Do Joon also seemed quite flustered, as if he hadn’t expected this situation either.

His usually expressionless eyes visibly widened.

Tae Yeon quickly pushed herself up with both hands on the ground. Do Joon also sat up swiftly.

The places where their bodies had been touching just moments ago felt hot and flushed.

Tae Yeon turned her head abruptly to avoid Do Joon’s gaze.

Even before coming to the beach, she had been oddly conscious of him due to his small touches.

That recent accident was like pouring oil on a fire.

Do Joon also cleared his throat with a “Ahem-” and brushed the sand off his body as if nothing had happened.

Then he extended his hand to Tae Yeon, who was still sitting on the sand.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No.”

Even after Tae Yeon stood up, Do Joon didn’t let go of her hand. He took out a handkerchief and first brushed off the sand on her hands.

“I can do it myself.”

“Someone once told me.”

“…”

“That marriage is a system where others can do things you can do yourself.”

“Pardon?”

Do Joon smiled with satisfaction after confirming that Tae Yeon’s hands were clean.

Then he noticed that some sand had splattered on her slender legs when they fell on the beach.

Do Joon bent down without hesitation. And brushed off the sand on Tae Yeon’s legs with his handkerchief.

“I can do it myself…”

Though she tried to refuse, Do Joon stubbornly kept brushing off the sand as if he hadn’t heard Tae Yeon’s words.

Watching him, she kept thinking about what Do Joon had just said.

That marriage is where others do things you can do yourself.

It sounded like something that would apply to couples who married for love. She never expected to hear such words from Do Joon.

Do Joon slowly straightened up, having finished brushing the sand off Tae Yeon’s legs.

A few grains of sand were stuck to his sculpted face as well.

Right. They were a married couple after all.

She wanted to do for him what he could do himself too.

Since he had shown her kindness first.

Tae Yeon hesitated for a moment, then extended her hand to Do Joon.

“May I?”

“This?”

“Yes, your handkerchief.”

Tae Yeon took his handkerchief and reached towards Do Joon’s mouth.

Do Joon simply watched quietly as she did so.

Grateful that he had brushed the sand off her hands and legs.

Tae Yeon gently brushed off the sand stuck to his face.

“Stay still.”

As fate would have it, there was sand precariously stuck right near Do Joon’s lips, on the verge of falling off.

Tae Yeon warned him in advance, worried the sand might slip into his mouth if he opened it.

“This one here just won’t come off…”

As she tried to wipe it with the handkerchief, it seemed like she was just spreading more sand on Do Joon’s face that she had already brushed off.

Tae Yeon reached out her finger and gently rubbed around Do Joon’s lips.

Do Joon’s eyebrows twitched, but Tae Yeon failed to notice that fleeting moment.

“Oh? It’s coming off.”

While touching Do Joon’s lips, all of Tae Yeon’s attention was focused on the sand.

After brushing off most of the sand near his lips, Tae Yeon smiled with her eyes crinkled.

“Hehe. Almost done. You can speak now.”

Do Joon grabbed Tae Yeon’s wrist as she was pulling away. Tae Yeon looked at him with raised eyebrows in confusion and met his intensely heated gaze.

“Are you sure it’s all gone?”

“Yes…”

“Since you’re doing it, I’d like you to check thoroughly. The sand on this beach seems particularly fine.”

She could have taken out a mirror and let Do Joon check his face himself.

Nevertheless, Tae Yeon chose to move closer and look directly. Because those words he had said earlier kept echoing in her mind.

Tae Yeon moved even closer, narrowing the distance.

Her gaze fell on Do Joon’s mouth. As he said, some fine grains of sand remained near his lips.

Hoo- Tae Yeon blew a soft breath onto Do Joon’s lips.

“Just wait a moment.”

While focusing solely on removing the remaining sand, Tae Yeon suddenly realized that the distance between Do Joon’s lips and hers was barely 3cm.

From behind, it might have looked like they were kissing.

‘Am I crazy? With so many people around.’

Belatedly realizing her position, Tae Yeon stepped back with an awkward smile.

Do Joon stared at her for a moment, then moved closer again, narrowing the distance.

“Why are you running away?”

“When did I? I just moved because I finished brushing the sand off your face.”

Do Joon’s intense gaze moved from Tae Yeon’s eyes to her nose to her lips in sequence. He grabbed her forearm and leaned in.

And at that moment, Tae Yeon squeezed her eyes shut. Because she felt Do Joon’s breath on her mouth.

A strange sensation spread throughout her body.

It was dizzying. His scent tickled her nose and his soft breath spread over her delicate lips.

Do Joon silently pulled up the corners of his mouth in a smile.

‘A face expecting something.’

This tense appearance was so adorable.

‘And I want to meet those expectations too.’

