Chapter 21
After the professor finally left the classroom, students began packing their things. I stuffed my notebook into my bag and stood up.
"Let's go," I said to Hyunjae.
He slung his backpack over one shoulder and grinned. "After buying your phone, how about we hit a karaoke place? It's been forever since we last went."
I shook my head. "Can't. I need to be home before eight."
"What?" Hyunjae's eyes widened. "That early? Come on, man. That's barely even a proper outing."
I gave a helpless shrug. "Nothing I can do."
Of course, I couldn't exactly tell him the truth—that if I came home late, Yuna would probably drag me straight out of bed the next morning just to scold me. Or worse.
Hyunjae let out a dramatic sigh. "Fine, fine. Then let's at least grab dinner nearby. There's that place across the street, the one with the huge beef cutlets."
"Yeah, sure," I said. "That works."
"Good. At least we won't starve." He patted my shoulder and started walking toward the door.
We hailed a taxi and told the driver our destination—Hyundai Seoul.
When we arrived, I stepped out first. The building stood tall and sleek, its glass walls reflecting the bright afternoon sun. Even on a weekday, the mall was lively. Shoppers moved in and out of luxury stores, some in casual but expensive outfits, others in sharp business suits.
Hyunjae glanced around, then leaned toward me, lowering his voice. "You couldn't have told me earlier that we were coming here? Look at me—I look so out of place."
I let out a small chuckle. "Don't think too much about it. No one's staring at us."
"Easy for you to say," he muttered, glancing down at his plain hoodie and sneakers. "Next time at least give me a warning. I would've thrown on something better."
Hyunjae wasn't from a poor family at all—he actually came from a comfortable background, but his laid-back style often made him look like a rebellious young master.
I shook my head with a faint smile, and we stepped into the mall together.
_________
As we stepped farther into the mall, Hyunjae's eyes lit up at the sight of a large clothing store filled with expensive brands.
"Let's check that place out first," he said, already heading toward it. "I need to grab something decent. Feels weird walking around here dressed like this."
I gave him a small nod. "Take your time."
I leaned against the railing nearby. My eyes wandered over the store displays and the people passing by. Everyone seemed effortlessly put together—expensive handbags, polished shoes, designer watches. The clothes here were unbelievably expensive, the kind of price tags that would make most people faint. Yet these people picked them out like they were cheap everyday items.
I glanced inside the store where Hyunjae was already talking to a staff member, pointing at a few shirts.
Of course, Hyunjae could afford it. His family was rich too, but he had always been different.
I thought back to our conversations. He had told me more than once that he didn't like relying on his parents. He wasn't close to them, nor to his siblings. He always said he wanted to make it on his own, that he was tired of being compared to his brothers and to his father by everyone around him.
He wanted independence. To build something himself, away from his family name. To succeed in the corporate world without anyone saying he only got there because of his father.
That was just the kind of guy Hyunjae was.
And because of that, Yuna's threat from last night kept echoing in my head.
If I didn't obey her decision to quit university, she would make Hyunjae drop out too, maybe even ruin his chances at working in any company in Korea.
The thought made my chest feel heavy. I couldn't let that happen to him. I would never forgive myself if my stubbornness dragged him down with me.
My eyes dropped to the floor as my thoughts shifted to my own life.
I lived with my aunt's family. They weren't poor, but they weren't wealthy either. They ran a small family restaurant in Busan. Business was steady enough for them to live comfortably, but it wasn't anything extravagant.
When I got accepted into a university in Seoul, they were so proud of me. I still remembered my aunt crying while my uncle patted my back with a grin. They promised to support me as much as they could, sending me pocket money every month, along with rent money for my tiny apartment.
They still didn't know I was married to Seo Yuna.
Yuna's mother didn't know either.
But Yuna told me not to worry. She promised she would take responsibility for explaining everything to both our families when the time came. That was simply how she was. She had always been the more mature one in our relationship. Even with her fiery temper and possessive nature, she was always the one who handled everything for me.
When we married, almost everything in my life changed. Yuna handled it all—my clothes, my living expenses, everything. She filled my wardrobe with brands I had never even heard of before. Expensive, perfectly fitting clothes that I would never have dared to buy myself.
To be honest, I never cared much about brands. If it fit and looked fine, I was happy. But Yuna never let me wear anything cheap.
She even gave me a credit card.
Not just any card—a black card.
The kind of card that only the ridiculously wealthy carried. I'd seen people on the internet talking about it, but holding one in my hand had felt unreal.
But honestly? I rarely used it. I didn't know what to buy. Yuna already provided everything—even random necessities. There wasn't really a need for me to spend on anything.
Eventually, I'd lied to my aunt, telling her that she could stop sending money because I'd gotten a part-time job with a decent salary. It wasn't true, of course. I just couldn't keep taking their money when I wasn't using it for anything.
Not that I hadn't thought about actually working. I wanted to. I didn't like relying on Yuna for everything.
But when I brought it up to her once, she got furious.
