Chapter 28
by GideonI always felt a strange emptiness after a big exam. I’d usually be too drained to even lift a finger, but today was different. I just felt a bittersweet relief.
“Yundo.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m happy with everything about you.”
“Where did that come from? Confessing your love over tteokbokki?”
“You’re perfect. There’s nothing bad about you at all.”
“You’re mistaken. All men are wolves. You can’t trust any of us.”
He was no exception. He’d hidden a crucial truth from her, knowing it would only upset her.
“Really? Why would you say that?”
“It’s just common sense. Now, stop talking and eat more. Today is a day for eating.”
He quickly changed the subject, urging her to eat. He scooped some tteokbokki onto her plate, clinging to the faint hope that it would be less spicy once it cooled down.
Fortunately, Hyewan didn’t suspect a thing.
The “rebellion” of someone who had just crossed a major hurdle ended with three 500cc mugs of draft beer. As the tension drained away, exhaustion settled in, and she fell asleep on the way home.
Even after they arrived, she wouldn’t wake up, so Yundo ended up carrying her into the house. She didn’t stir once.
He could only imagine how exhausted she must have been.
As he laid her on the bed, her eyes fluttered open. They were heavy with sleep.
“Are you awake?”
“No,” she murmured. “I’m going back to sleep.”
“Okay. Go ahead.”
Yundo sat beside her, gently covering her eyes with his hand so she could sleep without interruption. But Hyewan reached out and caught his hand.
“I want to hold hands.”
Yundo interlaced their fingers.
“Your hands are so big and sexy,” Hyewan murmured, her voice thick with sleep.
His large hand, with its prominent blue veins, was captivating. She traced the veins on the back of his hand with her pale fingertips, her touch sending a slow, creeping warmth through him.
His brain and heart tingled.
Cha Yundo, pull yourself together. Hyewan is just drunk.
Hiding his disappointment, he gently withdrew his hand.
“Enough. Go to sleep.”
Hyewan lay flat on her back and pulled the blanket up to her chin.
“I really love this,” she whispered.
Her soft, breathy voice made Yundo’s heart ache with a sweet, tickling tension.
“When I was little, my mom would come home late from work, so I always fell asleep alone. I always wondered what it would feel like to have someone stay by my side until I drifted off. So… it’s like this.”
“Like what?”
“It makes me feel precious. Like I’m not lonely, and like it’s okay to act spoiled and say I’m sick, even if I’m not.”
“You can’t be sick.”
“Then will you keep staying by my side?”
Of course.
“That’s why we’re getting married.”
“You’re a bad person if you lie. You know that, right?”
“I know. Now, let’s really go to sleep.”
His large hand covered Hyewan’s eyes. The warmth of his palm made her eyelids feel truly heavy. Yundo’s heart softened.
“Me too… there’s nothing bad about marrying you.”
He whispered as he kissed the forehead of the sleeping Hyewan.
With the exams that had been crushing her shoulders finally over, Hyewan could finally live like a human being again. She held a housewarming party, something she’d been unable to do despite Bora’s constant nagging.
Bora made a grand entrance.
“Whoa, look at you, Mrs. Newbie! You still alive?”
“I’ve been living very well, thanks to you.”
“Good to hear.”
Bora handed Hyewan the housewarming gifts she’d brought, her arms full, and looked around the place in admiration.
“This is the second time I’ve seen it, but it’s still amazing. Can I see the bedroom?” Bora asked mischievously.
“Of course.”
Bora toured the bedroom, bathroom, and walk-in closet—where Hyewan and Yundo’s things were neatly arranged side by side—before stopping in front of the study, her expression touched.
“You have your own study too?”
“Yeah.”
Hyewan felt a sudden wave of shyness. “I only need a desk, isn’t this a bit too much?”
“Hey, don’t say that! Who do you think you are? This is a modest gift for the future daughter-in-law of the Sewon Family.”
“Bora, can you stop calling me that?”
“Got it, Sewon Family daughter-in-law.”
“Are you going to keep this up?”
As Hyewan snapped, Bora grinned mischievously.
“I actually like it when you get mad, Ko Hyewan.”
“I’m only putting up with you because we’re friends.”
“Yes, yes, thank you so much. But where’s my gift? Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“How could I ever forget your gift? Here.”
Hyewan handed Bora the bouquet and the present from the living room coffee table.
“I should have given this to you sooner.”
“You can give it to me whenever.”