Looking at Tae Yeon with her eyes tightly shut and slightly tense, he briefly thought about teasing her.

However, Do Joon once again firmly held onto his reason and spoke in a low voice.

“There’s still some sand left on you too.”

Tae Yeon, still with her eyes tightly closed, said to Do Joon.

“I’ll wash up when we get to the lodging. So could you step back a bit?”

“Why? Don’t tell me you’re feeling excited.”

“…”

“Earlier, you were this close too. Blowing on my lips?”

Tae Yeon reached out both hands and pushed Do Joon’s chest. Only then did he step back with a languid smile on his lips.

Tae Yeon’s cheeks were flushed red. Do Joon asked with an annoyingly intrigued look.

“Why did you close your eyes?”

“…”

“Should I have kissed you?”

“Do Joon!”

Tae Yeon flared up at his playful expression. Do Joon neatly folded the handkerchief and put it in his pocket.

“Why are you so surprised? It’s not like I said anything improper.”

“What do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. What’s so shocking about a married couple kissing?”

Unlike the flustered Tae Yeon, Do Joon was extremely nonchalant. To the point where she couldn’t tell if he was serious or joking.

“Let’s go to the hotel.”

Do Joon took the lead and Tae Yeon stared after him for a while before belatedly taking a step.

Was that just now another act to appear natural in front of others? To not be flustered when situations like this arise?

That can’t be.

She remembered what Nari had said.

“That look in his eyes was sincere. It was exactly how a man looks at the woman he loves.”

How could that be? There’s no way Cha Do Joon would sincerely treat her that way.

Nevertheless, the thought of ‘maybe, perhaps’ was growing in Tae Yeon’s mind.

Lately, Do Joon had been very affectionate even when they were alone.

‘Do you even realize your actions are confusing me?’

Sigh. How could he know?

Lost in thought, Tae Yeon’s steps slowed, and Do Joon called out to her loudly from afar.

“Jin Tae Yeon, why aren’t you coming?”

Then he came back and stood beside her.

“I’m curious what you’re thinking about so intently.”

She couldn’t bring herself to honestly confess.

Not wanting to reveal that she had misunderstood his reasons for treating her well.

So today too, she covered the truth with a lie.

“I was just briefly thinking about tomorrow’s schedule.”

Do Joon stared at Tae Yeon for a moment, then grabbed her hand. Tae Yeon’s head whipped to the side.

“It must be hard walking on the beach in heels. I walked too far ahead again.”

“It’s fine.”

She couldn’t ask why he was suddenly holding her hand now when earlier he had told her to hold his arm.

Because Do Joon had interlocked their fingers completely.

“Please let go of this.”

She tried to pull her hand away from Do Joon’s grasp, but it wouldn’t budge due to his strong grip.

“If you keep doing this, I’ll carry you.”

“What?”

“If that’s not what you want, then quietly hold my hand and follow me.”

Was it okay to accept this kindness from Do Joon without reason?

It might start as kindness, but would she end up giving her feelings too before she knew it?

That thought occurred to her, but Tae Yeon soon shook her head and brushed it off. She decided to focus on the present.

The red sunset hung behind Do Joon’s head. The warmth transmitted through their hands felt especially cozy.

The hand holding his.

Her heart beating rapidly for reasons unknown with him by her side.

It burned as if on fire.

After arriving at the hotel and checking in.

Tae Yeon had already asked the same question three times.

“You’re saying there’s only one room reserved?”

“That’s right. As you can see.”

Do Joon waved the suite key in front of Tae Yeon’s face. With a very nonchalant expression.

“Why?”

“What do you mean why? I should be the one asking that.”

“No, I mean why did you only reserve one room when there are two people?”

Right on cue, the elevator arrived at the floor with their suite.

“Let’s get off first.”

As soon as they entered after tagging the key, Tae Yeon firmly grabbed Do Joon’s dress shirt. Do Joon turned around.

“When you said you’d make the reservation… Is this why you did it?”

Do Joon had insisted on reserving the hotel himself after entrusting all other trip preparations to her.

She regretted not thinking much of it then, assuming he had a specific room in mind.

“Jin Tae Yeon.”

“Yes?”

“I think I’ve said this before. Married couples should share the same bed.”

Tae Yeon looked at Do Joon in disbelief and raised her voice.

“We’re on a business trip right now, aren’t we?”

“Do married couples become strangers on business trips?”

“No, but…”

Do Joon took off his suit jacket first, probably feeling uncomfortable from falling on the beach. Then he started unbuttoning his dress shirt one by one.

Seeing this, Tae Yeon quickly blurted out.

“Do Joon, stop joking around. I’m shocked enough as it is.”

“I’m not joking.”

“What? So you really only reserved one room?”

“Correct.”

The corners of Do Joon’s mouth curved up in a sly smile.