To Me, Who Doesn’t Love You

“Welcome. Are you Mr. Lee Suhan and Mr. Jo Yeonseo?”It gave me a slight chill that they recognized us right away just from the car number, even though we didn’t say anything. Had Yeonseo pre-registered the number in the parking system? Or… I tried not to think too much about it as I got out of the car. The valet staff took the car keys and moved the car. Then, the staff member in charge came out immediately and guided us to our table.“Nice to meet you. Let me show you to your seat.”As soon as the most experienced-looking man among the staff led us into the restaurant, the atmosphere became eerily quiet, as if no sound existed. All eyes were on us.“That’s Lee Suhan.”“I heard he was injured, but he looks fine?”“Isn’t that Lee Suhan over there?”“Yeah, he’s the one who’s been talked about with the heir of the Seosang Group….”Because it was so quiet inside, I could clearly hear the customers’ whispers without any filter. Yeonseo’s face showed visible embarrassment, probably because he heard the same things. It’s never pleasant to be the subject of others’ gossip. I remained calm, pretending not to hear anything, and with a slight smile, I extended my hand to the startled Yeonseo.“What are you doing? Let’s go in.”With a playful tone, I extended my hand as if I were escorting a lady in a classic movie. Yeonseo’s earlobes instantly flushed red. When I wiggled my fingers, indicating he shouldn’t make me feel awkward, Yeonseo hesitated for a moment before placing his hand in mine. The staff member guiding us to our table widened his eyes in surprise and momentarily slowed his pace. To ease the awkward atmosphere, I added a comment on purpose.“We’re newlyweds, you see.”In response, Yeonseo gripped my hand tightly as if telling me to stop making unnecessary comments. Well, what’s he going to do if I don’t? Is he going to cover my mouth in front of all these people? Amused, I laughed to myself and wrapped my other arm around Yeonseo’s shoulder. I didn’t care that the people around us seemed ready to drop their utensils from shock.Finally, we sat at the table that had been prepared for us and looked at the menu outlining the tasting course for the day. Most of the dishes featured seasonal seafood, prepared raw. It seemed like the chef had a particular preference. While waiting, a new employee, looking extremely nervous, approached us, surrounded by other servers.“W-We’ll start with the appetizers.”If they knew we were high-profile guests, shouldn’t they have assigned a more experienced server like they did at the entrance? But seeing how the staff whispered among themselves, I could roughly guess what was going on. The restaurant hadn’t even officially started its operations, and it already seemed disorganized, leaving the youngest newcomer to handle the most challenging guests… It was hard to tell if we were invited without the owner expecting us to come or if the owner was just too busy to pay attention to such details, but either way, it was frustrating.“Would you like any drinks or alcohol to accompany your meal?”Though the meal was complimentary, the pairing was an additional option, and the server nervously showed us the drink menu with trembling hands. I asked Yeonseo without looking at the server, trying to ease the tension.“Do you want to drink? If you do, we’ll need to call a designated driver.”Though it wouldn’t be a big problem to call a driver, I thought Yeonseo might feel uncomfortable, so I asked, and he answered without any hesitation.“I’m fine.”“Alright, then I’ll just have some sparkling water.”I casually thought they’d bring some sparkling water as soon as I asked, but then the first crisis hit.“Um, sparkling water…! Which kind would you like?”Are there different types of sparkling water? I almost widened my eyes in surprise, but Yeonseo quickly pointed to the second option on the menu and ordered.“We’ll have this one, without any flavor.”“Yes, we’ll prepare that right away.”Why do they have multiple kinds of sparkling water? Already annoyed by the server situation, I found myself grumbling inwardly about something others might consider a positive detail. Meanwhile, Yeonseo, having regained his composure, was staring at the menu with a blank expression. It wasn’t so much that he was interested in the menu but more that he had nowhere else to rest his eyes. Seeing Yeonseo quietly staring at the menu, looking so resigned as if he hadn’t just gone through a crisis, made me want to tease him.‘It should be fine to lighten the mood a bit.’I then gently tapped the back of his hand, neatly placed on the table. Yeonseo’s face flushed instantly as he spoke.