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“I’ll try assembling it.”
At Taeryeong’s words, Kang-joon’s expression turned serious. “My wife, don’t lift a finger.”
Who was it that made me move more than just a finger? Taeryeong barely suppressed a chuckle and knelt beside her husband.
“Hmm... because I, your wife, need to protect my husband’s pride?”
With her coaxing, gentle tone, Kang-joon finally smiled in defeat and handed over the fire pit. Taeryeong suddenly felt a strange sensation and stared at Kang-joon. This man, who had been perfectly impenetrable, was now so compliant with her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I’m grateful.”
“For what?”
Just... for loving me. Instead of saying what she couldn’t, Taeryeong smiled sweetly and said, “For letting me be a good wife who protects her husband’s pride.”
“If you’re grateful, then let me have some skinship.”
“...That’s why skinship is forbidden.”
Taeryeong glared and muttered softly, and Kang-joon let out a low laugh. The sound of his laughter was pleasant to hear, so Taeryeong eventually laughed along. Everything felt good. This moment, this atmosphere, this feeling, this man.
“I’m good at this kind of thing. It was my hobby when I was little.”
Taeryeong stopped laughing and first searched for the fire pit model on her phone. After searching for the assembly method, she input the steps and sequence into her mind. In truth, Taeryeong was skilled at assembly and setup. Unintentionally, she had always been alone since childhood and had to solve everything by herself. When the lights went out, she shivered and endured, and if something broke, she left it for days or even months. Her grandmother, who left early in the morning and returned late at night, was just as clueless. But as time passed and she grew older, she somehow figured out how to solve problems. Growing up strong in harsh environments often proved useful later on. Like now.
“Ta-da!”
As she expertly assembled the fire pit, placed the grill, and even lit the charcoal, Kang-joon’s eyes filled with admiration. Rather than admiration, the expression “fell for her anew” was more accurate. It was a moment when they both fell for each other again. Taeryeong for her cute husband, the handsome klutz. Kang-joon for his cool wife, who expertly handled equipment. Perhaps feeling awkward just standing there, Kang-joon became busy again.
“I’ll make you a delicious lunch.”
“What’s the menu?”
“They say pork belly and doenjang-jjigae are the best for camping.”
Kang-joon, rummaging through things, seemed to be fumbling again. He was just so confident that it didn’t show. Nevertheless, Taeryeong decided to just watch quietly. Not to monitor him, but because his klutziness was cute and quirky. Kang-joon poured whole vegetables into a pot filled with mineral water. Naturally, water splashed, and Kang-joon, who was a germaphobe, recoiled in disgust. Whoever prepared this for Kang-joon, they did their job faithfully. There was even a cutting board and knife. Just before an entire tub of doenjang was about to be dumped into the pot, Taeryeong stood up again. She quickly retrieved the buried vegetables with tongs and placed them on a plate. Taeryeong smiled sweetly at Kang-joon, who looked at her with a rather troubled expression.
“I’ll just do the cooking.”
“If you do that, I’ll look like such a idler. It’ll seem like I brought you here just to make you work.”
“It’s not like the tasks are fixed for one person. We just need to do our best at what we’re good at, depending on the situation.”
“Are you saying we should do our best at what we’re good at, according to the situation?”
Kang-joon’s eyes deepened as he leisurely repeated the question.
“Yes. I’ll do my best at what I’m good at, and Kang-joon, you can do your best at what you’re good at.”
However, Taeryeong, busy cutting vegetables, answered nonchalantly. But there was no reply. Taeryeong casually turned her head and flinched. Kang-joon had come excessively close. Where had the adorable klutz growler gone? The sexy growler, exuding a rich pheromone, secretly whispered in her ear.
“Then Joo Se-hee’s sexy growler just needs to do her best at night?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
At Taeryeong’s immediate, reflexive refusal, Kang-joon looked hurt.
“No, it’s not that I don’t want to...”
Taeryeong’s voice trailed off. She didn’t really dislike it, but she couldn’t tell him to do his best either. Biting her lip, Taeryeong racked her brain, then continued with a serious expression,
“Moderately.”
