Chapter 126. I Love You (2)

Translator: Lili

“Not yet, we enjoy each other’s company. Maybe someday problems will arise, but we will deal with them in due course. No point worrying about it now.”

“So… you’re really happy you got married?”

“Of course. I’ll invite you all over next time.”

As the one footing the bill today, Byungchul’s not-so-humble bragging continued, punctuated by occasional jabs from Chanwoong that kept things lively but never crossed the line.

When they stepped out of the restaurant, the streets were enveloped in darkness. Kangsan, hands stuffed in his coat pockets, turned to Seo Gyuha.

“You’re not coming for the second round, are you?”

“No, I have plans.”

“At this hour?”

“Just meeting someone briefly.”

Like Kangsan, Seo Gyuha also had his hands buried in his jacket pockets. The difference was that he had been fiddling with something inside since earlier.

While today’s gathering was about Byungchul handing out gifts, knowing they’d all be there, Seo Gyuha had also brought something to share. He’d debated whether to give it out right up until the moment he left the house, but listening to Byungchul’s stories had tipped the scales.

As the others discussed where to go for the second round, Seo Gyuha abruptly pulled out what he had in his pocket and handed one to each of them. Unsurprisingly, Chanwoong was the first to react.

“What’s this?”

“You’ll see. I’m heading out first.”

“Hey, Seo Gyuha!”

Ignoring the startled calls behind him, Seo Gyuha walked off without looking back.

“Ha…”

Once inside his car, he closed the door and let out a deep sigh. Despite walking briskly for barely a minute or two, his heart was pounding like crazy.

He knew the real reason wasn’t physical exertion. Resting his head on his arm against the window, he frowned, and the silence was broken by his phone ringing.

-Bear Idiot-

Seeing the caller ID, he hesitated briefly before answering. It was an expected call, and avoiding it now wouldn’t change anything.

“What?”

— Hey, what’s this? Some kind of new joke?

The loud voice made him grimace and hold the phone away before bringing it back to his ear.

“Are you insane? Why would I joke about that?”

— Wait… so this is real?

“…It just ended up that way.”

The muffled sound of Byungchul relaying this revelation to the others reached his ears. Then the voice returned, louder than ever.

— What do you mean it ‘just ended up that way’? Marriage isn’t something you ‘just do’! Where are you right now? Come back and explain this. The others are freaking out.

It made sense. Even he sometimes found the situation surreal, so for his friends—who hadn’t seen him in a real relationship for years—to suddenly receive a wedding invitation, it was bound to cause an uproar.

He had given out the invitations to avoid a bigger blow-up later, but as for the rest—the fact that he was an omega, would marry an alpha male and have a child—it would take a little more courage to disclose.

“I have plans. I’ll explain next time.”

— Hey, Seo Gyuha! Hey! Seo Gy—

*Click.*

Cutting off the desperate calls, Seo Gyuha started the engine and drove off before anyone could follow.

At a red light, the quiet inside the car was almost stifling. Without realizing it, his right hand drifted from the gear shift to rest on his stomach.

Truthfully, marriage had never crossed his mind. Even now, he hadn’t truly accepted the idea. Despite what he had said about babysitters and parental help, raising a child alone wasn’t feasible, and living with Chayoung had always seemed like the only option.

The reason Seo Gyuha thought cohabitation was enough was that he was a male omega. Although there were no legal obstacles due to the alpha-omega dynamic, it was exceedingly rare for same-sex couples to officially register their marriage. Female alphas or male omegas were already uncommon, and even among them, most formed heterosexual unions.

If he hastily registered his marriage with Chayoung, who could predict how the child in his womb would feel about it later? There was another reason as well—Seo Gyuha was not at all ready to accept a legal spouse. If they were merely living together and something went wrong, they could separate without much fuss. However, ending a marriage would inevitably devolve into a messy legal battle.

After agonizing over the decision—probably more than he ever had in his life—Seo Gyuha finally resolved to see it through. The reason was the same as Yoon Byungchul’s earlier words:

— Honestly, it’s just great. Falling asleep together, waking up together, the thought of him being ‘my person’—it’s amazing. It’s hard to put into words, but it feels different from when we were just dating. You’ll understand once you experience it.

For Seo Gyuha, it was the same. Welcoming Chayoung home after work, spending evenings together, falling asleep side by side—it was far more exciting than he had anticipated to live under one roof with someone he loved. Even when they exchanged silly jokes like when they were just friends or casual partners, the satisfaction derived from their changed relationship was immense.

And honestly… imagining life without Chayoung beside him was impossible now. The idea of being with anyone else was equally unthinkable. He was so entangled in this relationship that, even if things turned ugly later, he had decided to follow his feelings for now.

After all, he had always lived by worrying about tomorrow only when it arrived.

***