Chapter 13
The day of the showdown had arrived.
She thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep at all due to the tension. But perhaps because of the active day before, as soon as Lee Seo lay down, sleep washed over her like a wave, and she woke up feeling refreshed.
Since Yuri had previously cooked for her, it was her turn to return the favor.
She moved quietly out of the room, and the entire house was silent.
With not even a hint of music, it seemed Yuri was still asleep.
Good.
Lee Seo wasn’t particularly skilled at cooking, and it was certain she would fumble her way through—she didn’t want to be caught in the act.
“Why does it look like this…?”
Egg dishes are a breakfast favorite all around the world.
Among them, Lee Seo was attempting an omelet.
Slicing the vegetables had gone well enough.
Though she’d nearly lost her thumbnail for a moment, the unevenly sized pieces gave the ingredients a unique charm. She mixed milk into the eggs, whisking them well.
She even removed the chalazae, as if that was the key to success. All that remained was to shape it well and cook it through.
But shaping it turned out to be no easy task, and instead of a neat half-moon, her omelet resembled a squashed full moon.
“What are you doing?”
“Oh my gosh!”
So absorbed in cooking, Lee Seo hadn’t noticed Yuri approaching.
When she looked up at him, his face was damp with sweat.
She had thought he was asleep, but it seemed he had been exercising.
She’d never seen him in tight clothing that revealed his physique before, and now she couldn’t help but think his body seemed far too fit for a pianist.
“Is that… an omelet?”
“…No.”
“An omelet might be a better choice than a rolled egg, I suppose.”
“…”
“It smells nice. I’ll take a quick shower.”
With a slightly teasing tone, Yuri spoke a few more words before heading to the bathroom without further delay.
As he walked away, Lee Seo let out a short breath.
He didn’t even smell sweaty.
For some reason, that made her feel unfairly resentful.
—
“It’s delicious.”
Even though the ketchup smiley face was ambiguous—whether it was smiling or frowning—Yuri ate it without complaint.
Maybe he wasn’t a picky eater, and if so, that was a relief.
As Lee Seo’s pace slowed, finding it hard to eat even the dish she had made herself, Yuri spoke up.
“Are you full?”
“Oh, well…”
She really didn’t feel like eating more.
Yuri had already finished his plate.
“Then I’ll eat it for you.”
Of course, the half-eaten omelet was still quite clean since she had used a knife to cut it.
But wasn’t eating someone else’s leftovers something only very close people did?
This was new territory for Lee Seo.
And without waiting for her answer, Yuri took her plate.
He ate it all slowly and, after saying it was delicious once more, even took care of the dishes.
As they finished their meal, Jeong Soo arrived, letting them know Eunyoung would be coming soon.
With a slightly flushed face, it was clear to anyone that his attention was more on Eunyoung than the two of them.
Lee Seo acknowledged this and went to her room to get ready to go out.
“…Certainly, it seems like paragliding helped.”
Eunyoung said this with a satisfied expression.
Was it that obvious?
The fact that since yesterday, her heart had fluttered strangely whenever she looked at Yuri.
Noticing Lee Seo’s slight embarrassment as she touched her cheek, Eunyoung dropped her playful expression and brought out a few proposals.
She explained what kind of attire, makeup, and hairstyles the women who had previously faced public suspicion had worn and recommended styles that would suit Lee Seo.
“It’d be best to tie your hair up in a neat bun. Not too sharp of an impression—more of a graceful and slightly lovely look. Apply blush, but not too heavily, and pull out some baby hairs to give off a youthful vibe.”
Yuri watched with a slight smile as Lee Seo attentively took notes, listening to Eunyoung’s brisk briefing.
She had found her resolve, Hong Lee Seo.
When she had been timid, confused, lost in thought, or when her eyes darted nervously as if in trouble—when she had closed her eyes beneath him and simply felt—Hong Lee Seo had shown many sides over the past few days.
Though all of these impressions were vivid, the most captivating was when she showed enthusiasm and focus.
“How do you two address each other?”
Eunyoung asked suddenly, as if the thought had just come to her.
Just a moment before, they had been deeply discussing how to handle the Q&A, but now Lee Seo fell silent.
Come to think of it, Lee Seo had never really called Yuri by name.
It made sense. Calling him “Kang Yuri” would mean acknowledging that he was, in fact, her missing husband. Yet addressing him with vague terms like “Hey,” “Excuse me,” or “You there…” felt confrontational.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“If you want to convey mutual respect, the traditional approach of adding ‘ssi’ to the name would work well. Since Kang Yuri is a year older than Hong Lee Seo, a more natural choice might be ‘oppa.’ And if that feels too awkward, there’s always ‘honey.’”
Things were escalating.
Just as Lee Seo, resigned to the idea of using his name, was about to respond, Yuri cut in.
“I like that.”
“Pardon?”
“Honey, darling. It’s classic and elegant.”
What on earth was this man talking about?
Lee Seo stared at Yuri with a look of shock.
He, with the same casual tone and a calm expression, looked back at her.
“Go ahead, say it.”
“…Right now?”
“You need to practice. Everything shows in your demeanor. No matter how carefully you craft your words, the truth will always reveal itself in fleeting expressions or subtle nuances. If you don’t want to be misunderstood, you need to genuinely give the impression of ‘loving each other as a married couple.’”
Eunyoung emphasized.
Her words made sense, leaving Lee Seo with no room to refuse.
“…Honey.”
“I can’t hear you. Louder.”
“Ho…ney.”
“Say it in a full sentence, naturally. Imagine you’re at the press conference. Pretend you’re whispering just to your husband. The camera flashes are overwhelming, and you feel a bit flustered. So, you’re speaking to him. Saying how bright it is here, how your eyes hurt—a small, gentle complaint.”
Eunyoung pushed Lee Seo like a strict teacher.
At times like this, Lee Seo’s model-student mindset worked in her favor.
She quickly immersed herself in the scenario Eunyoung had painted, leaning slightly toward Yuri.
At that moment, bright sunlight flooded into the living room.
A halo formed behind Yuri, just like the flash of a camera.
“Honey, it’s so bright…”
Lee Seo spoke in a clearer voice than before, and Yuri’s lips slowly curved into a smile.
As if he had been waiting for her to call him that.
Without hesitation, he raised his hand and cast a shadow over her eyes.
“How about now?”*
“…It’s fine now.”
Whoosh.
Lee Seo’s face heated up in an instant.
She quickly averted her gaze in an attempt to hide her flushed cheeks, and Eunyoung praised her for a job well done.
“It looks like you’re ready now, so go pick out your outfits. I have another appointment, so I’ll check through the photos later. I’ve already given instructions to the makeup artist for you, Hong Lee Seo, but just in case, Kang Yuri, you should avoid showing yourself.”
“You’re leaving already?”
Jeong Soo, who had just brought out some milk tea from who-knows-where, asked in surprise.
Eunyoung handed him the tumbler she had brought.
“Ah! Right!”
Jeong Soo quickly poured some of the milk tea into the tumbler and bid her farewell, following behind to see her off with a wish for good luck.
“You do know that repetition is the key to learning, right?”
“…Didn’t you say we need to do hair and makeup? Let’s go, quickly.”
Lee Seo hurriedly stood up.
As she moved toward her room to finish getting ready, Yuri grabbed her wrist.
Gasp.
Inhaling sharply, Lee Seo’s foot slipped, and her body tilted forward.
As if about to fall, she lurched toward Yuri—her head hitting his shoulder with a soft thud.
“I’m sorry!”
Startled, Lee Seo quickly lifted her head—
And right before her eyes was his perfectly shaped face.
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