Chapter 27
by Gideon“I’m trying to take them regularly, but it just seems to be getting worse.”
“How can you be so sure it’s the supplements? What about the food?”
“I missed a few doses, and it actually cleared up. Look, I’ve scratched it so much I’ve got a scar.”
Min-suk’s expression darkened as she looked at the scar on Hyewan’s elbow.
“If you tell her you can’t eat them, she might get upset. People her age usually do when they’re hurt. Have you told Son-in-law Cha?”
“No. Yundo is a bit sensitive about his in-laws. He’s even more so when it comes to his grandmother, so I don’t tell him anything unless it’s absolutely necessary. There’s no point in worrying him for nothing.”
“You did the right thing,” Min-suk said, taking Hyewan’s side.
“Even if you mean well, if the person you’re telling hates hearing it, it’s better not to say anything. You’ll just hear nonsense about it later. There’s nothing good in it for you.”
“Yeah.”
Still, Min-suk couldn’t keep telling her daughter to take supplements that didn’t agree with her body.
“Don’t tell Son-in-law Cha, and stop taking the medicine.”
“What should I tell my in-laws?”
“Oh, stop it.”
Min-suk stopped her daughter, who was trying to be too honest.
“Why bother telling them? They say your constitution can change. What if you save them and try again later? It might be fine then. Just don’t say anything and don’t take them.”
“You think so?”
Hyewan thought that sounded like a good idea too.
“What kind of supplement is it that gives you hives? Are expensive supplements really that different?”
Hyewan laughed.
“How should I know if you don’t?”
“My daughter is always smarter than me, of course. Anyway, hurry up and take the side dishes.”
“You don’t have to do all this for me anymore. Don’t push yourself.”
“Oh, alright. Just go on.” Min-suk gently pushed Hyewan toward the door.
“Thanks. I’ll enjoy it, Mom.”
“You’re welcome. Call me right away if anything happens.”
“I will. Bye.”
After leaving her mother’s shop, Hyewan hailed a taxi. She gave the driver the address and then sent a message to Yundo.
Yundo, do you have plans for tonight?
A reply came quickly.
No, I don’t. Why?
My mom made some nabak kimchi for you. I came home early to pick it up, and since you’re free, let’s eat together. I’ll make abalone pot rice to go with the kimchi.
Hyewan’s message, which arrived right in the middle of Dong-yeong’s report, shattered Yundo’s concentration.
“What’s wrong? Senior, are you even listening to me?”
“No.”
He replied nonchalantly, sending a text back.
[ Still sexy as ever. ]
[ Who’s sexy? Me? The abalone? ]
Yundo’s lips curved into a smile.
[ Obviously you, Ko Hyewan. How could abalone possibly be sexier than you? ]
[ Wise choice. Text me 20 minutes before you arrive. The abalone—which is less sexy than Ko Hyewan—will be waiting for you, united with the rice. ]
[ I shouldn’t be using my hands yet, right? ]
[ The hospital said it’s fine. Today, you’re the prince. I’ll be treating you to the full course. ]
My wife… how can she be this cute?
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Yundo said.
“Stop grinning like an idiot and just sign the papers,” Dong-yeong retorted, his voice laced with disbelief. He was one of the few people who dared to speak to Yundo so bluntly.
“Are you really that crazy about your wife?”
“I am.”
Yundo and Dong-yeong shared the kind of unbreakable bond forged in their wild twenties. Yundo, who rarely ever revealed his true feelings, was always honest with Dong-yeong. There were things Dong-yeong knew that Hyewan did not—like the hidden secrets of this marriage…
A shadow flickered across Yundo’s happiness. He would keep those secrets from Hyewan until the very end.
The monsoon season had begun. The oppressive humidity had drained everyone’s energy before the rain finally broke.
At eleven o’clock at night, Hyewan stepped out of the study cafe. She’d eaten nothing but coffee and water while studying, but for some reason, she was starving today. It was a rare, gnawing hunger.
“Hyewan.”
Hyewan, walking toward the subway station under her umbrella, turned around. Yundo stood there beneath a black umbrella.
“How did you get here?”
“I finished work and realized you weren’t here, so I came. If I’d been a little later, we would’ve missed each other. Give me your umbrella and get in the car.”
