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“This place has a nice atmosphere. Don’t enjoy it alone, invite me too.”
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Why are you trying to marry me?”
“Heh, what—”
Joo-eun lightly tapped Seok-kyung’s shoulder and laughed.
“Isn’t the reason for a political marriage obvious? It’s for the mutual benefit of both families.”
“Mutual benefit of both families...”
“Ah, of course, our family is far behind Baedo Group. But there must be something beneficial, otherwise, the marriage story wouldn’t be going around, right?”
As Seok-kyung pondered her words, Joo-eun quickly corrected herself.
“Besides, if the marriage partner is Baek Seok-kyung, I’m grateful.”
“Grateful?”
“Baek Seok-kyung is famous, isn’t he? A cold man who shakes the hearts of many women. It’s a chance to make such a man mine, which is fine. Not a bad deal.”
Watching Joo-eun express marriage as a deal, Seok-kyung took another sip of his whiskey to hide his bitter smile.
“Even if I can’t guarantee your happiness? You’re still okay with it?”
“Happiness isn’t something someone else creates. You find it yourself.”
It was an answer that immediately showed that Joo-eun had very high self-esteem.
Happiness isn’t something someone else creates, you find it yourself.
Wasn’t that something you’d find in a book of famous quotes?
“Then I don’t have to feel the burden of making you happy, I guess.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll live happily.”
How can you be so sure?
“People like us make rational judgments. We don’t do things that are detached from reality, swayed by emotions. Even if we slip up, it’s just a moment, and we quickly return to our place.”
“A rational couple, people who pursue practical benefits, so there’s nothing to worry about?”
“If you know what kind of life suits you, you don’t have to go looking for happiness, right? There shouldn’t be any unhappiness in that life itself.”
“Our marriage is a proper life?”
“Yes. I believe so.”
Seok-kyung couldn’t say anything about someone else’s belief, but he felt a suffocating tightness in his chest.
Is that really a proper life?
You think so, but do I really want that kind of life?
A clear answer didn’t come to mind.
“Aren’t you drinking too much?”
“Just one more glass.”
Seok-kyung gestured to the bartender and refilled his empty glass. The smoky scent of the whiskey felt particularly strong today.
________________________________________
His head ached. When he opened his eyes, the strong sunlight coming through the window made him frown.
He always had blackout curtains on the bedroom window, so he wondered why there was sunlight and sat up.
His head throbbed and ached as if someone was hammering inside it.
White blankets?
After the window without curtains, the next thing he saw was a pure white blanket.
Something he would never see in his house, which was decorated entirely in dark colors.
Could it be...
Turning his head to the side with fear-filled eyes, he saw Joo-eun’s face, sleeping like a dead person.
After checking the wallpaper of the hotel room he had glimpsed while dropping her off, Seok-kyung frowned.
“Ha—”
Crazy bastard.
Seok-kyung carefully lifted the blanket slightly. And immediately felt relieved.
Unlike his completely naked upper body, his lower pants were intact. Looking at Joo-eun again, he saw that she was also wearing pajamas and sleeping.
At least he didn’t sleep with her while blacked out.
I should drink moderately.
Trying to calm the goosebumps that had risen all over his body like he had watched a horror movie, he carefully stepped out of bed.
“Hmm—, you’re awake?”
Joo-eun stretched and got up, asking.
“Oh? Oh—”
“Go wash up. You have to go to work.”
“How did I get here...?”
“Oh, don’t you remember?”
Joo-eun smiled, raising the corner of her mouth.
“You drank too much at the bar yesterday. You couldn’t even stand properly, so I just brought you to a hotel.”
“I see.”
“Don’t worry. You were in no state to do anything, even if you wanted to.”
As if it was nothing, she put on her slippers, tied her hair, and left the bedroom.
“Oh, you must have a bad stomach. Should I order pasta?”
Seok-kyung hurriedly shook his head at her, who stuck her head back into the bedroom and asked.
“No. I have to go to work.”
“There’s still some time.”
“No, it’s okay.”
He didn’t want to see greasy carbonara in front of him again.
Shaking his heavy head, he got up, washed up, and hurriedly left the room.
Even if he was drunk, sleeping in Joo-eun’s room was something that shouldn’t have happened.
Of course, she or his mother seemed to want to start making a second generation, but he had no intention of doing so.
If Eun-chae finds out about this...
Seok-kyung laughed at himself, reaching that thought.
Even if Eun-chae knew about this, what would change? She wouldn’t want him to cancel this marriage and take her back as his wife, since she left first.
“What on earth are you thinking, Baek Seok-kyung?”
His head ached so much that it was difficult to think of anything else right now.
