Married First, a Couple - Chapter 39

I was curious.

But it was like Pandora’s box that could never be closed once opened.

I was afraid to make a choice.

It was laughable. This situation where I feared the deepening relationship between Do Joon and myself while we were married.

However, I still couldn’t understand my own feelings well.

It could be just affection from being around Do Joon so much.

Maybe I really had come to like him.

But whatever it was, it wasn’t very positive.

This wasn’t a marriage where emotions should interfere.

Our relationship was just about getting what we wanted and then going our separate ways.

As if Cha Do Joon had never existed in my life.

For such a clean transaction, I had to suppress my wildly beating heart first.

So in the end, today too, Tae Yeon reached out and pushed Do Joon away again. Do Joon didn’t resist and obediently withdrew.

Tae Yeon’s throat felt parched, so she gulped down all the remaining wine.

There were countless reasons why she had to push him away.

Do Joon might not know, but this relationship had an end.

Even if I gave my heart, I knew how difficult a journey it would be to reclaim that heart later.

Do Joon stared intently at Tae Yeon and asked curiously.

“There’s one thing I’ve noticed while observing Jin Tae Yeon closely.”

“What is it?”

“You draw a line and don’t let anyone cross it.”

Tae Yeon’s pupils trembled as if all her innermost thoughts had been exposed.

‘How much does he know?’

Tae Yeon quickly composed her expression.

“That’s not true.”

“Well, it’s fine even if that’s the case.”

What did he mean by that?

Do Joon set down his wine glass with a clank and leaned his upper body forward as if it was no big deal.

“Whether Jin Tae Yeon draws a line or builds an iron wall against me, that’s not what’s important.”

Was he saying it didn’t matter since this was a political marriage anyway?

But Tae Yeon’s expectations were instantly shattered.

Do Joon flashed a dizzying smile at Tae Yeon.

“If Jin Tae Yeon draws a line, I intend to cross it.”

“…”

“Even if you build a wall. I’ll break it down or climb over it.”

“What?”

Do Joon smiled slightly and uttered a warning that wasn’t quite a warning.

“So go ahead and try your best.”

What did he mean by that?

Was he saying it was okay to keep pushing him away like this?

Or was he asking her to let him get closer?

She wanted to ask, but was afraid of not hearing the answer she wanted.

More than that, she couldn’t understand Do Joon’s intentions in doing this.

If they appeared to be an affectionate couple to others, it shouldn’t be a problem at all for her to draw a line.

After pondering alone for a while, Tae Yeon finally chose to ask Do Joon.

“Do Joon, about what you just said.”

“Yes.”

“What did you mean by that?”

Do Joon swirled the wine glass next to his face and curled up the corners of his mouth.

After showing a fatal smile, Do Joon stared intently at Tae Yeon’s face.

“I meant exactly what I said. If Jin Tae Yeon wants to be wary of me, be wary. If you want to push me away, go ahead and do so.”

“Why?”

“Are you sure you can handle hearing the answer?”

Do Joon hesitated as if he was about to say something momentous. Tae Yeon swallowed hard.

“No. Later. I’ll hear it later.”

Do Joon shrugged his shoulders as if to say ‘suit yourself.’

After that, Tae Yeon couldn’t remember anything about what they talked about while sitting and drinking wine with Do Joon.

Only his words kept swirling around in her head.

[This is the timeline separator]

After emptying a bottle of wine, the two headed to the bedroom.

As they were about to turn off the lights and go to sleep.

Do Joon’s phone rang. The caller was Secretary Choi.

“I’ll take the call and come back, so Jin Tae Yeon can go to sleep first.”

After Do Joon left. The bedroom with the air conditioner on high felt even chillier.

She pulled the blanket up to her chin and lay down on the bed, but sleep didn’t come easily. She felt strangely empty somewhere.

Was it because her sleeping place had changed?

She had often gone on business trips before Do Joon came, but she had never felt like this before.

Could it be that she was feeling this way because Do Joon, who had been by her side all along, wasn’t here?

Even after having that thought, Tae Yeon let out a quiet sigh, feeling absurd at herself.

The time she had spent with him was barely even a month.

She had lived just fine without Do Joon until now, so it was ridiculous that his absence felt like such a big deal.

It was laughable that she felt empty without him after pushing him away so much.

“Get a grip, Jin Tae Yeon.”

If she didn’t properly hold onto her mind and heart, it felt like she would be helplessly swept away.

By Do Joon.

Just what was that man planning to do?

Tae Yeon closed her eyes, wondering about his intentions.

Her body was tired, but sleep wouldn’t come.

Because she felt lonely. Empty. Lacking warmth.

And because Do Joon wasn’t there.

[This is the timeline separator]

After receiving a call from Secretary Choi, Do Joon quickly handled the urgent company matter.

He thought it would only take a moment, but it took quite some time.

Finishing the work, Do Joon stretched and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was well past midnight.

Wondering if Tae Yeon had fallen asleep alone, Do Joon muttered to himself, finding it strange that he cared.

“Why is she still so wary of me like that?”