“P-People are watching… Please, stop….”Why should it matter if people are watching or not? It’s not like we’re engaging in public displays of affection that would make others frown. I defiantly placed my palm over Yeonseo’s large, smooth hand, causing him to glance away. For someone who protested that he didn’t want to be left alone, his reaction was adorably mild and gentle.Sitting at what seemed to be the best seat inside, where we couldn’t hear the chatter from other tables, I thought this place wasn’t bad for a date. But that sense of ease quickly turned into another crisis not long after.“I-I’m so sorry! Oh no… What should I do….”The anxious-looking server finally made a mistake while setting down the special utensils for the main course. The system that allowed each guest to choose their preferred knife for the meat was the problem. When the server brought out the knife box with trembling hands, clearly nervous, another server who had been waiting nearby noticed the unease and tried to assist.But while we were high-profile guests initially, the staff’s guard had relaxed over time, and with everyone still adjusting to the new system, they were short-staffed. The senior staff sent the assisting server off to help elsewhere.There was no need to be so scared. I tried to choose a knife casually, speaking softly to keep the server calm. Just then, a knife placed at the very end almost dropped onto my shoe. The server managed to catch it in time, but….Crash. Clatter, clink, roll….The server’s elbow knocked several dishes and utensils off the table, sending them crashing to the floor.“Um….”As a result, the remaining sauce and garnish spilled all over my pant leg and sleeve. After the loud noise, everyone in the restaurant fell silent and stared at us, just like when we first entered.“I’m so sorry. I-I really am. How can I… I’m so sorry… hng….”Even though I hadn’t said a single word, the staff member, anticipating the backlash, began to kneel in front of me and tear up. Everyone else was staring at me with expressions that seemed to say they expected this, making me feel like I had become some sort of spectacle.‘This is unpleasant in its own way….’It’s not like they poisoned my food, so what’s the point of scolding them just because they were too nervous and made a mistake? I gave a bitter smile and handed a napkin to the staff member, who was just as dirty from the spilled food as I was.“It’s fine. Could you just help clean this up a bit? I’ll go to the restroom to clean myself up.”The senior staff member who hurriedly joined in began replacing everything from the tablecloth to the chairs with new ones, all the while bowing repeatedly, which made me even more uncomfortable, making me want to escape this situation, even if just for a moment. I gave Yeonseo, who was staring at me with wide, startled eyes, a quick wink and signaled him to relax. I forced myself to maintain a composed expression as I headed to the restroom, even though I wasn’t enjoying any of this. If I showed even the slightest sign of displeasure here, I felt like the staff might apologize with their life, and I didn’t want to make the situation any worse.Of course, if I were to respond in the way the old me would have, then maybe I should be scolding them. But I didn’t want to do that, and the conversation I had with Taeo last time came to mind.‘Maybe, Suhan, the personality you have now… is it possible that it’s the version of yourself you wanted to be before you lost your memory?’After experiencing firsthand how unpleasant the whispers and stares were when we first entered the restaurant, I began to understand that statement a little better. No one could remain unaffected when treated like a villain. No matter how skilled someone might be at using sharp words to poke at others’ wounds, being treated like this is difficult to endure.I didn’t want to lash out at someone who was trembling and crying, trying to replicate my past self exactly.‘If they were to follow what was on the show… they’d probably chastise the customer with an unprofessional service, blaming them while thinking that emotional appeals would smooth things over.’It was clear that I would have been disgusted by the shallow attempt to cover up the mistake with tears instead of thinking about how to fix it, apologize, and compensate.It wasn’t entirely wrong. What if the knife had fallen just a little further in and landed on my foot? Or what if, before it fell, the blade had grazed the back of my hand? It wouldn’t have ended with just reimbursing the laundry costs. The store would’ve become one where a customer got injured due to an employee’s service mistake. So yes, scolding might be necessary, but that’s not my job. It’s something the store should handle internally.With these thoughts in mind, I walked into the restroom and stood in front of the sink. The cool and modern decor, just like the rest of the interior, seemed to scream, “We spent a lot of money here!” They must be squeezing both the employees and customers to recoup those costs.I turned on the faucet, dampened my sleeve, lightly rinsed only the most soiled parts, and grabbed a towel from the side of the sink.