“I’m not the one who visited Cheonga Park and checked every time you were away for a month or two, when you were in Paris for over a year. That person did it all. Every year, there was a message wanting to move them to a better place, but I refused each time because I knew you would hate it.”

“It seems you have at least a minimum of conscience, since you feel you should do that much. Who do you think Father died because of!”

“Your father didn’t die because of anyone, he passed away from illness. And if your mother has made the effort every year without fail since he passed, isn’t that enough punishment? I hear she always comes alone and stays for over two hours before leaving.”

“So what? Are you telling me to call her ‘Mom’ now? No, forget it!! Move it back right away. Tell her to return it to that woman, back to how it was!”

Yi Seol’s forceful voice grew louder and louder.

As if nothing good would come from continuing, Jung Hyeok stood up from his seat.

“You didn’t get here on your own. The company, our staff, including me, and all the people supporting you behind the scenes, known and unknown. You’ve come this far with the help of countless people you don’t even know about.”

“Are you trying to take credit now?”

Knowing it was needless provocation,

Knowing that her longing for her mother had turned into resentment,

Jung Hyeok still couldn’t understand Yi Seol, who sometimes didn’t even try to understand.

“You don’t know who else might be among those who helped. You weren’t raised alone, and parents are parents even if they only gave birth to you!! Even if you can’t see it, the ways of giving love and seeking forgiveness are all different.”

Yi Seol’s despairing eyes shook uncontrollably as she looked up at Jung Hyeok.

Is this all? No, right?

Are you saying there’s more, that I received help from that woman besides this?

“Let me be clear, I agreed to this. So just let it go this time. In exchange, I’ll tell her not to send side dishes anymore from now on. Get some rest.”

Having said his piece, Jung Hyeok left the officetel without looking back.

Side dishes?

Only then did Yi Seol look at the white styrofoam box among the many things Jung Hyeok had brought in.

She had said they were just right for her taste,

Unlike food bought outside, they were like home-cooked meals made by her mother,

They were the side dishes she had really liked.

Even the side dishes Jung Hyeok said he packed from a shop near his house were from that woman.

…So they really were home-cooked meals made by her mother.

Left alone in the living room,

Yi Seol buried her face in her tightly drawn up legs.

*****

“From tonight, you’ll sleep in our room.”

With those words, Do Eum’s heart began to race wildly.

If just one sentence made her like this, lying side by side in the same bed, goodness.

It was doubtful if she could even breathe properly, let alone sleep.

“When you come tomorrow, we can share a room from tomorrow. Why specifically from tonight…”

“The main house people’s morning work time is 5 AM. Considering Grandmother’s side dishes take a lot of effort, even if they delay, it won’t be past 6 AM.”

Ji Wan continued speaking as he took off his suit jacket.

“You don’t know what time or when they’ll barge in, are you going to jump into my room while sleeping?”

It was all completely understandable.

Even if she couldn’t agree, whether they combined rooms a day later or a day earlier wouldn’t make much difference.

“Alright. I’ll get ready and come over.”

“Ready? What preparations?”

Ji Wan stopped loosening his tie and asked, turning hastily at Do Eum’s questioning look about the intention behind his question.

“No, I was just wondering what preparations you’d need to come over. It’s just sleeping, is preparation really necessary for that?”

Do Eum immediately recognized Ji Wan’s expression that always came out when he was determined to tease her.

Throughout their date, hadn’t Ji Wan been lifting her up and putting her down all day long with his silly remarks?

“Since I’ll be staying in your room for a while, I was going to pack some clothes and cosmetics and things. Why? Should I put on rouge and powder?”

Strictly speaking, tonight was the official first night for the two of them, since they had separate rooms throughout their marriage.

It wasn’t about doing anything, just saying.

At Ji Wan’s words, the woman who had been on a seesaw all day long, going up and down with every word, snapped back irritably.

Ji Wan raised his hand in the air as if satisfied and went into the room, while Do Eum, thoroughly provoked, turned towards her own room.

It was a total crisis for both the woman whose heart felt like it would burst from sleeping with a man for the first time in her life,

And the man who pretended to be calm but didn’t think he’d be able to sleep all night.

*****

Under the shower stream, Do Eum thought.

Did she snore?

She heard some people grind their teeth when tired.

And what about her habit of sleeping with one leg tightly curled up somewhere?

Whatever it was, none of the three options were good.

When she came over to Ji Wan’s room after roughly packing her things, the room was empty.

Ji Wan had stayed in the study until just before bed, so if she could just fall asleep quickly before he returned, that would be fine.

She planned to lie down and pretend to sleep whether she actually fell asleep or not.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t nervous about sleeping together, even if nothing happened.

Even while putting on her 60-count cotton panties after showering, she thought of Yi Seol’s sneer asking if it was teenage underwear, and wondered if she should buy new underwear next weekend.

Though the bedding was the same as hers and she brought her own pillow, so not much would change, Do Eum’s eyes were wide awake and she didn’t think she’d fall asleep easily.

She lay straight, then quickly turned on her side.

If she had known it would be like this, she should have drunk wine heavily.

Then she could have at least fallen asleep drunk.

After washing up, even the slight tipsiness she had was completely gone.

