“I’m sorry. I don’t want to be a woman to Mr. Sihyeong. And my feelings won’t change.”

“Ms. Yunjoo, I’ll wait anyway.”

“Mr. Sihyeong, please don’t. I want to stay being good friends with you. So please don’t do this. If you do, we won’t be able to see each other anymore.”

“Ms. Yunjoo.”

“You’ll meet someone wonderful, Mr. Sihyeong.”

Yunjoo said what she had to say and stood up. Without the full explanation, there was no reason for Sihyeong to accept it. But telling people still felt like too much of a burden, and she didn’t want to.

“I have something to take care of today, so let’s leave it here.”

“Ms. Yunjoo, then I’ll call you. We haven’t become people who can’t even call each other, have we?”

“Of course not.”

* * *

After parting with Sihyeong, Yunjoo stopped by the market, came home, and called Kangwook. While the phone rang, the meeting with Sihyeong and the things he had said weighed on her for no particular reason. Then the thought of Kangwook finding out what Sihyeong had said to her crossed her mind, and she shook her head hard to throw it out.

If Choi Kangwook found out, he would either bar her from going to the theater company altogether or reveal their marriage and send someone to guard her. Yunjoo had been surprised by Kangwook in many ways since they had grown closer. She had thought he was someone who cared about nothing and had no passion for anything outside of work.

That was why she had assumed he didn’t stick to one woman, and that he was someone who didn’t look after or take care of anyone. But lately, that same Kangwook waited if she didn’t call, and whenever she came home late, he always stayed up until she walked through the door before going to his own room.

Watching him try to look after her as his person was both amusing and quietly gratifying. Part of what had allowed Yunjoo to open herself to Kangwook was his confession that he had never loved anyone, and that he too had been lonely. A man who was formidable and accustomed to having everything go his way had spoken to her without any force.

That had surprised her, and through it, she had seen Kangwook differently. He was always glad when she called, even in passing, and never treated her calls as a nuisance even when he was busy. On days she didn’t call, he was the one who felt let down. It was his way of telling her that her presence held a special place in a life where every minute and second counted.

“He’s not picking up, so he must be in a meeting.”

She tossed the phone carelessly onto the sofa, put away the groceries, and went upstairs to change. While changing, she noticed she smelled of sweat, so she showered and came back down. She came downstairs feeling refreshed and went to find her phone to call again. She remembered tossing it earlier and checked the sofa, and there it was, wedged behind a cushion.

‘Goodness! Cha Yunjoo, honestly…’

She picked up the phone and opened it to a blinking light. Multiple missed calls from Kangwook. Knowing he wasn’t the type to give up just because she didn’t answer, she let out a small laugh and pressed the call button, and before the line even had a chance to ring, Kangwook’s voice burst through.

“Mr. Kang…”

– Where are you?

“I’m home.”

– Then why didn’t you answer? You had me worried!

“I left it downstairs when I went up to the second floor. Why are you raising your voice?”

– I called and you didn’t answer. I was worried!

“If you keep raising your voice I’m hanging up.”

– Hah… fine. I won’t raise my voice. Go ahead.

With Yunjoo, worry always came first, and that was why his voice kept climbing.

“Did the meeting not go well? You sound irritated.”

– Yeah, it’s been frustrating.

“Really? And you haven’t eaten lunch, have you?”

– Huh, Cha Yunjoo, you know everything without even seeing me now.

“That’s probably why you’re even more irritated.”

– I miss our Yunjoo.

“Ugh… why are you being like this? It’s strange.”

– What’s strange about it? Your husband says he misses you.

“Oh, never mind that. The important thing is, what time can you be home tonight?”

She still felt flustered and embarrassed by Kangwook’s blunt expressions, so she tried to get to the point and end the call quickly. Who would ever imagine it, from the man with that icy face? 

Yunjoo often found herself marveling at how much Kangwook was changing, and struggling to keep up. Was this man always capable of living like this?

– Tonight?

“Yes, do you have plans? It’s your birthday today, Mr. Kangwook. Let’s eat together.”

