‘…Like an idiot…’

Yuhyeon rose from his seat, opened the door and stepped out. His steps led him to the wine cellar where he searched for a bottle to help him sleep through the restless night.

He expertly uncorked the bottle and filled a wine glass to the brim. But for some reason, he didn’t feel like drinking it.

‘Just for tonight…’

Leaving the wine behind, Yuhyeon carefully returned to the master bedroom. Soo-min was still sleeping in the same position.

He lay down beside her and wrapped his arms around her body. The lingering pain of an old burn pressed against his back.

It felt as if all sensation had gone numb. The soft strands of her hair brushed his nose and her scent lingered faintly. Sleepiness washed over him.

***

Something warm and comforting seemed to be wrapped around her back.

Her eyes opened instinctively.

The moment she saw the arm draped over her, Soo-min jumped in surprise.

‘Beom Yuhyeon…’

It was her husband.

For the first time, he was sleeping next to her in the same bed.

He seemed to be in a deep sleep – even when Soo-min moved slightly and turned to him, he didn’t wake up.

He was asleep, breathing evenly.

Soo-min stared at his face.

‘Sleep well… You must’ve been tired.’

Even though there was no loving gesture like offering his arm as a pillow, just lying in the same bed with him made her feel content. It felt like they were a little closer now.

Lying on her side, Soo-min silently studied his face.

His thick eyebrows framed long, full lashes – longer than her own. Beneath them, his high nose bridge and softly parted lips were full, almost inviting a kiss.

‘I’ve confirmed that he’s not Junhwan… but they look so much alike.’

Could they really be twins?

They said Junhwan was an orphan, so maybe… maybe they were twins – one adopted in Russia, the other raised in Korea.

No, that would be a problem in its own way, wouldn’t it? It would mean that she just slept with Junhwan’s twin brother. It would feel immoral.

‘But… he looks so at peace. This man…’

He was always surrounded by an overwhelming aura, so to see him sleeping, completely unguarded, was strangely new.

And somehow, in this atmosphere… he felt even more like Junhwan.

Soo-min swallowed quietly.

‘I have to stop. I’ll only end up doing more wrong to this man.’

She turned her head to stare at the ceiling. She tried to close her eyes again, but sleep wouldn’t come – she was already fully awake.

The clock read 6 a.m. It wasn’t time for the housekeeper yet.

‘I might as well make breakfast.’

She carefully pulled the covers aside and got out of bed. Not wanting to wake the man sleeping soundly, she walked barefoot instead of putting on slippers, stepping quietly.

Click.

As the door closed behind her, Yuhyeon slowly opened her eyes.

In the kitchen, she opened the fridge and discovered a whole raw chicken.

Soo-min put a pot of broth on the stove and started to cook the chicken. She boiled it in boiling water and then shredded the meat.

She added it to the broth along with the prepared ingredients.

The chicken soup – dakgomtang – was something she often made as a nutritious meal. It was Junhwan’s favorite meal.

Without realizing it, she’d started making it just by seeing the chicken.

‘Phew… What am I thinking?’

Since it was a dish she made often, her hands moved by themselves the moment she saw the chicken.

Just then, the sound of the back door opening was followed by the housekeeper’s voice behind her.

“Oh, ma’am, you’re up already? I’ll take care of it.”

She quickly put on an apron. Soo-min smiled warmly.

“You just need to bring out the side dishes.

“I was going to make dakgomtang today, but you’ve already done it. It’s a lot of work… When did you get up?”

“There was some broth ready, so it didn’t take long.”

A hearty breakfast was soon on the table.

Right on time, Yuhyeon appeared in the kitchen, freshly washed.

“Have a seat.”

“……”

When Yuhyeon sat down at the table, Soo-min sat across from him. He looked at the chicken soup with a curious look and Soo-min wondered if it was a dish he didn’t like.

“I noticed that you like Korean food, so I made you some chicken soup.”

