To Me, Who Doesn’t Love You

He was staring out the car window with a deliberately angry expression, not even glancing in my direction. What was he mad about? He said he didn’t care if someone tried to seduce me, and even encouraged me to go out and mingle. I pouted, turning my head away with a sullen face. The car, on the way home, was filled with a tense silence.“…….”The distance was so short that it almost seemed unnecessary to take the car out, and soon, we arrived at the parking lot. The car stopped close to the entrance, as if it had just left the same spot earlier, and it was time for me to walk on my own. My head was spinning, likely because of the boldness I had displayed earlier, but I wasn’t completely incapacitated. So, I opened the car door with some force and stepped out onto the ground.“Ah.”The result was disastrous. The moment my shoe touched the parking lot floor, it felt as if my strength gave out, and if I hadn’t grabbed the car door, I would have collapsed right there. Yeonseo, who had already gotten out and was waiting for me, hurriedly ran over to support me when he saw me stumble.“No, it’s fine. Really….”Embarrassed and humiliated, I tried to refuse his help. But I was too old to crawl home on the ground, and I definitely didn’t want Yeonseo to see me in such a pathetic state, so I had no choice but to accept his assistance.“…Don’t be stubborn, hold onto this.”His voice was low, as if he was trying to suppress his anger. Reluctantly, I grabbed his shoulder for support. With his arms extended to steady me, I could feel the thin indoor clothing under his coat pressing against his side.“…….”Come to think of it, his body seemed in better shape than I thought. I didn’t like that I was aware of the sensation of his abs pressing against my side.When I glanced up at him, he had a solemn expression, as if he had no idea what I was thinking. Not that he needed to know, but still. If someone you like, who has even declared their intention to seduce you, gets this close while drunk, wouldn’t you be at least a little bit affected? I mean, not touching a drunk person doesn’t make you a saint or anything. Somehow, his expression, which showed irritation rather than embarrassment, made me feel resentful.‘Doesn’t he think I’m pretending to be drunk to seduce him?’Of course, that wasn’t the case. If I hadn’t downed that last bit of alcohol, maybe I could have tried something subtle. But in my current state, I had to admit I was definitely drunk.‘And yet, I am still calling myself a sly fox….’Mumbling to myself, I slyly lowered my arm to wrap it around his waist.“Hmm….”When Yeonseo finally managed to get me into the elevator, I felt him flinch in surprise, the movement clearly transmitted through the part of our bodies that were touching. It was too blatant to ignore.“…….”Pretending to be half-asleep, I closed my eyes, and he didn’t react at all. But as I felt his body tense, realizing how close we were, it annoyed me how cute he looked, not knowing where to place his head. He was like a hamster who had just realized it couldn’t fit its food into its cheeks. And of all things, he lived in a high-rise building, so we were stuck in the cramped space together for a long time, making it obvious that he was trying not to pay attention to my hand.“We’re here….”Finally, with a short chime, the elevator arrived at the floor, and he hurriedly led me out as if he had just been released. As he desperately pressed the door lock buttons, I wanted to tease him more.Just as he was about to finish entering the code, I slid my hand under his shirt. It wasn’t particularly cold, but as my hand touched his bare skin, Yeonseo, startled either by the chill or by the sudden intrusion, pressed the wrong code.– Beep, beep, beepThe error alert rang out in the hallway, and I could feel him looking down at me in surprise, even with my eyes closed.“Su, Suhan.”His words were brief, but it was clear he was screaming internally. Pretending not to notice, I kept my eyes tightly shut and continued to feel around his bare skin. For someone who seemed like an indoor type, his abs were pretty… He whispered in my ear, probably thinking I was a total pervert.“Suhan! Get a grip….”He struggled to steady his breath, and after regaining his composure, he wrapped one arm tightly around me, supporting me as he finally opened the door and pushed me quickly into the entrance.I clung tightly to him, making sure I wouldn’t fall, and I didn’t loosen my grip around his waist. As soon as I heard the front door close with a click, I playfully tickled near his navel with the tips of my fingers, feeling his abs tighten immediately. Without giving him a chance to escape, I slid my hand under his belt, wrapping my fingers around the lower abdomen from the base of his manhood to his navel, and smiled.