Fifteen minutes to Inno Fashion. According to the shared schedule, his wife should be at the company. Kangjoon’s long fingers tapped the soft leather car seat rhythmically. He had stayed out, broken a promise, done wrong. Should he pretend he didn’t, or should he apologize?

“Let’s stop by Inno Fashion for a moment.”

At Kangjoon’s instruction, Chief Yoon, sitting in the passenger seat, looked back with a troubled expression. Their next schedule was the International Green Energy Conference.

“It’s a place where overseas policies not yet introduced domestically and various market trends and information are shared. So, it’s important to attend on time...”

“Twenty minutes will suffice. We can watch it online while traveling, so we won’t miss anything.”

When Kangjoon cleanly dismissed his concerns, Chief Yoon finally fell silent. Seo Kangjoon of Hanshin Motors was a free pass. That was the secret, unspoken rule of Inno Fashion’s secretarial office. Arriving on the 9th floor of Inno Fashion’s headquarters, he saw his wife just coming out of her office.

“......”

“......”

His wife’s gaze as she stopped and looked at Kangjoon was sharp. Yet, Kangjoon calmly approached his wife. As he stood facing her and looked down quietly, his wife also looked up at Kangjoon without backing down. He must be crazy. Her sharp eyes, her angry expression, her stubbornly pursed lips—they all looked beautiful. Or had she become even more beautiful in just one day? Since things had turned out this way, Kangjoon leisurely admired his wife before him. At his obvious gaze and silence, his wife finally moved her lips slightly.

“You...”

But his wife, who had stopped speaking, fixed her gaze with quite surprised eyes on something behind Kangjoon. What could be behind him? Kangjoon was just about to turn around. At the touch that dug into his waist, this time Kangjoon lowered his eyes in surprise. His wife’s action of hugging him tightly was surprising enough, but what she said was even more so.

“Do you know how worried I was?”

Kangjoon slightly furrowed his brow. So, was she angry or worried? Or both? Thinking that women were incomprehensible, Kangjoon first embraced his wife. Then, as if she had been waiting for it, his wife burrowed deeper into his embrace. Well, it felt good holding her. The sound of hurried footsteps coming from behind them was fading away. Before he knew it, the hallway outside the office was completely empty.

________________________________________

Kangjoon deliberately sat next to his wife, not across from her. Unlike Kangjoon, who sat comfortably with his back deeply against the seat and his long legs crossed, his wife maintained a stiff posture. Whether her impeccably neat posture even in her own office was a habit or tension. The blush that had been on her face when she pulled away from his embrace was gone, and her skin was as white as porcelain.

“Last night, I had a night out that wasn’t exactly a night out.”

That was the reason he had been on edge all morning. He felt like he had become a husband who was worse than trash to his wife, even breaking promises. He couldn’t deny that he also wanted to ignore it. His wife probably wouldn’t even care about a husband’s night out that she had no interest in.

“I admit I was wrong. I’m also sorry for breaking my promise.”

Yet, he had still come to her, making lame excuses. Trying to somehow soothe his wife’s possibly angry heart.

“It wasn’t intentional. I fell asleep in the back seat of my car in our parking lot. Alone, of course.”

He subtly emphasized the last part. He didn’t want her to misunderstand that he had done anything strange in the car. He had left home last night but couldn’t think of anywhere to go. He couldn’t be bothered to go anywhere, and he was even more bothered to contact anyone. The more he sat in the back seat of the car, closed his eyes, and tried to sort out his thoughts, the more his brain ached. He had even prepared himself to become a terrible older brother. He was even willing to bear the guilt of falling in love with his brother’s woman, his wife. But he had been mercilessly rejected.

‘I’m a woman who can’t love.’

Those words were a declaration that she wouldn’t love Kangjoon. It was better this way. Not loving each other was one of the purposes of this marriage. So, he could just cleanly give up. But why did he feel so awful and unable to give up? Somehow, he had fallen asleep and woken up in the morning in the car.

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll show you the car’s black box footage.”

“No, it’s alright.”

Taeryeong’s true feelings were different from her seemingly indifferent and quick reply. It wasn’t alright at all, and she wanted to misunderstand him this way. That way, she might be able to truly resent and hate her husband for staying out and breaking his promise.

“You said you were worried about me. Then you should see it.”

I won’t look, I won’t. Why are you doing this to me? Seeing her face full of stubbornness, her husband chuckled and asked,

“May I ask why you were worried?”

