abcnovels
Chapter 23 - Newlyweds
Chapter 23 - Newlyweds
Chapter 23 - Newlyweds
Chapter 23: Newlyweds
TL: Aniea
“······?”
Something was strange.
That was the first thought that Kim Eun-ha had when she woke up in bed. An unfamiliar sense of refreshment enveloped her body like a spring breeze.
Even the sunlight entering from the window warmly embraced her.
It was such a refreshing morning that she wondered if she had ever experienced such a sensation in her life before. All her questions started from here.
‘···What?’
Ever since her parents passed away, she had never experienced such a peaceful morning.
It was always loud alarms or terrible nightmares that woke her up.
She wasn’t particularly sleepless, but since she couldn’t sleep anyway while lying in bed, she had adopted a mindset to make the most of that time by working.
‘I shouldn’t be doing this···.’
However, even these negative feelings become familiar over a decade of repetition.
It was the moment Kim Eun-ha realized ‘a good night’s sleep’ again, which she had forgotten for half her life. A tremendous sense of anxiety began to overwhelm her.
“···Am I late!?”
Kim Eun-ha bolted upright in bed. Her body felt so light that she didn’t feel groggy at all despite just having woken up.
“How long did I sleep!?”
The panic that escaped her lips unfiltered. She hurriedly fumbled around to find her cell phone.
“···Why is the alarm off?”
She didn’t remember turning off the alarm, so she wondered if perhaps the phone’s battery had died, but it was properly on and plugged into the charger.
Maybe she had unconsciously turned off the alarm and gone back to sleep. All sorts of question marks began to invade her mind.
“No, this isn’t the time for that.”
Whisk-whisk-
Kim Eun-ha shook her head to clear the distracting thoughts. Now was not the time to analyze the cause; she needed to start getting ready for work immediately.
She planned to charge her phone a bit while she showered, and somehow get in touch with her secretary to communicate her situation.
It felt a bit late, but she had to ask to adjust the department store opening preparations and her morning schedule.
‘The luxury goods section will be taken care of by Manager Park···.’
The luxury goods exhibit area had a system set up to run smoothly even when she was absent due to emergency business trips, so that was somewhat reassuring.
She imagined the employees who had arrived early in the morning waiting for her, and her eyes squeezed shut.
The reputation and trust that had been built up with difficulty over a long period of time would be cut down in chunks.
“Ah! First, I need to call a taxi···.”
Knock-knock-
Just then, there was a sudden knocking sound at the door. Startled, Kim Eun-ha turned her head, and a voice came from outside.
“Eun-ha ssi, are you up?”
It was Kang Woo-ju.
Hearing his voice, Kim Eun-ha forcefully pulled open the door. Kang Woo-ju, standing there, was taken aback and his eyes widened in surprise.
“Woo-ju ssi! Sorry to ask this early in the morning, but could I borrow your car keys? And if possible, to the front gate···.”
“If it’s about the department store, it’s okay.”
“What?”
“I had already contacted the secretary earlier. I told her that Eun-ha ssi had an emergency business trip this morning and to adjust the schedule accordingly.”
Uh-
She was momentarily dumbfounded, unable to follow the context. Then, Kang Woo-ju flashed an awkward smile and said.
“I had taken the secretary’s number before, just in case you were too busy to take calls, so I could relay messages later. It turned out to be useful now.”
“Why did you decide on your own···.”
“I’m sorry. Originally, I was going to knock to take you to the department store, but the door opened unexpectedly, and I saw inside without meaning to.”
“······.”
Kim Eun-ha had a habit of slightly leaving the door ajar when she slept. If he had knocked without knowing this, the current situation would have unfolded.
“So, did you turn off my alarm?”
“···Yes. I was heading back to my room when your alarm started ringing. But you were just frowning and didn’t wake up, so I turned it off.”
“You didn’t try to wake me up?”
“Uhm···.”
Instead of answering immediately, Kang Woo-ju averted his gaze. He scratched his temple hesitantly and then cautiously began to speak.
“You were sleeping so soundly, Eun-ha ssi.”
“What? Ah···!?”
It took a few seconds for Kim Eun-ha to grasp the meaning of his words, and her face turned red.
It meant that Kang Woo-ju had been staring at her face while she was asleep.
Unable to imagine what that must have looked like, Kim Eun-ha opened her mouth in disbelief, and Kang Woo-ju, seeing her reaction, frantically waved his hands and added an explanation.
“Please don’t misunderstand! It was still dark before dawn, so I couldn’t see well, and I left right after turning off the alarm.”
“······.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him silently, causing Kang Woo-ju’s face to turn red. Uncharacteristically, even his neck reddened, which she found somewhat cute.
Of course, it was right to scold him for unilaterally deciding to push back her schedule, but it was clear that there was no malice in his actions.
‘Rather the opposite.’
Considering how light her body felt and how good her condition was, the sound sleep had been extremely effective. All thanks to Kang Woo-ju.
Since they shared their schedules to make time for each other, he must have known there were no particularly important appointments this morning.
Although it was quite offending that he entered her room without permission, she had to admit, more of the fault lay with her.
