Just like last time, Eun Jae, who felt uncomfortable with the shower of greetings while accompanying the man, asked to be dropped off at the entrance as they approached the hospital.

“Please stop here for me.”

Sun Woo readily let Eun Jae off without asking for a reason. Eun Jae watched as Sun Woo’s car grew smaller and smaller before entering the hospital entrance.

Waiting for the elevator in front of the lobby, Eun Jae looked down at her stinging heel.

It was the result of stubbornly refusing when the chauffeur she visited today asked her to try on the shoes again, saying they were fine. Even though they were the same size, the shoes ran large, causing her heel to chafe and sting in that short time.

Eun Jae’s steps toward the hospital room were heavy. She just couldn’t pick up the pace. It was because her mind went blank after suddenly facing something she had never thought about before.

Would she be able to tell her mother a completely fabricated story without changing her expression? Would she be able to avoid being caught?

“Were you not going to tell Mother?”

That’s right, I wasn’t going to! Could you do it if you were me? You should have told me about this in advance.

“Anyway, you do everything as you please.”

It’s not like she had the strength to express her own opinion either.

After grumbling in front of Mi Ran’s hospital room door for a long time, Eun Jae took a deep breath in and out as if she had made up her mind.

It was just as she was about to insert her hand into the doorknob of the hospital room. A large hand gently climbed up Eun Jae’s shoulder and softly grasped it.

Startled, Eun Jae turned around to see Sun Woo, who had already parked and come up, smiling down at her.

‘He came up so quickly.’

It was a face that immediately reacted even to the man’s faint smile. Trying to hide her flushed cheeks, Eun Jae quickly turned her head away.

About the fact that other emotions were starting to develop for the man, it now felt like a waste of time to even deny it.

Please let it stop at just liking him.

Hoping it wouldn’t deepen any further from here.

“Don’t engage in unnecessary skinship.”

Eun Jae, who had been looking up at Sun Woo, narrowed her brow as if trying to hide her unsettled emotions.

Quietly watching Eun Jae twist her shoulder to shake off Sun Woo’s hand, Sun Woo raised the corner of his mouth crookedly and whispered softly as he pressed his index finger firmly between Eun Jae’s brows.

“Relax your expression. Do you think you can get permission like this?”

“I told you not to engage in unnecessary skinship.”

“You told me to trust you, but I can’t seem to.”

“I never said such a thing.”

I only nodded my head to your words asking if you could trust me.

“Let’s go in for now.”

As Sun Woo, who had gone ahead of Eun Jae, was about to open the hospital room door, Eun Jae quickly snatched his hand. Eun Jae looking up with large eyes pleading was slowly captured in Sun Woo’s pupils.

“W-wait a moment. It’s too sudden, and I don’t even know how to explain right now…”

“We practiced, didn’t we?”

Yes, we did practice.

Before going to greet the man’s family tomorrow, we had gone over and coordinated on precautions and basic things they were likely to ask. For example, where we first met, how long we’ve been dating, and so on…

“Is that the same as this?”

“Why is it different?”

“My mom is just as sharp as your grandfather. She’s someone who can tell at a glance whether I’m being sincere or lying just by looking at my eyes.”

Eun Jae gave examples of trivial lies she had told her mother when she was young. Sun Woo, who had been listening to Eun Jae’s explanation with an expressionless face all along, suddenly lowered his head to face Eun Jae.

As their eyes met, Eun Jae’s chattering mouth closed tightly.

“If you can’t do it, shall we just go?”

“Yes… It doesn’t seem to be the day today. I’m still not mentally prepared, and also…”

“Alright.”

Like any other day, seeing him agree in a way that didn’t fit the context, Eun Jae looked up at Sun Woo with shaking eyes, feeling uneasy.

“Let’s go home and pack Ji Eun Jae’s things first.”

Eun Jae followed behind Sun Woo, who was striding in the opposite direction, and asked.

“Why my things?”

“Terminate the contract, pay double the deposit. Isn’t it easy to pretend it never happened? You won’t have to lie then?”

