Chapter 3.3

“So, you’ve regained your memory. Then you must recognize your husband now.”

Jeong-hyeok tied the knot of the tie around her knee and pulled his hands away.

If the knot had been a bit tighter, it would have formed a prettier ribbon shape. But even in its loose state, it looked cute, resembling drooping bunny ears—just like Kim Eun-sol at this moment.

“Get up. Let’s go to the hospital.”

He rose to his feet effortlessly.

Eun-sol hesitated for a moment before reluctantly standing up.

Just ten minutes ago, she had been almost certain that his tyrannical personality must have driven their marriage to the brink of collapse.

‘I thought that if I told him I’d regained my memory, he’d be troubled or react defensively with some overbearing behavior….’

But he was nothing but calm.

‘Does this mean there’s nothing for him to fear, even if I’ve regained my memory?’

Whatever the case, he seemed relaxed.

‘Then what was that negative feeling I had when I first saw him after waking up from the car accident?’

‘Was it just a meaningless emotion that I overreacted to and gave too much significance?’

She still couldn’t come to a conclusion about the emotions she had felt toward him on that day.

“Is the hospital… far from here?”

Eun-sol indirectly expressed her willingness to go to the hospital. After all, she agreed that her knee injury needed professional treatment.

“Ten minutes by car.”

She nodded and turned toward the door, stepping ahead of him.

Because the bandage on her knee was wrapped too tightly, she walked stiffly, almost like a robot. Suddenly, her wrist was caught in a firm grip.

“Ah!”

Though the grip wasn’t filled with emotion, the force of the pull caused her body to tilt slightly. In no time, her arm was tugged upward and wrapped around his neck. Before she could process what was happening, she found herself embracing his neck.

“…What, what…?!”

Then, his hands slid under her back and beneath her knees.

By the time she realized what was happening, her body was already lifted into the air, cradled in his arms.

“Put me down!”

She struggled desperately, but his balance didn’t waver in the slightest.

“I told you I can walk!”

“I know, so can I.”

The half-lowered shutter made a screeching sound as it rolled up completely. He slightly bent his waist and stepped out through the door.

For a tall man like him, the door of the jewelry shop was uncomfortably low. As his body bent forward, one side of Eun-sol’s cheek pressed tightly against his chest, right where his heart was.

In that moment, she felt the heat of his heartbeat. For some reason, her breath kept drying up.

Soon, as if he were walking down a runway, he began striding leisurely through the underground shopping mall, still holding her in his arms. Naturally, countless eyes followed him.

She didn’t know how far they would have to walk to reach the parking lot, but what she did know was that this underground shopping mall was quite long, complicated, and crowded with people.

The flood of stares and murmurs made her face burn with embarrassment. To make matters worse, a group of students who appeared to be middle schoolers swarmed around them.

“What’s this? Are they filming a movie? Is he a rookie actor? Damn, he’s good-looking.”

It seemed to be the time when the nearby academy classes had just ended.

“Do you still want to get down now?”

Eun-sol shook her head vigorously. If she got down now, her face would be fully exposed. With no other choice, she decided to bury her face in his chest. From his embrace, a faint smell of cigarettes wafted toward her.

‘Does this man smoke?’

She had never noticed any cigarette smell on him before. Nor had she ever seen him smoking.

That faint question quickly faded. Contrary to her expectations, the warmth radiating from his chest was comforting….

Her confusion only deepened.

* * *

Eun-sol received stitches at a nearby major hospital and then got back into Jeong-hyeok’s sedan.

The moment she sat in the back seat, she pressed herself as close to the door as possible and clutched the seatbelt tightly.

This wasn’t the first time she had sat in the back seat with him. He had often accompanied her during outpatient visits.

Neither the car nor the person had changed, yet today everything felt more awkward, and she didn’t know what to do with herself.

“We’ll depart now.”

With Chief Cheon’s voice, the car engine purred to life, and the vehicle began to move smoothly.

Eun-sol turned her gaze toward the car window. On the darkened surface of the window, countless thoughts and questions surfaced without any order.

How he managed to find her today was something she needed to think about. It was clear that the necklace she had sold at the jewelry shop had played a role.

‘Was there some kind of GPS device on the necklace?’

However, it didn’t seem likely that such a mechanical device was installed. In any case, that necklace was something she absolutely needed to avoid from now on.

As she repeatedly thought of various questions and tried to find answers, a conversation she had with a nurse earlier suddenly came to mind.

It was a conversation with the nurse who had assisted during the suturing procedure. The nurse, who appeared to be around the same age as her, was kind and seemed to have an outgoing personality, as she easily initiated small talk.

“The bandage just keeps coming undone, doesn’t it?”

Eun-sol felt a bit awkward as she glanced at the pile of bandages that had grown into a small mountain beside the procedure table.

“It seems like your husband really loves you. I could feel how nervous he was, worried that even the slightest wound might open up. I’m so jealous, honestly.”

Eun-sol let out a hollow laugh inwardly. 

Love? What love? If the nurse had experienced him even once, she wouldn’t have said such a thing.

“When I tell my husband that I’m sick, all I get is, ‘Did you take your medicine?’ That’s it. Ugh, he just runs his mouth and flaps it around. Does he think nursing is done with words?”

The nurse continued chatting away but seemed to realize she had said too much. She quickly refocused on her medical duties and wrapped up the conversation.

“Anyway, especially when you’re in pain, those feelings of disappointment tend to linger.”

“I’m envious.”

The words came out sincerely. She truly envied those ordinary couples who bickered, felt disappointed, and fought over trivial things.

“Sorry? You’re envious?”

The nurse asked again, as if to confirm if she was serious.

“Then why don’t we trade husbands?”

Eun-sol knew the nurse was joking. So, it would have been fine to respond with a joke as well.

‘Even so, why couldn’t I say anything? Why did I freeze up like a mute?’

Shaking her head, Eun-sol brushed the thought away. She looked out the car window.

Outside, the night was painted with apartment buildings filling the view.

‘We still haven’t gotten on the highway?’

By now, they should have at least reached a main road connected to the highway, if not the highway itself.

Yet, the car was still driving somewhere within the city.

‘Where exactly are we going?’

It was something she could simply ask, but she didn’t feel like initiating a conversation.

She glanced at the window beside where he was sitting. Since his side of the window faced a cluster of commercial buildings, it seemed like there might be more clues about their current location.

Her gaze, which had turned casually, caught sight of him as well. His features were half-shrouded in darkness, but the direction of his gaze was unmistakable.

“……!”

She tried to avoid it, but his gaze met hers faster. 

How long had he been watching me?

His lingering stare was calm yet intense.

“We’ll be home soon.” 

“…Already?” 

“You know I have a house in Seoul.”

With his words, the car turned onto an even darker road. After crossing a small hill, a massive iron gate that opened automatically came into view. A security guard greeted them as if he had been waiting.

Inside the gate, the property was vast. It didn’t even feel like Korea.

Large plane trees lined the roadside, and neatly maintained private gardens and a few massive houses brought to mind scenes of America as seen in movies. It felt like one of those movie sets used when overseas location shoots weren’t feasible.

But upon closer inspection, it was a luxury townhouse, meticulously designed with an American concept.

“We’ve arrived, CEO.”

The car stopped at the mansion located at the innermost part of the townhouse.

Chief Cheon quickly got out and opened the car door for her.

Eun-sol stepped out of the car promptly. She moved swiftly, not wanting to give Kwon Jeong-hyeok any chance to act unpredictably.

The night air in Seoul was thicker than the coastal air. It was drier, slightly more acrid, but far more vibrant.