Chapter 8
“But why do you keep acting like you’re the victim?”
There was one thing I needed to make clear.
“You got a benefit out of injuring your shoulder, didn’t you?”
“What the hell did I—”
“An exemption from military service.”
As if he had just heard something utterly absurd, Ryu Jin-ha’s eyebrow twitched.
“Fuck. What kind of benefit is that?”
“It’s a damn big benefit. If you hate it so much, enlist now. I don’t think it’s too late.”
Tae-ha shrugged as though it had nothing to do with him, then turned and walked away from Ryu Jin-ha, whose face had gone bright red with anger.
As he walked down the same hallway with Joo-ah, something he had heard while walking through it alone suddenly flashed through his mind.
I was the one who saved you. Not Ryu Tae-ha. Me!
Was it because of those words?
Perhaps he simply couldn’t stand seeing Ryu Jin-ha pretending to be the victim, clinging to Joo-ah’s guilt and feeding off it. That was probably why he had even dragged up the matter of military service and childishly thrown the word benefit around.
He also wanted to tell Han Joo-ah.
You don’t need to play along with that bastard’s victim act.
Tae-ha glanced sideways at Joo-ah, who was walking silently beside him.
It didn’t seem to have helped much, though.
For some inexplicable reason, his sour mood slipped out through his mouth.
“Why bother listening to all that bullshit?”
“I didn’t just listen. I said what I had to say, too. So I actually feel pretty good.”
“Did you curse him out?”
“Something like that.”
Something like that, my ass.
She didn’t even know how to swear.
He was curious about what she had said, but it was obvious she wouldn’t tell him even if he asked.
But why the hell was he even curious about something like this?
Do I really think I’m her husband or something?
With a long sigh, Tae-ha let the ridiculous thought go and added a note of concern instead of pressing her.
“After what happened, Ryu Jin-ha isn’t going to sit still.”
Given Ryu Jin-ha’s petty nature, it was obvious who he would turn his anger on.
The anger he couldn’t unleash on someone stronger than himself had to go somewhere, didn’t it?
“From now on, try not to deal with Ryu Jin-ha whenever possible. You never know what he might do. He isn’t exactly normal, either.”
Either?
Joo-ah stared thoughtfully at Tae-ha’s profile.
Did that mean he included himself in that statement?
Or…
She was still thinking when his eyes met hers.
“Why?”
“Were you talking about me?”
“Talking about what?”
“……Never mind.”
The question that had suddenly occurred to her soon found its own answer.
Well, of course.
There hadn’t been a single normal person among those gathered for today’s formal family meeting.
Except one.
Ryu Jin-ha’s father, Vice Chairman Ryu Seong-ho, who was praised for his gentle and mild-mannered personality.
“What did you talk about in the study?”
Wanting to put an end to any further conversation about Ryu Jin-ha, Joo-ah brought up a different subject.
Unfortunately, it brought back a memory Tae-ha had briefly pushed aside.
As though he hadn’t been seething with anger all the way up the stairs just moments ago, his answer was remarkably calm.
“That I was going to marry you even if it killed me.”
“And what did Chairman Ryu say?”
“That he would never let me marry you even if it killed him.”
It was only natural.
The small hope she’d been holding onto was crushed, leaving nothing but disappointment.
Joo-ah’s shoulders drooped.
“So you didn’t get his permission.”
“Do I need his permission?”
“Still, if possible, I’d rather have it.”
Everyone knew Tae-ha and Chairman Ryu had a terrible relationship. Knowing that her involvement seemed to be making things even worse between them, Joo-ah couldn’t help feeling guilty.
“There is a straightforward way to deal with that. If you want, I’ll do it.”
Joo-ah’s head, weighed down by guilt, lifted.
A straightforward way?
If I want it, Ryu Tae-ha will do it?
She was wondering what he meant when something vaguely flickered through her mind.
“It’s probably better if we move quickly. Let’s go.”
The moment Tae-ha tugged at the hand he was holding, urging her to hurry, that vague thought suddenly became crystal clear.
“Hey! That’s not what you meant!”
Joo-ah suddenly raised her voice.
Tae-ha looked down at her with a furrowed brow, as though wondering what had gotten into her all of a sudden.
“What isn’t?”
“Our contract never included anything like that!”
Joo-ah growled, lowering her voice so that only Tae-ha could hear. Her face was thoroughly indignant.
“Like what?”
What else?
“Pregnancy!”
For several seconds, their eyes met in midair.
“Pfft!”
Tae-ha’s laughter burst out, shattering the silence.
What’s so funny? There’s nothing funny about this!
Joo-ah glared at him as he bent over, laughing loudly enough for tears to gather at the corners of his eyes.
