Once More, Wife (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 9

“May 24th, five years ago. Investigate from the very beginning what exactly happened that day. From the moment she left home until she arrived in Yangyang, Gangwon Province—leave nothing out. Every single detail.”

“Understood, Deputy Director.”

“Do the same for this island—track down every ferry and every person who came or went back then. Leave nothing out.”

“Yes.”

“And one more thing…”

Chae Ha’s eyes, which had been issuing orders nonstop, suddenly drifted toward a business card placed at the corner of his marble desk.

Choi Jae Yoon.

On the back, along with a ship’s name, was a company name.

“Never mind. I’ll look into this myself. You may go.”

The unpleasant scene from the island yesterday flashed through his mind, and Chae Ha’s hand instinctively clenched the card tightly.

The man who’d called Seol Won as if she were his own woman.

The man whom a child, who looked exactly like Seol Won, had called “Dad.”

There was no hesitation. Chae Ha immediately dialed the number printed on the card.

After about three rings, the other party answered, as though he’d been waiting.

[This is Choi Jae Yoon.]

“This is Kwon Chae Ha. Min Seol Won’s husband.”

[…]

At the word “husband,” the other man fell briefly silent, then exhaled softly through the receiver.

[I suppose you’re wondering why Min Seol Won is on the island.]

“And why she’s with you as well.”

[Fine. I’ll tell you. You’d find out anyway—it’s hardly difficult for someone like you.]

With that, Jae Yoon concisely laid out the entire story, brief and stripped of any embellishment.

It was so straightforward it almost sounded rehearsed.

“So… you’re saying Min Seol Won was found unconscious on the beach five years ago? That she’d washed ashore on your island, and your parents and you discovered her?”

[That’s right.]

“You expect me to believe that? That someone who had an accident in Gangwon Province ended up on the west coast?”

[Whether you believe it or not is your choice, Mr. Kwon Chae Ha. I’m merely stating the facts.]

“…Alright. Let’s say I accept that for now. Then why didn’t you report it to the authorities immediately?”

[We intended to, but she was in a deeply confused state. Her memories were fragmented, and for reasons we didn’t understand, she kept insisting she didn’t want to return home. My parents had no choice but to care for her temporarily.]

Didn’t want to return home…

That phrase sent a sharp pang through Chae Ha’s chest.

But there was one more thing he needed to confirm.

“There was a child—and she called you ‘Dad.’ How does that fit in?”

[…]

The steady replies stopped abruptly, as if the line had gone dead.

Only faint breathing came through—but even so, Chae Ha could feel the other man’s turmoil.

Chae Ha himself was barely containing his own emotions.

After a silence that felt like an eternity, Jae Yoon finally answered.

[I think it’s better if you hear that directly from Seol Won herself. It might be… rather shocking for you.]

His reply was utterly polite yet undeniably provocative, and a deep frown creased Chae Ha’s brow.

Was he refusing to confirm or deny it right now?

[That’s all I can say for now. But there’s one personal request I’d like to make.]

“A request?”

[You saw yesterday that Seol Won doesn’t remember you. I looked into your background on my own. From what I found, your marriage wasn’t exactly happy. Recently, there have even been talks of you remarrying the daughter of Baek Young Group.]

“What exactly are you trying to say?”

Chae Ha ground his teeth and spat hostility into the receiver, sharp as a blade.

Jae Yoon quickly got to his point.

[Wouldn’t it be better to just let each other live separately, instead of confusing someone who doesn’t even remember you? After all, you’re clearly not the sort of person suited for Seol Won…]

“Mr. Choi Jae Yoon.”

That was enough. Chae Ha had no intention of hearing any more of what sounded like a request—or a warning. He dropped the polite facade he’d maintained until now.

“It’s none of your business whether or not Min Seol Won suits me. Just because she can’t remember doesn’t erase the fact that she’s my wife. That’s all. I’m hanging up.”

He slammed the phone down and roughly ran a hand over his forehead.

“She doesn’t remember me? And expects me to believe that?”

A bitter, self-mocking laugh escaped him.

He couldn’t even tell what infuriated him more.

Was it that Min Seol Won didn’t remember him? Or that a child who looked just like her called another man “Dad”?

No. There was only one thing that truly enraged him.

That even though he’d seen with his own eyes that she was alive, she still wasn’t by his side—right now, at this very moment.

“Damn it…”

Unable to endure the frustration any longer, Chae Ha dialed another number.

“It’s the person who visited you this morning. When will the test results be ready?”

“Ah, you mean the paternity test. As you requested, we’re processing it as quickly as possible—you should receive the results by tomorrow morning at the earliest, or by tomorrow evening at the latest.”

Tomorrow morning…

Without hesitation, Chae Ha picked up his jacket and slipped it on carelessly.

He’d immediately sent someone to retrieve the child’s toothbrush right after seeing her yesterday.

Finding the daycare the boy attended on the island had been no challenge for him.

He’d know the results within a day—but for Chae Ha right now, even one more day was unbearable.

