“Are you saying it’s okay to sleep naked?”

“There’s no choice, right? You said you get sleep paralysis and nightmares.”

Surprised by the easy permission, Do Joon shrugged his shoulders questioningly.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But.”

Tae Yeon crossed her arms and raised her head. She looked at Do Joon with a resolute face.

“We sleep separately.”

“What did you say?”

“You said you’re comfortable sleeping naked. I’m uncomfortable with you next to me without pajamas. So isn’t sleeping separately the only answer?”

Do Joon let out a low sigh, not expecting Tae Yeon to suggest separate rooms.

“You know Chairman Cha wants our marriage to be good more than anyone, don’t you?”

Tae Yeon opened her eyes wide as if wondering why he suddenly brought up Chairman Cha.

“Are you going to upset him?”

“Pardon?”

“He’d want his daughter-in-law and son to live happily together. If he knew we were using separate rooms. Oh my, how upset he’d be. He might even wail loudly.”

Do Joon acted as if the mere thought saddened him. Tae Yeon looked at a loss, as if that wouldn’t do either.

He had never mixed emotions like this when negotiating before.

If people knew the famously cold and rational Cha Do Joon was doing this here, how shocked they’d all be…

“No… Do Joon, then what are you suggesting we do?”

As expected, Tae Yeon was not easily swayed. Do Joon decided to take a step back and squared his shoulders.

“I’ll sleep in my underwear instead.”

“What?”

Tae Yeon squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.

“That’s no different from sleeping completely naked.”

“Then I’ll wear pants too.”

Tae Yeon slightly opened her eyes to observe Do Joon’s determined face. He didn’t seem to have any intention of conceding further.

Well. Since the bed is big, if we sleep on opposite ends, it shouldn’t matter if he’s not wearing a shirt.

I’ve often seen him shirtless before. And even now, he’s shirtless like this.

He gets sleep paralysis and nightmares often, so there’s no choice.

Tae Yeon’s heart softened at that and she finally decided to go along with Do Joon’s suggestion.

“But please make sure to wear pants.”

“Of course.”

Tae Yeon pointed out Do Joon’s attire, standing there wearing only a towel.

“This is also my living space, and Ms. Choi is outside, so I’d appreciate if you’d wear at least a robe after showering from now on.”

“I accept that as well.”

It was a difficult negotiation. Tae Yeon turned towards the door, intending to step out so Do Joon could get dressed.

But before Tae Yeon could leave the room.

Do Joon took a step closer to her. Then he breathed into her ear.

“Jin Tae Yeon, I’m curious about one thing.”

“Go ahead.”

“When I said I sleep naked, you said it would be difficult.”

“…”

“May I assume it’s because you’re conscious of me?”

“What?”

“Are you saying you see me as a man?”

Tae Yeon spun around. She was trapped between the door and Do Joon’s firm body.

Looking down, she could clearly see Do Joon’s close upper body. Looking into his eyes, she felt like she was falling into his dark pupils, leaving her nowhere to rest her gaze.

“Do Joon.”

“Yes, I’m listening.”

“If I had such a habit…”

“Sleeping naked without pajamas?”

“Yes. If that were the case, would you be unbothered?”

Tae Yeon’s eyes were sparkling brightly.

Amused by the counter-question, Do Joon raised his eyebrows high. Almost imagining the scene Tae Yeon described, Do Joon hurriedly spoke.

“That wouldn’t be possible.”

“See? I feel the same way. It would be awkward even if a complete stranger were like that, let alone you, who’s my husband.”

Tae Yeon smiled sweetly, her eyes crinkling, seeming relieved to have proven she wasn’t strange.

He had asked the question wanting to make her uncomfortable, but somehow he felt like he was the one who’d been thoroughly beaten.

“And you are a man, of course.”

“…”

“You know the question you just asked me was a bit strange, right?”

Tae Yeon lightly pushed Do Joon aside, then slightly opened the bedroom door and slipped out through the gap.

Left alone in the bedroom after the door closed, Do Joon chuckled.

Tae Yeon was a woman who respected others’ opinions but still always said what she wanted to say.

She also knew how to speak carefully, considering the other person’s feelings so as not to hurt them.

“Why on earth would they…”

He strongly wondered why President Jin and Tae Jin were so desperate to get rid of her.

The more he got to know Tae Yeon, the stronger this question became.

“I need to meet President Jin soon.”

Even though it was long past her usual bedtime, Tae Yeon couldn’t leave her room.

Was it because she’d heard he would sleep shirtless from today?

She had often slept beside him before, but today she felt particularly nervous.

Do Joon’s questions kept coming to mind.

“May I assume it’s because you’re conscious of me?”

“Are you saying you see me as a man?”

It was a question that almost made her freeze up from nervousness.

