Chapter 48 : Just Go For It
“I’m going to put the kids to bed real quick.”
“Want some help?”
“Would you?”
“Of course! I’ll be right back, Bada-ssi.”
“Sure, take your time.”
Once the director and Kim Ha-neul left, Kang Byeol smirked playfully.
“Sorry for pulling you away when you two were having such a great time together.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, your legs have been shaky since you got here. Just how wild were things before you came?”
“Th-that’s not it!”
Kang Bada’s face turned bright red as she quickly clamped her hand over Kang Byeol’s mouth. Seeing her sister all flustered only made Kang Byeol laugh harder.
“So, when’s the real wedding happening?”
“What?”
“You know, since you two are in a contract marriage, right?”
“Where is this even coming from all of a sudden? We’re not…”
“You still twitch your left eyebrow when you’re lying. You should work on that.”
Kang Bada stood there, confused, as Kang Byeol casually sipped her tea. She spoke again, softer this time, as if she already knew everything.
“I’ve been watching you for years. You didn’t actually think you could fool your unnie, did you?”
“…How long have you known?”
It wasn’t just a wild guess.
Kang Bada realized there was no point in denying it anymore.
“I’ve had my suspicions from the beginning, but I knew for sure after watching you two just now.”
“From how we acted?”
“You two are like a couple that hasn’t even kissed yet.”
“You’re really saying that based on just that?”
“Of course, that’s not the only thing.”
Kang Byeol started listing all the little things that had tipped her off. As she went on, Kang Bada’s face grew more serious.
Most of it seemed trivial on its own, but together, it painted a pretty clear picture.
“With acting that sloppy, who exactly did you think you were fooling? Now I get why Taeyang reacted the way he did.”
“My little brother?”
“If I know, don’t you think he would too?”
“…”
Kang Bada’s mouth dropped open in shock. She had thought she’d kept everything under wraps, but apparently, everyone had just been playing along.
“…So?”
“So what?”
“What do you want from us?”
“I’ve already told you. Just get married and raise Yena well.”
“Huh?”
Kang Bada tilted her head, confused. She’d expected her sister to tell them to break up or use the situation to threaten them somehow.
As if she could read Bada’s thoughts, Kang Byeol put her teacup down and said,
“What kind of person do you think I am?”
“…”
“Sure, I was mad at first. But after watching you two, I can see this isn’t just some contract marriage. You two really care about each other… especially Kim Ha-neul. He really cherishes you…”
“Really!?”
Kang Byeol froze at her sister’s unexpected reaction, staring at her in disbelief.
“Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”
“Well, it’s not that I didn’t know… I just wasn’t sure. I mean, most guys show affection through physical touch, right? But Ha-neul’s never really done that, and he’s never even confessed…”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
Kang Byeol shook her head in disbelief. How could someone normally so sharp become completely clueless the moment Kim Ha-neul was involved?
Though Bada’s flustered expression was cute, it would be a problem if she acted like that in front of others. As her older sister, Byeol figured she should help her out.
“Why don’t you take the first step?”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Think about it from his point of view. Do you really think Kim Ha-neul will make the first move?”
“…Why wouldn’t he?”
“Oh, you sweet, clueless thing.”
Byeol rubbed her forehead like she had a headache, then leaned back in her chair. Bada quickly scooted closer and pressed her.
“Tell me before Ha-neul gets back, okay?”
“Hold on a sec. I’m just trying to figure out where to start.”
Byeol chuckled softly at Bada’s sudden eagerness and began speaking slowly. As she explained, Bada’s eyes grew wider and wider.
“How could I possibly do that!?”
“Why not? You’re already married, legally speaking. The order might be a little off, but now things are finally falling into place.”
“But still…”
“If you leave things as they are, it’s only a matter of time before the chairman finds out. And we can’t let that happen, especially for Yena’s sake.”
*Snap!*
Byeol snapped her fingers and held up three fingers in front of Bada, who still looked unsure.
“I’ll give you three months.”
“Three months?”
“Yep. The custody case for Yena won’t take as long as you think. You’ve got to take the chance and make Ha-neul yours before then.”
“How am I supposed to make that happen out of nowhere?”
“You need to create the right moment. Do you really think you’ll have a chance once you’re living with Yena?”
Bada thought about Byeol’s words and slowly shook her head. Even she could see it would be tough to move their relationship forward after that.
“Men don’t have unlimited patience, you know. With everything being so complicated, if you don’t send him a clear signal, Ha-neul might just get tired and give up.”
“What?!”
“You need to make your move and sweep him off his feet. Show him the charm of being with an older woman.”
“The charm… of being older…”
A determined look slowly appeared in Bada’s eyes. Seeing this, Byeol grinned and leaned in to whisper.
“It’s really no big deal once you get started. In fact, you might end up enjoying it more than he does.”
“Huh?”
