A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 11

The door opened with a soft chime, and Jaehoon hurried inside. He had tried to finish quickly and come home early, but things didn’t go as planned. In the end, he only managed to return home just before six.

“Ah… Was I too late?”

Even though it was because of work, he felt guilty towards Dayun. He had promised to finish his fieldwork early and help, but he had taken longer than expected. As soon as he opened the door, the delicious aroma of food filled the air, making his mouth water. He thought, “I should help as soon as possible,” and headed towards the kitchen. But then, he hesitated.

“Hey, Hyunsoo, are you chopping those vegetables or crushing them?”

“It’s not that I can’t do it. I think this knife is weird.”

It was because of Dayun and Hyunsoo.

“Oh, come on. Give me the knife. I’ll do it.”

“No, I’ll do it myself.”

“You’re just being stubborn.”

“It’s not stubbornness. It’s a man’s pride. Just guide me, and I’ll do it.”

Jaehoon couldn’t say anything. How should he put it? It felt awkward to interrupt. The way they bickered yet got along so well—they seemed like a real newlywed couple. That affectionate atmosphere made Jaehoon feel uneasy. He tried to ignore it, but it felt as if waves were crashing inside him.

Then, when Hyunsoo didn’t understand what Dayun was explaining, she grabbed his hand in slight frustration.

“Like this, see? Like this!”

“Ah~ Like this?”

“Yes, that’s right. Oh wow, you’re doing great, Hyunsoo~”

Dayun had looked slightly annoyed, but as soon as Hyunsoo followed her instructions correctly, she smiled. She then reached up to pat his head, even though he was much taller than her. As if it was natural, Hyunsoo lowered himself to make it easier for her.

“Oh, did I do well? Really well?”

Despite his cool appearance, Hyunsoo spoke in a playful, cute voice, moving his face closer to Dayun’s. Watching this, Jaehoon felt another strange sensation. Something twisted inside him, an unpleasant feeling crawling up. In the end,

“Ahem!”

He let out an unnecessary cough.

“Oh? Senior, you’re home?”

“Sorry, I tried to come early, but the traffic was bad.”

“Oh, it’s fine. Hyunsoo was helping me, so it’s okay.”

“That’s good to hear. But first, I’ll go change my clothes.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

Jaehoon entered his room and threw his briefcase onto the bed, his face filled with irritation.

“Hah… seriously.”

The reason for his frustration was Hyunsoo. The moment Hyunsoo saw him, he simply nodded in greeting with an unimpressed expression.

“How rude.”

Normally, Jaehoon wouldn’t have cared. In the past, he hadn’t been the type to bow deeply to his seniors either. He also wasn’t the type to get upset if a junior didn’t greet him properly. But today, for some reason, it bothered him. He had no idea why. All he knew was that he didn’t like Hyunsoo.

After quickly changing, Jaehoon returned to the kitchen. The first thing he saw was the two of them standing close together in front of the stove.

“Hyunsoo, taste this.”

“Let me see. Ah~”

It seemed like Dayun had made a stew, offering a spoonful to Hyunsoo. Without hesitation, Hyunsoo took a bite and made a strange face.

“How is it?”

“Hmm…”

“What? Does it taste bad? Is something wrong?”

Hyunsoo didn’t respond right away, making Dayun look worried.

“No, it’s really delicious. The seasoning is just right.”

“Really? Oh, that’s a relief.”

Realizing he was joking, Dayun smiled in relief. Seeing this, Hyunsoo smirked playfully and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

“Our Dayun is ready to get married. Should I take you home with me?”

Hearing this, Jaehoon was speechless. She was already married—what nonsense was Hyunsoo talking about? It irritated him.

“Excuse me, I’m already married. I’m a wife—a married woman.”

The reactions from the two men were completely different. Jaehoon, for some reason, felt his frustration ease a little. He thought to himself, “Yes, that’s right. She’s married.” On the other hand, Hyunsoo frowned slightly, clearly displeased.

“Then just leave your husband. I’ll take you in with open arms.”

“Oh, you don’t mind me being divorced?”

“Of course not~ As long as that divorcee is you.”

As the atmosphere between them became even more playful, Jaehoon cleared his throat and stepped closer. He wasn’t sure why, but he felt like he had to stop this.

Seeing Jaehoon enter, Dayun and Hyunsoo flinched. Dayun quickly stepped away from Hyunsoo’s arm, wearing an awkward smile.

“Did you change?”

Jaehoon nodded and rolled up his sleeves.

“Yeah. Do you need help with anything?”

“Oh, help?”

