Chapter 40
Actually, it wasn’t just about Eunpyo—Dohoon couldn’t leave Eunha alone for fear that something might happen while he was away. A few days ago, after hearing Youngcheol’s report, he felt even more uneasy.
Eunha had asked for Chanu’s phone number. At first, Dohoon worried that she might have sensed some scheme between Sehun and Chanu. If she found out unexpectedly, the shock could be even greater. But it was strange that she only asked for the number. Or was she planning to meet Chanu separately to warn him?
Anyway, Youngcheol had no choice but to give Eunha Chanu’s number and was monitoring the situation. However, since Chanu frequently changed his number and often used a burner phone, there was no guarantee that this number would connect directly to him. Youngcheol had at least provided a recently changed number that could be traced.
So far, nothing unusual had happened, but Dohoon was too anxious to bear it. He felt he needed to be by her side to feel at ease. This time apart made him realize just how deep his love for Eunha was.
But it pained him that no matter how much he loved her, he couldn’t express it. When the truth of the incident reached Eunha, the shock she would feel would be indescribable, and she might even feel a great sense of betrayal toward him.
Being cold and distant to her now was perhaps the only way to protect her from being hurt later. With this thought, Dohoon returned to Korea.
When Eunha called, he answered with a mixture of delight and unease. But then she asked him to come to a class reunion—absurd, yet strangely cute. At first, he had considered sending Manager Park, since he already had a scheduled meeting with the Lee family. But the moment he heard her voice, he couldn’t resist coming. There was a trace of hurt in her voice, after all.
She had every right to be upset—he hadn’t contacted her once in the U.S., nor had he informed her of his return. He had tried to be distant, but seeing her show even the slightest hint of hurt made him restless and flustered. He shouldn’t have let himself feel this weak over such a small thing.
Still, since Eunha was drunk today, he thought it would be okay to take care of her a little. So he broke his plans with the Lee family and didn’t even stop by his family home, coming straight to Eunha.
“Uh… please stop here for a moment.”
“Huh?”
“Right here, just ahead!”
Eunha, who had been staring blankly out the window, suddenly brightened and pointed somewhere. She was pointing at a bakery.
“Why there?”
“I have to buy something before the day ends. Hurry, please stop.”
She seemed twice as cheerful as usual, probably due to the alcohol. Dohoon had no choice but to park in front of the bakery. She probably couldn’t walk there by herself in this state, yet she was so insistent on buying something.
“What is it? I’ll get it for you.”
“No, I want to buy it myself.”
Dohoon tried to intervene, but Eunha was adamant. She unbuckled her seatbelt and excitedly got out of the car. The sight looked too precarious to ignore. Dohoon followed to support her.
“I’m fine. I really need to buy this before the day ends.”
But she shrugged off his arm and walked into the store. What could she be so obsessed with buying? Did she always crave a certain pastry when she drank? Curious, Dohoon followed her inside.
Eunha hummed a tune as she walked around the bakery, stopping in front of the cake display. She pointed at several cakes and told the owner,
“I’ll take this one, and this one too. And this one as well.”
Clearly, she had a habit of indulging in cakes when drunk. She ordered several at once, as if she had some unfinished business with them. The owner, flustered but cheerful, packed the cakes.
“How many candles would you like?”
“Twenty-five. I turned twenty-five today.”
Dohoon, who had been quietly observing her, froze at her words. Today… was her birthday? He hadn’t expected it, and a crease formed on his forehead. Of all things, he should have remembered her birthday. Thinking about how lonely she must have felt today made his chest ache.
“But there’s no one to celebrate with. Only bad things happen.”
“Oh dear…”
The owner shook his head sympathetically while packing the cakes.
“No seaweed soup, no gifts, no one to celebrate with… today was so depressing. But I’m happy I can have cake before the day ends.”
Eunha clapped her feet in delight, her smile radiating pure joy. Dohoon’s face darkened as he watched from behind. He couldn’t face her, feeling guilty.
“What about your boyfriend back there? How could he not celebrate?”
“He’s not my boyfriend, he’s my husband. And he’s not a bad person—he just came back from a business trip today.”
Even in that moment, Eunha was protecting Dohoon.
“Then I guess it’s time to celebrate. Happy birthday. Here you go.”
“Thank you.”
Eunha held the cake boxes in both hands and hugged them as she left, seemingly forgetting to pay. Dohoon, anxious, tried to follow, but the owner stopped him.
“Sir, you need to pay.”
“Ah… please take care of it.”
Dohoon finally understood and pulled out his card, handing it to the owner while still keeping his eyes on Eunha.
“Make sure to cook seaweed soup tomorrow.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ve noticed my wife is happy even if you forget today, as long as you remember tomorrow.”
“Ah…”
“You can’t upset such a pretty and lovely wife. Alright, that’s settled.”
The owner swiped the card and returned it to Dohoon, who accepted it with a troubled expression.
When he returned to the car, Eunha had fallen asleep holding the cakes—three large boxes that nearly covered her face. She had been excited to eat them today, but now she had fallen asleep without a bite. Dohoon felt uneasy seeing her like this.
Before starting the car, he made a call.
“-Yes, Director.”
Youngcheol answered immediately.
“Please confirm if today is Eunha’s birthday.”
“-Huh? Ah… one moment.”
After a brief silence, Youngcheol’s regretful voice replied.
“-Yes, it is her birthday. I should have taken care of it, sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. Get some rest.”
If he could turn back time, he would have at least called to wish her a happy birthday. But that wouldn’t help. Perhaps it was better for Eunha to be disappointed in him and move on. The thought broke his heart, but that was his burden alone.
Dohoon sighed heavily and began driving carefully so as not to wake Eunha.
“Ugh… my head.”
Eunha woke with a splitting headache, clutching her head in pain. She opened her eyes to find herself lying safely in bed, everything bright around her. Relieved, she realized she was home.
Snuggling back into the blankets, she suddenly realized she was completely naked. How had she gotten home like this? And why this sense of déjà vu? She remembered a similar incident at a hotel, also ending up naked in front of Dohoon.
Frantically, she tried to organize her jumbled thoughts. She remembered Dohoon coming to get her from the reunion and drinking more out of melancholy. But beyond that, she had no memory. She guessed he had put her to bed, but her clothes were missing. She wanted to cry.
At that moment, Dohoon entered. Eunha quickly sat up, covering herself.
“You’re awake?”
“Yes…”
Seeing him sober, she noticed his gaze had deepened, his features seemed more refined. Even if only ten days had passed, her heart raced at the sight of him. She took a moment to calm herself.
“Did I… do anything wrong last night?”
She worried she might have been disruptive while drunk—saying strange things or acting indecently. Just thinking about it made her blush.
“Nothing major, but you vomited while sleeping.”
“Pardon?”
“So I threw out all your clothes.”
“Ah…”
Eunha’s face fell; she was embarrassed imagining how messy it must have been.
“But the problem is…”
Another problem? Eunha frowned as she looked at him.
