TO 9

Chapter 9

Seo-ah’s eyes trembled at the reproach hidden behind his expressionless face.

“It… wouldn’t be bad if Dad raised the child, either.”

Seo-ah’s voice trailed off, devoid of confidence.

“Right. Raising the child together as mom and dad would be best for the kid. And it’s not as if I’m going anywhere.”

Taehyuk’s gaze jabbed at Seo-ah as though saying you’re the problem here.

“H-However…”

Looking at the hesitant Seo-ah, the corners of Taehyuk’s mouth contorted.

“So you’re saying that to the very end, you hate the thought of a married life with me.”

And to the very end, you won’t ever say that you don’t want me to leave.

Seo-ah lowered her eyes bitterly.

She had no intention of revoking her decision now, even if Taehyuk tried to hold onto her. She was merely confirming it once again: the insurmountable wall between the two of them.

“This is a story that’s already over, isn’t it?”

At Seo-ah’s words, Taehyuk stood up.

“Yeah. You’re right.”

Taehyuk replied coldly. Seo-ah watched as he walked away. As if the sun had receded, an unseasonal chill settled over her shoulders.

“And another thing. I’m telling you this because it seems you’ve forgotten.”

Taehyuk added coldly.

“Yesterday wasn’t the first time I kissed you like that.”

“Pardon?”

Something flickered and flared sharply in Seo-ah’s eyes.

“As far as I know, that never happened?”

“It was a time so distant that it’s understandable you’d forget. I acknowledge that. And I reflect on it.”

Taehyuk spoke while looking down at the coffee cup Seo-ah was holding. His eyes looking into the black liquid were somber.

“R-Reflect on it?”

Seo-ah’s voice trembled slightly as she asked back. As if responding to that tremor, Taehyuk lifted his gaze.

“Yeah. Don’t you remember? On our honeymoon. How we stayed only in the bedroom, so much so that you could barely remember the scenery outside. I should have given you a more intense, passionate kiss back then. I even wondered if you forgot because it was too boring. If I had done that, we wouldn’t be wasting our time like this now.”

Seo-ah gripped the handle of her coffee cup tightly. Those were moments she had deliberately erased from her mind. If memories could be broken down into minutes and seconds, perhaps she would have remembered them. But time was organic. Whenever she recalled the good times, the bad memories that inevitably followed turned them into nightmares. In the end, just to survive, Seo-ah had no choice but to bundle up even the good memories and throw them into the trash bin of her mind.

Wasting time?

For a brief moment, Seo-ah recalled how she had been swayed by the flowers, the embrace, and the kiss Taehyuk had given her.

As expected, Senior has no feelings for me. To him, all of this is just a nuisance. The only thing he wants from me is a child that will free him from his mother’s nagging.

Though it was a fact she already knew, every time she reconfirmed it, the truth sliced through Seo-ah’s heart like a finely sharpened blade.

It’s actually better this way. Since Senior isn’t swaying, I can keep myself from swaying, too.

The light in Seo-ah’s eyes as she steeled her resolve was gloomy.

“Have a… good day at work.”

After the morning incident, the atmosphere between Taehyuk and Seo-ah remained heavy. Seo-ah felt as though she were being crushed by the air around them. Come to think of it, there was nothing unusual about this. In truth, the two of them hardly ever conversed to begin with.

Just because things changed for a few days, is this really something to feel awkward about?

Hiding her bitter mood, Seo-ah saw Taehyuk off for work.

It was just as Taehyuk stepped down into the entryway to leave.

“Ah, you didn’t forget, right? Going to the main house this weekend. It’s the day we have dinner together with Mother and Father.”

Once a month. Calling it a dinner was a pleasant euphemism, but the reality was far from it.

Taehyuk looked at Seo-ah with indifferent eyes.

“I didn’t forget. Though I do have to go into the office that day as well.”

“Then let’s meet at the main house. I’ll go by myself from here.”

It was a familiar routine. Taehyuk was busy even on weekends, and there were times when Seo-ah had to go to the main house alone. After single-handedly dealing with her taciturn father-in-law and strict mother-in-law, Seo-ah would return home either to take digestive medicine or to eat a belated meal. It was something Taehyuk never knew, as he always left without staying until the end.

“I’ll come pick you up.”

“Suddenly?”

“Why? I take it that’s not what you were hoping for.”

“It’s not that, but… you’ve never gone to the main house together with me before.”

“It seems what you want this time isn’t accompaniment, but self-reflection.”

“It’s nothing like that.”

Seo-ah lowered her head.

Is Senior trying to change on his own?

