So many questions poured in that it was as difficult to answer as it was embarrassing, with uncomfortable glances.

‘By now, it should calm down, why aren’t people’s questions ending?’

After Jaeha’s interview article was released, I was harassed by colleagues at the broadcasting station, asking about the marriage news all day long.

Just making eye contact led to colleagues jokingly offering their congratulations on my marriage, adding to the fatigue.

Coming home, without even taking off my clothes, I just dropped my bag and sat on the couch.
While leaning on the sofa with closed eyes for a long time, a sense of silence suddenly approached without a sound.

“It’s quiet when I’m alone.”

I didn’t realize it when he was with me, but the empty space without him felt enormous.

Especially when entering this darkened house alone, it was particularly noticeable.

Even though several days had passed since Jaeha left for a business trip to Busan, I couldn’t get used to the lonely atmosphere of the empty house.

‘It won’t do. I should take a shower.’

Sitting helplessly, it felt like I might never get up from the sofa, so I headed to the bathroom.

After finishing the shower, just as I was about to dry my wet hair with a towel, I noticed the hairdryer placed in the bathroom.

“You haven’t dried your hair again? What if you catch a cold?”

Jaeha’s reproachful voice echoed vividly in my ears.

This is crazy. Am I starting to hear things now?

‘Who catches a cold in the middle of summer like this…’

Even if I thought it was unreasonable, I found myself picking up the hairdryer.

“Why do I keep thinking about it?”

Although people might not know who had been in a certain place, I knew the situation precisely.

While drying my hair, the damp strands quickly dried out.

If Jaeha were here, he would have undoubtedly watched this scene and smiled with satisfaction.

“I should make the call.”

I had planned to call Jaeha after work, but once I got home, I hesitated.

It seemed challenging to do it sober, so I took out the whiskey.

“Why does making a single phone call make me so nervous?”

Originally, I wondered if it was necessary to call someone who would return tomorrow.

Listening to his voice made me miss him, and missing him made me long for him.

‘It’s the same as before, but why does it feel so empty?’

In the past, too, I guarded the newlywed home alone while waiting for Jaeha.

The time waiting for Jaeha, who could return at any time, was lonely and lonely.

However, the feeling of being so empty and missing someone this much was not there.

Especially tonight, the quiet silence of dawn made it difficult. I drank the whiskey in the glass in one go.

“Ugh, it’s bitter.”

I wrinkled my face at the tingling alcohol filling my mouth.

Looking at the half-empty whiskey, it seemed that Jaeha had often drunk it.

He must have been good at drinking such a bitter taste.

Tilting the glass one after another, I leaned back on the sofa when drowsiness suddenly overwhelmed me.

‘I drank for no reason.’

I hadn’t even thought about the fact that if I called under the influence of alcohol, I might say something strange.

“Still, it’s fortunate to be this drowsy.”

Through the heavy eyelids trying to close, I saw the faintly sparkling phone screen.

I should send him a message telling him not to wait, but contrary to my thoughts, strength didn’t return to my sluggish body.

I wondered how much time had passed when the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears.

As the footsteps approached, I gradually lifted my heavy eyelids.
As the field of vision gradually became clearer, the blurry Inyeong began to come into view. Jaeha, who had put down his bag in a suit, slowly approached the sofa where I was lying.

‘Dream…?’
Or am I seeing things because I’m drunk?

Even after rubbing my eyes and opening them again, the person in front of me was indeed Jaeha. The one who had been occupying my mind for the past few days was looking down at me.

It must be a dream.
Otherwise, there’s no way he would be here in front of me before finishing his schedule tomorrow afternoon and returning around evening.

‘They say if you think a lot before falling asleep, you dream about it.’

So that’s probably it. Because I’ve been thinking about him all day, missing him, the slightly dizzy feeling mixed with drowsiness.

Or maybe it’s because of the real appearance of Jaeha in front of me, I don’t know, but my heart fluttered.

Feeling not unpleasant, I smiled broadly.

I thought it might be okay to show my feelings freely today.

I spread my hands toward Jaeha, who was staring at me. Looking at me like that, Jaeha burst into laughter as if he couldn’t hold it in.

“Why are you smiling so beautifully? Did you miss me that much?”

Even his straightforwardly spoken voice felt so real that I laughed at the thought.

‘No, is it just because Mr. Seo Jaeha is here?’

“I missed you.”

“Really?”

He embraced me tightly with the arms I offered. Despite being pushed back by Jaeha’s solid weight, I didn’t care.

He looked at me with blinking eyes, as if he couldn’t believe even my honest answer.

Continuing to look into his eyes as if seeking certainty from me, I continued speaking.

“I’m serious. I really missed you.”

“But why did you ignore all my calls?”

“That’s…”

Without realizing it, I blurred the end of my words. Facing Jaeha, I hesitated about whether I could honestly talk about it.

“Because I didn’t know where my feelings were going. Lately, I’ve been unfamiliar with myself, and it’s scary…”

Unable to withstand his uneasy gaze, when I gave an answer, Jaeha showed a blank expression as if bewitched.

The fragrance wafting from Jaeha, who was looking down at me up close, was so pleasant.

I released the hand that was wrapped around his neck, put my fingers between Jaeha’s new black hair, and felt the soft texture of the flowing hair between my fingers.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing Mr. Jaeha like this.”

How can it be so identical?

The breath coming out of his lips was vivid as I smiled up at Jaeha.

Even just before falling asleep, the empty spaces in the house felt particularly large.

However, with Jaeha entering this large house, it felt as if the house had been filled to the brim.

Indeed, this emptiness was also derived from his absence.

I thought that as the body moved away, the heart would move away, but that was not the case. As the body moved away, the yearning in my heart became even greater.
“True. I can’t believe it either. Are you drunk or something?”

He glanced briefly at the empty whiskey bottle on the table and then turned his head back to me.

Jaeha’s pupils, looking at me, began to darken gradually.

“Why am I so honest today of all days? It’s hard to endure.”