Chapter 65

Seonghee said she started trying to protect Haji from Seojin when they were in high school. At some point, she found Seojin, who was lurking in front of her door, suspicious. That’s how it looked to Seonghee.

“I didn’t know…….”

“Because you’re not very perceptive?”

Tsk, though it was true, Haji’s lips pouted slightly.

Watching Seonghee poke at watermelon with a fork, Haji kept her mouth shut. She recalled the meetings with Seojin that Seonghee, who tried to protect her, didn’t know about.

“I didn’t know Ki Seojin was so persistent. After that, he didn’t show any interest in women and left overseas, so I thought it was over.”

“Yeah…….”

I also thought my connection with Seojin was over at that time.

“I just want you to be happy.”

Seonghee said with a serious tone, unlike her playful tone from moments ago. It made Haji’s heart swell with emotion.

“Don’t, don’t cry.”

Seonghee waved her hand, noticing it.

“I know, I won’t cry.”

“If you cry like this, Ki Seojin will try to eat me alive. Don’t cry anymore.”

“Tsk…….”

That’s the reason?

Haji mumbled and gave Seonghee a playful glare.

“Even if it’s my brother, you can break up with him if you don’t think you’ll be happy. I’m serious about this.”

“Okay.”

When Haji nodded obediently, Seonghee widened her eyes and smiled mischievously.

“Are you going to break up?”

“Oh, no. That’s not it…….”

“Then you won’t break up?”

“Hmm?”

Not knowing the intention of the question, Haji asked back with wide eyes.

“If you don’t break up, you’ll become part of our family, right?”

“Family……?”

“Yeah, family. If you marry Ki Seojin, you’ll be family with me, right?”

Family.

Marriage.

Haji blinked at the thought of a future she had never considered.

“Surely, you’re not planning to make Ki Seojin an old bachelor, are you?”

“Huh……?”

As Haji looked puzzled, Seonghee chuckled and shook her head.

“You’ve never thought about it even once?”

“Thought about what?”

“Marriage.”

“…….”

Haji closed her mouth. As Seonghee said, she had never thought about it.

“I was wondering.”

“But that’s not something I should think about alone…….”

“With Ki Seojin, it’s obvious.”

It’s obvious from the fact that he’s letting you live in this house.

Seonghee folded her arms and frowned as if thinking about something.

“He hasn’t said anything, right?”

“Said what?”

“About marriage. Like, ‘let’s get married’, or ‘when would be a good time’?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Haji quickly answered as if she was being interrogated. It seemed very serious.

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“What do you want to do?”

Haji slightly avoided Seonghee’s gaze, which seemed to be trying to see through her.

“I don’t know.”

“Why? Don’t you want to marry my brother?”

“It’s not that…….”

Haji didn’t continue her words and poked at the watermelon seeds with her fork.

“I don’t know why I should get married.”

“Hmm…….”

Surprised by Haji’s words, Seonghee opened her eyes wide for a moment and then nodded.

“Well, when you’re already living together like this, you might wonder if marriage has any meaning.”

Seonghee tried to understand Haji’s words and guessed the reason.

“That’s part of it, but I really don’t know why I should get married.”

Haji spoke her thoughts quietly. She really didn’t know why people wanted to get married or what the reason for it was.

It wasn’t because the subject was Seojin that she couldn’t find a reason. She just didn’t know why people desired marriage or what the reason for doing it was.

On the contrary, she was more scared. Since losing her parents, she had never been part of someone’s family, so she felt she might not be able to adapt.

The desire to have a family was something from a long time ago, and it ended in hurt back then, so she no longer wished for it. She had realized that forcing a family wasn’t possible.

Seonghee looked at Haji, who was having this conversation, with an incomprehensible gaze. Haji continued speaking to Seonghee.

“Seojin oppa doesn’t seem to have any thoughts about marriage either.”

“…… Really?”

Haji nodded at Seonghee’s reluctant question.

“He’s never talked about it even once. So I think that’s the case.”

Probably. 

Seojin didn’t seem like the type of man to be tied down by marriage in Haji’s opinion.

“If that’s both of your opinions, then there’s nothing to be done. Still, be family with me. Let’s have a closer relationship than with Ki Seojin.”

Haji nodded with a smile at Seonghee’s usual whining words.

