A loud thunderclap sounded again outside the window. The sudden noise shattered the suffocating silence, making Yujin flinch and curl his whole body in shock. Winston, however, showed no reaction. Embarrassed by his motionless gaze, Yujin straightened his shoulders hesitantly. Winston, quietly observing, slowly spoke.
“So.”
Having heard that Yujin had tried hard to meet him but was blocked by everyone, Winston continued.
“Why did you sleep with my father?”
Boredom filled Winston’s face. Yujin painstakingly recounted what had happened to explain how he had fallen into the trap, but seeing Winston’s reaction, he felt a wave of doubt.
“I didn’t sleep with your father.”
Yujin murmured weakly. Frowning, Winston listened as Yujin confessed in a fading voice.
“I thought it was you. The pheromone scent... it was the same as yours.”
“Hah.”
Winston exhaled audibly, as if telling him to make sense.
“My father and I share the same traits.”
“I know.”
Was that really the reason for the confusion? Winston mocked, and Yujin answered faintly.
“But at the time, I thought it was your scent. I never imagined it was Harold’s.”
When all efforts had been in vain, Yujin finally sought out Harold. Though he knew it was shameless, Harold was the only one who could help him.
“Harold met with me.”
Recalling the memory made Yujin feel miserable. He exhaled shakily and continued slowly.
“We sat facing each other on the sofa and drank tea. I apologized first... I told him how ungrateful I had been and begged for forgiveness. Harold mercifully said he forgave me.”
Yujin didn’t raise his head as he spoke of Harold embracing and comforting him when he broke down crying. Winston’s face remained expressionless, but from the moment Harold’s name came up, his clenched fists grew so tight his knuckles turned white and didn’t relax at all.
“He said he wanted to meet you. But no one listened to him... He said if he could see you just once, he wouldn’t ask for anything more. Harold didn’t reply, just told me to go back and wait. He’d think about it and tell me later...”
Yujin took another deep breath and fell silent. Hesitating to say more, Winston broke the quiet.
“Keep going, I’m listening.”
Yujin nodded instead of speaking, then drew a deep breath and exhaled.
“A few days later, I got a call.”
His voice tried to sound calm but trembled faintly. Realizing this, Yujin spoke slower, enunciating each word carefully.
“I was waiting for Harold’s contact, so I answered as soon as the phone rang. Harold sounded a bit surprised... but he just asked some routine questions. How I was doing, whether I had eaten...”
Winston suddenly noticed his hands tingling and looked down, frowning. Realizing he was clenching his fists too tightly, he consciously relaxed them with displeasure. Yujin’s voice continued.
“I was anxious but tried to be polite not to offend Harold. I just hoped he’d bring up the subject first. Finally, Harold asked ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) if I still meant what I said about doing anything to meet you. I said yes, without hesitation, even for a second.”
Yujin swallowed dryly, clasping his hands tightly as if needing immense courage to speak the next words. Harold, at last, spoke with a hoarse voice.
“He asked if I could sleep with you.”
Winston felt strength surge again into his hands, but he couldn’t unclench his fists. If he didn’t, he felt like he’d break something. Bright flashes lit the sky outside again, followed by thunder.
Silence fell again. Winston, watching Yujin struggle to suppress his heavy breaths as if calming his emotions, spoke softly, his voice much lower than usual, as if barely holding back a shout.
“So.”
He continued.
“So you slept with my father? Just to meet me?”
“What else did I have in my life besides you?”
Yujin protested in a voice mixed with tears. Winston’s heart chilled, fearing Yujin might be crying, but fortunately, tears weren’t visible when Yujin raised his head. Only his eyes were wetter than usual.
Their gazes briefly met before Yujin looked away. Whether he was trying to hide his feelings or for some other reason was unclear, but he went on.
“I couldn’t answer because it was such an unexpected offer. If he had proposed that the first time we met, if I had time to think, I might have accepted. But at that moment, I was just too shocked and confused to think. I was just helpless, so Harold said it was just something he tried... and that he understood my feelings.”
What was Harold thinking then? Maybe he was sincere. Would things have been different if Yujin had agreed at the time? Yujin repeated that question over and over, though it was meaningless now.
“I thought Harold was just testing me. I felt so reassured... And he was the only one who dealt with me, so I trusted him. He said he’d let me meet you, told me to come to Delight... I took the car Harold sent and went to the mansion.”
Yujin brushed back his trembling hair with his fingers and stared into the distance for a moment, as if recalling forgotten memories. Winston simply watched Yujin’s profile during the few seconds of silence.
“I drank the tea the butler served and waited for Harold, but my body started to feel strange. It felt like a heat cycle coming on... I was totally out of my mind. I tried to leave the mansion, but then...”
A sweet scent.
Yujin seemed instantly transported back to that day. Staring blankly into the distance, he whispered.
“I had no reason left to be rational. I just followed the scent... How could I resist? It was your scent. I missed you so much. Harold kept his promise. You were waiting for me...”
And when the door opened and that strong scent poured over him, Yujin saw it—the smiling face of Winston coming toward him.
Winnie.
Without hesitation, Yujin threw himself into his arms. Breathing deeply that sweet scent, embracing the body of the man he loved with all his strength, he sank into the happiest reality he had ever known.
That was where his memory ended.
“When I opened my eyes, I was lying alone in a shabby motel I had never seen before.”
Yujin confessed with a weak voice.
“I had no idea what had happened. I couldn’t meet Harold, no matter how hard I tried... I got some money from the secretary, but money wasn’t what I wanted. I begged and begged to meet you...”
Wondering if Winston was dead, Yujin honestly thought so. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been left like this. If Winston died, Yujin had no reason to live either. He would have to follow him in death. How could he live without Winston?
But he couldn’t die. When he was on the verge of giving up, he found a reason not to die.
He was pregnant. With Winston’s child.
He didn’t know how he would raise the child alone. At the time, he was barely able to take care of himself. But he couldn’t lose both Winston and the baby. When he thought he had to endure somehow, he saw a news article.
The front page headline read that Winston and Evelyn were engaged.
