Just as dawn broke and the rising sun was about to reach the center of the sky, Jung Ha-yeon stretched and opened her eyes in bed.
“Huh? Is it already this late?”
Once known for her precise time management and meticulous planning, she now found herself moving at a slower pace—probably because she was seven months pregnant.
She could feel her daily rhythm gradually slowing down, from waking up to all her activities.
But it was fine.
After all, under Kim Soo-hyun’s strict orders, all pregnant women were completely excused from work, so time was abundant.
With that in mind, the leisurely woman mused aloud.
“What music should I listen to today? Oh, the battery’s already dead? Let me see… Ah, here’s a spare charged one.”
She put on her large headphones, sat down in the rocking chair, and closed her eyes.
Every day since becoming pregnant, she had listened without fail to the “100 Best Prenatal Music” brought from Earth.
After finishing her prenatal music session and washing up, Jung Ha-yeon stepped out of her room carefully.
“What should I do with my time today?” she thought happily—an unimaginable luxury in the past.
Arriving on the first floor a bit later than usual, she suddenly stopped in her tracks.
She sensed a strange atmosphere in the hallway.
Cautiously, she pushed open the dining room door—and inside, an unusual scene was unfolding.
At the table connected to the kitchen sat Kim Soo-hyun, his eyes blurry.
Was something wrong?
He sighed deeply, occasionally picking at his food listlessly, staring blankly into space.
But oddly, around him were five or six women teasing him mercilessly.
“Oh dear, why do you look so weak today, honey? Did you have a bad dream last night?”
“No, it’s just… complicated.”
“Aw, your shoulders are all slumped. What’s going on? Want me to feed you some milk, baby?”
“Im Hanna, cut it out. Stop treating us like babies.”
As Ko Yeon-ju and Im Hanna took turns teasing him, Kim Soo-hyun grew annoyed.
From the side, Je-gal Hae-sol, watching with a mischievous grin, chimed in.
“Wow, what’s going on? Our mighty Kim ‘Boob Stone’ refusing milk? Something must be up.”
“Excuse me? ‘Kim Boob Stone’?”
Kim Soo-hyun’s tone sharpened, clearly irritated by the nickname.
Je-gal Hae-sol shrugged and glanced at Han So-young for approval.
Han So-young glanced up slyly and nodded as if it made perfect sense.
“It’s not wrong. There have been more than a few times during sex when I wondered if I was here to feed a baby.”
Laughter erupted from all around.
Han So-young half-joked, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Caught up in the fun, Nam Da-eun joined in with a giggle.
Of course, Kim Soo-hyun’s irritation only deepened.
Already thinking, “I don’t know the details, but this is a bit much,” Jung Ha-yeon saw the coldness harden in Kim Soo-hyun’s eyes and quickly stepped inside.
But the man’s patience had already run out.
He slammed his spoon down and fixed Han So-young with a sharp look.
“Oh, really?”
Then, in a low but clear voice, he said:
“You little piss-pot.”
The laughter stopped instantly.
The women blinked in surprise, exchanging glances.
Seeing Kim Soo-hyun still staring at Han So-young, Ko Yeon-ju asked hesitantly.
“So-young, do you… have some kind of incontinence?”
“No?”
Han So-young shook her head, confused.
Then suddenly, she squinted and crossed her thighs tightly.
She reflexively glared at Kim Soo-hyun, but he had already shifted his gaze to Ko Yeon-ju.
“Exhibitionist.”
Again, the same reaction.
Ko Yeon-ju’s eyes widened, and she suddenly hiccupped in confusion.
“Ex… exhibitionist?”
“Oh, exhibitionist?”
Kim Han-byeol tilted her head, and Je-gal Hae-sol smiled knowingly.
Je-gal Hae-sol, surprisingly well-versed in matters of sex, quickly grasped Kim Soo-hyun’s meaning.
“Good grief… exhibitionist?”
Ko Yeon-ju shot a sharp glare to silence her, but Je-gal Hae-sol, the resident troublemaker, wasn’t about to stop—especially not with Ko Yeon-ju.
“Well, well, what a surprise. To think the revered Shadow Queen has such an elegant taste…”
But the problem was, Je-gal Hae-sol was also in Kim Soo-hyun’s line of fire.