Thinking it was an excellent answer, Taeryeong continued slicing vegetables. After that, it was peaceful. Taeryeong took the lead in cooking, and Kang-joon coolly stepped back as her assistant. Whatever Taeryeong started, Kang-joon naturally took care of the cleanup. When Taeryeong offered to help, this time Kang-joon stopped her. He reminded her who said they should do what they were good at. So Taeryeong sat quietly. Because Kang-joon, being neat, was better at cleaning up.
________________________________________
They strolled through the forest and listened to music. They went down to the stream and walked endlessly along the mountain path, searching for small wild animals. The cool breeze, the crisp air, and the fresh scent of grass and trees were all pleasant. While Taeryeong drank warm tea at the table, Kang-joon set up a space behind the car. He laid out blankets, strung lights along the wall, and lit lanterns. As Taeryeong approached Kang-joon, who was beckoning her over, she asked,
“You prepared this too?”
“It said in the report that doing this when it gets dark creates a nice atmosphere.”
“Where is that?”
“In a car camping report created by camping experts. There were many good examples.”
As Kang-joon lifted her up and set her down in the back of the car, Taeryeong whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, “Thank you for preparing such a wonderful trip that I’ll never forget.”
Just like that? So suddenly? Kang-joon’s narrowed eyes seemed to ask.
“You’ve been very busy, Kang-joon. Honestly, I was surprised you kept your promise.”
“What did I do? I just entrusted it to experts and chose from what they provided.”
“You were the one who chose, acted on it, and cared, Kang-joon. So to me, it’s all something you did.”
At Taeryeong’s serious expression, Kang-joon chuckled.
“I’m grateful you think that way.”
She could tell how carefully Kang-joon had planned and chosen this trip. This trip, which didn’t start in a fancy hotel and perfectly suited Taeryeong’s taste, was proof. Though the space was small, the two sat close together, taking in the forest as darkness descended.
“I think I understand why people fall in love with camping.”
Taeryeong murmured softly and nestled into Kang-joon’s arms. Feeling his strong arms wrap around her, she slowly closed her eyes. I don’t want to let this man go. I want to keep loving him. But the more she craved him, the less confident she became. He was a man who had so much, so much to lose. Even if he knew the whole truth, would he still choose her in the end? Would he still love her unchangingly, without thinking she was tainted? If it were just dating, it wouldn’t be this hard. Slowly opening her eyes, Taeryeong asked Kang-joon,
“The protagonists in that movie...”
“That trashy movie?”
Taeryeong smiled bitterly. Hearing the word “trashy” from Kang-joon felt strange. Their current relationship was also trashy.
“If the twin sister and that man truly loved each other, don’t you think the movie could have ended with their happy ending? What do you think, Kang-joon?”
“I don’t really want to think about it.”
“Why? Because it’s too trashy and disgusting?”
“Because there’s no need to empathize with the movie. I wish my wife would be the same.”
Kang-joon’s eyes, looking down at her, were deep. As if he didn’t understand why she was so fixated on that movie.
“Women are usually emotional and like to empathize. That’s why they like romance.”
“...”
“So I’m curious what you think, Kang-joon.”
In truth, Taeryeong disliked romance the most. She had never watched one and didn’t want to. But she desperately wanted to know Kang-joon’s thoughts. How would this man perceive that situation? With the faint hope of even 1%.
“Love isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card, is it?”
His low voice, slowly flowing out, gently settled in Taeryeong’s ear.
“Love is love, and what’s wrong is wrong.”
It was a perfectly objective answer, devoid of any empathy, yet Taeryeong felt as if she had been harshly struck in the heart. Because it’s love. That was the reason she had justified her desire for her husband until now. But now she understood. As Kang-joon said, love couldn’t be a get-out-of-jail-free card for everything. What was dirty was dirty, and what was forbidden was forbidden. Like him and her.
“If you can’t handle it, you shouldn’t even start.”
Kang-joon was right. If she couldn’t handle it, she shouldn’t have started in the first place. Accepting the crashing reality made her heart ache as if torn, but at the same time, she felt a sense of relief. It felt as if her lingering regrets had finally been sorted out. Taeryeong smiled gently and replied,
“I think so too. Love isn’t a get-out-of-jail-free card.”