Click.

At the sound of the door opening, Do Eum tightly shut her eyes.

Though her eyes were closed, her ears instinctively opened wide, catching every sound of the man showering, the tapping of him drying his hair, and even the rustling of him changing clothes.

Thud.

As the mattress shook and a fresh soap scent washed over her nose,

The moment Ji Wan lay down beside her.

Do Eum’s mind, which had been swirling with various thoughts, turned blank as a sheet of paper.

It truly was the first night.

*****

Without even looking at half of half of the documents he needed to review, Ji Wan entered the bathroom.

His body, inexplicably hot, wouldn’t cool down even with the water temperature lowered more than usual, just prolonging his shower time unnecessarily.

Wiping the foggy mirror with his palm, Ji Wan carefully examined himself in the reflection.

His life, with nowhere to settle his heart, may have been busy but held no joy.

There wasn’t much to laugh about, nothing to be excited about, and no big dreams to pursue.

The immediate task was to bring the struggling construction company into the ranks of prestigious domestic and international construction firms, and when some results were achieved, the emptiness was greater than the joy.

Yesterday and today were not much different, but the half day spent with the woman was the happiest in his entire life so far.

The woman repeatedly fell for his jokes disguised as flirtation,

And calmly accepted his surprise shower of kisses without any real rejection.

It was something he hadn’t done even at eighteen, during puberty.

He must have gone crazy, finally.

Seo Ji Wan, like something in heat, acting like a barbarian with no sense of propriety, whether people were around or not, inside or outside.

It wasn’t a simple matter of not being able to control his own heart.

At thirty-four,

Seo Ji Wan’s entire life, long or short, was being shaken to the core.

When he asked for her hand, she gave it, when he asked for her lips, she gave them too.

If he asked for more, would she give that as well? He kept feeling anxious.

This kind of impatience was definitely a first.

“I know you’re not sleeping.”

Ji Wan pressed the button on the bedside lamp and leaned back, unfolding some documents.

A faint breathing sound came from Do Eum as she turned over.

“I said I know you’re not sleeping.”

Along with the sound of papers being turned, a deflated “Ah” escaped from Do Eum’s lips as she turned over.

“If you know I’m not sleeping, why are you looking at documents? You could just talk with the person who’s not sleeping until we fall asleep.”

As Do Eum sharply turned her body, a strong lavender scent spread everywhere.

Unlike perfume, this lighter scent must be from the woman’s soap or shampoo.

Ji Wan’s back stiffened as he leaned against the bed headboard.

“Wow, that’s an easy thing to say, Kang Do Eum.”

Just talk until we fall asleep, she says.

With a person right in front of him who he could do anything with if he just reached out, no, if she just gave permission, and she’s saying just talk?

It wasn’t even like a group of five or six kids saying “Let’s play together.” It was ridiculous.

The woman seemed to interpret his words, spoken out of exasperation, as if he was a very busy person, and pouted her lips.

“How did you know I wasn’t sleeping?”

Looking at Do Eum’s clear eyes gazing up at him under the yellowish light, Ji Wan’s stiffened back was starting to ache.

“That.”

His gaze, momentarily pulled away from the documents, gestured towards Do Eum’s small feet sticking out from under the sheets.

“Ah, pfft.”

How could he not know when her eyes were closed but her feet kept fidgeting nonstop?

Do Eum laughed out loud.

“…But what’s that?”

“Huh?”

Lifting his gaze that had been fixed on the documents, Ji Wan gestured towards Do Eum’s ankle, which was smiling innocently all along.

“That thing attached to your ankle, what is it?”

As if someone had suddenly thrown a bucket of cold water, silence fell over the bed where the two were lying.

‘Wearing’ and ‘attached’ clearly have different meanings.

The former implies an active choice, something done willingly with “my money, my purchase,” while the latter has a more passive connotation, implying no choice in the matter due to someone else’s action.

Ji Wan had specifically asked what that thing ‘attached’ to her ankle was.

Which meant he must have some idea about this anklet already.

It also meant the chances of a clumsy lie working were low.

“…It’s a gift, I received it as a gift.”

“So, from whom?”

His gaze, which had briefly glanced and then turned away, seemed to be heading back to the documents but then suddenly returned and grabbed Do Eum’s ankle.

Suddenly finding her ankle held, Do Eum’s foot ended up on Ji Wan’s stomach.

“Ah, no!!”

“Who would buy something like this and carelessly attach it to someone else’s ankle?”

The man’s question, treating the anklet as if it were a wedding ring or at least a collar put on his own dog, was utterly improper.

“Usually friends tell each other what they want around their birthdays. Since we’re spending money anyway, we buy what the other person wants and then get something on our own birthday too. It’s like a kind of mutual exchange.”

Do Eum’s detailed explanation went on and on.

Meanwhile, she was also trying her best to pull out her captured ankle, needless to say.

It must be that bastard.

There was no doubt that Kang Do Eum’s submissive behavior was the work of that guy she disliked, Choi Eun Hyeok.

“I don’t like it.”

“The anklet?”

The anklet, you, that bastard Choi Eun Hyeok.

Most of all, myself for being jealous over such trivial things when I’m not even a six-year-old kid.