Married First, a Couple - Chapter 27

Do Joon abruptly sat up and perched on the bed’s headboard.

Due to Do Joon’s movement, Tae Yeon’s hand that had been inside his clothes safely slipped out.

However, this time Tae Yeon’s hand fell onto Do Joon’s firm thigh.

Do Joon laughed wryly and stared blankly at where Tae Yeon’s hand had landed, with an awkward expression.

“This is maddening.”

Do Joon let out a quiet sigh.

It felt as if he was being tamed. As if testing his limits.

“Yesterday you were avoiding me so much.”

Now she couldn’t seem to stop provoking him.

Do Joon gently brushed back Tae Yeon’s brown hair that had fallen out of place as she tossed and turned.

Her face, which had been hidden, was revealed again.

Tae Yeon’s soft cheek filled Do Joon’s view. Wondering how it would feel to press it with his finger, Do Joon unconsciously reached out his hand.

And carefully, he poked Tae Yeon’s cheek. It felt like soft pudding.

It was addictive, and he was about to poke it a few more times, but Do Joon quickly withdrew his hand.

“What am I doing to someone who’s sleeping?”

He rationalized that this was nothing compared to how Tae Yeon had touched his body.

“Should I wake her up, or not?”

If she opened her eyes in this state, how would Tae Yeon react?

She’d probably be startled, widening her clear eyes. And then she’d deny reality first.

In the end, she might even say that since this accident happened because they slept together, she’d use a separate room from tomorrow.

If that happened, it would only be a matter of time before it reached Chairman Cha’s ears.

“If I just pretend not to know, it’ll be like nothing happened.”

Do Joon carefully lifted Tae Yeon’s arm that was still on his thigh and placed it on the bed sheet.

“Do you know what you did today, Ms. Jin Tae Yeon?”

Do Joon muttered to himself as he looked at the soundly sleeping Tae Yeon.

“Of course you don’t.”

Would she even know how hard he had to try to suppress the beast trying to break through his reason?

“And you shouldn’t know either.”

Do Joon pulled his legs out of the bed.

Before she wakes up.

He planned to wash away the unfamiliar sensations spread throughout his body while showering.

[This is the timeline separator]

Rrrr.

Tae Yeon, who opened her eyes to the alarm sound, was startled to realize she was lying down, encroaching on Do Joon’s space.

Fortunately, the space beside her was empty. Even when she reached out and felt around, there was no warmth at all.

It seemed that after Do Joon left the bed, she had stretched out her arm while tossing and turning.

“Ah, that scared me.”

Her body felt lighter than usual.

“I think I heard something. Was it a dream?”

Tae Yeon got out of bed, not even thinking that the low voice she seemed to have heard while half-asleep could have been Do Joon’s.

“From tomorrow, I should sleep even closer to the edge of the bed.”

Just in case she made a mistake.

[This is the timeline separator]

While working after arriving at the office.

Tae Yeon’s phone began to ring violently. Seeing the caller, her face filled with worry.

Wanting to take the call quietly, Tae Yeon moved to the emergency staircase.

“Yes, Father.”

-I heard you had dinner with Tae Jin yesterday? How could you do that to your sister?

“What do you mean?”

-What? You’re asking why? Child, that’s what I want to ask. Why did you suddenly invite Mr. Cha to the appointment you made with your elder sister?

“I didn’t invite him, Do Joon just happened to stop by.”

-Huh huh huh. Tae Yeon, did it make you feel better to rub salt in your elder sister’s wounds like that?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

-I wasn’t going to say this, but you’ve had quite a cunning side since you were young.

Even without seeing it directly, Tae Yeon could clearly imagine what kind of words Tae Jin had used to drive a wedge between President Jin and herself.

A sigh escaped involuntarily. After holding back for so long, Tae Yeon clenched her fist and asked what she had always wanted to ask.

“Am I really your daughter too?”

President Jin seemed quite taken aback, as if he hadn’t expected Tae Yeon to say such a thing.

-…What do you mean?

“I’m not even surprised anymore that you always only take care of elder sister. But you said you’d treat me like I don’t exist after I get married.”

-So? Are you saying you don’t want to hear me nagging you over the phone? This is all for your own good…

“You don’t have to think about me.”

-What?

Tae Yeon removed the phone from her ear. She could hear him yelling something, but she no longer wanted to continue the conversation with President Jin.

For the first time, Tae Yeon hung up first while talking to President Jin.

Thinking he would probably call again anyway, she just turned off her phone completely.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath.

It’s okay. It’ll be okay.

As she was comforting herself like that.

A low voice poured down from above Tae Yeon’s head.

“What are you doing here?”

When she slowly raised her eyes, there was Do Joon, looking down at her with his head tilted slightly.

“What are you thinking about so hard?”

“Pardon?”

“With your eyes closed tight like that.”

“Ah, I just have a bit of a headache.”

Do Joon chuckled and leaned against the stair railing. Then he took out something small from his suit jacket pocket and handed it over.

“What’s this?”

