At Ye Rim’s question, Sun Woo furrowed his brow slightly, feeling an ominous premonition. It stemmed from the anxiety that Eun Jae might have leaked information about the contract.

Sun Woo exhaled lightly into the air and broke the brief silence by asking what she meant. The answer that came back was unexpected.

[I’ll take her. I know the address of your officetel too, you know.]

Despite the consistently blunt tone, Sun Woo did not show any signs of discomfort.

“Is Eun Jae next to you?”

Sun Woo took the car key out of his pocket and quickly walked towards the parking lot where he had parked his car.

[She’s not in a situation where she can take a call.]

At Ye Rim’s words, Sun Woo stopped abruptly and pressed his temple with a weary face.

“…Where are you? I’ll come.”

Ye Rim strongly expressed her intention to take a taxi again, but Sun Woo didn’t budge.

In the end, it was Ye Rim who surrendered to Sun Woo’s persistent demands.

Sun Woo got in the car and started the engine, but didn’t let go of his phone.

Soon after, a short melody rang out in the quiet car. After quickly checking the address in the text message, Sun Woo pressed his foot deeply on the accelerator.

“Just how much did she drink that she can’t even answer the phone.”

His mind was in turmoil the entire way to where the woman was. While briefly waiting at a traffic signal, Sun Woo slowly ran his hand through his hair.

[Do you want to come pick her up? Ah, or are you not that kind of relationship?]

The mocking tone, as if she knew everything.

He was momentarily flustered by the unexpected question, but as always, he quickly regained his composure.

Sun Woo was quite good at hiding his emotions.

He wasn’t one to be easily swayed by emotions at that time. He was always calm and cautious.

No. Looking back, he had never been able to do so in front of this woman.

Even when he first rescued her when she was cornered, when he casually brought her into his home without really knowing her, when he ran frantically after seeing her surrounded by loan sharks – none of these were actions taken based on logical judgment.

By her side, there had always only been an impulsive and irrational Yoon Sun Woo.

Sun Woo’s handling of the steering wheel was rough. At every red light, he would tap his index finger restlessly on the steering wheel, or continuously run his hand through his hair.

This was clearly not behavior that could be seen in the usual Yoon Sun Woo.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ye Rim ended the somewhat lengthy call with the man, saying she would send the address via text message.

Looking at Eun Jae leaning on her shoulder like a water-soaked cotton ball, Ye Rim let out a deep sigh.

Worry, perhaps even weariness.

Even after Sun Woo arrived, Ye Rim, who had been scanning him with a disapproving look, was still concerned about sending Eun Jae to that house alone, so she decided to ride along.

Eun Jae, who had fallen asleep on Ye Rim’s lap in the back seat, was curled up tightly as if she felt cold even with the man’s suit jacket covering her.

She was a child who was particularly sensitive to cold. If she was exposed to cold wind for just a bit too long, she would catch a cold.

“Ye Rim. Shall I tell you a secret?”

“What secret?”

“Actually, this is all fake.”

With those words, Eun Jae’s head plunged onto the table. Because of that, she couldn’t probe further.

It’s true that she was worried when Eun Jae suddenly said she was getting married. But those thoughts seemed to have been in vain as they appeared to be getting along well, which was secretly reassuring.

But now she says it’s all fake.

When she suddenly said she had paid off that huge loan shark debt, no, when she suddenly said she was going to marry a man she had never heard of or seen before. Should I have persistently questioned you even then?

She thought there might be some kind of deal between the two. For example, demanding marriage in exchange for paying off the loan shark debt.

‘That’s absurd.’

Ye Rim shook her head vigorously with her eyes tightly closed, hoping that what she had imagined was false.

Until she got drunk, Eun Jae had been blushing while talking about the man.

Your eyes when you spoke of that man weren’t lies. It must have been sincere.

Ye Rim, who had been looking down at Eun Jae with sorrowful eyes, pulled the jacket back up as it had slipped down when the car went over a speed bump.

She recalled the man’s actions: immediately spotting Eun Jae upon arrival, carefully examining the drunk Eun Jae, and gently laying his jacket over her shoulders.

It seemed too sincere to be fake in all of the man’s actions. No, he might just be that good of an actor.

Eun Jae said it was all fake, didn’t she?

“Eun Jae told me before. The address of that officetel.”

