“What, what did you say?”

Eun Jae stared at Sun Woo with wide eyes for a long while at the suggestion that came out so nonchalantly. Her small lips, which had belatedly come to her senses, wiggled before opening.

“A fake marriage followed by a fake dating now?”

To barely manage to say something only to ask back. Unlike herself who was even stammering in shock, the man smiling exuded an air of composure.

‘He’s really doing all sorts of things.’

Just how far was he planning to shake her up? It was already hard enough to resist as it was now.

Without even giving her time to think long, the man asked.

“Why, you don’t like it?”

There was no way she would like the demands increasing one by one. She didn’t like her heart deepening towards the man in this way. She knew she wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Nevertheless, the proposal was so sweet that she wanted to keep swallowing it, pretending not to know.

On the face of the man asking if she didn’t like it, an unknown smile was blooming, and those eyes were filled with conviction. Eyes that contained a firm belief that she would never be able to refuse.

“If I say I don’t like it, you won’t do it?”

“No.”

See, you had no intention of asking for my opinion from the beginning. Then what’s the point of asking if I don’t like it as if you’re doing me a favor?

Eun Jae, who was looking at the man with displeasure, frowned and pressed the red button on the seat belt. With a click, the belt was released.

“Then why even ask?”

With narrowed eyes, Eun Jae, who was revealing her uncomfortable mood, got out of the car first. Eun Jae, who closed the door irritably, stood with her back to the car and muttered to herself.

“See this. He’s going to do whatever he wants anyway.”

It’s really absurd.

Eun Jae, who was grumbling, brought the back of her hand to her cheek where she felt heat. It was a biological signal that now reacted ahead of her will.

In fact, she had quickly left her seat for fear of him seeing her like this.

Even though this was just a part of fulfilling the contract, her cheeks turned red and her heart raced at the man’s casual words asking to date, making her feel pathetic about herself.

Why am I so easy?

No, is it that man who easily seduces women?

Suddenly coming to pick me up without a word and making me expect, making me misunderstand by saying he came on purpose, not only does he mesmerize people with a smile in his eyes, but even brushing aside the strands of hair with a loving gaze as if I’m really his girlfriend.

Each of the man’s actions that had been natural without being offensive came to mind one by one.

Just how many women did he go through to acquire this result?

There wasn’t a single part that didn’t make her heart flutter. Every action of the man made her heart race and drew her gaze.

Remembering herself blushing and being embarrassed by that appearance, her face turned red with shame.

“Now we’re even going to do fake dating.”

Eun Jae glared with all her might at the driver’s seat where Sun Woo was sitting. At the same time, the car’s headlights turned off and the parking lot became quiet.

Click, the car door opened. As soon as she saw Sun Woo getting out of the car, Eun Jae quickly turned her gaze away. Although all her senses were focused on the man, she moved her steps slowly towards the officetel entrance as if she didn’t care.

The clear and refreshing sound of the man’s dress shoes rang through the silent parking lot, getting closer and closer. The man seemed to have caught up with Eun Jae’s steps in just a few strides. She could feel the distance between them narrowing.

That’s when it happened.

A warm touch seeped through her fingers. At Sun Woo’s unexpected and aggressive skinship, Eun Jae froze like a statue and stopped walking for a moment.

Eun Jae’s large eyes looking up at Sun Woo shook mercilessly.

“What are you doing right now…”

“Why are you surprised, between lovers.”

On the other hand, the man looking down at Eun Jae was neat as usual.

“I told you I’ll do it even if you don’t like it.”

Even showing off his composure with a slight smile.

“So please cooperate.”

“Let go of this hand…”

The more Eun Jae tried to pull out her caught hand, the stronger the man’s grip became. The man’s will to never let go was evident.

Her mouth that lost words opened and closed repeatedly, and Sun Woo, who watched Eun Jae’s appearance, barely suppressed a laughter that was about to escape and pulled the held hand closer to himself.

As Sun Woo began to move his steps, Eun Jae, whose hand was held, was also led by him to move her feet. The sound of their footsteps rang inside the quiet parking lot.

“Don’t feel bad. It’s my first time too.”

“…What is?”

“Wasn’t that what you were curious about?”

