Chapter 39
39. Scary Dream
Kangwoo gazed at her with hot eyes, as if asking whether she truly desired him. That look stirred deep emotions within her.
In that instant, as their breaths drew close, Naeun let out a short moan without realizing it. At the sound, Kangwoo's eyes darkened instantly.
"Do you love me?"
Naeun caught her breath and smiled.
"Asking that in this moment is practically coercion."
Though Naeun spoke jokingly, Kangwoo's warm, deep gaze never left her for a second.
"I'll answer when I'm in my right mind, not when I'm this lost in Choi Kangwoo."
But Kangwoo continued in a tender tone laced with stubbornness.
"I want to hear it now. Should I go first then?"
As he leaned in to whisper in her ear, Naeun covered her ears with both hands. It was too frightening to hear.
It was clear. If she did, a single word from him would upend her entire world.
"I don't want to hear it. Later... let's talk later..."
The two shared their love even more intensely, seeking each other.
She seemed to fall into a deep sleep, but then a sound reached her. It was clear in Naeun's ears. She sat up.
"What's going on?"
"I hear something from downstairs. Don't you hear it?"
As Naeun opened the door, sure enough, crying came from below.
"Teacher! Mom."
The small crying voice was Minho's. Naeun threw on a robe and hurried downstairs.
"Minho."
"Mom. Teacher."
Calling for mom then teacher while crying suggested a nightmare.
Naeun hugged the child tightly.
"It's okay. Teacher's here."
But she couldn't explain about mom. Mom wasn't here. Minho had never called for her before, even though he knew.
"Shall we sleep together with Teacher? Teacher will put you to sleep."
As she soothed the child, Kangwoo came down too.
"I'll put him to sleep. He's probably more used to me, right?"
Naeun nodded at Kangwoo's words. Yes. It would be better for the child to get closer to the Choi family members.
As Kangwoo picked him up, Minho's small body buried completely into his shoulder.
"Uncle."
"Yeah. Let's sleep with Uncle."
Kangwoo took Minho to his room. Even after they went in, Naeun couldn't sleep right away and waited outside. Moonlight filtered through the thin curtains. The low lighting made the garden lights brighter, revealing the outdoor scenery clearly.
Snow was falling lightly. It seemed like a snowy year. Already the severalth snowfall in December. As she gazed out the window, the door quietly opened moments later, and Kangwoo emerged.
"Why aren't you sleeping?"
"In case Minho cries more, so I can take care of him."
Kangwoo checked the time. 3 a.m. This woman worrying about Minho even at this hour truly seemed like his real mom. She poured equal devotion into raising both Jiho and Minho, and there seemed to be some magical power endlessly drawing out love for her.
Kangwoo lay long on the sofa, pillowing his head on Naeun's knee, and quietly gazed out the window. Beyond the glass, white snow fell silently. Like stars slowly scattered from the sky, snowflakes drifted down one by one, softly blanketing the world in gentle white light. It was a poetic winter night scene.
Kangwoo murmured softly, eyes fixed on the snowy view.
"It's snowing."
Naeun whispered back, gazing outside too.
"Yeah. The snow is falling so beautifully."
Her voice carried soft, cozy emotions like the falling snow.
Kangwoo smiled faintly at her words. Suddenly, this quiet winter night felt dreamlike.
This moment of lying comfortably on Naeun's knee was so precious he didn't want to miss a second. Looking up at her, he felt her warmth even deeper.
Naeun gently stroked his hair without a sound. The small warmth from her fingertips seeped into Kangwoo's heart.
On this snowy night, he felt like he had set everything aside and found peaceful rest by Naeun's side. The white world outside, the cozy quiet indoors, and this time together were peace irreplaceable by anything for Kangwoo.
In that serene time, Kangwoo closed his eyes as if drifting to sleep and whispered to Naeun.
"I'm thankful... we can be together like this."
Naeun smiled quietly, gazing at him. The snow fell whiter and deeper, the room cozier. The two welcomed this winter night silently, together with each other's warmth, like the falling snow.
Naeun slowly brushed back Kangwoo's hair from her knee. Sleep came drifting down.
"Go up and sleep."
"This is fine too. But if I say let's go back up so you can sleep, you won't, right?"
"Yes. We should sleep here tonight. Always going up to sleep isn't good."
Naeun laughed at his words. The two entered Naeun's room together. She thought it was fine since they always woke before the kids.
Was it from tossing in the early dawn sleep? Or did Jiho wake early because he slept too early? Opening the door, Jiho said.
"Huh? Uncle slept here?"
At Jiho's cute voice, Naeun startled awake, heart nearly stopping, eyes flying open. Kangwoo's face beside her came into view, and realizing the situation, her face flushed instantly.
How to explain?
Naeun racked her brain inwardly, looking at Jiho with a flustered expression.
"Jiho."
Tensely, at a loss, she forced a smile.
Jiho alternated innocent gazes between Kangwoo and Naeun. His pure blinking as he tried to understand made Naeun uneasy. To the child, seeing Minho's uncle sleeping in mom's room seemed quite novel.
Naeun took a quiet breath and asked Jiho.
"Jiho, what do you do if you're scared while sleeping?"
Jiho answered with a puzzled expression.
"Yeah, I go to Mom."
Naeun let out a slight laugh at that and said softly.
"Right? Minho's uncle must have been scared while sleeping too. Minho woke up from sleep."
Jiho's eyes widened looking at Kangwoo, then nodded. The idea that a big adult like uncle could be scared seemed new.
"Even such a big man gets scared."
Jiho muttered innocently, tilting his head. Naeun smiled, stroking his hair. Relieved Jiho accepted without suspicion, and his purity was so lovable she laughed.
As she talked with Jiho, Kangwoo woke up, chuckling awkwardly. His hair sticking straight up showed he just awoke. She never imagined seeing this disheveled side of him.
"Did Uncle have a scary dream too?"
Kangwoo nodded.
"A very scary dream."
Jiho asked as if he understood, seeing Kangwoo's serious face.
"Did a wolf come out in Uncle's dream too?"
Kangwoo burst out laughing.
"Yeah. A really big wolf came out."
"It's okay. It was just a dream."
Kangwoo spoke, and Naeun eyed him suspiciously.
"We must never make this mistake again."
"Not late."
"What mistake? Everyone gets scared of wolf dreams. So forgive me."
Kangwoo cheekily replied and headed to work, neatly dressed as if that messy hair never happened.
Wolf, huh. That man looks like he could hunt down packs of wolves.
