While Se Ah was tasting the salad, Kang Woo skillfully disassembled the lobster for her to eat. Then, he placed it on a side dish and handed it to her. He even meticulously sliced a portion of the steak.

“……I can eat by myself. You should eat, Kang Woo. It seems like you haven’t eaten since last night.”
As she put the steak in her mouth with her eyes slightly lowered, Se Ah casually said.

“You’re not completely uninterested in me. That means there’s still a possibility.”
“……I might vomit.”
He smirked and gestured for her to eat.

Se Ah had become somewhat of a foodie, having visited many good restaurants with Hyeon Suk. But the food here was unusually delicious.

The rich juiciness, the properly grilled points, and the fish dishes didn’t smell fishy at all. The accompanying oysters, caviar, and foie gras were also topnotch. The plating was perfect too.

“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad.”
Wondering whether she would stop eating, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and ordered a nonalcoholic beer.

“Did you already finish eating? There’s still so much left.”
“I can’t take it in. Maybe I’m nervous.”
With a twinkling eye gesture, and a light smile, his face showed no signs of tension as he responded.

“Everything’s so delicious. The plates and spoons are all so pretty.”
Se Ah casually expressed her thoughts, and it was somewhat moving. She imagined the effort it took to find this place so far from Seoul.

“I should’ve come sooner. If I knew you would enjoy it this much.”
His eyes met hers deeply. When she didn’t know what to say to his wistful smile, the pastry chef came to the table.

That strange moment just passed by.

((()))((()))((()))

They took a walk along the lakeside after finishing their meal.

Despite the chilly day, the area was teeming with couples, suggesting it was a popular dating spot. Women their age held their boyfriend’s hand tightly, laughing at every word they said.

Kang Woo and Se Ah walked side by side without holding hands. Except for when they entered the restaurant, he hadn’t made any physical contact.

Their hands brushed naturally against each other. And then.

“Huh?”
Startled by the sudden grip on her hand, Se Ah made a surprised sound.

“It’s tiresome to both say and hear the same thing. So let’s just do it.”
He meant he would hold her hand without asking for permission, just for today. It was not the first time they held hands, whether it was an act or not, so she was not overly nervous.

But then, he inserted his long fingers between hers and even tried to put their intertwined hands in the pocket of his coat. Se Ah’s eyes widened, her body rigid.

“I thought you might be cold. Nothing is as warm as human body heat.”
“Why are you putting it in the coat… when there are people around.”
“Look around. They might think we had a fight.”
There were other couples around who were closely huddled together, kissing intermittently.

Taking advantage of Se Ah’s silence, Kang Woo fiddled with their intertwined hands in his coat pocket. He tickled the palm of her hand with the tip of his long fingers. It tickled so much that she was about to burst into laughter.

“Stop it.”
“You seem ticklish.”
“I…told…you to…stop. Sigh.”
Teasing her a few more times, Kang Woo finally let go of her hand. Looking at her, he further adjusted her coat collar.

“Don’t you still have something you want to do?”
“……”
His gentle question made her choke up.

In the past, she had so many things she wanted to do with him. She had imagined a day like this countless times.

Today was impromptu, but each passing minute felt precious. He still seemed to care for her, albeit ambiguously, and she still liked him, regardless of whether it was out of sympathy, affection, or responsibility.

But there was no hope that things would work out between them amidst the lies that had snowballed out of control. The only reason he was showing this kind of affection was probably that he didn’t know anything yet. Once he found out about the outrageous lies, he would turn his back on her instantly.

Being on the receiving end of his contemptuous cold gaze was more terrifying than his indifferent eyes. He was a man who would end things ruthlessly with a cold face.

So maybe today was her last chance.

“……There is one thing I want to do.”
At her words, Kang Woo smiled as if relieved. He stroked her cold cheek with his big hand, his lips parting.

“Let’s go do that. Whatever it is.”

((()))((()))((()))

Kang Woo’s eyes were momentarily drawn to the profile of Se Ah seated in the passenger seat.

She had once again gotten tipsy on a few glasses of wine today, and had since fallen asleep. Seeing her in such a disheveled state, his body tensed instinctively and his blood rushed.

“Ha.”
With extreme patience, he got through every night. Yet, it was oddly not too unpleasant, even though it felt like half torture.

Perhaps it’s because he hadn’t done this before getting married. The thrill of trying every trick in the book just to hold her hand once was also itching. Was this what dating was like?

However, mending their relationship was more difficult and slow than he had thought. He was confident that he could turn Se Ah’s heart around in a month at first. But now, he was beginning to realize how deep the gap between him and Se Ah was.

It was a bold decision he had made, even though he would have needed to extend the contract for another month.

If he dragged things along lackadaisically, he might lose her to some random guy. Not only Kim Do Young, but there could be wolves targeting Se Ah anywhere.

He had heard the male employees chattering about things like how pretty Se Ah was after she joined the company, wondering about her age and whether she had a boyfriend. That day, he swallowed his anger while crunching through a whole block of ice.

So that was why. That was why he, as a businessman, took a risk he would never normally take. Even if it was a risk, he was desperate to get Se Ah back as soon as possible.

He set the navigation to the amusement park and smoothly turned the steering wheel.

While slowly heading towards the destination, Kang Woo looked at the rearview mirror. His eyes narrowed sharply.

Why has that car been following us since a while ago?

He seemed to remember it from Seoul.

Kang Woo deliberately slowed down. Naturally, that car also slowed down to match his speed.

Look at this?

When he stepped on the accelerator to speed up, after a slight delay, that car followed suit.

Of course, it was not following closely enough to be visible to the naked eye. It maintained a reasonable distance, enough not to be noticed unless one was keenly observing. It was obviously a professional.

He didn’t provoke it any further and drove as usual. He entered the amusement park, which was their destination. It was quiet, probably because it was winter and it was in the countryside. The surroundings grew dark as the sun set.

“……um…… are we there yet?”
Se Ah, awakened by the slight jolt as the car stopped, rubbed her eyes and asked.

“Se Ah.”
“Yes.”
After Kang Woo locked the passenger side door, he looked at her.

“Stay in the car. Absolutely.”
“Why?”
Se Ah’s already pale face turned even whiter. He even went as far as to hold her arm as if to restrain her.

“Just do as I say. Don’t get out.”
Now he could see the problematic car entering. Kang Woo kicked open the car door and went out.

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