Chapter 61
Disease…
Hwa Yeon found it touching and admirable how Do Hyun lowered himself to blend in with the family.
She smiled as she watched him naturally become part of Lee Yeon’s family.
Even the way Do Hyun cared for Lee Yeon so attentively couldn’t escape her motherly eyes.
Every time their eyes met, sparks seemed to fly.
Seeing her daughter so happy, the heavy weight in Hwa Yeon’s chest seemed to finally drop away.
As they made kimchi together, Hwa Yeon grew more comfortable with her son-in-law.
At least, she thought she had.
Before she knew it, she found herself carefully lifting her cup with both hands.
It was just a simple toast, yet she suddenly became cautious.
Perhaps it was because of Do Hyun’s aura—something that felt difficult to approach.
Seeing his mother-in-law’s politeness, Do Hyun glanced at Lee Yeon with a faint, awkward smile.
“Once you take away the title Vice President, I’m just an ordinary guy.
Of course, I’ve had makgeolli before, Mother.”
Even his answer was as clean as his face.
For Hwa Yeon, it was reassuring that such a man was her daughter’s husband.
Her eyes curved pleasantly as she looked at the couple.
When Do Hyun clinked his glass with Hwa Yeon’s and the sound rang clear, everyone joined in with a cheer and downed their drinks.
“Dad, this makgeolli tastes really good today.”
Yi Hwan seemed in high spirits, clearly happier than usual.
Well, he did get the wallet he wanted so badly—he’d probably drink vinegar with a smile right now.
After two or three more rounds, Yi Hwan suddenly jumped to his feet.
“This is boring.
How about we play a drinking game?
Just toasting is no fun. We need some excitement!”
The kimchi-making alone had been plenty. Bringing drinking games into it seemed too much.
“Come on, I look young enough to pass for a college kid.
When five or more people drink together, you have to play at least one game for it to feel right!”
“Stop talking about ‘feeling right’ and eat the rest of the meat.
What kind of drinking game at our age? Look at me.”
Hwa Yeon smacked the table as she spoke.
“Even grandmas in the countryside play!
My smart brother-in-law can handle it.
I’ll pick an easy one for our older parents and our not-so-young sister.
Initial-sound game!
If you don’t know this one, you’re not Korean!”
There was no stopping a tipsy Yi Hwan.
He opened a mini-game app and began explaining the rules like a host.
The app would show random Korean initials, and each person had to say a word starting with those letters.
“You go in order.
If you can’t think of a word or repeat someone else’s, you’re out!
Then you drink this cup right here. Easy, right?”
He filled a new cup halfway with makgeolli and placed it in the center of the table.
He really wanted to play.
“That’s easy. Sounds fun.”
Hwa Yeon’s eyes sparkled as she caught on quickly.
When she glanced at Jae Cheol beside her, his eyes were already shining too—he’d clearly understood everything.
Lee Yeon turned to Do Hyun with a helpless look.
But…
His eyes were sparkling too?
Are they all excited right now? Even you, Vice President?
Seeing Do Hyun’s interest, Lee Yeon sighed quietly. At least he didn’t seem uncomfortable.
Honestly, with her parents there, she was sure to win anyway.
The initial-sound game relied on wit and quick thinking—and she had both.
“All right, I’ll start.
We’ll go in order: me, Mom, Dad, brother-in-law, sister, then back to me.
The initials are ‘ㅂㅅ’. Mushroom!”
“Betrayal.”
“Revenge.”
“Secretary.”
Finally, it was Lee Yeon’s turn.
“Byeong… s…”
“Huh?
Noona, were you about to swear?
Take a shot!”
No, that’s not what she was doing!
“Didn’t expect you to almost curse out loud. You should’ve just finished it.”
Do Hyun chuckled quietly, clearly amused.
“No, that’s not it!
I was going to say hospital room, but a similar-sounding swear popped into my head and I froze!
I swear!”
“Honey! We passed!”
Hwa Yeon and Jae Cheol grabbed each other’s hands, thrilled that they were holding their own against the younger ones.
Since when were they this lovey-dovey?
Still, it was her fault for not finishing the word.
Resigned, Lee Yeon lifted the makgeolli cup from the table.
“I’ll be your white knight.”
Suddenly, Do Hyun snatched the cup from her hand and downed it in one smooth motion.
“Isn’t it supposed to be a black knight?”
“Huh?
Then noona has to grant brother-in-law one wish.”
“I’ll pass on that. Next round.”
His competitive spirit seemed to have kicked in again. His eyes glinted sharply.