Suddenly overwhelmed by fatigue, Taeryeong pressed her hand to her forehead. A faint weariness was evident in her calm voice as she spoke with her eyes lowered.

“Because Kangjoon-ssi always keeps his promises well. So, I was worried that something might have happened.”

“Weren’t you worried I might be with another woman?”

At that moment, a surge of emotion welled up, and Taeryeong bit her lip hard, lifting her trembling eyes. With eyes that seemed to pierce through her, her husband calmly asked again,

“Do you feel any attraction to me as a man?”

“To me, Kangjoon-ssi is... not a man, but my husband.”

A relationship that should be maintained moderately and where lines should be drawn appropriately. Nothing more, nothing less. That was the right way. Just then, her husband’s gaze changed, and he leaned in as if to pounce. Taeryeong turned her body to the side to avoid him, and her back touched the sofa. But she propped herself up with her hand on the sofa, not lying down completely.

“Then you shouldn’t have hugged me.”

Her husband trapped Taeryeong beneath his deepened gaze.

“Don’t confuse people.”

He whispered with lips that were almost touching hers.

“If you’re not confident you can handle it, don’t waver.”

His breath, hot and intense, heated Taeryeong’s mind. Only then did her husband slowly rise, as if in slow motion.

“I clearly warned you.”

After her husband disappeared, leaving a cold draft, Taeryeong released the breath she had been holding. Even though they hadn’t touched even a fingertip, her heart was pounding as if it would burst.

________________________________________

Seo Kangjoon, who was obsessed with working out, had skipped it all week. That was surprising enough, but he had also changed his route from a cafe to a bar. Skipping workouts and changing routes, well, that was fine. But a guy who never touched alcohol was ordering whiskey instead of wine and drinking it straight without any snacks—that was a problem.

“What on earth could it be? Why is Seo Kangjoon pouring down alcohol like that?”

“Isn’t Taeryeong-ssi the only thing that doesn’t go his way?”

Kyungjin replied to Jaewoo as if it were obvious.

“I saw Taeryeong-ssi at Heli Kang’s fashion show a few days ago, and she looked perfectly fine?”

“Wow, that’s too much! I broke up with Jina because of Taeryeong-ssi too!”

Kyungjin exclaimed angrily. For the first time in weeks, the woman he had been putting effort into was model Yoon Jina. But he had been caught getting too close with other women at a small after-party following the fashion show. Jina was clearly not on the guest list that day. So, it was Taeryeong who had brought Yoon Jina to that party where he was freely having fun.

‘Ms. Jina came as my plus-one. Please consider it a small token of gratitude for Kyungjin-ssi’s consideration in arranging for my husband and me to meet, despite the risks.’

Inviting him to Kangjoon’s homecoming party to mess with him. Reporting to Kangjoon every time she saw Taeryeong at various parties afterwards. Taeryeong had paid him back all at once.

“They say if a woman holds a grudge, frost will fall in the fifth and sixth lunar months. But why am I the one getting hit instead of that guy?”

Jaewoo spoke solemnly to Kyungjin, who was glaring at Kangjoon with a very wronged expression.

“So, I’m thinking of siding with Taeryeong from now on.”

“Even so, you little brat! Blood is thicker than water, you should stick with your friendship!”

“Do you think I want to do this? I was embarrassed so I wasn’t going to say anything...”

Only then did Jaewoo confess his encounter with Taeryeong. His family was quite strict, so he would hang out, but quietly and cautiously. That’s why the adults thought well of Jaewoo as a reliable son. But in a gathering with his family, Taeryeong, whom he ran into by chance, approached him under the guise of greeting him. She kept walking a tightrope, as if she was about to reveal Jaewoo’s behavior, and it was driving him crazy.

“Wow, I really didn’t see Taeryeong-ssi like that. Her grudge is no joke.”

“This industry is surprisingly small, you know. And Taeryeong-ssi has quite a good reputation. Even our parents are eyeing her as a daughter-in-law.”

“Oh my god, you too?”

The two men shook their heads in disbelief. Taeryeong was their friend Kangjoon’s wife. But even if she wasn’t their friend’s wife, she wasn’t just anyone. Seo Kangjoon was already in such a mess. They couldn’t possibly handle a woman like that.

“But isn’t it possible that Taeryeong-ssi feels something for Kangjoon too?”

