Ch 74- Final

“Oh my god. This is crazy.”

The moment Ideun’s car completely disappeared, Ji-an, who had been waving from the window, lowered himself and crouched down, burying his face in his knees.

After spending a pleasant time with grandmother and enjoying a delicious dinner, he felt full, warm, and at ease. As these three elements aligned perfectly, he had fallen asleep. Moreover, the moment he saw the new cushion by the window—clearly placed there because someone knew he enjoyed sitting and gazing at the serene garden—his desire to lie down surged.

While his grandmother briefly stepped out after dinner, saying she had something to do, Ji-an had sat on the cushion. It was soft and had absorbed the warmth from the heated floor, radiating a cozy heat that naturally made him lie down. And when he opened his eyes… he was home.

He didn’t bother to wonder who had carried him here. Who else but Ideun? Even if it wasn’t him, it would have been one of the people working under his grandmother.

8:40 AM. A time that could be considered late or early, depending on perspective. Ji-an stretched lazily before getting up.

Adjusting to a life of hardship and loneliness had taken a long time and had been painful. But money and comfort? They were undeniably good. In all his life—before and after his possession—he had never felt as peaceful and leisurely as now.

More than anything, today was an important and busy day.

Though outings always seemed to come with some kind of trouble, yesterday had ended well, and he had successfully purchased the watch he planned to give Ideun. It had cost several times more than he had initially intended—going from the hundreds of millions to the billions—but compared to the wealth in his bank account and assets under his name, it wasn’t a particularly significant sum.

…He used to hesitate over the price of a convenience store lunchbox, but after seeing the items his grandmother picked out and watching the astronomical numbers she casually dealt with, his sense of money had completely crumbled.

But so what?

It wasn’t as if he’d be buying Ideun something like this every day. It was a once-in-a-lifetime gift.

Stepping into the dressing room, Ji-an rummaged through the stack of unopened boxes until he found the watch case. His cheeks lifted in excitement as he opened it.

He’s going to love it. He has to.

After admiring the watch for a while, Ji-an carefully placed it back in its case and walked away with noticeably lighter steps.

Since he had woken up early, he had plenty of time to prepare. He planned to surprise Ideun when he got home from work with a grand “Ta-da!”

But never did he expect to run into him on the first floor.

As he turned a corner, he came face-to-face with Ideun, who was holding a coffee cup, freshly dressed for work.

At that moment, Ji-an felt like his breath had stopped.

Every time he saw him, he was reminded of how stunningly beautiful he was. It was awe-inspiring.

That man is mine. The father of our little snake!

It was almost surreal that he could say that out loud.

Ji-an only met Ideun’s gaze for a brief moment before his brain began working at full speed, recalling the events of the previous day.

At this hour, he had expected Ideun to be gone.

If they had met in the evening, Ji-an could have distracted him with various excuses, keeping his attention elsewhere while explaining away his unauthorized outing, the situation that unfolded because of it, and how he had ended up falling asleep at his grandmother’s house.

But right now, he had nothing to work with!

And in the confusion of his tangled thoughts, the words that spilled from his lips had no room for second-guessing.

‘I’ll let it slide.’

…What? Who was letting whom off the hook?

That wasn’t something he should be saying—Ideun should have been the one saying it to him!

But at the sight of Ideun’s furrowed brows, Ji-an panicked.

His words had already come out wrong. Whether things got worse or not, the situation was already spiraling.

So he desperately pushed forward, throwing out every excuse he could think of.

He even used their unborn child as an excuse.

And yet, all he got in return was laughter.

And knowing that Ideun was laughing because of his ridiculous words only made Ji-an want to disappear out of embarrassment.

In a desperate attempt to escape, he buried himself in Ideun’s arms, choosing them as his safe haven.

Given all the misunderstandings between them, there was no way a mere slip of the tongue would turn Ideun against him.

Ideun’s laughter, deep and full of joy, vibrated through Ji-an’s body.

Since he was held tightly against him, Ji-an was lifted with each of Ideun’s hearty chuckles.

He could feel everything—the way Ideun caught his breath, the happiness infused in the pheromones he released for Ji-an’s sake.

It was perfect.

Except for how long he was laughing.

And then, he dared to ask for forgiveness, saying he wouldn’t go to work today.

Ji-an could let many things slide, but not that. So he had no choice but to push him toward the door.

Now, reflecting on everything that had happened in the short time since he woke up, Ji-an’s ears burned red.

