TKFT 12

The women who had gone on blind dates with me all came for two reasons: half because they wanted to become the lady of CH, and half because their parents hoped to form a marriage alliance with CH.
Eun Jian’s family probably wasn’t any different.

Pilbeom, the CEO of a mid-sized company, must have wanted Jian to marry me as well—it would be good news for his company if his daughter married into mine.

“May I ask where you’re originally from, CEO Eun?”

At the formal family meeting, my father, Cha Jong-hwan, had asked that question, and Pilbeom had answered with the name of a small city somewhere in Gyeongsang Province.

“They say men from Gyeongsang are taciturn. Is that why he seems so stern?”

Yugeon, a refined Seoul man delicate as glass, could only guess that was the reason behind Pilbeom’s hardened expression.

He had no idea that Pilbeom, while wishing for his daughter’s happy marriage, also felt as though his daughter was being taken from him by Yugeon—a man he had disliked even before the wedding.

Yugeon’s success in obtaining the camel-colored item that Pilbeom himself had failed to get had also wounded the older man’s pride.

“To go this far… Thank you. I’ll carry it well, Mr. Yugeon!”

Jian, even more touched upon hearing that it had been specially brought from Japan, said brightly.

“Of course I’ll carry the gift Dad gave me too! Dad, would you like to have tteokbokki with us?”

Now that there was no longer any need to hurry her father out the door, Jian asked with a cheerful smile.

“…It’s fine. You like it, Jian, so eat a lot. I’ll be going now.”

Pilbeom left, and Jian walked him out with Yugeon, feeling a bit regretful.

“Did you really buy the tteokbokki to eat together?”

Once the audience for their “ordinary married couple” act was gone, Jian asked.

“Yes. I missed dinner because of something that came up, so I was hungry anyway. If you don’t want any, Ms. Eun Jian doesn’t have to—”

“I’ll eat!”

Jian answered immediately.

Her eyes were sparkling. So she really did love tteokbokki that much.

“She’s not a child—what’s the big deal about tteokbokki? …She’s cute.”

“Then let’s eat.”

Yugeon forced the corners of his lips down and followed her into the dining room.

Since the housekeeper had already left, he personally plated the tteokbokki, fried snacks, and boiled eggs.

Seeing the glossy, fiery-red tteokbokki for the first time in ages, Jian swallowed.

Of all days—her birthday.
Of all people—Yugeon.
Of all foods—her soul food, tteokbokki.

She decided to forget about her weight just for today.

“Go on, eat.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you!”

As Yugeon poured her a peach-flavored drink, Jian popped a piece into her mouth.

Spicy, sweet.
Soft, chewy.

The moment the sauce-soaked rice cake touched her tongue, dopamine burst in her mind like fireworks in the night sky.

“Mmm!”

Jian let out a blissful sigh, brows knitting instinctively in delight.

Her appetite, long sealed away, was released by this red food of her soul.

“Does she really like it that much?”

It was just rice cakes mixed with red pepper paste, wasn’t it?

It was fascinating—and adorable—how she could be so happy over something so simple.

Once again, Yugeon had to solemnly control his expression.

Jian ate enthusiastically while Yugeon pretended to eat at a moderate pace, sneaking glances at her.

“She eats boiled eggs better than tteokbokki and fried snacks… okay. Noted.”

His first data point on Jian’s eating habits.

“Look at those cheeks. Like a squirrel storing acorns.”

Her cheeks were puffed out as she chewed busily. It was so cute he barely resisted the urge to pinch them.

Chubby cheeks really were cuter. Another reason added to the list of why he needed to fatten her up.

“Oh, right.”

In the middle of devouring her food, Jian suddenly froze with her fork midair.

“You… knew today was really my birthday?”

“We filled out the marriage registration together, didn’t we? I’ve got a pretty good memory.”

I see. Jian had carefully stored away in her memory that Yugeon’s birthday was in spring—but she hadn’t expected him to remember hers.

