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Chapter 14
‘From now on, let’s shower together. That way I can apply it for you.’
The words she had just heard repeated in her mind.
She turned her head to hide her flushed face and avoided his gaze.
“No answer.”
“Your… your hair still seems wet. Would you like to use the hair dryer?”
Under his persistently fixed gaze, Sohye hastily pointed to the powder room connected to the bedroom. Junhyeok shrugged and headed to the powder room.
“Phew—”
“This.”
Before her soft sigh could fully escape, Junhyeok’s voice was heard.
“I’d like it if you did it for me.”
He smiled, lightly shaking the hand holding the hair dryer. As if enchanted, she took the hair dryer. It was the only suggestion he had made today that she could accept.
“I’ll do it for you. Sit down.”
Junhyeok sat on the vanity stool. His hair came so close it almost touched under her chin. Taking a deep breath, she held the hair dryer in one hand and gently ran her other hand through his wet hair.
The hair drying in the wind softly brushed against her hand, and his scent wafted past the tip of her nose. Unconsciously, she savored his fragrance. It felt like the tension built up from pretending to be twenty-five was momentarily easing.
“Thank you.”
His hair, now completely dry, had a glossy sheen. For the first time, she felt regretful about the high-performance hair dryer.
“Shall we sleep now?”
He got up from the vanity stool and headed toward the bed, but Sohye remained standing, still holding the hair dryer.
*’It will be very awkward, but let’s sleep in the same bed as before.’*
*What should I do?*
Sohye’s eyes moved restlessly. And Junhyeok’s eyes, walking toward the bed, were equally unsettled.
It was the first time lying down with Sohye since the night they conceived Hajun and slept together at the hotel. He didn’t know which side of the bed she preferred. But he couldn’t ask her now, “Right or left?” about her preferred side. After a moment of wandering eyes, Junhyeok decided to lie down around the middle of the bed.
Belatedly walking over and standing before the bed, Sohye couldn’t help but feel flustered. Even though it was a king-size bed, with him lying in the middle, whether she lay on the right or left, she would have to lie close to him.
Sohye let out a small sigh and lay down on the bed. Although he knew she preferred the left side, Junhyeok didn’t budge an inch to the right and instead turned his body completely toward Sohye. Behind his back, there was enough space for two adults to lie.
Sohye, lying on her back facing the ceiling, swallowed dryly. Except for one experience, she had never lain this close to him. But she couldn’t lose to him in acting either. Ignoring her faster-than-usual pulse, Sohye also turned her body toward Junhyeok.
“Before the accident…”
His calm voice dispersed the silence filling the bedroom.
“You mean we always slept like this before?”
“Unfortunately, not always. Since I spent more time in the US.”
Instead of answering, she quietly looked at Junhyeok. His deep eyes visible in the low light, the shadow cast by his straight nose bridge. Her gaze slowly moved, tracing his facial features.
*Yoon Junhyeok. What is it that you want to gain through this act?*
Her silent question couldn’t possibly reach him.
“Can’t sleep?”
At his low voice, she nodded. Then his hand rose and swept back her disheveled hair.
“I can’t sleep either.”
He didn’t add a reason, but she thought she understood.
Because it must be an unfamiliar night, an unfamiliar bed for him too.
Perhaps it was because of his incessantly affectionate touch. Sohye’s eyes, which had claimed she couldn’t sleep, slowly closed. Hearing Sohye’s soft breathing, the smile vanished from Junhyeok’s lips.
“Sleep well. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep.”
Muttering quietly, he withdrew his hand and looked at Sohye with cold eyes, his head propped up.
He had never believed love existed, but he planned to act the fool who couldn’t live without Eun Sohye. That’s how he intended to perfectly deceive everyone without a single error.
*To shatter your and Hajayoung’s plans to pieces.*
***
A week had passed since she returned to Hagahaen after being discharged from the hospital.
There had been many changes at Hagahaen. After Yongchan left for the US branch in Junhyeok’s place, Hajayoung threw hysterical fits to her heart’s content, without caring about anyone’s opinion. Though Sohye hated seeing it, she had no choice but to stay at Hagahaen.
Today, she headed to Hydrangea for breakfast. Just as she opened the front door and was about to enter the entrance hall, she saw Minky, a puppy the size of a palm. Minky was a fluffy Pomeranian with glossy brown fur and was Hajayoung’s companion dog.
Spotting Sohye, Minky’s tail wagged faster and more vigorously than a helicopter propeller. Sohye quickly scanned her surroundings. Fortunately, no one else was in sight.
“Oh my, our Minky. Did you miss me?”
As Sohye lowered herself to sit, Minky rolled over, exposing its belly. Gently rubbing Minky’s belly with her fingertips, she lowered her voice.
“Unnie can’t pretend to know you anymore. So don’t be so致命ally charming.”
Although she hated Hajayoung, she liked her companion dog Minky. The tiny, elegant creature was adorable, and she couldn’t hate Minky, who followed her so well.
“What are you doing, not going in?”
At Junhyeok’s voice from behind, Sohye quickly withdrew her hand.
“The… the doggie is just so cute.”
She almost said “Minky,” a name no one had told her. So, barely avoiding crisis by saying “doggie” despite being thirty years old.
“It is cute.”
Junhyeok glanced dismissively at Minky and entered the dining room. As Sohye followed him toward the dining room, Minky blocked her path with its body. She could feel how happy it was to see her after over a month.
With her steps halted, Sohye made a ‘bang’ shape with her mouth and shot a finger gun at Minky. Just as she had trained it, Minky pretended to be dead, flattening itself on the floor. Finding it adorable, Sohye wrinkled her nose and laughed silently.
“Minky~”
Just then, at Hajayoung’s voice, Minky quickly got up and ran toward the dining room.
“Our Minky, shall we have some water?”
It seemed like Hajayoung couldn’t see Junhyeok or Sohye.
“Ajumma, water for our Minky.”
Anseong-daek, who was in the dining room, hurriedly brought water and placed the bowl in front of Minky.
“Anseong-daek, what is this?”
“It’s… water?”
The gazes of Junhyeok and Sohye, sitting across the table, naturally turned toward Hajayoung and Anseong-daek.
“So. What kind of water is this?”
“Filtered— Ah!”
Hajayoung picked up the water bowl and splashed the water directly onto Anseong-daek’s face.
“How long have you worked in this house, and you still don’t know this one thing?”
Anseong-daek quietly bowed her head.
“Our Minky only drinks Fiji Water. Understood?!”
“I’m sorry.”
Though Anseong-daek, drenched by the water, kept apologizing, Hajayoung didn’t even look at her, instead glancing around.
“Minky-yah. Where’s Minky?”
Junhyeok, sitting at the table, lifted his water glass as if he were in a completely different space, while Sohye clenched her innocent fist and looked up at Hajayoung.
Just then, a moist, tickling sensation vividly touched the tip of Sohye’s foot. Pressing her back against the chair as much as possible and looking down, she saw Minky under the table, playfully nibbling at the tip of her foot.
Though her lips twitched from the ticklish feeling, she maintained a blank expression and looked at Hajayoung.
“It’s here.”
As Hajayoung’s gaze reached her, Sohye stared directly at Hajayoung and continued what she wanted to say.
“The damn mutt.”
