After finishing the meal, Sun Woo taught Eun Jae how to use the dishwasher. It wasn’t particularly difficult to operate, and one explanation was enough. Besides, whenever he taught her something, the woman quickly caught on.

After spending some time apart, Eun Jae came out to the living room at the sound of Sun Woo’s knock. Sun Woo, who had headed to the kitchen after seating Eun Jae on the sofa, brought out cake and tea.

“I think one slice of cheesecake will be enough.”

Before leaving work, Sun Woo checked the message that had arrived from the woman and seemed to hesitate briefly while heading to the officetel, then quickly turned the steering wheel in the opposite direction.

It was because of the woman’s simple message that suddenly reminded him of the day long ago when Eun Jung had made a fuss about a place with delicious cheesecake. Though he wasn’t particularly fond of cake, he also remembered avoiding it afterwards from seeing it so much that he got sick of it.

At the time, he had clearly let the words pass by, but now he vividly remembered even the location of that place Eun Jung had raved about.

Sun Woo, who had gone all the way there to buy the cheesecake that could have been purchased at a nearby bakery, kept bursting into laughter on his way to the officetel, looking at the cheesecake placed on the passenger seat whenever he stopped at a red light.

Remembering that scene, Sun Woo let out another soft laugh.

Am I now unable to distinguish between pretending and reality?

It’s confusing.

After setting down the cake first, Sun Woo was about to place the mug in front of Eun Jae when she reached out her hand as if to take it.

“Let me have it.”

“It’s hot.”

Sun Woo gently stopped Eun Jae’s hand and carefully placed the cup on the table. The scent of tea wafted gently.

“Wow, it smells really good.”

“It will help with your headache.”

Earlier while eating, she had pressed her temples as if her head was throbbing a bit, and he had noticed that already.

Eun Jae smiled contentedly and held the cup with both hands, inhaling the aroma deeply. Taking a sip of the tea, she recalled the name he had told her.

He had said it was a blended tea called Summer Pepper, with peppermint as the main ingredient. The name of the tea was so pretty. Like its name, it stimulated her sense of smell with both cool and sweet scents at the same time.

“About the part-time job.”

It was when Sun Woo opened his mouth after taking a sip of tea and putting down his cup. Eun Jae’s phone, which had been placed on the coffee table, rang loudly.

Just a moment. After asking Sun Woo’s permission, Eun Jae opened her phone to check the message.

“Can you talk now?”

It was a message from Tae Gyu. Eun Jae briefly put down the cup she was holding and sent a short message.

“It’s difficult right now.”

“Let’s have lunch tomorrow, I’ll come pick you up.”

The message arrived quickly, as if he had been waiting. Without even having time to put down her phone, Eun Jae typed out a reply.

“Send me the location, I’ll go there.”

“Why, I’ll come pick you up.”

What a stubborn one. Eun Jae sighed briefly as if annoyed and wrote another message.

“Come to the hospital, then.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow.”

For some reason, the image of Tae Gyu smiling brightly at that answer came to mind.

Eun Jae put down her phone and was about to pick up the fork placed in front of her when she felt an insistent gaze directed at her, and slowly lifted her eyelids.

‘Ah. We were in the middle of a conversation?’

Feeling sheepish, Eun Jae withdrew her hand that had been reaching for the fork and asked Sun Woo.

“Ah, I’m sorry. What were you saying earlier?”

“Who is it? A friend?”

“Ah, yes. A friend.”

When Eun Jae reflexively answered the question that sounded like an interrogation, Sun Woo pushed the plate with the cheesecake in front of Eun Jae with an expressionless face.

“Eat first.”

“Okay…”

Just as she was about to put the properly sliced cake in her mouth after answering, the impatient man’s question followed immediately.

“Ji Eun Jae, do you even have friends?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? That sounds kind of offensive.”

Eun Jae glared at the man and popped the cheesecake into her mouth in one bite. The rich flavor of cheese rose up.

She didn’t know why her expression always soured when eating something delicious. She could feel her brows furrowing out of habit.

“Wow, it’s really delicious.”

“Is it a man?”

“Why?”

“It’s a man.”

The man’s tone and gaze suddenly turned aggressive. Flustered, Eun Jae hurriedly put down her fork and waved her hand towards the man.

