She felt like she finally understood what Tae Ha had been saying from the start. Indeed, it was best to cleanly dispose of what needed to be discarded.

At that, Tae Ha nodded his head as if satisfied.

“I have something to talk about.”
His tone was softer than before, but his expression seemed somewhat tense.

“This is a personal matter, so if it’s alright with you, shall we step outside…”
“I have something to ask first.”
Si Hyun cut him off. There was still official business left.

“What is it?”
“I’m thinking of taking out a severance pay collateral loan from the company. When I asked the team leader, they said I should get approval from the executive director.”
Tae Ha furrowed his brows slightly.

“Why do you suddenly need a collateral loan?”
“I have a situation.”
“So, what’s the situation?”
He looked as if he wouldn’t help unless she explained. After hesitating for a moment, Si Hyun decided to be honest.

“This is a personal matter, so I’ll just be straightforward.”
She sighed briefly, and then spoke.

“It seems like the parents who are to become my inlaws don’t like me very much.”
Tae Ha asked, his expression looking very displeased.

“So?”
“So I thought I should at least offer them some engagement money, but I’ve committed all my savings to the deposit for our place, so I don’t have any spare money.”
“Engagement money?”
“You can think of it as a gift a woman gives to her husband’s family when she gets married.”
“Do you need to get married to that extent?”
Tae Ha asked sharply.

“People who are trying to make you touch chili powder with your bare hands, do you need to give them gifts and ask for their favor?”
Si Hyun mumbled sullenly.

“I’m upset too. But if I’m not getting married, it’s fine. But if I am, people say it’s better to go along with it.”
Tae Ha, his arms crossed, looked down at Si Hyun. Was the look in his eyes pitying, or was it her feeling guilty?

“I didn’t realize. That Kang Si Hyun was this obsessed with marriage.”
Si Hyun became upset. Even if other people said so, shouldn’t Tae Ha understand?

“How can you say that?”

Feeling her lips trembling, Si Hyun spoke as if pleading.

“You know how I’ve lived. You’ve seen it all, from when I was young.”
“……”
“I’ve never had a place of my own in my entire life. When Ah Hyun went on family trips with her parents, I was home protecting the house with the maid, and I’ve never even gotten a piece of chicken when we ordered it. So I’ve always wanted to marry someone I love someday, and have a proper family of my own.”
She spat out the words fast, as if vomiting them out, and then her voice choked up as heat surged in her. Clenching her teeth to swallow her tears, Si Hyun asked,

“Isn’t it about time at the age of thirtythree? Is it such a big greed?”
Tae Ha did not answer. He just looked at her quietly with his deep eyes, always hard to read his thoughts.

Hurt by Tae Ha who did not take her side, Si Hyun bit her lips. How could you do this to me? I would always be on your side no matter what. Why you….!

Suppressing her desire to argue, Si Hyun turned her back.

“Hold on, listen to me.”
Only then did Tae Ha grab her arm, but Si Hyun pulled her arm out forcefully.

“Let’s talk later.”
Without looking back, Si Hyun left Tae Ha’s office. Otherwise, she would have burst into tears on the spot.

Isn’t it too pathetic to cry in front of her younger brother as his elder sister?

((()))

Heading to the bus stop after leaving the company, Si Hyun called Woo Jin. She felt like she would just sit down and sob if someone touched her lightly.

He was on a call no matter how many times she called. Nevertheless, wanting to hear his voice right now, Si Hyun kept calling.

Oh, Si Hyun.
Finally, after calling five times, Woo Jin picked up the call.

“You were on a call, what’s up?”
It’s not what. I was… talking to a client.
It was well past the end of work, what client would it be? As Si Hyun was thinking, Woo Jin asked.

But what’s up?
At the question of what’s up, Si Hyun lost her words for a moment.

Originally, she wanted to ask, ‘You know, we don’t have any problems, right?’ They had already made up after the fight a few days ago because of Tae Ha, and they decided to go ahead with the dowry as she wanted.

She wanted to hear the words, ‘Of course, what problem could there be between us?’ from Woo Jin’s mouth.

Feeling the question, ‘what’s up?’ coming, she couldn’t bring herself to say it. Since when did we have to have an issue to call each other?

In the end, Si Hyun swallowed what she had originally intended to say.

“Brother, do you have time tomorrow? To greet my stepfather’s family….”
Suddenly, Woo Jin spoke urgently.

“Ah, Si Hyun. I have a call coming in right now. Sorry, I’ll call you back soon!”
As soon as he said that, the call was abruptly cut off.

“……”
Staring blankly at the disconnected phone, a bitter feeling washed over her. Despite the wedding being imminent, why did it always feel so distant?

Sighing deeply, she hastened her steps towards the bus stop when suddenly she heard a calling voice.

“Well, who do we have here?”
A man, seemingly in his late 40s and dressed in a suit, approached Si Hyun warmly.

“Aren’t you the fiancée of Assistant Manager Kim Woo Jin?”
Si Hyun immediately recognized the man. He was Woo Jin’s direct superior in the same department. She had met his colleagues when she went to pick up Woo Jin from a company dinner as he was too drunk, so she remembered his face.

It was no surprise to run into him on the street, as Woo Jin’s company was so close by.

“Hello, Director. It’s been a while.”
Si Hyun immediately greeted him with a wide smile.

“You’re getting married soon, right? Congratulations. Our Assistant Manager Kim is quite fortunate.”
“Thank you.”
As she responded, Si Hyun suddenly recalled. A while ago, Woo Jin went to a department store to buy a necklace for the director’s errand.

“Congratulations on your 20th wedding anniversary, Director. You’ve given your wife a wonderful gift, I’m envious.”
“Hmm? What gift?”
The other party had a puzzled look on his face.

“And we’ve only been married for 15 years…?”

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