Chapter 9
Dayun froze like a stone when she suddenly felt an unfamiliar man’s touch on her neck, followed by a warm embrace.
“Who are you meeting later?”
Hearing a familiar voice, she felt relief despite her still-racing heart. The tension in her body slowly melted away.
“Ha… Junseok oppa.”
“Are you talking about Jaehoon? Are you meeting Jaehoon?”
Her heart was still pounding, but the person who startled her seemed unbothered. He still had his arms around her, speaking playfully. Dayun, snapping out of her shock, pushed his hands away and turned to glare at him.
“Ahh!”
With a loud “thud,” she kicked him hard in the shin.
“Do you even realize how much you scared me?! What were you thinking, sneaking up on me like that?”
“Hey, but did you have to kick me…? That really hurts…”
“Hmph, serves you right for playing pranks.”
Dayun thought he deserved it. Just remembering how much he startled her made her angry all over again. But seeing Junseok groaning and clutching his leg, she started to feel a little guilty.
“D-does it really hurt that much?”
Junseok let go of his leg and looked at her with a slight grimace.
“Yeah. Feels like I almost died.”
“Tsk, but you’re still talking. Maybe I should’ve aimed for your mouth instead.”
Junseok’s eyes widened in shock.
“Wow. How can you say such harsh things? And you’re a girl!”
Dayun pouted at his words.
“And why can’t a girl say something like that? Oppa, that’s gender discrimination.”
“Gender discrimination? Ha… Jaehoon needs to know what kind of person you really are. Are you still acting all ladylike around him?”
“We’re not close enough for me to show my real self.”
Dayun grumbled, but Junseok didn’t seem to care. Instead, he shook his head in disbelief.
“Married for over two weeks and still not close? Do you guys even talk?”
“Well, we do… sometimes.”
“Sometimes?! How did you two even end up married?”
“It wasn’t our choice. The adults decided for us.”
Junseok sighed as he listened to Dayun’s matter-of-fact response. How could someone stay the same no matter how much time passed?
“You never back down, do you? Come on, aren’t you heading to the studio?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s go.”
Junseok casually wrapped an arm around Dayun’s shoulders as they walked.
Tick, tick—the clock moved forward until it pointed to noon.
“The housewarming party is set for this Saturday. Keep that in mind. Enjoy your lunch.”
“Yes.”
Jaehoon left the team leader’s office and made the announcement to the employees. As they left the office, they chatted about the invitation, and Dayun’s name was occasionally mentioned. Meanwhile, Hyeyun stood up, ready to leave with the others, but then paused in front of Jaehoon. Once everyone else had left, she spoke.
“Aren’t you going to eat?”
Jaehoon nodded.
“I have a lunch appointment.”
“An appointment…? With who…?”
Hyeyun tried to sound casual, but her voice trembled slightly. She probably thought he was meeting Dayun.
“My father.”
“Oh… The chairman?”
“Yeah. He asked me to have lunch with him.”
Relief spread across her face, and she smiled.
“Oh, I see. Well, enjoy your lunch with the chairman. And tonight, let’s have dinner together. It’s been so long since we had a proper date, right?”
She clung to his arm playfully. Normally, Jaehoon would have agreed right away with a bright smile. But today, he hesitated. He felt uneasy, thinking about Dayun waiting at home.
“Ah…”
“Come on~ Say yes~ You’re having dinner with me, right?”
At Hyeyun’s persistence, Jaehoon reluctantly nodded.
“Okay, fine.”
Satisfied, she grinned, while Jaehoon still felt unsettled.
With a heavy heart, he left the office and arrived at the restaurant where he was meeting his father. The place was well-known for its skilled chefs and had an air of sophistication.
“You’re here.”
Following a waiter into a private room, Jaehoon found his father already seated with a table full of neatly arranged dishes.
“You arrived early.”
“I had some work nearby, so I came straight here. I had them prepare the food in advance. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It saves time.”
The silence between them was stiff. Even though they were father and son, they barely spoke. Even as they ate, there was no conversation—just the sound of utensils against plates. The atmosphere felt suffocating.
Finally, his father broke the silence.
“So, how are things with Dayun?”
Jaehoon stopped eating and nodded.
“Well… We don’t fight, so I guess that means we’re doing okay.”
It wasn’t exactly a warm response, but his father seemed unfazed and asked again.
“That’s good to hear.”
Another pause. Then his father spoke again, his voice serious.
“Take good care of her.”
Jaehoon looked at his father, surprised.
“I know you didn’t want this marriage. I also know there’s no love between you two yet. Maybe you even resent me for forcing it on you.”
“You knew that, but you still pushed for it?”
Jaehoon felt a wave of frustration. He had never understood why his father insisted on this marriage. But his father’s next words were even more baffling.
“Because I believe this is the path to your happiness.”
“What…?”
Jaehoon couldn’t comprehend it. How could a loveless, arranged marriage bring happiness? He waited for his father to explain.
“I know you’ve been hurt—by me, by your mother. You’ve lived a lonely life. That’s why I made this decision. Dayun has her own scars too, but she remains bright. I believe she can truly love you and make you happy.”
“How can you be so sure? Isn’t this just your selfish wish?”
Jaehoon was angry. It felt like his father was trying to live out his own unfulfilled love story through him. After all, Dayun was his father’s first love’s daughter.
“Maybe you’re right. But I believe it’s possible. You may not remember, but you’ve met Dayun before.”
“We’ve met before?”
Jaehoon’s mind went blank. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t recall it.
“You probably don’t remember—you were both very young. But that was the first time I saw you truly smile. Until then, you had always been expressionless.”
“I… smiled?”
Jaehoon was confused. His childhood had been nothing but darkness—lonely and painful.
“You’ll remember someday. Think about it.”
After an uncomfortable meal, Jaehoon left the restaurant, his thoughts swirling.
And his father’s last words lingered in his mind.
“One more thing, Jaehoon. Having too many flowers around you isn’t always good. Especially the hidden roses. They may look beautiful now, but you never know when their thorns will show.”
Jaehoon muttered to himself.
“A rose…”
Was his father referring to Hyeyun? If so, did he already know about her?