“Don’t misunderstand, he’s a classmate.”

“A male classmate, texting at this hour?”

“No, tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow?”

At that one word, the man’s eyebrows twisted mercilessly. Feeling like she was being interrogated, she ended up saying unnecessary things while trying to elaborate.

The man got up from the sofa with an unpleasant expression, dusting off his bottom. Eun Jae looked at Sun Woo getting up with bewildered eyes and asked.

“Aren’t you going to eat?”

“I must have eaten too much dinner, I’m full.”

The man, who had been staring at Eun Jae with a somewhat sharp gaze while lowering his head, disappeared with the mug.

“Don’t eat it, I’ll eat it all myself.”

Eun Jae grumbled as she popped the cheesecake into her mouth. It melted softly and smoothly in her mouth.

“Wow, it’s really delicious.”

Eun Jae looked around at her surroundings, which were empty, at the words that had burst out loudly without regard. Smiling brightly, Eun Jae devoured both slices of cheesecake right there.

After the plate was emptied, Eun Jae leaned back on the sofa and thought as she sipped the remaining herbal tea. About the man’s suddenly changed attitude.

Was it because of the text at this hour, or because it was from a man? Or was it because she said they would meet tomorrow?

Is it jealousy, or what?

“What jealousy, why would he?”

He’s probably acting like this because he’s worried about damaging the contract marriage.

Eun Jae tilted her head as she came to the kitchen holding the empty cup, plate, and a fork. There was never a portion for the man from the start. One plate and one fork. Did he never intend to eat from the beginning?

After finishing the dishes, Eun Jae found a large cheesecake box in the refrigerator while pondering what side dishes to prepare for breakfast tomorrow.

He said one slice would be enough, but it seems he bought a whole cake.

Eun Jae carefully examined the brand engraved on the cake box and smiled as she closed the refrigerator door.

“Don’t worry, I won’t create such a situation.”

Thinking that it would probably be better not to meet Yoon Tae Gyu tomorrow.

As soon as she woke up in the morning, Eun Jae took a shower and called Tae Gyu first thing, without even drying her hair.

It was an unhesitating attitude.

After yesterday’s incident, she had decided it would be better not to meet, and thought a call would be better than texting.

After a slightly long ring, Tae Gyu answered the phone.

[Mmm… yeah.]

It sounded like he had just woken up. Feeling guilty, Eun Jae quickly checked the time on the wall clock.

It was 9 o’clock. Was he sleeping in on his day off? It seems she disturbed his sweet sleep. If she had known, she should have just left a message. She could have told him to call when he woke up.

“Sorry… you were sleeping.”

Eun Jae roughly messed up her hair. Why does she always apologize first in front of him?

There was a rustling sound of the blanket being pulled back, followed by a low chuckle.

[Wow, I wondered, but it really is Ji Eun Jae? I’m wide awake now.]

“Um, you know… today-”

He’s quick-witted too. Sensing something was off, Tae Gyu quickly caught the rest of Eun Jae’s words.

[It’s my first day off in a week. I had surgery and consultations from 6 AM to 4 PM. After that, I was dragged around for research and whatnot, so I got home at 11 PM yesterday.]

After a moment of silence, Tae Gyu continued with a laugh.

[Let’s meet first. I’ll be there by 12.]

Click. The call ended before she could even respond. She felt like she had called for nothing and ended up worse off.

What should I do now?

Eun Jae messed up her already disheveled hair even more, feeling like things had somehow gotten tangled.

[This is the timeline separator]

After finishing rounds and returning to his office, Sun Woo recalled yesterday’s events and burst into laughter.

“Really, how long has it been since we signed the contract, and already a man?”

It’s understandable to text a classmate. But why at that late hour?

Moreover, it was very irritating that she was texting back and forth for quite a while right in front of him during what was supposed to be an important conversation.

It felt like he had become a shadow, or like his position had been pushed back.

Anyway, it was an emotion he couldn’t define, one he had never felt before in his life.

Honestly, up to that point, he was just a little upset. Until the woman uttered the word ‘tomorrow’.

Tomorrow, meaning she would meet him today, just the two of them. When his thoughts reached that point, he suddenly got angry.

She said she would do her best, that there was nothing to worry about.

“Who’s going to take responsibility if things go wrong?”