It was a chocolate that seemed to have been packaged as if received from someone. Tae Yeon looked as if to ask why this was suddenly coming out of there.

“Secretary Choi gives them to me sometimes. She says to eat them when my blood sugar drops sharply after stressful meetings or something.”

“Ah, I see.”

Still, her question wasn’t fully answered.

Why are you giving me your chocolate?

As Tae Yeon looked at the chocolate with suspicious eyes, Do Joon crossed his arms and tilted his head back.

“You’re not looking at it like that because you think I might give you expired chocolate, are you?”

“No! It’s not that, but you said this is yours, Director.”

“You’re quite clear about separating work and personal matters.”

Although it was an emergency staircase, it was a place anyone could freely enter and exit, so they couldn’t let their guard down.

“I’m giving it to Manager Jin to eat.”

Do Joon also addressed Tae Yeon by her company position.

“…Thank you, then.”

As Tae Yeon bowed slightly and was about to go up the emergency stairs.

Do Joon blocked her way.

“Do you have something more to say?”

Do Joon pointed with his chin at the chocolate still in Tae Yeon’s hand.

“I think it would be better if you ate it before going.”

“Pardon?”

“If you go in dangling that, won’t people ask where you got it from?”

She thought about putting it in her pocket, but unfortunately, the dress pants Tae Yeon was wearing today didn’t have pockets.

“But this is too much for one person to eat.”

“I thought you said you liked sweet things.”

At those words, this time Tae Yeon chuckled.

“Still, I can’t eat all of this by myself.”

Do Joon stroked his chin with one hand, pondering for a moment, then took the chocolate back.

Thinking he was taking back what he had given, a hint of disappointment flashed across Tae Yeon’s face.

Do Joon unwrapped the chocolate and then brought it up to Tae Yeon’s mouth.

“Say ah-”

“Pardon?”

“Wasn’t that what you meant by saying you couldn’t eat it all?”

“No, it wasn’t…”

The rest of her words couldn’t continue. Because Do Joon’s long finger entered Tae Yeon’s mouth as it opened to speak.

To be precise, Do Joon’s hand holding the chocolate.

After safely placing the chocolate in Tae Yeon’s mouth, Do Joon’s finger smoothly slipped out.

Tae Yeon’s pupils were dilated as if about to burst.

“No, just now…”

Tae Yeon began to speak while moving the chocolate to one side of her mouth. She was so surprised that she couldn’t even properly continue her sentence.

Since Do Joon’s finger had entered all the way into her mouth, there was a high possibility that her saliva had gotten on it. She was worried that Do Joon might find it unpleasant.

“I’ll go get some tissues.”

As Tae Yeon tried to leave, Do Joon blocked her with his body again and took out a handkerchief from his jacket’s inner pocket.

“Do you need this?”

It seemed Tae Yeon thought tissues were needed.

Tae Yeon snatched the handkerchief and began wiping Do Joon’s large hand.

“You surprised me by suddenly putting the chocolate in my mouth.”

Tae Yeon carefully caressed each joint of Do Joon’s fingers, like someone polishing a precious statue. Do Joon’s eyes narrowed sideways.

As she moved the handkerchief, Tae Yeon’s hand occasionally touched his palm.

It wasn’t the first time holding hands, but the feeling was peculiar.

After wiping for a while, Tae Yeon looked up at Do Joon.

“Shouldn’t you go wash your hands?”

“It’s fine.”

Do Joon smoothly pulled his hand away from Tae Yeon’s grasp while staring intently at her face.

Especially at Tae Yeon’s bright red lips.

The sensation of her lips that had touched his fingertips for just a moment seemed to still linger.

“Is the chocolate good?”

Tae Yeon only then recalled the taste of the chocolate that had melted in her mouth.

She was so flustered that she hadn’t even thanked him properly.

“It’s delicious. Thank you.”

“Can you really tell the taste after eating so little?”

As Do Joon was about to unwrap another chocolate, Tae Yeon quickly snatched it away.

She moved swiftly, worried that Do Joon might try to feed her that chocolate like before.

Tae Yeon unwrapped the chocolate and promptly put it all in her mouth. Then she smiled broadly and gave a thumbs up.

“It’s delicious. Really.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Truly.”

Because she felt like he would only let her go if she said it was delicious. However, not satisfied with just that, Do Joon took out one more chocolate.

Does he want me to eat all of that before he’ll let me go?

This time too, Tae Yeon snatched the chocolate from his hand and unwrapped it.

Do Joon’s low voice poured down from above.

“You can eat slowly.”

She felt a bit embarrassed, as if he had caught on that she was trying to eat quickly and leave this place.

Tae Yeon smiled brightly and held out the half-unwrapped chocolate to Do Joon.

“How thoughtless of me to eat alone. Would you like to try?”

He was going to refuse because he disliked sweet things, but then changed his mind.

Do Joon nodded slowly and opened his mouth.

“Give it to me.”

Surely he doesn’t mean for me to feed him?

As Tae Yeon was about to grab Do Joon’s arm, intending to place the chocolate in his hand.

“Like I did to you.”