In the calm car where only Eun Jae’s breathing could barely be heard, Ye Rim broke the uncomfortable silence and spoke first.

“About two months ago, she gave me that address and told me. She said to report if I couldn’t contact her.”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

“Well. I don’t know if I’m the one misunderstanding, or if I know the truth you’re trying to hide.”

Along with Ye Rim’s excited voice, the car that had reached its destination came to a smooth stop. As the side brake went up, Sun Woo’s calm voice overlapped.

“Let’s talk upstairs.”

The man quickly unbuckled his belt and got out of the driver’s seat. Soon, he opened the back seat door and easily lifted Eun Jae into his arms.

The silence that had been broken with difficulty in the elevator heading to the man’s house continued again.

The man’s broad back could be seen as he strode down the corridor carrying Eun Jae.

Following the man’s trail, the sensor lights in the corridor turned on one by one.

Only after all five sensor lights were on did the vast living room come into view. The moonlight pouring in through the large window brightly illuminated the man and Eun Jae.

Ye Rim scanned the spacious interior with wide eyes, as if she hadn’t known it was this grand even though she knew he was a doctor.

Meanwhile, the man effortlessly carried Eun Jae with just his left arm, turning the doorknob of the room located next to the living room and gently pushing the door open with his foot.

As soon as the door opened, he headed straight for the large bed visible right away. Ye Rim quickly surveyed the room while side-eyeing him.

The bedroom in dark black tones, unlike the white-toned living room, and the white bedding that looked as soft as if clouds had been moved there, caught her eye first.

Two headrest cushions, two pillows.

The gentle manner in which he carefully laid Eun Jae on the king-size bed and covered her with the blanket seemed natural, like flowing water.

Ye Rim’s gaze, which had been scanning the man’s actions over her shoulder, was withdrawn as Sun Woo turned around. As soon as their eyes met, Ye Rim fired off questions as if she had been waiting for this moment.

“What do you like about Eun Jae?”

Without giving the man a chance to answer, Ye Rim shook her head vigorously. As if telling him not to say anything.

“It’s a marriage out of love for each other, right? Right?”

[This is the timeline separator]

After seeing Ye Rim off, Sun Woo returned to the bedroom and sat on the bed, looking down at Eun Jae’s peacefully sleeping face.

“I don’t know what the circumstances are, but I want to respect Eun Jae’s choice. But if, just if… you’re using our Eun Jae’s weakness to manipulate her, I hope you’d stop… Eun Jae can’t stop.”

I don’t know what kind of conversation they had, but that friend. She seemed to know the inside story of this marriage to some extent.

“Let her go first. Eun Jae has someone she likes.”

“She’s liked him since high school, and has been looking for him for a long time.”

And even oddly irritating stories.

From Sun Woo’s standpoint, it was undoubtedly an annoying situation. Since he couldn’t know how much she knew, he had to resolve as many suspicious points as possible.

After reassuring Ye Rim that it wasn’t like that, Sun Woo returned to the bedroom where Eun Jae was lying and looked down at her intently.

Do you know what you did today?

“You shouldn’t be sleeping so peacefully like this.”

Despite the threatening tone, Sun Woo’s lips were curved in a deep smile. Even though the woman had clearly violated the contract, he couldn’t help but smile instead of getting angry.

Something must be seriously wrong somewhere. Probably beyond repair. And what’s more problematic was that he didn’t find this feeling all that bad.

Sun Woo stared at the woman while maintaining his expression.

His hand moved impulsively as his gaze moved from her round forehead, to her finely shaped nose, and then to her red lips with a healthy sheen.

The hand that was heading towards the woman’s forehead brushed down her feverish cheek and landed on her moist and soft lips.

The distance had become close enough to hear the woman’s soft breathing. Just as his mind was becoming hazy from the sensation at his fingertips, suddenly Eun Jae’s eyes flashed open.

“Oh! My contract husband!”

“Ah… you startled me.”

Sun Woo, startled as if caught about to do something naughty, pulled his body back that had been leaning towards her. No, if she hadn’t woken up, who knows what might have happened.

Although he appeared relatively calm, his heartbeat was anything but. It was beating faster and harder than usual.

“Is this a dream? Why are you here?”

“Ji Eun Jae, wake up. This isn’t a dream.”

Sun Woo frowned deliberately, as if displeased, his face flushed.

“Mister.”

