A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 23

Ding-dong~

The house was filled with the delicious aroma of food wafting from the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Soon, Hyunsoo, Sojin, and Suji stepped inside.

“Welcome.”

With Dayun’s greeting, they began exploring the house. Sojin and Suji were in awe of the spacious and beautiful home, while Hyunsoo, having visited before, remained unimpressed. He was simply satisfied that Dayun and Jaehoon had separate rooms and that, for a newlywed couple, their home lacked an overly romantic atmosphere.

“Wow, this house is amazing. Jaehoon helped with this, right?”

“Yeah.”

Dayun nodded at Suji’s question.

“But where’s Jaehoon?”

“He went to the store to buy some alcohol. I thought we might not have enough. Oh, take a seat. I’ll bring out some drinks.”

Dayun left the living room and headed to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Suji, still admiring the house, spoke with a face full of envy.

“Rich people really do live differently. Don’t you think so, Sojin?”

“Yeah. Most couples in their twenties can’t afford a house like this. Jaehoon must be really successful.”

“Seriously, I’m so jealous. I mean, think about it. He’s good-looking, capable, and practically perfect.”

“Well… true. He’s a bit cold, but other than that, he’s flawless.”

The conversation was filled with admiration and envy toward Jaehoon. Hyunsoo, who was sitting on the couch, pouted.

“Perfect, huh? What’s the point of being rich if you’re not kind? He’s cold, rude… Guys like that get exhausting to live with. And honestly, if a man is too perfect, he just becomes boring.”

Hyunsoo’s sarcastic remark made Sojin and Suji nod in agreement.

“Yeah, good looks and success only last for so long.”

“Right, once the honeymoon phase wears off, that’s it.”

Seeing them agree, Hyunsoo grinned triumphantly.

“See? I told you.”

They nodded again before Suji spoke first, followed by Sojin.

“Women should be with men who truly love and cherish them. When you really think about it, that’s what matters most.”

“Agreed. And in that sense, Jaehoon is… definitely lacking.”

At that moment, Dayun returned from the kitchen carrying drinks.

“Here, have some. It’s orange juice.”

“Thanks.”

She placed the glasses on the table, and they thanked her as they took a sip. Curious about their conversation, Dayun asked,

“What were you talking about? I think I heard Jaehoon’s name.”

Suji and Sojin exchanged glances, hesitating. It wasn’t anything serious, but they realized that talking about her husband like that might not sit well with Dayun. As they hesitated, Hyunsoo nonchalantly, or rather deliberately, spoke up.

“Nothing much. Just discussing what Jaehoon is like as a man and as a husband.”

“Oh? And what’s your conclusion?”

“He may be perfect as a man, but as a husband, he still has a long way to go. He doesn’t give you enough love.”

Dayun paused for a moment before nodding indifferently.

“I see…”

Suji, surprised by Dayun’s lack of reaction, cautiously asked,

“You’re not upset?”

“Upset?”

Dayun tilted her head as if she didn’t understand. Suji hesitated before continuing,

“Even if it’s a contract marriage, he’s still your husband. We talked about him and judged him as we pleased… Doesn’t that bother you?”

“It’s not the best feeling, but I wouldn’t say it upsets me. The way I see Jaehoon and the way you see him are different. So, naturally, our opinions of him will differ too. I can’t just dismiss your views as wrong. Everyone has their own perspective.”

“Wow, Dayun~”

Suji looked at her admiringly, surprised by her response. Dayun smiled shyly.

Just then, Hyunsoo spoke up again.

“Then, what do you think about Jaehoon?”

“Huh?”

“Jaehoon as a man, Jaehoon as a husband… What do you think of him?”

There was something sharp in Hyunsoo’s gaze that made Dayun instinctively shrink back. She had known him for years, but she had never seen this side of him before. Sure, he could get scary when angry, but he had never directed that at her.

“I… I…”

Just as Dayun was about to answer, the electronic door lock beeped, followed by the sound of the door opening. A lively chatter filled the air—perfect timing. Dayun hesitated, looking at Hyunsoo as if asking, What do I do?

“Looks like the others are here.”

