Chapter 8
Seung-hyuk sat staring anxiously at the phone he had placed on the table. There had been no word from Chae Yu-joo yesterday or today.
He had to head down to Gangwon Province early the next morning, which meant he was truly running out of time. His hand reached toward the phone several times, but he held back from pressing the call button. If he pressured her, he wouldn’t know her true intentions.
Was Yu-joo planning to reject him after all?
A bitter taste rose in his mouth. But even if she did, it wouldn’t be surprising. His proposal itself hadn’t exactly been ordinary to begin with.
His mouth felt dry. Seung-hyuk, overwhelmed by thirst, opened the hotel fridge.
Rrrr—
Just then, the phone on the table began to ring. His head turned instinctively. His eyes shook as he checked the screen.
“Chae Yu-joo.”
Afraid she might hang up, his finger darted to press the call button.
“Yes, this is Hyun Seung-hyuk.”
-
…It’s Chae Yu-joo.
Her voice through the phone sounded faintly wet, as though tinged with tears.
“Yes, I know. What is it?”
-
That proposal you made last time.
He could hear Yu-joo draw in a deep breath.
At that sound, his hand gripping the phone tightened.
“Yes, go on.”
-
I’ve decided to accept it.
Seung-hyuk quickly grabbed the clothes he had tossed aside. A strange excitement coursed through him.
“Where are you right now? I’ll come to you.”
“So what exactly do you want me to do?”
Yu-joo’s attitude had completely changed. After repeatedly drawing a line before, she now faced him with a far more active stance.
“Marry me. No, pretend to, at least. In front of the people around me.”
Seung-hyuk explained.
“As I said before, when this arrangement ends, I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated.”
“Why are you going this far?”
Confusion filled Yu-joo’s face. Seung-hyuk answered calmly.
“As I mentioned, I have a lot to gain. I won’t have to be dragged into meaningless arranged meetings anymore, and the reason for my broken engagement will be neatly covered up.”
Yu-joo seemed to understand somewhat and gave the slightest of nods.
Watching her, Seung-hyuk asked,
“Then what do you gain from this, Ms. Chae Yu-joo?”
“…What?”
The question caught her off guard. Her lips parted slightly.
“If it were just about money, you would’ve decided sooner. It feels like that’s not the only reason you’ve changed your mind.”
After a pause, Yu-joo finally spoke.
“Freedom.”
“Freedom?”
The word was so unexpected that Seung-hyuk repeated it.
But she didn’t elaborate. She tossed out the word carelessly, as though it had nothing to do with her.
Seung-hyuk shrugged lightly and continued.
“Fine. Let’s work out the details.”
“There won’t be a wedding. And no official registration either.”
Yu-joo’s tone was firm.
“That’s fine. But in front of my people, you’ll have to act as my wife.”
“Alright. One year should be enough, right?”
Seung-hyuk studied her face quietly, then nodded.
“One year will be enough.”
By then, the noise around his broken engagement would have died down.
And maybe…
The storm of emotions he felt toward this woman might also settle in some way.
“Then it’s a deal.”
A silence hung between them. Yu-joo clenched and unclenched her fingers.
“…Yes.”
It felt as though she had done something reckless, but the reality still didn’t sink in.
“Can I ask you one thing?”
Yu-joo lifted her gaze. Before she could read his intent, his question came.
“That night at the hotel—why did you run away?”
Her fingers twitched faintly. After a pause, her lips parted slowly.
“…When I woke up, I regretted it. It was an impulsive choice.”
“Regret…”
For a moment, Seung-hyuk’s face showed faint bitterness. Then it was gone.
“Well, that’s fine. Actually, that was one of the biggest reasons I chose you.”
“…”
“By the way,” he added slowly,
“Do you have any idea who might have taken those photos of us?”
Her heart plummeted. A chill swept down her neck, making her stiffen.
“I have no idea. If you hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t even have known photos existed.”