Five years of waiting had been enough.

Though she’d grown used to the island’s distinct briny scent, the strong sea winds still refused to feel familiar.

Even as late May approached—a time one might already call early summer—Seol Won, who was always sensitive to the cold, kept a cardigan draped over her shoulders.

As she gently plucked stray strands of Woo Joo’s hair—soft and fluffy like a puppy’s—from her cardigan, a small smile crossed her lips.

Now five years old, the boy always loved rubbing against her like an affectionate little dog.

Raising him alone hadn’t been easy, but Jae Yoon’s parents had given her unwavering support.

And thankfully, Woo Joo was an exceptionally bright and cheerful child.

He’d never suffered the usual infant ailments, and inheriting his father’s sharp mind, he’d learned to speak and read remarkably early.

With his universally adored looks and overflowing charm, he’d become the island’s little prodigy in a place with hardly any young children.

Woo Joo was her treasure—the one who’d carried her through the hardest of times.

“Let me see… It’s about time for lunch.”

She’d been so engrossed in arranging flowers that she suddenly realized how much time had passed, and she straightened her back.

‘Mom, your back looks just like a turtle’s! Stand up tall and proud like me—straight!’

Remembering Woo Joo’s habitual remark whenever she worked, a gentle smile spread across Seol Won’s lips as she stretched.

Just then, a clear, tinkling chime rang from the wind chime above the flower shop door.

“Welcome…”

As she turned toward the door, her hand holding the scissors froze midair.

“You don’t need to look so shocked to see your husband.”

“…”

Seol Won stared blankly at the man who’d just stepped inside.

His broad shoulders and frame made the simple wooden door look small by comparison.

She knew he was tall, but something in his presence—deeper, more intense—made him seem even larger than before.

Suddenly, Seol Won snapped back to her senses.

Hadn’t he just called himself her “husband”? If she showed any sign of being flustered, he might realize she actually remembered him.

“Why are you here again? I clearly told you yesterday that I’m not your wife…”

“Min Seol Won.”

He spoke her name heavily and walked toward her workbench,

then stared intently into her eyes, as if searching for something.

“Let me make this perfectly clear again: legally, you are absolutely my wife. Everyone said you were dead—but I never once accepted that.”

“…”

“It doesn’t matter whether you remember or not. You’re coming with me.”

At those words, Seol Won’s eyes trembled with unmistakable unease.

For five long years, she’d desperately hidden herself.

She’d lived as though she didn’t exist—leaving no trace, concealing the fact that she was alive—

at least until her child was old enough.

Yet now, the very man she’d hidden from was outright denying that reality.

“Min Seol Won.”

Chae Ha took another determined step closer.

From this height, looking down at her, her heart began pounding uncontrollably.

A confusing rush of emotion—fear? anticipation?—flooded her chest.

Strangely, his gaze felt utterly unfamiliar.

It wasn’t the dull, indifferent look she remembered—but eyes burning with desperate longing.

“…Min Seol Won.”

He murmured her name once more, then suddenly reached out toward her.

Startled, Seol Won tried to step back—but the wall was right behind her workbench.

“…”

His large hand settled gently, almost helplessly, on her defenseless face.

His fingertips then slowly traced her features,

as if a blind man were desperately trying to confirm a shape—his touch filled with unbearable yearning.

From her forehead, down her eyes, along her nose—he followed every curve with painstaking care.

Finally, his long fingers reached her lips.

Instantly, Seol Won held her breath.

His gaze, fixed on her mouth as his fingertip slowly traced her lips, was frighteningly intense.

Though it was only his hand touching her, the sensation felt as dizzying as a kiss—and her cheeks flushed hotly.

Unable to bear it any longer, she finally spoke.

“…What are you doing?”

“I needed to check.”

“Check what?”

“Whether the person standing before me is really alive. That you’re not a dream or an illusion—but a real, breathing human being.”

His face, as he spoke, was filled with indescribable emotion—

an expression so raw it threatened to unravel her own composure.

Forcing down this strange, unsettling feeling, Seol Won managed to say,

“…Yesterday, Jae Yoon told me who you are. Even if I really am your wife, I don’t remember anything. That chapter of our lives is over. It’s best if we just go our separate ways now.”

Chae Ha let out a slow, unexpected chuckle at her breathless, rehearsed reply.

The corner of his mouth lifted—as if he found her words amusing.

“An ended relationship? For someone who supposedly remembers nothing, you’re unusually eager to push me away. Most people, upon hearing who I am, would be scheming how to get something out of me.”

“…It doesn’t matter who you are—you have nothing to do with me.”

“Well, your words say that—but your lips seem to remember me just fine.”

As he said it, he deliberately dragged his fingertip across his own lips.

Feeling as though her hidden thoughts had been completely exposed, Seol Won’s face burned even hotter.

After studying her carefully for a moment, Chae Ha finally revealed the true purpose of his visit today.

“Min Seol Won. You’ll have to become my wife once again.”