‘Since it’s a nice place, they don’t just give you paper towels—they give you real towels.’Pressing the towel firmly against the wet spots, I managed to clean up to a somewhat acceptable level. Should I head out now? Just as I threw the used towel into the collection bin and was about to leave the restroom, the sliding door creaked open, and someone abruptly blocked my way.“…?”What’s this? Not wanting to bump into someone head-on, I shifted slightly to the side to give way. However, the person in front of me, seemingly angry, followed my movement and blocked me again, blurting out,“What the hell is going on with you?”It was only then, under the intentionally dim lighting that created a moody atmosphere, that I realized who was standing in front of me.“…….”It was Lim Cheolmin, the chef who had called me here today.‘Wow, you really look different in photos. How much editing did you do?’He looked so different from his photos that at first glance, you might mistake him for his brother or even a completely different person. As I stared at him, trying to assess the situation without immediately answering, he still looked irritated as he asked me,“Why aren’t you answering? I heard you didn’t take Manager Seo’s calls either? You’re not on TV, you’re not writing, you’re on leave from work—what the hell have you been doing, disappearing all of a sudden?”I still said nothing, continuing to observe him intently. At first glance, it seemed like he was worried about me. But something about it felt off. Can I trust this guy? I mean, I got contacted through someone Yeonseo introduced, so I might trust that part, but considering Yeonseo’s reaction when I mentioned his name, their relationship didn’t seem straightforward. Maybe he did something Yeonseo disliked, or maybe he’s done something to get in my way. Either way, I had to make a quick decision.“Come on, say something. Are you mad at me?”When he pressed me for the third time, I came to a conclusion.“Were you worried?”Since he was older, I might have spoken to him formally, but the odds were 50-50 anyway. So I went with the option that made me seem more irritated. It was a gamble based on the strong trust I had in my pre-amnesia self, and thankfully, it paid off.“Worried? Me? About you?”Hmm… good thing I chose to be rude. His immediate scoffing laughter indicated that not trusting him was the right move.“I mean, it’s not like I disappeared without a word or didn’t return calls, so worried you’d follow me to the bathroom.”He looked exasperated, turning his head and letting out a forced laugh.“Didn’t I tell you to stay in line? Vanishing just to make everyone else scramble—it must’ve been fun for you, huh?”From here on, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I quickly feigned ignorance.“I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m busy, so….”As I gestured to leave, he suddenly grabbed my wrist and slammed me against the bathroom wall. The sudden, unwelcome touch made my skin crawl.“Where do you think you’re going? It’s bad enough that you showed up here, but you brought Jo Yeonseo too?”The moment Yeonseo’s name came out of his mouth, I couldn’t take it anymore. I grabbed the arm that was holding my wrist with my other hand and forcefully shook it off. Even though I’d lost a lot of muscle while bedridden, I’d undergone months of rehabilitation training. Maybe the strength in my grip was still better than most adult men, thanks to being pushed so hard by my therapist.I didn’t intend to go this far, but it seemed he didn’t expect me to fight back, so he was caught off guard and nearly slammed into the wall.“Ugh, you crazy….”I quickly let go of him and changed my expression, saying,“Mr. Lim Cheolmin, I have no idea what you’re talking about. It wouldn’t be good for your reputation to be involved with a married man, so let’s be cautious, okay?”His expression was priceless, in many ways. After his face twisted once more, he sneered as I reached for the door handle.“Why did you suddenly decide to side with that bastard? Did he at least know how to please you in bed?”Ah… now I had a pretty good idea of what kind of relationship we had. Knowing Lee Suhan’s public persona and values, there was no way he genuinely liked someone like this, no matter how good their business acumen or cooking skills were. But he couldn’t fully cut ties with him either, so he must have kept a careful distance. While I couldn’t be sure what exactly went down between us, one thing was clear: this guy was desperate to get with me.There’s no way Lee Suhan would have let something this blatant slide with a smile. So, let me handle this like Lee Suhan would. I smirked and hit him where it hurt.