A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 4

“Will you be late again today?”

The wedding, which had felt like a blur, was over, and now Dayun and Jaehoon lived together in what was supposed to be a newlywed home but didn’t feel like one. As Jaehoon was about to leave for work, Dayun asked. But as always, his response was curt and cold.

“Probably.”

With a short and indifferent reply, Jaehoon immediately opened the door and left.

“Have a good day.”

Her voice, urgent as if hoping he would acknowledge her, was met only by the loud slam of the door.

“Sigh…”

Nearly two weeks had passed since they got married, yet nothing had changed. Their relationship remained as distant as ever—perhaps even worse than strangers. Despite being married, they had never truly talked, and the thought of sharing a meal together seemed impossible.

“Did I get married, or did I just become a housekeeper?”

The things she did in this house were no different from what an ordinary housewife would do. She cleaned the spacious house alone, did both her laundry and his, and in the afternoon, she would go grocery shopping, just in case he might eat dinner with her—even though he never did. Sometimes, it felt like a waste of time.

She cleaned diligently, did the laundry, and before she knew it, the day had passed. At 6 PM, still holding onto a sliver of hope, Dayun took out the groceries she had bought earlier and began preparing dinner. By 7 PM, a delicious meal was neatly arranged on the dining table.

“Heh, all done. I hope he comes home early today…”

With that wishful thought, she glanced at the entrance. But the firmly shut door gave her no sign of opening. As time passed, her expression grew heavier. It seemed like another lonely meal.

By the time midnight approached, she started clearing away the untouched food. She hadn’t eaten while waiting for him, yet she didn’t even feel hungry anymore—she had lost her appetite. After putting everything away, she turned off the lights in the living room and went into her room, hoping to forget everything and just sleep.

Inside, she turned on the bedside lamp and switched off the main light. She disliked the dark, so the small lamp was like a companion to her. Just then, her phone rang. It was Sojin.

“Hey, what’s up at this hour?”

“I thought you might still be awake. That bastard… he’s still not home, is he?”

“Jaehoon? No… not yet.”

“Ugh… again? It’s already past midnight!”

Sojin was exasperated. Ever since he got married, Jaehoon had been coming home late every single night. It made Sojin feel bad for her friend. A lonely wife waiting endlessly for a husband who never showed up—that was exactly what Dayun looked like.

“He practically lives outside! If he was going to treat you like this, why did he even get married? Ugh, I bet he just didn’t want to end up broke.”

Sojin’s words were sharp with frustration. But Dayun, the lonely wife, still defended him.

“It’s okay, Sojin. He’s busy with work. At least he comes home before 2 AM. That’s enough for me.”

“Ugh, you’re so frustrating! If you like him, then do something about it! Sitting around waiting all night won’t change anything. You know he’s with Song Hyeyun. It’s not work keeping him out late—you know that, don’t you?”

“….”

Of course, she knew. No one knew better than Dayun. The unfamiliar scent of another woman clinging to him when he passed by, the way his cold face lit up whenever he got a call or a text—she knew. She knew that he had someone he loved.

“Dayun, I’m telling you this as your friend. Call it advice, call it a plea—whatever you want.”

Dayun listened carefully.

“Stop waiting for him. Live your own life. Don’t waste your time on a man who doesn’t even look at you. Find someone who loves you and be happy.”

After the call ended, Dayun had a lot on her mind. Sojin was right. She had been so focused on trying to make things work with him that she had stopped looking at anything else. Ever since getting married, she hadn’t written a single piece, hadn’t met anyone except for grocery shopping.

‘Am I not myself anymore?’

The thought struck her suddenly. The person standing next to Jaehoon—was that really her? He treated her like she was invisible, and she felt like nothing more than a scarecrow. A scarecrow that longed for birds to come but only made them fly away in fear—just like her and Jaehoon.

Then, she heard the sound of the door opening. It was past 1 AM. Though she was still awake, she hesitated. But the moment she got up and opened her door, she heard him talking on the phone and froze.

“Yeah, I made sure Hyeyun was asleep before I left. She’s been having trouble sleeping since the wedding, so I stayed with her until she dozed off.”

Sojin had been right. He had been with Hyeyun. Hearing that made her heart drop. She had hoped—just maybe—it was only work. But now, all her hopes crumbled.

A familiar male voice spoke from the other end of the call. It sounded like Junseok.

“Dude, you’re married! Can’t you just go home earlier? Do you ever think about how Dayun must feel waiting for you?”

“Why should I care? This marriage was never about love. She knew that when she married me. If she feels lonely or upset, that’s her problem.”

“Wow, you’re a real piece of work. I better hang up before I lose it and punch you.”

As the call ended, Jaehoon scratched his head in frustration and quickly went to his room.