Dayun looked around. It was rare for Jaehoon to offer help first. But Hyunsoo, standing beside her, pouted.

“There’s not much left to do. Just go relax.”

“Hey.”

Dayun nudged Hyunsoo’s arm, embarrassed by his grumbling. But Hyunsoo, still sulking, just pouted more.

“Junior, do you not like me?”

“Junior? Are you talking about me?”

Hyunsoo turned to look at Jaehoon. His tone wasn’t particularly polite, and his brow remained furrowed. Meanwhile, Jaehoon remained calm and collected.

“Who else would I be talking about? We were in the same club, weren’t we? Though, I don’t remember us being close.”

Hyunsoo found Jaehoon’s words irritating. They had been in the same club for over a year and a half. They had even traveled together multiple times. So why was Jaehoon acting like they barely knew each other?

“Right, we weren’t that close. But I do remember seeing you at a few drinking parties. Seems like you don’t remember?”

“I don’t pay attention to people I’m not interested in.”

“Ah, I see. Well, that’s good. I thought you had the memory of a goldfish. Oh, and is it okay if I call you ‘hyung’? I’m not used to saying ‘senior.’”

Hearing Hyunsoo compare him to a goldfish, Jaehoon’s patience almost snapped. But he held himself back. Acting out would make him look childish.

“I don’t like it, but since you’re my wife’s friend, I’ll allow it.”

Jaehoon deliberately emphasized “my wife.” He felt like that was the only way to beat Hyunsoo.

“Wife, huh…”

As expected, Hyunsoo’s expression stiffened. After a brief pause, he grabbed his jacket from the chair.

“I’m leaving.”

Their intense gazes clashed one last time before Hyunsoo turned to Dayun with a softer expression.

“Take care.”

With that, Hyunsoo left. As the door closed, only Jaehoon and Dayun remained.

“Your friend sure is… devoted to you.”

“Well… we’ve known each other for a long time. He’s like an older brother to me.”

Jaehoon smirked, though his face still seemed tense.

What an interesting situation.

At Jaehoon’s words, Dayun nodded. Then, feeling slightly awkward, she headed toward the kitchen and said,
“Um, I should get ready quickly. The staff will be arriving soon.”

She fled into the kitchen, almost as if she were running away, and Jaehoon, now left alone, had an intrigued look on his face. However, it wasn’t just interest—it was a bit more serious. He had sensed something. A feeling from someone else that wasn’t just curiosity.

“Welcome,”

With greetings from both Jaehoon and Dayun, his company staff began to enter one by one. As soon as they came in, the house buzzed with chatter. Every person who walked in had something to say.

“Wow, this house is amazing.”
“Yeah, it’s way too big for just two people.”
“Oh my, the team leader’s wife is so young and pretty!”
“Seriously, you two are such a perfect match. You look great together.”

Thanks to that, Dayun was overwhelmed. She had never worked in an office before, and her only social experiences were the drinking gatherings in college. Everything felt awkward and confusing. Sensing her unease, Jaehoon stepped in and led the guests to the living room.

“There’s food prepared in the living room, so please have a seat.”

“Oh wow, looks like your wife’s a great cook! This is a feast!”

Then, the last guest walked in—a familiar woman. The moment Dayun saw her, her expression and body froze. It was Hyeyun.

“Hello,”
“Ah… hi…”

It was their first time meeting again since that day. Hyeyun also looked awkward as she greeted her. Dayun tried to smile, but it wouldn’t come. All she could manage was a strained, awkward grin.

“I’m really sorry about that day. I was pretty drunk…”
“Oh, it’s fine… I just didn’t know you worked at the same company as my husband.”

“Oh… I guess Jaehoon didn’t tell you?”

“Jaehoon?”

At the sound of his name spoken so naturally from Hyeyun’s mouth, Dayun felt a sharp pain in her chest. Hyeyun, realizing what she had just said, looked flustered.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I’m three years older than him, so I usually just call him by his name.”
“Ah…”
“I didn’t know he hadn’t mentioned it. Sorry about that.”

Dayun thought to herself—what does this woman have to apologize for so much? Strangely, it made her sad and irritated. Hyeyun was beautiful, and even though she had taken the man Dayun loved and married him, she still looked kind and pitiable. And then, another thought hit her—maybe now she understood why Jaehoon liked her. Back then, she had seemed sweet and lovely, and she still was. Even more so now—elegant and mature with age. In comparison, Dayun felt small and plain.

“It’s okay… really. Honestly, we’re not close enough for me to expect to know everything. I was just surprised you worked at the same company, that’s all.”
“Ah…”

An awkward silence fell. Neither of them could meet the other’s eyes. Then Jaehoon’s voice called out.

