Looking around the room and suddenly pouring milk was clearly an attempt to check something.

Even urging her to change clothes showed that.

There were no feminine items visible anywhere in the house, so he was waiting to see what she would come out wearing.

Whether he knew something or just had a hunch, he seemed to be trying to verify Ji Do Jun and her unconventional married life.

I thought he was just a naive and innocent young man, but I was mistaken. Anyway, this family seems to have an inherently gloomy side.

Of course, Ji Do Jun is no exception.

Da Hae calmly stood up.

“Then excuse me for a moment.”

As she headed towards the dressing room, Pil Seung’s eyelids slowly closed.

“Wow…”

It wasn’t the time to be impressed. His colorless lips let out an exclamation despite the situation.

The color-coordinated suits looked similar at first glance, but took on subtly different hues under the light.

Several suits from recognizable designer brands caught the eye.

Expensive watches occupied each compartment on top of the island drawers.

As the admiration ended, reality set in rather grimly.

Looking around, there was nothing suitable for her to wear.

Hmm… What to do about this.

Stroking her small chin pensively, her hand chose a dress shirt hanging in front.

The crisp fabric had an elegant texture.

Thinking she should prepare for situations like this in the future, Da Hae finished changing and faced her reflection in the mirror, laughing weakly.

The shoulder line drooped far below her arms. The hem puffed out above the belt line due to the length.

She rolled up the sleeves that extended well past her hands, but after folding them several times they looked like lumps of rice cake.

With no way out, it was time to be brazen.

“Sorry for the wait. Look how late it’s gotten.”

Pil Seung, who had been pacing the dining room, looked Da Hae up and down as she approached.

“It looks quite big on you.”

“Oversized is in fashion these days.”

“…Ah. I see.”

A strange look flashed in his eyes.

“So. You wear the same clothes as your brother?”

“…It’s a kind of unisex style, you could say.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Pil Seung didn’t push the matter any further.

He just joked that it might be better to wear their own clothes, even if it’s trendy.

After that, he lingered for quite a while before leaving.

There wasn’t much other conversation. He just smiled meaninglessly now and then.

It felt like an eternity.

Even if he noticed something strange, he wouldn’t guess it was a contract marriage. A show marriage at most.

After staring endlessly at the darkening window, Da Hae collapsed onto the sofa, the joy of liberation behind her.

“…What an ordeal.”

She forced her heavy eyelids open, deepening her double eyelids.

She had to stay alert to avoid falling asleep. She gathered her strength to lift her waterlogged body.

That’s when it happened.

Ding dong!

The cursed doorbell rang again.

* * *

13, 12, 11…

His gaze fixed on the elevator numbers shifted to scan the sedan beyond the glass wall before returning to the front.

Thick fingers resting lightly on his arm tapped the suit jacket rhythmically.

The white convertible parked in the same spot as this morning.

The noble appearance of the vehicle, so similar to its owner, stirred Ji Do Jun’s homing instinct.

Is this what it feels like to have a wife waiting at home? The familiar journey home suddenly took on a strange sentiment.

The actress who said she was performing a one-act play, why was she still keeping house? Whatever the reason, the thought of seeing that woman when he opened the door was quite pleasant.

*

Ding dong!

This time, Da Hae remembered to check the intercom monitor and let out a sigh of relief. The homeowner had returned.

Was this how it felt to reunite with a comrade on a lonely battlefield? The sight of Ji Do Jun in the square screen was incredibly welcome.

Her feet rushed to the entrance without hesitation before suddenly stopping. Her slender shoulders rose in shock.

The shirt…! Reaching for the lever, she suddenly remembered she was still wearing his clothes.

Meanwhile, the doorbell rang again.

She had stubbornly insisted on going home, yet here she was still hanging around at this hour – that alone was enough fodder for teasing.

If he saw her in this state, he’d surely mock her mercilessly until the end of their contract.

Should I just tell the truth? Your brother came by and called me “noona.” Then he spilled milk on me and told me to change clothes.

“…”

That didn’t seem like a good idea.

Kang Pil Seung had asked, though not directly, not to mention his visit. Besides, nothing major had happened, so there was no need to worry Ji Do Jun unnecessarily.

Blabbing would only make her look like a tattletale or someone trying to stir up trouble between brothers.

Above all, now wasn’t the time for this. He would let himself in, so she needed to hurry to the dressing room.

Having made up her mind, Da Hae turned without delay.

And then,

“Oh…!”

Crash!

As she felt something under her foot, her body lost balance and tumbled forward.

Slamming her knees down like a great sinner, Da Hae couldn’t even fully express her pain as she felt around with her foot.

Her trembling fingertips grasped a smooth piece of paper.

