Chapter 16
The image of Jooyoung’s face—patting her shoulder earlier and telling her not to worry—floated back into her mind.
Juhye tried to stay calm and bit down hard on her dry lips.
“Why would my sister…?”
“You said you haven’t had much of an appetite lately.”
Unaware of Juhye’s anxious heart, he answered casually.
It felt like being struck hard on the head.
“She said it’d be good if I took a bit more care of you.”
“My sister said that?”
“I bought it on the way back. It’s still warm, so it should be good to eat.”
Ah, I see.
Jooyoung had only stepped in first so Daehyun wouldn’t grow suspicious of her.
Thanks to that, Daehyun didn’t seem curious about what kind of conversation the two sisters had shared; he was focused solely on the fact that Juhye had skipped her meal.
“Thank you. I’ll eat well.”
Juhye approached awkwardly and took the bag. It was opaque, so she couldn’t see what was inside.
As she stared at it, wondering how to open it, she heard a soft chuckle.
When she turned around, she caught a faint smile at the corner of Daehyun’s lips.
“Why are you laughing?”
The two of them slowly sat facing each other at the table.
“It feels like it’s been a long time since we talked like this.”
It really had been a long time.
He rarely ate at home to begin with, and Juhye often ended up skipping meals because of that.
Especially for Juhye, who used to enjoy warm, intimate meals with her family at her parents’ house, eating alone at a cold table had always felt deeply awkward.
Daehyun, on the other hand, didn’t seem bothered at all—probably because he’d grown up in a strict household.
“I grabbed it in a hurry, so I’m not sure if it’ll suit your taste.”
Muttering as if making excuses, Daehyun opened the bag.
Neatly packaged sushi emerged from inside.
He slowly opened the lid, even unwrapping the chopsticks himself before handing them to her. Despite his awkward demeanor, his hands moved with practiced ease.
It was obvious he wasn’t new to eating packaged food like this.
Has that woman eaten this too? Together with him…?
Even as her husband showed an unfamiliar tenderness, that thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Juhye felt her mood sink coldly, while at the same time her heart fluttered. She clicked her tongue inwardly.
She disliked herself for feeling her heart race over something so trivial.
It made her feel no different from a dog or cat getting excited over food tossed to them like a treat.
“Eat with me.”
“Sure. Go ahead and eat.”
Though he said that, Daehyun didn’t even touch his chopsticks. He just watched Juhye intently.
It was the kind of persistent gaze that suggested he wouldn’t leave until he saw her finish eating.
“Thank you for the meal.”
Juhye carefully picked up a piece of sushi and began to eat.
It was late, so she’d wondered if she should eat at all, but once she started, it was surprisingly delicious.
“Slow down. Chew properly.”
Watching the sushi disappear quickly, he murmured softly.
Only then did Juhye realize how focused she’d been on eating, and she slowed her pace.
After finishing all twelve pieces, she wiped her mouth neatly and looked at him.
She was about to say what she’d meant to bring up even before the meal.
“I’m going to the arboretum tomorrow.”
The blunt declaration was followed by a sharp clatter.
It was the sound of Daehyun slamming his chopsticks down on the table.
“Why.”
“I’m going to my workplace. Do I need a reason to explain that?”
She hadn’t gone to work today either because she’d met Jooyoung.
With the ceremony just around the corner, she couldn’t afford to waste time like this.
She needed to meet Junhwi and revise the plant arrangement plan.
“Don’t even think about stopping me. My brother is coming tomorrow too.”
“The CEO? Or the vice president?”
“Su-gyeong oppa. You’re attending the executive meeting tomorrow too, right, Daehyun?”
With Chairman Jin absent, Daehyun and his subordinates’ roles would be especially important at this meeting.
Divorce was certainly important to Juhye, but company matters were far more so.
If Daehyun neglected work because he was watching her, it would be a serious problem—so she meant this as a warning.
“I’ll talk briefly with my brother and then come straight home, so don’t worry about it.”
“You’ll be tired. I’ll send Secretary Kim. Let him drive you back comfortably.”