***

Standing at the entrance holding an umbrella, Haji listened to Seojin’s voice over the phone.

• I just got off. I’m going straight home.

“Already? You’re already back?”

• Already? I wanted to go yesterday.
•  

She was surprised that someone who went on a business trip to Jeju Island tried to plan a day trip, and she was surprised again at his following words.

• Because I didn’t want to leave you alone.

“…… I was with Seonghee.”

• I didn’t expect her to stay until morning.

Was it my imagination that his words sounded like jealousy?

“Are you jealous?”

She ended up asking. Even though she knew he wouldn’t be.

• Yes.

“What?”

• I’m jealous. I don’t like anyone else being by your side except me.

Seojin had never expressed himself so openly before, which made it even more bewildering.

“W-why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

She saw her face in the elevator mirror. It was flushed red, as if it might explode at any moment.

• Just so you know. This is how I feel.

His words, telling her to know this is how he always feels even if he doesn’t say it all, left her feeling both dumbfounded and thrilled.

“Drive carefully. It’s raining…….”

The umbrella opened with a snap, shielding Haji from the rain. Her shoes touched the waterlogged pavement with a splash.

• Haji.

“Yeah?”

• Be careful of cars, be careful of fire, be careful of dogs.

“What is that?”

A laugh escaped. It was such a random comment.

• Just be careful. I’d like to go with you if I could.

“I’m just going to the supermarket right in front. Someone might think I’m going far.”

Someone might think it was excessive, but she understood his feelings. Knowing that he was worried because he knew how much she had suffered on rainy days in the past.

It was a challenge for her as well. She was in better condition than usual and had peace of mind knowing her parents’ memories were alive.

And more than anything, just knowing there were people who wished for her happiness gave her strength.

“I’ll be back safely.”

• Come back safely.

She ended the call with a bright smile, hearing his voice worried about her until the end.

***

The supermarket, where she hadn’t been in a while, was bustling with people as if announcing the weekend. Pushing a cart, Haji navigated through the crowd, scanning left and right.

“It was here.”

When she couldn’t find what she was looking for, Haji stood still in her place until someone recognized her.

“Newlywed? You’re the newlywed I saw last time! Come and try it. The ribs are delicious.”

“Oh…….”

Haji, who was watching the supermarket employee lady calling her, was drawn to her.

“Didn’t your handsome husband come with you?”

“I came alone. Do you remember us?”

“Of course, I remember such a handsome couple. How many packs of pork cutlets did you buy that day?”

The lady, laughing heartily as if recalling that day, flipped the ribs she was grilling.

“Take the ribs today. They’re really delicious.”

“Don’t you have pork cutlets?”

The lady selling ribs instead of the pork cutlets Haji was looking for scanned her face with a smiling expression.

“Are you buying it because your husband likes it?”

“Yes…….”

The goal was to prepare a meal before Seojin arrived today. With the side dishes he liked.

“Oh my, you must think your husband really likes pork cutlets?”

“Huh? What do you mean……?”

She naturally thought he liked them, so she was a bit confused by the lady’s words.

Didn’t he?

Watching Haji blink in confusion, the lady chuckled as if finding her cute.

“Ah, it’s a sweet time.”

“……?”

“Do you really think your husband liked pork cutlets? He liked eating them because of you, his pretty wife.”

Only after hearing the lady’s words did Haji understand Seojin’s strange behavior that day. He hadn’t shown much interest in the pork cutlets on the table, yet he had bought a lot.

“That’s how it is. Feelings are something you can’t see up close, only from afar.”

The lady, speaking as if to herself, handed over a pack of ribs.

“They’re delicious, really. Try them.”

With a friendly smile, Haji accepted the pack of ribs.

She continued shopping around the supermarket but realized she didn’t really know what Seojin liked. He always filled the fridge with the foods she liked.

In the end, she finished shopping by buying a few types of side dishes and seasonal fruits like peaches and melons.

***

Having walked to the supermarket, she naturally intended to walk back. Seeing the people packed at the entrance, she looked outside through the glass door.

“The rain…….”

It was pouring too much. The rain was coming down like a torrential downpour, making it difficult to walk through it without getting soaked.

At that moment, she overheard a conversation between a little girl and her mother passing by.