It started with a lie. But somehow… I wished it could end in something real.
The day I found out Bo-ra was staying at Seul-bi's place, I may or may not have almost called the National Guard. Okay—exaggeration. But it did feel like I was going out of my mind.
So, naturally, I turned to the one person who alternates between being my biggest nuisance and accidental savior.
"Help me, Seul-bi," I said, practically begging through clenched teeth. "Bo-ra won't pick up my calls."
Seul-bi squinted at me suspiciously, arms crossed. "Why would I help you?"
I inhaled deeply. "Because I know you want her to be happy. And right now… I'm willing to make her happy. For real."
That made her blink. "You mean you're done being a jerk?"
I nodded. "Yes."
"Forever?"
I hesitated. "Well, I mean—"
She raised a brow.
"Okay! Yes, forever. No teasing, no cold shoulders, no pretending I don't care."
Her lips twitched. "And… what exactly do you plan on doing?"
"I want to talk to her. Just the two of us. One real conversation. No distractions. No sarcasm. Just... me being honest."
"And you want me to trick her into showing up?"
"I wouldn't call it tricking… more like a gentle kidnapping with wine and good lighting."
Seul-bi rolled her eyes but eventually sighed. "Fine. There's this cozy restaurant near my place. I'll bring her there tonight. But if you do anything stupid—"
"I won't."
"—and if you make her cry—"
"I won't."
"—I'm telling Grandpa everything, including the time you cried during that K-drama finale."
"…Noted."
---
That night, I was sweating through my blazer like I'd run a marathon. I reserved the whole balcony of the restaurant, decorated the table with soft candles and peonies—her favorite, I googled it—and had music playing softly in the background.
Even my heartbeat sounded like a background track from a drama.
Then she walked in.
Bo-ra looked around, confused, until her eyes met mine.
"What the—Yul?" she said, blinking.
Seul-bi gave her a wink and slipped away before Bo-ra could interrogate her.
Bo-ra stared at me, jaw slightly dropped, arms still holding her coat like she wasn't sure whether to sit or storm out.
"Hi," I said, standing awkwardly. "You look… like you might slap me."
She narrowed her eyes. "Why am I here?"
I scratched the back of my neck. "I needed to see you. I—Bo-ra, just… just sit down. Please?"
She looked at me for a long second before letting out a sigh and sitting across from me.
"I'm not promising anything," she said flatly.
"That's fair."
The food came out—steaming jjapaguri, grilled short ribs, and creamy rose tteokbokki. I knew comfort food was the only way I'd keep her at this table.
Bo-ra poked at her plate but didn't eat.
I took a deep breath. My palms were sweating, my throat felt tight, and my stomach did that weird flip thing it always did when she looked at me for too long.
"Bo-ra… I'm sorry."
She blinked. "You made me come here just to say sorry?"
"No. I made you come here so I could tell you everything I've never been brave enough to say."
I stood, walked around the table, and knelt down beside her chair.
Her eyes widened. "Yul—what are you doing?"
"Something long overdue."
I pulled out the small velvet box I'd kept hidden in my pocket. I heard her gasp softly as I opened it to reveal a simple but elegant ring.
Her hand flew to her mouth. "Yul…"
"Bo-ra. I know we started this marriage for all the wrong reasons. I know I said things I didn't mean—actually, I said a lot of things I didn't mean. And I thought… if I kept pretending it wasn't real, I wouldn't get hurt. But the truth is—"
My voice cracked. She stared at me, motionless.
"The truth is, I'm already in too deep. I've fallen for you, Bo-ra. And not the cute 'oops I tripped' kind of fall. I mean full-on, clumsy, face-first, heart-pounding, 'I can't sleep without thinking about you' kind of fall."
Bo-ra's lips trembled, her eyes welling up.
"I love you," I whispered. "For real this time. No contract. No pretending. Just me. And you. Will you… marry me again? But this time, for real?"
Her eyes widened. "Yul…"
And then—like the lead actress in a rom-com—she burst into tears.
I panicked. "Wait—was that a yes or—?"
She lunged forward and hugged me tightly. "You idiot. Of course it's a yes."
I smiled like a lunatic, holding her like my life depended on it.
---
That night should've ended there. But of course, it didn't.
Because nothing ever goes smoothly in the life of Kang Yul.
While I was still on cloud nine, giddy from Bo-ra's 'yes' and the fact that she kissed me under the restaurant's fairy lights, my phone buzzed.
Aunt Byeol.
I shouldn't have picked up. I really shouldn't have picked up.
"Yulie," her voice purred over the line. "Congratulations on your little romantic dinner. It was adorable. You should consider acting. So emotional."
My smile dropped. "What do you want?"
She chuckled. "You know, your house is surprisingly easy to get into. You should fire your security."
"What did you do?"
"Nothing much. Just… found a curious little piece of paper in your office drawer. Something about a fake marriage contract? Very K-drama of you."
My chest tightened. "You broke into my house?!"
"Oh, relax. I only snooped a little. But Grandpa… he won't be as relaxed if he hears that the glowing daughter-in-law he adores is actually just a paid actress."
I clenched my jaw. "You wouldn't."
She gave a slow, wicked laugh. "Oh, but I would. Unless… you do one simple thing for me. Step down. Hand over the CEO succession. Let me take the throne, dear nephew."
I didn't say a word. My silence must've given her enough satisfaction.
"I'll give you… two days to decide. Tick tock."
Click.
When I looked up, Bo-ra was staring at me with concern.
"What's wrong?" she asked softly.
I forced a smile. "Nothing that matters. Not when you're here."
Her brows furrowed. "Yul…"
"I'll fix it," I whispered, more to myself than her. "As long as we're together, I'll fix everything."
She slid her hand into mine. "We'll fix it. Together."
And for once, I believed it.
Because no matter what my aunt threw our way… I had Bo-ra.
And she had me.
To be continued…