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Psst! We're moving!
“Where are we going?”
“Samjeong.”
“Samjeong?”
“Don’t you remember?”
Finally, a faint memory flickered in Hyun-soo’s mind. They had agreed to visit the Samjeong Lune Beach resort instead of taking a traditional honeymoon.
There was no particular reason for this decision. Their marriage wasn’t the culmination of a grand love story that warranted an overseas getaway. Additionally, Guk had pressing business matters to attend to, making it impossible for him to take an extended leave.
“They’ll come looking for us soon.”
His meaning was clear—hurry up and change. At his urging nod, Hyun-soo awkwardly pulled out the dress from the bag. It seemed better suited for a quick change than struggling with the wedding gown.
“Turn around.”
“Are you serious?”
“You want me not to be?”
“You’ve already done everything, and now you’re acting all innocent? You’re not even funny.”
“Not funny at all. I’m being completely serious.”
With a snort, Guk finally turned around. He was already halfway through changing, regardless of whether she was watching or not. Startled, Hyun-soo quickly spun around herself to avoid witnessing anything too stimulating.
Once she was sure he wasn’t looking, Hyun-soo began wriggling out of her wedding dress. She thought unzipping the off-shoulder gown would be easy, but it got stuck around her hips and refused to budge. Had she gained weight recently? Frowning slightly, she wriggled and tugged until the dress finally came off.
“Hurry, hurry…”
She felt a growing sense of urgency. The silence behind her made her uneasy, especially since she was wearing nothing but her underwear. Rushing, Hyun-soo hastily slipped on the navy-blue dress over her head and struggled to pull it down.
“I’m done.”
“Are you really done?”
“Oh my goodness.”
The voice closer than expected startled Hyun-soo, who jumped and turned around. Sure enough, he was just a few steps away—closer than she’d anticipated.
“Why are you still here?”
“And where exactly should I be?”
“But you were over there a moment ago!”
“So because I was there before, am I forbidden from moving?”
“Ugh…!”
She had no comeback. There was no such rule, after all.
“You saw everything, didn’t you.”
“What?”
“Me changing.”
“Well, yeah.”
“Well, yeah? You admit it?”
Hyun-soo gaped, utterly speechless at his audacity.
“And you saw me undressed too.”
“Hey!”
“When half your body is exposed right now, what’s the big deal?”
“What?”
Shocked by his words, she glanced down and realized the zipper of her new dress was still undone, revealing her undergarments and bare skin. Embarrassed, Hyun-soo instinctively crossed her arms over herself. While she flailed in panic, Guk casually turned her around and zipped up the back of her dress with practiced ease.
“Let’s go.”
Guk’s calm voice prodded her as she stood frozen in place. Feeling mortified, Hyun-soo scratched the back of her neck and hesitated awkwardly. Noticing her reluctance, Guk paused and looked back at her.
“Why aren’t you coming?”
“What about the wedding dress and clothes?”
“They’ll take care of them.”
“...Are we really leaving like this? Everyone’s waiting for us.”
“Your self-consciousness is getting out of hand.”
“...Do you really want to pick a fight right now?”
“They’re not here for us anyway. Just relax. Without us, they’ll probably eat and drink better.”
“What do you mean?”
Rolling his eyes at her cluelessness, Guk grabbed her hand and led her toward the door. As they exited, a passing staff member from Soubin Pavilion greeted Guk respectfully. He gave a brief nod in acknowledgment before continuing onward.
“Business.”
“Business? What kind of business?”
“Just know that it’s business.”
“...”
“It’s also worth noting that the only people who were genuinely serious during today’s wedding were you and me.”
That was quite the strange statement. All those guests who had clapped and watched intently—was he implying none of them were sincere except for the two of them?
“Get in.”
Perhaps worried she might try to escape, Guk kept holding her hand until the car arrived. When it pulled up, he opened the passenger-side door and gestured for her to get in. Reluctantly, Hyun-soo slid into the seat, and he closed the door behind her before climbing into the driver’s seat.
“Need help with your seatbelt?”
“No, I can do it myself.”
“Alright then.”
Hyun-soo shot him a glare that lacked any real malice, fastened her seatbelt, and sulkily stared ahead.
“It’s not bad. But are you seriously keeping that on?”
“What?”
“That white thing.”
“The veil?”
He hadn’t started driving yet, so it seemed he wanted to say something more. Realizing what he meant, Hyun-soo fiddled with her hair and noticed the short veil still attached. How could she have forgotten about it? It wasn’t as if she needed to advertise her newlywed status.
A gentle breeze blew past, causing the veil to flutter. With an amused smile, Hyun-soo removed the hairpins holding it in place.
“Let’s go now. You can start driving.”
Placing the veil on her lap, she nodded. Guk buckled his own seatbelt and smoothly eased the car into motion. The sleek two-seater glided effortlessly along the road.
