Outside the luxury sedan,

With Woo Seok left outside, the two people in the car slowly read through the documents in front of them.

To be precise, not the man who was the contracting party A, but only the woman who was party B.

“So we’ll live together?”

“It would be difficult to consider us a married couple if we lived separately.”

“What about the bedroom, surely we won’t be sharing that too?”

“If you want, we can do that.”

“You can continue living as you have been, sir, but what about me? Surely I don’t have to quit school.”

“We can’t ruin a future that hasn’t even started for a marriage that will last 6 months to a year at most. Keep going to school as planned, but quit your part-time job. I’ll try to accommodate your school schedule for important events, but anything beyond that is too much for me.”

Do Eum nodded.

“The marriage will be kept private and shouldn’t be exposed externally. Even if it is, most people on your side won’t see you twice, and it certainly won’t be splashed across newspaper headlines. Unless there’s a newspaper that wants to shut down over one rash act.”

Listening to Ji Wan’s words, she realized this wasn’t just a simple contract marriage.

The thought of marrying someone who could shut down a newspaper just for publishing her photo suddenly became frightening.

“Also.”

“Pardon?”

“I asked if there’s anything else you want to know.”

“As you may have found out, I’m currently out of contact with my mother. It would be best if she doesn’t try to find me during the marriage, but if she somehow finds out and comes looking…”

“Isn’t it too much to ask me to handle that too? Just as I’m taking some responsibility for your future, I’d like you to consider my future to some extent as well. One bomb is enough for me.”

A bomb, he says.

The man drove the point home to the woman who was already thoroughly in the subordinate position.

“You’re like a time bomb to me. I don’t know when you’ll explode and the sparks will fly to me too. You must know from looking into me that this moment, this marriage with you, is the most imperfect moment of my life.”

Do Eum, suddenly relegated to a bomb, reluctantly nodded.

It wasn’t wrong.

Even if she was a time bomb to him, she couldn’t deny that he was a once-in-a-lifetime lottery ticket for her.

“Also.”

“?”

This time the woman asked.

“What else do I need to be careful about?”

It was a much more compliant attitude than before.

“The things specified at the bottom of the contract.”

1. Party A and Party B shall not interfere in each other’s private lives whatsoever.

2. Public skinship is implicitly agreed to without separate permission as a principle.

3. Regarding acts between consenting adults, if there is mutual agreement, it may proceed but neither party shall hold the other responsible.

4. The termination of the contract, i.e. divorce, shall be solely at the discretion of Party A.

“Number 3 is a waste of paper. There’s no way there would be a consensual relationship with a time bomb that’s unsettling to even have nearby.”

“Think of it as one of the standard clauses. There shouldn’t be even the slightest possibility.”

The numerous other items that followed weren’t worth reading.

They were full of Party A’s intention to ‘leave no room for any possibility’.

After signing and putting her thumbprint, Do Eum got out of the sedan.

Though she had only given her thumbprint, her face looked as if she had lost everything.

“Do Eum!!”

Two men who had been waiting from who knows when came running over.

They were Jae Han and Min Seung, Do Eum’s college classmates, along with Eun Hyeok.

These fourth-year students about to graduate were from relatively well-off families, unlike Do Eum who was struggling with part-time jobs except when sleeping.

They were VIP customers for the girl who took on their assignments for a fee, trying to earn a few bucks.

Among them, Eun Hyeok, whose grandfather, father, and older brother were all army officers, looked Do Eum up and down.

“Are you hurt anywhere? Who are those people?”

Eun Hyeok, known as the handsome business major with his innate good looks and straightforward personality, was uncharacteristically fussing.

“I’m fine, not hurt.”

“We thought you were being kidnapped. What were you doing in that car?”

Jae Han squinted as he peered into the car.

“Tch, can’t see anything. You’re not doing anything you shouldn’t just because they offer you money, right?”

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen that car in person. First time seeing it with my own eyes, not on a screen or in print. They say only two were imported to our country. Wow, amazing.”

While concern and admiration were exchanged with Do Eum in the middle, Ji Wan watched them with an impassive gaze from the back seat of the sedan.

“Sir, should I look into those three?”

Woo Seok’s eyes, looking out the driver’s seat window, were not ordinary.

“Never mind them. Find out where Ms. Kang Do Eum’s mother is.”

It hadn’t even been 10 minutes since he had sharply told her not to add any more bombs to the woman.

“Yes, sir.”

The black sedan quickly left the campus full of greenery.

*****

Matching the end of first semester classes, Woo Seok picked up Do Eum from the Humanities building.

“Is this really all your luggage?”

It seemed unbelievable that all she was bringing to their newlywed home was just one black suitcase.

“I figured the things I’d bring wouldn’t be to your liking anyway, sir.”

Woo Seok looked admiringly at the woman who had already figured out Ji Wan.

It had taken him a full six months to do the same.

“We’ll prepare anything you need gradually. How did you tell your friends about the marriage…”

“I didn’t. They’re not the type I’d trust, and even if I did trust them, I didn’t particularly want to tell them.”

After the two-month vacation at most, and the remaining half semester, graduation would soon follow.

She thought it might be okay to just let them remain unaware until then.

“Are we going to the newlywed home?”

“No, first we’ll prepare for visiting the main house in Anseo-dong tomorrow.”

With just two weeks left of the three-month deadline, Ji Wan had informed Madam Jang of the marriage.

