Affectionate Obsession - Chapter 4

Only the clinking of dishes around the dining table where they sat facing each other echoed intermittently.

Yeonhee moved only her spoon, like a machine. There was no need to trouble herself with holding chopsticks.

“Try it. It’s something you used to love.”

Junhyeok placed a piece of galbi, conveniently separated, onto her spoon.

It was already the umpteenth time.

Junhyeok kept picking up side dishes and placing them onto the rice bowl in front of him.

“…….”

“…….”

Yeonhee stared blankly at the piece of meat, well-coated in sauce, without answering.

As Junhyeok had said, it was her favorite.

Back then, she had been so happy because he took care of every single side dish, but now she couldn’t be happy like she was then.

Too much time had passed, and too much had changed for that.

The thought made her throat tighten with sadness, but suddenly Junhyeok’s voice cut through her ears.

“Are you only going to eat if I feed you directly?”

“…….”

“If that’s what you prefer, then I will.”

Before she could even reply, Junhyeok stood up. He seemed to be intending to move to the seat beside her.

Yeonhee hastily put the spoon into her mouth. Then, she chewed the galbi thoroughly with the rice.

Only then did Junhyeok sit back down, a satisfied smile curving his lips.

“I made this recalling old memories, I’m not sure if it suits your taste.”

“…….”

“It’s the first time I’ve made it since then.”

Yeonhee’s jaw, which had been moving rhythmically, suddenly stopped.

For food made after 10 years, the taste hadn’t changed at all compared to back then.

Yeonhee slowly raised her eyes, which had been looking down.

Junhyeok was poking at the rice in front of him with his chopsticks.

Was he not hungry, or lost in thought?

Either way, he seemed to have no interest in eating. But then, he suddenly regained his energy and started moving his chopsticks again.

It was precisely the moment she swallowed the food she was chewing.

“If there’s anything you want to eat for dinner, let me know. I’ll contact the caretaker to do the grocery shopping.”

Junhyeok said, placing another side dish onto his own rice.

The haze in his eyes had cleared, and focus had returned.

For some reason, Yeonhee felt her heart grow heavy.

Nothing had truly changed.

Not the food he made, of course, but also his actions and gaze towards her. Even his sight and touch.

He was the same Jung Junhyeok from 10 years ago.

“If you keep sitting there without eating, I’ll really come over to your side and feed you until your bowl is empty this time.”

“…….”

“Shall I do that?”

Junhyeok’s voice, which had been soft, suddenly turned hard. Yeonhee stared at Junhyeok without a word.

As if their 10-year reunion meant nothing, Yeonhee didn’t find Junhyeok the least bit unfamiliar.

For a fleeting moment, he had felt like a different person, but that too had vanished completely as of last night.

However, that didn’t mean the reason she had to leave him for 10 years had disappeared.

‘Not only Shin Yeonhee, but also the precious people around Shin Yeonhee will all get hurt. It will be more than you can ever imagine. The Chairman is never merciful to those who refuse his favors and consideration.’

The events of that day, which she tried desperately to erase but couldn’t, were the reason she couldn’t close the distance between them.

Yeonhee stared at the side dish Junhyeok had placed, then picked up her chopsticks. She then transferred the side dish he had given her directly onto his rice.

“I’ll eat it. Don’t worry about it.”

Her voice was calm, almost to the point of sounding cold.

She knew that even if he didn’t show it, Junhyeok would be hurt by her actions.

Despite that, Yeonhee didn’t correct herself or look at Junhyeok.

She couldn’t. Even while acting so cold, her heart pounded for Junhyeok, but she had things to protect that prevented her from being swept away by her emotions like a naive child.

Therefore, for the next year, she had to live as Yoon Sera, not Shin Yeonhee, in every way.

Steeling her resolve, Yeonhee didn’t look at Junhyeok once until the meal was over.

She knew he was looking at her persistently, but she pretended not to notice until the very end.

That was the best she could do right now.

When Yeonhee got up to do the dishes after finishing the meal, her phone suddenly rang briefly.

Fearing it might be a call from Yeonjeong’s caregiver at the hospital, Yeonhee quickly picked up her phone.

Fortunately, or perhaps not, the message was from Sera.

Can we talk for a moment?

There was nothing else. Yet, a sudden sense of unease washed over her.