“Again, if you call me ‘mister’ one more time―”

“What’s the difference between ‘Ji Eun Jae-ssi’ and ‘mister’? They both end with ‘-ssi’.”

“Hey, Ji Eun―”

As Sun Woo narrowed his brows again and tried to call Eun Jae’s name, Eun Jae sat up abruptly, cutting off Sun Woo’s words once more and pointing at him while shouting.

“What, Yoon Sun Woo!”

“What? Yoon Sun Woo?”

“What, does it irk you that I’m speaking informally? You’re speaking informally too right now. I’m doing it because this is a dream, when else would I get to do it?”

Ha. Sun Woo exhaled sharply as if in disbelief and looked down at Eun Jae with a displeased expression.

“I told you it’s not a dream, didn’t I?”

“What do you mean it’s not? Oh! Are you annoyed?”

“No, not at all. Keep going.”

“You think I can’t do it if you tell me to?”

“How are you going to face me tomorrow if you keep this up?”

Eun Jae’s constant backtalk was unfamiliar yet refreshing. Sun Woo kept responding to her as if he found this Eun Jae cute.

“You shouldn’t be doing this. You nag at me so damn much, huh?”

“What? Damn?”

“You said no one else’s hands could touch you except mine? But then you let that female teacher, you know? Touch your head like this, huh? And you just let her.”

“Ah…”

Sun Woo sighed as if he finally understood why Eun Jae had been acting like she had something to say since they were in the hospital room.

“So that’s why you were staring at me so intently in your mother’s hospital room? Because you wanted to say that?”

The corners of Sun Woo’s mouth curved up prettily. Eun Jae blinked repeatedly as she quietly watched the man’s lips curl up.

“Don’t smile like that in front of just any woman. You’re about to be a married man.”

“I’ve never smiled like that.”

“You’re funny, I saw it all.”

“You had so much to say, how did you hold it in all this time?”

Eun Jae slumped her shoulders and pouted her lips. She was trying hard to keep her increasingly heavy eyelids open.

“So did you blab everything to your friend? That our marriage is a contract? Ji Eun Jae, this is a clear violation of the contract.”

“You sure love talking about contract violations. You’d be nothing without me.”

“This woman.”

Eun Jae mumbled as if she was drunk or sleepy. Her small, moving bright red lips were cute.

“I’m upset, I’m so upset!”

“Why? Ji Eun Jae-ssi, you don’t like me.”

“I don’t dislike you.”

Eun Jae, who had answered firmly, quickly became sullen.

“You. Why are you being so nice to me? It’s confusing me.”

“What’s confusing?”

“I wonder if you might like me.”

Sun Woo’s eyebrows twitched as if he had heard something unexpected.

“Come to think of it, you’re quite dull. How could that be confusing?”

Anyone could see that he was in the process of wooing Ji Eun Jae.

It took a long time to stop denying his feelings towards Eun Jae and to acknowledge them.

He tried his best to take things slowly, afraid it might be too sudden or burdensome. He thought it would be perfect if he could win Eun Jae’s heart, even if it took a long time.

But after realizing his feelings, Sun Woo acted like a car without brakes. Just like when he first set his sights on the hospital.

He would dwell on and get upset over casual remarks Eun Jae made, or cancel appointments for personal reasons when he used to prioritize hospital work above all else.

When Eun Jae unexpectedly entered his room, the feeling of her in his arms was so good that he indulged his selfish desires by holding her close when she asked to be let go, and he annoyed her by unnecessarily asking her to see him off.

Hadn’t he even insisted on her tying his necktie, something he had never entrusted to anyone else in his life?

He thought that at this point, Eun Jae would have noticed to some extent even without him saying it explicitly.

My cautious heart seems to have confused you instead.

His lips, which had formed a much deeper and darker curve than before, asked.

“Then what about you?”

“…”

“How do you feel?”

“I like…”

Sun Woo moved closer to Eun Jae. The distance had narrowed to the point where they could see each other’s features in detail. It was quiet enough to hear each other’s breathing.

“Say it again.”

10 centimeters, no, 5 centimeters.

“I want to hear it again.”

Almost touching, the heated breath escaping between the woman’s lips tickled Sun Woo’s cheek.

It was a moment.

The woman’s hand pulled at Sun Woo’s shirt, and their lips briefly met and parted.

“I like you, I’m saying I like you.”