Her voice trembled slightly, but thankfully, Seung-hyuk didn’t seem deeply suspicious.
“…True. Since the photos were sent to my ex-fiancée, it must have been someone else.”
He had asked only because Yu-joo had paid the hotel bill entirely in cash. Still, he didn’t want to doubt her.
After a moment of thought, Seung-hyuk shook his head.
“Forget it.”
…Would she answer if he asked why she’d been crying?
The redness around her eyes and nose when they reunited lingered in his thoughts. His gaze drifted briefly to the scars on her arm before pulling away.
“Are you alright?”
The question carried many meanings.
Yu-joo nodded, as if wondering why he’d even ask.
“I’m fine.”
Did she even know what he really meant?
Why was “I’m fine” the only answer she ever gave?
“I’ll be counting on you, Ms. Chae Yu-joo.”
He extended his hand.
Yu-joo placed her hand in his across the table. Just like that night, it was warm and strong.
But it had been her, after all, who had shaken his life so deeply. The thought made fear stir inside her.
How long could she keep her secret?
When the truth eventually came out, how would he change?
And what would she have to endure?
Seung-hyuk informed his father of his marriage to Chae Yu-joo. The backlash was even harsher than the day Seol-ah had declared the engagement broken.
His father snarled at him never to step foot in the family home again. But that suited him just fine. He stepped out, crunching over broken glass and scattered papers littering the floor.
His only thought then was strangely trivial—hoping the bruises on his face would fade before Yu-joo arrived in Gangwon Province.
“Welcome, Ms. Chae Yu-joo.”
At the terminal, Seung-hyuk extended his hand.
Yu-joo looked at him blankly, not understanding at first. Then he reached for her suitcase handle.
Ah. He meant her luggage.
She had thought for a second he might want to hold her hand. Embarrassed, she wrinkled her nose slightly and looked away.
Gangwon’s late-summer scenery was breathtaking.
The fields and mountains were preparing to shift from deep green to shades of brown, and the sky stretched clear and blue. The gentle wind and bright sunlight soothed her quietly.
“It’s beautiful here,” Yu-joo said.
Seung-hyuk glanced back at her.
He nearly said, You’re even more beautiful.
Yu-joo was glowing with a serene light. Perhaps this was her true self—not the woman who had tried to seduce him that night.
But it didn’t matter which one was real. Both versions of her stirred his heart all the same.
What these feelings meant… he’d have to wait and see.
“It will be even more beautiful once the leaves turn.”
He replied as he loaded her suitcase into his car. Her luggage was surprisingly light for someone planning to live there long-term. His brows furrowed.
“Is this all you brought?”
“Ah, yes. That’s it.”
Most of her money went toward cleaning up her brother’s messes and covering household expenses. She couldn’t even remember the last time she bought something for herself.
The meager luggage felt like it exposed all of that. She felt embarrassed.
Riding beside Seung-hyuk, Yu-joo’s heart thumped with nervous excitement.
So it was real—she was going to live with this man.
She had told her mother, Young-ok, that she had found work in Gangwon. Her mother hadn’t cared, only reminding her to send money every month.
“You’re really going to be okay, Yu-joo?”
She had confided the truth only to Mi-hyun, a friend from middle school—one of her few close friends.
Mi-hyun’s concern was understandable. But once Yu-joo made her decision, she didn’t want to stop.
Whether it was because she wanted to escape… or because Hyun Seung-hyuk kept carving deeper into her heart.
She knew he was the same kind of person as Seol-ah. But she couldn’t stop thinking of him.
His warm, steady hand.
Every time she remembered that touch, heat spread inside her and her heart stirred strangely.
What if she faltered? What if she forgot this was only a contract, one with an inevitable end?
And worst of all, she had been the one to ruin his engagement. Every time his questions forced her into lies, guilt weighed heavier on her chest.
Frustration built up, and she inhaled deeply. Just then, a harsh sound split the air.
Screeeech—
