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Tae-ryeong drifted off to sleep. Her eyes were open, but a hazy feeling lingered, perhaps due to the residual heat in her body. A cool glass of water and a shower might bring her back to reality, but she didn’t have the strength to lift a finger, lying still as if dead, only blinking. Then, her husband appeared from the end of the bathroom corridor. While Tae-ryeong always huddled against the cold, her husband always carried a warm body temperature. Yet, a pleasant coolness emanated from him as he sat on the edge of the bed. Kang-joon held Tae-ryeong, who half-rose and burrowed into his embrace, and said gently, “Why don’t you sleep a little longer?”
Thinking how nice the coolness from their touching bodies felt, Tae-ryeong subtly shook her head. Wet hair, smooth, poreless skin, a fresh scent, a bluish jawline as if freshly shaved. With such a handsome subject right there, how could she sleep? Her husband, unlike her who had collapsed into sleep, looked perfectly refreshed after his shower. She was the one who needed a shower, though.
“How long did I sleep?”
“About 25 minutes.”
A long fingertip approached and gently stroked her slightly swollen eyelids. That touch brought it all back again—his firm body, hot lips, soft movements, all vividly clear. She thought she had cried and clung to him. Yet, her husband had endured and held back, never crossing the line. Feeling somehow deceived by her husband, Tae-ryeong glared at him.
“You said it was your first time—that was a lie, wasn’t it?”
“You know I don’t lie.”
“But how could you be so…”
Tae-ryeong, unable to finish her sentence, bit her rosy lips awkwardly. Kang-joon chuckled and said, stroking her lips as if telling her not to bite them, “I studied hard to meet my wife’s expectations.”
“You, surely…”
When Tae-ryeong looked at him suspiciously, Kang-joon put on a stern expression.
“What do you take me for? I’m the type who studies from books, not videos.”
With eyes seeking praise, Kang-joon subtly brought up the main point.
“Now, how about changing my saved name on your phone, wife?”
“Why? You’re selfish and mean.”
He drained all her energy, then showered alone, didn’t stop when she told him to, and left her embarrassed. But her husband grinned. Tae-ryeong was dumbfounded by that refreshing smile, like bubbles bursting in soda. He was so arrogant and self-assured, he seemed to take everything as a compliment. Suddenly, Yeon-sook’s words echoed in her mind: “Those damned Seo men.”
“While you’re changing it, how about ‘Bold Roar’ or ‘Skilled Roar’?”
His low voice carried a subtle hint of expectation.
“Dream on, Mr. Seo Kang-joon.”
“Then what will you change it to?”
“Change it to what?” She should change “Timid Roar” to “My Naughty Roar.” Of course, she had no intention of ever telling him, just to keep him guessing. Tae-ryeong replied with a prim expression, “I’ll plead the fifth, for your impudence.”
Those were the exact words Kang-joon had used with her yesterday. When she mirrored his words, her husband looked wronged.
“Impudence? What kind of husband, who loves his wife so much, holds back as well as I do?”
“If you loved me so much, why didn’t you show some consideration when I told you to stop earlier?”
“I told you to stop so many times!” Tae-ryeong looked back at her husband with resentful eyes.
“Because your crying was pretty.”
“You said it hurts your heart when I cry.”
“I thought you were crying because you liked it, so I assumed you wanted more.”
“Seo Kang-joon!”
Her husband hugged Tae-ryeong from behind as she glared at him, her face beet red as if about to burst.
“I was wrong, so don’t be angry, okay?”
When he was being sly, and now he was wagging his tail like a roar, acting cute. Making it impossible for her to even be angry.
“You bought meat, I’ll grill it deliciously for you.”
“…I bought the meat because I wanted to grill it for you, Kang-joon.”
Thinking about it, Kang-joon was a husband who would be welcomed by any wife. He earned well, and she didn’t need to prepare a lavish table; just grilling meat was enough. Honey dripped from her husband’s eyes as he looked at her.
“What does it matter who grills it? We can just eat it deliciously together.”
His whispered voice was soft as velvet. Whenever Tae-ryeong saw her husband like that, she often lost her sense of reality. On their wedding day, and the day they reunited at the airport. The husband who had looked at her with such contempt in his cold eyes was still vivid in her mind.
