When Green opened her eyes, the sun was already shining brightly. The clock was approaching 10 AM.

“Sun Woo, wake up quickly. Didn’t you say we have to go to Pyeongchang-dong today? Aren’t we late?”

Green tried to get up abruptly but couldn’t help but groan as pain shot through her entire body.

Yesterday morning she was too distracted by their fathers to notice, but after being tormented by Sun Woo for two days straight until dawn, her whole body was aching terribly.

“What’s wrong, Green? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

Still with sleepiness in his eyes, Sun Woo looked up at Green with concern. She glared at him as if to say ‘Are you really asking?’

Sun Woo avoided Green’s reproachful gaze and stroked her back, trying to give her a massage. But Green twisted away as if to say ‘Not a chance.’

“Where do you think you’re touching? Aren’t we going to Pyeongchang-dong?”

“Ah, we can go there after lunch.”

Sun Woo stretched out his thick arm and pulled Green’s waist back towards him.

As she was suddenly pulled into Sun Woo’s embrace, Green briefly searched her memory. Yesterday, he had clearly said they should go to bed early since they had to go to Pyeongchang-dong tomorrow!

Just then, she felt Sun Woo’s body shaking as it held her waist. He was clearly trying to hold back laughter.

“Sun Woo, did you lie?”

“It wasn’t a lie. I meant we should go early after lunch.”

“Oh, really!”

At his shameless answer, Green slapped the arm wrapped around her waist. Sun Woo tried to push her down and kiss her, but Green turned her head away sharply.

“Hmph, you said you were clumsy at kissing, so why do you keep trying to kiss me?”

Seeing Green’s subtle resentment, Sun Woo burst out laughing. Then he attacked her exposed neck and collarbone, which were revealed when she turned her head.

“It’s because I like you too much, Green. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have pounced on you like a madman three times even though I knew you were struggling.”

As Sun Woo mumbled with his lips pressed against Green’s neck, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly even as she squirmed from the ticklish sensation.

“It was four times, actually.”

When Green carefully corrected Sun Woo’s words, his movements suddenly stopped. He really seemed shocked by his own actions.

Sun Woo soon pulled away from her and lay straight on the bed. He covered his face with his large hands, but couldn’t hide his self-loathing.

“I’m really acting like a crazy person.”

“No, you don’t need to feel that bad about it…”

“Then can I continue?”

“No! Are we going to do our dating only in bed? I feel so cheated that I’ve never had a proper dating experience, so I’d like Sun Woo to fulfill my wishes.”

When Green looked at Sun Woo with expectant eyes, a smile escaped from his handsome lips.

“What would you like to do?”

“I’ll tell you one by one, step by step, so my husband and lover Sun Woo must do them together. Don’t think you can slack off just because you’ve caught the fish.”

“Understood.”

Sun Woo answered seriously while forcibly holding back his laughter that kept escaping. Green jumped up and got out of bed.

“First, let’s wash up, eat, and get ready to go to Pyeongchang-dong. Today, I want to play the role of your wife well, not just your lover.”

As Green disappeared into the bathroom, Sun Woo slowly got up from his seat.

All this time, he had lived a life with clear privileges that others couldn’t enjoy and limitations that others didn’t know. While the privileges were something to be grateful for, the limitations drawn regardless of his abilities had weighed him down.

But things changed after meeting Green. With her by his side, the privileges and limitations that had been a burden all his life no longer held any meaning.

The only person who could completely fill him just by existing, that’s who Green was to Sun Woo.

*****

Green, who had bravely come all the way to Pyeongchang-dong following Sun Woo, found it hard to take a step when she actually stood in front of the mansion’s entrance.

Sun Woo turned to look at Green, puzzled.

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

“Well, I’m scared to meet Grandfather. Last time we met, he warned that he would make things difficult for me. I think he was warning me because he wants to reveal that Sun Woo is an illegitimate child.”

Sun Woo silently agreed with Green’s words. Green muttered dejectedly.

“The media says Grandfather is doing this to get rid of you. What if that’s really true? I used to like Grandfather a little before, but if he keeps making things difficult for you, I don’t think I can like him as I did before.”

Sun Woo couldn’t help but smile at Green’s words, saying she couldn’t continue to like Park Chan Wook if he kept making things difficult for Sun Woo. He never imagined having someone completely on his side could feel this good.

“I’ll stick right by your side, Green. If you’re too scared, you can hide behind me. I’ll protect you from everything.”

Sun Woo tightly held her hand, intending to reassure her.

But Sun Woo’s words awakened the cowardly Green. She realized that the person who would be hurt the most when Park Chan Wook acted like this was Sun Woo.

“I can’t do that. Sun Woo isn’t some indestructible dragon bone, how can you defeat Grandfather when he’s like this? I’ll, I’ll try to persuade Grandfather somehow. So Sun Woo, just trust me!”

Green, suddenly regaining her courage, rushed inside through the front door before Sun Woo could stop her.

“Grandfather, we’re here!”

Sun Woo chuckled at Green’s overly cheerful voice coming from inside the entrance, which sounded awkward.

When the two entered the living room, Park Chan Wook welcomed them warmly.

“Welcome. What’s Sun Woo holding?”

“It’s the photo we gave you as a birthday gift last time. We had it enlarged as much as possible.”

If the birthday gift photo was A4 size, the enlarged photo was about the size of a sketchbook. Green thought this would be enough, expecting it to be hung in a room or office.