‘All things considered, the commendable points outweigh.’
Honestly, she felt like patting Kang Woo-ju on the head. Although it wasn’t an action she could really take right then, she instead said.
“But something is a bit off.”
“What is it?”
“Woo-ju ssi. There’s no need for you to be that embarrassed. Is it your first time entering a woman’s room or something?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“······.”
Her attempt to tease him had backfired due to his very firm response, making her the one who felt awkward.
As Kim Eun-ha looked at him incredulously, Kang Woo-ju continued with a playful smile.
“I have a younger sister.”
“Kang Byul ssi?”
“You knew already.”
“Well···.”
Kim Eun-ha swallowed her words.
One of the most important things she had focused on during her background check on Kang Woo-ju was his family. She had already completed her investigations regarding his sister.
There wasn’t anything particularly notable about her, and Kang Woo-ju’s relationship with her seemed quite distant, so aside from ensuring security, she hadn’t paid much attention.
“My sister’s room has a computer, so I ended up going in there more often than you’d think. She is (XX) chromosomally too, of course. But the state of her room is worlds apart from yours, Eun-ha ssi.” (TL: (XX) chromosomally means she is a female too)
Feeling a bit guilty, Kang Woo-ju responded with a grimace. Seeing his expression, Kim Eun-ha snorted as if amused.
“What was so bad about the room?”
“There’s too much in there, and too little here.”
“Explain a bit more.”
“···Um. To be honest, my sister’s room was like a pigsty. Clothes and cosmetics among other things were strewn around like mines.”
Kang Woo-ju shook his head seriously, furrowing his brow at the mere memory of it.
Now that she knew what his sister’s room was like, she was mildly curious, but what was more important was coming up next.
“And what about me?”
“Just the opposite. I felt it the first time I came to this house; it’s like only the essentials needed for living are here.”
“······.”
“It’s excessively tidy, I initially thought I was looking at a model home. Your office has a similar feel. Though, I suppose the officetel you actually live in might be different.”
Was that so?
Hearing such comments about herself from someone else was a first for her, and it sounded a bit novel. Upon reflection, it did seem to make sense.
She had a vague sense of why that might be, but she didn’t want to delve deeper into it.
“What about other places? Apart from your family.”
“I’d rather not comment on that.”
“So, there aren’t any?”
“Does it bother you?”
Ugh-
A pang of guilt almost made her scream out loud, but she managed to hold it back with the thick-skinned fortitude she had built up over years of dealing with VVIPs.
It seemed better here to push the issue directly rather than dodging the question or beating around the bush.
“Of course, it bothers me.”
“Why?”
“Even though it’s just a contract, you’re still my boyfriend.”
“It’s polite not to dig into a lover’s past. Learning about it just ends up hurting both parties for no reason. What matters is how they treat you now, not who they were in the past.”
“What if the present is built on that past?”
“That’s exactly why. Everyone has a first time, and it’s rare to find someone who’s perfect from the start. As long as it’s not a serious crime, it shouldn’t matter.”
“Like what, for example?”
“Murder, robbery, arson—serious crimes like those.”
“···You’re really no fun.”
His too-correct response left her with no desire to argue. Kang Woo-ju then suddenly brightened up and continued smilingly.
“Well, let’s leave that topic here. Aren’t you getting hungry? Let’s go have breakfast before it gets cold.”
“Breakfast?”
Kim Eun-ha followed him with a puzzled look but gradually her doubts gave way to the confident air he projected.
They moved to the living room where a lavish spread awaited on the dining table.
Rice and kimchi were the basics, along with side dishes like braised eggs and spicy kimchi stew to settle the stomach.
The sweet fragrance wafting from each dish made Kim Eun-ha’s mouth water.
“You’ve set the table well.”
It was clear that all the dishes had been prepared by the housekeeper lady. After all, the same side dishes were stocked in her officetel’s fridge too.
She was someone who visited the house twice a week to clean and prepare side dishes.
She was also an excellent cook who had various cooking certifications, including Korean, Chinese, and Japanese cuisine.
“I did fry the eggs and make the rice myself, though.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
At Kang Woo-ju’s playful boast, Kim Eun-ha chuckled lightly and sat down at the table.
Eating breakfast with someone. No, just having breakfast itself was a rarity and brought a fresh surge of emotions.
After a brief hesitation, Kim Eun-ha picked up her chopsticks.
Her first target was the fluffy rice.
‘···It’s delicious.’
Usually, she ate more for nutritional needs than for taste.
But now, perhaps because of a newfound mental peace, she could fully appreciate the savory taste of the rice.
Kim Eun-ha then twisted her chopsticks to pick up a piece of the fried egg. Cutting it into small bites, she savored the rich, slightly salty flavor.
“···It’s delicious.”
“Right? I’m amazing at making fried eggs.”
Kang Woo-ju beamed at her, evidently pleased with himself. A subtle smile spread across Kim Eun-ha’s lips as well.
Would it feel like this to be a real newlywed couple?
Without realizing it, Kim Eun-ha found herself entertaining the thought.
******
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