I Said It Casually—You Took It Seriously

He said things he didn’t mean? And it was because I was shining?

It sounded like he was trying to dismiss all the cold, harsh words he had ever said to me as just things he didn’t mean, as mere mistakes.

But at the mention of the early days of their marriage, certain memories suddenly surfaced.

Just as he said, there were times when he acted cold and cruel after pretending to love and being nice, as if performing an act.

From the moment Haejin first saw him at their meeting place, he had received a special impression from him unlike anyone else.

Even considering his outstanding background and looks that perfectly matched his ideal type, that wasn’t the only reason Haejin had clung to him so blindly.

During their newlywed period, it seemed as though Beomwoo had indeed tried to act out love, as he said.

The love he showed then wasn’t as affectionate as it was in this life, like he was a completely different person; it was in the small things.

And every time such things happened, Haejin was frequently disappointed.

The actions that made his heart flutter, thinking they were done with him in mind, were never what he had hoped they meant.

Several memories immediately came to mind.

Early in their marriage, not long after their honeymoon ended, his aunt and uncle suddenly showed up at their newlywed home.

Without any prior contact to him.

They seemed to have deliberately come in the evening when Beomwoo would be finished with work.

They were faces he never wanted to see, clearly up to something, and he wanted to send them away.

But Haejin wasn’t the type to do that.

Beomwoo seemed displeased by the unexpected guests but, as if he couldn’t turn them away at the door, told them to come in.

Beomwoo didn’t go far.

As soon as they entered the living room, he turned to them and immediately asked their business.

“Do you have business here?”

“Oh, well… We’re family; do we need a reason? Shall we talk over a cup of tea?”

“I’m busy. Just state your business.”

“Well… Really… How cold.”

The aunt and uncle answered evasively while their eyes busily scanned the house.

‘Mighty fine,’ they murmured to each other admiringly, excitedly whispering about what was so great, clearly agitated.

But when Beomwoo coldly stated he was busy and had no time to waste on nonsense, they awkwardly composed their expressions.

When the uncle nudged the aunt with his elbow, telling her to speak, the aunt cleared her throat, put on a friendly smile, and spoke kindly.

“Ahem, well, our Haejin here. He’s not my flesh and blood, but he’s still family. Since he got married so suddenly, it feels empty, and I was terribly worried about whether he’d settle in well here?”

“…….”

Haejin’s expression hardened in real time as he listened to his aunt’s words.

Our Haejin? Worried?

They were words he had never heard in all the years they lived together, and they were people who never considered him family.

At best, they thought of him as a maid, a punching bag when angry, or a money-draining pest.

He felt sick to his stomach, nauseous.

Words like, ‘Did you ever once see me as family?’ rose to his throat.

Even though he had barely escaped that house through marriage, it felt like a collar was around his neck, preventing him from barking, rendering him unable to say anything.

While Haejin trembled, clenching his fists tightly but unable to do anything, his aunt continued glibly.

“Thinking about it, sending him off to marriage without knowing anything doesn’t seem right either… So, how about we move into this house and live together?”

“…….”

“The house is spacious anyway, with many rooms. We’ll stay and teach him how to behave as a married person. Even if he’s not to your liking, wouldn’t it be good to teach him strictly so he at least doesn’t get in the way? He listens well when we teach him. Hmm?”

She argued that moving in to live together would clearly benefit Beomwoo too, pretending it wasn’t just about wanting to see the child they were worried about.

Since Beomwoo knew Haejin had been abused by them, he would surely know their talk of worry and such was all nonsense and a scheme.

But even in this situation where Haejin had married him, trusting him, he couldn’t fully trust him.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have any trust; he wanted to trust him more.

But having secured the marriage and inheritance, Beomwoo could change at any moment, as if it never happened.

When Haejin looked at Beomwoo with a slightly anxious face, the latter sighed.

Then, as if asking if they had caused such a nuisance just for this, he answered coldly with an annoyed tone.

“No education is needed. I don’t understand what you intend to teach. The housework is handled by a separate maid, so there’s nothing for Haejin to do directly. The rules to learn and abide by while living in this house are taught by someone else.”

Rather than bluntly refusing by pointing out they were his abusers, Beomwoo refused by stating that their proposed contributions were utterly useless here.

Haejin had worried that perhaps now that Beomwoo had gotten everything he wanted from the marriage, he might not consider his situation.

But Beomwoo seemed negative about them moving in.

Relieved, Haejin inwardly swallowed a sigh of relief.

But then, as if he had forgotten one thing, Beomwoo firmly added more.

“And there’s one more thing you seem to misunderstand.”

“…Huh? What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about Haejin. I’ve never not been satisfied with him.”

