Chapter 5

I made the day JiKyung returned the end date to my goal. I imagined welcoming him with JiHan who would be on good terms with me. In order to make my fantasy real, I started my plan.

First, I studied JiHan. From personality to interests, I gathered all the information I could and went to JiKyung’s house. When I arrived there, I saw JiHan’s shoes in the entrance. I remembered JiKyung once told me that JiHan was so clean, he brushed his teeth while being carried to the Emergency Room.

He cries, but organizes his shoes. I started giggling, thinking he was cute. I took off my shoes cautiously and headed toward the living room. It looked the same as it had when I’d left the day before. I put my stuff down on the table where all of the bags were. The table was the same except for one thing: JiKyung’s letter was gone.

He threw it away. Threw it away! It wasn’t even a surprise. He hadn’t flipped the table or cut up the letter, just thrown it away.

I was about to leave but then I found something odd. There was a handful of white, dandruff-like flakes on the table.

“What is this?” I spoke out loud.

It looked like dandruff but I wasn’t sure. I rubbed it slightly with my finger and realized it was the letter, shredded meticulously down to the size of nanoparticles.

I was speechless looking at the tiny pieces. If it had been my picture instead, I would have felt goosebumps.

“No, no. Think positively.” I whispered to myself.

I shook my head, trying to remove the negative thoughts. Let’s get along with him. With positive thoughts. Determined, I walked to the bedroom where he would be. As I stood in front of it, I heard classical music coming from the room. I inhaled deeply and knocked on the door. There was no response.

Is it because the music is too loud to hear my knock? I knocked a little harder and put my ear to the door but there was no response. I ended up opening the door without permission. I walked in to see JiHan lying flat on his back on the bed. His eyes were closed and his arms were crossed. I turned off the audio and started talking.

“Excuse me.”

He didn’t answer me at all. I came close to him and spoke again, thinking he was pretending not to hear.

“Hey, can we talk?” I tried again.

He still wouldn’t respond. Is he sleeping? In a perfect position like that?

“No way. You are not sleeping right?” I asked.

As I walked closer to see, I felt something near my toe.

What is this? When I looked down, there were some green bottles rolling around like bowling pins. He felt so frustrated that he drank So-Ju in the daytime.

Thinking about his tear, I looked at his face sympathetically. I’d thought he was cold-blooded, but he seemed vulnerable. He’d actually cried!

I know where I am, but I need to prove I’m a good bride for this guy, too. That’s how he can accept this marriage. Yes. I will put on a perfect performance with my 10 years of experience as an actress.

I reminded myself solemnly of what I needed to do. I bent down to touch his forehead with my hand.

“You feel bad, poor thing? Mommy will take care of you. Don’t worry.” I talked to him like he was a child, patting his head. Suddenly he moved his lips.

“Ah. Are you not leaving?”

“Whoaaa!” I cried out and stumbled backwards, falling down on my hip.

JiHan stood up and looked down at me with irritation.

“Wh...when did you wake up? I thought you were sleeping?” I stammered.

“I just didn’t want to respond.”

Snap...didn’t want to respond? He wasn’t sleeping in the first place? Is he sober after drinking that much?

I counted the bottles but realized something about their shape.

“Is...is that Sprite?” Why did you drink Sprite? Why four bottles? Why now?”

“Because I was frustrated.”

“You drink Sprite when frustrated? Not So-Ju?”

“Why would I drink a bitter drink and not a sweet one? I don’t want to be more frustrated.”

“Ah...a sweet drink...” I remembered JiKyung saying JiHan was obsessed with sweet things. “So-Ju is sweet, too...” I was talking more to myself than to JiHan.

“Damn! Get out!” he yelled.

I stopped myself from running away. I’d almost forgotten the reason why I came here.

“Excuse me. I have something to say.”

I reminded myself of my plan and turned back to him. In order to play, I focused on getting into actress mode.

“I have no time to listen. What? Poor thing? Mommy will take care of you? Are you trying to prove that being called a lunatic is not a big deal like this?” JiHan said sarcastically.

I acted like I would die if I didn’t say this right now. I started kneeling down.

“What is this?” he asked sharply.

I put my hands on my knees and looked up at him desperately.

“I’m sorry for what I did earlier this morning. I apologize. I’m genuinely sorry,” I began.

JiHan stared silently at me.

“I’m sorry for getting married to JiKyung, too.” I put my head down with tearful eyes. “I’m not supposed to be with him in the first place. I’m not supposed to, but...I can’t resist my love.”

I lifted my head up. My eyes were so watery that his face looked blurry.

“I know I’m not the right one for him. However, I...I can’t break up with him. Without JiKyung, I might die...for real.”

I blinked my eyes so the tears would fall. I gathered both my hands under my chin and begged.

“Please give me one opportunity to show you I can be a good wife for him. I will be. I will prove he will be happy with me.”

After dropping two more tears, I could see his face more clearly. Even with my great acting, he still kept looking at me with a cold stare.

“Before I get married, I will prove to you that I can be a good wife. Like a politician, let me earn your vote so I can prove I will do my best if I am elected.”

He tilted his head a bit. “Am I supposed to buy that?” he asked sarcastically.

“I will prove my worth to you!” I continued. “JiKyung will be away for two months, I do not know how long you will be here, but you could stay with me. Then I can prove myself worthy.”

“I will stay here until he comes. It’s vacation anyway,” said JiHan.

“See who I am for two months and then decide if you approve of this marriage.”

I pressed both my hands together very tightly and looked into his eyes. This was not acting. It came from the bottom of my heart. I really wanted this opportunity. The opportunity to get along with him.

He snorted at me and put his hands on his hips, standing majestically as if he were declaring war.

“After two months, you can rethink if you really want to get married,” JiHan said with a smirk.

“Okay. I will.” I responded immediately after being given this two-month opportunity.

“And whatever happens, you can’t report it to JiKyung,” said JiHan.

“Of course, of course!”

“Even if you change your mind, it’s your change of mind. Regardless of me.”

“Accepted.” I smiled.

With a smug face that says this is not a good deal for me, Jihan replied, “Stay strong, then.” It sounded like a warning.

I nodded, trying not to care.