Episode 15
From the very first couple, there was a strange vibe.
“Nice to meet you.”
The man went first.
He was breathtakingly handsome, yet there was a sense of danger emanating from him.
‘Oh, so that’s Dylan.’
Immanuel observed Dylan with narrow eyes.
From his perspective, Dylan was quite a dangerous man.
Not just his cold exterior—the way he seemed inside also gave off a treacherous vibe.
‘Being a first-generation participant, this won’t be easy. Not easy at all.’
Immanuel then looked at Ishael, who was keeping a polite distance from Dylan.
“Hello, you must be the administrative officers?”
“That’s right. I’m Immanuel, Director of the Housing Management Bureau.”
“I’m Ishael. I’m also an administrative officer!”
“Oh, is that so?”
Immanuel scanned Ishael up and down.
He was someone who judged people by their appearance.
Not for any particular reason, just because it was convenient.
Through his sharp eyes, he noticed Ishael’s neatly combed messy hair and large round glasses.
‘Oh my, a person perfectly suited to be an administrative officer.’
Her appearance screamed, “I’m an administrative officer,” without a doubt.
On top of that, her tidy checkered shirt and straight pants!
He could have given her 200 points out of 100 for that outfit.
Immanuel almost instinctively gave her some credit internally but quickly scolded himself mentally.
‘Calm down. It’s just a natural instinct… But surely a face like that wouldn’t marry someone who looks so terrifying?’
Besides, the two of them weren’t even holding hands.
Not like any typical newlyweds.
At that moment, Immanuel’s suspicion grew even stronger.
Ishael shrugged and asked casually,
“Are we the first couple? Also, what’s with that banner over there?”
“Banner?”
“Going on a picnic so boldly. The wording is so cool, I want to use it later too.”
Her compliment pierced Immanuel’s heart.
“Oh…”
He had never once received praise for his marketing efforts before.
Someone who’s never been praised can instinctively tell whether a compliment is genuine or fake.
“You really have a good eye.”
Would a person like her really marry someone who looks scary?
It was odd.
“Very thoughtful! Anyone would like such a message, right?”
He thought, Wow. Impressive.
‘Ah, no. Calm down!’
It was like witnessing the fruits of a project.
Immanuel clenched his teeth to calm himself.
“Alright, I see.”
But his lips had already softened slightly.
He forced his expression back into composure.
From a distance, besides Dylan and Ishael, three other couples who had purchased townhouses were approaching.
Ishael’s heart was racing.
‘How did they come up with such a comment? Amazing!’
…but soon, she could hear sighs from all the newlywed couples gathered.
“What’s with that wording? Going on a picnic so boldly?”
“That’s strange.”
“Don’t look at that, just look at me. Mwah!”
Ishael squinted her eyes and observed the newlyweds.
Even on the way here, they had been openly affectionate, and some already had swollen lips.
She blinked and glanced at Dylan.
“Dylan.”
“Yes, Ishael.”
Dropping the honorific made things awkward, but recalling last night’s pledge, she steeled herself.
‘Dylan, Ishael… calling each other by first names feels right.’
‘…Okay then.’
‘We probably should hold hands at least.’
‘…’
‘Even if it’s awkward, we have to. Let’s put our hands together! Come on, Dylan!’
Even though she had practiced last night, real life was different.
Amid couples radiating springtime happiness, Dylan and Ishael felt like mismatched grains of rice.
Among the newlyweds blooming like cherry blossoms, Dylan and Ishael stood out as awkward and stiff.
Even stranger, eccentric people kept crossing their line of sight.
“Darling!”
“Sweetheart, kiss me quickly!”
“You silly thing, my love!”
The blushing woman lightly punched her husband, who staggered forward like a small fish.
“Ah!”
Wow, strong!
The embarrassed woman tapped his shoulders gently.
“My love! I’ll heal you with a kiss!”
Goosebumps ran through Ishael’s body.
Dylan muttered coldly beside her.
“Are all newlyweds… like this?”
Ishael had never closely observed newlyweds, but…
“No, this seems a bit excessive.”
Both of them had sour expressions.
Meanwhile, the other newlyweds were all smiling happily.
Even while kissing, they were fidgeting with each other’s hands.
‘Are they publicly showing affection like this? Isn’t this… indecent?’
Ishael felt dizzy just imagining it.
But then, Immanuel nodded solemnly.
“The administrative officers have laid out mats under the zelkova tree. Please sit and enjoy the flower viewing. Let’s begin!”
Flower viewing… start?
“Hoho, flower viewing begins!”
“Come sit here quickly, darling!”
Apparently, that was the custom here.
‘Well, I guess we have to. After all, the city gave us such a nice house.’
Ishael admired the petals fluttering in the spring breeze. The scenery was beautiful.
The administrative officers who planned the picnic were ordinary, jaded office workers.
‘If they had told us to play some silly stick game, I would’ve run away.’
Fairly normal.
Three administrative officers and four newlywed couples sat on picnic mats under the tree.
They ate snacks.
That’s it.
Ishael glanced around.
Some newlyweds were already feeding each other from their lunchboxes.
She peeked at Dylan, who looked calm, as if holding some secret weapon.
She, on the other hand, was overwhelmed.
‘Being in a real situation, it’s unbearably cringy!’
Even though she had dated Pedro for a long time, he was a playboy.
‘He never held my hand.’
So she was unprepared for this kind of romantic situation.
“Sweetheart, ah~!”
“Ahh!”
“If you bite my finger, what will I do, darling?”
Her stomach churned.
Immanuel seemed unbothered, watching them fondly.
‘Is this really okay?’
Only Dylan and Ishael looked stiff.
Their awkwardness irritated the administrative officers, already sensitive from the reality of checking fake couples for housing.
“You two seem particularly lacking in affectionate gestures.”
Next to Director Immanuel, a man in his thirties gave a sly, snake-like smile.
“You haven’t even taken out your lunchboxes.”
The reason they hadn’t was simple: Ishael felt she needed to feed Dylan.
Damn it.
What kind of bizarre situation was this?
They only wanted to buy a house and live independently, yet here they were forced into unnatural public affection.
Ishael looked at the petals drifting in the air.
‘This is mountain after mountain.’
Honestly, she admitted, their relationship looked way too stiff.
“Something seems… odd.”
She shifted her hips slightly and took a deep breath.
Then!
She linked her arm with Dylan’s.
Since they were already here…
“I’m going to show some affection from now on.”
As she grabbed his arm, Dylan froze like a Lego figure.
‘What? I need to collaborate with Dylan here.’
If he stiffened too much, their awkwardness would be obvious!
Anxious, she nudged his side lightly with her elbow.
“Right, darling?”
At that moment, Dylan looked down at her.
But he didn’t speak.
Silence lingered, and the administrative officer tilted his head curiously.
“Hmm, no matter how I see it, this one doesn’t seem like the one taking initiative.”
Ishael sent a desperate look toward Dylan over her glasses.
And very slowly…
His gaze softened, almost like it could be mistaken for genuine affection if one didn’t know it was an act.
“Yes, my dear.”
…Did she just hear that?
Thinking she misheard, she rubbed her ears.
“Eh? What did you say?”
A scam? Death? Slice? Stab?
‘Surely he doesn’t mean “my dear”…’
Dylan blinked slowly after noticing her trembling eyes.
Then, like someone who had repeated the word “my dear” since the founding of the empire, he shouted with full force:
“My dear, let’s go.”
She looked at Dylan with trembling eyes.
He had a very proud expression, as if he had accomplished a long-awaited mission.
What was with this suspicious nickname?
And… go where?
