Side Story 3: Just an Apron

Though the dining table seemed sturdier than the bed, it wasn’t originally intended for this purpose, so Ji-soo couldn’t feel completely at ease.

Ji-soo grabbed the collar of her approaching husband. His soft lips brushed against hers and then quickly retreated.

“It’s… going to burn.”

With a face full of regret, Tae-ha released Ji-soo and brought over some freshly stir-fried spicy tteokbokki drenched in oil.

Oh. Visually and by smell, it passed the test. Ji-soo tried not to look too surprised.

“Eat.”

Tae-ha handed her chopsticks as he spoke.

“Will it taste good?”

“It should, since someone made it.”

“You didn’t even taste-test while cooking!”

Ji-soo knew that Tae-ha, who couldn’t handle spicy food, had followed the recipe loosely when mixing the seasoning.

“You can tell if something’s delicious without eating it.”

Ji-soo picked up a piece of Tae-ha-style tteokbokki, spurred on by his suggestive words.

“If it’s tasty, you’ll grant whatever I want.”

“Okay.”

She was confident it would be delicious, so she wanted to give him anything after this unexpectedly delightful treat in the middle of the night.

“How do you know what I’ll ask for and just say ‘okay’ already?”

“Whatever it is, if Cha Tae-ha wants it.”

Ji-soo mimicked his tone with a bright smile and popped a piece into her mouth.

As expected—it was delicious. She had planned to visit the famous market known for its oily tteokbokki with Tae-ha after his business trip. But this was even better. Perhaps because it was made following the best recipe; crispy on the outside, savory inside.

“Oh, wow. It’s delicious.”

Watching her excitedly pick up another piece, Tae-ha thought about how he should cook more often. Who else could eat so beautifully? Of course, this was Han Ji-soo we were talking about.

“It’s tasty, but you won’t eat it because it’s spicy, right?”

“If I eat it, there won’t be any left for you.”

“That’s true. Then should I eat it all?”

Tae-ha chuckled as he watched Ji-soo devour the entire bowl of tteokbokki in record time.

“You ate well, so now tell me what you want.”

“Next time, let’s do it wearing just an apron.”

Ji-soo stared back in surprise at Tae-ha’s casual tone, as though he’d said something like, “I’ll make soy sauce tteokbokki next time.”

“You’ll wear just the apron. I’ll take you from behind.”

Her blank expression was so cute that he immediately wanted to put the apron on her himself.

Suppressing a laugh, Tae-ha stood up from the dining table and wiped the sauce from the corner of Ji-soo’s mouth. He licked the seasoning off his fingertips.

“Delicious.”

By the time they returned to the bedroom after finishing the tteokbokki, it was almost time for Tae-ha to get ready and leave. Staying up all night with her had become such a common occurrence.

While Tae-ha showered, Ji-soo picked out a shirt and tie and stepped out of the dressing room.

“I chose a bright tie since tonight’s dinner is supposed to be casual…”

Her voice trailed off as she saw Tae-ha walk out of the bathroom. When would she ever get used to seeing this man naked? No matter how many times she saw him, her face still flushed red every time.

“Thank you.”

Before she could react, Tae-ha leaned in and kissed her cheek, enveloping her in the scent of soap. She knew he did it on purpose to tease her, to see her ears turn red, but Ji-soo still didn’t know how to respond.

“Hurry up… and put your underwear on.”

“Aren’t I your baby? Shouldn’t Mommy dress me?”

Determined not to lose to his playful teasing, Ji-soo pulled a pair of underwear from the drawer. Did he think she wouldn’t dare ask him to help her put them on?

With feigned confidence, Ji-soo held the underwear and approached Tae-ha, only to hesitate under his intense gaze.

“Can’t even put on your own underwear? Are you a fool, Cha Tae-ha?”

As Ji-soo pouted, Tae-ha smirked and snatched the underwear from her hands.

“You’re right. I’m a fool—a fool who only thinks about Han Ji-soo.”

Once fully dressed, Tae-ha stood in front of Ji-soo.

“Darling, tie my tie for me.”

Still recovering from the shock of his earlier boldness, Ji-soo carefully tied the tie around his neck. The sound of fabric rubbing together soon formed a neat knot.

Tae-ha caught her retreating hand and kissed the back of it.

“Shall we go together?”

“To Jeju Island?”

“I heard couples go on babymoon trips. Would flying be too tiring?”

Ji-soo had never been to Jeju Island—she hadn’t lived a life where vacations were guaranteed.

“But isn’t your schedule packed until tomorrow? You said one night’s sleep would be enough…”

Judging by Tae-ha’s work ethic, this trip likely required four days, but he had condensed it into two. She felt guilty knowing he’d have to rush through everything upon arrival, especially if she stayed at the hotel where he was lodging.

“It probably won’t work, will it?”

