6.1

As the autumn air cooled, Seonho got into the car and loosely pulled at his tie. He had left work on time, which was considered a virtue for modern people, but it was merely wishful thinking as there were still schedules that needed to be finished.

“Dinner with Joo-eun? Just the two of us?”

Seonho asked Junsu as they drove, his discomfort evident.

“It seems the adults have finished discussing your engagement. You’ll have to get used to seeing each other since there will be media play before the announcement. It’s private tonight, no instructions were given.”

“Is that all you can hold out for? You need to sort things out.”

Seonho spoke, sounding annoyed.

After the fall semester midterms, Seonho joined the affiliate on schedule. It was time for the marriage pressure to start.

“Joo-eun might want to marry you.”

“They broke up after all.”

“When did they break up? It hasn’t been long after Chaeyoon left.”

“Isn’t it natural since the shield is gone?”

“Since then, Seokhyun has been in a wreck mode, just working, and Joo-eun disappeared to New York. Even after coming back, she kept hiding. You didn’t seem to care, so I didn’t tell you.”

“Yeah. I’m not interested. Whether they date or break up, it has nothing to do with me.” 

Seonho was lost in thought.

Seonho had been close with Joo-eun, who dated Seokhyun, and he slept with Joo-eun’s best friend, Chaeyoon. It was a messy relationship, but previously he thought it could lead to marriage. Because it didn’t matter.

But why? Now he was clearly averse to it. Whether it was because of his business partner Seokhyun, because of the night he spent with Chaeyoon or both, he wasn’t sure.

I guess I’ll find out when I see Chaeyoon again.

“Anyway, I’m not marrying Joo-eun.”

Seonho said firmly, then looked out at the darkening street. Thinking of Chaeyoon strangely made him feel the scent of peonies.

Just one night, even though it had been four months since then.

***

When Seonho entered the private room of the Chinese restaurant they had agreed to meet at, Joo-eun was already there waiting for him. 

She wore a bright dress and her makeup hid her pallid complexion, but she had become so thin in the past few months that she looked almost unrecognizable. Seonho, for a moment, thought he had entered the wrong room. 

But when he realized it was Joo-eun, he stopped dead in his tracks. No matter how nonchalant Seonho was, he could see the pain in her eyes that was hard to ignore.

“You’re early.”

“I have something to say.”

Before Seonho could even sit down, Joo-eun blurted out her thoughts.

“Can’t it wait? Let’s eat dinner first.”

Seonho felt an urge to make sure she ate something.

“I’m not marrying you.”

“Me neither. If that is your concern, relax, and let’s eat for now.”

Just then, the door opened and the food was brought in. At that moment, Joo-eun covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. As soon as the staff left, she started to retch.

“What’s the matter? Are you anorexic?”

When people are deeply distressed, stress can cause their bodies to send unusual signals. She had become so thin in a short time, and now the smell of food made her nauseous. It seemed like extreme stress was causing her to become anorexic.

“No, it’s not anorexia. I’m having morning sickness.”

Joo-eun pushed the plate in front of her away.

“What?”

For a moment, Seonho thought he had misheard.

“I said I have morning sickness. I’m pregnant.”

Joo-eun spoke clearly and definitively.

The saying about losing one’s words seemed apt for this moment. For the first time in a while, Seonho looked stunned.

“It seems I’m sensitive to hormonal changes. The morning sickness came early.”

“You said you broke up, didn’t you know you were pregnant before that?”

“No, I got pregnant because we were planning to get married. I thought we could break up, but it turns out we couldn’t. I guess this is what it’s like to be dying. I can’t eat or sleep, but I don’t want to die like this. If I’m going to die, I want to die married to him.”

Joo-eun’s line of thinking wasn’t surprising.

“Pregnancy doesn’t mean you could get married.”

Seonho’s voice was cold.

“I didn’t get pregnant to convince our parents. I did it to convince him.”

“Ah, yes, Seokhyun.”

Seonho nodded as if he understood.

Chaebol families can sometimes be utterly ruthless. They scheme to get pregnant for their purposes or coldly choose to terminate pregnancies.

But Seokhyun was different. He would likely cherish the life growing inside Joo-eun and do as she wished.

“Even if you convinced Seokhyun, is it really possible for you to get married before dying?”

“It’s possible.”

“How?”

Just then, a message arrived on Joo-eun’s phone. After checking it, she said,

“Let’s go.”

“Where are we going?”

“Just come out. We don’t have time.”

Seonho was pushed out of the restaurant by Joo-eun. Waiting outside, Jun-su came up to the car, looking at Seonho as if asking what to do.

