Chapter 6

“Yes, I’m on my way.”

Jaehoon hung up the phone, his expression noticeably dark. His face was so serious that it felt like no one should mess with him. Dayun was curious but didn’t have the courage to ask what had happened. Then, his cold lips parted.

“Sorry, but I need to stop somewhere for a moment.”

Without giving Dayun a chance to respond, Jaehoon stepped on the gas. Buildings and people flashed past in a blur. What was going on? Anxiety crept in, but at the same time, she thought, it must be because of Song Hyeyun. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth, like drinking the strongest coffee.

Soon, the car came to a stop. Jaehoon unbuckled his seatbelt roughly and jumped out, heading into a bar.

How long did she wait?

The bar’s door opened, and Jaehoon walked out—carrying Hyeyun in his arms. She was completely drunk, unable to stand on her own.

“…Ha.”

Seeing them together, a sigh escaped from Dayun’s lips. She had promised herself she would move on, but seeing them with her own eyes made her heart ache unbearably.

More than anything, the look in Jaehoon’s eyes—gentle, worried, and utterly devoted—crushed her. It made her feel wretched.

In the end, she couldn’t bear it anymore. She got out of the car and walked toward them. If she stayed any longer, she would have to witness more than she could handle.

“Excuse me, sunbae.”

Neither Jaehoon nor Hyeyun had noticed her approaching. They were too caught up in their own world. When they finally heard her voice up close, they flinched and looked her way.

“I’ll head home first. It looks like you’ll be a while…”

“No, just come with me. Even if I don’t have feelings for you, I still have manners.”

“But—”

“I may have been cold to you, but I’m not the kind of guy who sends a woman home alone this late at night.”

For some reason, his words reassured her. Her mind told her no, but her heart wanted him to hold onto her.

But then, the woman in his arms spoke, her voice sharp with jealousy.

“I know you’re not that kind of guy, Jaehoon. But tonight, I wish you were.”

“What?”

Hyeyun pushed away Jaehoon’s hand that was holding her. Though she wobbled, she stood firm, glaring at Dayun. No, rather than just looking—she was glowering.

“Sorry, but can you leave first? I know you’re his legal wife, but as you can see, the woman Jaehoon really loves is me.”

“….”

Dayun couldn’t say a word.

Because Hyeyun was right.

Dayun was just his legal wife, nothing more. She was not the woman he truly loved.

Silence filled the air.

Dayun, frozen in place. Hyeyun, staring her down. And Jaehoon, calling out her name in an annoyed tone.

“Song Hyeyun.”

His voice was laced with barely suppressed anger.

But Hyeyun, her eyes welling up, spoke with frustration.

“What! You never told me! If I had known she was this young and this pretty, I wouldn’t have told you to marry her. I—I’m scared, Jaehoon…”

As she sobbed, Jaehoon’s face softened with guilt. He pulled her back into his arms and whispered,

“Don’t be scared. You know you’re the only one for me.”

Still, Hyeyun didn’t seem satisfied. She turned her gaze to Dayun, her expression unreadable.

Or maybe not so unreadable.

It was the look of someone saying, I won.

Perhaps it wasn’t intentional.

But to Dayun, it felt like it was.

And just in case the message wasn’t clear, Hyeyun spoke again, her words laced with thorns.

“You heard that, right? To Jaehoon, there’s only me. So, you should remember—you married him for money. Never fall for him.”

“Song Hyeyun!”

Jaehoon looked shocked as he grabbed Hyeyun by the shoulders, pulling her away from him. He had never imagined such words coming from the woman he once thought was so sweet.

But he didn’t have time to scold her further.

Because Hyeyun had already passed out in his arms.

“…I’m sorry. Let me apologize on her behalf.”

“It’s fine. She wasn’t wrong, anyway.”

“Choi Dayun…”

For the first time, he said her name with gentleness.

But it didn’t make her happy.

Instead, she felt like crying.

“I should go inside now. I have work left to do.”

Forcing back her tears, Dayun turned away.

And the moment she did, the tears she had been holding back fell freely. The faster she walked, the faster they came.

But what she didn’t know—

Was that, for the first time, Jaehoon was watching her with guilt in his eyes.

Dayun walked back to her apartment with heavy steps.

Somehow, she ended up sitting on the stairs outside.

Going inside felt suffocating.

The air was cool, but it was a nice night for a drink.

She pulled out a can of beer from a convenience store bag and started sipping.

“…Ha, so refreshing.”

But despite her words, tears welled in her eyes.

“The woman who married for money.”

Hyeyun’s voice echoed in her head.

“Does sunbae think that too?”

She was scared.

Her heart ached.

Yes, it was true. She had married for money.

She didn’t want her father, mother, and brother to suffer in poverty.

But the real reason was Jaehoon.

She thought that as long as she was by his side, she could endure anything.

But—

“This is too hard…”

It was exhausting.

She thought being next to him would make things better.

But it only made it worse.

She had to watch him smile because of another woman.

Get angry because of another woman.

No matter how much she told herself to stop, her heart still raced at his presence.

“This is really too hard…”

“If it’s that hard, why don’t you just come inside? You’re blocking the entrance, you know.”

Startled, Dayun turned her head.

Standing there was—

“Oh? Oppa!”

It was Junseok.

Her club senior, her department senior.

And Jaehoon’s friend.

“I had a feeling it was you, Choi Dayun.”

“Holy— Oppa, what are you doing here?”

“My work studio is on the second floor of this villa.”

“Wait—”

Dayun’s eyes widened.

“Are you the drama writer next door?!”

Junseok chuckled.

“Drama writer? Hmm… yeah, I guess you could call me that.”

“Whoa!”

“Well, I’m just an assistant writer for now.”

“Still, that’s amazing!”

Junseok sat next to her and casually took the beer from her hand.

“So, what are you doing out here at this hour?”

“Uh… just needed some air.”

Junseok took a sip of beer and spoke without looking at her.

“Is it hard, living in a fake marriage? Or is it the one-sided love that’s harder?”

“…!”

Dayun stiffened.

How did he know?!