A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 35

The salty scent of the sea tickled their noses, and the breeze blowing from beyond the horizon brushed the heads of Jaehoon, Dayun, and the other children walking by the sea.

“Wow~ The sea looks really nice at night. It’s like the sea is glowing because of the moonlight or the lights.”

Just like Dayun said, the sea at night was also enchanting. Unlike during the day, the sea sparkled with the reflection of lights, making it so beautiful. Contrary to the expectation that it would be dark, the sea seemed to shine as if stars existed deep within it. Dayun’s mood seemed to lift, and she felt a bit excited. Even though it wasn’t just the two of them, the fact that she was watching the night sea with Jaehoon made her feel thrilled.

On the other hand, Jaehoon wasn’t in the best mood, despite the beautiful scenery. The reason was the grandsons of the grandmother’s house where they were staying because of their wet clothes. Little Hoyoung was holding onto one of Dayun’s legs like a cicada hanging from a tree, as if he thought of her as his mother. The older firstborn, Wooyoung, was staring at Dayun the way a man would look at a woman.

“Ahem… I don’t like this.”

Because of the clingy younger brothers, Jaehoon was pushed back, almost like he had lost his place. Now, he was trailing behind, a few steps away, feeling very uncomfortable with the situation. He was annoyed, thinking that Dayun hadn’t even noticed he was behind.

At that moment, the three ahead stopped walking.

“Sis, look at the sky instead of the sea for a change.”

“The sky?”

At Wooyoung’s words, Dayun’s gaze turned upward. Soon, she gasped in awe, like someone who was mesmerized.

“Wow… It’s really beautiful.”

Jaehoon also looked up at the sky.

‘It’s definitely worth admiring.’

That was his thought as he looked up at the night sky filled with countless stars. Even as a man, it was so beautiful.

Wooyoung, proud of Dayun’s reaction, spoke with a bright smile.

“See? It’s pretty, right?”

“Yeah, it’s really beautiful.”

“I’m glad you like it.”

Happy that she liked it, Wooyoung shyly lowered his head and smiled gently.

“Thank you, Wooyoung. Thanks to you, I feel like I’m enjoying a beautiful sight.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Oh, senior!”

At that moment, Dayun, who was beside Wooyoung, called Jaehoon’s name and walked over to him.

“Did you see it too?”

“Huh?”

“The sky, the sky. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Yeah, it’s beautiful.”

Jaehoon felt his mood lift as he looked at her pure expression. It was different from when she was enjoying herself with the younger brothers. This time, she was showing a bright smile in front of him, which made him feel happy.

Maybe that’s why, with a smile still on his face, Jaehoon watched Dayun look up at the sky again and, without realizing it, murmured.

“Really… beautiful…”

Just like the stars in the night sky were beautiful, she was beautiful too.

“See? You’re pretty too, right? I think I’m really pretty.”

It seemed like she didn’t realize she was talking to him.

The two stood close, sometimes looking at the night sky and sometimes exchanging smiles. Watching them, Wooyoung, who had been observing them from the front, seemed dissatisfied. He grabbed his younger brother Hoyoung’s hand and approached Dayun and Jaehoon.

“So, what’s your relationship with my sister?”

He referred to Jaehoon as “that guy” since he didn’t have a good first impression of him. Both Dayun and Jaehoon looked at Wooyoung, unsure of how to answer. Jaehoon didn’t know, but Dayun was uncertain. Saying they were married might make Jaehoon uncomfortable, and just saying they were senior and junior might make their situation look strange since they came here together. Then, as Dayun hesitated, Jaehoon spoke up.

“How do you think we’re related?”

He said it in a teasing way.

“Well… at first, I thought you were distant relatives because you have different last names, but then I heard my sister calling you ‘senior,’ so that didn’t seem right… are you dating?”

When Wooyoung said “dating,” Dayun’s eyes widened in surprise. Even though they were already married, hearing someone call them a couple made her feel strange. On the other hand, Jaehoon looked proud and content, but that expression soon changed when Wooyoung continued.

“Though, it doesn’t really feel like that… Maybe you’re coworkers or something, like a junior and a senior?”

