Chapter – 38
“Was that married woman the one who was next to him earlier?”
“Seems like it. Definitely, she gave off a similar vibe to the woman he used to see. Must’ve met all those criteria.”
“Wow, I can’t believe someone like that actually showed up.”
“Exactly. The woman he used to see—what is she up to these days? Became an actress, I think?”
“An actress? Who?”
“Someone who recently won a rookie award at a film festival… what was her name… Ji Eun-chae?”
Jian’s eyes widened.
She remembered her colleagues talking about her at work not long ago…
The one they said had a vibe similar to hers…
“Ah, that person. Yeah, the vibe really is a bit like hers. But seriously, why would Cha Yoo-geon go on a blind date when he already had a woman? He could’ve just met Ji Eun-chae directly. Why bother looking for someone similar?”
“I think it’s because Chairman CH has a reputation for being dignified and refined. Maybe he opposed having a daughter-in-law who’s a flashy entertainer… though I’m not sure about the details.”
“I see… still… in the end, he found a suitable substitute.”
Substitute.
That word made something Jian had been quietly building up in her heart recently collapse in an instant.
“Ugh, so annoying. I wish he’d just stay home with the wife he worked so hard to get. If I run into Cha Yoo-geon again, I swear I’ll—”
“Hold on, hold on. I understand, but don’t go smashing things.”
The women left the restroom, still chattering loudly.
When Jian stepped out of the restroom, she saw Yoo-geon standing in the exhibition hall lobby.
The smile he gave, as if suggesting it was time to head home, somehow looked a little different than usual, though it was hard to explain why.
Jian realized it probably wasn’t his fault—it was her own problem.
The distance between them.
The reason he kept her nearby.
All these thoughts resurfaced.
They returned home quietly, each spending time in their own spaces without seeing each other.
The next day, after enduring a suffocating day in the quiet house, it was Sunday.
Yoo-geon left home early and went to his friend Woo Min-seong’s officetel.
They had been close since high school.
“Wow, you said you haven’t played games in ages because of work, right? But your controls are still insane.”
Min-seong came out of the dressing room into the living room, watching the TV screen in awe.
The units in the game moved exactly as Yoo-geon controlled them.
Dodging every attack with precision, it was almost like a magic performance.
Despite the compliment, Yoo-geon lay sprawled on the sofa, controlling the controller without a word.
His expression was so indifferent it looked like he found games utterly uninteresting.
“Work’s going smoothly, but something must be off lately?”
Knowing that Yoo-geon hadn’t come over purely to hang out but was escaping with a troubled heart, Min-seong asked cautiously.
“…Just… stuff.”
“Why? Work’s fine, but your married life’s not going so well?”
Yoo-geon flinched at the question and looked up at Min-seong.
“What… How did you know?”
Min-seong almost laughed.
He had just been testing the waters, thinking it might be obvious—but Yoo-geon’s reaction was transparent.
Even though the guy looked dark and brooding, he had a certain endearing quality.
“The thing is, there’s only one area you’ve never experienced: romance, love. You’ve had everything else—sports, studies, even business. Everything’s been easy for you. But love… that’s new territory, right?”
“It’s not that I haven’t experienced it, I just… haven’t done it.”
“Uh-huh. Well, given that you’ve never really dated and have always been in a position of power, maybe you’d flounder if you ever found someone you truly liked… Seems like Jian must be pretty charming, huh?”
Once again, a tremor ran through Yoo-geon’s eyes.
What the hell…?
She had become too special to dismiss lightly.
But there was someone else important to her.
Her feelings were far deeper than he had guessed.
He felt suffocated. That was why he had come here to escape.
Min-seong, seeing him so transparent, chuckled and continued:
“I’d love to counsel you, but my appointment’s up. Next time, we’ll talk more. Until then, you, Mr. Love Novice, better think hard about romance.”
“Appointment… a date, huh? Oh, the one you mentioned was going well last time?”
From the phone call before visiting, he had said he couldn’t stay long because of an appointment. Seeing him all dressed up, like a peacock preparing for a date, it was obvious it was for a woman.
“Yeah, that’s right. Actually, we started dating yesterday. Seeing you makes me realize just how wonderful it is when feelings go both ways. I’m truly happy.”
The friend, who treated happiness as a comparison, smiled brightly.
Jian wanted to spray him with insecticide.
“Anyway, I’ll be late for my date. You, Mr. Love Novice, stay put.”
Yoo-geon cursed after Min-seong, who waved at him breezily while leaving.
That night, Jian, alone at home, lay quietly in her bedroom.
Yoo-geon, who had left early in the morning, still hadn’t returned.
Normally, she would listen to soft classical music or the sound of rain when alone.
But tonight, she didn’t feel like hearing anything. The silence was comforting.
Her heart was unbearably noisy and complex.
“Substitute…”
She muttered the word aloud.
Even saying it made her chest ache.
She pressed her lips together, refusing to cry, and her jaw muscles tensed like walnuts.
“I’ve been so happy recently…”
Time with him had felt like a date.
He, pretending not to care, had been kind and warm.
Perhaps, if things continued, she could become his special someone.
But…
All of that might have only been because she resembled his ex.
What if he had been seeing that other woman in her, rather than seeing her for who she truly was?
At first, she didn’t think it mattered.
Perhaps that woman simply shaped Yoo-geon’s taste, rather than Jian being someone truly special to him.
Maybe that woman was just one of many who fit his preferences—just like Jian.
She told herself there was no way to know.
“I don’t want to be skinny anymore. I think women look cuter when they’re a bit plump.”
She remembered saying this after that actress’s movie came out.
The actress had gained 10kg to play a pregnant role in the film.
So perhaps Yoo-geon had liked this new image of her.
“Damn it!”
Jian turned over sharply. Lying face down, she thumped the mattress and flailed.
“No! Don’t still love that woman! Don’t like her so much, Cha Yoo-geon, you idiot!”
She thrashed until drenched in sweat.
After a while, all her energy drained.
Burying her face in the blanket, she cried uncontrollably.
“Even though I chose to stay by Yoo-geon’s side despite a loveless marriage… this is too painful.”
Eventually, she got up.
On the blanket were two large tear stains and two smaller ones beside them.