Hyunsoo sighed, nodding reluctantly. In a way, their sudden arrival was a relief. He had asked on impulse, but hearing Dayun say something good about Jaehoon would have hurt.

“Hey, Sojin, Suji! And Hyunsoo, well, we see each other often, so you don’t count. Dayun, hey!”

“Hi, Oppa.”

Juhyung burst in energetically, his nickname “Clown” still fitting him perfectly despite his growing fame as a model. Following him, Gyumin and Minseok entered the living room.

“Hey, long time no see, my little chicks!”

“Minseok Oppa, we saw you at Dayun’s wedding.”

“That’s why it’s been a long time! We haven’t seen each other since then.”

Minseok, with his youthful, boyish face, smiled brightly. Meanwhile, Juhyung dragged Sojin and Suji off to explore the house, though they had already seen it.

Minseok, still grinning, approached Hyunsoo, who was a full ten centimeters taller than him, and playfully ruffled his hair. He even stood on his toes slightly, making himself look even cuter—something only he seemed unaware of.

“Wow, you’ve grown even taller! When did my little chick get so big?”

Annoyed, Hyunsoo swatted Minseok’s hand away.

“What are you talking about? I was always taller than you. And we literally saw each other three days ago.”

“Did we?”

“Yes, we did.”

“Aw, who cares about details? I’m just happy to see my little chicks again!”

Hyunsoo sighed, but Minseok suddenly hugged him tightly, making him panic.

“Ugh, Hyung!! Stop hugging me! Dayun, don’t just watch—help me get him off!”

“Huh?”

Dayun hesitated, unsure how to intervene. Just as she was about to try, Gyumin smacked Minseok on the back of his head.

“Ow!”

Minseok turned to glare at him, but Gyumin simply looked disgusted.

“What are you doing? If that’s your thing, just say it—we’ll support you.”

“What?! It’s just brotherly love!”

“No way. Actual brothers don’t do that. We’d rather fight than hug.”

Hyunsoo looked at Minseok in shock.

“Hyung… you’re into guys?”

“What?!”

“Now it all makes sense…”

“What are you even talking about?!”

The others burst into laughter as Minseok frantically tried to clear up the misunderstanding. And just like that, the lively gathering carried on.

“It’s okay, hyung. I understand. It can happen. People’s feelings don’t always follow their will.”

“No, that’s not really…”

“You don’t have to say it. I get it. It’s hard, right? Liking someone alone is really tough. But, hyung. Please don’t like me. I have a girl I like.”

At those words, Dayun, Minseok, and even Gyumin all looked shocked. In all the time they’d known Hyunsoo, they had never once heard him say he liked someone. It wasn’t that Hyunsoo had never dated before, but his relationships never lasted long, and although there were many girls who liked him, it was the first time he said he liked someone first. That’s why it was such a shock—especially for Dayun, who had known him the longest and thought they were best friends.

But the surprise didn’t last long. Minseok felt he had to clear up the misunderstanding first.

“I also like girls! It’s not what you think, okay? It was all just a joke Gyumin played!”

“Huh?”

Hearing it wasn’t true, Hyunsoo looked at Gyumin in surprise. His face clearly said, “Is Minseok telling the truth?” In response, Gyumin made a “you’re unbelievable” face.

“You’re more naive than I thought. Or maybe just dumb?”

“So it was all a lie?”

“Of course! Do you think it was real? Yoon Minseok? He’s totally crazy about girls.”

“Ah… seriously…”

Hyunsoo held his head in despair. He felt like he had fallen for a devil’s trick. Because he thought it was real, and because he knew how painful it was to like someone alone, he had opened up about his feelings. Now he regretted saying anything. At that moment, Dayun came up beside him and whispered in a voice full of disappointment.

“Oh~ so you have someone you like. And yet you kept it a secret from us?”

“No way. It was just a joke.”

“Sure, joke all you want. But let’s talk about this more later. I’ll let it go for now.”

“I won’t have anything more to talk about later.”

Annoyed, Dayun glared at Hyunsoo. Hyunsoo flinched.

“Don’t copy Captain Yoo. Of all people, why copy him? I swear I’ll explode right now.”

“Sorry.”

