Chapter 8
“I wasn’t expecting you to come so suddenly… I haven’t had a chance to clean the house yet…”
Flustered, Ina hurried into the living room.
She quickly pushed the boxes and belongings scattered everywhere into a corner, making enough room for Dohyeon to sit.
Even while doing so, she looked embarrassed to invite him into such a shabby home. Her cheeks flushed as she let out one awkward sigh after another.
“Ah… I haven’t unpacked anything yet. Please… come in first.”
Without properly looking at him, Ina spoke.
Only then did Dohyeon, who had been waiting quietly by the front door for her invitation, slowly step inside.
Just like the run-down exterior, the inside of the apartment was so shabby that it naturally made him sigh.
The moment he entered, the stale smell of mold hit his nose.
Although the fluorescent lights were on, the apartment still felt dark and gloomy.
The wallpaper was torn in several places, with patches of mold spreading across the walls.
The apartment couldn’t have been more than about fifteen pyeong (around 50 square meters). It felt cramped.
Just as Ina had said, they hadn’t finished unpacking after moving in, and boxes and belongings were piled up everywhere.
It looked less like a home and more like a storage room.
He had heard that her father’s company was almost bankrupt.
But seeing her living somewhere so much worse than her previous home…
Made him realize just how bad things had become.
“…Sigh.”
A deep sigh escaped Dohyeon’s lips.
His brows furrowed slightly as he slowly looked around before speaking.
“Are you living here by yourself?”
Ina, who had been taking juice out of the refrigerator, stopped what she was doing.
“Hm?… Ah… Yes.”
“Your father is still in the hospital?”
“Yes…”
“And your brother?”
“They said… he might try to run away if released…”
“So… he’s still in detention.”
She answered each question hesitantly.
At the same time, she felt so ashamed of her current situation that her voice gradually trailed off.
Dohyeon quietly watched her before sitting down on the sofa.
Wanting to send him home as soon as possible, Ina busied herself.
“We only moved here recently, so the place is still a mess. I don’t really have anything to offer you…”
“But… please have some juice.”
She poured him a glass and held it out.
Then she stood awkwardly beside him for a moment before slowly sitting down.
Dohyeon silently looked at the glass before picking it up.
“Why was your phone turned off? I kept calling you.”
At those words, Ina took her broken phone out of her jacket pocket.
“My phone ended up like this…”
“You called me?”
“What happened to it?”
“Ah… I just dropped it.”
She couldn’t bring herself to say that Mrs. Hwang had done it.
So she casually brushed it off and slipped the phone back into her pocket.
Watching her closely, Dohyeon’s brows knitted together slightly.
“Have you eaten?”
Finally looking away from her, he asked quietly.
Without even meeting his eyes, Ina answered softly,
“…Not yet.”
Afraid he might notice the cheek Mrs. Hwang had slapped, she kept touching her hair, trying to hide the swelling.
But Dohyeon continued staring at her bright red cheek.
Just how hard had she been hit?
Several hours had already passed…
Yet the mark of the slap was still clearly visible.
Even during their marriage, he had known that Mrs. Hwang sometimes hit Ina.
He had confronted his mother several times and told her to stop.
But…
She hadn’t changed at all.
Looking at Ina’s swollen cheek…
He somehow felt guilty himself.
“I haven’t eaten yet either.”
“So…”
“Shall we eat together?”
Dohyeon deliberately looked away from her cheek as he spoke.
Surprised by the unexpected invitation, Ina slowly raised her head.
It was the first time…
He had ever suggested they eat together.
Forgetting even to hide the swollen cheek, she looked directly at him.
“…Together?”
Her voice trembled slightly.
“Yeah.”
“I have something I want to talk about.”
The moment he mentioned having something to discuss, Ina’s eyes widened.
“If you’re okay with it…”
“Let’s eat together.”
After thinking quietly for a moment, she nodded instead of answering.
Seeing that, Dohyeon set down the untouched glass of juice and stood up.
“Then get ready.”
“I’ll wait for you in the car.”
“Okay…”
As Dohyeon turned around, Ina also stood up to change her clothes.
Just then…
He stopped walking and turned back toward her.
“Here.”
Hearing his calm voice, Ina looked at him.
“Put this on.”
“It’ll leave a scar otherwise.”
“Ah…”
Dohyeon took a small medicine bag from the inside pocket of his jacket and placed it on the sofa.
Then, as though it were nothing special, he simply walked out.
Ina stood there in a daze, staring at the medicine bag he had left behind.
“…You knew?”
All the effort she had made to hide her swollen cheek suddenly felt pointless.
Her hand trembled slightly as she slowly picked up the bag.
Inside were several tubes of ointment.
She couldn’t understand how he had known beforehand and bought them.
Taking one tube out, she walked over to the mirror.
She brushed the hair away from her cheek and squeezed a little ointment onto her fingertip.
Then she gently spread it over the bright red swelling.
“Mm…”
The moment her finger touched it, a sharp stinging pain spread across her cheek.
Her forehead wrinkled on its own.
She bit her lip to endure the pain.
Soon, a thin layer of ointment covered the inflamed skin.
For some reason…
Just looking at it made her heart beat a little faster.
It somehow felt as though it were Dohyeon’s hand gently protecting and caring for her.
As she stared at her reflection in the mirror…
Her eyes quickly filled with tears.
