Chapter 8.3

The midday temperature surpassed 30 degrees Celsius. Moonkyeong stopped by a market and bought a Vietnamese traditional hat, a Non, to shield herself from the scorching sunlight.  

While Seojun was busy running around, she didn’t just stay cooped up in the hotel. Since becoming part of the Leehan family, she had lived a quiet life, but Moonkyeong originally had a curious and adventurous personality.  

Here, there was no need to hide that side of herself, so she spent her days freely. One of the reasons she spent her days so energetically was because of Seojun, who shared a bed with her every night.  

He always returned to the hotel by 10 p.m. at the latest, and she knew he would head straight to bed after showering.  

The awkwardness and embarrassment were unbearable. She decided it was better to fall asleep before he entered the bedroom, so she made it a habit to pass out as soon as the clock struck 10.  

Even this morning, when he left early, he seemed to have something to say but held it back. As Seojun’s face kept popping into her mind no matter where she went, Moonkyeong shook her hands quickly.  

“Stop, stop thinking.”  

But only for a moment. Soon, she was searching for the vanilla ice cream he had bought for her the other day.  

Just as she was regretting buying ice cream because it melted too quickly in the heat, she was wiping her sticky hands with a tissue when Seojun called.  

Awkwardly positioned, she answered the phone.  

“Yes.”  

• Where are you? 

His abrupt question made Moonkyeong hesitate. She wasn’t sure if he was genuinely curious about her location or if he was about to scold her for wandering instead of staying at the hotel.  

• I asked where you are.

“Oh, I’m in downtown Da Nang.”  

• Where downtown?  

“I was about to get a foot massage.”  

• Send me your location. I’ll be there soon.  

Before she could even say, “What?” the call ended. The part about the foot massage was a lie. She had just been eating ice cream and felt embarrassed to admit it, so she made it up.  

Moonkyeong hurriedly searched for a nearby foot massage place and sent him the address.  

A short while later, he arrived, and the two sat side by side, soaking their feet in warm water.  

Like the red petals floating atop the water, her thoughts drifted aimlessly. Even just sitting close to him, his scent was enough to stir her senses.  

Moonkyeong glanced at his profile and struck up a conversation.  

“Did you finish all your work?”  

“Yes.”  

“But there’s still a day left.”  

“I know.”  

She had asked, thinking he wouldn’t waste his free time playing around with her. As she nervously bit her lip, he tilted his head toward her.  

“What’s your plan for the afternoon?”  

Moonkyeong chuckled softly.  

“Nothing, really. I was just going to wander around wherever my feet took me.”  

Seojun extended his legs toward the staff holding a towel to dry his feet and said,  

“I’ll go with you.”  

“…”  

“Wherever.”  

Perhaps it was because of his words, but Moonkyeong spent the rest of the day exploring downtown Da Nang with Seojun.  

For dinner, she suggested eating pho sold outdoors instead of going to a restaurant. She asked him if it was okay, and even while choosing the menu, she asked him three more times just to be sure.  

She felt guilty, thinking the low price on the menu might offend him. She regretted not taking him to a fancy restaurant instead.  

“Are you sure this is okay?”  

“How long are you going to keep asking that?”  

“I’m worried it won’t suit your taste.”  

“Stop worrying and just order.”  

Moonkyeong scanned the menu again.  

Unable to decide because she wanted to try everything, Seojun ended up calling the staff and asking for recommendations. He placed the order quickly, making her earlier indecisiveness seem pointless.  

Soon, two bowls of pho and some spring rolls were served. Feeling embarrassed, Moonkyeong tucked her hair behind her ears.  

“I’m a bit indecisive, aren’t I?”  

“As long as you know.”  

“I’m still figuring out my preferences. I haven’t had many chances to make choices in my life.”  

“…”  

“Next time, I’ll decide quickly.”  

“I don’t even expect anything.”

His blunt response made her laugh. He was probably right. It might be better not to expect too much.  

Choosing one thing out of many options was still a difficult task for Moonkyeong, who had always lived according to Hyeran’s preferences. Picking just one might remain a lifelong challenge for her.  

Smiling awkwardly, she picked up her chopsticks. The spring rolls, half filled with meat and half with shrimp, turned out to be much tastier than the pho she had anticipated.  

The pho, with its slightly coarse noodles, was less enjoyable than the ones she had eaten in Korea. She barely ate half of it before leaving the rest.  

Noticing that she kept reaching for the spring rolls, Seojun called the staff again. He ordered two beers and another plate of spring rolls.  

When he casually took her unfinished bowl of pho, Moonkyeong’s eyes widened.  

“Are you going to eat that?”  