“It looks delicious.”

However, Yuhyeon didn’t touch the soup with his spoon during the whole meal. Seeing that he didn’t eat what she had worked so hard to prepare made her feel discouraged.

Soo-min ladled the soup into a large bowl, mixed it with rice, and began to eat it herself.

“I once had a bad case of indigestion after eating chicken. I haven’t eaten it since.”

“I didn’t know. Then don’t eat it.”

She moved to take the bowl away, but Yuhyeon picked up his spoon and took a bite of the soup. Feeling his appreciation for her effort in cooking the meal, Soo-min couldn’t help but smile softly.

But the moment he put down his spoon, Yuhyeon suddenly jumped to his feet. His complexion began to turn pale.

“I think it’s best to stop breakfast here.”

Yuhyeon quickly rushed out of the kitchen, leaving Soo-min startled.

Without hesitation, she followed after him.

As she watched him go into the bathroom, her heart sank. She was worried – could he have an allergy?

The sound of choking came from the bathroom. It seemed that he had forced himself to eat, only to have his stomach reject it.

Soo-min shifted anxiously from foot to foot outside the door.

After a long time, Yuhyeon came out of the bathroom. His hair was soaked, probably from washing his face. Soo-min felt a sudden urge to use her fingers to brush away the strands of hair clinging to his cheek.

“Are you okay? You’re not seriously allergic to chicken, are you?”

“It’s probably just that I haven’t had it in a long time.”

“I’m really sorry. I didn’t even think you couldn’t eat chicken. You shouldn’t have forced yourself.”

“You went out of your way to make it – I should at least do that much. As a husband, it wouldn’t be right not to eat the food my wife prepares.”

The soft curve of his smile made her heart skip a beat. The occasional kindness he showed always left Soo-min feeling confused.

“Don’t be so affectionate at home.”

“The housekeepers have eyes too. Even if they’re people I trust, you can never really trust what comes out of someone’s mouth.”

Soo-min couldn’t argue with Yuhyeon’s words.

“I should get ready for work.”

He stepped onto the stairs leading to the second floor.

“I…”

“Would you pick out a tie for me? I have an important event today.”

“Yes. I-I can do that.”

Soo-min quickly followed him to the second floor.

While he put on his shirt in the dressing room, Soo-min opened a drawer. The ties were neatly arranged by color. She chose one in a mix of cobalt blue and purple.

She walked over to him with the tie in her hand, but suddenly froze.

‘…How do you tie a man’s tie anyway?’

She vaguely remembered tying a school uniform tie for Eunhyuk once or twice in the past, but this was her first time tying a formal dress tie.

‘It should be the same…just try to remember.’

Soo-min draped the tie around his neck and adjusted the direction back and forth. It was harder than she expected.

She knew she had to loop the tie around and form a triangle before pulling it up, but the shape just wouldn’t come together.

She stood on her toes a bit to match Yuhyeon’s height. But even on her third try, it still didn’t come out right, so she untied it again.

“You seem like you’ve tied one for your ex-husband many times – why are you so clumsy at it?”

“I’ll get it. Just give me a second.”

This time the knot didn’t look neat, so she untied it again.

“Did you know? Ever since I married you, I’ve been hearing things I probably shouldn’t have.”

“Sorry? What kind of things?”

“I heard that you and your ex-husband were inseparable for all five years of your marriage. Sounds like you were quite affectionate.”

Soo-min’s hands froze in mid-movement.

“…Ah…yes…”

“I’m a bit rough around the edges compared to that man. I thought I might be too much for you.”

“I think that’s something you grow into over time. Two people with different personalities become husband and wife – it is impossible to be perfect at the beginning.

“That was what she had always heard about marriage. Not what she had learned.

Her first marriage might have been unhappy, but she didn’t want to reveal that part of her past to him.

Yuhyeon said nothing more. He just stared at Soo-min while she concentrated on tying his tie.