The man who suddenly stopped walking whispered into her ear as he lowered his head. When their eyes met, Eun Jae’s heart reacted and throbbed at a faster pace than before.

“You’re also my first in everything.”

Her breath rose and fell rapidly with the sound of her heart that seemed to jump out at any moment,

“You don’t seem to believe me. I’m serious.”

and the heat felt on both cheeks had reached its limit, making it feel like her face would burst now.

“Now are we a bit even?”

“Wh, who said anything?”

“You had a face full of complaints.”

“N, no I didn’t?”

Sun Woo, who was looking at the flustered and stammering Eun Jae as if she was cute, whispered softly.

“Then from now on, teach me well, what Ji Eun Jae likes and dislikes.”

“…”

“I want to know everything.”

When the car entering the garden was about to head towards the annex, Eun Jae stopped Sun Woo who had just turned the steering wheel.

At Eun Jae’s words that she wanted to share the cake she had brought but couldn’t eat due to taking care of this and that at the main house, Sun Woo turned back towards the main house, dropped off Eun Jae in front of it, and went down to the parking lot.

Eun Jae headed to the dining room with the cake box she had brought.

Eun Jae, who handed the cake to Sung San’s wife who was cleaning up the dining room, sat at the dining table, drank a glass of water, and took a moment to catch her breath.

The quiet surroundings were just perfect for organizing complicated thoughts.

Eun Jae took a deep breath, looking down at her hand that had been overlapping with the man’s hand a little while ago.

“It’s really strange.”

But this… should I take it as really asking me to date, or not.

The man was always a man who exceeded her imagination beyond what she had thought, so what he demanded could be different again, and the thought rushed in. Her mind that was messed up like a jumble was chaotic.

Who in the world makes a proposal like a confession?

“Making people’s hearts flutter.”

Eun Jae pressed her right hand firmly on her heart that had almost dropped to her feet a little while ago. Thump thump thump thump, the sound of a steadily beating heart could be felt.

These days, her honest body that gave various signals just by thinking of the man made her very worried about her health. As if she had caught some disease.

No, I did catch one.

A terrible lovesickness with no cure.

Eun Jae let out a deep sigh at her body that reacted to just recalling the man, then rolled her tongue inside her mouth as if the question had not been resolved.

Then, at the sincerity that popped out without her knowing, the man’s words came to mind and her face that had calmed down became flushed again.

“Wh, why would I? Why would I be jealous?”

“What’s wrong with it when I’m your husband.”

Yeah, you are my husband, but a bit of a strange husband.

Kissing lips that didn’t need to be kissed during the wedding shoot, going out of the way to pick me up here, and even after finishing the marriage registration.

Dating? Really?

“I want to know everything.”

The gaze that she thought might be acting, and the tone that made her heart tremble strangely felt sincere.

“Does this man really have feelings for me?”

No matter how much it’s a contractual relationship, it seems like it has already crossed the line to this extent.

When she was immersed in the thought that the strange and suspicious attitude the man had shown recently might have been a continued signal, someone entered the kitchen.

“Oh, it’s Ji Eun Jae.”

Eun Jae, who naturally thought it would be Sun Woo, erased the smile she had put on while thinking of him in an instant.

“Ha… it’s you again.”

We run into each other so often it’s sickening. Do you live here?

Eun Jae, who poured out the words she wanted to say right away with her eyes, looked at Tae Gyu with a look that said she was tired to death.

He made eye contact with Eun Jae leisurely and placed the empty cup next to the water purifier on the water purifier’s stand.

Ice falls into the cup with a whoosh. Soon, the water filled to the brim in the glass went down Tae Gyu’s throat with gulps. The cup with only ice left was placed on the dining table.

Tae Gyu, who was wiping the slight dampness on the corner of his mouth with his thumb, grinned.

“You’re going this weekend, right? I told Ji Young.”

“Hey!”

Eun Jae, who quickly looked around at the voice that had grown loud without her knowing, lowered her voice as much as possible.

“I said I’ll think about it, not that I’ll go, didn’t I?”

“Ey, you want to go. Didn’t you say you miss Ji Young?”

Tae Gyu laughed at Eun Jae, whose neck had turned red with heat, then swept his gaze up her sky-blue one-piece dress that looked especially pretty today as if she had been to a nice place.

