Please be my wife for just one year.

EP.12

One week after the accident at the event venue.

Fortunately, Seongho's arm wound wasn't deep, so he was recovering quickly.

But after that day, Yeoju couldn't help feeling oddly conscious every time she saw Seongho's right arm.


---

Morning.

Kitchen.

Seongho was lowering his shirt sleeves as usual while making coffee.

Yeoju, who saw that, hurried over.

Yeoju "...CEO."

Seongho turned his head.

Seongho "Yes."

Yeoju "Your wound still hasn't fully healed."

Seongho "...I'm fine."

Yeoju "There he goes again, saying he's fine."

Yeoju frowned slightly and grabbed his arm.

The bandage was gone, but a red wound was still there.

Yeoju "Don't lift anything heavy."

Seongho "..."

Yeoju "I'll make breakfast this morning."

Seongho looked at her for a moment.

Seongho "...Can you make it?"

"..."

Yeoju "...What's with that look?"

Seongho "I was a little worried."

Yeoju "CEO!"

As Yeoju puffed out her lips, the corners of Seongho's mouth lifted just a little.

Seongho "...I'll help you."

In the end, the two of them stood side by side in the kitchen.


---

Yeoju "Ah!"

Yeoju, flipping the frying pan, shouted in fluster.

The egg had half-folded and then turned into a mess.

When Seongho saw that, he quietly reached from behind and took hold of the pan handle.

Seongho "...Turn your wrist a little more like this."

At that moment.

Yeoju was startled by how close his voice sounded.

When she looked back, the distance between her and Seongho was only a few centimeters.

Her face grew hot for no reason.

Yeoju "...Ah, okay."

Seongho realized a beat late that they were far too close.

He immediately took a step back.

Seongho "...I'm sorry."

Yeoju "It's okay."

A brief silence.

Both of them just looked elsewhere for no reason.


---

Around lunchtime.

The two of them ate together in the living room.

Breaking the awkward silence, Yeoju spoke first.

Yeoju "...CEO."

Seongho "Yes."

Yeoju "There's something I've been wondering."

Seongho "...Go ahead."

Yeoju "Why do you like being alone so much?"

Seongho's chopsticks stopped for a moment.

He couldn't answer easily.

After a while.

He quietly opened his mouth.

Seongho "...I don't like it."

"..."

"It's just familiar and comfortable."

He took a sip of water.

"When I was young, my parents died in an accident."

Yeoju's expression stiffened.

It was the first time she'd heard that story.

Seongho "After that, I was raised by my grandfather."

"..."

"But the company always came first."

"..."

"I was always going to inherit it someday, too,"

"..."

"so I just worked."

Seongho spoke calmly, but that calmness made him seem even lonelier.

Yeoju listened quietly to his story.

Seongho went on.

"I didn't have many friends."

"..."

"And I never learned how to trust anyone."

"..."

"So before I knew it, being alone felt easier."

A quiet silence settled over the table.


---

This time, Seongho asked carefully.

Seongho "...Yeoju, what about you?"

"Why did you try to take all the responsibility for your father by yourself?"

Yeoju gave a small laugh.

But there was bitterness mixed into it.

Yeoju "...Our family wasn't well off."

"..."

"My mom died when I was little."

"My dad raised me on his own."

"..."

"He worked from dawn till night."

"..."

"So this time, I wanted to take care of my dad."

She said it with a smile, but the corners of her eyes were a little red.

"...For me, my dad is the only family I have."

Seongho couldn't say anything.

It was the first time.

That Yeoju had told him her story like this.


---

Evening.

The sunset outside the living room window was staining everything red.

The two of them sat side by side on the sofa, drinking warm tea.

Even without forcing conversation, it didn't feel awkward.

After a while.

Seongho spoke quietly.

Seongho "...Thank you."

Yeoju turned her head.

Yeoju "For what?"

Seongho "...For telling me your story."

Yeoju smiled softly.

Yeoju "...Same to you, CEO."

Seongho "And..."

"What you said about your family being only your father doesn't seem right.."

Yeoju "Huh?"

Seongho "Even if it's a contract... right now, I'm part of your family too, Yeoju."

"..."

Their eyes met for a moment.

Those eyes that had only been cold when they first met.

But now they were a little different.

Inside them was a warmth that was much gentler than before.

Seongho suddenly realized.

Since when.

After work, he no longer wanted to stop anywhere else and just come straight back to this house.

And whenever he entered this house, the first person he looked for was Yeoju.

And Yeoju also realized.

The man who had once only been a contract partner.

Had somehow become someone she could most easily open up to.

The distance between the two of them.

Very slowly.

But clearly was getting closer.