CLABC 6

Chapter 6

Bora stepped into the lobby of Kangsang Construction’s headquarters with slightly tense steps.

“Wow… it’s really huge.”

The building had already looked imposing from the outside, but once inside, the luxurious and spacious interior made her gasp in admiration.

“Um, I have an appointment with the CEO.”

When she spoke to the staff member at the desk on the left side of the lobby, the woman smiled kindly and immediately made a phone call. Then she stood up and personally escorted Bora to the elevator that led directly to the CEO’s office.

“This elevator goes straight to the CEO’s office on the 28th floor.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The desk employee’s suit was immaculate, not a single wrinkle in sight.

“Is it because this is a major corporation…? Everyone looks so perfect.”

Everything felt new and fascinating, so Bora took a deep breath and stepped into the elevator.

“Is my makeup a bit too much?”

She usually wore only nude-toned makeup, so the fine glitter along her lower lash line suddenly felt excessive. Looking at the large mirrors lining both sides of the elevator, Bora gave her outfit a final check.

Ding—

As the heavy doors slid open, a refined marble corridor came into view. With every step Bora took, the clicking of her heels echoed through the hallway.

“I’m here to see CEO Han Kang-yoon.”

After walking down the corridor and passing through a transparent automatic door, the secretary seated at the entrance stood up and greeted her.

“Hello. The CEO is waiting for you.”

She immediately knocked on the closed office door.

“Sir, your guest has arrived.”

“Please let her in.”

“Right this way. What would you like to drink? Coffee, tea, juice? If you have a preferred brand, I can go buy it for you.”

“Oh, no. That’s not necessary. Cold water will be fine.”

“Yes, understood.”

The secretary bowed politely and opened the door to the CEO’s office. Bora returned the bow and stepped inside.

As soon as she entered, she heard Kang-yoon’s low voice, now somewhat familiar.

“Thanks for coming all this way.”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s still within Seoul.”

She said that, but after transferring subway lines twice to get here, her throat was dry. With gas prices skyrocketing, she had left her car at home for months now. The growing financial deficit was tightening around her neck, to the point where she might have to sell the car—but since it was the first one she’d ever bought with her own money, she couldn’t bring herself to part with it and had left it carefully parked instead.

“Let’s sit first.”

Kang-yoon, who had been seated behind a large mahogany desk backed by floor-to-ceiling windows, stood up and walked toward the sofa.

What is it about the way he walks?

He was merely getting up and walking over, but sunlight streamed in through the window behind him, spilling over his back. The sight reminded Bora of a model walking down a runway, and her lips parted slightly without her realizing it.

“What is it? Is there something on my face?”

Noticing Bora staring blankly at him, Kang-yoon looked slightly flustered and touched his chin.

“Huh? No—no, it’s nothing.”

Just then, the secretary returned, placing a glass of ice water with a slice of lemon in front of Bora and a cup filled with pitch-black liquid in front of Kang-yoon, then left.

“What’s that? Coffee?”

Bora looked curiously at the liquid, far too dark to be coffee.

“I’m not sure what it is, but I was told it’s good for the body.”

“You drink it without even knowing what it is?”

“I assume it’s not something meant to kill me.”

“Who made it?”

“My great-aunt prepared it for my older brother and me.”

“Oh…”

He explained that every morning, the secretary personally warmed up a pouch of herbal medicine and brought it to him. Bora recalled her own childhood, when she had weak bronchial tubes and had taken herbal medicine for years. It had been unbearably bitter, and she had thrown tantrums every time she had to drink it.

Watching Kang-yoon down the herbal medicine in one go without even twitching an eyebrow, Bora took a sip of her cold water. As the cool liquid slid down her throat, her thirst finally subsided.

“Shall we start with the contract, then?”

“Yes.”

That was the reason Bora had come all the way to Kang-yoon’s company—to sign a marriage contract. Since there were too many prying eyes outside and confidential conversations were difficult, his office was the most suitable place for it.

“I’ve drafted a basic framework. Read through it, and we can revise or add anything as needed.”

“Okay.”

Bora took the document he handed her.

〈Marriage Contract〉

This contract concerns the terms of a marital relationship and shall be carried out by mutual agreement between Han Kang-yoon and Yoon Bora.

Article 1 (Term of Contract)
The term of this marriage contract shall be three years from the date of execution. If the contract is terminated before the end of the three-year period due to unavoidable circumstances, the party responsible for the termination shall bear liability for damages.