She was still serious, while he was the only one laughing like a fool.
Feeling her sharp glare, Tae-ha somehow managed to stop laughing, but he couldn’t completely suppress the chuckles escaping from him.
Ah, seriously. Han Joo-ah.
“What exactly are you thinking? No, should I ask how far you’ve gotten with your thoughts?”
What? Why is he blaming me? He’s the one who started this!
Joo-ah lifted her chin proudly.
“You said you were going to use the straightforward way.”
“Right. The straightforward way. We live together.”
“What?”
Joo-ah blinked.
“If we’re living together and are effectively in a common-law marriage, the old man won’t have any way to stop us.”
“Oh……”
Living together.
Realizing she’d gotten things horribly wrong, Joo-ah whipped her head away.
She had gone way too far on her own.
Clenching her eyes shut, she quickened her pace.
“You’re getting ahead of yourself again.”
With laughter still coloring his voice, Tae-ha caught up with her in a few long strides.
Then he bent down and whispered beside her ear.
“I felt sexually humiliated just now.”
“So what? Are you going to report me for sexual harassment?”
She regretted the curt reply as soon as she said it.
Tae-ha answered shamelessly, still chuckling.
“Could I do that? We’re getting married.”
Walking one step ahead of him, Joo-ah passed through the garden.
Then a large hand suddenly reached out and took hers.
“What are you doing? Why are you holding my hand?”
She regretted saying it immediately.
They had been holding hands perfectly fine until now, so perhaps she was overreacting for no reason.
It was because I brought up pregnancy for no reason…
Ah. Wait.
As her belated regret continued, Joo-ah’s gaze stopped on their joined hands.
Then moments she hadn’t even consciously noticed flashed through her mind.
The dining room.
Ryu Tae-ha’s room.
The hallway and stairs.
And now the garden.
Why…… am I okay with this?
Her thoughts scattered when his voice whispered beside her ear.
“Because people are watching?”
Joo-ah looked around, wondering who exactly might be watching, but Tae-ha continued.
“I’ve been thinking about it.”
“Our concept should be eternal love.”
He paused.
“Like we can’t live without each other.”
The moment she heard it, Joo-ah couldn’t help letting out a hollow laugh.
“Who would believe that?”
She was about to say that not even a passing dog would believe it when—
“Someone will.”
Tae-ha nodded toward the second floor.
Ryu Jin-ha was watching the two of them through the window.
His eyes were blazing with fury.
“See? I told you.”
Someone will believe us.
“Too bad it’s not winter. If it were, I’d have put my hand in my pocket while we walked. Then he’d probably lose his mind and jump straight through the window to separate us.”
Tae-ha smiled at Ryu Jin-ha, who was glaring at them as though he wanted to kill them, then started walking again.
This should be enough for today.
At least he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do.
“Let’s go.”
Until the two of them disappeared from the garden, that burning gaze followed them relentlessly.
“Just pack what you need and come out.”
After arriving in front of Joo-ah’s house, Tae-ha said that and waited in the car.
When Joo-ah stepped into the living room, the house was quiet.
It seemed no one had returned yet.
They were probably figuring out what to do after the formal family meeting had fallen apart.
Or perhaps they were calculating and sorting out everything that had passed between their family and Ryu Jin-ha’s parents.
Whatever it was, her father was going to take a serious hit.
After all, he’d benefited considerably from this marriage.
Perhaps even more than that.
I’ll make sure of it.
Joo-ah went upstairs and immediately began packing.
She’d intended to bring only the essentials, but once she started putting things she needed into the suitcase, it quickly became full.
She had no intention of running away, but neither did she particularly want to run into her family.
So she hurried down the stairs.
She was passing through the living room when she came face-to-face with Han Da-yeon, who had just entered the house.
“You!”
Da-yeon shouted and hurried toward Joo-ah.
Her expression was one of someone so wronged she could barely contain herself, as though she had a thousand things to say.
“You?”
It seemed she’d decided to throw away all the pretense she’d maintained until now, clinging to Joo-ah and calling her Unni, Unni with a sweet smile.
Perhaps she didn’t even have the luxury of thinking about appearances anymore.
“That’s right. You!”
Da-yeon screamed, practically consumed by rage.
“You knew everything, didn’t you? You knew I liked Tae-ha Oppa!”
Her desperate cry made it sound as though Joo-ah had stolen her sister’s lover.
Was Ryu Tae-ha really that important to Han Da-yeon?
Looking into Da-yeon’s red, tear-filled eyes, Joo-ah calmly asked:
“You didn’t know, either?”
She paused.
“That Ryu Jin-ha was my fiancé?”
