Chapter 76
Yuna's POV
"Do you like it that much, Haemin?"
"Hmm?"
"That ring. You've been staring at it since earlier this morning."
"Oh—um, yeah. Because it's really beautiful."
"Really? Here I was, worried the design might be too simple for you."
"W–what? No, not at all! I like it. I like it a lot."
"That eases my heart a little."
"But… isn't it too much? This ring looks very expensive. I would've been happy even with something much simpler."
"Not at all. And besides, how could I let my husband wear something that looks anything less than the best?"
"T-thanks. But really, Yuna… you don't have to give me anything expensive. I don't need anything like that."
"Mm. Even if you tell me that… you're my responsibility now, Haemin. It's only natural for me to provide the best for you."
"W-well… if you say so."
"Thanks, Haemin… for being willing to marry me."
"Please don't say that. I'm the one who should be thankful. I still feel like I'm dreaming right now."
"…Do you regret it?"
"Of course not."
"Really?"
"Really. I mean it."
"…I'm glad."
"Mm."
*Silence*
"…Haemin."
"Yes?"
"I promise, I'll take care of you."
"Me too, Yuna."
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*Password door unlocks*
"Come on in."
"Erm… is this your house, Yuna?"
"Yes. But starting today, it's our home."
"This place… is really huge… you lived here alone all this time? Isn't it too quiet?"
"Yeah. But I rarely had time to stay here anyway. I was usually at the office. Come, I'll show you around."
"O-okay."
"So this is the living room. And on the right, that's the guest room… though we probably won't use it much."
"And here's the dinning room and kitchen. It's fully stocked with everything you might need. Sometime I might return late and not be able to cook for you. But if you don't want to order out, everything you need will be in the fridge. Just let me know if anything's lacking."
"And this room is my office. I work here most nights when the schedule is heavy. But you can use this room too if you want a quiet place to study. The view of the city at night is beautiful… it helps calm the mind."
"I see."
"And the room next to it…is our bedroom."
"Oh–"
"Are you alright, Haemin? Why is your face so red?"
"N-No, no. It's nothing! I'm fine."
"Mm, okay. If you need anything, just let me know. Don't hesitate to ask."
"O-okay"
"Before I forget, there's something I need to give you."
"Give me…?"
"Here, the manual key for this house. And the password for the door is *****."
"Oh… okay. Thank you."
"And this is the car key. The silver car that was parked beside mine when we arrived, that one is yours to use."
"Besides yours? The silver one… wait— hold on. That Aston Martin?"
"Yeah"
"Y-Yuna, that's too much! I don't think it's a good idea for me to drive something like that around!"
"Why not? Do you not like it? Hmm… maybe young men have different taste in cars these days. Should I get you something else—"
"Wait, wait, stop right there. That's not what I meant. Of course I like it. Anyone would. But that's way too much for me. I don't think I can take it."
"Haemin, I want you to have it. And besides, since we got married on such short notice, I didn't have much time to prepare a proper wedding gift. So think of this as my gift to you."
"Yuna, I—"
"And lastly, this is a credit card under my name. Use it for anything you need. It doesn't have a limit, so spend it however you want."
"W-What? No. I really can't take this. I don't need something like this, Yuna. It's too much."
"Haemin. You're my husband. You don't need to feel burdened or guilty for accepting something from me."
"And… to tell you the truth, even with all the wealth I have, I barely have any time to spend on it. It just sits there untouched while I'm busy working. If I don't share it with the person I love, then what's the point of having it? Letting it sit there feels even more wasteful."
"But still, I don't want you to think I'm someone who depends on—"
"Sigh. I know you're not. From the very beginning, I knew how sincere you were. I believe in you. But please… take them. I want you to live comfortably here."
"I-If you say so... Thank you, Yuna. I'll… I'll treasure everything you've given me."
"That's all I hope for. Let's live well together from now on."
"Yeah. Let's do that."
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*Nighttime*
*Knock, knock*
"Come in."
*Door open*
"Have you finished?"
"Yeah, sorry, Yuna. The call went longer than I expected since my aunt hasn't called me in a long time."
"It's okay. Come, sit here. By the way, you don't have to knock if you're going to come in. This is your room too, you know."
"W-well… out of habit, I guess."
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"So, have you started getting used in this house yet?"
"A little… there are a lot of things here I've never seen or used before. But I'll figure them out eventually, though."
"Don't worry. You'll get used to it in time."
"Yeah…"
"Come closer. You don't need to be so stiff around me."
"Sorry… okay, here."
*Holding hand*
"Your hand is so soft."
"Mm? but yours are softer than mine, Yuna."
"Is that so…"
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"Haemin"
"Yes?"
"Are you comfortable around me?"
"W‑Why are you asking that, Yuna? Of course I am. I'm sorry if I made you think otherwise. I'm just… a little shy, you know. But please don't think that I dislike this, Yuna. I really don't."
"…And honestly, I should be the one asking you that question. It still feels like a dream to me, being married to you. I wonder if you accidentally chose the wrong person."
"Haemin, give me your other hand."
"Huh? O-Okay."
"Can you feel it?"
*ba‑dump*
*ba‑dump*
*ba‑dump*
"This…"
"This is what you do to me, Haemin. You're the only one who can make my heart race like this. So no… I didn't choose the wrong person to marry."
"T-To say something like that so suddenly…"
"Here, I want to show you this."
"Necklace? Wait, isn't this a ring? Just like this one here."
"Yes, I'm sorry I didn't tell you a little sooner. You might have already felt upset seeing me not wear one. I put it on as a necklace instead… I hope you understand why I can't wear it on my finger right now. Since our marriage is still a secret, I can't let anyone see it."
"N—No, I'm not upset at all. Really. I understand why you have to do that. I would never blame you for something like that. I know your position is complicated."
"Can you put it on me?"
"S-Sure"
.
"There you go"
"How does it look?"
"It looks good on you."
"Thanks."
"And, Haemin…"
"Yes?"
"I hope my status doesn't make you feel like you have to be careful with me. I know I can seem strict because of my role, but that's only when I'm at the office or dealing with my staff. Outside of work, I want you to know that I'll never forget my responsibility as your wife.
"You don't have to worry about that, Yuna… I already knew what I'd be getting into when I agreed to marry you. You really don't need to be concerned about me. But… thank you for saying that. It actually makes me feel a lot better."
"Hearing you say that really calms my heart."
"I'm glad"
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"Haemin… may I?"
"Yeah."
"Nervous?"
"A little."
"Don't worry. I'll be gentle."
"O-Okay."
*rustle*
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*kiss*
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*mmm*
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"Yuna—"
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*mhmm*
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"Shh… stay still."
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*breath*
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"Let me handle the rest."
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*Alarm ringing*
The morning sunlight slipped through the curtains and flashed across my face.
"Haemin…"
Instinctively, I turned my head to the right, expecting to find him there.
*empty*
Of course. He's not here. My heart sank a little, and I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to calm the sudden pang of longing.
Everything that happened yesterday rushed back into my mind like a wave, and I exhaled quietly, rubbing my temple as I tried to steady myself.
That dream…
It felt so warm.
For a moment, I wished I hadn't woken up at all.
I lifted a hand to my cheek… and paused.
It felt wet.
"Why…"
*sniff*
"… am I… crying?"