Hee Ju was looking at Da Eun silently with a meaningful smile.

“Instead of smiling like that, could you just ask me…?”

“No, I think I know everything.”

Hee Ju shook her head, saying there was no need to ask. That scared Da Eun even more.

“I’m drunk, so I should go in now.”

Hee Ju didn’t look drunk at all. If anything, it was Da Eun who was drunk. Hee Ju’s intentions were too transparent, but Da Eun didn’t say anything.

The moment Hee Ju stood up, the sound of crickets chirping grew louder.

“Seems like it’s time for them to mate.”

Good timing. Hee Ju muttered as she went inside the house.

Left alone, Da Eun turned on her phone, which she had kept off since arriving in Goesan.

[I heard you went to your aunt’s? Mom is sorry about this morning. I just don’t want you to live like me. Anyway, rest well and come back.]

Da Eun stared blankly at the message from Geum Suk.

Don’t want me to live like you, she says. Then I shouldn’t meet any men in the first place.

Thinking of her mother who gave birth to her alone without a husband made her chest feel tight.

And on top of that, she injured her leg because of me.

‘It’s always been me ruining Mom’s life.’

Da Eun hugged her knees to her chest.

Just then, something dropped onto her shoulder. It was Yu Kwon’s suit jacket.

“How and why did you come here?”

Da Eun asked the question she had been holding back. Yu Kwon took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Da Eun.

On the paper was a list of groceries along with the address of this place. It was Geum Suk’s handwriting. Feeling strange, Da Eun flipped it over and saw the resignation letter she had written and discarded yesterday.

Da Eun bowed her head as she belatedly realized how and why Yu Kwon had come.

“…I didn’t really write that because you’re so unlucky.”

It seems Geum Suk used the crumpled paper she had written various reasons on as a memo pad.

“I know, but I came anyway.”

Yu Kwon had always lived a planned life. He rarely did anything spontaneous. He needed a reason to cancel all his schedules and come find Da Eun.

“There’s no way you could wrap things up so easily. We’ve known each other for years.”

Though she hadn’t gone into hiding because of Yu Kwon, his influence wasn’t entirely absent either.

Da Eun slowly raised her head at his words, which somehow felt lonely. When their eyes met, Yu Kwon smiled mischievously as if nothing had happened.

“Besides, intensely…”

Startled by the provocative words, Da Eun dragged Yu Kwon into the greenhouse. Inside the greenhouse used as a storage room, exercise equipment bought secondhand lay scattered, having lost their original purpose.

Da Eun pulled up two red plastic chairs, sat Yu Kwon down and sat down herself.

Though it was just Yu Kwon visiting her familiar aunt’s house, everything felt strange. Even these plastic chairs.

“That’s the problem. Because we spent the night together, we can’t go back to how things were before. I can’t work comfortably with you, sir.”

“Why?”

“Because we slept together. Because of that one mistake.”

“It wasn’t a mistake.”

“…”

“And it wasn’t just once.”

Da Eun’s face turned red as an apple at Yu Kwon’s leisurely correction. She was suddenly grateful for the darkness inside the greenhouse.

“Right, you must have done pretty well, as you say. Seeing as I can’t forget that night.”

“That’s a lie.”

“I think you’re the one lying. Do you really want to forget everything and end it like this?”

Yu Kwon’s fingers gently caressed Da Eun’s cheek. Thanks to that, Da Eun had to swallow hard.

Da Eun faced the truth she had been pushing aside, not wanting to acknowledge it.

Every time she saw him, she thought of that night. That night had swallowed up everything about her.

Forgetting that he was her work superior, forgetting their long history of bad blood, she had just clung to him, swept up in desire and emotion.

“It was my first time. And your body felt too good.”

It seems she had assigned special meaning to the uniqueness of a first time.

But she shouldn’t have said that last part. Yu Kwon, who had been serious the whole time, burst out laughing.

“That’s why I’m proposing marriage. You won’t have to repay the money, I’ll compensate you more than enough, and you can have my body that you like so much.”

Da Eun was silent for a moment upon hearing Yu Kwon’s words. She seemed tempted. It was because of the conditions attached at the end.

“Why me of all people, sir?”

Da Eun was curious. Why her of all people.

“You’re the only one who doesn’t displease me.”

Though she thought it was just for that reason, the word “only” made her feel like she might assign meaning to it again.

Whether it was the makgeolli finally kicking in, or whether she was intoxicated by Yu Kwon’s uncharacteristic behavior, Da Eun felt tipsy.

As she patted her flushed cheeks with her palms, Yu Kwon suddenly grabbed her wrist.

“Da Eun, doesn’t this look like a familiar scene?”

The affectionate way he called her name made her chest feel tight again.

“S-Scene?”

She couldn’t even form a simple sentence properly, and got angry at her own stupid expression, but then all of that started to feel trivial.