“I’m talking about sex, Bada. Sex.”
“Agh, unnie!!”
Bada jumped back in shock, her face turning bright red. Byeol burst into laughter, wiping tears from her eyes as she added,
“Three months. Don’t forget!”
With her face still burning, Bada lowered her head without saying a word. Byeol couldn’t stop laughing as she watched her sister.
* * *
After their conversation ended, Kim Ha-neul got into the car with Bada. He planned to drop her off and then take a taxi home.
“Sorry that took so long. Putting the kids to bed was harder than I thought.”
“It’s fine. That happens.”
“Did you have a chat with your sister while I was gone?”
“Uh… yeah…”
But Ha-neul couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Bada’s expression had been tense for a while, and when he mentioned her sister, she visibly tensed up, making it clear something had gone down between them.
It didn’t seem like there was anything wrong between the two of them. Byeol had signaled Ha-neul to give them some space, and he had obliged. Looking back now, maybe he had been a bit too quick to step away.
“If something’s bothering you, you can tell me.”
“…There’s nothing like that, really.”
“You know your left eyebrow twitches a little when you’re lying, right?”
“What!?”
Ha-neul was repeating the same thing Byeol had said earlier. It made sense for Byeol, who had known her for years, but how did Ha-neul notice something so specific?
— ‘Ha-neul really cares about you.’
Byeol’s words flashed through her mind, making Bada even more confused.
‘…Has he been paying that much attention to me?’
Maybe it was just a side effect of his work. After all, when he designed that book cover, he had sketched her many times.
Byeol’s words were starting to feel more and more like the truth. Bada cautiously glanced at Ha-neul’s face.
“Hmm?”
Swoosh!
Their eyes met, and Bada quickly looked away, her heart racing too much to keep looking at him.
‘Ugh… I hope we get home soon.’
She needed time to sort out her thoughts. Rushing things tonight just wasn’t possible. After all, she still had three months…
Just then, the car slowed down and pulled over to the side. As Bada tried to figure out what was happening, Ha-neul broke the silence with a firm voice.
“Tell me the truth.”
Thud—
Bada felt her heart drop as if it had fallen straight into her stomach.
Did he overhear everything? Is he expecting me to confess my feelings now?
“W-what do you mean!?”
“What did you and your sister talk about?”
Of course—
Bada felt like she couldn’t breathe. If he’d overheard their conversation, he would know how she truly felt about him.
To push her like this, knowing her feelings… A part of her thought it was unfair, but recalling Byeol’s advice, maybe it wasn’t unreasonable.
— “You’re in the position of power here, especially since it’s a contract marriage. Do you really think Ha-neul would make the first move?”
— “So I have to…?”
— “Confess.”
Thump, thump, thump—
Bada’s heart pounded wildly in her chest. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, so she turned her head toward the window.
“…!?”
Before she could react, Ha-neul unbuckled his seatbelt and firmly grabbed her shoulders, turning her toward him.
Startled by the sudden physical contact, Bada instinctively closed her eyes. Whether he knew what was going on inside her or not, Ha-neul’s voice was filled with concern as he asked,
“What made your expression so serious? Don’t keep it to yourself, just tell me. We can figure it out together.”
“T-the thing is…”
How could I possibly say that?
Bada barely managed to swallow the words stuck in her throat. Her face was burning, and her mind was starting to go blank.
‘…Is this it?’
The thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Alone in the car, face to face, Bada wondered if this was the “timing” Byeol had mentioned.
‘I need to be braver!’
After all, she was the older one here.
With that in mind, Bada slowly opened her eyes. Ha-neul’s face was so close, it felt as though he was right in front of her.
Her heart was racing so fast now, she couldn’t even hear its pounding in her ears. She clutched her chest, feeling like it might explode.
Gulp.
Her lips were getting dry, and she kept swallowing, hoping Ha-neul wouldn’t notice.
“Are you okay? You’re not feeling sick, are you?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s just…”
“Just?”
Bada stared silently at Ha-neul’s face. It felt like her mind had completely shut down, overloaded.
Her eyes, guided by instinct, traveled from the concern in his eyes, to the bridge of his nose, and finally landed on his lips.
In that moment, like a hunter locking onto its prey, all she could see were his lips.
“…Ha-neul-ssi.”
“Yes, Bada-ssi?”
Whenever she called him “Ha-neul-ssi,” he always answered back with “Bada-ssi.” Bada wished this simple exchange between them would last forever.
What kind of expression would he make if she kissed him right now? Would anything change? Could she close the gap between them?
As doubt started creeping in again, Byeol’s words echoed in her head.
– “Just go for it!”
Suddenly—
Bada unfastened her seatbelt. Her heart was racing faster than the car’s engine, and she wanted Ha-neul to feel it too.
“…!?”
Their lips met.
And for a moment, the car fell into complete silence.
