A Forest flowing with Milk and Honey - Chapter 9.2

“I want to go too.”

Woorim was on his way out of bed. Even though his belly wasn’t that big yet, Taeoh approached him impatiently and took Woorim’s hand to help him stand.

“Wash me?”

“I want to eat him now… …”

Woorim blushed and whispered. He woke up without even waiting for the time to come home. But he didn’t have time to wash. Taeoh only wiped mine roughly with a tissue, but he wiped Woorim’s with a wet towel, but he wiped it thoroughly with very quick hands.

The two held hands and left the villa on Jeju Island, which felt like a secluded island just for the two of them.

“I ordered a plain yoghurt. What toppings would you like?”

Tae-oh, who was ordering, looked at Woo-rim. Woo-rim poked his head out from behind him. He grabbed Tae-oh’s arm and looked at the toppings.

The part-timer, who was busy taking orders, was surprised when Woo-rim jumped out from behind Tae-oh. He didn’t even notice it because of the big difference in their physiques. The part-timer glanced at them without noticing.

The woman’s hat was pushed forward and her hair fell down. A man with a cold and dry look on his face smiled, picked up the hat with one hand and put it back on. The newcomer’s face turned red. It wasn’t particularly strange. But the strange atmosphere between them made my heart pound.

“Honey and… candy grapes.”

“An angel?” The part-timer bit her lip as she watched Woorim’s bright smile, nodding vigorously while exhaling hot breaths like a bull.

“Enjoy!”

The yogurt ice cream, which was slightly overfilled by the part-timer, was served, and the candy grapes that had been carefully placed on top slid off.

Taeoh raised an eyebrow and glanced at the part-timer briefly before turning away. He wrapped a napkin around the cold paper cup, placed a spoon in it, and handed it to Woorim.

Woorim, who had been eagerly eyeing the ice cream, took a spoonful right away. Taeoh kept an eye on her, making sure she didn’t trip as she walked without paying attention.

The beach stretched out before them, and the sound of the waves crashing accompanied them as they walked along the shore.

“Want a bite?” Woorim neatly scooped some ice cream topped with honey and candy grapes and offered it to Taeoh. He leaned down, glancing at her, and instead of taking the ice cream, he gently grabbed her outstretched hand and pressed his lips to hers.

“Mmm…”

The sticky ice cream on the corner of her mouth transferred onto his tongue as he kissed her, cleaning her lips before pulling away.

“Tastes good. It’s chewy.”

Woorim’s face flushed bright red at his casual comment.

“There are so many people here…”

“You’re the one who offered,” Taeoh replied. Woorim, flustered, fidgeted with her lips before lowering her head, her face as red as a fully-cooked octopus.

“Hahahaha! Over here, Ruby!”

A little girl laughed as she ran with a ball attached to a leash holding a muddy little dog. She accidentally kicked the ball too hard, sending it flying. Thud! The ball shot through the air, bouncing off the wet sand. Taeoh quickly pulled Woorim aside and caught the inflated soccer ball with his hand, then gently rolled it back with his foot.

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!” The girl, holding the leash, hurried over and bowed her head. Her parents, who had been watching from a distance, rushed over, scolding her as they apologized.
“I told you not to kick the ball in crowded places!”

“I know… I’m sorry…”

“Did we scare you? We’re really sorry. Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m fine,” Woorim reassured them.

The family bowed once more before heading back with their daughter and the dog.

At that moment, Woorim realized what the “mud ball” actually was—it was a small puppy, panting with its little pink tongue sticking out. The dog’s original fur color seemed to be white, though now it was completely covered in mud. The couple’s faces paled when they saw their dog in such a mess, as if it had just come from a mud bath.

“Ruby, when did you…?”

“Looks like a bath is definitely happening now.”
“I was expecting that when we came here, but what’s with all that sand? Will it even wash out?”

“You know you’re in charge of bath time, right? I’m just the drying team.”

“Brushing that fur won’t be easy either.”
“Mom! Dad! A dirty dog is a happy dog! Ruby’s having the best time!” The little girl chimed in, and sure enough, the now-gray dog was jumping around joyfully. With its tiny feet bouncing excitedly and its pink tongue flapping like a fan, Ruby followed the family closely.

“Do you think our baby will be a boy or a girl?”
As Woorim asked, she anticipated Taeoh’s response. She figured he’d say, “It doesn’t matter if it’s a boy or a girl.”

However, Taeoh was deep in thought, his face serious. Though the baby’s gender wouldn’t change no matter how much he thought about it, he seemed to take this question very seriously.

“A daughter, or maybe a son… Daughter… no, let’s go with a son.”

“What does that even mean?” Woorim laughed.
“It’s complicated. I’d love to have a daughter, but I feel like having a son would be easier. I think I’d feel more comfortable with a son, but then again, it might be the same. Deep down, I’m hoping for a daughter… Honestly, I don’t know.”

As Taeoh rambled on, a sudden gust of wind caught his attention, and he lifted his head. The wind blew so hard that Woorim’s straw hat flew off. Taeoh quickly reached out, caught the hat, and tied the white lace ribbon under her chin.
He lowered his head and fidgeted with his fingers to form a neat bow. His fingers brushed against her chin, making it tickle slightly.
‘So handsome…,’ Woorim thought with a faint smile as she looked at Taeoh. But Taeoh, noticing her smile, frowned as if annoyed.
“You should know… you’re annoyingly pretty,” Taeoh grumbled. He softened his usual blunt language, but the sentiment still came out rough. After realizing how his words sounded, Taeoh’s expression shifted to one of regret, but Woorim just giggled softly.

“Honey, you’re handsome too.”

Taeoh’s jaw clenched at her compliment. Without saying a word, he turned around and grabbed Woorim’s hand, pulling her along.

“Are you embarrassed?” Woorim teased as she chased after him, her ribbon brushing lightly against his ear as they walked.

It was still April, and the wind was chilly. Taeoh noticed Woorim’s hands were cold, so he quickened his pace to find warmth but slowed down again to match her steps.

Woorim wasn’t afraid of Taeoh’s touch. She knew he would never hurt her. Taeoh had always been her protector.

After returning from their honeymoon, the couple stopped by a nearby OB/GYN clinic to check on the health of both mother and baby.
Woorim had made an appointment, but they had to wait for about five minutes since the previous consultation hadn’t finished. The clinic was popular and busy. Taeoh glanced around, and a man nearby offered him his seat.

“Please, have a seat.”

Most of the men at the clinic were fathers. The man stood beside a woman who appeared to be pregnant, while Woorim, bowing her head in thanks, sat down next to her.

“Thank you.”

“So, how far along are you?” the friendly woman asked, striking up the only common conversation topic in the waiting room.

Woorim smiled and answered, “I’m 16 weeks today.”
“Our little one is 20 weeks! My husband and I are both on the shorter side, so we gave our baby a nickname to encourage growth.”

“Our baby’s nickname is ‘Chaltteok,’” Woorim shyly whispered, blushing. It was a nickname that Taeoh and Woorim had thought of together. In the early stages of her pregnancy, when Woorim wasn’t feeling well, they hoped the baby would “stick” like a rice cake, holding on tightly until they could meet.

Fortunately, they were told
everything was stable now, so they didn’t have to worry anymore.