The house had been unusually quiet since morning.
Yerin sat on the sofa with her phone in one hand, staring at the same screen without actually reading anything.
Her thoughts kept returning to Ji-hoon.
To his message.
To the fact that he was somewhere abroad, dealing with something he had refused to explain.
And to the promise she had made.
She couldn't tell anyone.
Not yet.
Especially not Do-hyun.
"You're going to burn a hole through that phone."
Yerin looked up.
Do-hyun stood a few steps away, holding a glass of water.
"What?"
"You've been staring at it for ten minutes."
"I have not."
"You have."
She locked her phone.
"Happy?"
"Not really."
He sat down on the opposite end of the sofa.
"Something's bothering you."
Yerin looked at him.
"You said you wouldn't ask."
"I said I wouldn't force you to tell me."
She raised an eyebrow.
"That's basically the same thing."
"No, it isn't."
"How?"
"Because I'm still allowed to be curious."
She laughed softly.
"You're impossible."
"So I've been told."
A small silence followed.
Yerin looked at him for a moment.
"Do-hyun?"
"Hm?"
"Do you ever think about how strange everything became?"
He looked at her.
"Every day."
She smiled.
"Good. So it's not just me."
"Definitely not."
She leaned back.
"If someone told me a year ago that I'd end up married to you, I'd probably laugh in their face."
"I would've done the same."
"And now?"
Do-hyun looked at her for a moment.
"Now..."
He paused.
"I don't know."
Yerin smiled faintly.
Neither of them said anything more.
That night, Yerin couldn't settle down.
She walked into the living room and found Do-hyun checking something on his phone.
"Do-hyun."
He looked up.
"Yes?"
"Let's go for a drive."
He blinked.
"Now?"
"Yes."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
He studied her.
"You just want to get out."
"Maybe."
He stood.
"Give me five minutes."
Yerin smiled.
"Five?"
"Four."
"Now you're showing off."
He laughed.
A few minutes later, they were in the car.
The city lights passed quietly outside the windows.
Yerin rested her head against the seat and looked through the windshield.
"Where are we going?"
"You said you didn't know."
"So you're just driving?"
"Yes."
"That's reassuring."
"Would you rather drive?"
She immediately shook her head.
"No."
"Then stop complaining."
She smiled.
The music changed.
Yerin reached for the controls.
"No."
Do-hyun stopped her hand.
"That's my song."
"Your song?"
"Yes."
"You don't own it."
"I do tonight."
She laughed.
"You're ridiculous."
"And you're still listening."
"Unfortunately."
They continued driving.
Eventually, the city became quieter.
The roads stretched ahead of them.
Yerin looked outside.
"Wait."
"What?"
"Are we going to the beach?"
Do-hyun glanced at her.
"Looks like it."
She smiled.
"Good."
They parked near the beach.
The night air was cool.
The sound of the waves reached them before they even reached the shore.
Yerin slipped off her shoes and picked them up in one hand before stepping closer to the shore.
Do-hyun glanced down at her bare feet.
"You're going to walk barefoot?"
"Obviously."
"It's cold."
"I'll survive."
She took another step, but before she could continue, Do-hyun reached out and gently took her shoes from her hand.
Yerin looked at him, surprised.
"What are you doing?"
"Give them to me."
"I can carry my own shoes."
"I know."
He held them loosely in one hand and started walking beside her.
Yerin watched him for a moment, a small smile appearing on her lips.
"You didn't have to."
She looked ahead, trying to hide her smile.
"You're becoming strangely considerate."
Do-hyun glanced at her.
"Don't get used to it."
Yerin laughed softly.
But somehow, the simple sight of him carrying her shoes beside her made the walk feel a little different.
They walked toward the water.
The waves came and went quietly.
Yerin sat on a large rock near the shore.
Do-hyun sat beside her.
For several minutes, neither spoke.
There was no need to.
The ocean filled the silence.
Yerin looked toward the horizon.
"It's beautiful."
"Yeah."
She smiled.
"You know what I used to think about when I came to places like this?"
"What?"
"Running away."
Do-hyun looked at her.
"From everything?"
"Pretty much."
She laughed softly.
"Family. Responsibilities. University. Marriage."
She paused.
"And you."
Do-hyun smiled.
"I was on the list?"
"You were at the top."
"That's comforting."
Yerin laughed.
"You were unbearable."
"You weren't exactly pleasant."