“Don’t push yourself to finish early and come home. Work diligently. Kong-kong and I will wait for you at home.”

“I miss you too much. Whenever I think of your face while working, I can’t focus. I’m a fool who only thinks about Han Ji-soo.”

Ji-soo gently stroked her husband’s cheek as he threw a tantrum about not wanting to go on the business trip.

“Work hard and bring back lots of money, dear.”

Even after consoling him, Tae-ha still refused to let go of his desire to take Ji-soo along. Finally, Ji-soo pulled him in for a deep kiss.

Their passionate farewell stretched far longer than usual.

________________________________________

As soon as Tae-ha landed at Jeju Airport, the rain began pouring down. All outdoor plans were canceled except for the indoor meeting.

Wanting to return to Ji-soo, Tae-ha looked into flights starting in the afternoon but failed repeatedly. With his mood sour, the meeting atmosphere turned icy.

This was supposed to be a relatively warm discussion about finalizing the acquisition of the Jeju project previously sold to foreign investors, yet tension lingered.

“Maybe I should seek counseling?”

Back at the hotel, Tae-ha muttered to himself as he stared at the raindrops hitting the window. Recognizing that he wasn’t entirely sane, he considered seeking help.

At first, it was simple love—he wanted to keep Ji-soo all to himself. But somewhere along the way, his fiery passion crossed the line between affection and obsession.

<We’ll wait for you at home.>

Without those words, he might have swum across the sea to reach the mainland. Restlessly loosening his tie, Tae-ha sighed deeply.

“I miss you.”

He picked up his phone and dialed Ji-soo’s number. The call connected, but no familiar voice answered. After several unanswered rings, worry crept in.

“What’s going on?”

Tae-ha called both the staff helping with household chores and Ji-soo’s driver. Both confirmed that Ji-soo had left the house that morning.

“Something’s wrong.”

It wasn’t a hospital day, nor would Ji-soo go out while Tae-ha was away on a business trip.

Grabbing his jacket, Tae-ha rushed out of the hotel room. Just as he stepped out, he froze.

Ji-soo exited the elevator, carrying nothing but a small bag and dressed comfortably, as if she’d been staying there for a while.

“Oh, busted.”

“What are you doing here? Why are you here?”

As Tae-ha strode toward her, Ji-soo hid her hands behind her back.

“Did you take a flight in this weather? Alone? Are you out of your mind?”

“Oh, stop nagging. If I said I took a ferry, you’d probably spank me.”

Thunder roared outside, mirroring Tae-ha’s stormy mood. He led Ji-soo into the room.

“I took the plane after yours and came straight to the hotel by taxi once I arrived since it was raining so heavily.”

“So why?”

Ji-soo sat quietly before him, like a student being scolded by their teacher.

“I missed you.”

Tae-ha cupped her cheek, gazing tenderly at her. Though thrilled by her surprise visit, he disapproved of her coming here alone in such harsh weather.

“You should’ve called me. I would’ve rushed over.”

“I didn’t want to disturb my important husband with unnecessary interruptions.”

“There’s nothing more important than you to me.”

His hand moved from her cheek to her chin, then lightly pressed her lips. Ji-soo’s explanation softened his eyes.

“I feel a bit cheated. This is my first time in Jeju, and I haven’t seen anything.”

“The rain will stop by tomorrow, and the weather will clear up the day after. We’ll explore together then.”

Tae-ha affectionately traced her lips with his thumb.

“Have I punished you enough? Can I do what I want now?”

“You’ve scared me half to death today. Thanks to someone, I feel like I’ve got a coward’s heart.”

Ji-soo gave him a look that clearly said she disagreed. Could Cha Tae-ha ever truly be called a coward?

“But what’s that thing you’ve been hiding behind your back?”

Timidly, Ji-soo pulled out a shopping bag. From it emerged a flat box bearing the logo of a Jeju souvenir shop.

Curious, Tae-ha guessed what might be inside. When Ji-soo opened the box, sure enough, an apron appeared.

“I forgot the apron in my rush to catch the flight, but luckily, I found one at the souvenir shop.”

Ji-soo grinned mischievously as she unfolded the apron. Hmm… featuring a large Dolhareubang (stone grandfather) design in the center, the apron looked rather wholesome. She wasn’t entirely convinced it would excite Tae-ha, but…

“Not great, huh?”

As Ji-soo attempted to put the apron back in the box, embarrassed, Tae-ha lightly grabbed her wrist. He snatched the apron and held it up against her.

“Anything looks good on Han Ji-soo. Of course, it’s best when you wear nothing at all.”

Ji-soo couldn’t understand why he was so obsessed with aprons, but having enjoyed the delicious tteokbokki, she happily agreed to wear it.

“We’ll do it from behind, on the dining table.”

Even his lewd request remained incomprehensible to her.