TO 3

Chapter 3

[Starting today.]

With a faint frown, Taehyuk deleted the text message from his phone.

“…And so, W Construction was selected as the preferred bidder for the acquisition of H Construction,” the executive explained.

Taehyuk spoke up.

“Isn’t W Construction specialized in residential housing? Can a firm like that handle acquiring H Construction? If I remember correctly, H Construction’s business scope—including civil engineering, plant construction, and overseas projects—is far broader than W Construction’s.”

“That is correct. However, ever since B Construction backed out last year, no other company has stepped up to acquire H Construction, which is the main issue.”

“Did you say the amount W Construction requested from us was 500 billion won?”

“Yes. Out of the total acquisition cost of 1.8 trillion won, they requested an investment of 500 billion won from us at Bank of K.”

“Let’s wait and see for now. This sale of H Construction feels a bit too rushed.”

Having finished his remarks, Taehyuk stood up. At that exact moment, another text message popped up on his phone.

[I’d like you to bring me flowers when you come home.]

Flowers?

A subtle crease formed on his smooth face.

What on earth is she thinking?

As he moved from the conference room to the chairman’s office, the name “Lee Seo-ah” was carved far more clearly in Taehyuk’s mind than the 500-billion-won investment.

She was a strikingly pretty woman.

Even in plain clothes—just jeans and a simple shirt—her fair skin and dark eyes stood out all the more. Her long hair, tied back in a ponytail, swayed with lively energy. Above all, her most memorable feature was the way her lips curved without an ounce of guard whenever she looked at someone.

Just like a spirit of joy. She was a lovely woman who smiled brightly as if everything in the world was fascinating and delightful.

Introducing her, Professor Roh had praised Seo-ah for being such a diligent, brilliant student that she had earned scholarships all four years of university. The impression of a pretty yet smart woman was added on top of that.

That was all.

Or… was she a little cute, too?

‘I’ve heard so much about you. It’s an honor to meet you, President Jang Taehyuk.’

Her clear, vibrant voice had sounded quite pleasant to his ears.

‘Then… may I call you Senior?’

Her cautious, asking voice had trembled slightly—like a spring breeze gently tickling his cheek.

Was that really all it was?

That day had been their last dinner together. Professor Roh had offered to buy dinner, saying it was thanks to Taehyuk that he had successfully finished his thesis. However, the professor abruptly canceled due to an urgent matter, leaving Taehyuk and Seo-ah already waiting at the restaurant.

It was their first time dining alone. A few times before, Professor Roh had invited Taehyuk to dinner as a gesture of gratitude for his help with the thesis, and Seo-ah had been there each time.

Even so, those occasions could be counted on one hand, leaving no real opportunity for them to grow close.

Though Seo-ah looked awkward, Taehyuk didn’t mind spending time with her. Seeing her continually glance around with a flushed face even struck him as cute. Yet, he harbored no ulterior motives.

It was merely goodwill—more like the affection a senior felt for a cute junior than romantic interest. Even if his feelings threatened to spark beyond that, Taehyuk kept a firm grip on his heart. He already had a fiancée chosen by his family. There was no love between them, but there was a sense of responsibility.

That was how it was at first.

If not for his fiancée Go-eun’s bombshell text that day, their relationship would have ended right there.

[I’m leaving for the US. If you want to stop me, come to the airport right now. Prove to me that I’m more important than your work. I refuse to spend the rest of my life looking at your back. And I don’t want to have a child with a man like that—I want to have a baby with a man who actually loves me. So come to the airport now.]

The text was just like her: completely unbothered that their wedding was only a month away, self-centered, and arrogant. Checking the message in the restroom, Taehyuk paused near the restaurant entrance.

He checked his watch.

If he chased after Go-eun right now, he might be able to change her mind. Yet his gaze turned not toward the exit, but toward Seo-ah.

Perhaps proposing to her that day was done out of spite.

Still, the mystery that remained unsolved for Taehyuk was why Seo-ah had accepted such a rude and arrogant proposal.

Was this her way of taking revenge?

Her hollow, empty marriage life, and now her demand for a divorce.

The day he accidentally found out Seo-ah was taking birth control pills hadn’t been this flustered. In fact, Taehyuk had been indifferent to her. Since she complied with their intimate relations while taking the pills, he simply assumed it was for temporary reasons—since nothing fundamental would change anyway. He believed that eventually, Seo-ah would carry his child. Someday.