“So, you need to eat a lot and reach 50 kilograms before the wedding.”
“Surely, the Naughty Roar isn’t having lewd thoughts again, is he?”
“You pass out during warm-ups, what are you going to do in the main event?”
Right, lewd thoughts. To punish the Naughty Roar who now expressed his lewd desires at every turn, Tae-ryeong broke free from her husband’s embrace. Seeing her small hand grip a pillow, the Naughty Roar subtly got off the bed.
________________________________________
Whoosh! The pillow, launched too late, hit the bedroom door instead of Kang-joon and fell.
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Regular Dinner with Madam Jo
Today was the day Tae-ryeong had her regular dinner with Madam Jo. Always the same place, same time; she thought nothing had changed. Until she opened the door.
“What are you doing? Sit down.”
At Madam Jo’s words, Tae-ryeong finally came back to her senses. As usual, Tae-ryeong calmly sat across from her and said to Alicia, who was sitting next to Madam Jo, “You cut your hair, unnie.”
Cutting her luxuriantly long hair into a short bob emphasized her thin face and upturned eyes even more. But it also seemed to make her more attractive than when she had long hair. That was Alicia, haughty and cold.
“I told her to cut it. Thinking about it, trying to match too closely is weirder. It’s better to make a change so they won’t notice.”
“You found that out quite quickly.” Tae-ryeong sneered inwardly. With Seo Kang-joon back, imitating her was even more dangerous. It might be better to say she drastically lost weight and changed her image. A month was enough time for a person to change. In conclusion, Madam Jo’s insistence on matching weight was purely to torment Tae-ryeong. She probably hated seeing her eat comfortably.
“So, how much have you gained?”
Disapproval was clearly visible in Madam Jo’s eyes as she scrutinized Tae-ryeong up and down.
“3 kilograms.”
Kang-joon had been feeding her high-calorie meals three times a day, so it was impossible not to gain weight.
“You’re truly living it up now, aren’t you? Your face is just gleaming with health. You should watch carefully too. See how that cunning one, while you’re being foolish, got her husband on her side and took your place.”
Madam Jo looked at Alicia with disdain.
“Do you think she only bewitched President Seo? She bewitched President Seo and your father too, all the men! Blood runs true, she truly inherited her mother’s vulgar knack for charming men.”
Only then did Alicia’s dry eyes carefully examine Tae-ryeong. Her fair skin, sparkling with light, her red lips, her vibrant cheeks, her long, straight neck. Even the teardrop-shaped pink diamond ring on Tae-ryeong’s finger.
“My husband must be giving me lots of love, right?”
Now she understood. The reason Madam Jo insisted on bringing Alicia, who was unnecessary for this meeting. It was to provoke her, to make her see how vibrant and blooming the substitute who took her place was, while she withered away. So she should sober up, be determined, and return to her original self.
“President Seo is leaving for a business trip to the US the week after next, isn’t he? It’s a trip that includes Europe, so it’ll take at least 10 days. And after he returns, his schedule will be murderous, so he won’t even have weekends free.”
How did she know that? Tae-ryeong looked at Madam Jo with uneasy eyes.
“When President Seo leaves for his trip, you and Alicia will also go to Germany. I intend to put everything back in its place then.”
Trip, in its place, Germany. Tae-ryeong felt dizzy and her heart sank. She knew there was an end, but she didn’t expect it to come so quickly, so suddenly. At the end of her lowered gaze, her husband from last night came to mind. The man who was gentle and soft and naughty, tender and mischievous and cunning. Suppressing her pounding heart, Tae-ryeong asked as calmly as possible, “Does that mean… you’re shortening the remaining month’s deadline?”
Madam Jo, who had been watching Tae-ryeong with sharp eyes, laughed scornfully.
“It means you’ll complete the remaining period in Germany. If you do your part properly, I’ll write you a new contract and transfer the Ino Fashion shares to you.”
Madam Jo’s gaze turned to Alicia.
“I guess you hoped you could take your place if you just worked hard. Seeing that cunning one obsessing over work with such fierce determination.”
Tae-ryeong also looked at Alicia.
“Ino Fashion is set to enter department stores across Europe as a foreign luxury brand. You’ll receive a proper handover from her in Germany. It’s the last chance I’m giving you, so get your head straight and come back.”