“No, he wasn’t very good at that, but his dick had a special taste that was out of this world.”As the crude taunt left my lips, he looked at me like his world had just crumbled.“What? No, I mean, what…?”Seeing him doubt his ears and wondering if he’d misheard, I decided to hammer the point home one more time.“Why are you pretending not to understand? His was so much bigger than yours that I was seeing stars. So don’t try to cling on pathetically and get in the way of a perfectly happy marriage, okay?”While the man was left gaping, shocked to realize he hadn’t misheard, I patted him on the shoulder and left the restroom.‘I messed up.’No, I didn’t mean to go that far. The satisfaction of landing that blow felt so good that I ended up crossing a line I shouldn’t have. This is bad. But with so many people around in the store, I couldn’t just rush out as if I was fleeing.‘It’s fine. He won’t dare say that I hit him with crude insults in his own restaurant; his pride won’t allow it.’Even if he did, I could just deny it and act like I didn’t know what he was talking about. The only real problem would be if he somehow recorded our conversation… Well, if it comes to that, I’ll just claim it was a slip of the tongue, a result of lingering aftereffects from the accident. Of course, if it did go that far, it would turn into a nasty, mutual slinging match where pride means nothing, so I didn’t need to be too anxious about it just yet. I finally calmed my racing heart, sat back down in the neatly arranged seat, and gestured for Yeonseo to lean in close.“……?”He had no idea what had just happened in the restroom. He seemed only worried that I might have been seriously shaken by the earlier mishap with the employee. Seeing that he didn’t have even a hint of suspicion or resistance in his actions made me feel a little guilty.“I’m really sorry, but I think I messed up.”Yeonseo looked at me with wide, shocked eyes.“What do you mean…?”Did he think I clogged the toilet or something? His cute, confused expression made me drop the bomb.“Well… the owner chef here… he kept hitting on me….”As Yeonseo started to grasp the situation, his face quickly turned pale. I added something that could either be good news or bad news for him.“I told him to back off because I was having a great time with my husband.”He ran a hand over his face, looking torn between laughing and crying.“Sigh… No…”Actually, I said something even worse, but seeing his reaction, I figured if I told him exactly what I said, he might faint on the spot. He mumbled to himself, unable to speak further, so I tried to shake off the guilt of what I had done.“Hurry up and tell me I did the right thing. Or did you want me to cozy up to some random guy in there?”Taking an extreme stance, Yeonseo pressed his palm to his forehead and replied with difficulty.“No, you…”Just then, another staff member came over, likely with the next course. They cautiously served our table, saying, “We apologize for the inconvenience earlier. Here is the main course, Hanwoo tenderloin steak with mushroom purée. The mushrooms in the purée are organic oyster mushrooms grown in a local smart farm in Anseong, Gyeonggi Province…”The staff member droned on about where the garnish vegetables were sourced from, what the cattle were fed, and so on, but none of it registered. All I could focus on was Yeonseo’s reaction as he sat there, fiddling with his hands, head bowed. His face still showed a mix of emotions, though it leaned more toward the pleased side, which was a relief.After all, despite the talk of divorce and everything else, I knew he loved me. Who wouldn’t like hearing that their partner shrugged off someone else’s advances to focus on them? Though the aftermath could be a hassle, I felt confident and casually admired his pretty face.After the long-winded explanation ended, and we were finally left alone, I deliberately pulled Yeonseo’s plate toward me.“……?”He had been avoiding eye contact, but now he looked up at me with wide eyes. I nonchalantly cut a piece of steak and brought it to his lips with the fork.“Come on, open up. We need to show everyone we’re getting along.”I enjoyed the look of embarrassment on his face.“No, I…”As if. I pushed the fork closer, determined to make him eat, even if I had to force his lips open.