Dayun, who had overheard everything, collapsed to the floor. She had always known he didn’t love her. He probably thought she married him for money. But she had believed—if she tried her best, if she put in the effort—maybe, just maybe, his heart would open. She had truly believed that. But now, she realized it had all been a meaningless dream.

‘No matter what I do, will I never be able to stand between him and her?’

For the first time, she regretted loving him.

“Wow, you finally decided to meet us? After your wedding, you never came out no matter how much we asked.”

“Hehe, sorry.”

For the first time since her marriage, Dayun, Sojin, and Suji had gathered. Dayun had reached out to them first.

“So, what’s the occasion? Did our famous writer finally get some free time?”

“Yeah, what’s up? Something wrong?”

Not wanting them to worry, Dayun smiled.

“No, nothing like that.”

“Then?”

“I need help finding a studio apartment.”

“A studio?”

Sojin and Suji exchanged confused looks. A married woman living in a large house suddenly looking for a tiny apartment? It made no sense. Unable to hold back, Sojin asked.

“Wait, did that bastard tell you to leave? Is he asking for a divorce after just two weeks?!”

Suji’s face also filled with concern.

“Sojin, calm down. Dayun, is that true?”

“No, it’s nothing like that.”

Both of them let out relieved sighs. But they were still curious.

“Then why?”

Dayun smiled.

“I’m going to live my own life.”

“What?”

“I mean, I’m a writer, right? I’d like to have a studio or something. The place I live in now is big and nice, but… I just don’t feel comfortable there. I keep getting distracted… So I thought it’d be nice to have a space where I can write in peace.”

“Oh, that’s what it was? You scared me for a second. Of course I can help you look for a place like that. Right, Shin Suji?”

At Sojin’s playful comment, Suji smiled with a grin.

“Of course~”

As the sunset painted the sky orange, Dayun and her friends entered a slightly shabby-looking restaurant.

“Auntie, three orders of spicy stir-fried chicken, please!”

With Sojin’s loud voice, a steaming, mouthwatering plate of chicken was soon set before them.

“Ooh~ Looks so good! Let’s eat!”

Excited, Sojin picked up her chopsticks, followed by the others one by one.

“Mmm~ So good!! Dayun, you eat a lot too!”

“Yeah. It’s on me today, so eat up.”

“Obviously! And dessert—coffee, right? You know the drill.”

Dayun nodded at Sojin’s words. Then suddenly, a wave of gratitude hit her. Her friends had spent the whole day with her, going from place to place, checking every little detail with care.

“Thanks for helping me today. Thanks to you guys, I think I found a really good place.”

Sojin patted Dayun’s back casually.

“Don’t mention it. If you ever need help again, just say the word. I’ll come running.”

“Me too! Jung Sojin, reporting for duty!”

“Yeah! Thanks, both of you.”

Thanks to her amazing friends, Dayun was able to smile brightly for the first time in a long while. In this moment, without a single lie, not even once did a thought of Jaehoon cross her mind.

Meanwhile, at Jaehoon’s company.

“That’s it for today. Everyone, go home.”

As soon as Jaehoon stepped out of the team leader’s office, he announced it. At his words, everyone happily started packing their things with smiles on their faces. But Jaehoon himself had no intention of leaving just yet—his eyes were fixed on one person.

A woman with fair, delicate features and a fragile figure—someone who stirred a protective instinct just by existing. That woman was his girl, Hyeyun.

“Oh, and Song Hyeyun, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Jaehoon stepped back into the office, waiting for Hyeyun to come in. Soon, there was a knock.

Knock knock.

Hyeyun entered, and Jaehoon quickly walked over and pulled her into his arms.

“Why do you look so down?”

“I just… I just missed you. Even though I saw you yesterday, and again today, I keep wanting to see you more…”

“Hyeyun…”

“I know you only love me. I know your eyes are only on me. But I can’t stop thinking about her. The one who’s supposed to be next to you now. I’m so scared she’ll take you from me… That’s why I miss you more and more, and I worry so much. I was the one who said it was okay for you to get married. I even told you to go first. But still… I feel so uneasy.”

Seeing how anxious and pitiful she looked, Jaehoon couldn’t help but hug her tightly with all his strength. As if to say not to worry, not to be scared. Then gently, he pulled back and looked into her eyes.

“Don’t think like that. Ahn Jaehoon belongs to Song Hyeyun, and Song Hyeyun belongs to Ahn Jaehoon. That’s a fact that will never change. So don’t be afraid. Got it?”

“Yeah. It must never change.”

“It won’t. I promise.”

“Then… I’ll go get ready to leave.”

“Okay.”

After Hyeyun left the office, Jaehoon, now alone, let out a deep sigh and rubbed his dry, tired face. Though it was a marriage with her consent, it still hurt to see her struggling so much.

Just then, his phone buzzed. A text message.

[My father set up a dinner tomorrow evening. I’ll head there first, so come to your parents’ house after work.]

Reading it made it even harder to breathe.

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