“You’re hard.”My voice, which had been silent as if I were asleep, finally broke the silence, and he shouted in surprise.“Suhan!”So what if you call my name? Are you going to close the door and run away again? But no matter how good Jo Yeonseo was at escaping from me, he couldn’t exactly leave with that hard-on, putting him in a tough spot. Because… I smirked, recalling the nasty prank I’d set up before going out for drinks with Taeo. As Yeonseo tried to flee into the master bedroom, he suddenly halted as he crossed the living room, realizing what I had done.“Suhan…!”Once again, he could only manage to call my name, unable to say anything else. I shrugged my shoulders and responded.“Why do you keep calling my name like that? I’m the one who said I’d seduce you.”When I finally opened my eyes and met his gaze, his face was flushed red, and he struggled to form a sentence.“Why, why would you…?”Taking advantage of his question, I answered with the same opening.“Why? Did I do something I shouldn’t have in my own bedroom? It is the marital bedroom, after all.”It’s a good thing Taeo is a beta. Even though I closed the master bedroom door, aired out my room, and sprayed pheromone-neutralizing spray everywhere, a sensitive alpha would’ve freaked out, wondering what kind of nonsense I was up to before meeting someone else’s husband. By now, the master bedroom would be reeking with the scent of my pheromones, so Yeonseo couldn’t flee into that room, nor could he leave the house in his aroused state. He was stuck, looking at me with no escape.“Do you need help?”All that was left was to light the fuse. I released him from my embrace as if to say, “You can do whatever you want. It’s your choice.”“……?”Suddenly, he shoved me towards the living room, slammed the bedroom door shut, and locked himself inside.“…???”I was so baffled by what just happened that I sat down in the living room, staring at the closed bedroom door. Did I just… get rejected? That wasn’t the outcome I expected. I was hoping to finally strip him down and have my way with him, but now, all I could do was laugh in disbelief.“No way, Yeonseo. Wait a minute.”I grabbed the doorknob and shook it as if to protest, but there was no response from inside.“Yeonseo! Come on out. I admit I was a bit naughty, but I’m completely sober now. Totally clear-headed.”Still, there was no reply. I sighed, feeling awkward, and spoke again.“We’re married, not strangers. Can’t we just use this as an excuse to enjoy ourselves?”He remained silent. He had clearly decided to stay holed up in there. My stubbornness flared up, but there was nothing more I could do. I had already left my pheromones thick in that room, and barging in to force myself on him would be crossing a line, no matter how I looked at it. That would definitely be a crime.“Ha, seriously….”When I was just massaging his side and he got all hard, but now that I’ve set everything up, he’s running away? I wasn’t sure whether to call him impotent or not. He seemed to get hard just fine, but now I was left feeling dumbfounded that I didn’t even get to touch what I had started. Feeling like a fool, I almost pressed my ear against the door to listen for any sounds, but I caught myself, wondering what I was doing, and any remnants of alcohol-induced warmth completely vanished.‘Let’s… take a shower and think about it.’Even after I finished a furious shower and brushing my teeth in the living room bathroom, the bedroom door remained firmly closed.I stared at the door, still closed as if to show off, and felt my anger rising even more. I spoke toward the door.“In case you don’t know, let me tell you something.”There was still no response from inside.“I’m really wet, just so you know.”With that, I let out a scoff and went into my room.* * *The next morning, I woke up clutching my head, which felt like it was about to split open. Maybe it was because I kept waking up, drinking, and then falling back asleep again last night, but although my mind was clear, a massive hangover hit me like a ton of bricks. I tried to get up and check the time, but every step I took made the world spin, so I collapsed back onto the bed.“Ugh…”I should have drunk in moderation. What was I thinking, drinking like I had a vendetta against the alcohol? I wanted to grab my past self by the collar and shake some sense into her. As I finally managed to sit up, I felt something wet sliding between my legs.“…?”What the…? I quickly checked below. Thankfully, I hadn’t ruined the sheets, but my underwear was completely soaked. What did I do last night? As I calmly traced back my memories, I let out a long sigh. Right, I did something.