“Don’t joke around.”

Heat rushed to my face, making it burn hot.

If it weren’t for the broadcastready makeup, my undoubtedly flushed face would have been exposed.

Without realizing it, I lowered my head.

The hand clutching the tablecloth was trembling.

“I’m not joking.”

His sweet, melodious voice lingered in my ear.

Even though we were sitting across a table, shivers ran through my body.

When I lifted my head, Jae Ha was quietly watching me.

His gaze, devoid of laughter, seemed to peer into my innermost thoughts, weighing heavily on my heart.

‘Why that look, why those words…’

Thump, thump, thump.

My heart began to race.

It was so loud, I worried he might hear it from across the table.

Why does he always shake me up in the most unexpected ways?

Or maybe it’s strange that I’m so shaken by just one sentence.

His eyes, looking at me, were as calm as a still sea.

Facing his gaze, my trembling lips made it hard to speak.

“It’s too late for a normal marriage.”

Despite my burning cheeks, I spat out contradictory words.

Jae Ha relaxed his arm, which had been propped up on his chin. Maybe my answer was not what he had expected.

“And about that marriage, you were the one who refused it before, Jae Ha.”

“I know…… That’s why I’m regretting it now.”

Surprised by the word ‘regret’, I quickly masked my expression.

Was he really regretting it?

There was a question I had held deep inside for a long time.

Why did he give up on marrying me back then?

I wanted to ask him why, but looking at Jae Ha solemnly nodding, that feeling faded.

“It’s enough to know.”

What good would it do to know about the past?

“I don’t dislike you, Jae Ha, I’m just fed up with marriage.”

To be honest, I was so cynical about marriage that I would shudder and wake from sleep.

Moreover, even though we were stepbrothers, Jae Ha was that man’s older brother, so if I maintained my marriage, I would have to continue seeing Ji Han.

But paradoxically, I didn’t hate what he had said.

No, it was enough to stir pleasant excitement. But I couldn’t reveal my feelings as they were and ended up giving a bitter smile.

“So I thought we would match well in this aspect.”

He shrugged at my words, wearing an expression that seemed regretful.

“I don’t know about a good wife, but I’ll be a decent partner. Let’s get along well, we.”

He looked at me with thin, open eyes as if my words were disagreeable, then licked his lips.

“That is….”

“Your ordered food is ready.”

Our conversation halted at the sound of a voice from the side.

Right then, the server came up and placed the plates of food on the table.

There was no conversation between us until the server left.

Looking at the food in front of me, my mood improved significantly.

The strong aroma was enough to awaken the appetite I had lost in Pyeongchangdong.

I wondered if Jae Ha noticed my brightened eyes, which were different from before, as he gave a low laugh.

“It looks really delicious. I couldn’t come here before because it’s hard to get a reservation.”

“……”

“The smell is so good. There’s definitely a reason why it’s famous.”

The scent of truffle oil wafting from the freshly served spaghetti was incredibly tempting.

“Why do you only eat instant food every day when you enjoy food so much?”

“Well, instant food has its own taste.”

Jae Ha, who was smiling differently than when we were talking about marriage a little while ago, changed the topic.

“Do you know Chef Lee Jong Il?”

“Of course, he is a famous chef.”

This chef was a wellknown expert in Korean cuisine.

Moreover, in my previous life, I had spent years learning to cook from him.

The cooking class was a small pleasure in my somewhat rocky marriage with Ji Han.

“He opened a daily class recently. I am learning cooking from him these days.”

“No wonder… The doenjang stew you made last time also had the vibe of Chef Lee Jong Il. Wow, it must have been really difficult to register for his class?”

Somehow, the doenjang stew that Jae Ha made last time seemed strangely familiar.

Only one or two teams were accepted for each of the chef’s classes, it was very exclusive.

I remembered getting in with the earnest request of an acquaintance.

“Did you apply for a oneday class?”

I asked him with a face flushed with anticipation that had sprung up unknowingly.

A wave of longing for the few happy memories I had came over me, and I found myself wanting to hear about it.

“For the first time, I realized that there are things that money can’t buy.”

“Puhaha, true. Chef Lee is very firm about such things, isn’t he?”

Knowing that the chef was not the kind to be swayed by money made me burst into laughter.

It’s been a while since I last saw the chef…

“I miss it. The classes were fun.”

Unconsciously, I found myself murmuring. Thinking about the enjoyable past naturally put me in a good mood.

Jae Ha stared at me intently and then slowly smiled.

“Are you busy this weekend?”

“Next weekend? I don’t really have anything planned.”