheol found himself at the crossroads of decisions, his next steps shrouded in the haze of unanswered questions.
"I don't know," the whispered admission hung in the air, its weight palpable enough for Hyori to catch every nuance.
The uncertainty in Seungcheol's voice echoed the complexity of emotions that swirled within, creating a poignant moment of vulnerability as the words lingered in the space between them.
"I don't want you to experience what I did, Cheol," Hyori's words carried a weight of empathy, her gaze holding the depth of her own past pains.
"Jeonghan seems like a good guy... There's nothing wrong in falling in love," she continued, the sincerity of her advice striking Seungcheol like a revelation. He stared at her face, still marked by the trace of wet tears, finding a solace in the unexpected wisdom that emerged from her heartfelt words.
"Yes... but he doesn't feel the same, Mom," Seungcheol whispered, his hands clenching involuntarily as if trying to hold the fragments of his breaking heart.
The memory of Jeonghan's reaction in the dressing room echoed, a painful reminder that the feelings were not reciprocated. The inner turmoil etched on Seungcheol's face reflected the conflict between his emotions and the realization that forcing Jeonghan into something he didn't feel could only deepen the wounds.
"Why do you think so," Hyori's voice remained as calm as ever, a subtle mix of both cold and warmth as she fixed her gaze upon Seungcheol. The maternal concern in her eyes held a quiet intensity, a blend of understanding and a stern reminder for her son to reflect on the roots of his assumptions.
"I... it's nothing," Seungcheol sighed, the weight of unspoken turmoil evident in his every exhale as he rose from the couch.
"I'll go now," he declared, the words hanging in the air with a sense of unresolved tension. Without waiting for Hyori's response, he walked toward the door, each step echoing the internal struggle he carried with him, leaving the room cloaked in the aftermath of his emotional revelation.
Hyori's gaze lingers on Seungcheol's figure, silhouetted against the departing daylight. A tumultuous surge of emotions overtakes her, and she exhales a deep, resonant sigh that echoes the complexities within her soul.
Emerging from her chair with a determined grace, she strides purposefully toward the desk, fingers caressing the worn texture of the familiar brown envelope. Each movement is a delicate dance as she unveils its secrets, unfolding the creased edges to expose the postcard-sized photograph of Jeonghan. The image, a captured fragment of time, whispers tales of a past etched in nostalgia.
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As her fingers delicately trace the contours of the photograph, a tender smile graces Hyori's lips. "You are simply perfect for him," she whispers softly, the plea lingering in the air, "don't ever leave, my Seungcheollie." The words, filled with a heartfelt wish, are held captive within the confines of Hyori's thoughts.
------
-Vaish
What do y'all think of Hyori now? 🫣
And what do you think mingyu's plan is?
Seungcheol and Jeonghan used to be lovers in thier past life and Seungcheol cheats on jeonghan which leads to him being in a curse when he remembers every life he lives, to break free from the curse he has to make Jeonghan fall in love with him again. But what if in 21st century, Jeonghan is a straight man who is arranged in marriage with Seungcheol's sister?
