CONTRACT MARRIAGE: SUSPICION Vol. 2
6. My Dear Wife
Click clack click clack. The sharp sound of high heels echoed across the campus. A woman wearing black aviator sunglasses and a navy cashmere coat looked around with an interested expression. She had an unusual aura. After glancing at the campus map once, she easily found her way. She lowered her sunglasses slightly as she headed toward the College of Education, checking the building.
"So this is the place."
Her thick, luscious black hair swayed as she walked into the College of Education. Her soft features even gave off a gentle, puppy-like vibe, but she didn’t seem easy to deal with.
A student leaving the building glanced at her. Why was she wearing sunglasses indoors?
"Excuse me."
"Y-Yes?"
Hearing the guy’s dazed voice, the woman smiled gently.
"Do you know where Professor Seon Jae-hee's office is?"
"P-Professor Seon Jae-hee? You mean... the Department of Education?"
"Yeah, Professor 'Seon Jae-hee' from the Department of Education."
The woman emphasized Seon Jae-hee’s name. The guy thought of Jae-hee, who was famous as the goddess of the department, and wondered what connection this extraordinary woman had with her.
"I don’t know where her office is, but... the department office’s on the third floor. You can take that elevator at the end and go left."
"Thanks."
She lowered her sunglasses slightly and smirked. The guy held his breath.
Despite her strange outfit, her sultry voice belonged to someone breathtakingly beautiful. He watched, mouth agape, as she walked down the dim hallway of the College of Education like it was a world-class runway.
"...fucking gorgeous."
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"Unnie, I need to make expense reports, so go nag Professor Cha a bit. No matter what I say, he won’t listen."
"The deadline is coming up soon, right?"
"It's due this weekend. You know how the research foundation flips out if we submit the documents late."
"I'm dying too. He still thinks I’m an undergrad."
"Well, since you were the professor's little cutie and a Dobby, it makes sense. You did everything they asked, so maybe that’s why they still think of you that way."
"You should be able to let go now. It’s tough."
"Mm, but still, I want to keep seeing Professor Seon always being so helpless around the professors."
"Stop messing around, again!"
"Huh? Someone’s here?"
Soo-jin let out a sarcastic exclamation and stopped the conversation when she saw the woman standing in front of the department office. She quickly moved away from Jae-hee, afraid of being scolded, and walked briskly ahead as lunch break was nearing its end. Jae-hee, thinking the woman was likely a graduate student, let Soo-jin go first with a little annoyance and walked slowly behind.
"Excuse me, where did you come from?"
"..."
The woman scanned Soo-jin without answering, then turned her gaze to Jae-hee, who was standing behind her. What's going on? Ignored to her face, Soo-jin looked back at Jae-hee with a stunned expression. Do they know each other?
"...Unnie?"
"...You...?"
Jae-hee was usually a person who rarely showed her emotions. She was so reserved that people would even say she was stingy with her feelings. But now, the usually composed Jae-hee opened her mouth wide in surprise. Seeing Jae-hee's shocked expression, Soo-jin also looked back and forth between the woman and Jae-hee in surprise. At that moment, the woman looked at them and smiled brightly.
"I missed you."
Click, clack. The sound of high heels echoed brightly down the hallway, and the woman tightly embraced Jae-hee, pulling her into a hug. Jae-hee, unable to speak in surprise, and the woman holding her tight, while Soo-jin watched them. Soo-jin, panicking so much her head went blank, knew what she had to do right then. She shut her eyes tightly, put all her strength into pulling the two apart, and screamed.
"You... can't do this here!"
….
"Please, please answer... Goddess Yoo-jin, what are you doing?!"
Soo-jin ground her teeth and stomped her feet. When she screamed and pulled them apart, the two of them obediently separated. They then went into the research room. After Jae-hee and the strange woman entered the research room, no sound came from the door even when Soo-jin pressed her ear to it. It was a woman she had never seen before. Realizing that she was not someone from Jae-hee's connections in Korea, Soo-jin suddenly thought that she should inform Yoo-jin about this.
It might have been someone Jae-hee met during her study abroad, but even though Jae-hee had occasionally sent Soo-jin pictures of people she met during that time, Soo-jin had never seen this face. While Soo-jin had made the mistake of not recognizing Yoo-jin, it was because she was sure that the daughter of a wealthy family would not be one of Jae-hee's study-abroad friends. With her excellent memory, Soo-jin was certain that the woman was not someone Jae-hee knew. Not wanting to make a fuss, but seeing Jae-hee so flustered for the first time and the skinship between them, Soo-jin felt that their relationship was not a normal one.
