A handsome face and features more suited to a model or actor than a company CEO title, along with a tall stature and perfect proportions to match. His appearance was still overwhelming.

The very person who had left with such a cold face in the morning, embarrassing her and unsettling her mind all morning, was standing before her eyes. She disliked herself for immediately acknowledging her husband as a handsome and good-looking man upon seeing his face.

“Where have you been? You’re late.”

And she didn’t like her husband’s attitude of speaking as if nothing had happened.

Swallowing a sigh inwardly and diligently criticizing Seong Jun as still selfish and willful, Han Seo Yeon answered.

“What about you? Didn’t you have overtime work today? Why are you home so early?”

“It’s already past 10 o’clock.”

At those words, Seo Yeon picked up her phone and looked at the screen. Her eyes widened as she confirmed the time.

“Oh my, you’re right.”

When did time pass like this?

It seems she didn’t notice how late it had gotten, being absorbed in looking at sheet music after a long time.

In the past, Seo Yeon used to return home before sunset unless there was a call from her in-laws.

Seong Jun hadn’t particularly pressured her about it. Without anyone telling her to, she had returned home on time thinking he might feel lonely if she came back late and no one was there to welcome him.

But now, with her mind at ease after hearing the doctor say there were no health issues, and feeling free to wander the streets comfortably, it felt like she had returned to her student days.

“Aren’t you coming home too late?”

Although it was really just this one time she was late, considering both past and present… Facing her husband who seemed to be nagging as if he had been waiting for this, Seo Yeon somehow felt wronged. Her body trembled slightly. She spoke up, feeling upset.

“It’s not that late, is it? It’s only 10 o’clock.”

“It’s already as late as 10 o’clock.”

But Seong Jun’s attitude remained firm. Seo Yeon suddenly felt irritated by his demeanor. She spoke in a sharp voice without realizing it.

“Don’t tell me… Are you trying to make me feel guilty for coming home a little late? Am I not allowed to come home late?”

“What?”

Seong Jun couldn’t hide his bewildered expression at Seo Yeon’s defiance.

He looked as if he had no idea she would react this way. After a moment of silence, looking at her as if choosing his words, Seong Jun spoke in a low voice.

“I’m not trying to make you feel guilty…”

“…”

“I’m worried.”

“…!”

“I’m not saying you can’t come home late, but because I’m worried, I want you to let me know if you’re going to be late next time.”

“…”

“That’s what I was going to say.”

It was something she had never heard in the past.

She had naturally thought her husband wouldn’t care whether she was home or out. She thought she was the only one who cared if he went to work or ate his meals on time. But…

‘…He was worried?’

It was a fact she hadn’t known before. As Seo Yeon’s face visibly hardened in surprise, Seong Jun’s gaze shifted to the shopping bag she was holding.

“Did you go to the bookstore?”

Seo Yeon’s gaze also moved in the direction he was looking. Seong Jun continued speaking.

“Can I take a look?”

After hesitating, Seo Yeon handed over the shopping bag containing the sheet music to Seong Jun.

“Sheet music?”

After staring at Seo Yeon for a moment as if surprised, Seong Jun turned his gaze and began to seriously scan through the sheet music.

“It’s Chopin, your favorite.”

At those words, Seo Yeon wore a dumbfounded expression. She asked in a cautious voice.

“How do you know? That Chopin is my favorite.”

“Because you listen to it every day.”

Seo Yeon’s mouth opened slightly. It was a simple answer, as if it was something he should obviously know. Seong Jun, seemingly unaware that Seo Yeon was surprised by his answer, began to scan the sheet music again. His expression looked more serious than ever before.

After looking at the sheet music for a while, Seong Jun met Seo Yeon’s eyes. What was he going to say with such an expression? Seo Yeon unconsciously swallowed dry saliva, as her husband’s gaze looked so serious and deep as he looked at her.

“Why don’t you start again?”

“…Pardon?”

“The piano, I mean.”

Seo Yeon was flustered, feeling as if Seong Jun had seen through her inner thoughts.

“Is it because of the sheet music?”

She tried to respond in a light voice, as if it were no big deal.

“I just bought this thinking it would be nice to play at home as a hobby. There’s no deeper meaning to it. Besides, it’s been 3 years since I quit. My fingers must be all stiff by now… It might be okay as a hobby, but it would be hard to catch up at this point.”