Bora sat on the sofa and accepted the gift.
“I remade the bouquet. I tried my best to preserve it, but the petals still got damaged in the end.”
“I appreciate the thought even more. I’ll dry these and keep them beautifully.”
“I’m just not sure if you’ll like the gift. I spent so much time worrying over it since it was my first time buying something like this. Yundo offered to pay, but I bought it myself because it was a gift for you.”
At that, Bora’s eyes flared with irritation.
“Hey! Why did you use your own money? You should have used your husband’s card. Ugh, you’re so frustrating! A married couple is supposed to be one!”
“What are you talking about? You hate Cha Yundo. I bought it myself because I thought you’d refuse to accept anything bought with his money.”
“Do you really think I’d feel any better knowing you paid for it? I know exactly how hard you work for your money. If you’d bought this here, I’d at least be able to refund it. What a waste!”
Bora was genuinely upset over the wasted money.
“Forget it. Just use it.”
Hyewan handed the bag to Bora and asked, “By the way, why do you dislike Cha Yundo so much? Is it because he couldn’t come to my wedding?”
“Of course!”
Bora clenched her fist, her anger flaring at the mere thought. “If it had been in Seoul, I would have gone, even if just for a bit. I’m probably the only one who missed my best friend’s wedding.”
“Why ‘only you’? Things happen.”
“What’s with you, Ko Hyewan? Are you taking your husband’s side now? A small wedding for a chaebol family? Does that even make sense?”
“I actually felt bad, knowing he did it to be considerate of my family.”
“Hah…!” Bora let out a long sigh. “You two are truly a match made in heaven.”
As she stepped into the kitchen, Bora’s eyes widened at the food Hyewan had prepared. “Did you make all of this yourself?”
“I made a few dishes and ordered the rest.”
“You’re amazing, Ko Hyewan. Is there anything you can’t do?”
Bora’s eyes widened after taking a bite of the pan-fried croaker.
“This is delicious!”
“I’m the daughter of a side-dish shop owner, after all. I can at least manage this.”
“Incredible! You have to pack some for me to take home!”
“Sure, eat up.”
Bora’s reaction made the effort worthwhile. Hyewan felt a quiet sense of pride. She didn’t cook often, but when she set her mind to it, the results were always impeccable.
“How does it make any sense for someone with such talent to have no appetite?”
“Some of the world’s best chefs have lost their sense of taste, you know.”
“It’s a good thing my mom didn’t see this. She’d be sick with envy. Pretty, smart, a great cook, and a wonderful husband? My mom would be bedridden with jealousy.”
“You’ll have it all too.”
After chatting for a while, Bora’s expression suddenly shifted. “Oh, by the way, did you hear about Kim Jin-myeong?”
“Is there anything I don’t know?”
Hyewan had already heard the news. Kim Jin-myeong had been fired from Sewon Group after he tried to frame the innocent Yundo for his own suicide attempt.
“He’s completely fallen from grace,” Bora said. “But the real shocker is his parents.”
“What did they do?”
“It would be faster to list the things they didn’t do. His mother apparently bought several commercial buildings through bribery and admission-fixing. And his father is even worse. It’s been reported that he blackmailed, confined, and even assaulted opposing counsel back when he was a lawyer.”
Bora shook her head in disbelief as she spoke.
“The criminal charges are one thing, but everyone’s talking about their private lives. Kim Jin-myeong’s mother slept with a student younger than her own son!”
“No way. Are you serious?”
“The evidence is already out. And his father had a child with his own sister-in-law.”
The same family that prided itself on its dignity? Hyewan shook her head.
“What a bunch of animals. They acted like their family was so special, but in the end, they’re just that?”
“The funny thing is, it was a mutual affair. But Kim Jin-myeong’s mom stormed into her husband’s company and threw a huge fit. Someone filmed it, and now the video is spreading everywhere. You should look it up later.”
“That’s a social execution.”
Just then, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the room.
“Hyewan, I’m home. Bora, hello.”
“Oh, hello,” Bora replied, greeting Yundo before leaning in close to Hyewan. “Your husband is seriously amazing!”
A mischievous glint sparked in Hyewan’s eyes. “I thought you said he was a bad guy with ulterior motives?”
“Shut up! Your husband can hear you!” Bora glared at her.
“I heard everything, but I’ll pretend I didn’t,” Yundo countered smoothly, leaving Bora to offer him an awkward smile.
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