Caring about someone, wondering about someone’s condition – it was all unique to Tae Yeon.

He thought maybe she was still holding onto his misunderstanding of her, but then he worried if the long time they spent apart was the problem.

When he consulted Secretary Choi about his concerns, the answer he gave was just one thing.

Don’t ask or question, just treat her well unconditionally.

“Am I doing this right?”

There was no way to know. It was his first time building layers of a relationship with someone, so he was clumsy at it.

Especially a relationship with a woman.

“If only I could know what the right answer is.”

He could give up after trying a few times if it didn’t work, but strangely, he felt stubborn about it.

That’s why he had blurted out those words earlier.

Whether she drew a line or built a wall. That he would cross over no matter what.

That he wanted to stand by her side and be properly evaluated.

At first, he wanted to treat her well because he felt sorry for misunderstanding Tae Yeon. He thought that might lessen his burden a little.

After clearing up the misunderstanding, now he felt greedy.

He wanted to become a truly affectionate couple exchanging hearts, not just a show window couple.

“How ridiculous, even I.”

And a strange desire bloomed to have Tae Yeon’s bright smile directed only at him.

Between stubbornness and greed. Somewhere in between, Do Joon’s heart was floating, unable to find its bearings.

Whatever it was, Tae Yeon was at the destination.

[This is the timeline separator]

Worried about waking Tae Yeon, Do Joon tiptoed into the suite bedroom.

“The air conditioning is quite strong, I wonder if she’s okay.”

As soon as he entered, Do Joon, who ran hot, felt cool, but he was worried about Tae Yeon who was sensitive to cold.

Sure enough. Tae Yeon was asleep curled up like a shrimp with the blanket pulled up to her chin. Right in the center of the bed.

A smile. Lately, seeing Tae Yeon made him smile strangely.

It’s a sickness, this too.

Do Joon turned off the air conditioner first. If he got hot later, he could just take off more of his robe, but Tae Yeon sleeping without being cold was the priority.

“Jin Tae Yeon, can you move over a little?”

She must have fallen into a deep sleep, as there was no response from Tae Yeon.

“If you sleep in the middle of the bed like this, Jin Tae Yeon, we have no choice but to sleep embracing each other.”

Even hearing those words, there was no movement from Tae Yeon.

If she were awake, she would have certainly moved her body to the edge of the bed.

If he wanted to, he could wake the sleeping Tae Yeon, or if not that, he could lift her up and move her to the edge of the bed.

But Do Joon didn’t do that. He lay down next to Tae Yeon, who was asleep in the center of the bed.

And he turned his body towards her. Stroking Tae Yeon’s soft hair, Do Joon let out a soft breath.

Worried that his voice might wake Tae Yeon, he murmured very quietly.

“I clearly warned you.”

He wondered if it was okay to do this to someone who was asleep and couldn’t hear him, but soon Do Joon erased that thought.

“It’s Jin Tae Yeon’s fault for falling asleep here.”

Do Joon tucked the blanket around Tae Yeon again and closed his eyes.

The room quickly became hot after turning off the air conditioner.

As he took off the robe he was wearing, his sculpture-like body was fully revealed. Do Joon got back into bed.

Though tired, sleep didn’t come easily. The fact that Tae Yeon was asleep right next to him was particularly noticeable today.

Eventually, Do Joon gave up on falling asleep and stared blankly at Tae Yeon’s face.

Clear skin. A high nose. And those bright red lips below.

Those lips were the cause of the curiosity that kept arising lately.

Tae Yeon’s lips that he had touched a few times, wiping off steak sauce and wine that had gotten on them.

The red lips he had touched earlier when wine had stained them.

They were always soft, hot, and smooth.

‘I wonder what it would feel like to kiss those lips.’

Having that thought, Do Joon was startled.

“I’m going crazy.”

Do Joon squeezed his eyes shut at that sudden thought that dominated his mind.

Just then. He felt Tae Yeon’s touch around his waist.

“No way.”

When Do Joon opened his eyes slightly and looked down, Tae Yeon had burrowed into his arms and was tightly hugging his waist.

Ha. This was maddening.

As if the strange thoughts after seeing her lips weren’t enough to drive him crazy.

All thought processes stopped because Tae Yeon suddenly embraced him.

“Jin Tae Yeon.”

He gently shook Tae Yeon’s shoulder, but there was no response.

“You did this last time too. Your sleeping habits are quite dangerous.”

Do Joon squeezed his eyes shut and tried to recall tomorrow’s work schedule.

After a few minutes passed like that, he finally opened his eyes again.

“Damn it.”

Far from Tae Yeon’s touch disappearing, it felt even more distinct, driving him crazy.

A smile was spread across Tae Yeon’s face as if she was having a pleasant dream. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, he couldn’t wake her.

But staying like this, giving his embrace to Tae Yeon, it felt like he would be up all night.

Should he wake Tae Yeon or not? As he was pondering.

A smooching sound was heard.

Do Joon slowly moved his head to look at the source of the sound.

“……”

Tae Yeon had puckered her lips and was kissing Do Joon’s chest muscles.

“What in the world is this……”