"I was perfectly pleasant."
"You drove like you were trying to scare me to death."
"You survived."
"Barely."
She laughed again.
The conversation slowly became quieter.
Yerin looked down at the sand.
"It's strange."
"What?"
"How everything changed."
Do-hyun didn't answer immediately.
She continued.
"When we first got married, I couldn't even stand being in the same room with you."
"You were always annoying."
"And now..."
She stopped.
"Now what?"
She looked at him.
"Now I don't mind."
He smiled.
She smiled.
Then looked toward the ocean again.
"I never thought I'd become comfortable around you."
"I never thought I'd trust you."
"I definitely never thought I'd miss you when you're not around."
Do-hyun looked at her.
Yerin suddenly realized what she'd said.
She cleared her throat.
"I mean... sometimes."
"Sometimes?"
"Don't push it."
He laughed.
She smiled.
Then the laughter faded.
Yerin looked at him.
"Do-hyun?"
"Hm?"
"Do you still think our marriage was a mistake?"
His expression changed slightly.
He looked toward the water.
"The way it started?"
He paused.
"Yes."
Yerin's smile disappeared.
"But..."
She looked at him.
He turned toward her.
"Meeting you wasn't."
Her eyes softened.
Neither spoke.
The wind moved gently through her hair.
Yerin looked away.
"You're different."
"So are you."
"No."
She smiled faintly.
"I mean... you used to make everything difficult."
"You did too."
"I still do."
"Definitely."
She laughed.
Then, after a moment, she quietly said,
"You know..."
He looked at her.
"You're not as annoying as you used to be."
Do-hyun stared at her.
Then laughed.
"That's the closest thing to a compliment I've ever gotten from you."
Yerin smiled.
"I was trying."
"I can tell."
She looked down.
The next words came out before she could stop them.
"Maybe that's because I fell in love with you."
Silence.
Yerin froze.
Her eyes widened.
She slowly looked at him.
Do-hyun wasn't laughing.
He was staring at her.
Her heart began beating faster.
"I..."
She looked away immediately.
"Forget I said that."
Do-hyun smiled.
"Absolutely not."
She covered part of her face with her hand.
"Oh my God."
He laughed softly.
"You said it."
"Very clearly."
"You can't take it back."
She lowered her hand and looked at him.
"You're enjoying this."
"A little."
"Do-hyun."
His smile softened.
"Yerin."
She became quiet.
He looked at her for a long moment.
Then he said,
"I think I fell in love with you a long time ago."
Her expression changed.
"You did?"
"Somewhere between all the arguments."
She smiled.
"That doesn't narrow it down."
He laughed.
"Somewhere between the arguments, the fights, the ridiculous situations..."
He paused.
"And the moments when I realized I cared about you more than I was supposed to."
Yerin's eyes softened.
"I didn't know."
"I didn't either."
They looked at each other.
Neither of them moved.
The sound of the waves seemed farther away now.
Do-hyun slowly moved closer.
Yerin didn't pull away.
Their eyes remained locked.
He stopped just before reaching her.
Giving her the choice.
Yerin quietly closed the remaining distance.
Their lips met in a gentle, brief kiss.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then they slowly pulled apart.
Yerin looked away.
Do-hyun cleared his throat.
"So..."
She glanced at him.
"So?"
"That happened."
She laughed.
He looked toward the ocean.
"Good."
Yerin smiled.
She laughed again.
"You're terrible at this."
"At what?"
"Being romantic."
"I wasn't trying to be romantic."
"That makes it worse."
They both laughed.
The awkwardness slowly disappeared.
Yerin shifted slightly closer to him.
This time, neither of them noticed the distance between them disappearing.
They simply sat there.
Together.
It was late when they finally returned to the car.
Do-hyun started the engine.
The music played quietly.
Yerin looked out of the window.
Neither spoke for several minutes.
Then she glanced at him.
"Do-hyun?"
"Hm?"
"I'm glad we came here."
He smiled.
"Me too."
She turned back toward the window.
A small smile appeared on her face.
For the first time, neither of them was wondering what their marriage meant.
They already knew.
It wasn't something their fathers had decided anymore.
It wasn't something they were trapped inside.
It was something they had chosen.
And as the city lights slowly appeared ahead of them, Yerin quietly touched her lips and smiled to herself.
Do-hyun noticed.
But he said nothing.
He simply smiled and kept driving.
...To Be Continued...