Article 2 (Terms of Contract)
a. During the contract period, Han Kang-yoon shall assume full responsibility for Yoon Bora’s outstanding debts under his own name, ensuring that her business operations proceed without issue.
b. Yoon Bora shall fulfill her duties as a daughter-in-law to Han Tae-soo, Han Kang-yoon’s grandfather, and to his great-aunt, Jin Hyun-sook, to the best of her ability. She shall also gather as much information as possible regarding Han Kang-yoon’s biological mother, as well as details of his life from birth to the present.
c. Han Kang-yoon and Yoon Bora must not allow anyone to discover that this marriage is contractual in nature. Accordingly, they must maintain a marriage that appears perfectly happy to all observers.
d. Han Kang-yoon and Yoon Bora shall do their best as each other’s partners and treat one another with respect.

Article 3 (Consultation and Adjustment)
All terms of this contract must be observed in order to maintain the marriage and may be added to, deleted, or amended through mutual consultation as necessary.

Article 4 (Termination of Contract)
This contract shall terminate after three years. If both parties wish to extend the contract, further discussion shall take place based on this agreement.

Bora read through the neatly written contract several times.

“Hmm… everything looks good, but shouldn’t we specify exactly how much financial support you’ll be providing?”

“Agreed. We’ll calculate it precisely and add it later.”

“And what I’m responsible for feels a bit vague. Compared to the amount you’re paying, it feels like I’m getting off too easily…”

Bora’s eyebrows drooped slightly. Kang-yoon quietly watched her side profile as she studied the contract. Every time her long, thick eyelashes fluttered, the glitter beneath her eyes shimmered, making it look as though her eyes were welling up with tears. Her straight nose bridge flowed smoothly down from her forehead, giving her face a striking three-dimensional look even in profile.

No wonder Han Kang-moon is hopelessly smitten.

Perhaps Jin Hyun-sook hadn’t told Kang-moon yet. Every time Kang-moon saw Kang-yoon, he joked, “How’s it going with that woman from the blind date?” If he knew Kang-yoon had actually gone on a blind date with Bora, he would have gone ballistic—but his lack of reaction suggested he still knew nothing.

I’m curious. How will Kang-moon lose his mind when he finds out I’m marrying this woman?

Unlike Kang-moon, who had always taken whatever he wanted since childhood, Kang-yoon had given things up without hesitation whenever Kang-moon wanted them—even if they were things Kang-yoon himself desired. From a very young age, he’d instinctively understood that to survive quietly in this family, he couldn’t afford to upset Kang-moon.

And now, for the first time in his life, Kang-yoon was on the verge of taking something Kang-moon wanted for himself.

That fact alone made his heart race. How thrilling would it be to see Kang-moon raging in anger with his own eyes? He’d be even angrier if he learned that Jin Hyun-sook had arranged the blind date.

The corners of Kang-yoon’s lips curled upward slightly at the thought.

“And… um, hello? Are you listening to me?”

Bora suddenly waved her hand in front of Kang-yoon’s face.

“Oh—yes. Sorry. I was just thinking about work for a moment.”

It was a hastily made excuse, but Bora resumed speaking as if to say, That happens.

“Then shall we go ahead with that and sign the contract?”

“Ah. There’s something I didn’t write down yet, but it’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

“What is it?”

Bora lightly pressed a hand against her subtly rumbling stomach. Maybe it was because she’d skipped breakfast out of nervousness about coming to Kang-moon’s company. Worried that Kang-yoon might hear it, she deliberately raised her voice a little as she spoke.

“No matter how contractual this marriage is, we’ll be living at the main family house. There are dozens of eyes and ears inside that home.”

“Yes… As written here, I’ll make sure no one ever finds out it’s a contract marriage. Then should we decide how we address each other? We can’t keep calling each other ‘Mr. Han Kang-yoon’ and ‘Ms. Yoon Bora’ forever, right?”

“Terms of address—good idea. ‘Honey,’ ‘darling,’ something like that?”

“Yes… ‘honey,’ ‘darling’… It’s a bit embarrassing, but once we’re married, shouldn’t we call each other that?”

“True. Let’s think about that a bit more. But that brings me to my point—no matter how much this is a contract and a mutually beneficial arrangement, don’t you think we need to resolve the biggest issue of married life?”

“The biggest issue… of married life?”

Don’t tell me… that thing?

In an instant, Bora’s pale face flushed bright red with confusion and shock.

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