Special Side Story 02
Living without children has been their reality for years now. Heeju couldn’t help but envy the harmonious families of three she saw, strolling with their babies.
“Call him.”
At that moment, In-ah, sitting with her legs crossed, made a smug gesture with her chin.
“You need to be upfront about your feelings, especially between husband and wife. Don’t bottle things up. Does he think politicians are an endangered species? They’re practically as common as cockroaches!”
“S- Sister…”
“They say, ‘Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world’. Someone who can’t even handle their own family shouldn’t be entrusted with public funds.”
Hong In-ah’s eyes gleamed with an intensity that made Heeju flinch.
Although her sister was Heeju’s fiercest supporter, she was also the first to ruthlessly exploit any weakness in Baek Sa-eon, capitalizing on it to her fullest advantage.
“Call him right now!”
Just as Heeju reached for her phone, In-ah’s phone erupted with alarms, immediately followed by a barrage of incoming calls. Her expression froze.
“Hold on,” she said, checking her phone. A wave of emotions washed over her face, leaving it unreadable.
When she pressed play on a video, Baek Sa-eon appeared on the screen. Unmindful of In-ah’s restless leg, Heeju couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her husband.
Sa-eon spoke with deliberate articulation, his resonant voice filling the screen with authority. His commanding gaze held the audience spellbound.
Whose husband looked this good? Heeju found herself transfixed, forgetting whatever she had intended to say, staring instead at the video In-ah had just played.
“Sister, look. That’s the tie I picked out for him—”
“That crazy $#%!”
“Huh?”
Suddenly, In-ah cranked up the volume.
『“Given your position as the rising star of the ruling party, could you comment on the recently uncovered X-file regarding the President’s land dealings?”』
『“Assemblymen Baek Sa-eon, please respond!”』
『“Considering the President was affiliated with your party, do you have any comments?”』
『“Over here! Could you speak into this mic too?”』
Even amidst the chaos of microphones being shoved at him by reporters, Baek Sa-eon stood unshaken.
His broad shoulders, encased in a tailored suit, gave him an air of immovable strength, like a marble statue. He seemed impervious to anything, even a journalist’s accidental collision.
『“Currently, the Blue House remains silent on the allegations of redevelopment favoritism involving the President’s family. What’s your perspective on this situation?”』
『“Thank you for your efforts. I hope you’ll exercise caution.”』
Baek Sa-eon began speaking smoothly, exuding his usual composure.
『“The country has been in great turmoil recently. As someone who deeply empathizes with the public’s frustration and anger, I share your concerns. However, I wonder if this uproar is simply an attempt to deflect attention from the opposition party’s donation scandal—”』
It was then that the seamless flow of his words hit a snag.
“The.. scandal…”
Sa-eon’s words stumbled, unlike their usual smooth flow. His forehead creased deeply, and his relaxed gaze hardened into a steely glare.
He yanked at his tie roughly in desperation. He winced, his face a picture of inner turmoil.
Baek Sa-eon hastily covered his mouth, lowering his head. But the microphones swarming like ants captured the sound of his labored breathing.
『“That X-file is glaringly obvious. Even a blind person can tell! That godd*mn President. For f*ck’s sake, how much more does he plan to gorge himself?”』
“……!”
Heeju’s eyes widened in shock.
‘Did I… hear that wrong?’
『“Do you even know how many times the Blue House went into panic mode over his womanizing during foreign trips? A leader with pro-Japanese leanings was never going to lead the country in the right direction. Look where we are now! 』
But judging by In-ah’s alarmed face, it wasn’t her ears playing tricks.
In-ah stared at the screen with an expression caught between laughter and despair. The same could be said for the journalists on-site. The noise had disappeared, leaving an eerie silence.
『“Politics is f*cking disgusting. Defending that dumbass, hah?! This country is overrun with such vile creatures. I don’t know why I even bother. I’m still a newlywed, goddamn it. Do you know how many days I haven’t been able to go home, you useless b*stards?”』
A faint flush spread across his eyes. His aide rushed over frantically, stepping between him and the reporters.
