CHAPTER 38……………………

“The fact that you… like me. I just can’t believe it.”

The end of her sentence trembled ever so slightly. Geonwoo drew in a deep breath.

“Then I’ll make it believable. I’ll show you that I can change.”

Hana didn’t answer. She quietly scooped up a spoonful of rice. She could feel the warm grains enter her mouth, but she tasted nothing.

Geonwoo lifted his spoon again as well. They continued their meal in silence. The soup grew cold, the steam slowly fading.

The air between them was still heavy and awkward.

But within it, there was the faintest trace of something different.

A warmth that was a little less cold than yesterday—perhaps the careful beginning of something new.

Hana opened her eyes before the alarm could ring. A faint light spread across the ceiling. Morning sunlight filtered through the curtains and into the room.

It was Monday.

The day to return to everyday life.

Her body still felt tired. Was it because she had tossed and turned all night—or because the tension she’d been carrying for so long had finally eased?

Strangely enough, she had slept deeply. Quite well, actually.

‘Is it because we’re sleeping in separate rooms…?’

Lying in bed, she stared at the ceiling and thought. It hadn’t been a change she’d expected at all, but both her body and mind felt undeniably at ease.

Last night, Geonwoo had said:

“Let’s use separate rooms from now on.”

Hana had stared at him, eyes wide.

“…Why?”

“So you can rest comfortably. You’ve been uncomfortable because of me, haven’t you?”

She couldn’t deny it. It was true. Whenever he lay beside her, she was always tense.

Every glance, every touch from him unsettled her. She never knew when he might reach for her, when he might ask for intimacy.

Because of that thought, there were many nights she couldn’t sleep.

And so, starting last night, they decided to sleep separately. Geonwoo returned to the room he originally used, and Hana went into the room next door.

The first few hours felt awkward. After being used to sharing the same room since their marriage, sleeping alone suddenly felt unfamiliar.

But at the same time, it was so comfortable. She didn’t have to stay on edge. She didn’t have to be conscious of his gaze. She could simply rest in her own space.

Hana pushed back the covers and slowly got up. She went to the sink and faced the mirror. Her face looked better than the day before. The swelling had gone down, and her skin looked fine.

After washing her face several times with cold water, she sat at her vanity. Base makeup, eyeshadow, lipstick. A familiar routine.

When she finished, she opened her closet. She had an important meeting today. She took out a beige blouse and a black skirt—a neat, safe combination.

After straightening her outfit once more in front of the mirror, she headed to the kitchen.

And then she saw something unexpected.

Geonwoo was already sitting at the dining table.

Hana stopped for a moment. She was always the one to come out first and prepare breakfast. He would come later.

Today, it was the opposite.

He was dressed in a neatly pressed navy suit and white shirt. His tie was perfectly straight. As he took a sip of coffee, he looked at her and gave something that wasn’t quite a smile.

“You’re up?”

Such a simple greeting, yet it sounded strangely unfamiliar. He rarely greeted her first.

Hana gave a small nod.

“Want to eat together?”

On the table was breakfast the housekeeper had prepared in advance—toast, salad, scrambled eggs, and a warm cup of coffee.

After a brief hesitation, Hana sat down.

They began eating in silence. The sound of forks and knives clinking filled the table. But it felt different from usual.

Strangely, the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was heavy, but not cold.

Geonwoo spoke first.

“You have that meeting today, right?”

It was the meeting regarding Southeast Asian distribution with Ilju Group.

“Yes. I’m going in the morning.”

She answered briefly. He looked at her and added,

“When you’re done, come up to my office. Let’s have lunch together.”

It was something ordinary, part of their usual routine, yet today it sounded unfamiliar. His tone, his gaze, even his expression felt subtly different.

“…All right.”

Hana lifted her coffee. The warmth spread through her mouth and down her throat. Some of her tension seemed to ease.

After finishing breakfast, they each got ready. Hana picked up her bag, and Geonwoo grabbed his briefcase.

“Let’s go.”

A short sentence. But there was an awkward gentleness within it.

Even as they stepped out the front door, they barely spoke. Yet the silence didn’t feel strange. It was as if a new kind of anticipation was cautiously taking shape between them.

In the elevator, they would usually stand in opposite corners, staring at their phones.

Today was different.

Geonwoo slowly moved to stand beside her. Not too close, but not far either. She could feel his presence right next to her.

A faint scent of cologne. The subtle brush of fabric almost touching.

The air in the elevator shifted slightly.

Hana felt as if her breath caught at that tiny change.

They didn’t say a word, yet her heart began beating just a little faster.

The elevator reached the first floor. The doors slid open, and they walked out side by side.

Their footsteps echoed steadily toward the parking garage. Their pace was even, but the air between them held a strange tension.

When they reached Geonwoo’s car, he naturally opened the passenger door.

“Get in.”

It was an ordinary gesture, yet Hana felt a strange flutter in her chest.

“…Okay.”

She replied softly and got in. Geonwoo took the driver’s seat and started the engine.

The car slowly exited the parking garage.

Morning sunlight streamed through the window. The busy scene of Monday unfolded along the road—people hurrying across crosswalks, packed cars, horns sounding as lights changed.

Everything was ordinary.

But the air inside the car was anything but.

Geonwoo turned on the radio. Gentle classical music began to play, wrapping around the silence.

Her previously cluttered thoughts seemed to calm a little.

The traffic light turned red. The car came to a stop. Without realizing it, Geonwoo turned his gaze toward Hana.

She was still looking out the window. Sunlight slanted across her face, softly outlining her profile.

In that moment, a simple thought passed through his mind.

‘She’s beautiful.’

That was all. No reason, no explanation needed. Just a feeling that had always been there, familiar and unadorned.

He watched her for a while before quickly turning his eyes back to the road as the light changed.

The car began moving again.

Crossing through the city, they soon arrived in front of the Seoga Food headquarters. Geonwoo pressed the brake.