episode_0001

– Splash

I stood under the shower, feeling the warm water pouring down on me, once again trying to piece together Joo Eunhye’s memories.

Joo Eunhye. At the age of 20, she was just like me. In her younger years, she was a cheerful child, but when she was 14, around the time she entered middle school, her only family, her mother, passed away in an accident, and her bright demeanor gradually faded away.

Even though a man who claimed to be her father came to find her and took her to his mansion as his adopted daughter, due to the discrimination she faced there, Joo Eunhye slowly withered away, becoming a passive child.

Such Joo Eunhye was nothing but an easy target for the young adolescents. She endured all kinds of abuse, from verbal insults to physical violence and financial exploitation. She had even made up her mind to end her life by suicide, but for some reason, she gave up on taking her own life.

Having endured a rough school life, Joo Eunhye never seemed like a bad child, but due to her lack of determination, she couldn’t even pass the college entrance exam properly. After graduating from high school, the woman who had ignored her all this time, a woman she now called her stepmother, ordered her to marry a man she had never met before.

“I may have been mistreated at home, but this is too much.”

I sighed briefly, finished my shower, and dried my hair with a towel, looking at Joo Eunhye in the mirror.

Despite the messy hair, her light brown eyes shining through the bangs, the smooth, elastic skin, the chestnut-shaped breasts and the slender waist that resembled a heart shape, it was a beautiful appearance that was hard to believe had endured such a cruel life.

“She’s so pretty, yet she was bullied… If it were me, I would have confessed right away and taken responsibility for her for life.”

But now, I am Joo Eunhye. Perhaps my body, hit by a truck, died, and because of the concept of possession I had seen in comics and novels, it seemed like my mind had entered Joo Eunhye.

It was an unrealistic idea, but the touch of my hands rubbing my soaked chest proved that it was true.

“Ugh~”

…What was I even doing? I should hurry up and get out.

I need to think about what to do next.

*

“Sit here.”

After finishing my shower, the man who had been waiting for me was sitting on a 4-seater dining table chair. I nodded briefly at his request and sat across from him.

Eventually, he took out a piece of A4 paper and handed it to me.

“What’s this?”

“I’ve listed the things you need to take care of while you’re here.”

I looked down at the A4 paper, and at the top, the word “Contract” caught my eye.

I slowly read through the contents of the contract.

[1. We will not interfere excessively in each other’s private lives. 2. We will pretend to be a normal couple to appeal to our families. 3. Since Kang Sunwoo already has a partner, cohabitation is only allowed until he convinces his parents.]

“You were forced to come here because of your parents, right? So, while you’re here, just play the role of a wife as written here. We’re not going to get married anyway, but it will take time to convince the family.”

The most serious issue I was worrying about was the marriage problem. Fortunately, this man seemed to have no intention of marrying Joo Eunhye.

“So, you mean I should just be a superficially good wife as written here… in other words, a decorative wife?”

“Decorative wife? Yeah, that’s good.”

With his hand on his chin, the man nodded slightly and showed a smile.

“I don’t have any ill feelings towards you, so I won’t force you to do anything, like being a decorative wife, okay? If you can do that, it’s fine. Well, it’s not like we have plans for a wedding ceremony… Oh, and this is something my mother wanted to give you.”

As I flipped through the contract multiple times, the man handed me two bank books and continued speaking.

“Here, this is your living expenses and personal spending money while you’re here. It will be deposited in the same amount every month, so don’t worry too much.”

Opening the bank book he handed me, I saw the name ‘Joo Eunhye’ boldly written on it. A bank book in my name… I couldn’t help but smile wryly as memories of being exploited by my family for part-time job money resurfaced. I was shocked to find an unbelievable amount deposited in it.

“3000…000… Three million won?!”

Shocked, I checked another bank book and saw the same amount deposited in it, causing me to widen my eyes and look at the man.

“Is it not enough? If it’s not enough, I can…”

“It’s fine.”

“Huh?”

