A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 34

In the countryside, there was an old, worn-down house that felt like a grandmother’s home, cozy yet humble. The middle of three doors opened with a squeak, and soon, Jaehoon stepped out onto the porch. He looked somewhat uncomfortable, and seeing this, the grandmother spoke.

“Well, I guess since you’re a tall young man, my grandson’s clothes are a little small on you.”

As the grandmother said, Jaehoon’s appearance was somewhat comical, as if he were a clown. Even though he wore long pants, they were too short, leaving his ankles exposed. His shirt was short-sleeved, and while it wasn’t too tight, it felt a bit snug on his frame. It almost looked like he was wearing leggings.

Noticing his awkwardness, Jaehoon gave a shy smile.

“Hehe… I guess so… um, but… excuse me, do you have any bigger clothes?”

He asked with a small hope that there might be something better.

“Sorry about that. The biggest clothes in this house are from my son, Wooyoung. My other son’s clothes are too small, and mine would probably be too small too… How about I give you mine? I think I still have some work pants I washed somewhere.”

But hearing the mention of “work pants,” Jaehoon quickly waved his hands.

“Hehe, I’ll just wear these. You know, now that I think about it, these aren’t too bad.”

He preferred the small clothes over the work pants. Plus, wearing something like that in front of Dayun just felt a bit less stylish.

Then, there was another squeak, and from another room, Dayun came out.

“Goodness, the young man’s clothes are too small, but the young lady’s are too big.”

As soon as the grandmother finished her sentence, Jaehoon’s gaze shifted to Dayun. Just like the grandmother said, Dayun’s clothes seemed way too large. Jaehoon even wondered if they were from the same person.

“But the pants fit, so it’s okay, right?”

“Yes, the top seems a bit big, but the pants fit perfectly. It seems like your grandson has a smaller upper body compared to his lower body.”

“Wooyoung is a bit thin, but those pants are from when he was in middle school. My mom in Seoul bought them, but he didn’t wear them much. Kids grow so fast, so it was a shame to throw them away. I kept them, thinking I might give them to Hoyoung later.”

“I see.”

Dayun nodded. Then, she realized she hadn’t thanked her yet and quickly bowed her head. Jaehoon also bowed, though Dayun didn’t notice.

“Anyway, thank you, grandmother. For lending us the clothes.”

“Oh, don’t mention it. It’s because of my grandson, so of course I should lend them to you.”

“But… this is your older grandson’s clothes. I feel bad about it.”

“Don’t feel bad, dear. If you knew about my brother, he would have insisted on lending them right away. He’s such a good boy.”

“Hehe, I think I can tell from looking at you and Hoyoung. Your older grandson must be very nice too.”

The grandmother, saying she would prepare dinner and telling them to get some fresh air for a while, encouraged Jaehoon and Dayun to go outside.

“How about we take a quick walk?” Jaehoon suggested, and they both started walking side by side, not knowing where they were headed, simply matching each other’s pace.

After a short walk, they returned to the grandmother’s house, where the grandmother greeted them with a bright smile.

“Perfect timing! Dinner’s all ready. Did you enjoy your walk?”

“Yes, thank you to you, grandmother. The village is really pretty.”

“Pretty? Well, it’s just old, that’s all. Oh, Jaehoon, could you please help me bring in the dishes from the kitchen? Normally, I would, but I hurt my back a few days ago.”

Jaehoon nodded and headed to the kitchen. It was connected to the yard, so it didn’t take long before he came back with the dishes. The grandmother pointed to a low table in the middle of the yard.

“Put it here.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Jaehoon set the table down, and as he did, he felt his shoulders stiffen from carrying the heavy dishes. The grandmother, on the other hand, looked pleased, either because she was happy to have him help or simply proud of him.

“You’re tall, but I didn’t know you were so strong. You carried that all by yourself!”

“Hehe, I’m stronger than I look.”

Jaehoon smiled playfully, feeling good about the compliment. The grandmother, with a mischievous grin, teased him.

“Well, now that I see it, you’ve got some real strength. Dayun must be happy about that.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

Dayun was confused by the grandmother’s words. Why would she be happy that Jaehoon was strong? Before she could ask further, the grandmother added something that made Dayun’s face turn bright red.

“Well, if a man’s strong, he’s good for more than just lifting heavy things.”

“Grandma!!”

Jaehoon was just as embarrassed, unable to make eye contact with Dayun as he shouted in surprise. The grandmother smiled at the two of them, finding them so cute.

“You two haven’t gotten married yet, have you? Though these days, some people don’t even get married but still live together.”

“Grandma!”

“I know, I know. You both seem so innocent, it’s hard to tease you.”

The grandmother thought the young couple was so cute, seeing how pure they were compared to other young people.

“Oops, looks like our oldest grandson is here. I’ll go get the food, you two sit down.”

“Welcome home.”

With that, Wooyoung came in, wearing his school uniform, and dinner was officially served.

“Eat a lot, even though there isn’t much.”

“It’s not ‘not much’! There’s so much! And your cooking is way better than mine.”

“Hehe, you’re such a polite young lady. Eat a lot, Jaehoon.”

“Yes, thank you for the meal.”

As they ate, Jaehoon and Dayun were enjoying their meal, while Wooyoung seemed distracted, unsure where to look as he was trying to figure out why others were eating together, especially since it felt like one big family now.

Wooyoung watched Dayun, who was kindly taking care of his younger brother, Hoyoung, with the same warmth as a mother or older sister. It was fascinating, and he found himself liking her more. When their eyes met, Wooyoung, surprised, blinked and asked.

“Why…?”

“Ah, this might be a bit out of the blue, but can I ask who you are?”

There was a brief silence before laughter filled the room.

“Come to think of it, I didn’t introduce you to Wooyoung. Say hello, these are the kind people who helped Hoyoung earlier.”

“Ah… Hello, I’m Park Wooyoung.”

Dayun and Jaehoon, feeling awkward for not introducing themselves earlier, awkwardly gave their names.

“I’m Choi Dayun. And this is…”

“Ahn Jaehoon.”

Their brief introductions left Wooyoung a little puzzled, thinking, ‘Aren’t they being a bit too informal for people they just met?’ He thought it was strange, even if he was younger.

“Can I speak casually? You look much younger than me, so I thought it’d be okay.”

“Uh… Okay. You do look older than me, so I guess it’s fine.”

Wooyoung was taken aback by the blunt remark, but Jaehoon froze. Had Dayun not stopped him, he might have said something back. He had never thought of himself as looking old, but now he wondered.

“How old are you?”

“Me? I’m 24.”

“Oh, really? We’re only six years apart. Can I call you ‘noona’?”

“Sure, you can.”

Despite the casual exchange, Wooyoung seemed kind and respectful toward Dayun, which made Jaehoon feel strangely competitive, like he had found a new rival.

“Hey, noona, after we finish eating, let’s go see the night sea.”

“Huh? The night sea?”

“Yes. I want to show you something. I think you’ll love it.”

Curious, Dayun nodded. Wooyoung’s enthusiasm made her smile, but Jaehoon couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

‘What’s he planning now?’

He felt like Wooyoung was becoming a rival, and it bothered him.

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