“Mr. Kim. That’s enough…”

“That’s right. Because of the CEO’s proposal anecdote, our employees’ fantasies have only grown.”

Mr. Kim’s topic must have been an excellent conversation starter, as everyone chimed in and the conversation was entirely colored by proposals.

The lone uncomfortable party swallowed the sandwich stuck in their throat with water.

Their neck, stiff as if propped up with a wooden stick, never turned toward Kang Jae Kyung.

The legs trembling from extreme embarrassment suddenly stopped shaking due to the large hand placed on the thigh.

“Ah. I did that, didn’t I.”

Romantic. The team members, who couldn’t understand the meaningful words, paid no attention to Kang Jae Kyung’s mumbling that sounded like he was talking to himself.

He vaguely remembered making up the story at some company dinner when pestered to share a proposal anecdote if he wasn’t going to invite Kang Jae Kyung.

“Women don’t actually expect anything grand. They fall head over heels for such small proposals.”

“Well everyone? That’s enough now…”

“I’d like to hear more details. My highlight that women fall for.”

Only then did Da Hae turn her head and glance at Jae Kyung. Her pale lips barely managed a smile.

“Haha. Why are you acting like you don’t know? It’s our story…”

“It’s interesting to hear it from someone else’s mouth. It’s quite amusing.”

“Next time. Let’s hear it next time. The lunch break is almost over, and-”

“Is there a problem when the team leader is right here?”

Right? The man rested his chin on his interlocked hands and smiled faintly.

His fiercely furrowed brows conveyed the message to stop, but it was futile with him.

The intelligent serpent put Team Leader Kye at a crossroads.

Either surrender since it had already happened, or become a stubborn boss.

Da Hae quietly sighed and nodded to the team members eagerly awaiting the team leader’s decision. It was a sign of approval.

They say if you’re going to get beaten anyway, it’s better to get it over with sooner.

Kang Jae Kyung, who wouldn’t miss an interesting topic, was the type of person who would definitely hear that story someday if not today.

Having received the team leader’s permission, Mr. Kim spoke cheerfully. The content was simpler than anticipated.

A cliché story of having a nice dinner at a fancy restaurant on their fifth date, going for a drive, and him taking off his coat for her when the wind got chilly while walking along the Han River.

Despite the unremarkable story, both the speaker and listeners were busy squealing and wiggling.

“Our team leader put her hand in the coat pocket to say thank you, and guess what she felt?”

“There must have been a ring.”

“That’s right!”

I see. Kang Jae Kyung stroked his sharp jawline and responded half-heartedly, seemingly having lost interest.

Or rather, he looked displeased. At such an unimpressive proposal.

Da Hae was secretly grateful for her lack of creativity in that area.

Her fingers, which had been anxiously curled, relaxed as she realized the drunken story wasn’t as grandiose or embarrassing as she had feared.

“Well then, shall we get going?”

“No! We haven’t gotten to the highlight yet!”

Huh?

“I’ve watched all kinds of dramas – American, Japanese, British – but I’ve never heard a line like this before.”

“Line…?”

Mr. Kim’s face was solemn, like a hunter about to take the final shot.

The listeners, though already knowing, prepared their reactions as if it was still unbelievable even upon second thought.

Da Hae briefly smiled as Mr. Kim spread his shoulders wide, doing a spot-on impression of Kang Jae Kyung.

“Kye Da Hae.”

Drum roll,

As Mr. Kim’s deep voice called Da Hae’s name, over a dozen palms slapped the table.

“I want to share a family register with you!”

…Haha.

Her forehead hit the table with a thud.

While boisterous voices mixed all around, the particularly loud snickering was undoubtedly Kang Jae Kyung’s.

“That’s right. I did.”

“…”

Saying the olives were especially delicious today, the man’s expression brightened as if he had caught a big fish.

As team members left the sandwich shop bidding farewell, silence fell over the place where lunch hours had long passed.