She had done her best to act like she was seeing Junhyeok for the first time in front of Secretary Lee yesterday, so it was unlikely Sera had contacted her after noticing their relationship.

But even while thinking that, she couldn’t hide her anxious feelings.

At that moment, Junhyeok, who was clearing the table, spoke to her.

“Who is it?”

She couldn’t answer readily. He already knew she wasn’t Sera, but there was no reason to share every detail of the situation.

In fact, considering her contract with Sera, it was the right thing not to.

As she pondered what excuse to use, Junhyeok’s voice suddenly cut in again.

“Is it Yoon Sera?”

He said it in a casual tone, as if he could tell just by looking at her expression. His gaze seemed to say so.

Yeonhee nodded. He seemed to have already guessed, and denying it would be more absurd.

Junhyeok fell silent for a moment, his face thoughtful. Then, as if he had seen right through her, he provided the answer to her worries.

“Tell her you couldn’t go to Switzerland because of me. If she asks what happened, just say you heard it was a personal schedule. I don’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble, and I dislike interference from elders, so I handled it discreetly. That’s why I’m in Korea now.”

It was a plausible answer, but Yeonhee already worried about how she would brazenly deliver such a completely false statement.

“Tell her you can’t talk for long because you’re worried about my reaction. Yoon Sera isn’t new to this world, she’ll understand.”

But there was no other choice.

Yeonhee nodded.

“It’s me.”

Yeonhee stepped out onto the terrace and called Sera. Sera answered immediately, as if she had been waiting.

—Did you arrive safely in Switzerland?

Sera sounded incredibly cheerful, unlike someone who had committed the audacious act of hiring a fake bride.

So, Yeonhee found it hard to speak.

Everything she could say would only ruin Sera’s mood.

—Why aren’t you answering? Can’t you hear me? Hello, Shin Yeonhee.

“Ah, yes.”

Yeonhee replied hastily.

She knew it wasn’t the answer Sera would welcome, but she had no choice.

After thinking it over again, Junhyeok’s proposed answer was the best option.

—I asked if you arrived safely in Switzerland.

“……No, I’m in Korea.”

Yeonhee forced her lips to move, which felt stiff.

—…….

As expected, the line went silent immediately.

Yeonhee swallowed the sigh that rose to her throat and tried to suppress her anxiety and calm herself.

“On the way to the airport, Jung Junhyeok had an urgent matter. I don’t know what it was. But I don’t think it will cause any major problems. I overheard Jung Junhyeok asking his secretary to handle it because he didn’t want to cause a scene.”

Yeonhee relayed Junhyeok’s words exactly.

Before any unnecessary misunderstandings could arise, she felt it was right to offer even a plausible excuse, however false.

Still, no answer came from Sera.

Yeonhee waited silently. She had said all she could.

—Did you perhaps anticipate me asking this question?

“What? What do you mean?”

—Isn’t that right? Your answer is too neat, as if you expected this. There’s no sign of surprise either.

Yeonhee’s pupils trembled violently. She had thought she just needed to relay the answer Junhyeok had provided, not that she would need to act convincingly.

What should I do? Did she notice? What should I say? I, I…….

Yeonhee bit her fingertips with a look of extreme anxiety.

—Anyway, since Jung Junhyeok instructed his secretary to handle it, it won’t be a troublesome matter. That’s all that matters.

Yeonhee swallowed hard and let out a breath of relief.

An indescribable fatigue already washed over her. The reason she needed money was clear, and she had undertaken this task for it, yet from that moment on, she had to lie every time she opened her mouth. It was unbearably uncomfortable, and she hated it.

But even so, there was no other way.

She didn’t know when this precarious situation, unstable from the start, would collapse, but she wanted to save Yeonjeong, no matter how hard she had to struggle and endure.

Her only family, the mother who raised her like her own daughter even after her biological parents abandoned her.

Suddenly, she wondered what Yeonjeong was doing now, when Sera’s cheerful voice cut through her ears again.

—What about the man you’re with? Is he okay?

Yeonhee’s shoulders, which had seemed to relax, tensed up once more.

—You’ve been curious all along, haven’t you? Who is the man you’ll be living with? Junhyeok is practically a lottery ticket in this industry, so what do you think, Shin Yeonhee?

“…….”

—Do you like my husband?

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