After she left, Kang-joon might learn the truth. He might divorce, as Taeryeong wished. But that would be all. The ugly truth behind their divorce would not be revealed to the world. Although it was clearly love, the chances of her husband searching for her would be slim. If he were just an ordinary man, she would have hope. But Seo Kang-joon was the future of Han-shin and the future of Korean corporations. To protect that future, Taeryeong herself had to be quietly buried. Kang-joon would do the same, even knowing it was love. Taeryeong burrowed deeper into Kang-joon’s arms and murmured,
“I’ll never forget this trip.”
He wouldn’t know that this was truly their last trip. And so, for Taeryeong, it was a trip as perfect as it was sorrowful.
________________________________________
The last day of the trip. The two spent the entire day at the villa. They watched a movie, had a barbecue in the garden, and walked hand in hand by the lake. Taeryeong smiled a lot for Kang-joon, expressed herself, and was unhesitant with affectionate gestures. His wife’s subtle and small changes had reached their maximum during this trip. Enough to make him want to show his gratitude to Secretary Yoon and his younger brother again when they returned. Because his wife loved the trip so much that she called it unforgettable. After this trip, Kang-joon would be insanely busy, starting with a business trip to the US. Fortunately, his wife’s schedule for her overseas business trip around the same time was just as demanding. The conclusion was that they were both busy and would have to be separated for a while. As the sun set, the moon rose, and night approached, the two sat on a swing chair in the garden. Taeryeong, resting her face on Kang-joon’s shoulder, was looking at the night sky. I wish she’d stop looking at the sky and look at me. Unable to endure the wait, Kang-joon leaned towards Taeryeong.
“Why don’t you look at me now?”
“...”
“Before I become a timid growler again.”
Taeryeong let out a small laugh, cupped Kang-joon’s face, and quietly met his eyes. Looking at her clear eyes, filled with laughter, she knew. She had to kiss him now. Cupping the back of her small head with his hand, he gently kissed her. And as if waiting, Taeryeong let out a soft moan and her fingers tangled in Kang-joon’s hair. As the kiss deepened, Kang-joon stood up, holding Taeryeong. They passed through the garden and crossed the living room, and when Taeryeong opened her eyes, they were in the bedroom. She sat up and stared at Kang-joon as he took off his shirt. Their eyes met, and Kang-joon smiled lazily and said,
“Moderately. I haven’t forgotten...!”
Taeryeong sat up and initiated the kiss. With her lips pressed against the stiffened Kang-joon, she whispered softly, “My sexy growler.”
The moment he heard that sweet, endearing name, something inside Kang-joon snapped. The blood in his entire body boiled. Kang-joon hugged Taeryeong so tightly it felt like he would crush her, and a long night began. Waves of hot and passionate sensations deeply consumed Taeryeong’s entire body. Her eyes, hot with fever, slowly became wet. It was good enough to make her cry, yet also sorrowful. Reaching his limit, Kang-joon’s hand urgently reached for the bedside table. Knowing what he was looking for, Taeryeong interlocked her fingers with his and pulled his hand back to her. Two pairs of eyes met across a precarious gap. Hot, burning eyes and eyes wet with sorrow.
“...”
“...”
Looking at his slightly bewildered eyes, Taeryeong quietly shook her head. Yet, Kang-joon hesitated. She knew what her husband was worried about. So Taeryeong pulled his neck down with her slender arms. She wanted to dispel his hesitation. With a soft breath, she whispered shyly into his ear,
“Give me a baby.”
At her bold bedside plea, Kang-joon froze as if startled. But only for a moment.
“...Damn it.”
Taeryeong hugged Kang-joon tightly as he muttered a rough curse and approached her. Hot tears streamed down the corners of her closed eyes.
Because she loved this man so much, she had to leave now. When their love was at its hottest and most beautiful. She wanted the woman Joo Se-hee to remain the hottest and most beautiful memory for him. That’s why she wanted it. The best gift he could give her, who dared not desire him. Not their child, but her child, who would strongly resemble him.
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