episode_0045

Location shifted to the rooftop of a training camp with no listening ears.

Taking a deep drag from his e-cigarette, the trainer exhaled a thick cloud of smoke while carefully observing his surroundings.

“I’ve heard rumors that Mercury has been scouting wedding venues.”

“Since when?”

“Well… Oh! That time!”

He claimed to have been closely researching venues in Mercury even before the rumor spread about Mayeonseo coming to Korea.

“I heard it from my girlfriend, and shortly after, news about your girlfriend came out, so it seems quite plausible.”

From the context, it seemed like he had been considering a wedding since Mayeonseo decided to come to Korea.

Originally, he had entered Korea with the intention of rushing into a wedding.

“I mean… When did they say the wedding date was?”

“It was early next month.”

“Oh…”

Moreover, with less than two months left until the wedding day.

It was obvious what Mayeonseo had in mind.

Surely, she planned to inform him last minute, leaving him no choice but to accept.

“It’s really harsh. How can she keep such a straight face without any change?!”

Less than a month had passed since he promised not to act hastily.

In that moment of promise, he was being deceived.

“Was she trying to catch me off guard?”

In this situation where they were both trying to deceive each other, a bitter laugh escaped him.

There is no comedy like this kind of comedy.

“What should I do now?”

Thanking the trainer for inadvertently playing the role of a spy, I promised to keep the information leak under wraps and sat on the rooftop for a moment to gather my thoughts.

“If I make a mistake, it could backfire.”

Expressing anger or arguing emotionally with Mayeonseo at this point would be the worst possible move.

Despite thinking he had trained her well, she had managed to outmaneuver him completely.

It might sound crazy, but Mayeonseo might have even calculated that I would get angry.

She might already know about Hanyerwon and the affair.

Wasn’t the timing of her sudden dominance unreasonable?

To think she was targeting only the weaknesses, even after killing that terrible possessiveness.

…Suddenly, I felt suffocated.

“…Let’s stay calm… There’s still a chance… Yes. It’s not over yet.”

Thumping heartbeats calming my uneasy chest, I regained my composure and took out my phone to inform Hanyerwon of the situation.

Me: “Are you busy?”

Coincidentally, I found out that Mayeonseo was secretly planning a wedding.

Me: “She’s planning a wedding behind my back.”

♥: “What nonsense is this?”

♥: “What are you talking about?”

Me: “It’s a long story. Let’s talk on the phone.”

I thought Hanyerwon would explode in anger or at least get very excited.

Even though she was my mistress, she had enough reason to be furious.

“What do you mean? A wedding?”

As expected, she soon called, showing a very surprised reaction.

“…The trainer at the gym was a hotel employee. He’s been preparing since before her arrival.”

I calmly relayed the information I received from the trainer.

Soon, an agitated voice came through the speaker.

“Is she insane? How could she do that?”

At that moment, she began spreading malicious gossip about Mayeonseo.

“Is ruining others’ lives not enough for her? Crazy psychopath…! She only cares about her emotions and doesn’t give a damn about others’ feelings?! How much of a fool does she take you for?! ”

Her harsh words felt somewhat unfamiliar.

“Ah… I’m really pissed off!”

After expressing her anger vehemently for a while, she took a deep breath and offered an apology.

[ Phew… I’m sorry. I was so angry… ]

“…It’s okay.”

Struggling to calm down, she inquired quietly about how to handle the situation.

[ …So, what are you going to do? ]

“I’m still thinking about it. I don’t know how far they might be thinking.”

I calmly suggested that Ma Yeon-seo might already be aware of our relationship dynamics.

Citing some suspicious behaviors she had exhibited, I supported my argument.

“I wonder what to do in this situation….”

Then,

[ Yoo Chan. ]

Han Rye-won, who had been silently listening, suddenly interjected with a determined voice….

[ That marriage. Just go through with it. ]

“…What?”