Intoxication is terrifying like this.

Unable to avoid Yu Kwon as he drew close, Da Eun blinked blankly.

“If I cross the line again, will you crumble again?”

Yu Kwon gently touched Da Eun’s reddened eyes. It seemed like he could kiss her right then. But if he acted on his desires, she would surely run away again. So he pulled back his hand, suppressing his regretful feelings.

“No, I won’t crumble.”

Da Eun answered firmly. A smile spread across Yu Kwon’s lips.

“Really?”

Da Eun clenched her fist tightly as if to show she had steeled her resolve.

To Yu Kwon, her actions just seemed amusing.

“And please forget what I said at the pojangmacha. I was too drunk then.”

Da Eun pleaded.

“What about that time? When you were drunk in college and kissed me.”

“Don’t tell me you still remember that?”

“Of course I do. It was my first kiss. Forced on me.”

“Back then…”

Da Eun started to say something but closed her mouth.

“It’s no different from then. Just pretend to be my wife.”

His tone was as casual as when he had asked her to pretend to be his ex-girlfriend. Da Eun stared blankly at Yu Kwon.

What is love to this person? What is marriage?

As if there’s no need to give his heart to anyone, is his life so fierce and harsh that he resolves both love and marriage through contracts?

Suddenly, a memory from the past surfaced.

Yu Kwon was always surrounded by people. To the point where Da Eun couldn’t break in.

Da Eun was a student who quietly studied, barely noticeable. So she thought she would never be entangled with Yu Kwon for life.

After receiving the proposal, Da Eun vowed not to waver again, not to crumble again, but deep down she was afraid. Afraid that being tied to Yu Kwon by contract would make her fall for him again.

‘I’m not the innocent me from back then. I’ve been through thick and thin, even a broken engagement. I won’t be swayed by any temptation. Not a chance.’

Da Eun shook her head as if making a vow and opened her mouth.

“I don’t think this is right for me. You must have gone through a lot of trouble coming all the way here. I feel bad about that.”

Da Eun replied with a face that showed no regret at all. As if he had expected Da Eun’s reaction, Yu Kwon took out a paper from his suit pocket without showing any disappointment.

“You’re rejecting without even hearing the terms?”

Come to think of it, they hadn’t discussed compensation. Da Eun had vaguely assumed he would offer an enormous sum, since he was Cha Yu Kwon after all.

Yu Kwon held out the document, and Da Eun hesitated. She felt like if she actually checked the document, the firm resolve she had just made would crumble.

But curiosity always broke down resolve.

In the end, Da Eun took the document. It was a marriage contract.

“In exchange for maintaining the marriage for one year, I’ll give you 1 billion won in cash and the house I’m currently living in.”

Da Eun, who had been listening in a daze, searched for the sale price of Yu Kwon’s penthouse on her phone.

Seeing that it had recently been traded for 5 billion won, Da Eun covered her gaping mouth.

1 billion in cash plus 5 billion on top.

Rich people’s generosity is really crazy…

“Is the transfer tax separate?”

“Included.”

“Insane.”

Yu Kwon was skilled at deals. If she showed any weakness, she would surely be torn apart by him. But the moment she heard the terms, Da Eun was disarmed and made an expression that was foolish, even more so than usual.

“You want to escape, don’t you? Isn’t it your dream to break free from your family and live freely?”

Yu Kwon whispered as if driving in the final nail, seeming to read Da Eun’s thoughts.

It was like that back then too. When her younger brother Da Hyun caused an accident with someone else’s motorcycle and needed money, Yu Kwon had approached Da Eun offering her a part-time job.

Is this really a coincidence? Even as she doubted, his words moved her heart.

Breaking free from family and living freely.

It was Da Eun’s dream to escape once and for all from Da Hyun, who caused trouble every day, and Geum Suk, who always covered for him, and live as she pleased.

Though she didn’t know when she had told Yu Kwon about this.

Da Eun gathered her thoughts as calmly as possible.

6 billion won. With that much, she could live not just freely, but luxuriously.

But on the other hand, she was suspicious. A businessman’s son like Yu Kwon wouldn’t pay 6 billion for something trivial. It must be a task that comes with equivalent risk and pain.

Just then, a black ball of fluff caught her eye.

“Sir, just a moment.”

Da Eun reached out her hand. As if she was going to embrace Yu Kwon.

As Da Eun pressed her knee against Yu Kwon’s thigh and stretched out her arm, her chest touched Yu Kwon’s face.

Feeling the soft sensation, Yu Kwon grabbed Da Eun’s slender waist with one hand, trying to pull her away. But Da Eun didn’t budge.

At the sudden skinship, Yu Kwon felt his nape grow hot and his body stiffen.

“What on earth is this situation?”

Despite Yu Kwon’s flustered voice, Da Eun paid no heed and pressed her body even closer to him.