CHAPTER 51

Siyeon eventually sat, facing him. Ijun took out another glass from the cupboard and placed it in front of her and poured wine. Although she still didn’t quite understand where she was or what was happening, Ijun behaved as if he had lived in this house for a long time, effortlessly.

“I’m willing to accept the conditions you mentioned.”

Ijun said as he placed the wine bottle on the table.

“You suggested living until the end of the year without officially registering the marriage, like everyone else, right? Fine. Since it turned out like this, I guess I should make that much effort.”

“Thank you for agreeing to my proposal.”                                         

Siyeon calmly said after taking a sip of wine and placing the glass down. Siyeon calmly spoke. She didn’t know why Ijun suddenly changed his mind. Even if the purpose was to break up with her, the current situation seemed better than the alternative.

“If you have anything you want to say, say it now. I’m willing to accommodate what I can.”

He wasn’t smiling, but he was listening attentively.

“I hope you won’t show too much dislike for me in front of our parents. I don’t want to worry them.”

“….”

“Of course… I know it’s difficult, but I hope you’ll make an effort.”

“Is there anything else?”

He looked down and asked while drinking wine. Siyeon breathed a sigh of relief inside when Ijun relatively easily accepted her proposal.

“And if possible, I would like to call you ‘Ijun oppa’ in front of our close friends and relatives from both sides.”

“….”

“Of course, I didn’t mean to imply that I want to. I’ll just call you Mr. Ijun like before.”

Siyeon quickly corrected herself when she saw Ijun’s expression stiffen. She had let her guard down, thinking that he was silently listening to her opinions. She had gone too far ahead.

“If there’s something you want me to cooperate with, let me know. That’s how we can be fair to each other.”

“Why aren’t you eating anything?”

“….”

Siyeon widened her eyes slightly. She could only stare directly into his eyes as she couldn’t understand the meaning behind his words.

“Why aren’t you eating anything?”

This time, he gestured towards the food on the table with his eyes. She realized he was asking why she wasn’t having any snacks with the wine.

“It’s okay.”

Siyeon was amazed that Ijun thought she could eat the snacks he prepared. His face subtly stiffened, apparently dissatisfied with her response.

“…The helpers will come early tomorrow morning. If you want to move in, let me know now. It aligns with the break hours.”

“No, it’s fine. It’s more convenient for me, too.”

“Use any room you want. If you want the first floor, go ahead.”

“I prefer the second floor. It has a rooftop.”

“….”

After emptying his glass by drinking the wine all at once, he put it down. Siyeon also placed her empty glass on the table. There was a brief awkward silence.

“If we’re done talking, I’ll go upstairs now.”

“Sure.”

“Then…”

Siyeon was about to say goodnight but hesitated. The title of ‘Sir Ijun’ didn’t suit a goodnight; it was more appropriate for a farewell. Referring to Jun as ‘Oppa’ (older brother) seemed overly familiar.

Carrying a strawberry milk carton and a bottle of water, Siyeon stood up from the dining table. She had a conversation with him today and there was progress between them. Ijun promised to make an effort not to show any signs of disliking her in front of his parents or acquaintances.

For now, she felt relieved with just that promise. She had to greet both sets of parents in a few days, so she didn’t want to worry about calling him Mr. Ijun in front of people. But she planned to omit titles tactfully.

Originally, she was planning to go straight to bed, but she opened her laptop while lying down on her stomach. A hungry growl emanated from her stomach.

“Just 2,000 more characters and then sleep.”

Siyeon started typing while lying down.

* * *

Quiet rustling sounds came from downstairs. The sound of opening and closing pot lids. The sound of chopping on a cutting board. The sound of steam escaping from a rice cooker. It wasn’t just the sound, though. A savory aroma that stimulated my appetite wafted up the stairs to the second floor.

Oh, the two housekeepers were supposed to come early in the morning. But today is Sunday.

Siyeon rubbed her eyes and got out of bed. She let out a groaning sound involuntarily. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she pinned up her long hair with a large hairpin.

She changed into comfortable indoor clothes and went downstairs to the first floor, where she was greeted by two middle-aged women who seemed pleasant.

One of the two, who seemed more experienced, said that if there were no special instructions, she would prepare breakfast every day at 6:30 a.m., in accordance with the boss’s weekday work schedule. On weekends, it would be at 8 a.m.

“If I don’t come down at that time, you don’t have to wake me up on purpose. I’ll eat breakfast on my own.”

For Siyeon, who mostly worked at night, having breakfast at 6:30 a.m. was impossible. Waking up at that time was out of the question. Whether Ijun wanted her to have breakfast with him was uncertain, but it was unlikely.

Looking at the clock, it was already 7:30 a.m. Siyeon went up to the rooftop with her laptop and padding.

“Oh, this is nice.”

She placed her laptop on the wooden table and started walking slowly on the terrace. It felt like she could hear the sound of the wooden deck bouncing with each step.

The once faded green grass would soon change to vibrant green. It would be nice to have a few large flower pots on the terrace, but that might not be allowed. A couple of small mini pots that could fit on the table wouldn’t be bad.

