Gyeo Wool, having changed into comfortable clothes, was sitting on the living room sofa pressing the remote to flip through TV channels.

The channel numbers kept increasing, but no program caught her eye.

Gyeo Wool turned off the TV and reached for the magazine rack beside the sofa, pulling out a financial newspaper.

At first, her gaze skimmed the articles, but it kept drifting to the clock on the wall.

“It’s almost 11 o’clock…”

Tae Wook had not yet returned.

He had dropped Gyeo Wool off at the apartment, saying they would have dinner together if nothing came up.

But for him not to come until this hour…

“Did something come up at the company?”

Gyeo Wool looked towards the entrance with eyes full of worry.

That’s when it happened.

Ding!

The sound of the front door lock being released was heard.

Gyeo Wool quickly got up from the sofa and walked towards the sliding door.

A moment later, the sliding door opened and Tae Wook and Gyeo Wool’s eyes met in a straight line.

Was it an illusion?

Gyeo Wool thought she saw a smile appear and disappear on Tae Wook’s lips for a split second.

“You’re home?”

“Why are you still up?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“You don’t have to do this.”

Tae Wook knew.

It wasn’t that she couldn’t sleep, but that she had been waiting for him to come home, just like she used to.

“You have to go to work tomorrow, go in and rest.”

“Have you… eaten dinner?”

Gyeo Wool carefully asked instead of answering.

She was concerned about Tae Wook’s appearance, which looked eerily exhausted.

“What about Secretary Han?”

Seeing Tae Wook defer his answer and ask, it was clear he had skipped dinner.

“Not yet.”

“What time is it now? You should have eaten first.”

“Just because.”

She shrugged her shoulders.

It was because of Tae Wook’s words about eating dinner together, but she just smiled slightly instead of giving a reason.

“Would you like to eat together?”

“At this hour?”

“I’ve gotten hungry.”

Gyeo Wool threw out the words and waited for Tae Wook’s answer.

A hint of contemplation flashed across his face and disappeared.

“Let’s do that.”

“Go change your clothes and come back.”

As Tae Wook turned towards the dressing room, he looked at Gyeo Wool as if he had something to say.

“All I have to do is take out the side dishes and heat up the soup, right?”

Tae Wook let out a chuckle at Gyeo Wool’s words.

It seems she had guessed correctly what he wanted to say.

“I was worried it might be troublesome at this hour. I’m glad.”

“I’ll change quickly and come out.”

Gyeo Wool went to the kitchen and placed the cold pot on the induction stove.

While waiting for the soup to boil, she took side dishes out of the refrigerator and put them on plates.

Unlike last time, the housekeeper had prepared various side dishes.

As she was putting down the side dish plates and pouring water into glasses, she sensed Tae Wook coming to the dining room.

“Please sit down.”

Gyeo Wool was about to go to the kitchen.

At that moment, Tae Wook lightly grabbed Gyeo Wool’s arm.

“Let’s do it together.”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll ladle the soup.”

“Are, are you sure?”

Gyeo Wool was about to say it was fine, but nodded instead.

They went to the kitchen together, Gyeo Wool scooped the rice, and Tae Wook ladled the soup, then returned to the dining room.

The two sat facing each other at the table and picked up their spoons simultaneously.

“Enjoy your…”

“You must be hungry, have a lot…”

They both spoke at the same time.

Gyeo Wool and Tae Wook burst into short laughter as if they had planned it.

“Eat.”

“Yes. You eat too, sir.”

Perhaps because she hadn’t eaten properly all day, Gyeo Wool felt hunger rush over her as she smelled the food.

At first, her chopsticks moved quickly back and forth between the side dishes.

But the more she tasted, the less her chopsticks had anywhere to go.

“The taste is still the same, right? I ate anyway, but Secretary Han’s rice is untouched.”

Although Tae Wook said this, his rice bowl had barely decreased by half.

“Want to have a drink?”

Tae Wook asked out of the blue.

“A drink… you say?”

Gyeo Wool’s tone was reluctant.

She had a very weak constitution for alcohol. And above all, today was the first day of their contract starting.

On a day like this, drinking together…

There was something that made her hesitate.

“I need to have a drink. If you’ll join me, I was thinking of wine.”

“Wine?”

Gyeo Wool asked, her eyes sparkling.

Her expression had become so intrigued it was hard to believe she was the same person who had been reluctant just moments ago.

“I’ll choose one you might like.”

“Then, shall we have just one glass?”

“If you like.”

“I’ll look in the fridge and prepare something to go with it.”

“Good.”

Tae Wook went to the wine cellar.

He knew that while Gyeo Wool might not like other alcohol, she did enjoy wine.

And he also knew the simple reason why she liked it.

−It’s delicious, isn’t it? Sweet.

Tae Wook preferred dry and heavy wines, but today he carefully selected a sweet wine with less acidity for Gyeo Wool.

“This should be good.”

When Tae Wook brought the wine, Gyeo Wool was setting up plates of snacks and wine glasses on the living room table.

“We’re drinking in the living room?”

“I thought the sofa would be more comfortable for you.”

Gyeo Wool said as she took a seat on the floor.

“You looked tired.”

Tae Wook realized it was consideration for him.