Even while heading to the company in a designated driver’s car, he had to stop the car several times. He felt so nauseous that he thought he would vomit in the car.
When he arrived at the company, he gave the grumbling designated driver a 1 million won check and sent him away.
“Are you okay?”
Secretary Won, who met him at the entrance, wrinkled his nose.
“I’m fine.”
“You smell like alcohol.”
Seok-kyung put his nose to his body and smelled. He could faintly smell alcohol.
“I drank a bit too much yesterday...”
“Just a moment!”
Secretary Won grabbed the closing elevator and pushed Seok-kyung inside.
“I’ll go buy some hangover relief drinks from the pharmacy and bring them up.”
“Thank you.”
Secretary Won shook his head and turned to leave the building.
He drank the hangover relief drink that Secretary Won bought, but Seok-kyung had to fight the headache and sore stomach all morning. Water alone didn’t solve the hangover at all.
Then, Section Chief Park from the Planning Department came to the CEO’s office.
“CEO, if you’re okay, would you like to join us for hangover soup for lunch?”
“...Hangover soup?”
“Yes. Some of our department members drank yesterday, so we’re going to get hangover soup nearby...”
“Hangover soup, huh.”
He had never tried it before, so he wondered if it would really be okay.
“Hangover soup is the best for hangovers.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Let’s go together.”
“......Alright. I’ll be down soon.”
“Okay.”
Section Chief Park smiled brightly and closed the door as he left.
It’s worth a try.
Seok-kyung didn’t know how great hangover soup was, but he decided to trust it since many people seemed to like it.
No, now was the time to have such faith.
________________________________________
“Just a moment!”
At the sound of someone suddenly grabbing the elevator, someone pressed the open button. Eun-chae, who was standing in the middle, stepped back.
“I’ll go buy some hangover relief drinks from the pharmacy and bring them up.”
“Thank you.”
As Seok-kyung greeted Secretary Won and got on the elevator, all the surrounding employees greeted him.
But he didn’t look at anyone, just pressed his temples with his fingers and slightly bowed his head.
Eun-chae, who had stepped back from him because of the faint smell of alcohol, bit her lip slightly.
Why did he drink so much...?
Her head shouted no, but a part of her wondered if Seok-kyung had drunk so much because of her.
That’s ridiculous. What am I?
Eun-chae shook her head slightly.
When the elevator stopped on the floor with the office, she got off, mixed in with the employees avoiding Seok-kyung.
But just before the door closed, Eun-chae looked at Seok-kyung, who was still wincing in pain from his hangover.
Even though she knew it wasn’t because of her, his pained face bothered her.
The thought of wanting to help him popped up, but how could she help?
“Good morning.”
Eun-chae gave up on her worries and entered the office.
“Oh, welcome.”
Section Chief Park greeted Eun-chae, stopping his temple massage.
“Are you not feeling well?”
“I drank a bit last night...”
Hmm? Section Chief Park too?
Suddenly, a brilliant idea came to mind, and Eun-chae put her bag on her desk and approached Section Chief Park.
“Did you happen to drink with the CEO last night?”
“Huh?”
“I just ran into the CEO in the elevator, and he seemed to be suffering from a hangover like you.”
“Really? I didn’t drink with him...”
“Oh, I see...”
Eun-chae turned around as if she was done, then leaned towards Section Chief Park as if she had just remembered something.
“Then why don’t you have hangover soup with the CEO?”
“Hangover soup? With the CEO?”
“It’s a good time to score some points.”
“Hmm, huh, what points...”
Eun-chae smiled slightly at Section Chief Park, who coughed awkwardly, and returned to her seat.
She hoped he would have the courage to ask Seok-kyung to go for hangover soup together.
And fortunately, when lunchtime came, Section Chief Park went to the CEO’s office with a determined look and came down.
“We’re going for hangover soup. Anyone want to join?”
“Hangover soup sounds good.”
Without knowing anything, the department members followed Section Chief Park. Eun-chae glanced at the lunchbox in her bag and got up.
“Huh? Are you going too, Eun-chae?”
“I didn’t pack a lunch today...”
Eun-chae answered Hyun-jung’s question with an awkward smile.
When they went down to the first floor, Seok-kyung appeared, still looking pained.
“Oh, it looks like the CEO has a hangover too today?”
“Yeah.”
Seok-kyung looked at the Planning Department people for a moment, then followed Section Chief Park as he led the way.
Only Eun-chae noticed that his gaze briefly lingered on her among those people.
Eun-chae observed Seok-kyung’s bewildered face from a distance as he entered the famous hangover soup restaurant near the company and ordered the same thing as everyone else.
He’s probably never tried it before? That makes sense?
Since she only started eating at regular restaurants after her divorce, Seok-kyung would be even less likely to have done so.
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