chapter 6

( flash back)

“Who am I?”

“Song Yeonhwa.”

“Do you know me?”

In a single accident, Geonwoo completely disappeared from his wife’s memory. However, he speculated that she didn’t lose her memory, but is pretending to have lost it.

“Do you have any other questions?”

“No…… I do not.”

First, Geonwoo had so many questions for her. Only Geonwoo himself knew about this marriage. She seemed surprised when she heard that she is married to him, but why didn’t she ask him how they met, why they got married, and whether they have children?

Even the basic questions were not spoken. She simply listened and accepted what he was saying. The questions did not stop there.

Second, in the parking lot on the first floor, there was a door on the nearest side and the front door. However, Yeonhwa went to the front door but not the side door. It couldn’t be more strange.

Why did she go to the front door where she had to walk a little more than to the nearest place? Was it simply because of not finding the side door? Or did she know that the door on the side is always locked?

“Where is my room?”

Third, Yeonhwa asked Ahnseong where her room was. Geonwoo told her that they were a couple, so shouldn’t she ask where their room was instead?

Besides, Yeonhwa was surprised when Geonwoo told Ahnseong to guide her to his room. She was surprised but she didn’t ask a question as to why he was in his room but not hers. He even said something he didn’t even imagine that he could do to examine Yeonhwa’s reaction to the growing doubts.

“Let’s wash together.”

“…..Wash…..together?”

“Every time.”

He couldn’t tell if her memory has come back from this. He has no choice but to observe his wife until his suspicions are gone.

When he ate food containing peanuts at the restaurant, he was convinced at once by looking at Yeonhwa’s face. His wife remembers everything.

“Should we exchange?”

She naturally suggested that he should change it with her own cake, but she couldn’t hide her white face.

(Back to present)

“Don’t say anything to my wife about what happened today and what you told me.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

The faithful secretary replied in a solid tone and bowed his head slightly.

Before Secretary Kim lifted his head, Geonwoo opened the front door and stepped inside. He took off the jacket he was wearing at the front door, and put it on his arm.

Geonwoo was standing in front of his room after passing the hallway, habitually opening the door. When he was about to raise his hand to turn the door knob, he could hear Yeonhwa’s voice from the inside.

When he opened the door and entered, she was dressed in pajamas as she was closing the buttons one by one in a hurry. After marriage, they had to stay together for a year, and yesterday was their first time to sleep in the same room.

Staying together like this was just as uncomfortable as clothes worn incorrectly. When Yeonhwa sat on the edge of the bed, Geonwoo spoke.

“Do you remember anything yet?”

“There’s nothing yet.”

Goenwoo already knew it was a lie but Yeonhwa probably didn’t know that he knew the truth. Yeonhwa raised her head and made eye contact with Geonwoo.

“Do you want my memories to come back soon, Mr. Yoo Geonwoo?”

Geonwoo wanted to ask when her memories came back and why did she continue pretending not to know anything. It wasn’t a very difficult question. However, he couldn’t speak out the words.

“……….”

“Because you’ll be uncomfortable if you live without memory.”

Geonwoo reached out his arm to Yeonhwa, spitting out a sound that wasn’t even in his heart. Geonwoo’s fingers reached out and touched the collar of Yeonhwa’s pajamas.

“Your button is inserted incorrectly.”

“Oh.”

Yeonhwa lowered her head and fixed the buttons one by one. Meanwhile, Geonwoo took out his pajamas from his closet and walked into the bathroom. He would have taken off his suit in the room, but couldn’t because Yeonhwa was there.

When he took off his suit, the firm muscles were revealed. Geonwoo went into the shower and let the water drip over his head. He used cold water as it was to clear his dizzy mind, but it did not improve.

If he said he knew that she had recovered her memory, it would be over. There was no need to embarrass her by doing something he didn’t normally do.

By the way ……. it was not as easy as it sounds. His mind is complicated.

Like the reason for their divorce.

***

Maybe because he took a long shower, Yeonhwa was already asleep.

He sat next to her, who was lying on bed, swiping his still-dampened hair.

There was a book on Yeonhwa’s chest, it seemed like she fell asleep while reading it. When he picked the book up and put it on the side table, Yeonhwa tossed and turned to Geonwoo.

He then lifted his upper body and pressed the light switch off and the room quickly darkened. Only the low-illuminating nightstand lights on the side table lit up the room. The room light was already turned off so he couldn’t capture Yeonhwa’s face clearly. He looked down at her face.

“Song Yeonhwa.”

He called her pretty name in his mouth. Her tiny lips seemed to give an answer asking if he had called her. Living in one house for a year and keeping distance from her wasn’t that difficult.

He thought it would be easier to get away from her by keeping their distance. However, it was difficult to keep this narrow distance now. He wanted to get closer to her.

Eventually, he raised his hand and carefully caressed the bandage of her injured right hand. He took his hand from her without touching her skin once.

“Only until you are healed. I’ll be a little closer. After that ….I’ll let you go. Because that’s for you.”

****

Morning came. When Geonwoo raised his upper body up and put his palm on an empty seat next to him, only a slight warmth remained. Listening to the sound of dishes coming from outside, Yeonhwa seemed to be preparing for breakfast early, even though he said he didn’t need it.

He thought he would let her do whatever she wanted. Geonwoo rolled the blanket off and checked his pajamas buttons first. Fortunately, it was neat with no signs of digging in his hand. There were more than ten nightgowns, but he thought he would have to buy new pajamas that wouldn’t have buttons.

Geonwoo, who was ready to go to work, came out of the room and approached Yeonhwa who was sitting at the kitchen table. Geonwoo naturally lowered his briefcase on the floor and sat down on a chair.

“I said you don’t need to make breakfast.”