So embarrassing. So humiliating.

How could Ideun throw his own words back at him like that so quickly?

Curled up like a ball, Ji-an sat in a sunny spot, stewing in embarrassment. It wasn’t until Bobo licked the back of his hand that he finally raised his head.

“Well, I’m already taken, so I guess it’s okay now.”

Of course, Bobo wouldn’t understand, but Ji-an just wanted some kind of agreement.

However, the little creature simply turned its small body around and wandered off, swaying as it walked away.

Watching its retreating form, Ji-an slowly got up.

First, breakfast. Then, sorting out the things he bought yesterday.

Then, reviewing the options the wedding planner had given him.

And in the afternoon, he would prepare for Ideun’s arrival.

Clenching his fists with renewed determination, Ji-an strode toward the dining room.

But just as he turned his head, he caught sight of several figures quickly scurrying away.

…They saw everything. They saw it all.

He had completely forgotten about them because they made so little noise.

Knowing that he would have to get used to this sooner or later, Ji-an trudged toward the dining room.

Even though it didn’t feel like he had done much, the sun had set, and darkness was creeping in.

Ji-an’s movements became busier, darting between the first and second floors.

Even the household staff—usually invisible, diligently tending to their tasks in the background—moved quickly, following Ji-an’s instructions.

“Young master, should we put this here?”

“Huh? No, not there. Over in that corner.”

“The refreshments are ready.”

“What? Already? By the way, when is Ideun getting home?”

Being called “young master” still felt strange, but after a brief discussion with the staff, they had settled on “young master” as the proper title for Ji-an.

Calling Ideun “sir” was natural, but they needed a fitting way to address Ji-an.

“Madam” didn’t feel right.

“Mr. Ji-an-” wasn’t quite right either.

And he definitely wasn’t a “chairman” like his grandmother.

Then, someone suggested “young master,” and after a short silence, they had all agreed.

“It should be about five minutes.”

“Uwaa… What is this? What else do I have to do now?”

After spending a busy time with the employees, the living room on the second floor was decorated like a scene from a movie. Warm logs crackled in the fireplace, which had only been taking up space due to Ji-an’s health issues. Fresh flower arrangements were placed throughout the room, party balloons were positioned perfectly, the table setting was flawless, and not a single candle or small light—placed here and there to create a soft atmosphere—was unlit.

The gift boxes for Ideun were neatly prepared, and he himself was dressed impeccably in a suit.

“My hair is a mess!”

Just as Ji-an, flustered with nervousness and anxiety, was about to run a hand through his hair, a sharp voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Now, you just need to sit here and wait for the CEO to arrive.”

Led by someone’s hand, Ji-an was seated on a single-person couch. As he felt hands adjusting his hair and outfit, he bit his lower lip tightly.

“Nervous?”

“Mm… Ah, yes.”

The marriage had already been decided. He had received a proposal in the hospital room, met with a wedding planner in the afternoon, reserved a venue, and discussed concepts. But this… this was an event he was holding entirely because he wanted to.

Just as Ideun had sincerely apologized for what had happened in the past—though it hadn’t been his intention—and confessed his feelings, Ji-an also wanted to do the same.

In truth, he wanted to tell him that he liked him a lot, that he loved him. That he had been the one who fell in love first, and that he had been the one to imprint first. That because of the circumstances, he had said hurtful things, always thought of ways to distance himself, and even left for real—but that now, there would be no more of that.

As Ji-an silently rehearsed his thoughts, he instinctively sprang to his feet at the sound of a familiar chime.

“Young master, calm down. Calm down. Here… let’s take a deep breath together. Will you be okay?”

Looking at the employee who held his hand and guided him through deep breaths, Ji-an nodded firmly with a determined expression. What was this? He was just telling someone who already loved him that he loved him too—so why was his heart pounding so hard, and why was he so nervous?

“He just entered the underground parking lot.”

Who would have thought the employees were this coordinated? Like secret agents on a top-secret mission, they exchanged information rapidly through earpieces and relayed it directly to Ji-an.

“Would you like some water?”

“Yes, yes.”

Taking the glass offered to him, Ji-an moistened his lips and was guided back to his seat.

“He passed through the back entrance on the first floor. Young master, fighting!”

With the last update delivered, the employees scattered like a receding tide. Rubbing his sweaty palms against his thighs, Ji-an looked around as classical music played from somewhere. He hadn’t arranged for music, but whatever. Once Ideun climbed the stairs and turned the corner, the event he had prepared would begin.

