12.3

Once outside the study, Minhu taunted Seonho.

“You go try to convince Mother. She still listens to you more, since you’re her favorite son.”

“Why are you telling me to do that when even my sister-in-law doesn’t like it?”

“Young master, mother and I are different.”

“So you think Mother should just accept the child Father had with another woman?”

“It can’t be helped. They are husband and wife, after all.”

Yoonjeong shrugged.

“I wonder what you would do if my brother brought home another child. I’m not even sure if you included that clause in your prenuptial agreement.” 

Seonho’s comment implied that Minhu might already have other children elsewhere.

“Seonho!” 

Yoonjeong’s face went pale and she staggered slightly.

“Maybe it’s for the best? You get a child without the struggle of pregnancy. Maybe you should investigate.” 

Seonho taunted, unsettling Yoonjeong further, who then shot a wary glance at Minhu, suspecting Seonho knew something.

“Seonho, you really have no filter.”

Minhu erupted in anger.

“I just thought, given how much you defend Father, maybe it was a provision for the future. Why are you so angry unless it’s true? It’s like a thief feeling the weight of his own shackles.”

Seonho said with a sly, sweet smile, then turned and walked away, leaving a ripple of distrust between Minhu and Yoonjeong.

As Seonho stepped out onto the porch, Junsu was waiting in front of the car. Once inside the car, Seonho let out a deep sigh.

“I go through this every time, but today I’m really tired.”

“You’ve worked hard. Want to stop by the bar for a drink?”

“No, let’s just go home.”

Seonho sank into the seat. A face came to mind.

I miss her.

After enduring a dinner that felt like a battle, he missed her unbearably. Seonho pulled up a photo on his phone—a photo of Chaeyoon smiling brightly beneath a camellia tree.

Looking at the photo, the events of that day seemed as vivid as yesterday, but also as distant as a lifetime ago.

How can I see you again?

“Set up a meeting with Seokhyun for me.”

“Why?”

“To check on the app’s progress.”

“Do you really need to do that?”

Junsu spoke, sounding suspicious.

“Since when did you start questioning my schedule?”

With a chilly tone, Seonho silenced Junsu.

***

“The view is nice.”

Chaeyoon stood by the veranda window and stared out at the night view of the Han River.

“The property value here must be rising, huh?”

“That’s why Oppa chose it. It has the best sales rate for its size too.”

“Oh, our Joo-eun knows about that stuff now?”

“Of course, I adapt excellently. I even shop well at the supermarket, right?”

“My, you’re impressive.”

Joo-eun had moved from a room smaller than the apartment she had lived in before. There were concerns she might feel cramped after living in a bigger house, but seeing her so spirited was reassuring.

“It’s also close to Oppa’s company. It’s cold now so I take the car, but when the weather’s nice, I bike there.”

“We could buy a country house in the countryside for the same price, but I think it would be nice to have a place where we can come home more often once we have kids.”

Seokhyun said.

“Kids. Right, you need to start thinking about kids now.”

Chaeyoon was seized by a strange feeling. The sight of her friend, who once only cared about herself, now looking after her husband and child was truly unfamiliar. 

The thought of a baby being born between them, becoming a new family member, also seemed mystical.

“Joo-eun even decorated the interior with the baby in mind.” 

Seokhyun boasted.

“Really? Seeing our Joo-eun grow up like this, I feel like I’m going to cry.” 

Chaeyoon joked.

“Will you stop teasing me? If I put my mind to it, I can do well too—you know, others just don’t ask me to.”

“Right. Our Joo-eun is really strong in real situations. The more you know her, the more charming she becomes.”

“Oh, this doting husband. Oppa, can you please snap out of it?” 

Chaeyoon teased Seokhyun.

“If you keep this up, I won’t feed you.”

Joo-eun placed her hands on her hips, making a stern face.

“Why did I even come here on this precious Christmas Eve to see a lovey-dovey couple? After getting married, it’s like friends don’t matter anymore, huh? Only your husband exists for you?”

“Where are you going? You’re staying the night.”

Joo-eun grinned and acted cute.

“That’s okay. I’m just going to eat and then leave.”

As they bickered, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it.” 

Seokhyun said as he headed to the entrance.

“Is someone else coming?”

“Yeah. Seonho and Junsu.”

At that, Chaeyoon momentarily froze like ice.

“Why are those two coming?”

“Because they’re friends.”

“Ah, friends.”

It seems Seonho, who played a significant role in Joo-eun and Seokhyun’s marriage process, has transitioned into a friend. 

Does this mean there will be more chances to meet Seonho in the future? 

Chaeyoon felt bewildered. She thought their last meeting at Gimpo Airport when Seonho dropped her off at home, was really the final goodbye, but here he was again just a few days later.

The front door opened, and Seonho entered with a large bouquet of flowers. Junsu followed behind him, but strangely, Chaeyoon’s eyes were drawn only to Seonho.

“You were already here?” 

Seonho said with a smile, acknowledging Chaeyoon.

“Hello?”

Chaeyoon tried to greet him casually, but it was awkward, and she quickly averted her gaze.

How to handle this awkwardness? Maybe I needed to be more shameless and act as if nothing had happened, just like Seonho.

“What’s with the bouquet?” 

Joo-eun asked, taking the lush flowers from Seonho with a surprised expression.

“Junsu-hyung said it’s bad manners to come to a housewarming empty-handed.”

“It’s standard to come with both hands full.”

Junsu said as he handed over a fruit basket and a set of meats to Seokhyun.

“Really, Junsu’s sense is the best. Come in, let’s have dinner.”

The preparation for dinner kept everyone busy for a while. Soon, the dining table in the living room was set.

“You made all this food?” 

Chaeyoon asked in admiration.

“Haha, it’s hard to say I did……. I just bought the ingredients, washed them, and laid them out.”

Joo-eun said, scratching her head with an embarrassed smile.

The menu was shabu-shabu. There was a hot pot filled with broth in the center, surrounded by plates of thinly sliced beef, assorted vegetables, dumplings, and noodle plates.

“I’m attending a cooking school, but I’m not yet skilled enough to prepare a meal for guests. The teacher suggested making shabu-shabu or chicken soup, but since Chaeyoon dislikes boiled chicken, I went with shabu-shabu.”

Joo-eun said as she sliced vegetables into the boiling broth.

“You’re attending a cooking school?”

Chaeyoon was genuinely surprised to hear that Joo-eun was taking cooking lessons, considering Joo-eun had famously skipped out on cooking classes that were part of her bridal training.

“You have to cook something to live, right? Even with meal kits, you need some basic skills. With the same ingredients, how you cook them completely changes the taste.”