For a moment, I thought my ears were playing tricks on me.

[ She knows everything right now and is pretending not to. So, what’s the harm in just going along with it? ]

Or maybe Han Rye-won had lost her mind.

“Are you serious right now…?”

Even though trying to call off the wedding seemed inadequate, the suggestion to proceed with the ceremony didn’t sound entirely unreasonable.

However,

[ I’m serious right now, Yoo Chan. ]

She was sincere.

[ Are you going to completely submit to her just because of some stupid stamp? ]

“…That’s not it.”

[ You’re mine, right? ]

“…Yes.”

[ Then do it. Let’s have the wedding. Tell that damn woman she can do whatever she wants! Let her have her way. ]

Han Rye-won argued that a loveless marriage held no significance and advised against needlessly provoking anyone.

As the person directly involved, it was a difficult argument to accept.

‘Once we marry, it’s over.’

Despite challenging societal norms and straddling between two women, I believed marriage held a different meaning.

Regardless of my abnormal situation, I didn’t want to commit an act of betrayal towards family.

It was a matter of pride.

“…That’s not possible.”

[ Yoo Chan. ]

A persuasive voice came through the speaker.

Unable to simply accept the idea of marriage, I firmly shook my head and told Han Rye-won,

“Instead… let’s register our marriage first.”

[ …Just us? ]

“Yes! Then Ma Yeon-seo won’t have a choice!”

Rather than passively accepting the situation, I proposed thwarting the wedding and confronting Ma Yeon-seo.

Though labeled as a national adulterer and likely to face public scorn, my conclusion was that as long as I had my loved one by my side, it was enough.

[ …That’s… ]

However,

[ …Hmm…. ]

For some reason, Han Rye-won seemed uneasy with the idea.

‘What?’

It was a completely unexpected response.

“You don’t like it…?”

I cautiously probed.

[ It’s not that I don’t like it… ]

After a brief pause, lost in thought, Han Rye-won cautiously countered,

[ But if we follow your plan, what happens if we have a child later…? ]

“…!”

[ I can handle the criticism, but… what about our child…? ]

She was looking much further into the future than I was.

[ Our child would likely face constant criticism… What if Ma Yeon-seo decides to interfere? ]

“…Th-that’s…”

I was at a loss for words.

[ Yoo Chan. ]

After a short sigh, Han Rye-won tried to persuade me in a calm tone.

[ Getting married and then divorcing due to personality differences might be better. That way, you won’t be the only one criticized. Besides, it wouldn’t seem strange if we got married later on. ]

Taking public opinion into account, Han Rye-won proposed a solution while considering all aspects.

Each section is separated by a period to maintain the original formatting.

It was all accurate, but for some reason, it didn’t sit right with me.

“He’s going to divorce me…? Absolutely not!”

[The important thing is that you can file for divorce. Even that famous Inggobu couple is getting divorced.]

“But this situation is different! Even if we divorce, I’m still bound to him…!”

[So, since you’re bound to him, does that mean you won’t see me anymore?]

“…”

Unable to find any more ways to argue, I sighed in frustration.

“Let’s just endure a bit longer. Okay?”

Han Rye-won comforted me as if handling a child.

“…Okay.”

“Yeah. Thanks for telling me first.”

“…Sure.”

“I have to go now, I’ll text you again tomorrow.”

“Hurry inside.”

“I love you. Smooch!”

“…Me too.”

“A kiss?”

“…Smooch.”

“Hehe. Gotta go!”

Click. I blankly stared at the darkened screen after ending the call.

“…”

In the end, nothing had changed.

*

Some time later, around lunchtime.

Ma Yeon-seo headed to a restaurant located on the outskirts of Seoul.

Next to the road, rather shabby and only displaying the phrase ‘Reservation Required’ instead of a sign…

At the back of the store, the parking lot hidden by trees was filled with expensive branded vehicles.

“Welcome.”