Seong Jun’s expression as he stared at Seo Yeon was unreadable. After gazing at her heavily, he opened his mouth with a serious face.

“If you want to keep it as a hobby, I respect that choice too.”

“…”

“But it seems a waste of your talent and all the hard work you’ve put in so far to just let it wither away. If you want to hold a recital, I can support you. Or if you want to pursue a path as an educator, going back to school might be good too.”

“…”

“So if you have the desire, try starting again in whatever form you like. I can take care of all the other issues.”

“…”

Seo Yeon was taken aback. It was something she had never heard from the family she had lived with for 20 years.

When her marriage was arranged, they had told her to give up her dream too easily. Asserting that there were plenty of things in the world more important than her dream.

But now her husband, whom she thought cared less than strangers, was so easily saying he would support her dream. As if he had read her innermost thoughts.

Could she start again?

Was it too late? Was it really okay not to give up?

…Was it really alright?

It was at that moment when Seo Yeon was intensely wrestling with her thoughts over her husband’s unexpected proposal.

As if to end her agonizing, a rectangular business card fell between Seong Jun and Seo Yeon. At first, she didn’t recognize what it was. The moment she narrowed her eyes to look closer.

“…!”

Seo Yeon realized that the fallen paper was the business card she had received from Min Hyuk earlier. Looking extremely flustered, Seo Yeon lowered herself to pick up the card with a stiff face.

However, Seong Jun’s movement was a bit faster.

Seong Jun picked up the card and checked the name. At that moment, Seo Yeon held her breath, feeling tense even though she hadn’t done anything wrong.

“…Choi Min Hyuk?”

Seong Jun’s eyebrows twisted slightly. And shortly after, the words that came out of her husband’s mouth made her whole body shiver.

“That’s the name of the man you had a blind date with.”

“…!”

Seo Yeon’s mouth opened slightly at Seong Jun’s unexpected words. How on earth did he know that?

“Choi Min Hyuk.”

“…”

“Why do you have this person’s business card?”

“T-That’s…”

But right now, resolving Seong Jun’s misunderstanding was more urgent than solving her own questions. Seo Yeon hurriedly opened her mouth.

“It’s nothing. I just went to the sheet music store and happened to meet him by chance, and we talked briefly.”

Seo Yeon briefly explained the situation. It was the closest to the truth, without exaggeration or omission.

“Ah, by chance.”

However, Seong Jun didn’t look like he believed it at all.

Rather, his eyes, which had become sharper than before she answered, were demanding a more detailed explanation from Seo Yeon. Her body involuntarily shrank at his gaze, which looked as if he was eyeing his prey.

‘I haven’t done anything wrong, so why do I have to be so cautious?’

Although he himself had been seeing another woman for a long time, her husband’s incomprehensible behavior of making her feel so uncomfortable just for receiving a business card from a man made her chest feel so tight it was about to burst, but she couldn’t muster the courage to confront him with the thoughts in her head.

That’s how much her husband was looking down at her with a frightening gaze she had never seen before.

“It’s true. I hadn’t seen him for years, so at first, I didn’t even recognize who he was.”

“Okay. Let’s say it’s true that you met by chance.”

“…”

“Why did you take his business card?”

“That’s!”

Seo Yeon’s face grew increasingly dissatisfied with his tone, which sounded like an interrogation.

However, instead of pouring out her rising emotions, Seo Yeon exercised patience once again. It was because she was grateful for Seong Jun’s earlier statement supporting her dream.

He was the first person in Seo Yeon’s life to say such encouraging words to her. After a moment of silence to calm her emotions, Seo Yeon opened her mouth with a composed face.

“I found out while we were talking briefly. Choi Min Hyuk’s youngest sibling is interested in piano. That’s why he came to buy sheet music and happened to meet me by chance.”

“…”

“As you know, I majored in piano. So I offered to recommend a few pieces of sheet music, thinking it might be helpful. It reminded me of when I first started playing piano, and I found it admirable. That’s how we ended up talking, and when we parted, he gave me his business card as a courtesy.”

“…”

Even after hearing the full explanation, Seong Jun’s gaze remained cold as he looked at her.

“There’s no separate appointment, and no plans to meet in the future, so you won’t need the business card.”

Saying that, Seong Jun tore the business card in half right in front of her eyes.

“…!”

Seo Yeon watched the torn business card fall to the floor with a shocked expression.