Agreeing with Jaewoo’s point, Kyungjin looked at his friend. Well, it’s true that no woman would dislike a guy like that. But the reason this situation had unfolded must be because Kangjoon was bad at playing push and pull.

“Jaewoo-ya, should we try to figure out Taeryeong-ssi’s feelings for Kangjoon?”

“How?”

As Jaewoo looked at him as if asking what he was talking about, Kyungjin grinned.

“Today, we’ll offer Seo Kangjoon as a bribe to Taeryeong-ssi.”

“Oho, good idea!”

Scoring points with his friend’s wife and helping his poor friend, killing two birds with one stone. Kyungjin chuckled as he took pictures of Kangjoon. Even the women stealing glances at Kangjoon from the back tables were properly captured.

“Good thing we didn’t go into a private room.”

After sending the message, Kyungjin exchanged a meaningful smile with Jaewoo. In the meantime, Kangjoon staggered towards the entrance. A woman quietly followed him out.

________________________________________

[This is Park Kyungjin. We’re at a bar in Cheongdam-dong, and Kangjoon is quite drunk. We’ve been drinking too, so we’re trying to call a designated driver, but he absolutely refuses. Could Taeryeong-ssi possibly come?]

A photo was sent along with the message to Taeryeong. She could just ignore it, and she had intended to. But at some point, she was rationalizing it. This wasn’t interfering with his private life. Her husband’s friends had asked, and she was managing her husband’s night out. So, it was okay for her to go to him. Having finished rationalizing, Taeryeong moved smoothly like flowing water. She got in the car, took the wheel herself, and barely kept within the speed limit. Turning off the engine in the parking lot and getting out of the car, Taeryeong slowly blinked.

“......”

A Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge, the car her husband used for personal purposes, was visible. Her husband was slumped against it, and a woman was sitting very close to him. The next situation was easily predictable. Just as Taeryeong, her gaze turning icy, reopened the car door,

“Just because you’re handsome and rich? Don’t go around pretending to be a married man so disgustingly!”

A woman with an angry face huffed and walked away. Whether the woman left or not, Taeryeong, who had no interest in her husband, slowly approached him. When Taeryeong stood in front of him, her husband mumbled without even lifting his head,

“I told her I’m married so many times.”

Ugh, so annoying, he added, slowly waving his long hand dismissively. It seemed the woman had bothered him quite a bit. Taeryeong felt strange at her husband’s reaction. She felt relieved, and even a little happy. When Taeryeong bent her knees to meet his eye level, her husband lifted his face. A flash of light pierced through his black hair, sending a chill down her spine. The coldness her husband had shown her so far was nothing compared to this. Watching Taeryeong, who had frozen and was only blinking, her husband narrowed his eyes.

“What is it, another dream?”

His touch as he brushed back his hair, which had fallen over his face while he wore a self-deprecating smile, was languid. She had come, but what should she do with this man? While Taeryeong was contemplating, her husband’s body leaned forward. Startled, she embraced her husband, and his warm breath reached her neck.

“How much did you drink?”

It wasn’t a question, she was just muttering to herself. But a sigh-like whisper crumbled against Taeryeong’s neck.

“I drank a lot.”

A breath that sounded like a chuckle escaped him.

“As much as I missed my wife.”

It was her husband who was unilaterally avoiding Taeryeong again. But why on earth?

“I really missed you a lot.”

Her husband’s drunken confession made Taeryeong choke up again. He would probably forget it again anyway. That’s why I... Overwhelmed by emotion, Taeryeong slowly closed and opened her eyes, then parted her trembling lips.

“You won.”

Your words that you would look forward to it, they have finally come true.

“I hate you. Very much.”

Taeryeong’s trembling fingertips first caressed her husband’s earlobe. Then, she carefully cupped her husband’s face with both hands.

“But I like you.”

At that resigned whisper, her husband lifted his eyes. The pupils, half-sunken beneath his eyelids, burned a deep blue. Looking into those eyes, Taeryeong moved closer. Closer, dangerously close.

“Seo Kangjoon, I like you so much I could die.”

With tangled gazes, with lips that were almost touching, she conveyed her carefully hidden true feelings.

“So, I think I’m dreaming.”

I will remember, but I hope it’s a dream for you. This moment, this confession, this kiss.

“Because I’m going to kiss you.”

The moment their lips met, her husband began to rush into Taeryeong’s empty heart.