No, how can he say something like that?
Haejin, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, covered his mouth in shock.
I understand that Beomwoo might seem hateful from Hyun-nam’s perspective, but still, to family?
How can he say such a thing?
It was a sharp remark that stabbed not only at future prospects but also at the past with a needle.
It was only in my second life that I understood how Beomwoo felt about his family, so back then, I couldn’t comprehend the statement that he had never been loved.
Even if the marriage was without love, he seemed like the type everyone would adore.
Even though Beomwoo appeared as cold as if not a drop of blood would spill if pricked, it seemed he would be hurt by such words from family.
Worried, Haejin glanced at Beomwoo.
But he was still standing there with an unreadable, expressionless face.
Beomwoo stood silently with his flawless face, then muttered softly as if finding it absurd.
[He acts as if he made some incredible marriage himself.]
[Y-You son of a…!]
While Hyun-nam was hurling insults at him over the marriage, Beomwoo retorted as if to say, ‘And what incredible marriage did you make, anyway?’
His intention—that he didn’t want to hear it from someone who was divorced—was transparent.
Hyun-nam’s face, already flushed with anger, turned even redder and more livid as he raised his voice.
But as before, Hyun-nam was someone who cared about his image.
The atmosphere was already bad, and when he raised his voice, more eyes turned their way.
Hyun-nam seemed to notice this and closed his mouth again.
He looked like he had a lot to say but couldn’t, his face seeming ready to explode.
Hyun-nam seemed to realize that engaging further in this situation would only harm him, so he gave up speaking and turned sharply away.
At that time, I had hidden a bit, worried my eavesdropping would be discovered, before coming out…
Haejin, recalling his past life, let out another sigh as he remembered his meeting with Hyun-nam today.
Anyway, after that day, I ended up seeing Hyun-nam again.
How could I view him favorably after seeing him insult and undermine someone I liked?
They were essentially the same kind of person.
Even though I’ve let go of my other feelings for Beomwoo in this life, seeing someone who shows a different face behind my back only made him seem two-faced.
No matter what, it would be hard to view such a person favorably or consider him as a marriage prospect.
In that sense, today’s date also seemed meaningless, but since I couldn’t cancel the promise, Haejin came out to the front of his house about ten minutes early.
Coming out a bit early wasn’t because I was looking forward to today’s date; it was a habit formed since my past life.
I wasn’t like that when I was younger, but as I got older, leaving early became more comfortable and turned into a habit.
Coming out early today as well, there was no one outside.
Even though I came out early out of habit, seeing the empty space in front of the house felt oddly hollow.
‘This never happened when meeting Beomwoo.’
Clearly, I come out early because I feel uncomfortable making the other person wait, but seeing no one at the meeting spot, unlike with Beomwoo, made me compare them.
Beomwoo, who at times seemed to hate wasting time to a dreadful degree, always arrived early for appointments too.
Even in my past life after we married, when he had no interest in me, it was the same.
Always, without fail, he arrived before I did.
Even if it wasn’t a special appointment, Haejin didn’t want to keep him waiting.
Even if it wasn’t the appointed time yet, the thought of making him wait made me come out early every time.
And each time, Beomwoo was already there, even earlier than me.
How early does that man come out?
I was curious to the point of wondering.
As I briefly recalled memories of meeting him by appointment in my past life, another thought struck Haejin.
……Wait.
Maybe the habit of coming out early didn’t form because I disliked burdening others by making them wait, but because it started after meeting Beomwoo.
As time passes, habits tend to change.
So I never really thought about my appointment-time habit, but looking back now, it seems because Beomwoo was always at the meeting spot first, I wanted to see him even a little earlier and ended up preparing and leaving ahead of time.
That’s how much I…… liked him.
So very much.
Even though those feelings are meaningless now.
Just as Haejin tried to shake off the thought, telling himself it was useless to cling to meaningless past memories, a luxurious sedan was seen approaching his house from a distance.
He intuitively knew it was Hyun-nam.
The sedan stopped in front of the house, and the rear door opened.
Hyun-nam checked his wristwatch and spoke to Haejin with a slightly apologetic air.
“Hah, I came right on time.”
“You were already out waiting.”
“……Ah, no.”
“I haven’t been waiting long.”
“That’s good then.”
“Shall we get in first?”
Hyun-nam seemed to think it better to talk while moving rather than outside, and he opened the rear door for him.
Accepting his escort, Haejin sat in the back seat, where a chauffeur was seated in the front.
Unlike Beomwoo, he had brought a driver.
It wasn’t particularly strange that he brought a driver.
It’s just, lately, I had gotten used to Beomwoo driving himself and us being alone together, so it felt briefly unfamiliar.
As I was briefly lost in thought, Hyun-nam, who had sat next to me, made an eye gesture to the driver and spoke.
“Driver Kim.”
“That thing, please.”
“Yes.”
That thing?
Haejin looked on curiously, not understanding the conversation, when the driver pulled something out from the side seat as if he had been waiting.
It was a bouquet filled with red roses.
What’s with the sudden bouquet?
As I looked on strangely, Hyun-nam, who had received the bouquet from the driver, extended it toward Haejin and spoke.
“This is a gift for you.”
“Uh……?”
