His wife's shoulder trembled when Yoonho touched it. The man gave a faint smile and tucked a loose strand of Jihye's hair behind her ear. A bead of sweat rolled down the woman's forehead. She jerked in surprise when it landed on her husband's cheek instead.
“S-sorry, Babe.” Her fingers hurriedly wiped away the sweat.
Seeing that, Yoonho merely let out a soft laugh, breathing hard. Jihye pouted as heat spread across her cheeks. She lightly smacked her husband's damp shoulder.
“Why are you laughing ...” she muttered.
Finally, Yoonho caught his wife's waist and carefully eased her body down beside him. Then he straightened the blanket wrapped around them.
The man turned toward his wife and kissed her forehead for a long moment. Jihye closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth that enveloped them both.
“Thank you, Babe.” The kiss moved down to her cheek.
Who knew how many times Yoonho had said that by now? Yet Jihye's heart still fluttered. She was sure her cheeks were as red as boiled crabs. Every hair on her body was still standing on end, just as it had the first time they did this.
Usually, Yoonho would tease her whenever he saw her cheeks turn red, making a little fuss before they finally fell asleep pressed close together. But ever since her husband turned fifty, he only stroked her flushed cheeks slowly. There was no teasing, just whispers that seemed to come straight from his heart.
Jihye gazed at the fine lines on Yoonho's face. His eyes looked weary, but a faint smile still lingered there.
Suddenly, the unexpected meeting with her husband's ex flashed through her mind. She didn't care that the woman had once occupied her husband's thoughts. She was the one in Yoonho's arms now.
And yet she found herself doubting her own words.
‘What's wrong with being old?’
It felt as though she couldn't lie, even though she'd said it loudly and with such conviction.
Jihye let out a long sigh and closed her eyes, unaware that Yoonho was still staring at her.
Seeing that his wife looked frustrated, he shifted closer and raised an eyebrow.
“What is it, Hye? Do you still want to keep going?”
Jihye quickly shook her head. Instead, she threw herself against Yoonho's chest. That warm breath immediately made the man shiver again amid his confusion.
“Let's do it again if you didn't like it earlier.” He held his wife's shoulders, trying to see her face.
His chest trembled at Jihye's shake of the head. This time, she shook it more firmly.
“No, Babe. I liked tonight. I'm tired, and you're tired too. Let's just sleep.” Her face emerged from Yoonho's embrace.
Her husband finally nodded. He gently nudged his wife's head down and tightened his embrace. Every now and then, he nuzzled against her, making her squirm in protest.
“Sorry I was so cranky today.” Jihye's voice was muffled.
This morning had been pretty chaotic because their twin daughters had requested a special breakfast without mentioning it the night before. Their little son only wanted milk and chocolate-spread bread, no rice. Jihye's nagging had started early, too. Luckily, Yoonho helped explain things to the kids. Even so, there was no time left to negotiate, and they still got what they wanted.
Yoonho gently stroked his wife's jet-black hair. “It's okay. They were pretty difficult to deal with today, too. Several times, they didn't finish their lunches even though those were the things they'd asked for.”
“But I nagged you, too.”
“Yeah, that was just you letting out what's been bottled up inside. Next time you get chatty, I'll just kiss you.”
Another punch landed on his chest. Yoonho held it in and chuckled.
Silence settled over their warmth. Yoonho blinked several times, comfort and relief making him drowsy.
“I think one of your friends called earlier. Who was it?”
The man's eyes widened again. He cleared his throat. “Myungtae. He asked me to go out for drinks tonight.”
Jihye shifted and adjusted her pillow. She furrowed her brow. “Why didn't you go, Babe?”
“Because, of course, I wanted to be with you.”
Jihye rolled her eyes and snorted. “You need some me time. You should've gone.”
“This is me time, too. No, our time. It's more fun.”
“Babe!”
“You were exhausted from dealing with the house and your emotions all day. How could I just leave you like that?”
Her lips pressed tightly together. Yoonho's words could always reach the tenderest parts of her heart. They were simple, but things like this had always been missing from her love life before.
Yoonho pressed his legs against Jihye's again, feeling the warmth of their skin meeting. “He said he's having problems with his wife.”
A man with a loosened tie slammed his shot glass down on the table. A sharp burn stabbed him as the whiskey slid down his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried out, but the dizziness still had him in its grip. The bartender poured him another drink.
It took four or five shots before Myungtae noticed the figure who had been silently watching him down them. His eyes were a little glassy, but he could still make out Yoonho.
One corner of his mouth lifted. He gave a crooked chuckle.
“Aren't you too damn attractive, Boss?”
No, it wasn't an empty compliment. They had both felt the flirtatious gazes of the women wandering around them. But Myungtae realized that the pale fifty-year-old man in glasses, a dark-blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and black pants was more attractive than he was. Yoonho's expression made no attempt to hide his reluctance whenever women approached. He merely raised a hand, displaying the ring on his finger.
“I already have a wife.” It was enough to leave them at a loss, but the women still kept grinning even as Yoonho turned them down.
“My wife made me wear this. I wanted to wear a T-shirt.” The man slowly sipped his soda. He even hissed at the sensation in his mouth. His gaze remained fixed on the male bartender in front of them.
Myungtae smiled bitterly. “Jihye really trusts you, Boss.”
Yoonho straightened his back and sighed.
“So what did you want to tell me?”
Myungtae drained his whiskey once more. He stared at the glass for a long moment. Instead, his lips remained tightly sealed.
“My wife asked me for a divorce.”