“But even if you knew… you couldn’t have known my dad was coming. How did you—?”

That part still puzzled her.

Her father had shown up without even calling her, so Yugeon couldn’t have known either.

“Unless… that bag wasn’t actually for me?”

Maybe he had improvised and pretended it was her gift.

“That must be it… Otherwise the timing is too perfect.”

The possibility that the bag hadn’t been meant for her grew stronger in her mind.

Yugeon flinched at her question.

He had already used up the excuse that someone else had given it to him, because earlier he had boasted about bringing it from Japan as a way to show off.

Silence filled the dining room. Cold sweat ran down his back.

“I need to say something… What do I do with this atmosphere?”

The longer the silence stretched, the stranger it would seem.

“D-do I look that heartless to you, Ms. Eun Jian?”

“…Pardon?”

“Maybe if I didn’t know, fine. But knowing it’s your birthday and just letting it pass? That’s too cold. Since we’re living together anyway, there’s no harm in doing this much, right? We’re in the same boat now. Hmm?”

“Even so… when he was calling me a mistress and all that, and now suddenly a birthday present? What’s with this guy—did he eat the tteokbokki wrong or something…?”

“And of course I expect a gift on my birthday too! For reference, it’s May 10!”

Afraid of looking strange, Yugeon hastily added the give-and-take remark he didn’t even mean.

“O-of course! Do I look that shameless? If I hadn’t received a gift, that’d be one thing—but to accept one and pretend nothing happened would be too shameless. I’ll make sure to repay you properly on your birthday, so don’t worry!”

Jian answered using his own logic, but in truth, her heart was overflowing with emotion.

Give-and-take or not, she was just happy that he had thought of her.

“Ahem. Right. I’ll look forward to it. Now let’s finish eating before it gets cold.”

Embarrassed and awkward, Yugeon quickly urged her to continue.

“Yes!”

Jian resumed eating.

“This is the happiest birthday of my life.”

Chewing the chewy rice cake, she smiled brightly to herself.

Even after Jian’s birthday, the two continued to eat together at home under the pretext of Yugeon’s “monitoring.”

“She eats well.”

“Ah, yes…! Food has been really delicious lately. Maybe ma’am’s cooking skills improved.”

“Maybe she’s taking cooking classes somewhere.”

Yugeon spoke casually as he watched Jian’s steadily increasing appetite.

In truth, he had summoned a chef from the CH Hotel restaurant to cook for her.

Since the kitchen was separate from the dining room, Jian had no idea.

Having succeeded in increasing her food intake at home, Yugeon began to worry about whether she was eating properly when he wasn’t around.

So he made her send him photos before and after lunch.

Then one day—

“The Technical Division must differentiate its construction proposal. Competitors will likely go with a standard NATM approach. We need to review the applicability of TBM methods and secure an advantage in technical scoring.”

During a meeting he had called after finishing lunch, Yugeon spoke sharply.

It was a bid meeting for a new city development project led by the government.

Since it was a large-scale public project worth trillions of won, one that could determine the company’s revenue and standing all at once, tension filled the room. Naturally, Yugeon was on edge as well.

He was about to give the next instruction when—

His phone buzzed. A message from Jian.

Today’s menu seemed to be grilled fish. The “before” photo showed golden-brown grilled fish, various side dishes, and a bowl heaped with white rice.

In the “after” photo, a bit of fish and about a third of the rice remained.

[I was too full, so I left just a little… just a tiny bit. ㅠㅠ]

“Pfft.”

Even in the middle of such a serious moment, Yugeon burst out laughing after reading her message that sounded like an excuse.

The first time she had sent lunch photos, she had left more than half her rice, and he had immediately called to scold her.

Perhaps remembering that, she emphasized that she had left “just a tiny bit,” even adding the crying emoticon ㅠㅠ so she wouldn’t get nagged again.

Didn’t she realize that this only made him want to tease her more?