“Yes.”  

“Why?”  

“Is there poison in it?”  

Moonkyeong pressed her lips together. There wasn’t, but her expression seemed to say, “It probably has a lot of my saliva.” Seojun stared at her.  

“You eat my food all the time, don’t you?”  

“…”  

“Leaving food is wasteful.”  

He finished the rest of her pho, leaving no trace of it behind.  

Looking a bit sullen, Moonkyeong opened the beer the staff had brought and took a sip.

A cool breeze blew, gently brushing her hair. The refreshing taste of beer sliding down her throat brought a smile to her face.  

Moonkyeong’s laughter, mingling with the fluttering wind, was enough to shake Seojun. He quietly poured himself a glass of beer and drank.  

He furrowed his brow.  

“Seo Moonkyeong.”  

“Yes?”  

“How does it feel to be married to me?”  

“…”  

“Worse than you imagined, isn’t it?”  

“…”  

“So, have you decided when we’ll get divorced?”  

“No, not yet.”  

Breaking the brief silence, Seojun smiled softly.  

“Shall we have another drink?”  

Having no particular reason to refuse, Moonkyeong agreed. Wearing a dress the color of the blue sea, she gave a wistful smile.  

The bar, tucked away in the innermost corner of an alley, was so small that the two of them had to sit shoulder-to-shoulder to eat. Despite its damp and gloomy exterior, the interior was surprisingly cozy.  

Sitting close enough for their shoulders to touch, Moonkyeong studied Seojun’s face closely. He still had that unique aura that could freeze people in place, but perhaps it was just her imagination—today, he seemed more relaxed than usual.  

He ordered Korean soju with a green grape flavor and a fish dish cooked with lemon. At the mention of soju, Moonkyeong’s eyes lit up.  

This wasn’t a rooftop restaurant with a great view or a Michelin-starred establishment with a professional chef. She suddenly became curious about how he knew about a place like this.  

“Have you been here often?”  

“Twice, maybe.”  

When she reacted with surprise, he wrinkled his nose in a smile.  

“Why? Doesn’t it suit me?”  

“No, it doesn’t.”  

“What about it doesn’t suit me?”  

“Well, even if I don’t, I thought you’d belong to a more refined crowd.”  

As she trailed off, the staff brought their soju. Seojun poured her glass halfway and filled his own to the brim.  

“Do you really think so?”  

“Yes.”  

The two clinked glasses. Despite the bitterness of the soju, the freedom of being in a foreign country made the drink go down smoothly. He, too, drank without so much as a grimace.  

Beyond the pristine fabric of his shirt, Seojun wet his lips with the drink.  

“I warned you I was a lowlife, didn’t I?”  

“That’s only in bed, isn’t it?”  

As Moonkyeong chuckled awkwardly, he leaned in slightly. She braced herself, thinking he was about to say something sharp, but his expression wasn’t one of reproach.  

Instead, his gaze carried a warmth reminiscent of a tender emotion she had felt from him before—a kind of unfamiliar affection.  

Caught off guard by his sudden eye contact, Moonkyeong flinched.  

“Why are you looking at me like that?”  

“You’re beautiful.”  

“Pardon?”  

“Your eyes, I mean.”  

“Oh.”  

As he poured more soju, he added,  

“Your nose is beautiful, too.”  

“…”  

“And your lips.”  

Completely flustered, Moonkyeong quickly emptied her glass as soon as he refilled it.  

What’s wrong with him? Is he already drunk? Why is he saying such things that don’t suit him? It’s making me nervous.  

One moment, he’s asking when we’ll get divorced or saying it must be worse than I imagined being married to him.  

Why does he keep throwing me off balance?  

She didn’t want to react, but her heart was racing again. Compliments about her eyes and lips weren’t new to her, so why was her heart acting up like this?  

Having grown up hearing countless compliments about her appearance, such remarks weren’t unfamiliar.  

Feeling shy for no reason, she subtly covered her cheeks with her hands.  

“Seo Moonkyeong.”  

“Huh? Yes?”  

“Don’t drink too much.”  

“Why not?”  

“It’ll be a problem if you get drunk.”  

“Why would it be a problem?”  

“Why do you think?”  

“…”  

“Just don’t fall asleep first when we get back to the hotel.”  

The words “Then what are we going to do?” rose to her throat but remained unspoken. Instead, she nodded silently.  

The shifting demeanor of this man, so different from usual, left her unable to keep up. Her heart was pounding both inside and out.  

Annoyed by the stray strands of hair that had been bothering her, she untied her hair and tied it back again. She had no idea how much the scent of her long black hair was tormenting Seojun.  

He drank faster and faster.