Well, she was a person who had consideration for others ingrained in her.

Tae Wook filled a glass with wine and handed it to Gyeo Wool first.

“Try it. See if it’s alright.”

She brought the glass to her nose, inhaled the aroma, then took a sip and swallowed it after a moment.

Since he had taught her how to drink wine, she always took her first sip this way.

“It’s delicious.”

“I’m glad.”

It was worth carefully selecting it.

He also poured wine into his glass and drank half of it in one go.

“We’ll go to work together tomorrow. I’ll introduce you to the employees.”

“Yes.”

“I told the employees that Secretary Han would also be handling my secretarial duties.”

“Secretarial duties?”

Gyeo Wool wore a puzzled expression.

She had never been told by Tae Wook that she would have to do secretarial work.

“I’m not asking you to be a real secretary.”

“Then…”

“I thought it would prevent gossip if I called for Secretary Han separately or went with her. And they’ll think you’re involved in resort business because I instructed you to.”

“Are you really going to teach me about the resort business?”

“I told you, I don’t go back on my word.”

Tae Wook made a strange expression and emptied the remaining wine in his glass.

Gyeo Wool didn’t understand.

When Chairman Kang regains his memory, their contract will end.

That meant the two of them would become complete strangers and go their separate ways.

So she couldn’t understand why he made such a decision, as if trying to delay the end.

“On days I commute to the resort office, you’ll have to arrive earlier than the employees and leave later.”

“Yes. I know.”

As soon as Gyeo Wool finished answering, Tae Wook refilled his empty glass.

“Drink. You’ll have to get up early tomorrow. Try to sleep with the help of alcohol.”

Gyeo Wool, who was about to bring the glass filled with red liquid to her mouth, stopped her movement and looked at Tae Wook.

−I need to have a drink.

Gyeo Wool remembered what Tae Wook had said before going to choose the wine.

He clearly said he needed to drink, not that he wanted to drink.

“Perhaps… have you not been able to sleep well?”

Gyeo Wool, who had been looking down at the red liquid in the glass, raised her gaze to look at Tae Wook.

“It’s always been like that, hasn’t it?”

Tae Wook answered indifferently and this time downed the wine in one go.

“But you had gotten better.”

Tae Wook had suffered from insomnia for a long time.

Even with counseling and medication, his symptoms didn’t improve.

But for some reason, during their married life, there were hardly any problems caused by insomnia.

No, it seemed to have completely healed.

“I thought so too, but I guess not.”

“Since when?”

“Don’t worry about it. You know it’s a chronic condition.”

No sooner had his words ended than her face turned a grayish dark color.

“Since the divorce, right?”

“It’s not Secretary Han’s fault, so there’s no need to blame yourself.”

“It’s because of stress, isn’t it?”

“I just returned to how I was originally.”

Tae Wook spoke nonchalantly and brought some cheese from the plate to his mouth.

“Drinking doesn’t make you sleep anyway.”

“If I get drunk, I can at least sleep for a few hours.”

He reached for the wine bottle as if to refill his glass.

But Gyeo Wool’s action was faster.

The wine bottle ended up in her hands.

“Stop drinking.”

“I’ve only had one glass.”

“You probably drank yesterday too. If it’s for insomnia, you shouldn’t, no matter the reason.”

Gyeo Wool, hugging the wine bottle tightly to her chest to prevent it from being taken away, looked very serious.

“Does saying not to drink mean Secretary Han will stay up all night with me?”

“Pardon?”

Why did the conversation drift in that direction?

Gyeo Wool wore an ambiguous expression, unable to answer.

“If you tell me to give up drinking when it helps me sleep, isn’t that saying you’ll take responsibility?”

“But…”

“If you can’t do it, just let me drink.”

When Tae Wook reached out his hand, Gyeo Wool turned her body to hide the wine bottle.

“I said no.”

“It’s too much to say no wine and not take responsibility either.”

Tae Wook’s tone was one of grievance.

“Alright. Let’s stay up all night. I’ll stay by your side.”

“Staying up all night on purpose isn’t that easy.”

Tae Wook, who had been asking her to take responsibility, now spoke with concern.

“But it’s not impossible, right?”

Gyeo Wool got up from the floor and sat on the sofa where Tae Wook was sitting.

“Well. Shall we talk?”

About 30 minutes passed.

During that time, rather than conversation, short answers to trivial questions were exchanged between the two.

The awkward time passed so slowly.

It felt as if hours had passed instead of just 30 minutes.

Suddenly, Gyeo Wool jumped up from her seat.

“I-I’ll go get something to eat.”

The snacks they had been eating without wine had long since run out.

Tae Wook watched Gyeo Wool’s retreating figure as she scurried towards the kitchen.

“What an unpredictable woman.”

He muttered and placed his hand over his heart.

Until recently, his heart had ached dully whenever he saw Gyeo Wool.

But now it was different.

A warm feeling circulated and a ticklish sensation made him want to smile strangely.

“Even though she won’t last an hour…”

Tae Wook tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

A moment later, Gyeo Wool returned with a plate full of snacks she had rummaged from the kitchen.

“Sir…”

Gyeo Wool, who was about to call Tae Wook, quickly shut her mouth.