– Is it? Today is…

The thought that he had been living without even remembering his own birthday made Kangwook pause. After his mother passed away and his father remarried, he had no memory of anyone marking his birthday. No, more accurately, he had made a point of not coming home on that day. When Yunjoo asked about it, his words trailed off.

“You can’t make it. It’s fine if you’re busy.”

Kangwook didn’t answer right away, so Yunjoo assumed it was too last-minute a request and quickly told him it was fine. Kangwook had been drifting along in the weight of those thoughts, but when he heard Yunjoo trying to take it back, he answered quickly.

– No, I can. Even if I can’t, I’ll make it work. It’s someone’s request, so I have to come through.

She thought Kangwook might be put out by such a sudden, unplanned ask.

“You don’t have to force it. If you have other plans…”

– Yunjoo.

Yunjoo was still like this. The moment she sensed even a flicker of hesitation from him, she stepped back immediately. He wanted to see a Yunjoo who was bold and stubborn and demanding with him no matter what, but it was hard for her.

“Mr. Kangwook, I’m fine…”

– You’re inviting me over because it’s my birthday, aren’t you? The guest of honor has to show up.

“Then what time can you be here?”

– I won’t be able to make it early. It might be past eight. You should have told me this morning.

“I just didn’t want to put pressure on you.”

– Remembering my birthday and everything, you’re really acting like a proper wife.

His birthday had never meant anything to him. But with Yunjoo saying she wanted to spend it together, it suddenly felt like something special.

“First, go eat a sandwich or something. You’ll be less irritable that way. Make sure you eat. I’m going to call the secretarial office to check.”

– Got it. Our Yunjoo is scary.

“See you later. Go back to work.”

– I just want to go home.

“Mr. Kangwook!”

Kangwook’s bright, easy laugh came through the phone and into her heart, sending another great wave rolling through her. After the call ended, Yunjoo moved quickly to prepare dinner. Now then, what wine did they have, where did she put the candlesticks, ah, she should have picked up some flowers too. Yunjoo was happy.

The truth was, she didn’t know much about wine, had never used the candlesticks, and had never bought flowers. There had never been a special occasion in this house. And yet here she was, doing the small ordinary things other people did. What Choi Kangwook had given her was the chance to share ordinary moments and make them special together.

For other people, a birthday meant going out to eat, receiving gifts, a happy day. For her, it had always been just another day. And yet it was Kangwook’s birthday, and she was the one more worked up about it.

‘I never managed to buy a gift. I’ll have to make up for it with dinner. What does he not have, anyway.’

She looked this way and that, turned a single plate around and around, and finally decided to leave the wine to Kangwook. She gave the table setting one last look-over and decided to change before he arrived. The black see-through dress was one of Yunjoo’s favorites.

Wearing something she loved on a happy day made it even better. The dress let her undergarments show faintly in the light, but she figured it would be fine. She had bought it, but rarely had occasion to wear it. She couldn’t wear something like this to work, and if her father or brothers ever caught sight of her in it, she would never hear the end of it.

Yunjoo put on the Habanera from Carmen, one of her favorites. All she needed was a red flower in her hair and she would be Carmen herself. Yunjoo loved Carmen.

‘What a shame.’

She was murmuring to herself and laughing quietly when Kangwook’s voice came from behind her and startled her. She had no idea when he had come in, but he was already watching her.

“When did you get here? You scared me!”

“…Cha Yunjoo.”

“Welcome home. Once you’ve washed up, you may enter Cha Yunjoo’s open kitchen.”

Flustered by Kangwook’s sudden appearance, Yunjoo quickly said her piece and tried to duck into the kitchen. She wanted to get out from under his gaze for a moment. She couldn’t bear to stand there, mortified at the thought that he might have heard her muttering to herself while looking herself over.

He had been anxious that work might run late and had pushed through like mad to get home. This was Yunjoo’s first dinner invitation to him. And it was also his first birthday spent with Yunjoo. Still, he hadn’t wanted to walk in empty-handed, so for the very first time in his life, he had stopped by a flower shop himself.