Watching her reaction, Hyunsoo gave an awkward laugh and dragged Minseok along, saying he’d show him around the place—even though it wasn’t his house. Soon, only Dayun and Gyumin were left in the living room. Gyumin handed her the key card to the house.

“Here, Jaehoon told me to give it to you and go up first. Junseok and Jiwoong went to buy drinks with him.”

“I see. Oh, do you want something to drink, oppa?”

At Dayun’s words, Gyumin frowned. Was something bothering him? Dayun wondered if she’d done something wrong and asked carefully,

“Why…?”

“Sunbae.”

“Yes?”

“You really don’t listen, do you? I told you to call me oppa.”

Finally understanding why he looked displeased, Dayun gave an awkward smile.

“You call Junseok, Minseok, and Juhyung oppa just fine, but for me, Jiwoong, and your husband Jaehoon, it’s always sunbae?”

“Haha… it’s just a bit awkward with Jaehoon sunbae and Jiwoong sunbae.”

“What about me then?”

Gyumin looked genuinely curious why she didn’t call him oppa either. Dayun laughed awkwardly and thought, “Why do I call him sunbae?” She wasn’t the type to call just anyone oppa—she was a bit shy with people she didn’t know well. As she got closer with others through club activities, she naturally started using oppa, but not with everyone. Jaehoon, Jiwoong, and Gyumin were the exceptions. With Jaehoon and Jiwoong, they always seemed distant and sharp, so she kept using sunbae out of discomfort. But Gyumin, despite being a bit sharp, had a playful side and often talked to her first…

“Um… there’s no clear reason, but if I had to say… you’re like… an untouchable aurora?”

“Huh? What does that even mean?”

She meant it literally. Gyumin somehow shone—like he had a glow. But Gyumin just looked confused, like he couldn’t tell if it was a compliment or not.

“Ah, um… I don’t know how to explain it…”

But Dayun herself was struggling to explain what she meant.

“Um… how do I say it… You kind of shine?”

“Shine?”

“It’s a bit cringey, but when I first saw you, I was really shocked because you were so handsome. So I couldn’t just casually call you oppa, you know?”

She meant it. Though Juhyung was also a model, Gyumin had more of that ‘perfect model’ aura. Even when he was just a student, people admitted he had amazing looks.

Hearing that, Gyumin grinned happily.

“Oh, so the reason you don’t call me oppa is because I’m too perfect?”

“Well, at least on the outside.”

As Dayun nodded, Gyumin smiled even more brightly and asked,

“Then, do you think I’m the best-looking out of all the guys? Even better than Jaehoon?”

Dayun thought for a second and nodded. She wasn’t lying—she genuinely thought Gyumin was the best-looking. Of course, Jaehoon and the others were all good-looking, but she personally found Gyumin the most handsome.

At that moment, Gyumin placed his large hand on her head and patted it, smiling brightly. It seemed her compliment made him happy.

“Still, from now on, don’t call me sunbae. Call me oppa. It sounds friendlier, don’t you think?”

“Okay, I’ll call you oppa.”

“Good girl.”

Dayun thought to herself, maybe she had gained another older brother like Daon.

Some time passed, and Jaehoon returned with Junseok and Jiwoong, who had gone to buy drinks.

“Hey, bring in the meat! And the veggies!”

Then, everyone started helping out to set the table in the living room. Though to be honest, they were just moving the food that Dayun and Jaehoon had already prepared.

“Hey, Shin Juhyung! Stop eating and help!”

“Okay, okay! Just one more bite!”

“Ah, this guy, seriously.”

In the end, Gyumin smacked the back of Juhyung’s head.

“Move everything first, then eat!”

“Geez, I said okay. But seriously, this is so good. Dayun, who made this?”

“I did. Is it okay?”

“Yeah, it’s amazing. What about this one?”

“Oh, Jaehoon sunbae made that.”

“Oh, Ahn Jaehoon. As always, your cooking’s fantastic—OW!!”

As he kept asking questions, Juhyung got smacked in the back of the head by Gyumin again.

“Go carry the food!!”

“Alright, alright!!”

It was a bit loud and chaotic. But even so, it was the kind of strange evening where the laughter never stopped and the mood kept getting warmer.

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