Chapter 13

“Why don’t you have any belly fat? Do you not eat?”

It was the first time someone openly stroked her stomach, and Yuseong held her breath.

What… what even is this situation?

“You literally watched me eat a whole bunch earlier… No, wait—why are you touching me?”

“You can touch me, but I can’t touch you?”

Su‑hyeok’s hand slid up, brushing just beneath her chest.

Yuseong bit her lower lip and sucked in a shaky breath.

“You keep calling me a kid… Is this, ugh, okay to do to a kid?”

The whole thing felt unreal. Her mind was a complete mess, but unlike her, Su‑hyeok calmly kept caressing her skin.

“You’ve got scars here too. Want me to kill those bastards for you?”

“Ah—”

The alarming sense that they might end up having a much deeper physical “conversation” jolted her, and the alcohol in her system evaporated instantly.

Yuseong flattened her palm and pushed against his chest, telling him to move.

Why is he so damn firm?!

Startled by the solid muscle under her hand, she immediately snatched her hand away.

“We’re not at the stage where we do things like this, right? I’d appreciate it if you moved….”

Why was the one who didn’t drink acting like this? His narrowed gaze stayed fixed on her as she babbled nervously.

Su‑hyeok had not planned to sleep with her tonight.

But here she was—turning him down before he could even confess.

Zero confession, one rejection. What a joke.

This is pissing me off.

She touched his back earlier just fine, and now she wanted to backpedal?

Suddenly, he didn’t want to move away at all.

And the way she squirmed under him… was kind of cute.

Maybe I should tease her a little.

So with a face full of forced patience, he caged her in his arms and murmured in a chillingly calm voice:

“Honey.”

“…Huh? Out of nowhere? Honey…?”

Watching her eyes roll around in panic nearly made him burst out laughing.

“Should we reconsider our marriage‑clause boundaries?”

“….”

Yuseong swallowed hard.

She almost nodded—almost fell for that ridiculously handsome face—but quickly snapped back.

“What…? No…?”

He clicked his tongue at the clear refusal, then simply lifted her shirt.

He pushed it up high enough that the skin above her underwear and stomach were fully exposed, revealing pale skin—and the stark scars across it.

“W‑what are you—”

“Be still.”

He stared quietly at the wounds engraved on her body.

Just looking at the scars, he could guess exactly where they came from.

Every mark on her was caused by violence.

When he’d met her—grown tall and unfamiliar—after all these years…

“Why did such a bold kid end up living like this?”

“…What?”

Back then, too, she’d had bruises on her calves.

Maybe that was why.

As if seeking revenge on her behalf, he had gone to find Kwon Hyuk‑jun and openly shattered his leg.

Why did I do that?

If Hyuk‑jun had recognized him, it would’ve been dangerous.

So why did he jump headfirst into that risk?

Su‑hyeok met her gaze.

Those eyes.

Clear, innocent eyes looking up at him with something like pleading.

Eyes so similar to someone else’s—so bright they scrambled his thoughts.

That was why he kept doing things he’d never done before.

Pulling open the wounds she tried to hide, wanting to comfort her—

I’ve never done this for anyone.

This was the first time.

Su‑hyeok began tracing each scar that had long settled on her skin.

The moment his fingers touched her, Yuseong squeezed her eyes shut.

“How does it feel?”

“Hh—It feels weird… no, it… it tickles.”

His careful touch brushing over every scar made her toes curl.

The alcohol still warming her body mixed with his touch, making her whole self overly sensitive.

After he spent a long while tending to her scars—

“Good. That’s enough.”

He suddenly pulled her shirt back down and stood up.

“…Huh?”

He grabbed the shirt he’d taken off earlier and put it back on, shaking out his messy hair before glancing down at her dazed face.

“Shin Yuseong.”

“…Yes.”

“Only remember how my touch felt. Erase everything before that.”

As if applying ointment to wounds she had carried alone for years, he gave her comfort.

✦ ✦ ✦

Thanks to Su‑hyeok, Yuseong returned home safely and sprawled across her bed.

“Aaah… my bed really is the best.”

Absentmindedly, she touched her stomach—the place where he’d touched her earlier.

“…He’s surprisingly gentle.”

No, maybe not surprisingly. Kwon Su‑hyeok was simply… kind.

She mentioned wanting to drink, and he instantly whipped up delicious snacks. Then he drove her home.

“Your body isn’t disgusting to me. I’m the same way.”

“Only remember how my touch felt. Erase the old memories.”

She never imagined she’d receive comfort like that.