Internally cheering, I grabbed the two bank books and stood up, shouting excitedly.

“I-I’ll become your wife, sir!! I’m so happy! It’s like a welcome-!”

“Huh…?”

The startled man backed away in surprise, but I didn’t care and continued speaking frantically.

“This house is so spacious and nice, and you’re giving me living expenses and spending money on top of that! It’s amazing, right? At first, I was really worried, but it was all for nothing~ Oh, sir! Do I just need to stamp here?! Wait a moment! I’ll do it quickly… Oh, right, I didn’t bring a seal, what should I do?!”

“Hey, hey, calm down.”

“Do I look calm? And we need to decide quickly so there won’t be any regrets later! Oh, will a thumbprint be okay? Where’s the ink pad?!”

“Hey, Joo Eunhye! Calm down!”

“Ah! Normally, you don’t keep ink pads in a regular household, right? Don’t worry! I’ll solve it quickly!”

-Click!

Excited, I bit my thumb with uncontrollable emotions, causing a small fountain of blood to pour out and create a red puddle on the table.

“I told you to calm down, didn’t I?!”

-Thud!

The angry man suddenly stood up and fed me a honeyed snack, grabbing my thumb.

“Ouch… Why did you hit me out of nowhere?!”

“Do I look like someone who wouldn’t hit you? Hold on like this for a moment.”

With a stern expression, the man wiped the blood with a tissue, disinfected it thoroughly, and then bandaged my hand before releasing it.

“Alright, don’t do such crazy things again. Got it?”

“Yes~”

The man, now calmer than before, tidied up the first aid kit and put it back in the cabinet. I watched his back and thought to myself that he seemed like a decent person.

“Phew… Anyway, I’ll keep this contract. You go inside and rest. It’s already midnight.”

“Yes~ I’ll go inside then…”

-Rumble~

As I stood up, the sound of a stomach growling filled the room… I realized that I hadn’t eaten anything since dinner.

“Are you hungry? I’ll make ramen, so just sit there.”

“Oh, ramen~ Thank you, I’ll enjoy it!”

*

If this uncle has a knack for cooking, it’s top-notch.

Even though it’s the same Jin Ramen, when I cooked it, it tasted completely different, and I ended up mixing it with rice.

“Thank you for the meal~”

“Yeah, yeah… They are different from what I heard…”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing. I’ll do the dishes, so just leave them… Since that’s your room, you can sleep there.”

Oh, a personal room too? This place is amazing~!

“Well then, I’ll go in now!”

“Okay, got it… Oh, and don’t lie down right after eating ramen. Does your face swell?”

“No~ I understand!”

With a satisfied belly from the long-awaited feast, I finally grabbed the doorknob of the personal room.

“Oh, uncle~!”

“Why?”

Suddenly remembering something, I called out to the uncle, who turned around slightly annoyed. He was already doing the dishes wearing pink rubber gloves.

Approaching the uncle, I grabbed his gloved hand and shook it vigorously.

“I’ll do my best as a decorative wife from now on!”

“Hey, let go of my hand! Can’t you see the soap suds?!”

“Oh, really sorry!”

“Ugh… go in and get some sleep quickly.”

“Yes, sorry!”

Slightly deflated, I bowed at a 90-degree angle, touching my forehead, as the uncle closed his eyes.

“What a noisy brat…”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“It’s nothing!”

The uncle, not responding to my question, turned his head back to continue doing the dishes. I also turned my back to him and walked towards the new room.

“Well, I’ll go in, so you sleep well, uncle!”

“Alright, sleep well.”

The uncle waved his hand without looking back.

‘Thank you!’

I sent a small thank you towards his back. At first, I was worried about the marriage, but if I can spend time with such a good person, I can relax. Even though I’ve become a man, it’s almost like a stroke of luck? Anyway, the biggest worry has been resolved.

Now then…

‘Would you like to appreciate the changes in your body before going to sleep? Every nook and cranny, without missing a spot.’