“Hurry up. My arm’s getting tired. I’m still in rehab, so I don’t have much strength.”By now, I had forgotten all about the incident in the restroom.Seeing that I wouldn’t give up, Yeonseo finally gave in and, blushing deeply, accepted the bite. His cheeks puffed out as he chewed cautiously, making him look so endearing that it was hard to believe he was almost thirty. See? Isn’t it nice when you just eat up quietly? Ignoring the stares from others shocked by the scene, I cut a few more pieces and slid the plate back to Yeonseo, then finished my own meal.Despite the annoyance, the food was delicious, and the man, apparently still in shock from what had happened in the restroom, didn’t bother me again.‘Well… is it settled?’It didn’t seem like anything was really resolved, but I didn’t regret what I’d done. Yeonseo’s expression had even brightened a bit since I confessed my restroom mishap. I might want to kick myself tomorrow for doing something so crazy.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, we finished our meal and headed to the parking lot. A man who looked like the general manager came out to apologize profusely for the inconvenience caused by the staff’s poor service, handing me an envelope containing a gift certificate.“Um… No, this isn’t necessary. I have no intention of making this public or talking about it to anyone.”I politely declined, but the manager was insistent.“No, please accept it as compensation for the cost of cleaning the clothes you wore today.”Well, if you insist. I did ruin my clothes, after all, and although I’m no expert in brands, the fabric was luxurious, and the stitching was impeccable—definitely not something you could wear just anywhere. It seemed odd to open the envelope just to take out enough for the cleaning bill, so I accepted it.“Alright then. Please make sure to handle this matter smoothly without being too harsh on anyone.”From the looks of it, the chef seemed a bit isolated from the other staff, likely because the restaurant had just opened. I didn’t want him to get fired or have his pay docked, so I added that last bit. The manager looked at me in surprise, then quickly nodded.“Yes, understood. Please drive safely.”As I got into the car, with the valet having brought it around, I finally felt the tension ease. I let out a long sigh, resting my forehead against the window and closing my eyes as Yeonseo carefully drove, making sure not to jostle the car. On the way here, his face had been set in a stern expression, as if he was about to give me a serious scolding, but now he seemed to be in a much better mood.‘He’s surprisingly simple, when you think about it.’He could be annoyingly meticulous at times, making me want to tell him to just give it a rest. But in moments like these, he was so calm and obedient that it made my lips curl into a smile.‘Maybe I’m the one who’s too in love with this guy.’Despite having divorce papers ready, I was still happy. It was ridiculous, but what could I do? When I told him I told the guy to back off because I was with him, and seeing his face, unable to show his happiness directly and just flustered by the situation, I knew that if my heart didn’t melt, there was something seriously wrong with it.Dealing with the aftermath wasn’t my immediate concern. The sky had already darkened to a deep black by the time we got home. We naturally went to our separate rooms to get ready for bed, but I couldn’t help feeling a bit annoyed that Yeonseo was about to fall asleep alone in the master bedroom. So I decided to stir things up with something I didn’t need to say.“By the way, do you know what I said to Chef Lim Cheolmin when he started talking nonsense?”Of course, he didn’t, but I brought it up just to get a reaction. Yeonseo, halfway through closing the bedroom door, tilted his head and looked at me. I smiled broadly, ready to tell him the truth.“I told him I couldn’t break up with you because you’re too big to forget.”At first, Yeonseo looked like he couldn’t believe such vulgar words had come out of my mouth, his face showing a lack of comprehension. But then, as he replayed each word in his mind and understood the meaning, his face turned bright red, as if he might faint at any moment.“Wh-Why would you say something so unnecessary?”His face was completely flushed, and I realized it was the first time I’d seen him get so genuinely angry since we started living together.“Stop laughing and answer me!”Seeing me laugh so joyfully seemed to only upset him more, his lips quivering as he struggled to speak.“Come on, you’re a guy too, so you understand. If you want to inflict damage so severe that there’s no recovery and ensure he never comes near again, you have to go for something irreplaceable. Money, looks, personality—those things can all be improved with effort, but size… that’s out of reach….”Before I could finish my explanation, Yeonseo slammed the door shut, locking himself inside. I gladly continued to shout at the closed door.