Chapter 252: You did it without a ring?
Seoha’s POV
The sun is warm.
We’re sitting on the front porch and enjoying the warm air.
Taesan is talking with his older sister at the fence. She’s leaning against the wall with her legs crossed at her angle.
From the look on her face, I can tell that they’re talking about something serious. Taesan is the one doing the talking while she listens.
Taerin and her brother are very similar to each other. They share the same foxlike eyes that make them look more chic.
She’s really the second most beautiful woman I’ve seen after my mom.
Her sharp features match her refined behavior, but she’s actually very soft and kind. All morning, she kept me company and made me feel comfortable.
She looks directly at me, and I instantly divert my gaze to the little kids surrounding me.
Oh goddess, she’s looking right at me. Did I do something wrong?
Stopping myself from panicking, I pay closer attention to the children. The little ones are really fascinating and my Sooin fits right in with them.
They are all sitting in a half circle and sharing silly stories with each other.
Sooin would often leave her friends, come to me for a hug or kiss. I think she’s jealous that little Keeho is taking up my attention, she’s so cute.
I peek at the siblings. Taerin noona isn’t looking at me anymore. She’s now focused on what her brother is saying with her arms folded.
Someday, Sooin will be big sister to her twin siblings. I hope they have a closer relationship, and I hope our family doesn’t fall apart like Kangs.
"Eat?" Keeho asks and I give him the snack in my hand.
The sun is already high in the sky when Minjae finally comes out of the house with his hand on his waist and his stomach leading the way.
"Hi minnie" I call, waving at him and little Keeho copies my action, waving Minjae over.
My pregnant friend is rubbing his fist against his eye and yawning, while I’m laughing at how he looks anything but refreshed.
"How long did I sleep?" he asks.
"Long enough for ten children to wake up, eat and start their day" I say.
"Ten children?" Minjae gasps, looking around and silently counting the kids around us. The older ones are at school, so only four preschoolers are left.
"Are you serious?" he asks incredulously and I snicker at his expression.
"Serious, they’ve all gone to school" I say, pointing at the track mark the school bus left. "Wouldn’t our host be mad I overslept?" he asks, and before I can give him my answer, he speaks for himself.
"Never mind, I’m pregnant, that’s my excuse" he rolls his shoulder.
"I’m pregnant too" I remind him and he gives me a funny look.
"Look at this" he gestures to my stomach, "and look at this" he gestures to his own stomach.
"We are not the same, I’m less than five minutes away from labor" he says dramatically and I shake my head, this man.
"You’re not getting away with oversleeping, Oh Minjae-ssi" I tease and he rolls his eyes, he sits next to me and leans forward to pet Keeho.
"This baby is so cute. When I get married to a good man, I want another baby like you" he says in a baby voice, and Keeho, the very social baby leans into Minjae’s touch.
"Hmm, he’s cute" I hum absentmindedly, bouncing the pup in my lap.
Married...to a good man. Taesan wants to get married to me, but I’m not sure I’m a good man.
"What’s wrong?" Minjae asks softly, dropping the playfulness when he notices my change in mood and I sigh, staring at the floor.
"I feel strange..." I say and he blinks. "Why? Is it because of the baby? Do we have to go to the hospital right now?"
"No, the babies are okay...I think" I touch my stomach protectively and he places his hand on his chest. He takes a second to calm himself before it dawns on him.
"Twins?"
"Huh?"
"You’re having twins?" he asks.
"Yes..."
"I expect no less, you and Kang Taesan have been going at it like rabbits. It’s so disgusting"
"Minjae" I gasp, feeling scandalized by his joke, and he starts to laugh harder than I’ve ever seen him laugh.
"I’m sorry, I just don’t support heathens" he grins.
"Now tell me, what got you blue all of a sudden?" he asks, patting Keeho’s cheek once more.
"I was happy about it, but...my mind won’t let me rest" I start and Minjae’s laughter ends. He sits straighter, presses his knees together and nods.