His stubborn replies made her feel like she was talking to a wall.
A wall that almost seemed to understand her words, yet never her thoughts—making it all the more frustrating.
“I have no intention of bothering Secretary Kim. I have hands, and I know how to drive. Do I really need to explain something this obvious?”
“Do I really need to explain everything to you?”
She wanted to stop this pointless back-and-forth, but he deliberately added words edged with hostility.
“I’m monitoring you right now.”
As if he wanted their relationship to become even more miserable than it already was.
“That’s why I’m saying there’s no need to monitor me.”
Juhye tried to regain her composure, but honestly, it wasn’t easy.
Daehyun snorted lightly, maintaining his sarcastic tone.
“You might end up meeting Kang Junhwi again. Asking me to let you go without any concern at all—that’s what’s ridiculous.”
“I already told you Junhwi and I aren’t like that.”
She couldn’t understand why Junhwi kept getting dragged into their conversations.
At the same time, a rather ironic thought crossed her mind—maybe because he’s the one meeting other women, his thoughts go there so easily…
“You’re too naive to know this, but men—”
Resting his chin on the back of his hand, Daehyun tilted his head slightly.
A few loose strands of hair fell across his forehead with the angle.
His eyes, shaded by shadow, gleamed darker than usual.
“You’re saying I’m naive?”
Juhye asked, frowning.
Even with a crease between her brows on her small, pretty face, Daehyun only smiled as if he found her cute.
“You’re exactly the same as when I first met you. You haven’t changed at all.”
His hand reached over and touched the back of hers.
She reflexively tried to pull away, but he pressed down gently, applying force.
His fingers slowly and softly rubbed the tender skin between hers, making her itch slightly.
“You’re still naive and pure. That’s your strength—I’m not mocking you. If there’s a flaw, it’s that those traits make me worry….”
His eyes narrowed, unreadable.
Feeling uncomfortable, she looked away, yet she could sense his gaze growing heavier on her face.
She tried again to pull her hand free, but realizing it was useless, she relaxed her grip.
No matter how hard she tried, it was natural she couldn’t overpower a man.
“Don’t you think this kind of wordplay is childish?”
Maybe it’d be better to provoke him into anger.
Juhye chose what she thought were the sharpest words and spat them out.
“I find it fun.”
Daehyun, seeing straight through her intentions, merely lifted the corner of his mouth leisurely.
Facing that relaxed smile drained her fighting spirit, which irritated her even more.
“If you find it fun, that’s an even bigger problem.”
“It’s fun enough that I almost regret we never had conversations like this before.”
Juhye lifted her head and studied his expression.
His face was calm, but his eyes couldn’t hide their heat.
It was strange—he was only holding her hand, yet why did he look at her like that?
“Maybe because we never had moments like this, you ended up thinking about divorce.”
The way his gaze drifted toward her lips sent a chill down her spine.
His fingers were now stroking the inside of her palm, as if lightly scratching it.
“So I was thinking we should make more moments like this, from now on.”
“No, that’s not it. I don’t know how many times I have to say this—”
“I know. You don’t love me, right?”
Daehyun gave a cold, dismissive laugh, as if there was no need to hear more.
“I don’t know if you remember, but just a few months ago, you used to call my name in your sleep.”
“……”
“You’d whisper it nonstop in my ear—‘I love you.’”
Juhye felt certain her face had turned red like it might burst at any moment.
Her cheeks burned unbearably.
Along with that came a sense of humiliation—how much more of her bare emotions did she have to expose in front of him?
“What exactly is your love, Juhye?”
Daehyun interlaced their fingers tightly and pulled her hand closer to his lips.
Juhye flinched and shook her hand in surprise, but once again, she couldn’t pull free.
“Let go—let go of me.”
“You’re going to give up on me this easily? If you love someone, you should be prepared to take responsibility to the end.”
He whispered as he pressed his lips lingeringly against her smooth, pale hand.
“With the resolve to grab my leash and shake it if you have to….”
Even in that moment, he smiled languidly, as if he desperately desired her.