Kimchi-making was one thing—now drinking games too? Lee Yeon’s head was spinning.
The next initials were ‘ㅇㅇ’.
Since Do Hyun had drunk for her, it was his turn to start.
“Yu Yi.”
“What?”
“What’s Yu Yi? Wait—were you trying to say Yu Lee Yeon?”
“Uh… yeah.”
At Yi Hwan’s question, Do Hyun widened his eyes and then admitted it. The moment he saw ‘ㅇㅇ’, Lee Yeon had popped into his mind.
He wanted to say just “Lee Yeon,” but since he always called her by her full name, it slipped out.
“Brother-in-law… that was dumb. You get a fool shot! Two drinks!”
“Fool shot?”
“What’s that?”
“When someone does something stupid, they take an extra shot.
Don’t tell me you didn’t know, noona. Guess you really are getting old.”
We’re one year apart, idiot.
Do Hyun’s eyes narrowed at the phrase fool shot. Without hesitation, he downed both cups and demanded the next round.
The “fool shot” seemed to fuel his competitiveness even more. This was bad.
…
After three or four more rounds, the drinking finally wrapped up.
“Ah, the smell of home.”
After cleaning up the living room, Lee Yeon went to her room and buried her face in her blanket, breathing in the comforting scent.
She smiled, feeling the familiar coziness of home.
“Come here.”
Already lying down, Do Hyun rolled over and pulled her into his arms.
Holding her close, he thought back on the day. Exhausting, but one of the happiest days of his life. Even the tiredness felt good.
As he felt her move slightly against his chest, he smiled softly.
He now knew for sure—without Lee Yeon, there was no Do Hyun.
A world without her simply didn’t exist for him.
Let’s stay together until the end of this life.
Do Hyun looked down tenderly at Lee Yeon sleeping in his arms.
Even the stray hair on her cheek felt precious. He brushed it away gently and tucked her back into his chest.
He’d soon have to revise the contract.
Not for two years, but for life—as his woman.
***
In a quiet lounge bar, a group of men and women chatted together.
“Wow, how long has it been?
You all haven’t aged a bit!”
One of them spoke first.
It was a college reunion after a long time apart.
There was so much to talk about that the conversation never stopped.
Jihoo sat at the far corner of the group.
“Hey, Jihoo!
You used to sit in the middle and talk the most.
Why are you off in the corner today?
Come join us!”
He didn’t want to. He just wanted to sit quietly by himself.
He hadn’t even wanted to come, but his close friend Jin Ho insisted he go, saying it’d be awkward to attend alone and he needed Jihoo to keep the mood alive.
But Jihoo couldn’t play any role tonight.
He shouldn’t have come.
He shouldn’t have seen her again—Lee Yeon, as beautiful as ever.
She kept appearing in his mind. Once he saw her, he couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Her face haunted him all day.
It was torture. Even to himself, his feelings felt unbearable.
He didn’t even understand them anymore. What did he want with a married woman?
Just thinking about it made his throat ache.
In the end, he had nothing. No chance, not even friendship.
It was just like college all over again—except this time, he hadn’t even confessed before it ended.
How could someone take root so deeply in his heart?
“Hey, Um Jihoo!”
Someone shouted again, snapping him out of his thoughts.
“Why are you so out of it lately?
Something wrong?”
When he didn’t respond, his friend called even louder.
“Jihoo, didn’t you used to be curious about Lee Yeon?
Turns out she’s working at the same company as you.”
Another friend joined in.
“Seriously!
She’s not just any woman.
How can someone love that beautifully?
Her story could be a hit drama.”
“I know, right?
How was she even in disguise all that time?
I guess being too pretty brings its own problems. Something about a creep?
She said she was shocked when they met—was that true?”
“I’m not sure, but I heard she got into serious trouble with some weird guy.
Honestly, with her looks, I bet she had her share of problems.”
At the woman’s words, the group nodded.
“Jihoo, you didn’t recognize her either?”
He slowly lifted his head. His once clear skin looked dull and dry, his lips cracked and pale.
“Who knows.”
His vague answer drew groans from the table.
“Come on, what kind of answer is that?
Why so mysterious?
Oh, right! Didn’t you like Lee Yeon back in college?”
One of the women exclaimed, clearly amused by her own memory.
“That’s right!
You kept asking about her even after graduation.
And when she showed up again, you didn’t even tell us!”
A friend shot him a half-joking glare.
“I didn’t recognize her either. She was so disguised—how could anyone?”
Jihoo finally spoke, his voice heavy.
