Chapter – 22
In the chairman’s hospital room, after the other family members had left, only Seokjin and Gaeun remained.
“Are you being discharged tomorrow?”
“The day after tomorrow.”
“Make sure to get regular checkups, since it could recur.”
“Got it. Take Saeaga home for me.”
“…I want to stay here.”
She never knew when she might get another chance to visit a VIP room. After all, her own strong, unbreakable body would never put her in the hospital.
“Then I’ll take her and come back.”
Gaeun kept trying to catch Seokjin’s eye, but even though their gazes met clearly, he deliberately looked away.
“…I’m really fine here…”
Her voice was drowned out by Seokjin’s deep tone. It seemed like he deliberately spoke louder to cover her voice.
Seeing the chairman close his eyes and rest, perhaps tired, Gaeun had no choice but to leave.
Following Seokjin out of the room, Gaeun lingered, reluctant to let go of this moment.
Her heavy steps made it hard to walk quickly; she moved slowly along the corridor.
Meanwhile, Seokjin strode far ahead on his long legs.
“Aren’t you coming?”
“I am.”
“Your mother will worry. Let’s go quickly.”
“Yes.”
Once inside the elevator, Gaeun repeatedly took a step forward, then glanced back longingly.
Was this the end of her visits to the VIP room forever?
Wait—there were three months.
The promise between her and Seokjin.
Whether to renew the contract every three months would be her choice.
“Chairman Joo.”
“Do you have something to say?”
“We don’t have to say something to call each other by name, right?”
“My name isn’t Chairman Joo.”
He seemed like a man without an ounce of flexibility.
“…Joo Seokjin.”
“Yes.”
“Can I tell you the renewal conditions for the three-month contract now?”
Seokjin, who had been looking straight ahead, finally turned toward Gaeun.
“What is it?”
“Let me stay in the VIP room.”
“The VIP room?”
Seokjin leaned closer to her, as if to make sure he had heard correctly.
It was indeed an unexpected condition. Asking for VIP room admission as a contract renewal?
“I want to experience the life of the elite while living as your wife, Chairman Joo.”
“Is there somewhere you don’t like?”
“If there was, I would’ve pretended to collapse right here.”
Her problem was that she was too healthy.
“There’s no need to wait the full three months.”
Was he suggesting an earlier start?
Gaeun’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Seokjin.
“We’ll do a full health check before the wedding. Then you can be admitted.”
“Oh, so it was planned anyway?”
She regretted mentioning it. If she had just waited, she would have been admitted anyway.
Still, she was happy at the thought of returning to the VIP room soon.
“Since I’m granting your wish to stay in the VIP room, that means you’ll live as my wife for six months.”
“That’s not right. Since it was originally planned, it’s still three months.”
“Nope.”
“…It was originally planned, right?”
“I was just going for a checkup, not admission.”
Only after a proper checkup would she know what it entailed. Her experience so far had been limited to urine, blood, and a few X-rays. She wondered how serious Seokjin’s checkup was if it required admission.
Whatever the process, she was only concerned with fulfilling her dream of staying in the VIP room.
“Let’s schedule it for next week.”
“…Alright.”
Six months—it would secure at least 30 million won. And since Seokjin had smiled twice in front of her today, that was 20,000 won. On the way home, she planned to make him smile three more times to earn 50,000 won.
Seokjin went down to the parking lot, took out his car keys, and started the engine.
“Do you drive yourself?”
“Do you want to drive, Oh Gaeun?”
“…I don’t have a license.”
“Then let’s go.”
Gaeun buckled her seatbelt, watching Seokjin check the rearview and side mirrors to reverse.
“Chairman Joo.”
“Your name.”
‘Chairman Joo’ was easy and convenient to say—so why did he insist she call him by his name?
“Seokjin-ah.”
“?”
“You said to call you by your name?”
“Your choice.”
“The person listening should also be considered, right?”
“Then I’ll choose. Should I be Chairman Joo or Seokjin?”
Probably Chairman Joo. Even if she insisted, Seokjin wouldn’t like her calling him by his first name casually.
“I’ll call you that.”
“Then I’ll be comfortable calling you, Chairman Joo?”
“No. Call me Seokjin.”
Not what she wanted.
Trying to tease him, she ended up twisting her own words. She thought it would have been better to call him ‘Seokjin-ssi’ politely.
Thinking it wasn’t too late, she started calling him ‘Seokjin-ssi’.