As soon as he received the message to bring the woman, Ji Wan had Director Han adjust Do Eum’s schedule.

It happened to be the end of term before vacation, and the processing of the house scheduled for demolition went smoothly.

It was purely Ji Wan’s consideration to allow Do Eum, who had nowhere to go as the demolition site had to be vacated even before setting a wedding date, to move into the newlywed home first.

“Let’s get out.”

A premium multi-shop in the heart of the city, dazzling from the entrance with an excessively ornate chandelier.

Beyond the large floor-to-ceiling windows, Do Eum couldn’t close her gaping mouth, overwhelmed by the elegant atmosphere from the high ceiling to the floor.

“The CEO hasn’t arrived yet.”

The staff lined up on both sides bowed deeply to greet Do Eum, who entered alongside Director Han.

“He said he’s short on time, so try on the outfits we’ve prepared in advance.”

The man had skipped dinner due to a meeting that had been going on for three full hours, so it was probably Team Leader Yeon, in charge of the CEO’s office secretarial duties, who had contacted the shop.

“Come in, madam.”

Ma. dam.

As the three syllables entered her ears like nails being hammered, Do Eum’s head shook from the vibration.

It was when she had tried on the pre-contacted A-line dress, black blouse with a wide collar like a brim, and a deep V-neck dress in dark gray in the place she followed the staff into.

“Let’s go out.”

The staff member who had only been checking the size and fit while she dressed and undressed suddenly pulled open the fitting room curtain.

Beyond the curtain, under bright yellow pin lights.

The man leaning back with his eyes closed on a single-person couch sofa was Ji Wan.

He seemed to have just arrived, though he had said he would be late.

His face under the bright yellow light looked tired at a glance.

With his tie loosened and the top two buttons of his shirt undone, he looked every bit…

Neither Woo Seok standing behind nor Do Eum made a sound, frozen in place so as not to disturb the man’s rest.

“Ahem, ahem.”

At the sound of Woo Seok clearing his throat, the man slowly opened his eyes.

Under the lazily lifted eyelids, dark brown eyes scanned the woman across from him.

The emotionless gaze didn’t closely examine here and there.

He just quickly scanned what he needed to see and nodded, that was all.

One nod meant okay, closing his eyes and leaning back against the sofa meant pass.

Though it was just a glance, Do Eum’s face flushed as if she had been stripped bare in front of that gaze.

After repeating the process of dressing and undressing twenty times, Do Eum got back in the sedan.

Passing through the brilliant lights and busy streets, the surroundings changed noticeably as they entered an upscale residential area.

Even a single flower blooming profusely around was extraordinary in this neighborhood.

“Let’s get out.”

The houses on both sides visible while climbing the asphalt hill were luxurious.

The car that had climbed to the highest point passed through the central gate and continued up a bit further before stopping.

“Wow! It’s beautiful!”

The first thing visible was the green garden all around.

Because of the bright lights illuminating the garden, she almost forgot it was late at night for a moment.

“Let’s go inside.”

At Director Han’s guidance, only Do Eum moved while Ji Wan stood like a statue.

“Aren’t you coming in?”

“I’m going to my home.”

My home.

That’s exactly what Ji Wan said.

Bandy Crodien.

The man’s residence was a premium officetel ambitiously built by Bando Construction in the heart of downtown.

Woo Seok looked at the brazen man who was saying he would send the woman alone into this large newlywed home while he went to sleep at his own place.

“Sir, even so, today is the first day moving into the newlywed home and Do Eum is still unfamiliar with this place and also…”

“It’s okay. You can go.”

Though she had reason to feel upset, Do Eum waved her hand, saying it was fine.

“Really, it’s okay. What would a grown adult be afraid of? I’m not scared.”

Unlike Woo Seok’s dismayed expression, Ji Wan had already gotten into the back seat and closed his eyes, leaning against the headrest.

“I’ll come to pick you up at 8 o’clock tomorrow.”

Do Eum nodded to Director Han, who hurriedly closed the back door and got in the car.

Do Eum stood in that spot until the black sedan went down the hill of the upscale residential area and disappeared from view.

*****

Bandy Crodien, Royal 27th floor officetel.

Ji Wan, who had finished showering and removed his upper garments, stood by the window holding a crystal glass filled with dark brown liquid.

The glittering night view of the city spread out before his eyes, yet somehow the image of the woman standing under the bright yellow light kept appearing in his mind.

He had thought her jeans and t-shirt look wasn’t bad.

He had even thought her height of about 163cm looked taller due to her fairly good body proportions, but the woman he saw today had a quite voluptuous figure from chest to hips, unlike her plain face.

The moment he saw the woman shyly peeking her face out from behind the fallen curtain.

He had to admit that the fatigue built up from the long meeting had eased just a little bit.

Even for that instant, he felt his eyes were enjoying an unexpected treat.

Her face without even powder, let alone color makeup, and her clumsy gestures and actions that didn’t pretend to be alluring kept catching his eye.

From the beginning, her not trying to please him and constantly standing shoulder to shoulder with Director Han while with him was also like that.

The feeling of ‘is this right?’ towards the strangely irritating, not fully grown woman with soft down still on her skin being tempted by wealth, was not good.

It was like a bit of conscience wondering if there could be anything more ugly than a senile old man buying youth with money.

The dark brown liquid going down his throat somehow tasted more bitter than usual.