"If you ever take a part-time job behind my back, Haemin," she said in that cold, sharp tone, "I'll make sure that part-time place is shut down the very next day. They'll curse the day they decided to hire you."
She wasn't bluffing.
I decided it was better not to try.
Nearly fifteen minutes passed as I stood there, lost in my thoughts.
Finally, Hyunjae stepped out of the store, wearing a completely different outfit.
I stared at him, blinking in disbelief. "You actually changed in there?"
He grinned, adjusting the collar of his shirt. "Of course. Why wouldn't I? You think I'm walking around here looking like I just crawled out of bed?"
I couldn't help but laugh, shaking my head. "You're unbelievable."
"Hey, at least I look good now," he said, striking a silly pose as if he were on a runway.
After Hyunjae finished showing off his new clothes, we made our way toward the electronics section of the mall. Rows of sleek displays showed off the latest smartphones, all lined up neatly under bright lights.
I walked slowly along the counter, testing out a few phones, scrolling through their settings and feeling the weight of each one in my hand. Eventually, I found one that I liked. It was simple but stylish—nothing too flashy, but definitely an upgrade from my old phone.
"This one," I told the staff.
They nodded politely and led me to the cashier counter.
I opened my wallet, pulled out the black card Yuna had given me, and placed it on the counter.
The cashier's eyes widened slightly. She picked it up with both hands, almost too carefully, and swiped it through the machine.
Hyunjae, standing next to me, stared at the card like he'd just seen a ghost.
"Payment complete," the cashier said, returning the card to me with a polite bow.
"Thanks," I said casually, tucking it back into my wallet.
We left the store, and the moment we stepped outside, Hyunjae exploded.
"Hold up, hold up, HOLD UP!" He grabbed my shoulder, spinning me slightly to face him. "What was THAT?! Since when are you a secret billionaire?!"
I blinked at him. "What?"
"That card!" he said, pointing dramatically at my wallet. "That's a black card! Do you know what that even means?! I thought you were just some regular guy living in a normal apartment—how the hell do you have one of those?!"
I scratched the back of my head. "It's… not mine. It's my wife card."
Hyunjae's jaw dropped. "Your wife's card?!"
"Yeah."
He stared at me, completely stunned. "So your wife is… what? Some ultra-rich chaebol heiress or something?"
I looked away and shoved my hands into my pockets. "I can't tell you that."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T TELL ME?!" Hyunjae cried out, half-laughing in disbelief. "Haemin, are you serious right now?!"
"It's a secret," I said simply, walking ahead.
Hyunjae stood frozen for a second, looking like he might actually faint. "You… you're killing me. You're actually killing me."
I just shrugged. "You asked."
"Unbelievable…" Hyunjae muttered, quickly catching up to me.
We walked side by side, his head still shaking in disbelief
A few minutes later, Hyunjae's phone started ringing. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen.
"Ah… it's my mom. Give me a sec," he said, stepping aside to take the call.
I watched him walk a few meters away, pressing the phone to his ear. At first, his voice was calm, but as the conversation went on, his brows started to furrow. His expression grew more serious, and he paced slowly in front of a nearby display, nodding to himself as he listened.
He spoke in short sentences, his tone low and firm. From the way his jaw tightened, I could tell it wasn't a casual call.
After a couple of minutes, he hung up and let out a long sigh before walking back toward me.
"Haemin," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry, man. That was my mom. Something urgent came up at home. I have to leave right away."
I tilted my head. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, it's nothing too serious. Just… you know how my family is," he muttered with a small, bitter smile. "But I really have to go. I'm sorry—we were supposed to eat together."
I shook my head. "It's fine. Don't worry about it. Go take care of things at home."
He looked a bit guilty. "We'll hang out properly next time, I promise."
"It's okay, really." I gave him a small smile. "Go on."
Hyunjae patted my shoulder. "Alright. See you in class."
I pulled out my phone and checked the time. 6:30 p.m.
There were still a couple of hours before I had to be home.
It felt like a waste to go back so early, especially since Yuna rarely let me stay out this late.
I decided to find a café nearby to get a drink. My throat was a bit dry anyway.
Walking alone through the mall felt different. Without Hyunjae's constant chatter, it was quiet—just the sound of footsteps, the hum of conversations, and the faint music playing from the stores.
I could feel eyes on me as I walked. When I turned my head slightly, I caught glimpses of women looking my way.
But the moment I met their eyes, they quickly looked away, cheeks faintly red.
It wasn't something new. At university, I often got similar looks. There had even been confessions—both from juniors and seniors—before and after my marriage.
Of course, I rejected them all.
I wasn't just loyal to Yuna.
I was afraid of what would happen if she ever found out.
Even if I rejected someone, in her mind, it would still be my fault for letting them get close in the first place.
And the truth was, I didn't really talk to anyone, whether in class or outside of it. I wasn't the type to make new friends easily.
After a few minutes, I finally reached a café.
Just as I was about to grab the door handle, a voice called my name from behind.
"Haemin?"
I froze.
That voice—I knew it.
Slowly, I turned around.
And there she was.
Hwang Sera.