I wondered what was up with the sudden bouquet, and it turns out it’s for me.
Seeing Hyun-nam presenting a bouquet before anything had even started was a bit bewildering.
He gestured for me to take it, so I absentmindedly accepted the bouquet from him, but I was puzzled and dazed, wondering why he was giving this to me so suddenly.
Haejin sat with a blank face for a moment, then cautiously asked him with an embarrassed expression.
“Th-Thank you.”
“But why flowers all of a sudden……?”
“I saw a flower shop on the way, and the flowers reminded me of you, Haejin.”
“…….”
Huh?
The flowers remind him of me?
What does that mean?
This is the first time I’ve heard such a thing, and he’s also the first person to say such an outright embarrassing thing so openly.
If we were mutually attracted, being seen so favorably might have made even this nonsensical statement thrilling, but not now.
Both Hyun-nam and I know all too well there are no such feelings between us.
He may want to marry me, but it’s because of the inheritance, not because he likes me.
Though it was embarrassing and burdensome, it wasn’t that I couldn’t understand Hyun-nam’s actions, as he was trying to win my favor somehow.
Haejin, unsure how to react, accepted it for now, but Hyun-nam kept staring intently at me.
It was already embarrassing to hear such things, but why is he staring so blatantly……?
As Haejin felt burdened and tried to avert his gaze, Hyun-nam made another eye gesture and spoke to me.
“Take a closer look at the bouquet.”
“……?”
Why the bouquet?
Though puzzled, Haejin looked at the bouquet again as instructed and saw a small case nestled among the flowers.
It was a small, luxurious case that anyone would think contained jewelry.
Ah, this doesn’t look good…
The bouquet was burdensome enough, but jewelry too?
I really don’t want to open it, but Hyun-nam, seemingly unaware of my feelings, urged me on with a slightly excited expression.
“Are you going to open that?”
“…….”
I don’t want to open it…
Haejin wanted to avoid it, but since he had agreed to the date, it seemed wrong to refuse.
Haejin hesitated for a moment, then swallowed a sigh and opened the case.
As expected, inside was a sparkling watch.
Perhaps because the giver was Hyun-nam, it looked even more expensive.
Even if it wasn’t as high-value as the bouquet, receiving something from him was burdensome, and accepting something that looked obviously expensive was even harder.
As I searched for the right words to refuse, Hyun-nam smiled softly and spoke.
“I originally wanted to buy you a ring, but I didn’t know your finger size.”
“This seemed like it would suit you, Haejin, so I bought it.”
“How is it?”
Hyun-nam was speaking romantically, but the more he did, the more burdened Haejin felt.
We’ve only met a few times in this life and aren’t in any special relationship; receiving an expensive gift is burdensome enough, but a ring?
Does he want to look like someone trying to match couple rings or a wedding band?
Even in a relationship, receiving such a thing would be burdensome, but doing this when we’re nothing feels more like a bribery campaign.
His intentions were transparent, but if a bribery campaign could change my mind, I wouldn’t have viewed this marriage negatively in the first place.
Accepting this wouldn’t be influenced by his wealth, but taking it would just become an unnecessary emotional burden.
Haejin shook his head.
“I… I don’t think I should accept this.”
Haejin looked at the watch in embarrassment, shook his head, and tried to return it to him.
When Haejin offered the entire bouquet back, Hyun-nam shook his head and placed his hand over mine holding the bouquet.
The hand grabbing mine without permission for skin contact felt burdensome and unpleasant.
Partly because the other person made me uncomfortable, but being in a situation where I received an unwanted, burdensome gift, and now this in a cramped car with nowhere to retreat, the discomfort grew even stronger.
Haejin tried to subtly pull his hand back, but Hyun-nam, as if misunderstanding my discomfort, softly—yet with more force—tightened his grip and spoke to me.
“I don’t know what meaning you might attach to my gift, but I simply enjoy giving gifts.”
“I bought this imagining how lovely you would look wearing this watch.”
“…….”
Lovely…
First he said I resembled flowers, and now this.
Even though it’s probably not heartfelt, it felt awkward how effortlessly he could say such things.
I was stiffening up, as embarrassed as when he said I resembled flowers, when Hyun-nam continued.
“If you don’t accept it, it’s not like I’ll return it.”
“I’ll just end up throwing it away anyway, so you wear it, Haejin.”
“Surely you won’t refuse my sincerity?”
“…….”
Hyun-nam said that even if I tried to return his gift, he would just throw it away, so I should accept it without burden.
But saying he’ll throw it away makes it even more burdensome…
Isn’t this coercion?
And from what Haejin could feel, them spending money on me didn’t feel like sincerity.
It just seemed like an easy method to gain favor.
No matter how wealthy the other person is, receiving gifts is burdensome, and Hyun-nam’s words just now solidified Haejin’s resolve not to accept it.
Why are everyone in this family so coercive like this?
Even if it’s beneficial to me and they’re giving a gift, their high-handedness just makes me dislike it more.
Haejin thought for a moment, then looked at him decisively and spoke.
“Please take it back.”
“……Pardon?”
“You can throw it away if you want, but I’m not accepting the gift.”
When Haejin spoke decisively, refusing the gift again, Hyun-nam’s face colored with bewilderment.