Yet no child came. Only then did Taehyuk recall the pills he had brushed off, discovering she was still taking them a whole year later. He felt a faint surge of anger—anger stemming from the fact that she had deceived him. Still, he waited for her to speak up on her own. But what came out of her mouth wasn’t an excuse of any kind; it was a demand for divorce.

From Taehyuk’s perspective, it was utterly bewildering.

And an even more bewildering situation was waiting right in front of him.

Flowers?

Flowers?

Suddenly, Taehyuk realized he didn’t even know what kind of flowers Seo-ah liked.

No—he hadn’t even known whether she liked flowers at all.

“Thank you.”

As Taehyuk handed over the bouquet upon arriving home, a broad smile spread across Seo-ah’s face. Burying her nose among the rose petals, she spoke with a joyful expression.

“To think I’d actually receive flowers from you…”

“I didn’t know you liked flowers.”

Taehyuk spoke with an indifferent expression as he brushed past her. However, the image of her face, glowing as she received the bouquet, was already vividly stamped in his mind.

“Flowers make people feel good. Besides, what woman doesn’t like flowers?”

Seo-ah gave a light scolding, trailing right behind him.

Walking ahead, Taehyuk stopped in his tracks and turned back to face her. Seo-ah paused.

“Why are you following me? I already gave you the flowers. What, are you going to take my jacket?”

A chill laced Taehyuk’s voice. Normally, Seo-ah never came out to greet him when he returned home from work. He hadn’t asked for it either. Since it felt burdensome and awkward for both of them, Taehyuk had been the first to suggest they simply live according to their own routines.

Normally, Seo-ah would have wilted like a flower struck by frost, but today was different.

“Yes. Is that not allowed? You gave me flowers, so I should at least do that much for you.”

A lingering smile remained on Seo-ah’s lips. Her blinking eyes shone brilliantly, as if filled with every sparkling thing in the world.

Looking at her face right now, she looked just like a woman enjoying a blissful marriage—one showered with her husband’s love.

“You’ve changed.”

“That’s because you’ve changed.”

Seo-ah giggled softly, looking down at the bouquet.

Changed over a mere bunch of flowers?

Taehyuk’s eyes narrowed with a strange sense of betrayal.

The sad Seo-ah who had declared divorce and asked him to let her go was nowhere to be found. Nor was she the lifeless doll she usually was. The Seo-ah standing before him now was the same Seo-ah from the moment they first met.

Lively, quick to smile. Pretty, smart… and a little cute—Lee Seo-ah.

Lying on the bed, Taehyuk closed the book he was reading and turned off his bedside lamp before lying straight down. The space beside him was still empty, but he didn’t mind. Even in the same room, the two of them had always lived according to their own schedules, so this was just routine.

He closed his eyes to sleep, but Seo-ah walked into his thoughts, opening the door to his mind—still wearing that sparkling smile.

‘Give me your coat.’

Having followed him all the way into the dressing room, Seo-ah had insisted stubbornly.

‘Forget it. You don’t need to go this far.’

Speaking coldly, Taehyuk hung his jacket inside the air dresser himself.

‘I’m not doing this for the sake of it. I really want to do this for you.’

Seo-ah pouted her lips. Her slightly protruding red lips caught Taehyuk’s eye.

‘Are you trying to be nice to me before the divorce?’

‘That’s part of it.’

Seo-ah laughed. The lips that had just been pouting instantly bloomed fragrant, like a flower in full bloom.

Taehyuk knitted his brows. He was finding it hard to adapt to this changed Seo-ah.

‘So, at least let me loosen your tie.’

Seo-ah stepped closer. A fragrant, elegant floral scent wafted from her as she drew near his chest—as if she herself had turned into a flower.

While Taehyuk hesitated, Seo-ah’s hands touched the knot of his tie. Her touch as she gently untied it was surprisingly adept. With a focused face, her soft breaths brushed lightly under his nose.

Her fair skin was as smooth as porcelain, and her nose looked almost edible. Yet, where Taehyuk’s gaze remained pinned was the glowing red beneath it—

“Are you sleeping already?”

The door opened, and Seo-ah entered the bedroom. With his eyes closed, Taehyuk answered.

“Yeah.”

“Pfft. How can a sleeping person answer?”

At the laughter leaking from Seo-ah’s voice, Taehyuk cracked one eye open.

What on earth is going on…?