“Hyeyun, what are you doing? Come and sit down. Dayun, you too.”

“Yes.”

Hyeyun smiled brightly as she walked over, as if nothing had been awkward. But Dayun didn’t want to move. He had called Hyeyun first. It made sense, since she was the one he loved—but still, she couldn’t help but feel hurt. In front of so many people, why did he call another woman before his own wife?

“Ma’am, have a drink.”

“Oh, sure.”

The food on the table was slowly disappearing, but the party showed no signs of stopping. The drinks kept flowing.

“Wow, ma’am, you’re surprisingly good with alcohol, huh?”

“Haha…”

Dayun gave a sheepish smile at the comment. She wasn’t weak with alcohol, but truthfully, Jaehoon had been discreetly helping her. He either drank the alcohol given to her or poured it into another dish. Thanks to that, she had barely had a few drinks. On the other hand, many of the staff were clearly drunk. Most of the female employees had already given up, except for Hyeyun, who was still hanging in.

“Hyeyun, you should have a drink too.”

A male coworker moved to sit next to her. He wasn’t as handsome as Jaehoon, but had a decent face. Dayun figured he was probably one of the guys who had a crush on Hyeyun—he’d been sneaking glances at her during dinner.

“Ah… I’m driving.”

“Come on, you can just call a driver. Here, take one.”

Looking uncomfortable, Hyeyun hesitated but eventually accepted the drink. Then—

“Jinso, that’s enough. She looks like she’s had enough.”

“Ah, okay…”

The man looked embarrassed and went back to his seat. It made sense for a team leader to look out for his team, but still—Dayun couldn’t shake her uneasy feeling. Her stomach churned. Maybe it was because of Jaehoon and Hyeyun. Hyeyun gave him a thankful smile, and Jaehoon mouthed, “Are you okay?” in response, his face full of concern. It was like they were in a world of their own.

“Ugh…”

Dayun felt her stomach twist. This uncomfortable gathering, sitting next to the man she had married and the woman he loved… it was suffocating. She had tried to act normal, forcing herself to eat and smile. But it was too much. She suddenly stood up and ran to the bathroom. She didn’t even care about the surprised looks from the guests—or from Jaehoon.

“Blegh~!”

She threw up everything she had forced down earlier. But even as her stomach emptied, the pressure in her chest remained. Nothing more came out, yet the dry heaving wouldn’t stop. She felt like she was going to lose her mind.

Eventually, she pulled herself together and rinsed her mouth with cold water, which helped clear her head a little. She didn’t want to go back out, but she cautiously opened the bathroom door.

“Are you okay?”

Dayun flinched in surprise. Jaehoon was standing there with a worried look on his face.

“Sounded like you were throwing up. Are you feeling sick?”

“Ah… I’m fine. I just felt a bit nauseous for a moment.”

She forced a smile and headed toward the living room. But then she stopped again in surprise. Everyone was gone, and only the messy table remained.

“I sent everyone home after you went in there.”

Feeling guilty, Dayun bowed her head.

“Ah… I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t say it to make you feel bad. They were all drunk anyway—it was time for them to go.”

Then she remembered someone.

“What about Hyeyun?”

“Hyeyun? She left too.”

“You didn’t take her home?”

Dayun asked without realizing it, surprised he hadn’t. Jaehoon looked a little sheepish and pointed at the table.

“Well, I had to clean up all this… and you ran off to the bathroom. What if something happened while I was gone? Also, Hyeyun didn’t drink—she said she’d drive some of the other female employees home. She probably left with them.”

Was it worry? A strange feeling came over Dayun. Her emotions tangled again.

“Ah… then let’s clean up quickly.”

Feeling awkward, she headed toward the table, thinking cleaning would help settle her feelings. But Jaehoon grabbed her wrist.

“It’s fine. You’re not feeling well. I’ll clean up—just go rest.”

“No, I’m okay now. I can help.”

Even though she said she was fine, Jaehoon shook his head and gently pulled her into her room.

“I’m not okay. You did all the cooking, so let me at least handle this. Just go rest.”

Sitting on the edge of her bed, Dayun stared blankly at her wrist where he had touched her. It had been warm and electric. Her churning emotions slowly settled. Of course, part of it was knowing Hyeyun had left with the others—but more than that, it was because he stayed. Because he had been worried when she ran off to the bathroom.

A small smile crept onto her lips, without her even realizing it.

Maybe… just maybe… she still had a chance to win his heart.

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