Chained by Expectations | Park Sunghoon

Fourty-five

Sunghoon scanned the shelves absently, his mind elsewhere. A sudden shout broke through his thoughts, "Dad! Dad!" The voice was small and excited, pulling his attention to a little boy running toward a man at the end of the aisle. Sunghoon watched for a moment, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't help but imagine what that might feel like one day—he and Haneul, perhaps, with a child of their own.

"Hey," Haneul's gentle voice pulled him from his thoughts as she stepped into the aisle, her eyes searching his. "Everything okay?" she asked, glancing in the direction he had been looking.

Sunghoon blinked, turning his gaze to her. She looked ready to check out, their cart filled with groceries. "Yeah, everything's fine. Ready?" he replied, forcing a smile as he reached out to help her push the cart.

Their life was so different from what either of them had imagined a few years ago. After everything that had happened, after Haneul's long recovery, they had made a vow to focus on each other. Haneul had undergone treatment to minimize the scarring from her injuries, though she knew some of the marks would never completely fade. Despite everything, they had found joy again. 

Sunghoon had proposed to her once more, this time under happier circumstances, and they had gotten married not long after. Unlike their first wedding, this one was a lot more extravagant and they had invited all of their close friends, colleagues, and family.

Sunghoon had made sure to find the perfect home—a place where Haneul would always feel safe and cherished. It was their dream home, a symbol of their new beginning.

Now, they had settled into a comfortable routine, grocery shopping together every week, something Sunghoon had never done before meeting Haneul. It had become one of those little traditions that anchored their life together.

"Shall we make pasta tonight?" Haneul asked as they made their way back home, her voice light. Sunghoon hummed in agreement, his mind still distant, though he hadn't realized how preoccupied he had become. Haneul noticed, but she didn't push, deciding to let it go for the time being.

Once they were home, they began unloading the groceries, but Sunghoon remained quiet, responding to Haneul's attempts at conversation with short, distracted answers. His thoughts were tangled, and he wasn't even sure why. He just felt...off, like something was pulling at him from the inside.

Haneul, growing frustrated with the cold treatment, finally set down the item she had in her hands. She walked over to him and gently placed a hand on his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Her touch was soft, warm—comforting in the way it always was. Even after all their time together, something as simple as her hand on his skin still stirred warmth in his chest.

"Sunghoon," she said softly, looking up at him, her eyes searching his face for answers. "Is something wrong? Did I do something?" she gently asked.

Sunghoon sighed, his shoulders relaxing under her touch. He turned to face her fully, his hand coming up to cover hers. "No," he said as he gently lifted her up setting her down on the counter his hands now resting gently on either side of her. "You didn't do anything." he assured her as he placed a kiss on her lips and then her cheek and then trailing down to her neck. "I've just had a lot on my mind recently." he whispered against her neck.

"Can I know what it has to do with?" she hushed out as she gripped onto the counter with one hand and onto Sunghoon's shoulder with the other. She let his lips trace her neck with kisses and before they found hers again. The kisses become a bit more aggressive by the second as Sunghoon pulled Haneul closer pressing her against him and one of his hands slipping under her shirt. 

"Sunghoon, seriously," she mumbled out stopping him gently. "what's wrong?" she asked again.

Sunghoon rested his forehead against hers sighing slightly. "I don't want to seem to eager or pushy Hanuel." he began to explain "I know that you had a toll on your body since everything happened." he continued causing Hanuel's brows to scrunch. There was a slight panic that flashed in Sunghoon's eyes as he realized that she could possibly take what he said the wrong way. "I mean you're okay now, but still that was a traumatic time for you and um," Sunghoon began to to ramble before Haneul finally just interrupted him.

"Sunghoon just say it." she said firmly.

"Okay, but before I do just know that the decision is completely up to you." he said before pulling her into a hug.

"do you remember that time when we were watching videos on your phone?" he said, which caused Haneul to become more confused than before.

"what?" she said about to pull away from the embrace.

"Just listen," Sunghoon insisted. "we were watching cute cat videos and then we started talking about having babies. I know then it might have seemed a little rushed but how do you feel now?" Sunghoon asked. "We have been together for some while now, we have our dream home, we're both stable enough physically and stable enough financially, everything is fine now right?" he asked.

Hanuel wasn't sure what to say. He was right everything was fine now, they were stable and happy just like she imagined them to be when they decided to start their family. There was a long silence before she spoke.

"Is that why you were looking at that little boy with his dad at the store?" she asked causing Sunghoon to blush slightly.

"I don't know what to say." she said.

Haneul was silent for a moment, her lips pressing together as her thoughts swirled. Finally, she met his gaze and offered him a small smile. "Follow me," she said softly, taking his hand in hers.

Sunghoon let her guide him down the hallway to their bedroom. "Wait here," she instructed as she gestured for him to sit on the edge of the bed.

He watched with curiosity as she disappeared into the hallway, only to return moments later holding something in her hands, wrapped delicately in a small handkerchief. Her hands trembled slightly as she approached him.

"I-I was going to wait to tell you," she said, her voice wavering as she held the item out to him.

Sunghoon's heart raced as he took the bundle, carefully unwrapping the soft cloth. His breath caught in his throat, and his hands froze when he saw what was inside. A pregnancy test. Positive.

His eyes darted back to Haneul, wide with disbelief. "Y-you're..." His voice cracked, almost pleading with her to confirm what he was seeing.

Haneul's lips quivered, a mix of nervousness and relief on her face as she nodded. "Yes," she whispered.

Sunghoon stared at her for a moment before a wave of pure emotion overtook him. He set the test down gently, then engulfed her in a tight hug. "You're lying," he exclaimed, his voice breaking as he lifted her off her feet and spun her around. "You're pregnant? You're actually pregnant?"

A teary laugh escaped Haneul as she nodded again. "Y-yes," she managed to say, her voice cracking. "I was going to tell you, but I was a little scared."

Sunghoon pulled back just enough to cup her face, leaning down to press a quick, fervent kiss to her lips. "Scared? Haneul, this is the best news of my life," he said, his hands instinctively resting on her still-flat belly. "I-I can't believe this. You're pregnant. We're going to be parents." His voice was filled with awe.

"I love you," he said, pulling her close again, his voice muffled as he buried his face in her hair.

Haneul chuckled softly, wiping at the tears that had slipped from her eyes. "I love you too."

"You're going to be such a hot mom," Sunghoon whispered playfully against her hair, earning a light laugh from Haneul.

She watched as he dropped to his knees, placing his hands tenderly on her stomach. His admiration and joy were palpable, and she couldn't help but think about how far they had come—how much their lives had changed since they first met. And now, here they were, preparing to bring their first child into the world.

"I love you," Haneul said again, her voice steady and full of emotion.

Sunghoon looked up at her, his eyes brimming with tears but sparkling with happiness. "I love you more."

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I'm sorry for going MIA! This chapter had been in my drafts and I finally got the chance to review and edit. But with that being said, my first book has come to an end 🥹 Thank you to everyone who has read and supported my book (idkgigi12795_whynot ...bae i <3 u)! Please stay tuned for upcoming projects (i will be more consistent with those I promise! 😭)