A receipt… from a restaurant at Incheon Airport, dated today – clearly Kang Pil Seung’s leftover.

The receipt, left behind like a banana peel in a kart racing game, was crumpled miserably in Da Hae’s grasp.

She even felt annoyed that he’d bought two boxes of donuts yet came empty-handed.

Just then, a cheerful notification sounded. The man who had lightly opened the door tilted his head as he stood at the entrance.

“…”

“…”

The couple’s gazes silently intertwined in the spacious entryway.

The gaze that fell from top to bottom was particularly strange.

Both hands planted neatly on the floor, kneeling. Hair disheveled in all directions.

The woman wrapped in white fabric that looked almost like funeral clothes resembled a Joseon-era woman dragged before a magistrate.

He had no idea what was going on.

“Acting?”

The man’s voice held a hint of mockery as he asked. He pulled one hand from his pocket as if offering to help her up, but Da Hae stood on her own.

Even standing straight, there was still a large gap in their eye levels.

“You were going to open the door anyway, so why ring the bell? Does anyone else live here besides you?”

Ji Do Jun’s lips remained tightly closed, offering no answer. He simply stared intently at her pale face.

Why was this woman getting so worked up? Was ringing his own doorbell such cause for anger? In any case, she wasn’t wrong.

Ringing the doorbell is only done when there’s someone to open it.

It was no different when he lived at home. After his mother was driven out, there was no one waiting for him.

So he had forgotten. The excitement of standing outside the door, waiting for someone.

Ah. It’s troublesome to be reminded of such greedy emotions.

As he gazed at her blankly, the woman raised an eyebrow slightly. As if to ask what he was looking at. Ji Do Jun tilted his head and placed his hand on top of Da Hae’s head.

“I thought it might be broken.”

“…?”

“A mischievous person came calling late at night and couldn’t stop pressing it for a while.”

“…”

He never misses a chance to score a point, as always.

One corner of his mouth lifted crookedly – Ji Do Jun seemed to find this situation quite amusing.

Da Hae swatted away the hand on her head and spun around, turning her back to him.

“I was wondering what was strange…”

The trailing words pierced into her back. Da Hae suddenly felt a chill down her spine.

“Yes…?”

The floor-to-ceiling living room windows clearly reflected what she had overlooked until now.

“That.”

Unable to turn around, Da Hae just rolled her eyes as the owner of the shirt approached her from the front.

With an expression like a cat who had found a toy.

“Looks like mine.”

“Ah… This?”

“Yep. That.”

The man crossed his arms leisurely and lowered his chin. His lips were full of amusement, as if urging her to entertain him.

A quiet sigh escaped Da Hae’s teeth as she searched for a suitable excuse.

“…What.”

“What.”

“You said we share things.”

‘We’ll be sharing everything after marriage anyway, so why bother exchanging things.’

We share everything after marriage, he said. She was adapting Ji Do Jun’s words about splitting the bill at their matchmaking meal.

She never thought she’d be saying this herself one day, but here she was.

The man leaning casually against the kitchen island was smiling but not smiling.

His pitch-black eyes bore intensely into Da Hae’s, as if trying to see through her clumsy attempt at a cover-up.

Da Hae, already drained of a day’s energy, decided to exercise her right to remain silent instead of making excuses.

She knew it would only increase suspicion, but it was the best option for now.

To explain her appearance, she would have to confess about Kang Pil Seung’s visit.

Sigh. Da Hae let out an exaggerated sigh.

“Don’t say anything. It’s been a tough day.”

Our team leader is working hard to avoid the issue.

“I think there’s something I need to hear.”

He asked, but knew he wouldn’t get an answer. Sure enough, the woman just shrugged with tightly sealed lips.

Then he would have to find out for himself.

Given Kye Da Hae’s personality, there must be a significant reason for her to keep quiet about something so obvious. Perhaps a request from someone who visited.

He already had some idea of what might have happened in this space. He was just curious what could have necessitated a change of clothes.

In any case, it was refreshing. Kye Da Hae in his work clothes.

Was it originally that big? Sleeves covering her hands and hem falling to her thighs. The corners of Ji Do Jun’s lips lifted slightly at how cute she looked, acting proud while dressed like a child in her father’s clothes.

That smile soon faded. The collarbone exposed below her neck bothered him.

Didn’t she learn how to button properly? She always leaves a few undone like that.

Was it carelessness or indifference? Maybe even a dismissive gesture towards him. How else could she be so nonchalant in such attire?

Ji Do Jun sighed softly and pressed his wrist bone against his brow.

“Let’s eat dinner first. I’ll make it quickly.”

His gaze remained fixed somewhere on her collarbone.