…What? He was never dissatisfied with me?

It sounded almost like an embarrassing love confession.

Haejin looked at him with flustered eyes.

But Beomwoo simply looked at them with an impassive face, the kind you wouldn’t expect from someone who had just said such a thing.

Haejin wasn’t the only one surprised by the unexpected statement.

His aunt and uncle also looked bewildered.

It was a loveless marriage for the inheritance, and in the eyes of his adoptive parents, he was a nuisance, a good-for-nothing kid.

Yet, a person from a top-tier conglomerate family said he was satisfied with Haejin.

The aunt and uncle seemed to ramble, trying to persuade Beomwoo somehow, but their words didn’t reach Haejin’s ears.

It felt as if only Beomwoo, looking straight at them, remained in this world.

He was all Haejin could see.

While Haejin was looking at him, despite their continued persuasion, Beomwoo shook his head as if there was no need to listen further.

“Though you say you’re worried as parents, we’re married now, so he is part of this household. I’d prefer it if you didn’t come without prior contact like this in the future.”

“But we’re family too…”

“It’s basic courtesy. You who said you’d teach him not to be a nuisance wouldn’t find that difficult, would you?”

“W-well, that’s true but…”

Beomwoo looked at Haejin’s adoptive parents, who had talked about teaching him this and that, implying they wouldn’t fail to observe the most basic manners, would they?

In a normal marriage, they would have erupted, asking what courtesy this was.

But the situation wasn’t normal, and there was an invisible hierarchy here.

Moreover, the aunt and uncle had acted like tyrants only at home; outside, they were ordinary nobodies.

Perhaps they had only acted like bullies by picking their targets.

In front of Beomwoo, they couldn’t utter a word of protest.

As if wondering when they had swaggered in so confidently, they swallowed their sighs, pretending they had been persuaded, and were practically chased out.

After they left, Beomwoo acted as if nothing had happened, calm and composed.

But Haejin was still in shock, his heart pounding wildly as if a typhoon had just swept past his eyes.

Even in his dazed state, Haejin looked at the man who shone.

Even though they had come because of him, he had just stood there like a useless stone, doing nothing… He was grateful.

He had thought that since Beomwoo had gotten everything he wanted from the marriage, he could discard him.

But that wasn’t the case.

And… he had even said he was satisfied with him.

He didn’t know if it was sincere, and it probably wasn’t.

Haejin’s self-esteem was so low that he didn’t expect Beomwoo to think well of him, but it also seemed unlikely that someone who had said at their first meeting that he would ‘try’ if Haejin wanted love had suddenly come to like him after one honeymoon trip.

Anyway, he was grateful to Beomwoo for refusing their request, even by saying such bold, insincere things, and for handling it without issue.

As Haejin watched him, Beomwoo turned to go back to his room as if he had dealt with a nuisance.

In a panic, Haejin grabbed him.

“Ah, I…!”

“…….”

He could have just called out, but perhaps because he was flustered, Haejin instinctively reached out and grabbed the hem of Beomwoo’s clothes.

It was a weak grip, but Beomwoo stopped at his touch.

When he looked back at Haejin and down at where he was held, Haejin, thinking ‘oops,’ quickly let go.

Even after he let go, Beomwoo just silently looked down at the hem of his clothes Haejin had grabbed.

…Was he displeased? That wasn’t his intention; he was just flustered.

Worried it might seem that way, Haejin hastily apologized.

“Um… I’m sorry.”

“……Did you have something to say?”

When Haejin apologized, Beomwoo stood still for a moment, then asked his business as if that didn’t matter.

Come to think of it, he had probably just returned from work and was tired.

His adoptive parents had barged in unexpectedly, and now he was being grabbed like this.

It must have been annoying and bothersome.

Thinking that dragging it out would only make him more displeased, Haejin quickly expressed his gratitude.

“Ah, it’s just… Th-thank you…”

“…….”

“I didn’t know they’d come without contact… You must have been taken aback because of me…”

Haejin averted his eyes, explaining why he had grabbed him.

It was an apology for causing trouble because of him, but also thanks for resolving it.

For saying such an embarrassing thing just to shake them off…

Just recalling that scene made his face burn, so he swallowed that part.

Beomwoo silently watched him.

He was never very expressive and was rather stoic, but he seemed oddly stiff.

Perhaps because of the incident with his adoptive parents, or because he had grabbed him like that.

Was he very upset?

When facing them earlier, he had seemed annoyed but not this offended.

Feeling both flustered and somehow scared, Haejin looked at him with fearful eyes.

The silent Beomwoo finally opened his mouth stiffly.

“It’s not because of you. There’s no shortage of people trying to get something this way. I just cut it off because it was bothersome.”