A person who makes one feel at ease when together. A woman who strangely keeps piquing one’s curiosity.

Throughout the drive, Do Joon softly called out Tae Yeon’s name.

Never before in his life had he taken an interest in another person, but Tae Yeon was the first exception.

To resolve this curiosity, he first had to block out all external factors that stimulated her. Do Joon, who despised variables the most.

And today.

He met with President Jin to separate her family, the biggest cause of stimulation for Tae Yeon, from her.

And there was no harm in getting to know her friend, so he was heading to the snack shop where Tae Yeon was.

There was only one reason for getting to know things related to Tae Yeon.

Ostensibly, it was for the smooth maintenance of this marriage.

Not realizing at all that his heart was chasing after Tae Yeon.

Do Joon headed towards Tae Yeon. With a faint smile on his lips.

A pleasant excitement enveloped Do Joon entirely.

At the snack shop in front of Korea University. Tae Yeon was chatting with Nari, whom she hadn’t seen in a long time.

Nari was the only friend who knew everything about Tae Yeon’s marriage.

“Your husband’s going to stay in Korea for a while, you say?”

“Yes. That’s how it turned out.”

“Are you okay with that?”

“At first, it was quite uncomfortable. But now I’ve gotten used to it.”

Even seeing Tae Yeon speak so calmly, Nari still looked worried.

“It’s still awkward with your husband, right?”

“Yes. Well, we haven’t really spent time together since getting married. We’re still adjusting to each other.”

Nari scooped some tteokbokki onto a plate and placed it in front of Tae Yeon.

“What kind of person is he, your husband? I’ve always been curious since I’ve never seen him in person, except for on the news.”

At the question of what kind of person Do Joon was, Tae Yeon fell into thought for a moment.

What kind of man was Do Joon?

Sometimes he seemed infinitely cold. Then, when he suddenly took care of her, he seemed kind.

A faint smile appeared on Tae Yeon’s face as she thought of Do Joon.

“To be honest, I’m not sure myself.”

“I guess so. It hasn’t been long since you started living together in Korea.”

Nari leaned in, lowering her voice as if about to share a secret.

“Six months left, right? I mean, for maintaining this marriage.”

Tae Yeon nodded slightly. Nari grasped Tae Yeon’s hands on the table, infusing strength into them.

“I’ll pray that those six months pass quickly.”

Tae Yeon couldn’t bring herself to smile at those words.

Six months remained in their married life.

Before, she had wished for this period to end quickly.

But now, as time seemed to fly by so fast, she felt regretful these days.

“Is your father still the same?”

At that question, a loneliness reflected in Tae Yeon’s eyes.

“Yes. Just the same. It seems to have gotten particularly worse lately.”

“Your husband doesn’t know about how your father is acting at all?”

“…”

It didn’t seem like he wouldn’t know. Even when she was with Do Joon, President Jin would call incessantly, to the point of nausea.

“I guess he knows?”

“No, if he knows, shouldn’t he do something as your husband?”

“Come on. Ours is a marriage of convenience. Do Joon isn’t the type to get involved in such personal matters.”

“Still, he’s your husband. How can he just stand by?”

“It’s not related to Do Joon. He’s also a very busy person.”

At those words, Nari frowned deeply.

“Still, that’s not right. Leaving you stressed like this while knowing about it is neglect.”

“Even without this, Do Joon has a lot to worry about.”

“Where did he say he was going today?”

“He said he had a dinner appointment with my father.”

“Ha.”

Nari put down her chopsticks with a clatter. With an expression of disbelief.

“So he left his wife behind to do business?”

Tae Yeon smiled faintly and silently put some tteokbokki in her mouth.

It was her favorite tteokbokki place, but she couldn’t properly taste it as she was preoccupied with wondering what Do Joon and President Jin might be talking about.

Just then. The door of the tteokbokki shop opened, and the wind chime rang out.

The noisy tteokbokki shop suddenly fell silent at the appearance of one man.

The man in a luxury suit, quite out of place here, looked at only one woman as he quickly closed the distance with his long legs.

Tae Yeon stared in surprise at the man walking towards her with wide eyes.

“Huh?”

Nari too, upon spotting the man, dropped the tteokbokki she was holding onto her plate in surprise.

The man who entered the snack shop instantly turned this small store into a runway.

Nari nudged Tae Yeon.

“That man looks a lot like your husband.”

“…”

“Don’t you think?”

Nari seemed to think it was someone who resembled him, as there was no way Do Joon would come here.

Capturing all the attention in this space, Do Joon stopped abruptly in front of Nari and Tae Yeon’s table.

Do Joon looked at Tae Yeon with a deep gaze, pulling up the corners of his mouth.

Looking at the barely touched tteokbokki, Do Joon asked Tae Yeon.

“Why have you eaten so little?”

“…”

Do Joon sat down next to Tae Yeon and greeted Nari sitting opposite.

“I’m Cha Do Joon, Tae Yeon’s husband.”