“Let’s place an order.”

Siyeon searched for a suitable-sized desk and chair for the second-floor room and a small-sized plant to place on the rooftop desk using her phone. Although the house was well-equipped, she had to order the small things she needed.

“And… an outdoor daybed.”

Having a space where she could lie down outdoors was essential for her, as she enjoyed taking naps outdoors. But when it came time to place an order, she hesitated a bit.

She wondered if it would be okay to place something so big on the rooftop. Ijun might not like it.

“…Let’s think about that later.”

Siyeon looked at the spacious wooden deck and the even larger lawn and sighed with regret. But she had to think carefully. Bringing in a daybed the size of a room was a problem, and taking it out when leaving was also an issue.

“This is the dilemma of someone who buys things.”

She thought she should casually ask Ijun about it when the opportunity arose. He probably would just nod without much thought.

When she went downstairs around 8:00, a meal for two was prepared on the dining table. Ijun was already seated, he was wearing cotton pants and a long-sleeved tee, as if he wasn’t planning on leaving.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah.”

Siyeon sat opposite him, greeted him, and he nodded slightly. He lowered his gaze back to the tablet PC in his hands. When she sent a casual glance in that direction, Ijun, conscious of her gaze, turned off the screen and placed it beside him.

“I didn’t intentionally peek. And besides, it’s not visible from my seat.”

She didn’t mean to snoop, and explained as Ijun turned off the screen. Even if it was an important internal company document, she felt bad for him for turning off the screen when she wouldn’t know even understand what it meant.

Facing Siyeon, Ijun silently extended a card. It was a black credit card.

“…What is this?”

“If you need anything in the future, use this for purchases.”

“It’s okay. I earn money too.”

Siyeon pushed the card back towards him.

“Do you make enough money to be able to wear something extravagant, not as Choi Siyeon, but as Jeong Ijun’s wife?”

“I don’t think there will be that many occasions where I’ll be introduced as your wife, but I’ll dress formally where necessary, and that’s not necessarily proportional to the price.”

“Isn’t that why you want to be the CEO’s wife?”

“Well, it’s not too late to say that after you become the CEO. Anyway, for now, you’re just an executive director.”

“…”

“I’ll eat well.”

Ignoring his cold gaze, Siyeon started to eat, lifting the spoon first. Soon, Ijun picked up his chopsticks and spoke.

“I’ll be busy starting tomorrow. I’ll be going to work.”

“Going to work……? Aren’t you on vacation until Wednesday?”

Their honeymoon was scheduled to return on Wednesday. Normally, they’d be home until Wednesday, but it seemed like Ijun was just going to go to work.

“If you want to meet your parents, today’s the only day.”

“Are you going with me?”

Ijun’s gaze briefly travelled up to her face and then dropped.

“Eat and get ready.”

He meant he would go with her.

“If they ask why we returned early from the honeymoon, what should I say?”

Suddenly, she felt anxious. After the meal, she had to call her parents and discuss with Ijun about the excuse for returning early from the honeymoon.

“An excuse like there was an urgent matter at work should be safe.”

“…Ah.”

There was no need to overthink it. Ijun was a busy man, and her parents would be convinced if she told them he had to come up earlier than planned for work.

“Great. I’ll go and pack my important things first and ask them to send the rest here.”

She had originally planned to pick up her belongings from her parents’ house the day she returned from her honeymoon. She was going to get her car separately. She was grateful that it happened this way, as living here was already uncomfortable.

As soon as she finished eating, she quickly called her mother and briefly explained the situation. Her mother was stomping her feet, asking what to do with the mess in the house, but Siyeon told her that she shouldn’t feel too pressured as they were just going to have a cup of tea.

After a while, the two of them set off for Siyeon’s home.

***

As the car entered a familiar neighborhood after a long drive, Siyeon felt a lump in her chest.

It was a complicated feeling of missing the neighborhood where she used to live and feeling a twinge of pain in her heart. The memory of working part-time at Yeongjin Factory and having lunch there already felt distant.

The car stopped next to Siyeon’s small house. When the driver opened the car door, Ijun, dressed in a suit, got out first, followed by Siyeon. The two of them entered through the front gate.

“Huh? You’re here too, Yoonsoo Oppa?”

Seeing Yoonsoo sitting on the bench, Siyeon widened her eyes in surprise and asked. He was sitting so naturally that one might mistake him for a family member.

“Jessica’s coming over, and I’m supposed to be here to greet her.”

He turned his gaze towards Ijun and got up from his seat.

“Hello. I’m Park Yoonsoo.”

Ijun’s cold gaze turned towards Siyeon as if needing interpretation and explanation. It made her anxious as Ijun’s mood seemed to have soured even before meeting her parents.

“…Mr. Ijun. This is Park Yoonsoo, who works at Yeongjin with my father.”

“……”

‘This is bad.’

Seeing Ijun slowly close his eyes and open them with an expressionless face, that thought crossed Siyeon’s mind.