To think she would get sincere comfort from a person she never expected.

“Maybe fate really doesn’t abandon you.”

Her father lay in a hospital bed, and she had cut ties with her only remaining family—her aunt and uncle.

Now she was completely alone… except for the husband who suddenly appeared: Kwon Su‑hyeok.

It was a contract marriage, but knowing he’d stand as her husband while she figured out how to survive this situation felt strangely reassuring.

After spacing out replaying his words, she turned off the lights.

She didn’t feel bad. Not at all.

“Haa… I should rest a bit and then shower and—”

Just as she nestled under the blankets, exhausted, her phone rang.

[ Handsome Uncle Su‑cheol ]

Right—she’d completely forgotten to call Uncle Su‑cheol and the twins.

She snorted at the silly nickname they’d changed his contact to and picked up.

— Missssss—!!!!

“Whoa! You scared me.”

Su‑cheol’s voice exploded through the speaker.

— Are you hurt? Why didn’t you pick up earlier! My heart almost stopped—!

“I’m sorry, I was—”

Before she could finish, noise erupted in the background, and Chang‑min’s voice came on.

— Miss! Are you okay?! Who was that giant stick of a guy from earlier? You said he’s your husband—?

“I’ll explain lat—”

— Move! Miss! It’s Young‑min! I’m not hurt at all! And I parked your car in the officetel garage!

Trying not to laugh at the three men panicking over her, Yuseong replied:

“Okay, okay, thank you. I should’ve called sooner—”

They immediately rejected that with loud protests.

She could almost see the three of them waving their hands frantically, even though it was just a call.

“Young‑min, put Uncle Su‑cheol back on.”

Feeling her energy drain in real time, she briefly explained to Su‑cheol about the man she called her husband and what she’d be doing moving forward.

— Miss… Are you sure you’re okay?

Hearing the worry in his voice, she spoke breezily on purpose.

“Yes, I’m fine, Uncle. Once things settle, I’ll introduce you to my husband.”

After the chaotic call finally ended, her phone rang again.

[ Yuna Unnie ]

Nope. Decline.

She immediately rejected it and checked Yuna’s message.

[ My dad still hasn’t woken up because of you. What are you going to do? Are you even human? Shin Yuseong, just wait. I won’t let you off. ]

“Ha. My dad’s unconscious too, idiot.”

Blocked.

Besides, Oh Dae‑ho would wake up in a few days anyway.

“I’m so drained…”

She took a headache pill, sat at the dining table, and opened Enstar.

As soon as she refreshed, the top post was—of course—Oh Yuna’s.

Even with her father in the hospital, Yuna had taken a photo outside his room and posted it.

yuna_baby
Dad, I’ll definitely get revenge for you. Just wait for me.

“Hah!”

She laughed—out of sheer disbelief.

The comments were even more ridiculous.

ji_ho_11 What happened, Yoon‑Yoon…?
┕ yuna_baby
ji_ho_11 The girl I told you about… ^^ Ugh life is too hard ㅜ I’ll explain on K‑Talk
┕ ji_ho_11
yuna_baby You’re having such a hard time…ㅠ Come to the club tonight, I’ll get you a table. You need to blow off some steam.
┕ yuna_baby
ji_ho_11 Okayㅠ thanks…

“She’s going clubbing in this situation?”

Yuna’s thought process made zero sense.

And that guy, Kim Ji‑ho—he was one of the kids who bullied her in high school alongside Kwon Hyuk‑jun.

So that’s what he’s doing now—working as a club rat.

“Actually suits him. Trash.”

She wanted to block Yuna, but Yuna had a habit of posting everything on Enstar.

By watching, she could predict what Yuna might attempt—so she held off.

She screenshotted the comments, refreshed—

Kwonseong_khj
I’m getting married this fall.
Link to the article below. Thank you to reporter Lee Moon‑sun of Hanseong Economy.
+ Thank you for the congratulations. I’ll send out invitations soon.

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me…”

The last person she wanted to see had appeared.

Kwon Hyuk‑jun had posted the marriage article—their marriage article.

She clicked the link—sure enough, it was the one he shoved in her face earlier.

“You’ll be embarrassed later, Hyuk‑jun. Not me.”

As if he’d be giving out invitations—he’d probably end up delivering invitations for her real husband, his half‑brother.

She scrolled, then paused at the bottom.

Meanwhile, Director Kwon Hyuk‑jun is reportedly searching for Rex, a well‑known Silicon Valley venture investor.

“Rex? Rex as in…?”

Could it be that person?