Honestly, it wasn’t so much that her actions seemed to be heading in that direction, but rather, it was closer to jealousy. Nevertheless, Sun Woo didn’t want to admit it.

He couldn’t understand why he was feeling jealous in this situation.

Is jealousy even appropriate in a mere contract marriage?

Problems usually occur between people who are close.

He’ll approach you as a classmate, as a friend, and later say he never saw you as just a friend. Didn’t he have a close example of this himself?

Sun Woo, who had been restlessly tapping on his desk, suddenly felt his face burning up.

Because he knew all too well how he must have appeared in the woman’s eyes last night. It was also funny that he had left at the crack of dawn to avoid running into her.

He was just about to laugh at the absurdity of it all when his phone, placed on the desk, rang.

Seeing Eun Jae’s name displayed on the phone, Sun Woo hesitated for a moment. He was thinking of calling her back after some time had passed after the call ended, but his body didn’t cooperate.

His hand, having finished deliberating, quickly picked up the phone.

“Yes.”

It was a cynical voice following a short sigh. Though it was a voice filled with some resentment, to Eun Jae, it sounded no different from usual.

[Doctor… no, Sun Woo. I’m at the hospital now.]

“…”

The image of the woman calling his name with a clear face devoid of makeup overlapped in his mind.

Though it wasn’t a special nickname, hearing his name from the woman’s lips made his chest feel heavy.

[You told me to contact you. Shall we meet briefly? Ah, if you’re busy-]

Despite Sun Woo’s silence, the woman calmly continued speaking as if it were a regular occurrence.

Sun Woo, who had been facing his desk, turned his chair around towards the office door and stood up tall.

His face, which had been stiffly set just moments ago.

“There’s a sky bridge on the fourth floor.”

“Oh! I know that place.”

At the woman’s cheerful voice,

“Alright, let’s meet there.”

Again, a smile escapes.

[This is the timeline separator]

When the call to Eun Jae didn’t go through, Tae Gyu, who had been waiting after parking his car in the parking lot, finally came up to the ward.

“I wonder if she’ll be there then.”

He was thinking of going to the VIP ward where he had encountered Eun Jae. He thought about waiting since he arrived a bit early, but it was only 10 minutes.

“It’s my first time coming to the hospital on my day off.”

Tae Gyu was walking towards the sky bridge, twirling his car keys on his index finger, when it happened.

Two familiar nurses walking from the opposite direction recognized Tae Gyu from afar and bowed in greeting.

“Oh? Dr. Yoon! Isn’t it your day off today? What brings you to the hospital?”

“Ah, I’m here to meet someone.”

Nurse Lee Na Rim, who had blocked Tae Gyu’s path, had her cheeks turning red.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen you in casual clothes.”

“So, does it look bad?”

“No way, how could it?”

They were about to end the greeting after exchanging pleasant words, but Na Rim’s last words caught Tae Gyu’s ankle.

“That’s right! I’m talking about Professor Yoon. Earlier, I saw him with some woman over there on the sky bridge.”

“A woman? Yoon Sun Woo?”

As Tae Gyu replied nonchalantly, saying it must have been a patient, Na Rim shook her head firmly as if to say that was definitely not the case.

She said his gaze was different. She said he stood next to the woman, who had her eyes closed, for a long time. She said he removed a cherry blossom petal stuck to the woman’s hair and even carried her bag for her. And then it seemed they went to the professor’s office together.

“How did you see all that in such detail?”

“I was drinking coffee in the break room.”

Then, the nurse standing next to her patted Na Rim’s shoulder and made a fuss.

“The woman was really pretty too, with a small face.”

Right in front of the sky bridge was an employee-only break room. From that break room, the entire sky bridge was clearly visible, making it quite a popular spot among the staff.

“He was looking at her so lovingly. It did seem like they might be dating, Professor Yoon’s face has been glowing lately, you know.”

To think he would act like that in a place he knew was so visible, Yoon Sun Woo? And with a woman?

“That can’t be.”

How could he do that when he finds it unpleasant for others to even touch him? He removed a cherry blossom petal from a woman’s hair?

Tae Gyu turned his steps away from the sky bridge. Turning his body towards Sun Woo’s office, Tae Gyu walked quickly with heavy steps.

Until he could see it with his own eyes,

He couldn’t believe it.