“What…?”

“I can look for someone else.”

After speaking nonchalantly and pausing for a moment, Sun Woo started walking again, and Eun Jae quickly blocked his way.

“Wow, you talk so easily as if it’s someone else’s business?”

“Because it is someone else’s business.”

Weren’t you calling us a married couple before? Eun Jae glared at Sun Woo with narrowed eyes and huffed.

“Tch…”

“Not Lee, but Yoon.”

Why are you changing my surname as you please? Tired of Sun Woo’s endless wordplay, Eun Jae glared at him with eyes full of strength. Sun Woo just stared straight back at Eun Jae like that and tilted his head as if asking what he had done wrong.

“Article 3, In case of damage to Party B due to Party A’s negligence, Party B may request a refund of the expenses paid to Party A—”

Sun Woo’s lips, which had spoken up to that point, slowly came down to touch Eun Jae’s ear.

“Party A must refund this calculated at double the amount.”

“…”

Sun Woo slowly raised his head and examined Eun Jae’s expression. The woman’s startled eyes were shaking uncontrollably.

Sun Woo knows well that he has the upper hand in this contract. He immediately found and dug into Eun Jae’s weakness.

“If you want to finish the married life within the contract period, cooperate to the best of your ability. If you can’t receive the hospital donation, this contract will be automatically extended for 1 year, 2 years, 10 years, until you receive the donation.”

At Sun Woo’s words, Eun Jae’s already large eyes doubled in size.

“What? There was no such clause!”

“The damage you cause me if you don’t receive the hospital donation. Do you have the ability to refund twice the calculated amount?”

“No?”

“It was a contract that wouldn’t have been necessary in the first place if it weren’t for the hospital.”

“…”

“So, if you don’t want to see me for 10 years, cooperate quietly.”

Looking at Eun Jae, who was still hesitating, Sun Woo sighed deeply and removed Eun Jae’s hand clutching his clothes.

“If you can’t do it, I’ll do it alone.”

“What, how will you do it?”

“I’m likeable to all ages and genders.”

Looking at his ever-unchanging expressionless face while saying such things, Eun Jae suddenly burst into laughter. Are you going to use your charms?

“Pfft…”

“Why, do I seem unlikeable?”

No. It’s because I can’t deny it somehow. Eun Jae laughed again at the man’s serious expression as he asked.

“A little?”

“Then why don’t you try it, Ji Eun Jae?”

“Ah, no.”

Eun Jae’s slender wrist, which was waving her hands back and forth, was caught in Sun Woo’s large hand.

“Then just, follow me.”

It was such a hand filled with warm heat.

Eun Jae was the first to open the hospital room door and enter. Even as she awkwardly entered the room, she was constantly aware of Sun Woo.

“Mom… I’m here.”

“Oh my, Professor. What brings you here when you must be busy?”

“Mom, can you only see the professor?”

Eun Jae grumbled crankily as she saw Mi Ran welcoming Sun Woo before her.

“Eun Jae, it’s your first time meeting him, right? Greet him. Mom—”

“I know, me too.”

I don’t know, you tell her, sir. Before our mom faints from shock.

Eun Jae, who had spoken with her eyes, awkwardly hid behind Sun Woo.

“Why is she acting like that? Oh my, our professor could be an actor. I almost didn’t recognize you in casual clothes.”

“I came today as Eun Jae’s boyfriend. Please speak comfortably, Mother.”

“Yes, yes… What?”

Although it seemed like she was passing it by carelessly at first, sure enough, Mi Ran, who belatedly grasped the situation, was looking back and forth between Sun Woo and Eun Jae with a face as if she had seen a ghost.

“No, what is this…”

“Mom, why are you asking again when you’ve already heard?”

“Ah… no, uh, since when?”

“It, it just happened.”

Instead of Eun Jae, who kept scratching her head and hiding behind him, Sun Woo answered with a bright smile.

“It’s been a while. I’m sorry for not telling you sooner.”

Eun Jae kept avoiding Mi Ran’s direct gaze. Afraid that she might be caught lying in what she was saying.