“How about moving?”
Dohyeon, who had been quietly cutting his food, suddenly spoke.
Ina, sitting across from him, stopped what she was doing and looked up.
“My apartment…?”
He gave a small nod and set his knife down.
Then, looking steadily at her, he spoke.
“If we’re getting back together, we’ll have to live together anyway.”
“…”
“So just think of it as moving out a little earlier.”
Hearing those words, Ina’s heart began racing again.
The thought of living under the same roof with him once more made her strangely nervous.
“…Wouldn’t that be too much trouble? I only signed the lease for this place recently.”
“I’d like us to finish the remarriage by next month.”
“…”
“I’ll find you an officetel before then.”
“Pack your things and move.”
“…”
“You said you’re living there alone anyway.”
“So all you have to do is pack your belongings and come.”
As he spoke, Dohyeon quietly poured wine into his empty glass.
Watching the wine fill the glass, Ina slowly opened her mouth.
“…I don’t want to keep depending on you.”
At her words, he stopped pouring and looked at her intently.
“I can put up with this much.”
“…”
“I only sleep there for a little while anyway. During the day, I’m always at my father’s company, so I’ll be fine.”
With a faint smile, Ina picked up her spoon again.
“Would you like a drink?”
Holding the wine bottle, Dohyeon gave a slight nod.
Without saying a word, she held out her empty glass.
Silence settled between them, broken only by the soft sound of wine filling the glass.
Just then, Dohyeon stopped pouring and looked at Ina.
“That decision you made…”
“…to get back together with me.”
“…?”
“Is that still how you feel?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ina looked up.
Carefully studying her slightly flushed face, he spoke again.
“If you want to change your mind…”
“You still can.”
“…”
“This is your last chance.”
Dohyeon’s expression was more than serious. There was a clear sense of tension on his face.
Ina thought she understood why he was asking.
“…The slap…”
“I’m okay.”
“There’s no guarantee you’ll be okay next time.”
“…”
“And fortunately, I found out about it today.”
“But if you keep staying silent like you always have…”
“There’s no guarantee I’ll find out next time either.”
His calm voice quietly settled into her heart.
Ina’s eyes trembled as she looked at him.
“This marriage…”
“…might become more than you can bear.”
“…”
“Actually… maybe ‘difficult’ would be better.”
“If all you need is money, I’ll give you however much you need.”
“So the remarriage—”
Ina, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.
“I want to do it…”
“…Let’s get remarried.”
Her firm answer made Dohyeon quietly close the lips he had just parted.
“I don’t want to just keep accepting your help.”
“I don’t want to do something so shameless.”
“Ina.”
“If there’s anything…”
“…anything I can do for you, Mr. Dohyeon…”
“I want to do it.”
“…”
“You told me that before, remember?”
“You said I shouldn’t sign the marriage papers with nothing but shallow feelings and no real resolve.”
As she recalled the past, Ina’s eyes grew distant.
Looking into those moist eyes, Dohyeon felt his own heart strangely calm.
“Back then…”
“I really didn’t know anything.”
“Just like you said, I got married based on nothing more than shallow feelings.”
“I was immature…”
“…and naïve.”
“…”
“But I won’t be like that anymore.”
At those words, Dohyeon silently took a sip of wine and loosened the tie around his neck.
Even as she said she wouldn’t be the same anymore…
Her cheek was still swollen bright red.
How exactly was she planning not to repeat the past?
Tilting his head slightly, Dohyeon poured himself another glass of wine.
“Thank you…”
“…for the ointment.”
“…”
“Thanks to you…”
“I don’t think it’ll leave a scar.”
With those words, she lifted her glass.
Following his lead, she took a sip of wine before gently wiping her lips with a napkin.
For some reason…
Sitting across from him like this…
Sharing a meal together…
And seeing the concern in his eyes…
Stirred something inside her.
The calmness she had been holding onto slowly gave way to a faint flutter of excitement.
The dim, warm lighting.
Dohyeon’s face softly illuminated beneath it.
The gentle white noise filling the restaurant.
And his deep, pleasant voice.
Everything about that place and that moment was making Ina emotional.
“I’m not asking you to put on another awkward act of playing husband and wife like last time.”
Slowly blinking, she remembered the warning he had given her earlier that day.
Her heart immediately began pounding.
Meanwhile, Dohyeon quietly sipped his wine as he watched Ina, who seemed lost in thought.
Her hair flowed smoothly over her shoulders, catching the light whenever she made the slightest movement.
Her small, rounded nose.
Her softly full red lips.
Her long eyelashes were so thick that they cast faint shadows beneath her eyes every time she blinked.
So this is what Seo Ina really looks like.
Dohyeon quietly studied her eyes, her nose, and her lips before silently picking up his knife.
“Mr. Dohyeon.”
As though she had finally made up her mind, Ina gripped her wine glass tightly and spoke.
Hearing the seriousness in her voice, he looked back at her.
“…Do you have time tonight?”
The question seemed completely out of place.
He simply looked at her without saying a word.
When no answer came, Ina raised her eyes to meet his.
She tried her best to hide how nervous she was.
But her fingers wouldn’t stop trembling.
“…Would you…”
“…stay with me tonight?”
At Ina’s words, the look in Dohyeon’s eyes changed ever so slightly.