Alicia didn’t reply to Madam Jo; instead, she gazed blankly at the garden outside the window. Madam Jo clicked her tongue briefly and spoke to Tae-ryeong again.
“Don’t play any tricks; you are responsible for feeding all information about President Seo to my daughter. Everything from what happened with Seo Kang-joon to how you charmed him. Understood?”
“I’ll try.”
Then Alicia raised her head and looked directly at Tae-ryeong. She seemed to have something to say.
“Let’s get up now. Dirty company spoils my appetite, so let’s eat dinner somewhere else. Mom will buy you something delicious.”
Madam Jo stood up, and Alicia followed suit. The dinner ended. Or, so she thought. Before leaving, Alicia secretly dropped a small note on Tae-ryeong’s lap, hidden from Madam Jo.
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Baekje Hotel Fitness Club
Kang-joon skipped his workout, which Gyeong-jin and Jae-woo had initially cheered for, only to be dragged out a week later. The two men were watching Kang-joon lift the heaviest barbell, both in fear and reverence.
“Look at those lean muscles. Why doesn’t he become a Hulk, exercising so maniacally?”
Kang-joon was tall and broad-boned, but the muscles that made up his body were sleek and firm. Enough to look like a model even in baggy pants.
“Kang-joon would maintain that physique even without exercising, wouldn’t he? It’s just genetic. Like a wild horse born with muscles, maintaining its figure just by grazing.”
“A muscular wild horse.” Gyeong-jin admired Jae-woo’s perfect analogy. “But why is he forgoing intense sports today and doing equipment exercises so docilely? Will that satisfy him, the muscular wild horse?”
“What would you know, you who are late again today? He got a call saying a precious guest was coming here, and he said he shouldn’t smell like sweat.”
“Who’s this precious guest that he has to meet at the gym? How hard is he going to work them?”
“Who else would be a precious guest to Kang-joon besides his wife?”
“Seriously? You want us to watch them workout all lovey-dovey and be all sickly sweet?”
As if it wasn’t enough, he was already being thoroughly ignored by Kang-joon for not being in love or married. Not just that. He was so boastful about his wife and flaunted his love for her, it was sickening. To have to see it with his own eyes, not just hear it, was horrifying to Gyeong-jin. But Jae-woo, on the other hand, was beaming.
“How do you know if it’ll be sickening or an interesting sight?”
“What are you talking about?”
“They say you shouldn’t teach your spouse how to drive. It’s the same with exercise. It’s obvious Tae-ryeong won’t be able to lift even a kilogram with her delicate body. Do you think that muscular wild horse will smile and say, ‘Good job, woo-juju?’“
“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Jae-woo, shall we make a bet after a long time?”
“Definitely.”
Kang-joon, unaware that his two friends were making another bet about him, was waiting anxiously for his wife. Last night, while they were eating dinner, his wife suddenly asked, “Kang-joon, why aren’t you working out these days? You’re someone who never misses a workout, even if you don’t sleep.”
It was because of his tight schedule; if he didn’t skip workout time, he couldn’t spend time with his wife. His wife, who seemed to have read his mind, suggested they work out together starting tomorrow. She said they’d try it for a month, and if it was manageable, they’d continue. She was already beautiful enough to make him die for her, but what was he supposed to do if she spoke so beautifully too? Just then, the men behind Kang-joon murmured.
“Oh, wow, the new face is no joke!”
“If she’s a member here, her level must be similar. Whose daughter is she? Should I try talking to her, pretending to teach her how to work out?”
“If you fail, I’ll try.”
Since it was a membership-based club with a limited number of users, it was rare for a new face to appear. It was natural for attention to be drawn when even one new member showed up. So, Kang-joon wasn’t particularly interested and didn’t look back. Until Gyeong-jin and Jae-woo ran over to report.
“Seo Kang-joon, did your wife have a nickname like ‘Fitness Goddess’ besides ‘Medusa’?”
The two men, grinning annoyingly, simultaneously gestured behind Kang-joon. Kang-joon carelessly turned around and almost dropped the heavy barbell he was holding. The moment he saw his wife approaching, drawing the attention of all the male members, Kang-joon profoundly regretted it. He should have chosen her workout clothes, not just gotten her a membership.
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