Chapter 10
Iseol saw the back of her husband as he stood choosing his clothes.
She walked over to him, pointed to the opposite side of where he was standing, and said,
“Today is an official event, so there are specific clothes you have to wear.”
It was the day of the charity bazaar held by the Haeseong Foundation.
Alongside the bazaar, there would also be charity auctions featuring cherished personal items donated by celebrities who served as advertising models for Haeseong Group affiliates, as well as auctions of works of art.
It was an occasion attended by numerous prominent figures from the entertainment, business, and political worlds, with all proceeds donated to charity.
“You can choose from these.”
Unlike the clothes he normally wore, his outfits for official appearances were selected and brought in by a staff member who matched them to the purpose and atmosphere of each event.
However, they could not completely disregard Sunho’s personal preferences.
So the staff prepared three or four coordinated outfits, and Sunho would choose whichever one he wanted to wear.
The same arrangement applied to Iseol’s clothes.
Iseol was standing in front of the wardrobe where the four suits prepared by the staff were hanging when Sunho approached from behind.
Hearing his footsteps, Iseol began to turn around, only to find herself far too close to her husband.
She immediately turned back around.
Taking a quick step forward, she created a small gap between them.
But Sunho took another step forward from behind her and reached out, casually flicking through the suits hanging on the rack.
The narrow gap Iseol had created disappeared with that movement, and her back came into contact with her husband’s chest.
There was nowhere else for her to go.
Trapped between the wardrobe and her husband, Iseol was flustered and tried to slip out to the side.
That was when her husband’s arm gently slid around her waist.
Iseol unconsciously held her breath.
“What should I wear?”
“Huh?”
“I want to wear whatever you choose for me.”
The voice that had been coming from above her was suddenly right beside her ear.
When Sunho lowered his head, his lips seemed as though they might brush against the nape of her neck as he whispered near her ear.
Iseol hurriedly reached out and grabbed the first piece of clothing she could find.
“This one. Wear this one.”
“All right. I’ll wear that.”
At her husband’s unquestioning agreement, Iseol quickly pulled the clothes from the wardrobe and moved to the side.
As soon as their bodies separated, she finally released the breath she had been holding.
But when she looked down at the clothes in her hands, she found herself facing another predicament.
Of course, formal attire meant a suit.
And the shirt had an absurd number of buttons.
Iseol had been planning to get through this as quickly as possible, but now she felt as though darkness had descended before her eyes.
How many buttons are there, anyway?
Whether he understood what was going through her mind or not, her husband stepped forward and naturally spread his arms.
He was asking her to undress him.
She had already helped him take off his T-shirt before, so that part was relatively manageable.
The problem was the shirt.
Especially the buttons.
Was fastening buttons really this difficult?
Why were the buttons so tiny?
And why were the buttonholes even smaller?
His gaze was fixed on her from above.
Through the open shirt, the sharply defined muscles of his chest were visible.
His body heat lingered against her fingertips.
And then there was his scent—the scent of her husband that she had become painfully conscious of since yesterday.
Slip.
Her fingertips kept missing.
Thinking that talking might make things a little less awkward, Iseol asked as she continued fastening the buttons.
“Do you remember anything?”
“Not yet.”
“What are you going to do about the company?”
“Grandfather told me to get plenty of rest and come back to work starting next month. He said I haven’t taken any time off all these years.”
Every time her husband spoke, she could feel the resonance of his voice through his chest beneath her fingertips.
“Apparently, I was so busy that after our wedding, we never even got to go on our honeymoon.”
Iseol’s gaze, which had been fixed on the buttons, rose to his face.
Her eyes met Sunho’s as he looked steadily down at her.
“If we have time this time, should we go on a trip together?”
Iseol’s hands stopped in the middle of fastening a button.
Something felt strange.
Shouldn’t someone who had lost their memories be confused?
Shouldn’t they be anxious?
But her husband’s attitude was far too calm.
He even seemed relaxed.
“But, Sunho…”
“Yes?”
“Aren’t you anxious?”
“……”
“If I’d lost several years of my memories, I think I’d feel confused and anxious.”
“I’m not particularly anxious.”
Sunho continued with his characteristic gentle smile.
“I don’t have my memories, but I have you, Iseol.”
“What about the company? Won’t it be difficult to get back up to speed?”
“I can figure out the work before I return. That’s why Grandfather postponed my return until next month.”
“……”
“Are you worried that I won’t be able to handle my work?”
“No. I think you’ll be able to.”
Iseol didn’t know much about the company, but she knew that he was exceptionally capable.
Her husband had always been confident and composed about everything.
Even if he lost his memories, Cha Sunho is still Cha Sunho.