Baek Sa-eon swayed, his eyes closing, as a wave of security personnel engulfed him, silencing his protests and forcibly ushering him into a waiting car.
“…….”
To anyone watching, it was clear: Baek Sa-eon had just crossed the line, spewing words no politician should ever utter publicly.
This wasn’t merely a broadcasting blunder; it was a catastrophic misstep that could severely damage Baek Sa-eon’s political career.
“W- What’s going to happen to him?”
Heeju gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. This was a disaster. Baek Sa-eon had made a colossal error.
“Hell yes, an exclusive scoop!!”
Only Hong In-ah looked ecstatic, throwing her arms up in triumph.
***
It took less than five minutes for Baek Sa-eon to dominate the real-time search rankings, as well as every section from politics to sports and even entertainment.
1. Baek Sa-eon’s Remarks ▲
2. Baek Sa-eon’s Profanity ▲
3. President’s Viagra ▲
4. Baek Sa-eon Newlywed Life new
5. Baek Sa-eon Broadcast Incident ▲
6. Baek Sa-eon Defamation Lawsuit ▲
7. Sign Language Interpreter
Heeju clutched her phone desperately, biting her nails. She tried calling her husband multiple times, but there was no response. Driven by a growing sense of anxiety, she frantically searched through a deluge of real-time articles.
But when she read a brief update stating that Baek Sa-eon had collapsed and been rushed to the emergency room, only to be recovering now, she couldn’t bear it any longer.
“Please, just pick up the phone…!”
The endless beeping of the unanswered call left Heeju on the verge of tears. If her husband wouldn’t answer, and even his aides couldn’t be reached, where on earth was she supposed to get any updates about him?
Every TV channel was broadcasting edited clips of Baek Sa-eon’s interview, but Heeju remained in the dark about his condition. The pundits and analysts all loudly insisted they were “fact-checking,” but it did nothing to soothe her growing anxiety.
“……”
A sudden vasovagal syncope, the cause attributed to stress and overwork. Or a broadcast mishap? The media outlet responsible for leaking the unauthorized interview would be held accountable. In other words, it was confirmed: his remarks had indeed been a mistake.
“Why won’t he answer my calls?!”
Leaving dozens of missed calls, Heeju collapsed face-down on their bed in the newlywed apartment.
Baek Sa-eon wouldn’t curse without cause. While the current uproar was concerning, Hee-joo was more worried about the grueling schedule that awaited him.
“A date in this situation… Yeah, right.”
Knowing Baek Sa-eon’s dedication to his work, she anticipated that he would be completely consumed by the situation, surrounded by his aides, and away from home for days.
Then, her phone buzzed. A message came from Baek Sa-eon.
Awesome Husband♥
Don’t wait up. I won’t make it home tonight.
4:30 PM
Heeju tightly gripped her phone.
Can’t we talk on the phone instead?
4:38 PM
Awesome Husband♥
Sorry. Just wait a little longer. I’ll explain everything soon.
5:10 PM
Despite feeling hurt, Heeju attempted to appear unconcerned.
Are you okay? Should I come to you?
5:10 PM
Awesome Husband♥
No need to go out of your way. Lock up properly.
If reporters bother you, go stay with your sister. Sorry for all this trouble.
5:30 PM
I’m not going anywhere… I’ll just stay home ㅜㅜ
5:30 PM
After that, there were no more replies but Heeju was staring at the dark screen hoping to see it lit up.
“I can’t take this anymore…”
Workaholics had a terrible habit of blurring the line between their job and personal life, only to draw a stark boundary like a demilitarized zone whenever it suited them. But to their wives, it felt unbearably cruel.
‘What on earth are you going through by yourself? Is there really nothing I can do to help you?’
Silence was the only reply.
TL/N:
This is supposed to be a chat between Sa-eon & Heeju. But I can’t put them as an image as it will be difficult for readers on different platforms to read the dialogues in an image. Hence I had to format it this way.