Then he looked around the table, there was only one bowl of bacon and eggs in front of her. Yeonhwa blinked her eyelids and tilted her head.

“I made it for me because you said you don’t eat breakfast.”

Geonwoo rolled his fists to the corner of his mouth and stood up coughing. However, Yeonhwa put down the spoon she was holding and stood up.

“But I made a big portion so why don’t you have some too.”

Yeonhwa took out a bowl from the cupboard and got some bacon and eggs from a frying pan. She then placed the bowl, knife, and fork on the table where Geonwoo was sitting and said.

“If you don’t eat it, I would have to throw it away because I cannot eat it all.”

He sat on a chair feeling warmer and warmer.

“I’ll eat well.”

After Yeonhwa sat down, Geonwoo raised the knife and fork and started eating. It was their second breakfast sitting while facing each other. When the plate was half empty, Yeonhwa opened her mouth first.

“I’m going to go to the museum next week.”

“Isn’t it too early?”

“If I work, my memories will come back gradually.”

He shouldn’t worry about it. Having been away from work for a long time, he could understand that Yeonhwa wanted to return early.

Yeonhwa, who finished the meal, stood up first. Then Geonwoo put the plate he had finished on the sink and walked to the front door with a briefcase. As he looked back at the footsteps coming from behind he noticed that Yeonhwa was following him.

“Do you have anything to tell me?”

“You said that I see you off every time you go to work.”

“………”

“I am sending you off.”

At this moment, Geonwoo still hadn’t put on his shoes. He stood still in the hallway and looked at Yeonhwa. Then Yeonhwa raised her eyebrows and broke the silence.

“What do you have to say, Geonwoo?”

“I will come home right after work.”

Yeonhwa looked confused at what he said because since this was home, it was natural to come back after work. Then Geonwoo added.

“I’ll come back by 7:00, not 9:00.”

The exact time that he usually comes home was 9:30. It was rare for him to come home earlier than that.

“We will have dinner together at home.”

“…I see.”

He often ate late dinner alone after work. However, it was the first time that Geonwoo said he would leave work early and asked for dinner together at home. Yeonhwa thought it was over, but Geonwoo was still looking at her like he had more to say.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

If she didn’t say anything, he would have to keep it cool, but Geonwoo moved his lips after hearing what Yeonhwa said.

“I haven’t received my morning kiss yet.”

Yeonhwa lost her words and opened her eyes wide. She tried to avoid Geonwoo’s eyes by rolling her lips as she recalled the accident had occurred.

“I think it would be nice to do that when my memories come back.”

“You don’t have to do it on my lips like last time.”

If someone heard it, it looked like she was the kind of person who is eager to kiss his lips. Of course she didn’t have any intention to kiss his lips at all. Yeonhwa was embarrassed, touched her chest and stared at Geonwoo as she was trying to calm her breathing.

“Wasn’t it your fault?”

“My fault?”

“Mr. Yoo Geonwoo suddenly turned your head and hit my lips.”

“I thought you were calling me because you put your hands on my shoulders.”

No one showed any sign of withdrawal from each other’s tight opinions. Geonwoo also did not intend to force the kiss.

Yesterday, he just wanted to be seen off by Yeonhwa…The morning kiss was unexpected. So when she said that she would give him a morning kiss, he agreed without thinking it over.

“I wasn’t trying to force it to happen.”

After taking a step back, Geonwoo took out his shoes from the shoebox and put it on. At that time, Secretary Kim, who was waiting outside, rang the doorbell on the front door.

Normally, Geonwoo would leave the house at 8:30 as if he had set the alarm. But today, it was 9 o’clock and he did not appear so Secretary Kim got worried and pressed the doorbell. When Geonwoo, with a briefcase in hand, opened the front door and came out, Secretary Kim bowed.

“Hello, Mr. President.”

Secretary Kim lifted his head and looked at Yeonhwa and bowed his head again.

“Hello, madam.”

“Let’s go.”

Geonwoo passed by Secretary Kim and walked towards the sedan which is parked in front of the house. When he was about to open the door of the back seat, someone suddenly embraced his back. There was only one person– Song Yeonhwa.

As he lowered his gaze, he saw Yeonhwa’s thin arms hugging his waist. Secretary Kim, who was watching from the front door, quickly turned around and stood with his back facing them.

“I’ll do this instead. I’m going to replace the morning kiss with this one.”

Her voice was trembling slightly when she said it. Isn’t she forcing herself to do something she doesn’t want to do to make him feel better? But if she doesn’t like it, isn’t she a bad person?

“Only until my memories come back.”

“…Yes, only until your memories come back.”

He hoped her arms would not release him but she took them away.

“ …See you in the evening.”

Geonwoo didn’t even have the chance to look at Yeonhwa’s face, she already ran and hid herself in the house. Only then that Secretary Kim approached Geonwoo with a big smile.

“That was great, Mr. President.”

Secretary Kim raised two thumbs up when Geonwoo turned his gaze to him.

“You two look like a couple now.”

Secretary Kim knew well that the two had a business relationship. Therefore, he quickly noticed the change in their relationship. When Geonwoo got into the car without saying a word, Secretary Kim walked quickly and got in the driver’s seat.

“The morning meeting was postponed for 30 minutes.”

“Well done.”

It looked like they would arrive at the company only after the rush hour was over. But since he had a great breakfast with Yeonhwa, Geonwoo didn’t worry about it. When the car started, Geonwoo turned to the window and looked at the house where she is.

”Song Yeonhwa.”

He knows she is lying to him, but why did he want her to continue? He wanted to shorten their distance because it’s where he could reach her. He thought his feelings would disappear a little if he reached her. But after he did, he kept getting more greedy.

He even forgot why he decided to divorce. That decision was shaken.