The person who knows Ji Eun Jae better than anyone else in this world.

She didn’t want to be caught by her mom more than anyone else.

“You should hide what needs to be hidden. Having such a handsome boyfriend. Oh my, what’s wrong with me.”

Only then did Mi Ran pick up a hand mirror and quickly tidied her hair with a finger comb.

“Oh my, you should have said you were coming, looking so unkempt like this. Oh dear, I don’t have anything to offer.”

“It’s alright.”

“Eun Jae, go out and buy some drinks.”

Eun Jae seemed to seize the opportunity and quickly turned to leave at Mi Ran’s words. Sun Woo, who was smiling faintly watching her, turned his head back and met Mi Ran’s eyes as she was staring at him.

Mi Ran hesitated for a moment before calling Sun Woo.

“Um, Professor.”

“Please speak comfortably. I’m Yoon Sun Woo.”

Mi Ran swallowed hard as she received the shopping bag Sun Woo handed her. She didn’t have time to see what was inside. She was in a daze from the sudden situation.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I chose arbitrarily.”

“No, you didn’t have to do this.”

When she first saw Sun Woo, she thought she would have no regrets if she saw Eun Jae marry such a man.

At that time, she vaguely hoped for a rich and caring man, but now that she had a son-in-law candidate with all the conditions met in front of her, she was more worried than happy.

Whether it would be an unnecessary wound for her soft-hearted daughter.

“If you’re a professor, you must come from a good family, and there must be a big difference with our Eun Jae.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“Our Eun Jae lost her father when she was very young, and with me in this state, we couldn’t give her much as parents… Oh my, I’ve gone too far ahead.”

Just as she was thinking how shameless she was for her unconsciously revealed inner thoughts.

“No. Actually, I came to tell you that I want to marry Eun Jae.”

“What? Marriage?”

Mi Ran’s eyes widened at Sun Woo’s words.

“I want to marry Eun Jae.”

Eun Jae, who boarded the elevator, asked Sun Woo.

“What did you talk about with my mom earlier when I went out to buy drinks?”

“Nothing much.”

When someone asks you something, at least look at their face when you answer.

“How mean.”

Eun Jae was filled with dissatisfaction towards the man who kept staring at the elevator door throughout their conversation.

It was entirely her share to blush at and feel hurt by the man’s trivial actions that seemed indifferent, even while knowing full well that they were bound by a contract.

“You have to keep your promise.”

Sun Woo tilted his head at the sudden words.

“What promise.”

“You said you’d let me go earlier than the contract period once things are settled.”

Did I say such a thing?

As Sun Woo was recalling his memory, he suddenly remembered the words he had said when he first brought the woman home and made the proposal.

“One year. If things get sorted out quickly, I might let you go even sooner.”

Ah, right, I did say that.

If things proceed smoothly like this, it might be possible to wrap it up within 6 months.

Sun Woo, who seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, nodded his head after looking into Eun Jae’s eyes that were staring at him.

As he looked down at Eun Jae smiling with satisfaction, Sun Woo quickly composed his expression, feeling like the corners of his mouth were about to rise.

Sun Woo’s gaze, which had slowly lowered, fell on Eun Jae’s shoe heels. There were bandages on both heels.

“What happened to your feet?”

“Oh. I’m not used to wearing such high heels. They got a bit scraped. It’s fine, I put bandages on.”

Before Sun Woo could respond, the elevator doors opened and Eun Jae stepped out first.

“Why don’t you become an actor instead of a doctor, sir?”

“What are you suddenly saying?”

“I think you would have been successful if you had become an actor.”

I don’t know how you sweet-talked my mom while I was away, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen her so happy.

Eun Jae, who was smiling and walking ahead of Sun Woo, turned around and raised an eyebrow.

“I must have accumulated some good karma in my past life. To meet such a good loan shark like you, mister.”

“Why am I a loan shark? Did Ji Eun Jae borrow money from me?”

She wanted to savor this happiness she felt after a long time a little longer.