Deal Breaker - Chapter 90
After terminating the Guide contract, the two of them hadn’t bound themselves to anything yet, other than the playful verbal contract they had made. The contract that had connected them was broken forever, but it didn’t matter. From now on, a vow would bind them.
They left the district office and headed straight to Hyeji’s old apartment. After Hyeji moved into Kanghyeon’s place, her first Han River–view apartment became a home where her grandmother lived alone.
They had expected her to feel lonely, but surprisingly, that gentle grandpa and her grandmother’s friends visited often, so her schedule was as packed as a company Director’s. And since it was just one bridge across the Han River, her grandmother crossed over every day to see her great-granddaughter, practically clocking in at Hyeji’s place.
Today, they planned to take Madam Kim Geumok to Vice Minister Han and his wife’s villa. It was the first time Hyeji would see Kanghyeon’s parents since the day after she was discharged from the hospital following her surgery.
That day, Hyeji planned a surprise event and prepared the marriage registration form, but since she didn’t know the details on the husband’s side, she asked them to fill it out. The two of them readily put their heads together to fill in the few remaining blanks, then started bickering again.
They argued every time she saw them. While wearing matching couple outfits, too. They really were a fascinating couple.
“So that’s why Mother said she’d take care of Saebyeok while we travel. I wondered why you suddenly brought up a trip.”
She had asked them to keep it a secret, and yet they had been subtly spoiling it like that.
“Then should we have the wedding in spring?”
“Huh? We’re having a wedding?”
“Of course we are.”
“I don’t have anyone to invite.”
“Ah, and I can’t accept congratulatory money.”
Since his father was a high-ranking public official, it felt more comfortable not to accept any.
“Then let’s invite only family and have a small wedding. Small in scale, luxurious in quality, and large in cost.”
She liked the small and luxury parts, but the large part gave her pause. Now that Kanghyeon’s money was her money, bleeding Han Kanghyeon dry would be the same as bleeding herself dry.
“Do we need to get a wedding planner?”
“You said small. I can look into it myself.”
“That’s a hassle.”
Their opinions, which already diverged starting with the wedding planner, continued to clash neatly all the way through the venue and then the dress.
“We should buy the dress.”
“Buy what. We can just rent it.”
“You want to wear something someone else already wore at our wedding?”
“You want me to buy something that expensive just to wear for one day?”
“Then buy a design you can wear again.”
“When would I ever wear a wedding dress again?”
“Oh, right. That dress you were wearing when we made Saebyeok, you said you’d never have a chance to wear it again. You can wear it to the reception.”
“That one?”
From the fact that it had a deeply plunging back to the fact that it had the history of being worn when they made a baby, it was perfect for making a sacred wedding feel vulgar.
“Should we get new rings?”
“No, we already have couple rings.”
“They’re not wedding rings though.”
“People use this design as wedding rings anyway, so why get new ones?”
But Kanghyeon ignored Hyeji’s objections completely and kept going with what he wanted to say.
“And we need a proposal ring, too.”
“Then what’s this supposed to be?”
The diamond ring on Hyeji’s left ring finger glittered in the sunlight. When she heard he had originally planned to put it on her finger at the airport the day he returned from Libya, she had been utterly dumbfounded. Buying an expensive ring before even confessing. There was no move more impulsive than that.
“I didn’t give it to you while proposing.”
“It’s already late, so aim for a remarriage.”
“Wow, Saebyeok’s mom, you really don’t let a single word slide.”
“Esper Han Kanghyeon, listen well to your Guide.”
Hyeji mimed tugging on an invisible leash. Kanghyeon tilted his head toward her as if being pulled, but it was just for show. He blatantly offered his cheek instead. At the silent demand for a kiss, Hyeji gave in as if she couldn’t help it. The moment her lips touched his cheek, the corners of Kanghyeon’s mouth curved upward.
It was still a relationship with neither an absolute superior nor an absolute subordinate. But the precarious power struggles of the past would no longer be necessary. The balance of this relationship, supported by love, wouldn’t collapse.
The car sped smoothly across the wide-open bridge. Crossing the Han River shimmering with winter sunlight, even when their conversation stopped, Hyeji’s gaze lingered on Kanghyeon’s face.
“The view’s amazing, right? You’re totally hooked, you can’t take your eyes off it.”
Hyeji couldn’t refute it and just smiled.
Watching the Han River or falling into the Han River. There was no rule saying you couldn’t do both.
– [ Deal Breaker ], Main Story End –