“Seokjin-ssi.”
“Seokjin-ah.”
“You’ve eaten far more meals than me, so calling you casually like that feels…”
Watching him ponder deeply, she thought her plan was working.
“See, Seokjin-ah, let’s go home quickly. Otherwise, it feels strange to talk like this.”
Seokjin-ah… Shall we try it like this?
Seokjin-ah… What about our wedding?
It sounded like the way a kindergarten teacher spoke to kids.
Surely, Seokjin also felt this was odd.
“Then, let’s speak casually.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I think it’s easier to speak casually in business anyway.”
“I think it’s easier not to in business partnerships.”
Language cannot just be casual overnight.
“We’re business partners? We’re spouses.”
“That’s an external relationship.”
“Anyway, spouses are equal, so let’s speak casually. 10:54 a.m., from now.”
Spouses are equal.
It made sense. Then they could either speak casually or politely, as before.
“Gaeun, why did you call me?”
Shivers ran through her body.
Hearing her name from him like that made her squirm uncontrollably.
“10:55 a.m., let’s switch back to formal. I like feeling respected.”
Before Seokjin could respond, she quickly explained her desire to return to polite speech.
“Seokjin-ssi, I’m calling you like this because, you know, in movies when they roll up their sleeves, rest their hand on the passenger headrest…”
Gaeun grabbed Seokjin’s right arm, positioning it on the headrest.
“…while reversing, maybe even holding a card or paper in their mouth.”
It was a pose she had forced, but Seokjin looked just as she imagined—handsome and impressive.
His tie loosened, a few shirt buttons undone—he looked slightly flustered, probably worried about his father.
She could now realize her dream image of him. Money earned, dreams fulfilled.
“Why bother when there’s a rearview, side mirrors, and a backup camera?”
Seokjin adjusted his posture comfortably and reversed toward the parking exit.
“I just wanted to see my fiancée. Can’t you do this one thing?”
“How much will you pay me?”
“Huh?”
This man was now imitating her. Gaeun was flabbergasted.
“You like money, Oh Gaeun. I’m trying to show I like money too.”
“5,000 won, then.”
“I’ll refuse.”
“If not, try digging for it. Can you find 5,000 won? Huh? You just smiled!”
Seokjin’s cheeks twitched, but she didn’t miss it.
“I didn’t smile.”
“You did.”
“When did I smile? Do you have proof?”
“So you’re going to make me smile, and I’ll take a picture as evidence.”
Would people believe she wanted to expose Seokjin’s petty, miserly side to the elegant women of Korea?
“Taking secret photos is a crime.”
“Who said it’s secret? I’ll announce before I take it.”
Gaeun was the one being unreasonable; Seokjin calmly explained his position logically. She could not argue.
It felt like her 10,000 won had been stolen right in front of her eyes.
“I’ll publish a book when we separate.”
“What book?”
Why would her name be in it?
She planned to write about the days with Joo Seokjin, and it would surely sell tens of thousands of copies.
“During our marriage, I’ll expose how petty and childish you are.”
“I’ll file for an injunction for defamation.”
“What?!”
Hearing legal terms made her heart shrink.
She wanted to write the truth, so what’s wrong with that?
“Oh, just joking. You’re something, Chairman Joo.”
She smiled awkwardly, checking Seokjin’s reaction. He looked like he could really do it.
Bzzzz
Seokjin’s phone rang.
The vibration felt like salvation to Gaeun, and she was thrilled.
“Oh, Secretary Tak.”
She quietly listened to Seokjin, connected via Bluetooth.
“Sir, the ab trainer specializing in abs you mentioned—tomorrow morning…”
“Report to me personally in the morning. End call.”
An ab-specialist trainer?
Gaeun looked at Seokjin, puzzled.
Flustered, his face was unusually red.
“Wow, am I really getting a trainer because my abs are faint?”
Secretary Tak… Why call at this exact timing?
Seokjin was angrier because this was uncharacteristic. Normally, Tak would report such personal schedules separately after arriving at work. Why now?
“Wow, am I really getting a trainer because my abs are faint?”
Gaeun smiled knowingly, teasing him.
If he said he got the trainer for that reason, it would be embarrassing. She wondered how to excuse it.
For work, his usually sharp mind seemed to have stalled completely.
“Is it really for a checkup? From me?”
Seokjin laughed louder than usual, filling the car.
10,000 won!
Waiting for her response, he grew anxious.