“Oh, so you really are Cha Do Joon… Hello. I’m Park Nari, Tae Yeon’s friend.”

Nari asked Tae Yeon in a small voice.

“Was your husband supposed to come today too?”

“No…”

Tae Yeon had the same expression as Nari. She looked at Do Joon sitting next to her with a bewildered gaze.

Her face showed curiosity as to why Do Joon, who had said he had a dinner appointment with President Jin, had suddenly appeared here.

An employee approached and handed Do Joon a red apron, which he accepted and put around his neck while muttering softly.

“I dropped by because I really wanted to have dinner with Tae Yeon. Oh, have I perhaps interrupted a precious moment between you two?”

Nari waved her hands in denial at that question.

“No, not at all. I was actually curious about what kind of person Tae Yeon’s husband was.”

“Is that so.”

Do Joon’s lips curled up at the mention of curiosity about him.

Nari scooped some tteokbokki onto a plate for Do Joon as well, but hesitated before offering it.

“Oh, do you not eat this kind of food?”

Do Joon reached out and took the plate Nari offered. Then, smiling brightly, he pulled the plate towards himself.

“I do eat. Tteokbokki.”

“I thought rich people didn’t eat things like this.”

“Nari.”

Tae Yeon quietly called out to Nari, who had spoken in high spirits. Nari just shrugged her shoulders and stared at Do Joon with curiosity.

“Since my wife eats it. I’m curious about the taste.”

Do Joon picked up a piece of tteokbokki and popped it into his mouth. After chewing a few times, he nodded, looking satisfied.

“It’s delicious.”

Nari looked at Do Joon with wonder. Tae Yeon scattered their gazes.

“Do Joon, I guess your dinner with father ended early?”

“To be precise, I ended it early.”

“Why…”

“I think I said it earlier. I came because I wanted to have dinner with you, Tae Yeon.”

Nari’s mouth fell open. Then, catching the subtle emotional line passing between the two, she smiled to herself with interest.

Tae Yeon asked back, puzzled.

“You wanted to have dinner with me?”

“Yes. It seems you haven’t eaten much, so hurry and eat, Tae Yeon.”

Do Joon glanced at the tteokbokki on Tae Yeon’s plate. Then, conscious of Nari sitting across, he added one more comment.

“Do I have to feed you today as well?”

“What? No!”

The mention of feeding reminded her of the dinner with Tae Jin. His kind gaze and touch naturally followed.

There was no need to act like that in front of Nari. Tae Yeon hurriedly picked up her chopsticks and put the tteokbokki between her red lips.

‘I should have just fed her without asking.’

Do Joon, without picking up his spoon, took in the sight of Tae Yeon chewing the tteokbokki. Finding her squirrel-like appearance cute, Do Joon unconsciously wore a languid smile on his lips.

Nari looked back and forth between Tae Yeon and Do Joon, smiling with interest.

“How do you find living with Tae Yeon since coming to Korea?”

Do Joon spoke without hesitation.

“It’s enjoyable.”

“…”

Tae Yeon’s hand slowed.

“Although we got married first, getting to know my wife belatedly as well.”

Do Joon looked at Nari once, then fixed his gaze on Tae Yeon.

“It’s interesting and good.”

Tae Yeon slowly raised her eyelids to look at Do Joon.

Looking into Do Joon’s deep eyes, it felt as if she was being pulled into them.

It was a gaze speaking sincerity.

Even knowing it couldn’t be true, she simultaneously felt like wanting to believe it.

Realizing Do Joon’s intention to act as a perfect couple even in front of Nari, Tae Yeon bit her lip.

Nari, delighted for some reason, covered her mouth with both hands and stomped her feet.

Just then. Do Joon’s phone in his jacket pocket rang.

Checking the caller, Do Joon excused himself for a moment and left his seat.

Nari hurriedly spoke to Tae Yeon.

“Hey, what’s this! What’s this subtle atmosphere between you and your husband?”

“Subtle? Do Joon is just acting like we’re an affectionate couple because you’re here.”

“Acting?”

“Yes. He did the same when we met my elder sister.”

“Wait a minute.”

Nari mulled over what Tae Yeon had said, recalling Do Joon’s appearance she had just witnessed.

“What do you mean acting? Your husband’s gaze was sincere.”

“He’s good at pretending. I’ve seen that gaze many times, I’m telling you.”

“When?”

“When we had dinner with my elder sister too…”

He did occasionally show that gaze when they were alone too.

But she couldn’t say that out loud. After all, he was a man who could act with such a gaze even when they were together.

Tae Yeon opened her mouth to explain, seeing that Nari seemed to misunderstand.

“Anyway, it’s not what you’re thinking.”

“It’s not?”

“Yes. As you know, we can’t let rumors spread about our relationship being bad. He’s someone who always does his best wherever he is.”

Nari tilted her head in disbelief.

“That’s strange. It was definitely the gaze of a man looking at the woman he likes.”

Since Tae Yeon said it wasn’t so, Nari couldn’t ask further, but she didn’t seem at all satisfied with that conclusion.