“Ah…”There was nothing to do but sigh. Why did I do that? Why… I mean, it wasn’t like anything would change by just doing nothing, so I had to do something, but still. It wasn’t like I was some actual sex offender, so what was I even doing? Regret washed over me, and I wanted to hide in a corner somewhere.I should apologize, right? For touching him without permission, for drinking too much and making him come pick me up so late at night. Trying something wasn’t a bad idea, but it didn’t work, and now things were a mess, so my headache only worsened. Looking back on everything I said and did yesterday, I was filled with regret and stupidity. If I could go back to yesterday, I’d rather drown myself in a plate of water than go to the meeting place. Or maybe throw myself into the Han River. I had grumbled to myself about Yeonseo not acting his age, but the one who ended up doing something stupid was me.Now, I wouldn’t even have a defense if he actually wanted a divorce. Even if it wasn’t attempted rape, I was pretty sure what I did could qualify as sexual harassment, and the thought sent chills down my spine. Sure, he probably wouldn’t report me, but… Imagining all the worst-case scenarios in my head, I concluded that I should just end my life before he came back. That’s the only way out, I thought, tugging at my hair.“Ugh.”When I tightly closed my eyes, the hangover, which I’d momentarily forgotten about due to embarrassment, came flooding back. Even if I was going to die, I didn’t want to die from a hangover. Holding back tears, I crawled out of the room. Maybe washing my face would help clear my mind, and I could think of a way to apologize. Groaning from the combined pain, I made my way to the living room. On the table was a handwritten note.<There’s hangover soup in the fridge.>Did he actually make soup before leaving this morning? Despite everything, including making him run around at night and all the harassment I inflicted on him, he still made me hangover soup. The guilt hit me hard. My thoughts were torn between “He wouldn’t have gone this far if he didn’t care about me” and “It seems like he’s too attached to those divorce papers he hasn’t seen in a while.”Honestly, wasn’t that the best seduction I could manage? I even told him, whether it was true or not, that I was really wet. What more could I have done? I sighed, realizing I couldn’t just wait around naked for him to come home.‘Besides, that would probably just make him slam the door shut and run away, which would be both sad and hilarious.’Imagining that scenario made me laugh, though I knew it wasn’t funny. Maybe if I had a heat cycle or something, he might have given in. But in my mind, Yeonseo, instead of acting like the heroine of some erotic film, would just strap me down in some anti-pheromone gear, give me suppressants, and wrap me up in blankets to sleep on the bed.Besides, heat cycles weren’t something I could control, unlike leaving pheromones behind. I had been on hormone therapy while in the hospital, and it could take anywhere from six months to a year to return to my natural cycle. There was no point in hoping for a convenient timing.So, in the end, there was nothing I could do… If I couldn’t rely on physical attraction, how was I supposed to seduce him? It’s not like I was particularly intelligent, cultured, or had an impressive character. I didn’t even have a job, so I had no idea what I should do.“…….”If there’s nothing I can do immediately, at least I should go about my daily routine. With a short sigh, I trudged to the bathroom to wash my face. Even though every step was harder than usual because of the lingering hangover, I needed to do something to escape this overwhelming shame.After changing into fresh clothes and eating the breakfast Yeonseo had prepared, I felt a little more energized. The fact that he made breakfast for me might mean he’s willing to have dinner together later. I stared at my phone, which hadn’t received any messages, then suddenly stood up and headed to the hospital.After my usual rehabilitation therapy at the hospital, which took longer than expected due to delays, I had to hurry to my next appointment. As I was leaving the library after finishing up some work, an unexpected notification appeared on my phone.“…!”For a moment, I thought it might be a message from Yeonseo, and I checked my phone in a hurry. But to my disappointment, it wasn’t from the person I was hoping to hear from.‘Well… at least it’s not something like “Divorce Agreement.pdf,” right?’The message was from someone I hadn’t expected—Producer Cho Eunah, whom I’d met through Yeonseo. Why was she contacting me? Still puzzled, I opened the messaging app.