As Yeon-seo and Yi Ye-na entered the restaurant, they were greeted by a middle-aged woman dressed elegantly in hanbok.

Contrasting the slightly run-down exterior, her attire suited the luxurious and stylish interior.

“Let me guide you to your room.”

After checking Yeon-seo’s face, the waitress led them straight to a room without further ado.

As the two entered the room, a plump man who was sitting down rose to greet them.

“Oh my, you’ve traveled a long way!”

Kim Sung-hwan, a director of the Awakening Association.

“You haven’t eaten yet, have you? Please, sit down and have some food. The dishes here are exquisite. Hahaha!”

Seating Yi Ye-na beside her, Yeon-seo glanced over the lavishly set table and cut to the chase, showing little interest.

“Do you have the documents?”

Seeing Yeon-seo’s gaze, Kim Sung-hwan eagerly reached into his pocket.

“I thought I was going to die getting this out.”

He pulled out a USB drive.

“I’ll check it.”

Taking the USB from Yeon-seo’s nod, Yi Ye-na took out a laptop and checked its contents.

After a while, she quietly nodded to Yeon-seo, indicating that the data was intact.

“Take your time. There’s quite a bit to go through.”

As Kim Sung-hwan picked up a piece of meat, reaching for a bottle to refill his glass, suddenly, Yeon-seo grabbed the bottle first and began pouring herself a drink.

“Thank you for cooperating quickly. Honestly, I thought you’d be more cautious.”

Surprised, Kim Sung-hwan chuckled awkwardly and responded, “If you mess up and miss the opportunity, who will take responsibility? It must be done properly!”

“…”

With a faint smile, Yeon-seo picked up the bottle and placed the nearly filled glass in the center of the table.

“…?”

Looking puzzled, Kim Sung-hwan met her eyes and calmly said, “I hope unnecessary disturbances won’t arise from this matter. I’d like to continue doing business with you in the future.”

“Trust me. There won’t be any issues.”

Although Kim Sung-hwan promised absolute trust with confidence…

Yeon-seo fundamentally did not trust people.

“That’s how it should be. It won’t be easy to raise funds for our daughter’s study abroad.”

“…Pardon?”

Instantly, confusion flashed across Kim Sung-hwan’s face.

The decision for their eldest daughter to study abroad had been made recently.

Moreover, it was a matter known only to family members.

“H-How could this be…?”

“Since I managed to save some pocket money, take it easy.”

Ye-na handed a bag she had been carrying to Kim Sung-hwan.

“Please check it.”

Gulp. Kim Sung-hwan swallowed his saliva and immediately opened the bag.

Inside, as if presenting themselves, were bundles of cash totaling 50,000 won as promised and a bundle of 100 dollars.

‘When did this…?’

Startled once again, he looked at Yeon-seo with a puzzled, flushed face.

Having completed the transaction, Yeon-seo stood up indifferently and said, “Well, take your time enjoying it. I have things to attend to.”

“….”

Though their conversation was brief, it was enough time for Kim Sung-hwan to realize who Ma Yeon-seo really was.

*

On the way to their next destination after concluding the deal.

“….”

Yeon-seo was carefully reading through one of the projects that Kim Sung-hwan had taken out.

‘Kang Yoo-chan Project…?’

It was about a project centered around none other than Kang Yoo-chan.

[ Birthplace: Chungcheongbuk-do…… ]

The document contained quite a bit of information about Kang Yoo-chan.

Starting from his birthplace, upbringing,

His mental aspects and personality traits.

Even intricate details like his habits and preferences in hard-to-know situations were meticulously noted.

‘…Why on earth?’

As Yeon-seo continued to read through the material, harboring endless questions,

“….!”

A very familiar name caught her eye among the sources of the document.

[ Data Provided By: … Hanyerwon, … ]

“…Hmm….”

It was only then that Yeon-seo could grasp how the situation was unfolding.