His indifferent gaze quietly shifted toward her.
“Je-gal spanking.”
Je-gal Hae-sol, arms crossed and teasing, flinched.
She bit her lower lip tightly, her expression slowly turning angry.
At that moment, oblivious Vivian jumped in.
“Hey, what’s spanking?”
“That’s a very good question, Vivian.”
Ko Yeon-ju, having recovered her composure, spoke up eagerly.
“Wait a minute! You…!”
“Spanking is a form of SM play—a sexual punishment involving hitting. Usually, it means smacking the buttocks hard with the palm.”
Je-gal Hae-sol tried to interrupt, but it was too late.
Ko Yeon-ju spoke clearly and deliberately, as if for everyone to hear.
Then added, “Wow, to think the proudest top-tier mage would have such refined tastes…”
Even Je-gal Hae-sol, the fearless, couldn’t hide the blush creeping up her cheeks.
Vivian’s eyes sparkled with curiosity, while Kim Soo-hyun quietly eyed his next target.
Im Hanna jumped up.
“You! Just try calling me ‘Pregnant Pig’ again!”
She threatened seriously, but Kim Soo-hyun just smiled faintly.
“Alright, Im piercing.”
“Piercing? What’s that?”
Vivian’s excited voice echoed, but no one answered.
Everyone just turned their eyes toward Im Hanna.
“Really? You actually did it?”
“Hey, where? Let me see.”
“See? See what?” Im Hanna flinched, instinctively covering her chest and… well, other private areas with her hands.
But when she saw Nam Da-eun covering her mouth in shock, she realized her mistake and let her hands drop helplessly.
“Nam…”
Kim Soo-hyun looked at Nam Da-eun, but then said,
“No, you’re off the hook.”
He moved on to Kim Han-byeol.
There were just too many words that came to mind thinking about their usual private moments.
Nam Da-eun, who had been quietly hopeful, pouted, while Kim Han-byeol frantically shook her head.
“Oppa! I didn’t say anything!”
“I know, Han-byeol.”
“Huh…?”
“I know, Moon-byeol.”
The dining room fell silent.
Having dominated the room with his revelations, Kim Soo-hyun sighed deeply, stood up, and turned away.
Watching his back as he left, Je-gal Hae-sol muttered in a voice dripping with humiliation.
“What’s that? I tried to cheer him up with some cuteness, and he sulked like a petty man…”
Quietly observing, Jung Ha-yeon thought, “Cuteness? He was totally enjoying teasing him…”
Then—
“Ah…?”
“Ah…!”
The footsteps that had been striding away suddenly stopped.
Across the room, Seraph was just entering the dining room.
More precisely, standing still at the door.
The two men glanced away from each other simultaneously.
“……”
“……”
After hesitating for a long moment, Kim Soo-hyun awkwardly cleared his throat and passed by.
Seraph waited until he was completely gone, then looked back with a longing expression.
Though sudden, the atmosphere was noticeably different from before, leaving the women puzzled.
“What’s going on? Why does it suddenly feel so bittersweet?”
“Maybe they had a fight?”
“But if that’s the case, why does it feel kind of… romantic?”
“Definitely something’s off…”
There was a certain vibe.
Having felt a bit uneasy since inviting Seraph over earlier, Ko Yeon-ju glanced subtly at Je-gal Hae-sol.
Je-gal Hae-sol, sensing something too, watched Seraph, who was now holding his face in his hands.
Ko Yeon-ju spoke up.
“It’s a bit awkward, but why don’t we casually ask him about it?”
“Me? No way. If I poke around any more here, who knows what’ll happen… Anyway, we can’t handle it on our side, so you deal with it.”
A firm refusal.
Ko Yeon-ju snorted, as if she expected that.
“Why not? If he gets mad, someone might even get spanked. That’d be fun, right? I’m sure he’d be happy.”
“Well, maybe. But wouldn’t he be even happier if someone suggested a naked stroll in the garden to clear his mind? While we’re at it, put on a dog collar and a tail. Yeah, that’d be perfect.”
Je-gal Hae-sol fired back without missing a beat.
Author’s Note
Thank you all for participating in the event.
If anyone who joined hasn’t received their sticker, please let me know. :)