BL REBIRTH: You Were Mine (MPREG)

Chapter 21

UNEDITED

Chapter 21

"No, thank you, Na-ri," Kim Jae-soo said with a gentle smile, ruffling his friend's hair before picking up his cross bag and departing from their shared apartment. He felt a twinge of guilt for relying on Na-ri but reminded himself not to repeat the mistakes of his past life. As he reached the lobby of their apartment building, his eyes locked onto a figure he had been desperately trying to avoid.

Choi Min Ju.

Instead of fear, an intense anger surged within him upon seeing Choi Min Ju. He harbored a deep desire to inflict irreparable damage upon this man and his family.

Choi Min Ju strolled with a beautiful woman in her mid-thirties hanging onto his arm, her wide smile radiating elegance. Her strawberry-colored hair with dark red tips cascaded in curly waves down to the middle of her back. A striking cinnabar mark of an apple adorned her neck, her lips painted a bold red.

This woman was certainly not the wife of the man Kim Jae-soo remembered. She was younger, wilder, and, by all appearances, the embodiment of extravagance. Kim Jae-soo suppressed his anger and chose to ignore the two figures, turning in a different direction and passing between tall decorative plants that concealed a somewhat secret path. Choi Min Jun's infidelity was none of his concern.

As his anger simmered down, the sensation of being watched dissipated by the time he reached the cafe, which, due to the weekend, was less crowded than usual.

"Ding."

The bell above the door chimed as Kim Jae-soo entered the cafe. The owner, Shin Young, recognized him as the somber young man who had visited before.

"Oh, hey, kiddo," Shin Young greeted, smiling at Kim Jae-soo.

"Hello," Kim Jae-soo replied politely, taking a moment to express his gratitude for the kindness Shin Young had shown him over the past weeks.

"Oh, it's not a problem," Shin Young replied, chuckling. "So, what would you like to order?"

Kim Jae-soo suddenly felt shy as he scratched the back of his head, glancing at the freshly baked banana bread in the display case.

"Aigoo, dear child, do you plan on running my business into the ground by giving you more free goods?" Shin Young's voice was not scolding; instead, it had a playful tone, as if he were indulging a cute child.

In response to this question, Kim Jae-soo quickly shook his head and spoke emphatically, "No, no, owner-nim. I just came to apply for a job."

The owner laughed and ruffled Kim Jae-soo's hair. He always enjoyed teasing the young man when he saw him, though he couldn't quite explain why.

"Really? If that's the case, what can you do?" Shin Young inquired, placing his hands back on the display glass case.

"I can make desserts and any kind of coffee you want," Kim Jae-soo said, sounding more like he was asking a question. In his past life, he had learned how to make desserts and some dishes from the owner. When he had first started, he was still pregnant with his baby, Baek Mi-reu, with about three months left until his due date, and he was a disaster in the kitchen.

The owner and his son often teased Kim Jae-soo about his initial cooking mishaps, but he persevered and eventually perfected a limited number of recipes. Making desserts had become a way to distract his mind and provide snacks for his son when he attended kindergarten.

With the guidance of the owner and his mute son, Kim Jae-soo had learned a lot, including sign language.

"Is that so? Can you prove it?" Shin Young's words snapped Kim Jae-soo out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I can!" Kim Jae-soo replied with confidence. He was certain that he hadn't forgotten how to make desserts because he had continued making them until his tragic demise in the fire.

With an eager look, Shin Young decided to wait until closing time, which was significantly earlier on that day, closing at 4 p.m. There were about two hours left until closing.

Nodding, Kim Jae-soo headed to a seat but was redirected by the owner to the kitchen, where he was instructed to watch the owner's son.

Inside the kitchen, Kim Jae-soo observed the owner's son, Shin Ji-Su, who was skillfully decorating an unusual-looking dessert. It resembled bread but had an aesthetic charm of its own.

Shin Ji-Su turned to see who had entered the kitchen, finding Kim Jae-soo gazing at his hands with curiosity and wonder.

He lightly tapped on the table twice to catch Kim Jae-soo's attention. Kim Jae-soo snapped out of his daze and looked up at the taller young man. Shin Ji-Su had beautiful waist-length black hair and light brown eyes that appeared even more striking under the kitchen's lights. He also bore a cinnabar mark extending from his ear to his lips, in the shape of a lotus flower.

As Kim Jae-soo stared at the mark, an image flashed in his memory, prompting him to forget to speak and instead use sign language.

"Did you have that mark as a child?" he signed, curiosity etched across his face.

Shin Ji-Su was both puzzled and pleasantly surprised that the young man in front of him knew sign language.

"Yes," he signed back, slightly confused. After all, it was common for individuals, both gers and female, to have cinnabar marks since birth. He regarded the bewildered young man before him.

Kim Jae-soo didn't want to blurt out any nonsense, so he chose to focus on the dessert in front of him and pushed his thoughts about the cinnabar mark to the back of his mind.

"Your dad wants me to keep you company. Sorry if I disturbed you," Kim Jae-soo signed, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Shin Ji-Su smiled and signed back, motioning for Kim Jae-soo to come closer and pointing to one of the two stools in front of him.

"It's fine," Shin Ji-Su signed as he continued his delicate decoration work. Kim Jae-soo found himself more captivated by Shin Ji-Su's presence than by the dessert itself.

As his thoughts wandered back to the cinnabar mark on Ji-Su's cheeks, Kim Jae-soo couldn't help but wonder if this young man was his long-lost big brother. While DNA could provide answers, understanding the enigma of their connection would require unraveling a deeper mystery.

A/N: Hey! its me again, happy new month and thank you for reading my book. hope it keeps you entertained. enjoy!