Translator: Nox

Chapter 108

108. The Purpose of Marriage

2022.05.11.

Seven years ago, the hit-and-run driver who ran Ji-heon over with his car consistently denied his wrongdoing. Because Kim Jin-gu had a criminal record, no one believed him.

Eun-bi's testimony played a significant role. However, Eun-bi, on the other hand, began to doubt her memory. She started to wonder what if Kim Jin-gu wasn't the real culprit.

In the midst of this, she learned that the police had not confiscated her black box. With a glimmer of hope, Eun-bi checked the black box video. And she discovered that the culprit's appearance was briefly captured on her black box.

The culprit was wearing the same clothes that Kim Jin-gu was wearing on the day of the accident. However, it wasn't Kim Jin-gu.

The Kim Jin-gu that Eun-bi saw had a tattoo on the back of his left hand, but the man in the video didn't have that tattoo. It was clear that there was a conspiracy to frame Kim Jin-gu.

But Eun-bi couldn't bring herself to reveal this fact. Because her own image was also briefly revealed in the video containing the culprit's appearance.

A scene of her running away as soon as she discovered the accident. It was something that Ji-heon and Ms. Jang Young-mi should never find out.

So Eun-bi hid the truth of the incident, and Kim Jin-gu was eventually sentenced to prison. In the meantime, Ji-heon's health recovered, and Ms. Jang Young-mi regarded Eun-bi as a benefactor.

Kim Jin-gu finished his one-year prison sentence and was released, but he soon committed another crime and was sentenced to five years. It was a long time. Eun-bi completely forgot about Kim Jin-gu's existence.

Dark night.

Eun-yeop received Eun-bi's call and hurriedly went to Eun-bi's house.

"Chae Eun-bi. What happened?"

Eun-yeop, who abruptly opened the door and entered, grabbed his sister by the scruff of her neck as she trembled under the blanket and demanded an explanation.

Kim Jin-gu is not the hit-and-run driver of Jeong Ji-heon. The real culprit is someone else.

"Kim Jin-gu said he would kill me."

Eun-bi said with a face distorted by fear.

"The recording. Did you record it?"

"......"

"You should have recorded it! Can't you even do that right?"

"How could I have time to do that! Do you know how surprised I was?"

When Eun-yeop shouted, Eun-bi retorted in the same way.

"Who is the real culprit? Did you see his face properly?"

"......"

"You said you have the video file."

Based on the information he had briefly heard over the phone, Eun-yeop made the demands that Eun-bi needed right away. Eun-bi got up from her seat. The black box memory card must be somewhere. It is likely to be in a box where old USBs are kept.

"Ah... it's not here..."

Eun-bi couldn't find what she was looking for, so she turned the box upside down. Eun-yeop also searched for the memory card with Eun-bi. But the memory card was nowhere to be found.

"You keep such an important thing so carelessly?"

"......"

"You're really useless."

As always, Eun-yeop's criticism poured out. Nevertheless, Eun-bi couldn't say anything.

"Don't you remember anything?"

"How can I remember something from seven years ago."

"So, he was about the same height as Kim Jin-gu?"

"His height, build, and even his clothes were exactly the same. Even now, I doubt my memory. If it weren't for that tattoo on Kim Jin-gu's hand, I would still be sure that he was the same guy."

Eun-yeop was lost in thought at Eun-bi's voice filled with resentment.

A man wearing the same clothes as Kim Jin-gu and driving Kim Jin-gu's car.

Then the hit-and-run accident is undoubtedly a planned crime. He had been planning for a long time to frame Kim Jin-gu. If it's someone who would do such a thing...

First of all, it was a priority to dig into Kim Jin-gu's old grudges.

"Listen carefully, Chae Eun-bi. This is a secret that only you and I know. Got it?"

Eun-yeop firmly instructed Eun-bi.

The living room, which had been turned upside down by the balloon bomb, became Yena's playground. Ji-heon postponed cleaning for a while and called everyone to the table. The table was filled only with Jeong-o's favorite foods. It was thanks to Yena who diligently provided information to Ji-heon.

Jeong-o asked with wide eyes.

"Did Oppa make all of this?"

"No. My mother made it..."

At Ji-heon's shy answer, Guk-soon waved her hand.

"It's because I didn't have time. I just helped out from the side."

Guk-soon gave the credit to Ji-heon, but Jeong-o could guess that Guk-soon had done almost everything. Perhaps Ji-heon had just laid everything out and was flustered. That's how it was seven years ago, on the first day he rolled up his sleeves to try cooking.

"Mom, Ji-heon is a good cook. Of course, he's forgotten everything now, but he used to do it seven years ago, so if Mom teaches him, he'll learn quickly."

"You're not thinking about learning yourself, you're just thinking about making others cook for you?"

"Mom, you always say that it's my fate to be well-fed. And Oppa is interested in cooking, you know?"

Jeong-o's imagination had already reached the image of her mother and son-in-law cooking together happily in the kitchen. Ji-heon seconded Jeong-o's words without any discomfort.

"I'm happy to. If my mother teaches me, I can learn diligently."

"Oh my, it couldn't be more burdensome."

Even while saying it was burdensome, Guk-soon's lips stretched into a long line.

Yena also had a happy face throughout. After finishing her meal, Yena roamed around the house again, making a mess. Jeong-o's steps also became busy following Yena. Ji-heon's gaze, sitting face to face with Guk-soon and talking, occasionally moved towards Jeong-o with a lingering look.

Yena, who had been playing tag with her mother, ran over and breathed heavily on Guk-soon's lap, shouting.

"Grandma, I want to live here! This place is nice!"

"I know. Grandma likes it too, and the kitchen is really nice..."