When an unfamiliar necklace sparkled between the neckline of the dress, his gaze stopped there with a jerk.

The necklace that had newly come in at G Company this time.

It was a product that only a few pieces had come into Korea, so he had heard from his friends that it was hard to get, and he had briefly flipped through the brochure out of simple interest, but it seemed to be the necklace he had seen then. The lock-shaped design was unique, so it was memorable.

‘There’s no way she bought something that expensive herself.’

Tae Gyu became strangely resentful.

It was too obvious who she would have received it as a gift from.

Sun Woo, who was coming into the main house after parking, stopped for a moment at the sound of conversation leaking from the kitchen.

It was the voices of Yoon Tae Gyu and Eun Jae. The details of the conversation were not clearly audible.

Just the fact that the two of them were talking was unpleasant enough, it didn’t matter what they were talking about.

Sun Woo looked down at the watch on his wrist with a frown.

‘Why is that jerk here again at this late hour?’

When Sun Woo, who was narrowing the distance between his brows, took a step towards the kitchen, he saw Tae Gyu coming out of the dining room with a grin. While throwing a sly remark at Eun Jae, who seemed to still be inside.

“Anyway, Ji Eun Jae, it’s Saturday. Keep that in mind.”

Tae Gyu, who was about to come out to the living room, met Sun Woo standing in front of him and paused for a moment, stopping his steps.

He looked very upset.

“…”

“…”

The one who moved first was Tae Gyu. Tae Gyu slowly crossed the living room. When he reached the closest distance to Sun Woo, Tae Gyu let his voice flow into Sun Woo’s ear.

“That necklace, you bought it for her, right?”

“Why ask when you know.”

Sun Woo started walking, turning his body towards the dining room as if he didn’t want to hear any more.

Tae Gyu, who wanted to stir up his mood even more, seeing his look that was already twisted as much as it could be, raised the corner of his mouth bitterly.

“You know what? Eun Jae is so fair that silver suits her better than gold.”

What a funny guy, where do you see that as just gold? It’s rose gold.

Sun Woo, who was rubbing his forehead as if dumbfounded by Tae Gyu’s words, stopped walking and laughed with a snort. The intention of what he wanted to say was clearly revealed in his words.

One would be to get on my nerves, and the other seems to be saying that you know Eun Jae better than I do.

“Really? I don’t see it.”

“That’s the difference between you and me.”

Sun Woo looked at Tae Gyu, who was looking at him with a sneer, as if he was absurd, and snorted.

“I don’t know about other things.”

“…”

“But Eun Jae is pretty no matter what she wears.”

As expected, Tae Gyu’s jaw muscle clenching his teeth stood out noticeably.

Sun Woo, who seemed to pass by Tae Gyu with his hands in his pockets, suddenly stepped back and approached Tae Gyu again.

“And-”

Sun Woo’s sharp gaze crossed over Tae Gyu’s shoulder. Just that gaze alone made his spine tingle.

“Fix the way you address her first. What’s with calling sister-in-law ‘Ji Eun Jae’?”

Only after confirming Tae Gyu’s expression, which had been holding back, was distorting badly, did the corners of Sun Woo’s mouth slowly rise as he passed by Tae Gyu.

Sun Woo, who entered the dining room, found Eun Jae sitting at the dining table drinking water.

“Where’s the cake?”

“I gave it to Aunt Sung San.”

Sun Woo’s car keys and cell phone were placed on the dining table with a clatter. Sun Woo, who was standing in front of the water purifier pouring water, asked.

“But why are you still here?”

At the man’s cynical voice, Eun Jae tilted her head askew.

“I was just about to leave now.”

The man, who finished a glass of water at once while listening to what Eun Jae was saying, put the water glass down on the dining table with a thud.

At the sound, Eun Jae flinched and looked up at Sun Woo.

“If you’re done with your business, go.”

Eun Jae got up, glaring at the man’s broad back that turned around coldly.

“What’s with him again?”

Eun Jae, who was muttering softly, had just gotten up. Sun Woo turned around and warned Eun Jae.

“Don’t keep talking with Yoon Tae Gyu, I don’t like it.”