Da Hae rose slowly, trying to appear nonchalant. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie, after all.

Still, she made a concerted effort to ignore the man following behind her.

She pretended not to notice his obvious snickering. Da Hae gestured for her team members to go ahead, but her pace slowed as a heavy hand landed on her shoulder.

When she slightly raised her eyes, silently asking to be let go, Kang Jae Kyung grinned with a mischievous look.

“Did I really say that?”

“…”

The man’s chuckling eyes gleamed brightly, like a cat that had spotted a mouse.

If she were a mouse, she’d at least be able to find a hole to hide in.

But as a full-grown human, Kye Da Hae could only mechanically move her creaking joints to return to the office that would protect her.

* * *

Eventually, night fell.

Silence flowed between the couple as they arrived at the meeting place. It was the first quiet moment since they had set out.

“If you don’t want to, you can go alone.”

“I’m not that irresponsible. Personal preferences can’t come before contractual obligations.”

After work, Da Hae had stopped by home to change before riding together in Jae Kyung’s car that came to pick her up.

Starting with the text message sent for the rendezvous, “I’ve arrived”, similar teasing continued even while driving.

She managed to ignore most of it, but when he said that the Han River proposal was too cliché for the trend-sensitive Team Leader Kye Da Hae, she finally snapped back in irritation.

The man reached out to her as if to calm her down, saying “Whoa, whoa,” and as he stepped on the accelerator, he said, “Giddyup.”

“Just think of it as sharing a table with strangers. The sweet and sour pork is delicious there, so eat a lot of that.”

Da Hae laughed dryly.

For someone going to meet family, Kang Jae Kyung was visibly tense.

Because of this, his words about just sharing a table sounded like he was trying to save face for himself.

Despite saying she could go alone if she didn’t want to, Kang Jae Kyung looked more reluctant than anyone.

She knew it was a blended family. Just up to the point Kang Jae Kyung had told her.

If there were family matters he didn’t mention, it was probably either not something she needed to know or something he’d prefer she didn’t know, so she didn’t bother asking.

There was no reason to investigate behind his back either.

Still, one thing seemed clear. He must have had a very different upbringing than Kang Pil Seung, who didn’t have a trace of gloom about him.

It was strange.

She found him so annoying, and this should have been a perfect opportunity to mock him. But seeing Kang Jae Kyung’s gloomy face, so troubled about meeting family, was quite unpleasant.

That’s why she wanted to support him.

Whether it was due to a sense of solidarity from being spouses, or a friendship that had unknowingly developed between them over time, or because of some nameless emotion that occasionally surfaced and turned everything upside down, she couldn’t tell.

Checking the time, Da Hae reached out with her small clenched fist and hit the horn.

Having made up her mind, it was time to move forward.

“You can sleep when we get home. Let’s go. To eat sweet and sour pork.”

“I couldn’t sleep because of someone.”

“What are you saying, is everything my fault now?”

Sneering that he looked ridiculous, Da Hae pushed open the heavy door with all her might. Her dark brown eyes blazed with determination.

Somehow, even dinner with the enemy seemed like it would be alright. If it was with this woman.

Jae Kyung smirked as he got out of the car. Then he approached with large strides and wrapped his arm around her slender waist.

Da Hae, pulled along without resistance, looked up at him with wide eyes.

“I thought we should do this much. Since we’re newlyweds.”

It wasn’t the first time she had been in contact with his firm side, but it still felt unfamiliar. The overwhelming scent of his skin made her stomach feel ticklish.

Hmm. Looking at the man’s dazzling smile, the woman pondered.

“We should do this much. Since we’re newlyweds.”

As her intelligent voice finished, Jae Kyung’s footsteps faltered out of rhythm.

The arm shyly wrapped around her waist and the small hand grasping his shirt tail. All his nerves were on edge where their body heat met.

It was amusing. To be so moved even though their skin hadn’t actually touched.