Iseol attributed his composure to the abilities he possessed and resumed moving her hands.
“If you remember anything, even something small, please tell me.”
“……Yes. I will.”
Iseol finished fastening even the buttons on his shirt cuffs and looked toward the wardrobe with a satisfied expression.
All that remained were the trousers, jacket, and coat.
The problem was the trousers.
“You can put these on yourself, right?”
Please. Just put these on yourself.
Perhaps Sunho could read the desperation in her eyes, because he accepted the trousers she held out to him.
While her husband changed, Iseol turned her back to him and slowly took the jacket from the wardrobe.
She waited for the right moment.
When she heard what sounded like the sound of him fastening his belt behind her, she turned around with the jacket in her hands.
“You have to put your tie on first.”
“Ah……”
He had been so focused on everything else that he had failed to notice.
Iseol took the tie from the rack and stood in front of her husband.
She looked back and forth between the tie and Sunho, then bit the inside of her lip.
One obstacle after another.
The tie might actually be more difficult than the shirt buttons.
With the buttons, she could at least stretch out her arms and fasten them from a little distance away.
But the tie required her to raise her arms, bringing her even closer to her husband.
And why is he so tall?
Iseol rose onto her toes and stepped closer to wrap the tie around his neck.
She had expected him to bend down for her.
But her husband didn’t move an inch.
“Could you bend down just a little—whoa.”
Before Iseol could even finish asking, Sunho wrapped one arm around her waist and lifted her onto the dresser behind her.
Their eye levels became equal in an instant.
Sunho braced one arm against the top of the dresser and brought his face even closer.
“I thought this would be more comfortable for you, Iseol.”
Comfortable? How is this comfortable…
They were far too close.
Close enough to make her uncomfortable.
Hiding what she was really thinking, Iseol lifted the collar of Sunho’s shirt.
This time, I really need to do this quickly.
With swift movements, she tied the knot, then lowered his collar.
“I’m done.”
What she really meant was Please move so I can get down.
Sunho understood her perfectly.
Yet he didn’t move.
He simply held her gaze, looking at her steadily.
When Iseol turned toward the side where he wasn’t bracing his arm and tried to climb down, Sunho’s arm wrapped around her waist again.
The instant her feet touched the floor, he pulled her back toward him.
Their bodies touched.
And their eyes became entangled at the same time.
Iseol was reflected in his heated gaze.
Sunho’s figure trembled faintly in her own trembling eyes.
For one moment, their eyes were filled with nothing but each other.
The sound of their hearts pounding rang in their ears like a high-pitched echo, while time seemed to slow to a standstill.
And that was how, for the first time since their marriage, the two of them truly saw only each other.
After lingering there for a long while, Sunho’s gaze slowly traced a line downward until it settled on her lips.
The hand around her waist rose and gently cupped her cheek.
His thumb spread across her face, slowly brushing over her lower lip.
Iseol’s lips parted slightly.
As though seizing that fleeting moment, he tilted his head and leaned closer.
Was it because of his gaze?
His finger had touched nothing but her lips, yet heat seemed to spread throughout her entire body.
His face moved slowly toward hers, right before her eyes.
She knew exactly what was about to happen.
Yet she couldn’t turn away.
Her feet wouldn’t move.
They were so close that she could feel each other’s breath.
Sunho tilted his head.
And just as Iseol’s eyes slowly drifted shut, as though under a spell—
Ding-dong.
The intercom rang.
Iseol’s eyes flew open.
She immediately pressed both palms against her husband’s chest and pushed him away.
“Someone must be here.”
Iseol hurried out of the dressing room as though fleeing.
I’m crazy.
Why did I close my eyes at a moment like that?
The image of herself from just moments ago was far too alluring, leaving her momentarily dazed.
She shook her head at the thought that she had looked as though she were actually waiting for him to kiss her.
When she checked the intercom screen, she saw Chairman Cha’s chief secretary.
She opened the main gate and turned around.
By then, Sunho had already approached her.
“Who is it?”
“Oh. It’s Chief Secretary Lee Chansoo. He’s the person Grandfather is closest to. I believe they’ve worked together for about twenty years. And also……”
What else was there?
She wanted to tell her husband anything that might be helpful to him, but she didn’t know enough about the company to give him much useful information.
“I know.”
While Iseol was searching through her memories, Sunho spoke.
“I remember people I’ve known for a long time.”
Ah, right.
Her husband’s memory loss only affected roughly the past four years.
“But…”
Sunho’s expression suddenly seemed displeased.
“You’re going to meet the chief secretary dressed like that?”
Iseol lowered her head and looked at herself.
She had been so busy helping her husband get dressed that she was still wearing her thin homewear dress.
“Go change your clothes.”
His voice was firm.