"What if I’m not good enough to be a husband?" I ask the question that suddenly came to mind when he spoke about marriage.
"Taesan asked you to marry him?" he asks and I nod shyly.
"Seoha, he should be the one worried about not being good enough for you. Baby, you’re rare. You’re handsome, kind, and the best part is that you have a heart of gold" he says.
"I keep hearing these kind words, but they never really take away the feeling" I confess in a small voice and Minjae pats my hand.
"I understand" he says softly.
"I know that feelings can be really stubborn. But hey, I’m even more stubborn and I’ll keep on saying these words till they sink in" he tells me and my lip quivers.
Oh goddess, I’m going to cry again.
"Yah, before you cry, show me your engagement ring" he grins at me and I blink in confusion.
Ring?
What ring?
"No way, that man proposed without a ring?" Minjae gasps and I peer at the siblings at the fence, the atmosphere around them is different.
Taesan’s POV
"You proposed to him without a ring?" my older sister, now dressed in a white shirt and slacks, hit me with a newspaper roll.
"Kang Taerin" I snarl at her.
I don’t like being hit. I am the one who fucking hits people, not the other way.
"How dare you propose without a ring?" she asks as she hits me again. Annoyed, I snatch the newspaper from her and toss it across the yard.
"Act your age" I sneer at her, and she gives me her lethal cold gaze, head tilted and lips pressed together.
"Is this coming from a man who proposed without a ring, are you stupid?"
That’s the question I have always associated with Seoha, his round eyes, his sweet face, and his too kind heart.
I’m not stupid. I’m Kang Taesan.
"Out of everything I told you, all you care about is a fucking ring?" I ask and she pulls out a cigarette from behind her ear.
"Treat your mate right. Our father failed at it" she says, opening her hand and waiting for me to pass her something.
"What?" I growl, already sick of her.
"Lighter" she says.
I pull out my lighter, looking at Seoha and Minjae on the porch. Minjae is currently glaring at me, but it’s nothing new, and I don’t care.
I light the end of my older sister’s cigarette and she nods.
"Treat that omega well, Sannah. He has to be the most precious thing to be a part of our messy family. If I were him, I wouldn’t stay with you" she says and I huff.
She blows a cloud of smoke in the air, turning her head to the side to hide from her kids. She doesn’t want them to know that she smokes.
"I would have killed you in your sleep" she adds.
"Seoha is too good for me, isn’t he?" I ask, watching the way he kisses the little boy’s head.
"Too good is an understatement. But lucky for you, I have a ring" my sister says, putting out the cigarette and tossing it on the trash.
"Follow me" she says and I do.
She gives Seoha and Minjae a smile as we walk past them, and I only walk past them with my focus on Taerin.
If I look at those two, I will be too tempted to throw Seoha over my shoulder and run back to our room. But that would be bad for our pups.
"What ring is so special that I have to come all the way up here?" I ask with my hands in my pocket.
I’m not used to following orders, and my sister is not used to being disobeyed. Unfortunately we are too grown to fight the way we used to do as kids.
"My office" she enters the office first and pulls out an old looking box.
"What is this?" I ask.
"It’s mom’s ring" she says and I look at the box again. It’s a black box with green gemstones decorating the top.
Green was mom’s favorite color. We used to say it was ugly, but mom used to say it meant life and growth.
"You remember how they didn’t love each other after marriage?"
"Yes" I take the box from her and open it.
The ring is sitting there. A silver band with an emerald as its stone. Timeless, elegant and fucking beautiful. My mom’s.
"Then later our dad fell in love. Dad wooed mom and properly asked him to marry him. I found the ring after mom died" she says.
"Noona..."
"Seoha deserves it. Our family ruined his life, but you can try to fix it. You have to treat him right, little brother" she gives me a shaky smile.
Fuck. Why are my eyes getting wet? It’s just a ring. It’s just...my mother’s ring.