[Hello, Suhan. I know you’re busy, but can we have a quick call when you have a moment?]5:32 PMI wasn’t particularly busy, nor was I in a situation where I couldn’t take the call, so I gathered my things and got ready to leave.“I’ll be heading out now.”“Alright, good work today!”After the library staff saw me off, I stepped outside and called the number that had sent the message. The call connected almost immediately, after only a few rings.– Ah, yes. Suhan!A cheerful voice, one I’d heard before, greeted me by name.“Hello, PD. What’s the reason for your call?”I couldn’t help but worry that this might be about me having to return to work immediately. In my current state, I was no different from the characters in those transmigration novels who found themselves in someone else’s body. I didn’t know anything, I’d lost my abilities, and I had to put on a front just to appear functional in front of others… It was pathetic. Hiding my concerns, I asked, and Producer Cho answered with her usual bright tone.– It’s nothing major. A chef you were close to is opening a new fine-dining restaurant. They want to invite a few guests before the official opening, but they couldn’t reach you, so they asked me to get in touch.“Oh. I see.”So it was work-related. I mentally prepared to decline, thinking it’d be best to use my health as an excuse. After all, the person inviting me knew that I was just a shell of my former self. But then, the producer said something unexpected.– You don’t have to do anything special, really. It’s just a tasting event where you come and enjoy the meal. Wouldn’t that be fine?Just eating a meal? I didn’t know how valuable I still was to them, but if all I had to do was eat and there was no evaluation involved, it didn’t seem like too much. Still, even though it wasn’t too demanding, I was afraid of going out like this, after I’d deliberately kept my condition a secret from work for fear of it leaking out.“You know, PD, I feel like my taste buds are less refined than an average person’s now… If they’re expecting an evaluation or something…”Trailing off, I tried to subtly decline, but the producer quickly added.– I’m serious, you just need to eat! The head chef will probably be too busy to even greet you properly that day. At most, he might come by your table to say hello. And honestly, everyone’s been really worried because you’ve been totally off the grid after using your work phone number for personal matters and saying it was for health reasons. People were wondering if something really bad had happened, like you’d never come back.Well, in this state, that might as well be true. As I hesitated, taking my time to respond, Producer Cho, perhaps trying to seal the deal, added one more thing.– It’s better to just show your face and eat rather than letting rumors fly, don’t you think? You still look… well, I don’t want to sound insensitive, but you look fine. It’ll also make it easier to return quickly once your memory comes back.I didn’t respond immediately but instead rubbed my forehead, deep in thought.“Let me think for a moment. I’m worried I might say something wrong…”Then PD Cho said something that could be taken as either encouragement or an insult.— Don’t worry. No one expects Suhan to give a professional evaluation as if you were hired as a consultant!“Well, still…”When I responded with a reluctant voice, PD Cho firmly sealed the deal.— Then, we’ll assume you’re going. I’ll send you the details of the location and schedule by text, so please check it at your convenience!Suddenly, being scheduled for something out of the blue left me feeling quite uneasy. I couldn’t strongly refuse since it didn’t seem like a terribly serious matter. As they said, it might be good to show my face at least once for the sake of a potential return later on…‘Maybe I should ask Yeonseo first.’Considering how close this colleague seemed to be, it was possible that Yeonseo might know them too. After receiving a message from PD Cho with the name and location of the restaurant, as well as a photo of a business card of the owner-chef, I stared at the unfamiliar name that didn’t ring any bells.[Lim Cheolmin]Even seeing the name didn’t bring anything to mind, so there was no way I’d remember anything else. I casually swiped the business card image aside and waited for Yeonseo to arrive.A little while later, as if nothing had happened despite the chaos yesterday, Yeonseo began preparing dinner, but when I mentioned the name, a noticeable reaction flashed across his face.“PD Cho said this person was quite close to me. Do you know anything about them, Yeonseo? Like maybe we met through work or were schoolmates or something…?”I was just throwing out whatever came to mind. Whether I hit the mark or there was another reason, Yeonseo avoided my gaze, bit his lip, and finally spoke.