The fact that Wooyoung saw them as colleagues made Jaehoon feel even more confused.

“Heh…”

He thought to himself. Legally married, yet to others, they seemed like strangers. He suddenly felt sorry for Dayun and her parents. Even though it was a forced marriage, it still made him realize that he was her husband and the only son-in-law to her parents. He felt like he had been unfair to everyone. Maybe that’s why he felt a strong urge to do things better from now on.

“Even though it was forced, to be seen as just that… We’re a married couple.”

Jaehoon muttered to himself in a complicated tone, then revealed the truth.

“We’re married, Dayun and I.”

Dayun was shocked by his words, her eyes widening in surprise.

“Huh? What did you just say?”

Jaehoon confirmed it again.

“I said, Dayun and I, we’re married.”

With that simple statement, Jaehoon’s feelings cleared up. He admitted it himself. Whether it was forced or not, he had chosen to marry, and no matter how much he denied it, he found Dayun beautiful and cute. His feelings were now directed at her, not Hyeyun.

“Haha… They left.”

Wooyoung, who had just learned that Jaehoon and Dayun were married, stood in shock for a while. Then, he suddenly picked up his younger brother Hoyoung and ran away, like someone who had been dumped.

Now, only Jaehoon and Dayun were left. Feeling awkward, Dayun turned to leave, but soon found that she couldn’t go because Jaehoon held her hand.

“Wait, I have something to say. I know it’s sudden, but the real reason I came here with you was to sort out my feelings.”

“Sort out…?”

Dayun’s heart sank at the word “sort out.” She feared that it might be about herself.

“I didn’t know where my heart was. I’ve been sorry to Hyeyun, and I keep feeling bad about it. But you keep crossing my mind.”

Dayun looked up at him, startled by his confession. Their gazes met.

“You look beautiful, and when you smile, I feel happy… It’s these cheesy thoughts that I don’t usually share. But for today, for now, I’ll say just one thing. Honestly, I haven’t figured out anything about Hyeyun. But the conclusion I’ve come to is that I want to make you happy as your husband.”

“Oh my, what will you do now? How about staying a bit longer and having lunch before you go?”

“No, we’ve already received so much. We should be going now.”

“But I’m still going to miss you…”

The next morning, Jaehoon and Dayun, who had eaten breakfast, left the grandmother’s house around 10 a.m. The grandmother looked at them with a sad face, like she was sending off her own grandchildren. Hoyoung stood next to her, looking like he was about to cry, and looked up at Dayun with teary eyes.

Dayun lowered herself to his level and, with a lump in her throat, spoke.

“Hoyoung, take care. Listen to your grandmother.”

“Are you coming again?”

“Of course, I’ll come back. Just stay healthy and eat well until then.”

Hoyoung, wiping his tears, nodded as if pretending to be brave.

Jaehoon, feeling the same way, patted Hoyoung on the head.

“Little guy, come visit us in Seoul with your grandmother later. I’ll buy you some delicious food, and we’ll have fun.”

“Yes.”

“You’re cute.”

Jaehoon, unlike Wooyoung, smiled affectionately at little Hoyoung. This new side of him warmed Dayun’s heart.

“By the way, it would have been nice if Wooyoung had come out to say goodbye, but he suddenly said his stomach hurt…”

“It’s okay, there’s nothing we can do. Just tell him to contact me if he ever comes to Seoul. It’d be nice if he and the grandmother came too.”

“Hehe, you’re so sweet even just saying that.”

Jaehoon chuckled as he knew Wooyoung was pretending to be sick. He had learned that Jaehoon and Dayun were married, so he was probably heartbroken.

“Then, we’ll head out.”

“Alright, take care. Come back and visit again.”

“Of course, goodbye!”

After their last farewell to the grandmother, Jaehoon and Dayun left. As they got farther away, Dayun gazed out the window, feeling a bit sad.

“Are you really going to miss it?”

“Yeah? A little bit. I really had a great time.”

“I did too. That’s why I feel the same. Let’s come back in the summer. Next time, let’s

enjoy more time with them.”

“Yeah, definitely.”

As they continued down the road toward Seoul, the atmosphere inside the car was calm, just like the sparkling sea of the night.

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