Chapter 110. Revelations

Seohyun could feel her cheeks burning realizing that she should be the one facing his aunt because Yonghwa sounded really pissed grumbling in the shower too loudly. “Locking them out is ridiculous and you know it! They’re family,” she rapped back when he said something about privacy.

His annoyance was understandable and she couldn’t deny that it was actually her fault knowing that his mother or aunt and even Sooyoung would come at any time without prior announcement. They knew that they would mostly prefer to stay home on the weekend so their visits are usually a surprise.

But this one definitely took the cake for the ‘surprise’ side of it— for them and his aunt.

“I’ll talk to her, just stay here and watch over Euna.”

“I can talk to her,” he replied as he walked back in the room with a fresh clothes on.

Seohyun shook her head and dropped a hand on his shoulder giving him a pat, “Not when you’re this upset. Who knows what you’d say to her.” He grunted with brows furrowed so she pulled him in a hug hoping it could calm him even for a bit, “Please, Oppa? I still can’t find the baby monitor and she’ll be terrified if we can’t get her the moment she wakes up.”

That seemed to satisfy him and only gave her a small nod. “Call me if you need me,” he muttered.

She only nodded with an assuring smile and left the room. It felt like taking her very own walk-of-shame as she made her way downstairs and looked for Aunt Hyeonji. Seohyun found her in the kitchen with a pitcher of cold water in front of her and a half-glass full in her hand. The older woman lifted her gaze to her for a second then dropped them back again leaving her feeling like she was really in trouble.

She stood there for a second seemingly figuring out how to proceed and when no better alternative came to mind, she decided to start, “Gomo, I’m really sorry—”

Waving a hand to stop her from continuing, Hyeonji, took the glass, pointed to the chair in front of her, and ordered, “Sit down.” After taking a few sips, she placed the glass back down and eyed her seriously, “How long has this been going on?”

It rattled her hearing that and the worse thing was that it left her speechless.

“I knew this would happen, Seohyun. But some part of me thought you wouldn’t give in to him,” she continued softly, her voice laced with disappointment. When the younger woman remained quiet, Hyeonji cleared before speaking, “But you know what this means now…”

Seohyun’s stance changed. She seemed to perked up hearing her say that and her heart pounded even harder in her chest.

“From the very beginning I considered myself responsible for you. Your parents are not here and I—” she took a deep breath before continuing with a small shake of her head, “I am disappointed to say the least.”

Her jaws clenched. How many times exactly had she heard those words before? Although she felt genuinely guilty, she couldn’t help but let her stubbornness shine through that she just blurted out, “I’m really sorry, but Gomo, we both are adults—“

“Oh, you’re throwing that on me now?” Her arms crossed on her chest as she looked her down, “Seohyuna, you forfeited your choice on the matter. You two have to get married.”

She shook her head and the feelings boiling inside her that her tears finally broke out, “I can’t… I can’t…”

It really felt like facing her parents again, but this time, there was this added pressure of Yonghwa’s proposal and the reason that she didn’t accept it. She didn’t want to face this situation— she didn’t want to be forced into this. This is something so important for her. She could feel her body shaking and felt Aunt Hyeonji’s body pressed on her back as she hugged her.

“Oh darling…” watching Seohyun cry in anguish weakened her. She didn’t expect this reaction and all she could do now was to rub a consoling hand on the younger girl’s back hoping it could calm her and explain this reaction, “Shhh… Seohyun, stop… stop crying… why can’t you?”

Seohyun didn’t answer— couldn’t for that matter because her tears just kept spilling. She felt Aunt Hyeonji dragging the nearest seat closer to her and sat before taking her hand. After a short moment, when her sobbing was reduced to quiet sniffles, the older woman handed her the glass of water, “Drink up and try to calm down.”

When the strong grip of emotions gradually subsided, she wiped her face with her shaky hands, “I-I’m sorry… I’ve seen how my parents were. We knew that they were arranged to be married by their parents. I don’t— I don’t want that for myself, Gomo.” Finally, with tears-stained face, she looked at the older woman shaking her head, “I can’t marry him…”

“Your parents may not have married for love but they stayed together—”

Seohyun shook her head determinedly, “It’s not the same. They’re not happy… they’re just living together.”

Understanding seemed to trickle into her and all Hyeoji could do was to take a deep breath and spoke softly, “Aigoo, you silly girl… have you fallen in love with him?”

Hearing that jolted her heart once more and she had to pinch her nose when it felt funny again, the only answer she could give her escaped her lips softly, “He doesn’t love me…”

“Oh, darling, Seohyuna,” Hyeonji smiled sadly at her then wrapped her arms around her like a mother trying to protect her young from the aches of the heart, “I’m sorry, Seohyuna. I’ve always thought you’d end up feeling this but I just didn’t think that loving him would be devastating for you.”

She sniffed shaking her head, “Please, please don’t tell anyone… especially him.”

She found herself laughing softly, “Aigoo… you shouldn’t worry about that. But, darling, he probably does love you back but he’s just too proud to admit it.”

She shook her head in denial because she didn’t want to hear it from someone else. Admitting this to someone so close to him was already painful as it is and she didn’t want to keep hoping because there was still the possibility that it wasn’t real and, in no time, she was crying again.

Hyeonji could somehow feel her pain— the uncertainty of her situation and no matter how much she knew Yonghwa,