“Who knows, it might become true soon enough.”There was no response from Yeonseo, but I heard a loud crash as if he had tripped over something. Damn, how could anyone expect me to give up on something so adorable? I wasn’t some pervert, but I couldn’t stop thinking about stripping my cute younger husband and devouring him whole.‘Who told him to be so cute?’As I lay down on the bed, I felt a dull ache in my lower abdomen. As I gripped my swollen erection and started to stroke it, I couldn’t help but think about how absurd it was to be doing this with my perfectly healthy husband in the master bedroom. But since I was in a pretty good mood today, I could graciously endure this solitary frustration.The next morning. As I opened the fridge door, filled with anticipation about what Yeonseo might have prepared today, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the unexpected menu. Usually, Yeonseo would leave behind dishes that, while a bit time-consuming, showed a lot of effort. But today’s breakfast was a cup of fruit. No note, just a simple container of bite-sized, peeled fruit. It felt like his way of protesting, as if asking why I said such strange things in front of others when it wasn’t necessary.“You’re really driving me crazy, aren’t you?”Was he doing this on purpose? Or was he just oblivious? His rebellious act was so adorable that it made my knees weak. I crouched down, covering my forehead with my hand. Thinking about how he must have washed, peeled, and cut each piece into bite-sized chunks—how was this a protest? Frustrated, I punched the wall and took a deep breath, having nowhere else to direct my emotions.Do you really like me that much? Jo Yeonseo had been infatuated with the me from before I lost my memory, but the one sulking since yesterday was the me of now. The person he was expressing his discontent to in his own way was also me. It wasn’t like I criticized him for being small; I even gave him a compliment. Wouldn’t it have sounded worse if I said it’s more about technique than size? Suppressing my laughter, I bit into the crisp apple, treated to prevent browning, that he had so carefully prepared.Should I call him later and ask if he’s upset? I chuckled to myself as I pondered it when a now somewhat familiar number appeared on my phone screen.[Cho Eunah PD][010-XXXX-XXXX]Honestly, I was a bit nervous. Did that guy immediately say something again yesterday? Did I mess with the wrong person? But to my great relief, PD Cho was contacting me for a different reason. As I pressed the answer button with my eyes tightly shut, PD Cho spoke in her characteristically excited, high-pitched voice.— Wow, Suhan, you were amazing yesterday!What exactly was amazing? Trying to calm my pounding heart like a guilty person, I replied casually.“Hello, PD Cho. What’s the reason for your call?”Even though I knew, I pretended not to, feeling like a thief with a guilty conscience. PD Cho cheerfully shot back.— What reason! I heard one of the staff at Chef Lim’s restaurant caused an incident? Everyone’s talking about how Suhan, of all people, let it slide quietly!“Everyone,” she says. Just how much attention was I getting? Grateful that it wasn’t about what happened with Chef Lim in the restroom, I calmly replied.“Well… there wasn’t much to gain from making a big deal out of a mistake. The staff member seemed to be an inexperienced new hire, so there wasn’t much more to say.”PD Cho laughed teasingly.— Wow, Suhan, you’ve really changed. You’ve become someone who shows compassion to newbies?There didn’t seem to be any malice, but her blatant teasing made me chuckle inwardly.“Maybe my sympathy regenerated when my fourth vertebrae was put back in place. How did the old me handle these situations?”I asked nonchalantly, and PD Cho, now even more enthusiastic, started recounting what sounded like a script for a tragedy.— This time ended as a mistake, but what if a customer had gotten hurt? One mistake from you could shut down the whole place. A mistake that can be fixed on the spot is a mistake; what you did is more like terrorism from the owner’s perspective. You shouldn’t be getting paid; you should be compensating the restaurant instead. That’s probably the kind of speech you would’ve given.Just hearing the predicted response made me feel like I was watching all the past episodes of Kitchen Player flash before my eyes. I stifled a bitter laugh.“Is that a sneak peek of Kitchen Player Season 5?”