“I don’t really know them.”What do you mean you don’t know them? The reaction clearly showed he knew who it was. Initially, I thought he was so expressionless that it was hard to read his thoughts, but now it was as if his thoughts were completely transparent, like looking through a glass window.“Really? You don’t even know what they do?”I cautiously probed further, and he responded with a stiff expression.“No.”Then, as if there was nothing more to say, he awkwardly walked over and put on an apron like a robot. His face clearly showed he was hiding something. I barely suppressed a laugh and teased him.“Then I guess I’ll have to go and meet them. If I knew who it was, I wouldn’t bother.”“…!”Yeonseo visibly flinched again, unable to hide his surprise, and squeezed his fingers tightly before reluctantly speaking.“Do you really have to go?”Given his reaction, I had no choice but to answer firmly.“Yes.”“…”A brief, desolate silence followed. So, what’s it going to be? If you’re not going with me, let’s just eat. I clicked my tongue internally, feeling my patience wearing thin. But since it seemed like he had something to say, I waited, giving him the benefit of the doubt. Finally, a sentence I hadn’t expected slipped through his lips.“Then I’ll go with you.”“What?”It was such an unexpected statement that my voice unconsciously shot up in surprise.“I’m sure bringing one extra person won’t be a problem if we give a heads-up. I’ll let PD Cho know.”“But earlier, you said you didn’t know this person.”When I asked, bewildered, he cleared his throat and mumbled an excuse.“I don’t know them, but I’m worried there might be some misunderstandings or mistakes.”This was the first time since he was discharged that he’d made a decision without consulting me. Until now, he’d been constantly checking on me, worrying about whether I was uncomfortable or if there was anything else he could do. So suddenly hearing him say, “I’ll go with you,” instead of asking if it was okay, was rather startling.‘Is there really something going on with this person?’A suspicion quickly arose. Perhaps I should be grateful to PD Cho. Though I still didn’t know what had caused the change in his attitude, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing for me.‘After all, having someone there to help means less chance of making a mistake.’I decided to approach him and said,“Alright, it might actually be comforting to have someone with me. But…”Now, here was the real issue.“Before that, we need to clear something up. Did we act this distant around others as well?”Yeonseo looked at me as if he didn’t understand what I meant. I shrugged and explained.“It’s not just the two of us going. It sounds like there will be other guests too. Given my current situation, I need to know how we behaved around others before.”“Oh.”He finally seemed to understand, nodding and then pausing to think. Just as my patience was about to run out, he finally spoke.“It wasn’t anything special.”Well, who wanted to hear that? Not that. I suppressed my frustration and asked again.“Did I use formal language with you in front of others?”Even though I’m older and supposedly had a rough personality, did I really show that much respect? As I criticized my past self, he flinched and replied.“Ah… If that’s the case, I used informal speech. We’ve known each other for a while.”So, they knew each other for quite some time as colleagues before marriage, even though they supposedly met for the first time for this purpose. I shrugged my shoulders.“Then I’ll start using informal speech too. No, I will. Is that okay?”It would be better to get used to it now, even if it’s a bit early, to avoid any awkwardness on the actual day. And… though it might sound strange. I didn’t like the idea of him treating the me with memories and the current me as separate entities. If I am Lee Suhan, and if the current me was created to protect ‘Lee Suhan,’ then at the very least, I didn’t want him to see me as someone different from Lee Suhan.“…Understood.”Since the topic came up, I confirmed it.“By the way, Yeonseo… No, did you also use formal speech with me?”No matter the age difference between a couple, it seemed odd for only one side to use formal speech. I thought about the name he had saved my number under. Suhan hyung… Hyung, huh. Then it would make more sense for us to use informal speech. As I tilted my head, hiding my curiosity, he hesitated before speaking.“When… we work, I use formal speech, so it shouldn’t matter too much….”Before he could finish, I interrupted him.“So you used informal speech in private. You can speak casually with me too. Don’t get the wrong idea when we go there.”Then, like a fish that had been caught out of water, he shook his head vigorously in denial.