TUW | CHAPTER 76

Chapter 76

Who Is This?

She missed Do Hyun so much.

She missed how her lips would curve into a smile just by seeing him.

If she had known it would be like this, she would’ve held him tighter before coming.

She should have breathed in his scent as much as she could.

Yeon pressed her face into the unfamiliar-smelling blanket.

No matter how many times she sniffed, the scent still felt strange.

It would probably take time to get used to this new smell.

She should have brought the perfume Do Hyun used.

“I’m home.”

It was her father-in-law.

Though the guest room was far from the living room, she could faintly hear Deokho’s voice.

Feeling glad, Yeon hurriedly ran toward the living room.

“Father!”

She called out brightly, her loneliness from earlier wiped clean from her face.

“Oh? Who is this?”

Deokho looked startled, not expecting to see Yeon at home.

But soon, he smiled warmly in return to her greeting.

“Father, please come this way for a moment…”

Yeon quickly explained the situation to him.

How she came to stay in the house, that she’d be here for three weeks, and that Do Hyun didn’t know about it yet.

“My daughter-in-law is bold! How did you come up with such a daring idea? Did your father-in-law scold you? If you’d told me earlier, I would’ve stood by your side.”

Yeon was simply grateful for Deokho’s kindness.

“Thank you for saying that. I just hope Grandfather will see me in a better light. I only want to stay by Do Hyun’s side and love him sincerely. I hope that feeling reaches him, even a little—by my own effort.”

Deokho looked at Yeon with affection, as if gazing at a beloved daughter.

“So you’ve started calling him Grandfather now? You used to call him Chairman, didn’t you?”

He had noticed the change in her tone.

“I’ve been slowly changing it myself. ‘Chairman’ sounds too distant. I wanted something a little warmer.”

She whispered the last part playfully into his ear, and Deokho gave her a thumbs-up.

“That’s a good idea. Yeon, you’ll do just fine. He’ll notice it too. Maybe he already has.”

Yeon smiled at his encouragement.

“Your words give me strength. But this room is so big, and the bed’s too large for just me. It makes me miss Do Hyun even more. I can’t help but wonder how he’s doing without me…”

Her voice faded, her chin trembling slightly.

“How long has it been since you two were apart?”

Yeon counted with her fingers.

“Um… maybe three hours? Four?”

Hearing that, Deokho burst into laughter so hard that tears welled in his eyes.

Why was he laughing?

She was being serious, but he found it hilarious.

“Newlyweds are so cute.”

He wiped his eyes and went to change clothes.

Yeon tilted her head, still puzzled about what was so funny.

After a while, she changed into comfortable clothes to help prepare dinner.

Since there was still time, she unpacked the wrinkled clothes in her suitcase and neatly organized them in the guest room’s small dressing room.

Though she had visited the house before for meals, it was her first time using the guest room—she had always stayed in Do Hyun’s room.

“I’m nervous…”

Meals with Gapsu were never entirely comfortable.

Still, Yeon hoped that for the next three weeks, things wouldn’t be too difficult.

She wanted their mealtime conversations to feel a little easier.

Maybe she should think of him as her father?

No, that might feel too forward.

A grandfather—yes, that felt right.

She took a deep breath before heading to the living room.

She had already lost count of how many times she had sighed today.

She hoped this nervousness would fade with time.

When she arrived at the dining table, Kim Yeo-sa had nearly finished setting the meal.

“Auntie, can I help with anything?”

Kim Yeo-sa quickly waved her hands.

“Oh no, ma’am! This is my job. Preparing dinner for three is nothing. Please relax.”

With no choice, Yeon stood awkwardly by the table.

“Why are you standing, daughter-in-law?”

Deokho came out dressed comfortably and spotted her.

“I wasn’t sure where to sit…”

She didn’t want to accidentally take the wrong seat since she knew where Do Hyun usually sat when they ate together.

Kim Yeo-sa was still busy preparing dishes, so Yeon waited for the others to sit first.

“You can sit here. I usually sit there. That’s where Do Hyun used to sit.”

When he mentioned Do Hyun, Yeon’s lips pouted slightly, and longing filled her face.

Deokho quickly realized and smiled awkwardly.

“Oh dear, I shouldn’t have brought him up. I’ll avoid mentioning him.”

“No, please do. This is where he used to sit, after all. I’ll chew slowly and think of him while eating.”

Yeon shrugged lightly.

“Who’s making all that noise at the table?”

Without realizing it, Gapsu had entered and sat at the center seat, his tone stern.

The lively atmosphere froze instantly.

Moments ago, laughter filled the air, but now it was gone.

Once Gapsu began eating, Deokho and Yeon quietly picked up their spoons too.

“Is the room comfortable? Nothing bothering you?”

Bothering me? That room could never bother anyone.

“It’s too nice for me to even think about being uncomfortable. I love it!”

When Yeon answered cheerfully, Gapsu shot her a glance.

“Your husband is alone in that big house, probably missing you, yet you’re saying you love being away? That doesn’t sound right.”

Every word he spoke was sharp.

She had only said she liked the room, yet he somehow tied it back to Do Hyun.

“That wife didn’t want to leave either. She only came out to spend time with her grandfather.”

I came here because of you, sir.

“I meant no disrespect, Grandfather.”

Her words made Gapsu clear his throat awkwardly.

“Anyway, what about your work? Did you quit?”

“Are you worried I might have resigned from Wusung Card?”

Hearing that, Gapsu paused mid-bite.

“Whether you quit or sold the company means nothing to me. That’s for Wuseong Card to handle.”

“If I ever left Do Hyun’s side, wouldn’t you be disappointed? I’ve been a pretty good assistant to your perfectionist grandson.”

She wasn’t wrong.

Even Gapsu couldn’t deny that Do Hyun worked best with her.

Their quick back-and-forth continued until dinner ended.

And just like that, their first day ended without trouble.

***

“Haaam…”

When Yeon woke up and checked the clock, it was nearly ten.

She rubbed herself into the still unfamiliar bedding, feeling blissfully lazy.

Sleeping in felt wonderful.

On weekends, waking naturally without an alarm was her greatest joy.

After endless weekdays of alarm clocks, weekends were her escape.

She always made sure to sleep as much as possible.

Still half-asleep, she walked out to the living room.

Gapsu was sitting on the sofa, reading the newspaper.

Deokho was out, and Kim Yeo-sa was nowhere to be seen.

She hadn’t slept well the night before in the unfamiliar space, but now she felt a bit better.

The absence of Do Hyun made the house feel too quiet.

She wanted to send him a short message, even just a dot to show she was alive, but she resisted.

Every moment she missed him, she had to fight the urge to run to him.

She’d spent half the night thinking about how to make Gapsu see her in a better light.

Simply living under the same roof wasn’t enough.

They needed to talk more.

So she decided—today, she’d keep talking to him.

She’d follow him quietly wherever he went, even if it made her seem clingy.

After all, there weren’t many places to go in the house anyway.

“Good morning, Grandfather.”

Yeon greeted him brightly.

Gapsu looked up from his newspaper, seeing her rub her eyes sleepily as she walked over.

“It’s already this late, and you’re just waking up? You’ve gotten lazy already, just because you’re on leave.”