“Will you be okay driving all the way to Samjeong? We can switch halfway.”
“I’m fine. If you’re tired, nap instead.”
“I’m not sleepy. I went to bed early last night.”
“It’s today that’s the problem.”
“Why is today a problem?”
“Do you think either of us will sleep well tonight?”
“Why not? The resort facilities are top-notch—we’ll rest comfortably…”
Even as she spoke, Hyun-soo wanted to slap herself. She belatedly realized what he had been hinting at.
No sleep? How much, hmm? Exactly. Her thoughts spiraled into infinite complexity. Suddenly, her entire body tensed up. Sneaking a glance at her rigid posture, Guk’s lips curled upward. Honestly, this girl always wore her emotions so plainly on her sleeve.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I’ll be busy with the resort expansion project for a while.”
“Really? That’s good. But why assume I’m thinking anything? I wasn’t.”
“So stop making weird faces. I’ll make sure you sleep soundly.”
“Weird face? What weird face…”
Hyun-soo muttered, turning her gaze to the window. Her profile, with its soft cheeks moving slightly as she grumbled, was unexpectedly cute. Guk mulled over the unfamiliar sensation bubbling within him, unconsciously running his tongue along his inner cheek. Cute, huh? Ridiculous how she managed to occupy his thoughts.
Click.
The music cut off. The loud dance track that had been playing faded into silence, leaving the car eerily quiet. Though sorry for Kim Hyun-soo, this kind of music wasn’t Yoon Guk’s style at all.
“...”
Hyun-soo had reclined the passenger seat and fallen asleep. Despite earlier insisting she wouldn’t dare nap out of respect for the driver, she had ended up collapsing after wildly headbanging like a deranged chicken. Considering she rarely wore high heels and spent hours parading around in a wedding dress, it was no wonder she was exhausted. Acknowledging her mental exertion, Guk forgave her for falling asleep first.
Suddenly, the phone screen lit up. It was a call from Chairman Yoon. Without expression, Guk confirmed it was him, declined the call, and returned his focus to the dark road.
Moments later, the call disconnected, and a cascade of missed notifications appeared on the screen. There were nine calls from Chairman Yoon alone. For someone who avoided small screens due to eye strain, nine calls indicated he must have been deeply displeased by their sudden disappearance.
Regardless, Guk stretched his stiff muscles slightly and kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead. Alone, he might have been relaxed, but knowing another life depended on him kept him alert. Reaching over, he adjusted the blanket covering Hyun-soo and exhaled deeply.
Vibrate. Vibrate. Vibrate.
The phone vibrated again. Annoyed, Guk raised an eyebrow and checked the screen, assuming it was Chairman Yoon once more. But as he prepared to decline the call, he froze. The name displayed belonged to someone else.
“Hello.”
-...
“I’m listening.”
-Hyung.
Even with just one clipped word, the identity of the caller was unmistakable. It was Han, his younger brother. His voice was devoid of energy—or soul, for that matter.
“You weren’t at the wedding today.”
-I didn’t go.
“Why not?”
-I didn’t think I could handle seeing it.
“Why?”
-...
“I asked why.”
-Hyung… listen, I didn’t want this marriage.
“...”
-I’ve always wanted you to be happy. You know that’s true. But…
“...”
-I hope this marriage makes you unhappy.
Guk’s grip tightened on the steering wheel, veins visibly popping on the back of his hand.
“You did the right thing by not showing up today.”
-...
“If you had come, it would have been difficult. You would have seen firsthand that no matter how desperately you wish for something, it doesn’t always work out the way you want.”
On the other end, Han let out a weak laugh.
“You’re trying to soften your words because you’re still somewhat sane, but I appreciate the effort. However…”
-...
“This stance of yours needs to remain consistent. Toward me, and toward Hyun-soo.”
-Hyung, I…
“Yoon Han.”
-...
“Snap out of it.”
Silence fell between them. Neither said a word.
-I seem to be speaking as though I’ve lost my mind, hyung.
“Haven’t you?”
-No. I haven’t. In fact, I’m clearer-headed than ever.
“Alright then. Let’s pretend I’m the crazy one.”
An odd tension lingered between them. Beside Guk, Hyun-soo slept soundly, oblivious to everything.
-Put me through to Noona Hyun-soo.
“No.”
-Why not? Hurry and put her on.
“She’s asleep.”
Han let out a frustrated sigh. Guk glanced briefly at the phone screen before returning his focus to the road. The dark highway stretched endlessly, with only occasional cars passing by.
“She’s mine now.”
-That’s what they say.
“It’s true.”
-Is it?
“Arguing won’t change the fact that Kim Hyun-soo is my wife.”
-It’s annoying.
“You’re crossing the line.”
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