A Marriage with A Reason - Chapter 64

Soft breathing sounds…

How much time had passed? The only sound filling the room was the peaceful breathing of Dayun, who was still sound asleep. Jaehoon, who should have been by her side, was nowhere to be seen. She was the only one lying on the bed.

“Ha~ That feels refreshing.”

At that moment, the door opened, and Jaehoon, who had been missing, reappeared. His hair was damp, and his face still had traces of moisture, as if he had just prepared to go out. While drying his wet hair with a towel, he turned his gaze toward Dayun, who was still asleep. Seeing her deep in slumber, like a princess from a fairy tale, brought an involuntary smile to his face.

“They say sleeping children look like angels, but I guess it’s no different for adults.”

She looked like an angel. Her closed eyes, long eyelashes, and cherry-red lips complemented each other perfectly. Watching her sleep so peacefully for a while, Jaehoon eventually turned away and naturally picked up the hairdryer nearby. But then, realizing something, he paused and looked back at Dayun.

“It’ll be too noisy, won’t it?”

It was almost instinctive. His hair was wet, so of course, he had to dry it…

In the end, to avoid disturbing her sleep, Jaehoon unplugged the hairdryer and took it to the study. As soon as he plugged it in, the dryer hummed to life, and the warm air tickled his hair. The soft wind tousled his hair, giving off a seemingly fragrant scent.

Once fully dressed, Jaehoon quietly approached Dayun, who was still asleep in his bed. Being careful not to wake her, he even lifted his heels as he walked. Seeing her sleeping like a baby despite his movements, he couldn’t help but smile. Gently, he reached out and stroked her hair lovingly.

“Sleep well. I’ll be back later.”

As he turned away and walked toward the door, he kept glancing back, unable to stop himself. He found it amusing—when had he fallen for her this deeply? They say love comes and goes without notice, but this feeling was truly unpredictable.

After Jaehoon left for work, the quiet house, which had been filled only with Dayun’s soft breathing, soon echoed with a sleepy murmur as she woke up.

“Huh… What time is it?”

As soon as she opened her eyes, Dayun sat up abruptly. Checking the time on her phone, she was shocked.

“Oh no…! It’s already ten minutes to twelve?!”

She couldn’t believe it. How could she have slept so soundly in Jaehoon’s room, right next to him?

“Wait, my senior!”

Remembering that Jaehoon had to go to work, Dayun quickly got out of bed and searched for him. But, of course, he was nowhere to be found. It was obvious—he must have already left for work.

“So, he’s already gone.”

She felt both relieved and guilty. Dropping onto the sofa, she sank into its plush comfort, which reminded her of Jaehoon’s warm and firm embrace from the night before. Her face flushed without her realizing it.

“Ahh! What am I even thinking? If Sojin saw this, she’d definitely tease me for being shameless.”

Embarrassed, she buried her burning face in a cushion. Just then, her phone vibrated. Peeking out, she checked the message.

[Are you awake? I’m at work now, so make sure to eat well and wait for me. I’ll work hard and come home soon.]

A soft smile formed on Dayun’s lips. Was this happiness? Lately, she had been feeling a sense of newlywed bliss she had never experienced before.

Meanwhile, in the underground parking lot…

Jaehoon, after sending the text to Dayun, tucked his phone away and got out of the car with a contented expression. He had planned to arrive at work before lunch, but moving cautiously to avoid waking Dayun had delayed him. Not to mention, he had spent quite some time simply watching her sleep.

“I guess everyone’s out for lunch.”

Though he was late, he quickened his steps, determined to finish his work as soon as possible and return home. In one hand, he carried a paper bag with a sandwich, as if he had anticipated this delay. However, as soon as he stepped into the office, his pace slowed.

“Oh, you’re here? You’re quite late.”

“Ah… You didn’t go out for lunch?”

The office should have been empty with everyone at lunch, but Hyeyun was there.

“I didn’t have much of an appetite. Too many thoughts on my mind.”

Although briefly caught off guard, Jaehoon soon noticed that she looked unusually drained. Concerned, he spoke up.

“…You should have eaten something, even if you had to force yourself. You weren’t feeling well yesterday.”

Even if he were to go back in time, his choice would remain the same. However, part of him still felt uneasy about leaving someone who had been sick.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Well, you were unwell in front of me. Like I said yesterday, it’s not because you’re Song Hyeyun—I would have worried about anyone in the same situation.”

“Yes, of course. No need to repeat yourself; I understood perfectly. I spent the whole night thinking about it.”

Jaehoon was puzzled by her words, but Hyeyun, unfazed, rose from her seat.

“So, I’d like to tell you my conclusion about those thoughts. Not as a team leader and a subordinate, but as Jaehoon and Hyeyun. Think of it as our last conversation. Please, spare me a moment.”

With that, she walked out of the office. Jaehoon, uncertain about the situation, hesitated before following her, feeling uneasy.

They arrived at a quiet corner of the office floor, a spot where people rarely passed, especially during lunch.

“It’s been a while since we came here. We haven’t been back since we drifted apart, have we?”

It was a place they had often met in secret during their past relationship.

“Let’s skip unnecessary talk and get to the point. Why did you call me here?”

Memories of their past romance surfaced against his will, but Jaehoon had no interest in revisiting them. Those moments were now just distant memories, nothing more.

“What’s the rush? I’ll explain everything.”

“I’ve told you repeatedly—I don’t want to be alone with you. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Hearing that still hurts, even though you’ve said it so many times.”

Despite her light smile, her eyes carried pain. Especially today.

“Don’t worry. After today, I won’t bother you anymore. Even though I’ve been blinded by ambition, I’m still a woman.”

Hyeyun’s words and expression felt different today. Something about the way she spoke made Jaehoon uneasy.

“What do you mean? Be clear.”

“Today is the last time I’ll speak honestly about my feelings.”

And with that, their conversation took an unexpected turn.

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