Yundo opened the passenger door for her.
“Thank you.”
As the heavy raindrops drummed loudly against the car’s roof, a savory aroma filled the air. After tossing the umbrella into the back seat, Yundo quickly climbed into the driver’s seat. His shoulder was already soaked.
Hyewan reached over and began to pat his shoulder dry with her handkerchief. “What’s that smell?”
“What’s that smell?”
At Hyewan’s question, Yundo opened the lunchbox and handed her a rice ball. She took a large bite without a second thought. The rice ball was perfectly seasoned, savory and salty.
“I asked Mrs. Jinju-daek to make it.”
Suddenly, Hyewan choked. As she patted her chest, he handed her a tumbler.
“Here, drink some water.”
“Thank you.”
“Eat slowly.”
“It’s not that, it’s just… Ah… You shouldn’t have done that.”
“What?”
“If you asked Mrs. Jinju-daek, then Mother and Grandmother will find out. Do you think they’ll be happy about a daughter-in-law coming home later than her son?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. Mrs. Jinju-daek is incredibly perceptive. That’s why she’s been able to endure Grandmother’s difficult personality for over twenty years. She made this without Mother knowing.”
“You’re so sweet.”
Only then could Hyewan finally eat her rice ball in peace.
“She’s an amazing cook.”
“She’s the only one who can satisfy Chairwoman Kang’s exacting tastes.”
Yundo’s voice shifted subtly. Hyewan wasn’t one to miss a cue, yet she still couldn’t fathom why he dreaded his grandmother so much.
“Are you nervous?”
The exam was this week.
“So nervous. I really need to do well.”
Hyewan’s shoulders slumped.
“But my appetite is better than ever. Usually, I can’t eat when I’m stressed, but this time it’s strange.”
“Your body knows,” Yundo said. “It knows you’ll die if you don’t eat.”
As the light changed, he stepped on the accelerator and patted her leg.
“Everything’s going to be just fine.”
“Really?”
“Even if it isn’t—and I’m sure it will be—don’t worry. I’ll be the perfect supportive husband until our princess passes her exam. Feel free to use your brilliant husband to his fullest.”
“Hmph. I should cherish my brilliant husband and save him for when he can shine even brighter.”
“I’m telling you to use me! If you keep saving me up, I’ll just go to waste.”
“Ugh, I’m trying to eat! I’m not eating anymore.”
Yundo pressed the tumbler back into her hand as she recoiled in disgust.
“Drink some water, and it’ll go back down.”
“I have a weak stomach.”
“Then what do you have a strong stomach for?”
“Oh my god! Cha Yundo!”
As raindrops tapped against the car roof, Hyewan and Yundo continued their playful bickering. The drive home on this rainy night wasn’t tiring in the slightest.
The Legal Education Eligibility Test (LEET) was finally over. Yundo waited outside the testing center, greeting Hyewan as she emerged, her eyes sunken and weary.
“Honey.”
“Yundo.”
She trudged toward him, leaning her face against his chest.
“What’s wrong? Did it go badly?” Yundo asked softly.
“I think I did well.”
“Really?”
Only then did Yundo relax, pulling her into a tight embrace.
“You worked so hard. It was tough, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
Yundo held her close, letting her act spoiled in his arms.
“Let’s go. Get in the car.”
Hyewan followed his lead. For today, at least, she was done with studying.
Instead of a fancy fine-dining restaurant, they went to a spicy tteokbokki place Hyewan loved. He hoped she would set aside all formalities and relax, knowing how tense she must have been all day. Hyewan eagerly devoured the bright red tteokbokki, a dish Yundo would never dare to try.
“Want a beer?”
“Yes, please.”
She needed the alcohol to soothe her frayed nerves, which were still on edge like a hedgehog’s quills. The beer arrived shortly after. Hyewan took a refreshing gulp of the draft beer, its surface shimmering with a thin layer of ice.
Seeing her enjoy it so much, Yundo wished he could join her if only he weren’t the one driving.
“You should drink too.”
“I can’t. I have to get my wife home safely.”
“We can just call a designated driver.”
“I’m fine, so don’t worry. Just drink.”
He fed her a piece of tteokbokki, treating it like an appetizer for her beer. She obediently accepted the bite and nodded.
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