“……”

Biting his lower lip anxiously, Ji-an fixed his gaze on the corner where Ideun would appear. And then—

With his coat draped over one arm, Ideun appeared, and their eyes naturally met.

He only spared a brief glance around before his gaze returned to Ji-an, his lips curling into a soft smile. As his arms opened naturally, Ji-an instinctively stood up and ran toward him.

As he was enveloped in a broad embrace and lifted into the air, spun around in circles, a clear, joyful laugh escaped from Ji-an’s lips.

Was this what it meant to understand each other without words? Even after playfully spinning him a few more times, Ideun didn’t let go.

“…Baby, what is all this?”

“Shh.”

As kisses rained down on his hair, forehead, and cheeks, Ji-an pressed a finger to Ideun’s lips to silence him. Then, taking his hand, he led him to the center of the living room. Seating Ideun where he had been sitting moments ago, Ji-an picked up a watch case from the table.

Ideun, realizing what he was about to do, started to rise, but Ji-an shook his head and stepped between Ideun’s legs, perching on one of his thighs.

As Ideun’s hands wrapped around his waist to steady him, Ji-an placed the watch case on his lap and reached for Ideun’s left hand, unfastening the watch he was wearing and setting it aside.

“I met you first. I liked you first. I loved you first, so I imprinted first, didn’t I? If you want to stay with me, the little snake, and Bobo, you have to give me all your time. I won’t leave your side, and I won’t distance myself from you.”

Still unable to meet Ideun’s eyes, Ji-an took out the watch he had bought and looked down at Ideun’s wrist before slowly raising his gaze.

A moment ago, when Ideun had been spinning him around in his arms, he had been smiling. But now, that smile had disappeared. No—his face had hardened. Or was he nervous?

Confronted with an expression that was anything but at ease, Ji-an averted his eyes slightly.

“If you wear this watch, it means you’re giving me all your remaining time. For life. Until death. And no matter what you say, I won’t give your time back. Is that okay?”

According to his plan, Ideun was supposed to smile and agree without hesitation, after which Ji-an would confidently fasten the watch around his wrist, concluding the event. But—

His heart plummeted as Ideun neither spoke nor moved.

Was he overstepping? Was he being selfish again? Could it be that Ideun didn’t really feel that way? That his feelings were just guilt over the past and a sense of responsibility for the little snake?

His nervous excitement vanished in an instant, replaced by extreme thoughts that filled his mind. His eyes welled up with tears. Why hadn’t he considered this possibility before?

He couldn’t cry here—he couldn’t ruin the atmosphere. He needed to laugh it off, say it was just a wedding gift, put the watch on him, and get off his lap quickly. But his body refused to move.

“My baby already said everything I wanted to say. There are so many things you want to do, so many things you want to have, so many places you want to go. Is it really okay for me to take all your time?”

Ji-an, who had been looking down at Ideun’s wrist and the watch, lifted his head at the gentle voice and affectionate words from above.

“You better answer carefully. Once you do, there’s no turning back.”

His reflection was visible in Ideun’s eyes as he looked down at him. When Ideun’s hand covered his own, the watch was placed onto his left wrist.

Ji-an wasn’t sure whether he was putting the watch on Ideun or if Ideun was using his hands to put it on himself.

As the watch settled onto his wrist and Ji-an’s fingers brushed against the clasp, Ideun spoke.

“Seo Ji-an. I’ll give you all my time. Can you give me all of yours?”

He should have smiled at those sweet words, but the tears in his eyes spilled down his cheeks first.

“…You don’t have to give me your time. I can give you all of mine.”

Perhaps mistaking the meaning of his tears, Ideun immediately changed his words.

Swallowing down his sobs, Ji-an, of his own volition—not following Ideun’s guidance—fastened the clasp. Then, smiling, he responded.

“I’ll take all of your time, and I’ll take all of mine too.”

He had suffered a lot, had endured painful, hopeless times. But now, Ideun was here, and so was Bobo, playing alone with artificial flower petals at his feet. And the little snake, quietly exuding a faint scent of grass.

That was enough.

As Ideun’s hardened expression finally softened, Ji-an raised his arms and wrapped them around his neck.

“I love you, Ideun.”

The words he had truly wanted to say. Words he had kept inside, circling in his mind hundreds of times.

What Ideun gave him in return was a deep, lingering kiss.

Rut Partner, The End.