— I’ll give you bonus points for growth, now that you can even make jokes like that.Nothing she said was technically wrong. It’s just that now there are no mistakes or inaccuracies in my words—just a lack of compassion. If I had faced a rookie who realized their major mistake and knelt down to apologize, anyone would’ve found it hard to scold them further.‘Except for the old me.’Anyway, that wasn’t what mattered to me now. I quickly tried to probe PD Cho to check if Chef Lim had kept his mouth shut.“Was there any other gossip going around?”I asked, hoping that he was more on my side than Chef Lim’s. The response I got from PD Cho’s lively voice was an unexpected surprise.— Oh… right. What kind of mushy stuff were you doing? People were saying how great things looked between you and Yeonseo!Then she quickly hung up, saying she would send me the messages from some gourmet chat group that were posted yesterday. A bunch of screenshots flooded in through the messenger.[Anonymous User]: So, I went to The Garden Hill’s pre-tasting event today.[Anonymous User]: There was seriously a major incident.[Anonymous User]: Lee Suhan showed up for the second dinner session with his husband?[Anonymous User]: He seemed really happy, which was surprising enough, but then a staff member caused a huge accident.[Anonymous User]: Lee Suhan didn’t say a word, but as soon as it happened, the staff member kneeled and started apologizing. It was intense.[Anonymous User]: I thought he’d scold the guy for crying, but he just let it go, which was shocking.[Anonymous User]: I guess all those dramatic scenes on TV are just scripted.After that, there were a few exchanges between people in the same chat group, with them evaluating my behavior from their perspective.[Anonymous User]: But what really shocked me…[Anonymous User]: There were all these rumors about Lee Suhan. No outings with his spouse, no interviews or TV appearances, so people said it was just a show-window marriage.[Anonymous User]: They thought it was just a convenient family management thing on paper by the Seosang Group.[Anonymous User]: But he even cut his husband’s steak and fed it to him. They seemed really close.[Anonymous User]: I was so surprised I almost dropped my food.The comments that followed were a spectacle. Stuff like, “He probably fed him only the burnt parts,” “There’s no way it was lean meat, must’ve been fat or sinew,” and other annoying remarks disguised as jokes were in the screenshots she sent.“What’s with so many people in one chat group?”Seeing that the number of participants listed at the top was over 50, it made sense that this had circulated enough to reach even me, someone who’s now quite disconnected from social circles. I sighed and turned off my phone screen. I wasn’t exactly in a good mood, nor was I particularly amused, but at least it seemed like Lim Cheolmin hadn’t immediately gone around talking about what happened yesterday, which was a relief.[Anyway, it’s good. It seems like you’re getting along well with Yeonseo.] 10:32 AMI bit my lip and turned off the phone screen again after seeing PD Cho’s thoughtless message.* * *That evening. As soon as I opened the door and saw Yeonseo smile widely to greet me, I almost reflexively raised my hand to wave back. But then, seeing him hesitate, I had to hold back my laughter. He was happy to see me, but about two seconds later, he seemed to remember he was upset with me and flinched, stepping back, reminding me of the time shortly after I was discharged from the hospital.“Yeonseo, are you still mad at me?”I teasingly got close to him and asked, and he responded with a sullen expression.“I’m not mad.”“You seem mad.”“……”This time, it seemed he had decided not to speak at all, as he firmly kept his mouth shut.“What’s for dinner?”So, I switched to a topic he couldn’t avoid answering, and after a moment of hesitation, he looked away and replied.“…Ureong ssambap.”Oh, well done, really. I wanted to pat him on the back, but I figured that if I did, he might go completely silent on me, so I just quietly watched from behind.“What should I do?”This time, instead of answering verbally, he silently handed me some vegetables and then took out a food processor, placing it on the counter. So, I was supposed to wash and chop these. I nodded willingly and began washing the vegetables without complaint. As I peeled the potatoes with a peeler, Yeonseo thawed and washed the partially boiled snail meat.“Should I cut them this size and put them in?”It’s like we were perfectly in sync. Now that I’ve become fairly accustomed to helping out, I handed him the small potato, which had shrunk to about two-thirds its original size after being peeled. Yeonseo, unable to hold back his laughter, turned his head and shook with suppressed mirth.