But Park Chan Wook muttered, seeming a bit disappointed with the frame size.

“It’s too small to hang in the company lobby.”

“You were planning to hang this in the lobby?”

No matter how advanced technology has become, it was unreasonable to enlarge a photo taken with a smartphone camera to be big enough to hang in the lobby.

“Hanging the owner’s photo in the lobby is too much. Just hang it in the living room or a bedroom.”

Green said soothingly, but Park Chan Wook kept clicking his tongue in disappointment as he checked the photo again.

Just then, Park In Young came in with a tea set and sat down next to Park Chan Wook.

“Mother! You were already here? Have you been well?”

“Yes. Let’s have some tea.”

In Young, who was setting up the tea set to brew tea, slightly raised her eyebrows when she saw Sun Woo and Green’s hands.

“That’s a ring I haven’t seen before.”

“I realized I hadn’t given her a wedding ring yet. So I got one made for this occasion.”

Green was internally a bit uncomfortable since she already had a ring from In Young. But In Young’s next words were completely different from what Green expected.

“The stone looks a bit small. If you were going to do it, why not get a bigger one?”

“I did get a bigger one too. This is for wearing daily.”

“Well done.”

Relieved by In Young’s reaction, Green carefully looked around. Strangely, her father-in-law Jin Young Cheol was nowhere to be seen.

“Is Father running late?”

“Your father-in-law won’t be coming. I told him not to come because I don’t want to see his face.”

“Pardon?”

Green was pleased to hear Jin Young Cheol wasn’t coming, but at the same time, she was surprised by In Young’s harsh tone.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, I was just surprised that you said you don’t want to see Father’s face, Mother…”

To be honest, Green doubted if there would ever be a day when Jin Young Cheol would be pleasant to see, but she couldn’t say that out loud, so she said it indirectly.

In Young, not noticing Green’s true feelings, gave serious advice as a senior in life.

“Right now, Sun Woo might seem all good to you, but as you live, there will come a day when you really can’t stand the sight of Sun Woo.”

“Really?”

As Green opened her eyes wide in disbelief, In Young and Park Chan Wook chuckled. As if to say, live longer and you’ll see.

Sun Woo also lowered his head and smiled slightly, seemingly embarrassed in front of the elders. Green asked In Young with round eyes.

“What do you do then?”

“What?”

In Young asked back, seeming a bit flustered as if she hadn’t expected such a question.

“Honestly, thinking about my father, I’m sure Mom had many times when she couldn’t stand the sight of Dad. I want to ask how she endured it, but I can’t ask her… So how do you endure it, Mother?”

In Young, knowing the condition of her in-law, suddenly felt pity for Green. She sighed lightly and poured tea into the cups.

“What can you do? First, you have to avoid seeing their face until your heart calms down. I don’t know about your mother-in-law, but that’s how I’ve lived.”

Watching Green nod as if she had learned a very important fact, In Young felt strange.

She had never thought of being in-laws with Han Moon Taek’s family until now. But as she accompanied Green more often as mother-in-law and daughter-in-law over the past year, the fact that Green was her daughter-in-law became natural.

Although it was a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship formed unavoidably due to Han Moon Taek’s threats, strictly speaking, Green was not at fault at all.

No, from what she had observed, Green was also a victim of Han Moon Taek. Otherwise, no matter how much she had promised In Young, she couldn’t have cut off contact with her birth father for a year.

Above all, she liked Green’s pure and honest personality, which was so transparent that her thoughts were clearly visible. In Young could understand why Sun Woo smiled when thinking of Green.

Perhaps that’s why now even Han Moon Taek and his wife didn’t feel entirely like strangers when she thought of them as Green’s parents.

At that moment, Sun Woo, who had been quietly moistening his lips with the tea In Young had handed him, quietly put down his teacup.

“I have something to say to you, Chairman.”

“Alright. Let’s hear it.”

“Father told me to submit my resignation immediately and enter politics. He said you leaked to the press that I’m an illegitimate child in order to get rid of me.”

“And?”

“Vice Chairman, you asked me then, didn’t you? Whether that fact would influence my decision. I couldn’t answer right away at that time. Honestly, I did consider it.”

Park Chan Wook slowly drank his tea, lifting the cup. But his eyes looking at Sun Woo were very sharp.

“Does that mean you’ve come with an answer now?”

“Yes. Regardless of your intentions, Chairman, I won’t enter politics. I won’t submit my resignation first even if you don’t hand over K1 Construction to me.”

“You’ll be satisfied living as a salaried worker at K1 Construction for life?”

“Not just any salaried worker. Considering the performance bonuses, I’d be in the top 3% of salaried workers.”

At Sun Woo’s confident retort, Park Chan Wook burst into laughter.

The sound was so loud that unlike In Young who was calmly drinking her tea, Green almost dropped her teacup in surprise. Was it really that funny?

As Green stared at Park Chan Wook with round eyes, he put down his teacup and playfully addressed Green.

“Shall I give my granddaughter-in-law a chance for revenge? Let’s play another game of omok.”

Sun Woo, worried that Green might get scared if she was alone with Park Chan Wook, stepped in instead.

“Why don’t you play a game of baduk with me today?”

“No. I want to play omok with Green.”

On the other hand, Green, worried that Sun Woo might get hurt by his maternal grandfather, quickly responded to Park Chan Wook’s words.

“I might win this time, Grandfather.”

“Alright, please do try to win for once.”