“Hurry, hurry. If we get stuck in traffic, it’s hopeless.”

Joo-eun opened the back door of the car and got in first. When Seonho got in, Seokhyun was already seated in the front passenger seat.

“What are you waiting for? Let’s go.”

Urged by Joo-eun, Jun-su started driving. He was already briefed by Seokhyun.

“Where are we going?”

“To the district office.”

“Why are we going there?”

“I told you. We’re getting married.”

“Marriage? Now? Seokhyun, explain it to me so I can understand.”

Seonho, having given up on getting a clear explanation from the flustered Joo-eun, turned to Seokhyun for clarity.

“You can register your marriage at the civil affairs office at night.”

Seokhyun spoke calmly.

“I need you and Jun-su to sign as witnesses. Technically, we could sign it ourselves, but lawyers could seize on that and get it annulled.”

“I’ll take you there, but count me out of this.”

Seonho made it clear he was annoyed.

“No. You’re part of this plan. You absolutely must sign.”

Joo-eun was very firm.

“You’re going to use me?”

Seonho snorted. He had forgotten how cunning Joo-eun could be when she needed something from him.

“You’re already an accomplice in this marriage since you helped me run away.”

“Run away?”

“So, shall we register the marriage and then go home? After it’s done, I’m going to Seokhyun’s house.”

“Why do I always get the short end of the stick?”

Seonho’s voice was cold and dry.

“If I go out, bodyguards will follow, so I need someone to take me. I sent the bodyguards away because you were supposed to take me today.”

“So today was D-day.”

“Please, help me. I’ll never forget this favor and will definitely repay it.”

Joo-eun looked at Seonho with desperate eyes.

“With what? The best thing you can offer me is marriage, and obviously, neither of us wants that. Especially not now that you’ve run away from home. And it’s not like Seokhyun can offer me anything either.”

Seonho wasn’t wrong. He lacked nothing, especially nothing that these two could offer him.

“Anything. Consider it a good deed. Chaeyoon said so.”

The mention of Chaeyoon’s name made Seonho flinch involuntarily.

“She said nothing is free in this world. She said that good deeds always come back to you, no matter what, and you haven’t done a good deed in your life. So do one good deed, just this once.”

Joo-eun’s tone was harsh and fierce, as she had never asked for help before. But the desperation was palpable.

“We’re here.”

Jun-su spoke to Seonho, his expression asking what they should do next.

“Stop it, Joo-eun. This is our issue. It’s not right to drag Seonho and Jun-su into it.”

For the first time, Seokhyun, who had been silently calm up until now, spoke up.

“But…”

Seokhyun raised his hand to stop Joo-eun mid-sentence, then turned politely towards Seonho and Jun-su.

“I’m sorry to have troubled you. Today, you were just caught in an unfortunate situation with Joo-eun. You have no obligation here.”

“Are you really going to go through with this? You know what could happen next.”

Seonho asked Seokhyun once more. It wasn’t just a question; it was an opportunity, a last chance for Seokhyun to reconsider Joo-eun’s reckless plan.

“I know.”

Seokhyun’s response was brief. The smile that accompanied his answer meant many things.

Sadness, bitterness, and determination.

Seokhyun got out of the car first to open the back door for Joo-eun. As she stepped onto the ground, she staggered slightly. Though she tried to stand firm, her body was clearly exhausted.

“Be careful.”

Seokhyun supported her gently.

“Okay.”

Joo-eun clenched her teeth, trying not to cry, but her voice betrayed the tears she was struggling to hold back.

Junsu, who had followed Seokhyun down, turned away from them.

Watching a man tenderly embrace his woman, and seeing her trust in his protection, was painfully beautiful and yet heart-wrenchingly sad. It was almost too much for him to bear.

Even if they were to register their marriage here today, and Joo-eun ran away and went to Seokhyun’s house, how long could their married life possibly last?

Knowing all this and yet unable to support the decision, Jun-su could only clench his fists in frustration.

Click!

The car door opened, and Seonho stepped out.

“Let’s go.”

Seonho said to them. They stared at him blankly.

“You said we have to sign as witnesses. We don’t have much time.”

Seonho checked his watch, speaking in an indifferent tone.

“It’s okay. I don’t want to put you in a difficult position.”

Seokhyun was the first to come to his senses and said to Seonho.

“Doing good deeds is supposed to bring good things, right? Today, let’s just pretend I’m being fooled into doing a good deed for the first time. Let’s see what comes of it.”

As he finished speaking, Jun-su, ever the efficient secretary, quickly pointed the way they needed to go, and Seonho strode towards it.