However, that wasn’t beneficial for Seo-ah. If Taehyuk intentionally acted sweet, the one who would find it hard to endure would be Seo-ah herself.

“Are we done? Is that all you had to say?”

At Taehyuk’s words, Seo-ah raised her head. Thinking he had already left for work, Taehyuk was still standing in the entryway.

“Ah, you haven’t left yet?”

“My business isn’t finished yet.”

“Pardon?”

Before Seo-ah could even ask, Taehyuk opened his arms wide.

“It would be disappointing if we only did a greeting when I return. Shouldn’t we do a greeting when I leave for work, too? Same goes for the goodnight hug.”

“What on earth does that…”

“It means if you’re going to do it, do it properly.”

Taehyuk pulled Seo-ah by her wrist. In an instant, Seo-ah was wrapped in Taehyuk’s arms. Taehyuk patted Seo-ah’s back lightly.

“Well then, see you later. Don’t skip meals today, and eat well. I’ll be checking.”

Releasing the embrace, Taehyuk walked straight out the front door. With a dazed expression, Seo-ah stared blankly at the entryway where Taehyuk had disappeared.

“What was that… Senior was the one who initiated it… why…?”

That afternoon, Seo-ah hurried out the front gate. Parked right in front of the door was Taehyuk’s black sedan, its engine left running.

“I could have gone by myself.”

Seo-ah said as she climbed into the passenger seat. Gripping the steering wheel, Taehyuk tilted his head sideways, scanning Seo-ah up and down.

Wearing a white blouse buttoned up to her chin and a black pencil skirt, with her hair neatly tied in a single ponytail, Seo-ah looked refined and elegant, just as she always did whenever they visited the main house.

Even while Seo-ah settled into her seat to avoid wrinkling her clothes and buckled her seatbelt, Taehyuk didn’t move.

Click. Hearing the sound of Seo-ah fastening the belt, Taehyuk leaned toward her. At Taehyuk’s face suddenly drawing near, Seo-ah’s eyes went wide.

Taehyuk caught Seo-ah’s chin.

“No greeting for when I come home?”

A subtle smile lingered lazily at the end of his words.

“Ah, that.”

Seo-ah bashfully lowered her eyes, as if granting him permission to kiss her.

Her demure appearance caught Taehyuk’s gaze.

“Are you really okay with all of this?”

At his voice—laced with a low, biting cynicism rather than the kiss she was expecting—Seo-ah lifted her eyes.

Her thin, transparent skin—so fair her blood vessels showed through—flushed a light rose pink.

“If you don’t attach any meaning to it, it’s nothing at all.”

Taehyuk’s dark eyes washed over Seo-ah’s face as if tracing her features. Every time his pupils moved, the shadows in his eyes shifted continuously, turning sharp one moment and soft the next.

“I hold no meaning to you at all?”

Though he asked back calmly, Taehyuk’s voice sounded sunken.

“I meant for both of us.”

Taehyuk let out a dry chuckle. His gaze dropped before returning to Seo-ah.

“If you say so, then I suppose that’s how it is.”

Speaking calmly, Taehyuk pressed a kiss to Seo-ah’s forehead. He had already confirmed this morning that Seo-ah’s mind wasn’t going to change. If the end was set in stone anyway, it was better to quickly do as Seo-ah wished and get it over with—before he grew accustomed to the rules she had set.

“I’m back.”

Ending with a crisp kiss, Taehyuk returned to his position.

“Let’s go.”

“Y-Yes.”

Why?

His plain, straightforward kiss had breathed life into Seo-ah’s forehead.

Compared to yesterday’s kiss, this kiss was like child’s play. Yet what it made her heart do was far more than that, sending it fluttering wildly.

Seo-ah clenched her fists tightly. If she didn’t, she felt as though she would reach up to touch her forehead and crave Taehyuk’s warmth.

Looking down from the hill at the grand house below, Seo-ah felt as though she were about to be overwhelmed by its magnificence. True to the rumor that a famous architect had proudly designed the structure to stake his reputation on it, the building’s exterior was stunning enough to serve as a landmark for the area. Using top-grade materials without stinting, it was a beautiful home that exuded luxury while keeping a pastoral charm alive.

The problem was the people living inside that house.

“Let’s go in.”

Taehyuk parked the car in the garage.

“Um… I have a favor to ask.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Seo-ah nodded with a serious face.

The smooth space between Taehyuk’s brows creased. It was only natural, considering every single request she had made of him so far had been completely out of character for her.

Is she going to ask me to pour out affection in front of my parents?