Are there any women who don’t see Do Joon as a man?

Conscious? Of course she couldn’t help it.

She had never seen, and probably never would see again before dying, such a perfect body in person.

“To think there’d be someone around me who needs to sleep completely naked to fall asleep.”

But she couldn’t blame Do Joon either. If wearing clothes to bed often caused sleep paralysis, what could be done?

“Haa.”

Maybe she should just spend the night in her own room.

As Tae Yeon was thinking that, there was a knock at the door.

“Jin Tae Yeon, when are you going to sleep?”

It seemed Do Joon had come to fetch her himself.

How thoughtful.

When Tae Yeon cracked open the door, Do Joon was standing outside wearing a robe as promised.

The problem was that he had merely draped it on. He hadn’t properly tied the sash, so his chest was clearly visible.

Tae Yeon kept glancing at Do Joon’s exposed chest.

Is he secretly enjoying showing off because his body is so good?

Well. With a sculpted body like that, he’d probably be eager to show it off.

Feeling her gaze fixed on his body, Do Joon bent his knees slightly to meet her eyes.

Their gazes tangled in midair, and Tae Yeon hurriedly averted her eyes.

“Do Joon, go to sleep first. I’ll be there soon.”

But Do Joon just stood there motionless.

“Do you have something else to say?”

“Jin Tae Yeon, you weren’t planning to sleep in this room tonight, were you?”

“What?”

Tae Yeon smiled awkwardly, pulling up the corners of her mouth. Do Joon stepped closer as if he’d known it all along, holding out his hand to Tae Yeon.

“Chairman Cha had three wishes for me when he came to Korea.”

“…”

“Never to stay out overnight no matter what. And never to sleep separately from Jin Tae Yeon even if we’re busy or fighting.”

“I see…”

Do Joon kept quiet about the last thing Chairman Cha had requested.

Though curious, Tae Yeon didn’t ask. Even if she did, there was a high chance she’d hear something else hard to handle from him.

Tae Yeon reluctantly turned off the light in her room and stepped into the hallway. Only then did Do Joon follow behind her, looking satisfied.

Lying on the spacious bed, Tae Yeon moved her body even closer to the edge than usual.

When she turned off the bedside lamp, Do Joon immediately took off his robe and tossed it on the floor with a thud.

Though she couldn’t see it, the soft rustling sound of the robe was strangely more stimulating. Tae Yeon squeezed her eyes shut.

‘It’s just a common sleeping habit.’

Do Joon’s firm upper body kept flashing before her eyes.

‘It’s just an ordinary body…’

That thought was of little use. It was too high-quality musculature to dismiss as ordinary.

Tae Yeon let out a small sigh and turned her back to Do Joon. His presence beside her was particularly noticeable tonight.

Tae Yeon normally had no sleeping habits. She would wake up in the same position she fell asleep in.

Tae Yeon mumbled in a small voice to Do Joon behind her.

“Do Joon, you must be relieved.”

“About what?”

“That I’m a woman with no sleeping habits.”

There was no immediate response from Do Joon.

Has he already fallen asleep?

Tae Yeon turned to look at Do Joon. There was a broad smile on his face.

Did he find what I said funny? What? Which part?

Tae Yeon called out to Do Joon quizzically.

“Do Joon?”

“Ah. I was lost in thought for a moment. What did you say, Jin Tae Yeon?”

“Nothing. It wasn’t anything important. Go to sleep quickly.”

Tae Yeon turned back over to lie down. Right on the edge of the bed.

Do Joon’s low voice came from behind her.

“Jin Tae Yeon, what if you fall off the bed sleeping like that?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. I’ll wake up exactly as I fall asleep.”

“You seem too close to the edge. You can move a little closer to my side.”

“No.”

Tae Yeon firmly drew the line.

“It’s fine.”

“I’ll pretend not to hear if there’s a thud while you’re sleeping.”

“That won’t happen.”

“Alright. I’ll sleep comfortably knowing Jin Tae Yeon has very docile sleeping habits.”

The conversation between the two ended, and a peaceful silence fell over the bedroom. Then Do Joon broke that silence.

“Jin Tae Yeon, I don’t have sleeping habits either. As long as I don’t have nightmares.”

“I see.”

“So you don’t need to worry about me suddenly hugging you.”

“…”

“Or holding you in my arms while sleeping. Don’t worry about things like that.”

“…Okay, I understand, so go to sleep quickly.”

Though Do Joon may have said it to reassure Tae Yeon, she became even more conscious of him after hearing those words.

Usually she would have fallen asleep quickly at this late hour, but today she felt strangely alert.

Thinking the two cups of coffee she drank during the day were to blame, Tae Yeon squeezed her eyes shut again.

Vowing not to drink coffee at the office tomorrow.