Hae-in turned her face slightly, meeting his eyes again.
"I've seen this all my life," she said, softer now. "That's why I never believed in marriage. Or love… or whatever people call it."
A faint, tired smile touched her lips. "It always felt like a trap… decorated nicely so no one questions it."
Ji-hoon inhaled slowly. His thumb, which had been resting lightly near her wrist, moved— just to ground her.
"I get why you're scared," he said quietly.
Her eyes flickered.
He continued, voice steady but gentle. "What you saw… It's real. It happens. And it's wrong."
A pause. "And I hate that you had to grow up watching that… thinking that's what love looks like."
He shifted slightly so he could look at her properly.
"But Hae-in…" he said softly, "not every story ends like that."
She didn't respond. But her eyes didn't leave his.
"That kind of love you described…" he continued, choosing his words carefully, "it's not love. It's convenience. Possession. Ego. Fear of being alone."
His jaw tightened slightly. "Love doesn't make someone disappear," he said. "It doesn't shrink you… or punish you for changing… or leave you alone when you need it the most."
Her breath slowed.
He wasn't speaking loudly. But every word landed.
"Love should make you feel more like yourself," he added. "Not less."
That did something. She blinked, her gaze softening just a fraction.
A small smile touched his lips—not playful this time, but warm… certain.
"I'm not those men," he said quietly.
"And I don't want you to become like your sisters either," he continued. "I don't want you to lose yourself… your dreams… your voice… just to keep me or this relationship."
Her chest tightened.
"If that ever happens…" he paused, searching her face, "…then I've already failed as your husband."
He reached up slowly, brushing a strand of hair away from her face. "No one should have to earn love by suffering," he murmured.
Her eyes burned.
This time… not from anger. Something else. Something fragile.
"You keep saying you love me," she whispered after a moment. "But how do I know it won't change?" she said quietly. "Because Everyone says that in the beginning, they all sound sincere… until they don't."
Jihoon just looked at her.
"So how do I know you won't change?" she asked. "How do I know this isn't just… a phase? Or worse—something you're saying because you know I need to hear it?"
Her questions were calm. But precise.
Like she was testing the ground before taking a step.
Ji-hoon didn't look offended. If anything, there was a quiet respect in his gaze.
"Answer me," she said.
He didn't answer immediately. He didn't rush. Instead, he shifted closer… just enough to close the space between them.
"I can't prove the future to you," he said. "I can't show you what I'll be ten years from now."
A small pause. "But I can show you who I am today… and I can keep showing up every day after that." His voice dropped softer. "Consistently."
Her breathing slowed.
"I'll mess up sometimes," he admitted. "I may make mistakes. Because I'm a human… I might hurt you someday without even realizing it."
He didn't dress it up. Didn't try to look perfect.
"But I won't stop choosing you," he said. "Not only when it's easy… but also when it's hard."
His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek now. "And if someday you feel like I'm becoming someone you're afraid of…"
He held her gaze. "…then don't suppress yourself like your sisters did."
Her heart skipped.
"Fight me. Question me. Call me out," he said. "Don't lose yourself to keep me."
Her eyes shimmered.
He smiled softly, kissing the back of her hand. "I fell for you because of who you are, Hae-ina… not so I can change you into someone else."
Still… She didn't let it go that easily.
"And what if one day I change?" she asked slowly, "What if I'm not the same person you fell for? What if I become difficult… or tired… or not… attractive enough by your standards?"
The room felt… quieter. "Then also I'll choose you and stay," he said.
She is still looking at him, trying to trust him.
Ji-hoon didn't even blink. His voice softened again.
"You think love is about catching someone at their best version and freezing them there?" he asked, a faint curve in his lips. "People change, Hae-ina. Bodies change. Moods change. Life changes."
"But if I only loved you for the parts that are easy… then that's not love. That's convenience."
Her breath slowed.
"And I'm not here for convenience," he finished quietly.
Silence settled between them, soft and breathing.
She still looked at him… and he smiled. Slowly, he leaned forward… and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"Thank you," he whispered, his voice low and warm, "for trusting me enough to show me the parts of you no one else sees."
Her eyes still stayed on him. Not blinking. Not moving. Just… studying him.
His smile deepened just a little. "What are you thinking now?" he asked.
She held his gaze. "This month, you sent Yeobin a monthly allowance?"
He nodded, "Yes."
"Why?" she asked.
"What do you mean by why? I promised you, remember?" he said with a smile.
Her eyes didn't leave his. "You're making me believe… that you're different from others," she said slowly, like she was testing the truth of her own words.
A pause. "Can I trust you?"
For a moment… he didn't answer. Not because he didn't know.
But because he did. Too well.
"What should I do… to make you trust me?" he asked instead.
That caught her off guard. Because even she didn't know. Trust wasn't something she could define… or demand… or measure.
She looked at him for a moment longer, then asked quietly, "Are you sure… you'll stay the same till the end?"
Ji-hoon shook his head. "No."
Her expression changed instantly—guard rising again, eyes sharpening.
But before it could settle—He leaned closer. So close their noses brushed lightly.
"I won't stay the same," he murmured, voice dipped in warmth and quiet mischief. "I'll fall more in love with you… more than today… more than tomorrow…"
His thumb brushed her cheek. "And maybe… I'll end up completely addicted to you, cutie."
She didn't react. Instead, her eyes moved slowly across his face again—lingering on the small details she had come to notice without realizing. The curve of his lips, the softness in his gaze, the quiet warmth he carried so effortlessly.
And once again—Something in her began to melt.
Her guards didn't just lower this time. They… faded.
Ji-hoon noticed it. The way her eyes held him. A quiet pull. Unspoken… but undeniable.
A quiet tension built between them.
He moved closer. Slowly. Carefully. Giving her time to step away.
But this time… she didn't retreat. Didn't stiffen or look away.
She stayed. Letting him come closer. Letting him enter the space she once guarded so fiercely.
Their lips hovered… barely a breath apart.
And then—Her eyes fluttered shut like she had already chosen this.
That was all the permission he needed.
Their lips met.