Guk-soon's eyes were drawn to the spacious kitchen above all else. It was as spacious as a restaurant kitchen, but it wasn't complicated, so she liked it very much. In a kitchen like this, she felt like she would be happy every time she cooked.

But this house was too burdensome.

"It's so nice... but looking at the windows makes me a little dizzy."

It was so dizzy that it was hard to even look at the windows. Even when she took the elevator up, her stomach kept churning, so she had to hold her breath.

"I'm sorry. Yena's dad."

"It's okay."

Ji-heon also knew Guk-soon's difficulties well because he had heard about it from Jeong-o in advance.

"First of all, I'm going to look for a house as soon as possible. They say that an apartment complex next to Do-bin's house is well-built. Let's go together tomorrow."

Ji-heon calmly recited the plans for the future.

"And I'm going to register our marriage on Monday. We'll prepare the wedding later."

"Do we really have to have a wedding?"

A wedding that takes place only when the child is seven years old. Moreover, a wedding that is bound to cause all sorts of rumors in the world. Guk-soon carefully asked, worried about the spotlight that would fall on Jeong-o.

"We will. We'll do everything we have to do."

Ji-heon's determination was firm without a moment's hesitation. Guk-soon felt relieved that her son-in-law answered so firmly.

She could trust that Ji-heon would protect Jeong-o well so that nothing difficult would happen to her. Even in the meantime, Ji-heon's gaze was occasionally directed towards Jeong-o.

After eating delicious food, cleaning the house, and talking about the future, it was already late at night. Jeong-o, who had been working on the weekend, was also tired. Yena fell asleep in Ji-heon's arms. Guk-soon also got up from her seat.

"I'm getting sleepy now too. Get some rest soon. I'll take Yena and sleep in that room at the very end."

"No, Mom. I'll take care of Yena..."

"Thank you. Mother."

Jeong-o was about to take care of Yena, but Ji-heon bowed his head first. Jeong-o looked at Ji-heon with a start, feeling like he had blocked her words.

Following Guk-soon's instructions, Ji-heon moved the sleeping Yena to the end room. And after taking care of Guk-soon and Yena's sleeping arrangements, he calmly told them other important things and bowed politely.

As soon as Guk-soon said she was sleepy, things progressed smoothly. As if he had been waiting for this moment.

"Then good night."

"Okay. Yena's dad, you worked so hard today. You were great."

"Thank you."

"Congratulations. You two."

Friendly greetings were exchanged and Guk-soon waved her hand. Jeong-o's cheeks flushed slightly in the atmosphere that already felt like they had finished the wedding.

While Jeong-o was waving her hand blankly, Ji-heon bowed deeply to Guk-soon and carefully closed the door backwards. It was a movement as skilled and streamlined as a hotel manager.

Turning around, he asked playfully.

"Are you sick somewhere? Your face is red."

"Huh? No. Just."

"......"

"Ah, you really worked hard today. Oppa must be very tired."

"No, I'm not tired at all."

"Even if you say that, you must be tired? You'll fall asleep as soon as you lie down."

"Jeong-o."

"......"

"I have something to say."

His expression suddenly became serious, which made her nervous as well. Jeong-o's eyelids, which had been half-closed while feigning a tired expression, flicked open upwards.

"What is it? ...Is it about my mother?"

"......"

"Or are you talking about Chae Eun-bi?"

"Anyway, let's go inside."

Ji-heon grabbed Jeong-o's hand. Unlike his gentle voice, his grip was strong. Jeong-o followed Ji-heon's quick steps. Her heart beat as fast as her hurried steps. Soon, their toes reached the bedroom.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and entered the bedroom.

Click, the door closed. The light turned on.

"What's wrong? Tell me quickly."

"Well."

"Yeah. Yeah. Tell me."

"I love you."

Jeong-o's eyes glazed over, wondering what she had just heard. Her tense shoulders relaxed. But her eyes sharpened.

"...Are you kidding me?"

He just wore a leisurely smile.

"You scared me half to death...!"

Before she could finish speaking, her body floated up and then sank. The soft bed sheets warmly wrapped around her back. And before her eyes was Jeong Ji-heon.

Ji-heon's eyes, which had instantly taken over her, showed no signs of fatigue at all. Rather, they were full of desire, as if it was just beginning.

It was the look of admiring a delicious prey before devouring it. In fact, he had been looking at her with that look all day, but she had been too busy chasing after Yena to notice.

"I've been waiting all day. To lay you down here."

He lowered his body with an explicit remark. His heated breath lingered on her cheek, then flowed along her neckline and collarbone. She squinted one eye at the faint stimulation. Ji-heon's breath grew even heavier because her face was so beautiful.

Since their secret meeting in Australia, a lot had happened to them. Their hearts had touched, but their bodies had rarely touched. It was a time full of tasks.

"What do you think marriage is? Do you just think it's a joint childcare community?"

Every moment of raising a beautiful child together was precious and happy, but they couldn't be satisfied with just seeing each other as the child's father and the child's mother.

He was quite reserved in front of Guk-soon and became a kind father who could do everything Yena asked for, but that wasn't all. Jeong Ji-heon is not actually a reserved or kind person.

"I think it's this."

The definition of marriage, which had been regarded as sacred, became sensual following his voice. A claim that was just like Jeong Ji-heon. A claim that was obscene but closest to the essence. Jeong-o didn't feel like arguing.

The lips that had awakened the truth licked her plump lips and moved into an area that no one dared to touch, an area that only Jeong Ji-heon could touch.

She gasped and twisted her body, releasing the breath she had been holding in her mouth. The man, whose nerves were on edge at her slightest tremor, raised his head to check her face again.

He finds a strange comfort even in the midst of excitement.

This moment when she shakes him and drives him crazy was actually salvation for him.