A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 45

“Are you crazy? So you actually accepted that?”

Inside a bar, Gyumin’s voice rang out, filled with frustration and disbelief. He usually tried not to raise his voice, but it seemed he couldn’t hold back this time. The way he was glaring at Jaehoon with an annoyed expression said it all.

“Hey, lower your voice.”

“Seriously? Do you not even feel ashamed? How can you sit down for a meal with both your wife and your ex-girlfriend?”

At Gyumin’s words, Jaehoon simply picked up the glass in front of him without responding.

“This is insane. It’s already crazy enough to say you want to stay friends with your ex, but sitting down for a meal with her? That’s just nuts.”

“Gyumin, calm down. This isn’t like you.”

Unlike his usual self, Gyumin seemed visibly agitated. Minseok, who was sitting next to Jaehoon, tried to calm him down while also watching Jaehoon’s reaction.

“Oh, do you think I can calm down right now? He even asked Dayun directly to her face! He told her he wanted to stay friends with his ex! How do you expect me to calm down? Yoon Minseok, don’t you feel bad for Dayun?”

“Of course, I do. But think about how Jaehoon must be feeling. He probably didn’t have much of a choice.”

Minseok wasn’t denying that Jaehoon had made a mistake. However, it wasn’t easy to outright say, ‘You’re a terrible person. That was a horrible thing to do.’ No matter what, Jaehoon was still his friend. But Gyumin wasn’t concerned about any of that. Right now, he was focused on his own feelings and couldn’t hold back his anger.

“Not much of a choice? Whatever. That guy is always way too lenient with Hyeyun. What happened to the cold and detached Ahn Jaehoon? If he has feelings for Dayun, he should focus on her and her alone. But instead, he’s still clinging onto the past like an idiot…”

Hearing this, Jaehoon’s expression hardened. With a loud ‘clank,’ he set his glass down firmly on the table and spoke.

“I regret it too, so can you stop?”

“Yeah, Gyumin, just drop it already. Enough.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll stop, you idiot.”

Of course, Gyumin didn’t let it go completely, but at least the tension in the air had eased a little. Thanks to Minseok’s efforts to lighten the mood, the atmosphere became somewhat more bearable. Even so, Jaehoon and Gyumin simply continued drinking in silence, as if something had been left unresolved between them.

Then suddenly—

“Oh, speaking of which, shouldn’t you head home, Jaehoon? Dayun is probably waiting for you.”

Minseok mentioned Dayun, who was likely alone at home. At this, Jaehoon, who had been holding his glass, suddenly froze. Come to think of it, he had been so distracted that he hadn’t even sent her a message saying he’d be late.

“I should get going.”

Worried about Dayun, Jaehoon grabbed his jacket and got up. But just then, Gyumin’s voice stopped him.

“Hey, don’t bother going.”

“What?”

It was a ridiculous statement. Who was he to say that?

“She’s probably with Junseok, Hyunsoo, and Jiwoong right now.”

“What? Why is Dayun with them?”

Jaehoon’s expression darkened instantly. Just thinking about her being with them irritated him. But Gyumin, seemingly enjoying the situation, smirked as he continued.

“I called them before I came here. Since Dayun was alone, I asked them to have dinner with her.”

“What?”

Jaehoon was dumbfounded. Who did Gyumin think he was to arrange for another guy to take care of his woman?

“So, no need to worry. Or wait—should you be even more worried now?”

With a sly smile, Gyumin spoke again. At that moment, Jaehoon was sure of one thing.

‘Ah, this bastard did this on purpose.’

Gyumin then added in a deliberately teasing voice,

“You take Dayun too lightly, so I figured I’d teach you a lesson. Honestly, I hope she ends up with one of them instead. Wouldn’t that be fun, Jaehoon?”

He was clearly trying to provoke him. Then, Gyumin let out a small chuckle. It was amusing how obvious Jaehoon’s jealousy was.

Gyumin had done this because he was frustrated. He was angry that Jaehoon still couldn’t let go of Hyeyun even after admitting his feelings for Dayun. But more than anything else, he had one wish:

‘Cherish her more, you idiot. Don’t do something you’ll regret.’

Meanwhile, at Jaehoon and Dayun’s home, Junseok and Hyunsoo’s voices echoed.

“Dayun, try this.”

“Choi Dayun, don’t eat that, eat this instead. You love this one, right?”

Dayun, who had been waiting for Jaehoon, was completely caught off guard by their sudden visit. She had no idea why Jaehoon was late, and she had no clue why these guys had shown up with bags full of food. Before she knew it, they had dragged her to the table and laid out a feast in front of her.

“Hey, Dayun likes what I brought more.”

“What? Are you kidding? Choi Dayun is all about fried chicken. She loves it.”

“Jokbal is just as good.”

“No way, chicken wins!”

Junseok and Hyunsoo bickered over which dish she liked more, completely oblivious to how ridiculous they looked. Jiwoong, watching them, sighed and frowned.

“Can you guys be quiet? You’re giving me a headache.”

“But—”

“Shut up. Can’t you see Dayun is just sitting there confused? At least explain why we’re here.”

At Jiwoong’s words, Junseok and Hyunsoo finally closed their mouths. Though they were usually composed, they acted like childish high schoolers whenever they were around Dayun.

Eventually, the room calmed down, and Dayun cautiously spoke.

“Can I ask why you guys suddenly came over? And why isn’t Jaehoon coming home?”

Just as Junseok and Hyunsoo were about to answer, Jiwoong beat them to it.

“Technically, he’s not missing. He’s just a little late. He’s meeting Gyumin and Minseok to talk about something. So, he asked us to keep you company.”

“Oh…”

Hearing that, Dayun finally understood the situation. The thought that Jaehoon had worried about her enough to send his friends made her heart feel lighter, almost as if she could float.

As the night went on, Jiwoong quietly watched Dayun and smiled to himself.

‘I’m glad. She’s happy.’

His own unrequited love had finally found closure. Even if his love was never returned, knowing she had found happiness was enough for him.

‘Be happy, my unrequited love.’

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