“No! That won’t happen. I’ll continue to use formal speech, so you don’t need to worry.”His attitude was quite suspicious, but I felt that if I pushed further, he might retreat and hide like a lizard cutting off its tail rather than providing any valuable information. Well, it’s my fault for falling for someone like him in the first place. I chuckled inwardly and nodded.“Then from now on, I can call you Yeonseo, right?”At my trivial joke, Yeonseo suddenly coughed and, possibly due to choking, his shoulders twitched for quite some time before he calmed down. I felt a bit sorry, as I seemed to have unintentionally teased him too much, but seeing the thin skin around his eyes turn red was rather satisfying. It seemed that the infamous charming personality that made him notorious hadn’t disappeared.“Even if you don’t like it, there’s nothing you can do. It would look strange if I only used informal speech while calling you Yeonseo in front of others. What if I keep speaking informally to you in front of everyone?”Yeonseo bit his lip in frustration and slowly nodded, looking resigned. It was because you kept reacting so amusingly that I wanted to tease you more. I almost blurted it out but managed to hold back with superhuman patience.After that, despite the awkward atmosphere, the fried rice we made together thankfully turned out delicious, and Yeonseo, without mentioning anything about what happened yesterday, quickly escaped to his room. Should I be grateful to PD Cho for this as well? Thanks to the little storm he brought along, Yeonseo and I returned to our daily routine without much friction. Of course, that doesn’t mean I can fully relax… Even when I openly rub my stomach, he just runs away with his head down, so there’s no clear answer here. The only hope left is if Yeonseo gets provoked by the possibility that the owner-chef and I are really involved in something special…‘What am I hoping for when I don’t even know who he is?’I also went into my room and searched for him on a portal site. I found records of a chef and entrepreneur who was three years older than me.“…….”Naturally, I didn’t recognize his face. I couldn’t even remember my own husband’s face, wondering if he was the perpetrator of the accident, so what would seeing a stranger’s face trigger in my memory? Scrolling down with a bored expression, I came across a profile picture of him dressed up with a fancy background like some celebrity.‘Instead of taking photos like this, why not develop some new menu items?’The thought popped into my head, and I got goosebumps for a moment. Did I just recover a memory? My heart raced with excitement, but unfortunately, no further progress was made. Having just stared at a beauty that could lift my spirits just by looking at him, I now felt like I was watching a squid dance on the screen.Anyway, he did seem like a busy person. After reading a few articles, I found out that besides the place that’s opening soon, he’s already running three other establishments. Is he trying to promote his place by saying that the famous TV personality Lee Suhan had dined there? I didn’t know the full story, but maybe confronting this industry head-on in the safest way possible would trigger some memories. It might be better to consider this an opportunity. I nodded to myself and made up my mind.‘Well, at least it helped me to start speaking more casually with Yeonseo….’The fact that I now had an excuse to talk to Yeonseo more freely was a significant achievement.‘Now I can freely call him Yeonseo….’Even though he was embarrassed, the fact that he couldn’t tell me not to was so cute that I had to clench my fist to hold back. How could I have lived in the same house with such a cute person and still been cold to him? It didn’t make sense. As I was lost in my silly thoughts and laid my head on the pillow, I fell asleep as if a switch had been flipped.And that night, for the first time in a long while, I dreamed of that mysterious sea. This time, I was alone. Before, it had been a cloudy day, but now I was standing under a dark night sky. I stared at the black waves for a long time before picking up a fairly large stone and throwing it into the sea. The sea was endlessly vast, and I was so small and insignificant that before the ripples could fully form, the waves swallowed everything.In the end, after glaring at the waves without any result, I turned around and headed somewhere that looked like home. Inside the room, someone was waiting for me.‘Where have you been?’A child much smaller than me asked. The me in the dream didn’t answer, instead walking straight to the bed, shaking the sand from my pants onto the floor, and pulling the blanket over my head.