She had never called Yoo-jin first. She knew how busy Yoo-jin was, and even Jae-hee said she saved contact during work hours. Soo-jin didn’t want to disturb Yoo-jin and felt they could talk anytime without calling at that moment. So, she had never dialed the number. If there was no reason she could justify to herself, she had never initiated contact.
But at this moment, Soo-jin herself had found a reason urgent enough to convince her. As the call tone flowed and then disconnected, thinking it was the last chance, Soo-jin called Yoo-jin again.
"…Hello?"
"Ah! Unnie, it's me! Kang Soo-jin!"
"What happened?"
At Soo-jin's urgent voice, Yoo-jin immediately sensed something was wrong and asked back. Soo-jin, grateful for Yoo-jin's quick response, said hurriedly.
"Right now, an unfamiliar woman showed up to Jae-hee unnie, and that woman said she missed her! Then Jae-hee unnie was so shocked, she couldn't even close her mouth!"
"…What?"
Soo-jin felt frustrated with her lack of explanation skills. Every time she was shocked, she ended up babbling incoherently, and it made her feel pathetic. She spoke quickly, in a rush.
"Then that woman hugged Jae-hee unnie, so I had to pull her away first!"
What? Hugged? Seeing Yoo-jin's expression freeze coldly, Secretary Choi became tense. It seemed like something serious had happened. For the first time, Yoo-jin asked for permission and stopped the meeting. It had been a strategic meeting with the directors, who could be considered her closest aides. Since Yoo-jin had never stopped a meeting for personal reasons, the directors' faces showed confusion. They tried to maintain their composure, but Yoo-jin, stunned by the information Soo-jin brought, looked like she had been hit over the head with a hammer. She soon regained her composure and continued speaking.
"Good job, Miss Soo-jin. You don't know that person, right?"
"Really, I know all of Jae-hee unnie's friends since coming to Korea, but that was a face I'd never seen before! Even in the photos she sent me when she was studying abroad, that face wasn't there!"
"…I’ll go now."
"What?! Are you sure it’s okay?"
Wait a second. Is it really okay? Soo-jin felt that things were escalating, and she grabbed the collar of her shirt.
"Yes, Miss Soo-jin, keep watching to see if that person leaves or not."
"Yes? Yes!"
It sounded like she was really about to leave in a hurry as there was noise from the phone. Yoo-jin, with a hurried face, shouted at Secretary Choi to have the car ready and asked for understanding from the directors. These people had known Yoo-jin for a long time, and while this situation was awkward, the directors, seeing Yoo-jin's request urgently, told her to go ahead. Secretary Choi, seeing Yoo-jin bowing to show gratitude, quickly contacted the driver. The sight of Yoo-jin being flustered was the first time since she joined the company, which made everyone feel even more anxious. The sound of high heels echoed loudly enough for Soo-jin to hear as Yoo-jin quickly walked.
"Miss Soo-jin."
"Yes, unnie! Go ahead."
"I have something I'm curious about."
Yoo-jin's voice was out of breath as if she were running. She sounded angry, and Soo-jin tensed up. Yoo-jin quietly asked in a low voice.
"Is she pretty?"
At Yoo-jin's question, Soo-jin stupidly asked back.
"...What?"
"Is that woman pretty?"
Soo-jin thought that this situation was very serious. A mysterious woman appeared amidst the already uneasy gazes toward Jae-hee on campus. And Jae-hee, who was visibly shaken by that woman. The traitor, Kang Soo-jin, hurriedly told Yoo-jin about it. Even Yoo-jin, who had heard the shocking news. Yet, in that situation, the first question she asked was that? It was bewildering, but Soo-jin struggled to recall the woman’s face and answered.
"...Uh, I think she's pretty... maybe."
"Is she prettier than me?"
Soo-jin barely swallowed her frivolous words, thinking that it couldn't possibly be true. She turned her head toward Yoo-jin, who couldn't even be seen.
"You're much prettier, Unnie!"
"...Alright. Thank you for contacting me, Miss Soo-jin."
"Yes, yes! Unnie!"
Click, the phone call ended, and Soo-jin blankly replayed the conversation in her mind. Even though she had babbled, it seemed like she got the main point across, but the outcome still felt uncomfortable. She also suddenly realized just how important Jae-hee was to Yoo-jin. The CEO of Howon Department Store, who was leading domestic trends, was coming here for just this one phone call. Ah, wait a minute. If she finds out that I called such a busy person here... because of one of Jae-hee unnie's acquaintances... Oh my God, Jae-hee unnie might... try to kill me. Soo-jin shuddered, repeatedly rubbing her arms.
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