ABMC 57

CHAPTER 57………………………………….

“Ah, yes. See you later.”

Seoyoung, her eyes wide in surprise, was momentarily flustered. When Siwoo spoke to her, she quickly averted her gaze after exchanging a brief farewell.

Seeing this, Hyukjin’s mood worsened. He glared at Siwoo, slammed the door, and left.

“Why are you suddenly coming out?”

Minwoo, who had been elsewhere for a moment, saw Hyukjin in the hallway and hurried over.

Seeing Hyukjin with a sullen expression and no response, Minwoo quickly peeked through the window into the conference room.

“Huh? Why is he here…?”

Minwoo raised a finger, pointing at someone in confusion. But when Hyukjin left without saying a word, Minwoo followed after him, speechless.

Leaning back in the study chair, Hyukjin listened to the sounds coming from the living room.

He had deliberately left the door slightly ajar.

When the older family members suggested that it might be better for him to work from home for a while, Hyukjin silently agreed.

Settling in the study to work, he remained alert, anticipating Seoyoung’s arrival.

Seeing Seoyoung grow increasingly close to Siwoo, the idol-turned-ad model, Hyukjin’s emotions began to surge like waves.

He had never imagined himself feeling such emotions, but since the accident, he found himself thinking about Seoyoung more often.

“Hah. Minwoo’s younger brother, huh?”

No wonder he looked familiar.

Minwoo had always been noticeable, but Siwoo was on another level.

Even as a man, he could see that Siwoo’s looks would make many women swoon.

It wasn’t that Hyukjin himself was unattractive, but Siwoo’s presence irritated him.

It annoyed him that the man was the face of the signboard stored in the warehouse, and he disliked seeing Seoyoung’s cheerful reaction to him.

Moreover, on the day Siwoo had left the conference room first, he and Seoyoung had even had dinner together.

“So he doesn’t even care what urgent matter he had?”

Flustered by a feeling he had never experienced, Hyukjin let out a dry laugh before scowling.

Could it be… I’m jealous of Lee Siwoo?

He shook his head vigorously.

“That’s ridiculous. Why would I be? What’s lacking in me!”

Trying not to think further, he couldn’t stop imagining the two of them smiling at each other. The more he imagined it, the hotter he felt inside.

He stood and looked out the window. The sun had already begun to set.

Thinking it was about time for Seoyoung to return, Hyukjin grabbed his tablet and headed down to the living room.

Just then, Mrs. Kim, preparing dinner in the kitchen, sensed movement and came out.

“Little Madam seems to be running a bit late today. Would you like some tea before your meal?”

“Yes, a cup of blueberry tea, please.”

Mrs. Kim went back to the kitchen, asking him to wait a moment.

Hyukjin, seated in the study with his tablet, looked up as the front door opened.

“Sorry, I’m a little late because of the advertising work.”

Hyukjin’s eyebrows tensed, and a crease appeared between them.

Did she go meet Lee Siwoo again?

He even wondered if she was already seeing someone she liked, even though they were going to divorce anyway.

But when Seoyoung looked up, he immediately relaxed his brow as if nothing had happened and nodded calmly.

“Dinner is ready. Please come and eat.”

At Mrs. Kim’s words, Hyukjin got up and joined Seoyoung at the table.

Using the excuse of his injured arm, Hyukjin now spent more time with her naturally, both at breakfast and dinner.

As he scooped a bite of rice, Seoyoung placed side dishes atop his spoon.

Hyukjin, taking a full spoonful, lifted the corners of his mouth as if pleased.

“It tastes better when you feed me, Seoyoung.”

“Eat well. You need to recover quickly. Having a cast for a whole month must be so uncomfortable.”

Seoyoung frowned slightly, her eyes following his casted arm.

Today too, she helped him by placing side dishes on his spoon—a gesture that, though awkward at first, now seemed quite natural.

It almost felt as if they were real husband and wife.

“This time, give me some kimchi too.”

“Yes.”

Following his request, she placed a piece of kimchi atop the mackerel.

Watching him take a spoonful, Seoyoung stretched her lips into a smile.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Just because… seeing you like this, you seem to have a rather childlike side.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Doing this makes me feel like I’m acting as a mother.”

“Ha, really.”

Hyukjin scrunched his nose as if exasperated, but he too smiled.

“Well, I guess that’s true. My mother never did this for me when I was young either.”

A fleeting shadow passed over Hyukjin’s eyes as he smiled brightly with Seoyoung.

Why does he suddenly look so serious?

Thinking of Mihyun, who was so affectionate with her own daughter-in-law, Seoyoung tilted her head in curiosity.

If his mother could be so caring, it wasn’t surprising that Hyukjin had someone who looked after him as well.

But she didn’t ask. She simply added new side dishes to his spoon.

“I have a question.”

Hyukjin, having swallowed, narrowed his eyes at Seoyoung.

“Aren’t you going to throw away the signboard in the warehouse? It doesn’t seem like something a married wife would keep.”

Seoyoung’s eyes widened.

“Ah, that….”

Caught off guard, she averted her gaze.

The signboard had been an impulsive purchase—she had no one to lean on at the time. That day, missing her parents terribly, she had impulsively bought the signboard, which resembled her father’s smile.

Apart from her parents’ photos, and with no time to date anyone, Siwoo had played the role of a virtual boyfriend, making it difficult for her to meet Hyukjin’s eyes.

Of course, these feelings were like that of a fan for a celebrity, but she couldn’t explain that.

Moreover, recalling the last time Hyukjin had suddenly left the meeting room made it even more awkward.

Seeing her discomfort, Hyukjin asked again.

“You’re not going to throw it away?”

His gaze on her seemed sharper than usual.

Seoyoung couldn’t understand why he was looking so intense.

“Anyway, we’re…”

Seeing his eyes harden, Seoyoung immediately pressed her lips together.

“Don’t say we’re not real husband and wife.”

She remembered what he had said when she had called him her fake husband.

The contract relationship hadn’t changed, but why did he insist on thinking this way even when they were alone?

Their relationship was supposed to have a set end.

Is he worried it might show outwardly?

Or maybe…

No way, that can’t be.

Shaking her head at the thought, she couldn’t help but smirk when she saw him raising one eyebrow, waiting for a response.

“Are you… jealous?”

The words slipped out before she could stop them, and Seoyoung herself widened her eyes in surprise.

Quickly pretending nothing had happened, she lowered her gaze and picked up another side dish.

Changing the topic mid-sentence, she avoided eye contact completely. Hyukjin let out a dry laugh.

“Now you’re changing the subject?”

Feigning displeasure, Hyukjin extended his spoon toward her.

Placing the side dish on his spoon, Seoyoung forced her rising smile down.

“So… are you jealous?”

Watching her twitching lips, Hyukjin pouted and muttered.

“Jealous? No, I’m just telling you not to do anything that’ll cause gossip.”

Seoyoung stifled the laugh that threatened to escape.

Hyukjin’s unfamiliarly cute demeanor made her giggle despite herself.

“Sorry, I can’t throw it away. It’s just in the warehouse, so don’t worry about it.”

Even seeing Hyukjin’s eyebrows rise, Seoyoung didn’t change her words.

She had recently opened her heart more to him. Yet, their relationship had a predetermined end. A little mischief was permissible.

Feeling Hyukjin’s penetrating gaze, Seoyoung silently began clearing the table.