‘Hyung, Suhan hyung.’The small voice called from beside the bed, but I didn’t care and pulled the blanket up to cover my head. Come on, answer him, I thought, feeling an urge to scold the dream version of myself, but just as I was about to, the child refused to leave and instead crept closer, as if trying to check if I was still breathing.The child listened to my heartbeat and breathing for a long time before finally leaving the room as if reassured.When I finally woke from the long dream, I suddenly noticed something hanging on one side of the wall and quickly sat up in bed.[Jughyun Middle School]It was a school uniform with the school crest clearly embroidered on it. Gangneung, the sea, middle school. It felt like a part of the puzzle I had been struggling with was finally coming together. Now I knew that the scene I had seen in my dreams was something that had actually happened, and it was related to when I attended middle school in Gangneung.‘So where is that place?’I had already searched every place that was accessible. The only thing left was that mansion.* * *“It’s pretty far, huh? It looked close on the map.”Seated quietly in the passenger seat of the car Yeonseo was driving, I adjusted the seat, which I was now quite used to, and started talking to keep the atmosphere from becoming too awkward as I looked out the window. The mood was already half-ruined. We looked more like people on their way to a funeral than to a meal.“…….”Usually, even if I initiated a conversation, Yeonseo would at least nod or respond in some way, but today, for some reason, he remained silent, his face set in a stern expression as he focused on the road. It would have been strange to pester him with questions like, “Why aren’t you answering? Are you mad?” so I desperately kept up a one-sided conversation, asking and answering my own questions.“Oh~. The traffic is bad because the lanes merge over there and cars are trying to cut in, huh~.”I clapped and narrated like I had just solved a great mystery, but Yeonseo didn’t react at all, just glaring at the lane with a stiff expression.‘This makes me wonder if something really happened between him and that chef.’His sudden change in attitude, when usually all he did was get adorably flustered, made me start to regret coming here.‘But it’s not like things would have improved if we hadn’t come.’I didn’t want to stay stagnant, so I needed to force some change, whatever the outcome. It was better to think of this as a good decision. I sighed softly to myself and checked a nearby signpost. We were five minutes away from arriving at the address PD Cho had sent us.Right after I informed PD Cho that we would be attending, I noticed something. On the surface, nothing had changed much, but I could tell. Until then, Yeonseo had been okay with whatever I did, but now he seemed slightly on edge. Not that he had slipped up or gotten angry with me, but he looked anxious all the time, and it made me feel sorry for him.It was the complete opposite of what he had been telling me to do before—handle things as I saw fit, meet people, or do whatever I wanted.‘…….’Normally, I would be worried about what would happen if this made Yeonseo dislike me, but it was the opposite. Until now, I had been the only one anxious and staring at the door he had closed in my face like a fool. But now, he was here, worried that I might do something he didn’t want, and had even decided to come along. It was an opportunity.‘If things go well… this chef might just help everything fall into place.’It was a so-called jealousy strategy. He said he would let me go because he loved me, but if he sees me getting along well with someone else, he won’t be able to stand it, right? With this somewhat devious plan in mind, I headed to the restaurant, though not exactly with excitement. Naturally, I was also worried. What if I end up getting humiliated in front of others? If it were just my issue, I could simply take the embarrassment and move on, but this time, I was with him. It would be problematic if rumors started spreading that the heir couple of Seosang Group had caused a scene or made a careless remark at a famous chef’s restaurant.‘I guess I’ll just keep an appropriate distance and see how things go.’As I lightly came to a conclusion in my mind, the car soon arrived at the parking lot. The restaurant was located in the heart of Apgujeong, occupying its own standalone building.‘Even someone who doesn’t know much could tell a lot of money went into opening this place.’There seemed to be fewer than 12 tables, but the number of staff inside appeared to outnumber the guests. The interior, utilizing all sorts of trendy, luxurious designs, created an overwhelming atmosphere. As we slowed down and came to a stop, a staff member who had been waiting outside approached and knocked on the driver’s side door.