Chapter 10

Hyunbin closed the door and his eyes met Yejin's. Yejin cleared and diverted her gaze away from him. He sighed knowing that it would have happened after the confession. He cleared his throat and bit his lips, nervously.

"Woosik and Hari came. So, I let them use my bedroom," he said as wiping his hands to his trousers, uneasily.

"Eoh, Oppa!" she nodded still diverting her eyes far.

"Do you feel uncomfortable, if I sleep on your bed?" he asked seeing her awkward gestures.

"You slept here before..." she mumbled.

"I mean if you are feeling awkward after ...."

"Just sleep, Oppa!" she cut him in an instant feeling irritated with the sudden awkwardness that comes from him.

-------

Yejin was sleeping while looking at his back against her. She fixed her arm that her head was being put on. The dim light of the room couldn't hide his nervousness in front of her. His breath couldn't hide his breathing pace as his chest was up and down unnaturally. The one she was scared of all the time had started and she didn't know how to melt the ice.

"Oppa ...." she mumbled in a low voice, knowing that he was still awake.

"Uhm ..."

"Am I the woman you told me in a campsite?" she reminded him of the confession conversation about the men and women's side in love.

"Uhm ..." he replied without hesitation that made her eyes trembled.

"How long?" she asked.

"Told you, I don't know ..." he replied still not facing her.

"Why did you tell me about the chance? You are my husband already."

"Husband in a paper, but I still don't know your feeling about me. And this marriage also has a chance to be ended in a divorce ..." his voice lowered saying that word, remembering their first time talking about the marriage in the coffee shop. Remembering the unwritten agreement that when one of them finds their true love, they would divorce. It was impossible for him, but it was still possible for her.

"Oppa ... can you turn your back to me?" she asked but he didn't move even in an inch still in his deep thought.

"Oppa ..." she asked softly. He finally gave up and turned his back to face her. He felt ashamed about the latest kiss and roamed his sight out of her.

Yejin who looked at his confused and awkward gestures sighed deeply. She caressed his cheek softly and looked straight into his eyes.

"Why can't we act as we did so far? I feel awkward with this." she sighed.

"I don't want it."

"What will we do after this?" her hand dropped from his cheek didn't know what to say more. His firm answer shook her inside.

"Get used to it, first ..."

"What do you mean?"

"Date, Confess, Answer ..."

"You confessed just a moment ago ..." she tried to giggle naturally while diverted her gaze from his.

"Uhm... Confess, Date, Answer..."

"Why?" she questioned him.

"I want to feel what others are doing with their beloved one. The flutters from both sides ..." he shut his mouth for a moment while she was waiting for him. "I want to make you flutter as I do. But, not because of another man," he sighed dropping his sight.

"I give you a chance, Oppa. But, promise me don't act awkward after this ..." she said as Hyunbin let out a slight smile and caressed her cheek.

"How long?"

"Uhm?" she twitched her eyebrows together.

"I mean. I might need some time to make you fall for me before you answer. Since we don't have much time to be together after this. You with your work and also me," he asked biting his lower lip, feeling shy out of sudden.

On another side, she looked at him sincerely. She watched his facial expression that changed every time he blurted his sincere words. She knew it wasn't acting since he is not an actor and it was too real to be done by an actor if he weren't a veteran actor.

"Cinema..." she mumbled.

"What?"

"Come to the cinema with me after my newest movie is released." She strayed her sight afar after saying the words.

"I will ..." he tugged a smile at her answer.

*****((()))******

In the early morning, he sat on the 2nd floor's sofa of the Exhibition hall watching the people mesmerizing his artworks.  After Yejin sprained her leg, he went to the Exhibition by himself, he didn't let Yejin follow him. Hari and Woosik who were taking their days off to Daegu also there with her. He was being grateful for their appearance. With their unseen help, he could get closer to her. For the whole night, he could see the face he was mesmerized for so long clearly.

Not only the closeness but the conversation last night also made him couldn't hide his happiness in smiles. His focus was out of the exhibition. Last night gave him hope to go further. The confession he was longing for to do, but ruined by his accuses. The words he was keeping for so long, finally blurted out.

"Nice to meet you again, Hyunbin-ssi!"  a familiar voice came closer to him.

"Oh, Sit here!" He tapped to the right-side of him.

"How about your wedding? Seeing you giggled, chuckled, and smiled by himself, I bet your marriage has gone too well. Am I right?" Hwang reporter who suddenly stood up beside the sofa with his big smile, winking to Hyunbin. The one who was being teased turned his face to him happily.

"Just sit first, Yijeong-ah!" Hyunbin asked him again. Yijeong twitched a brow and smirked before taking a seat.

"I came to her house days before you are coming to Daegu."

"He was gone ..." Hyunbin sighed deeply.

"Seems like you were there already? I am sorry I can't inform you before I collect the certain truth," Yijeong explained it well.

"It is okay!"

"The neighbor seemed to be hating him so much since he married his second wife," Hwang reporter added which made Hyunbin furrowed his brows with his confused feeling.

"The one who put Yejin to the orphanage?" Hyunbin asked.

"I think so ..."

"Do you have another clue?"

"They moved to Seoul. That is all I have after asking some neighbors."

"Seoul? But, why didn't they look for her?" Hyunbin asked.

"I don't know..." Hwang reporter shrugged his shoulders also questioned what Yejin's parent had done.

"AH... right! I've already made an article about this exhibition, do you want to edit some you want to expose or not?" he added turning back to the focus to the reason he was coming.

"Send it to me and I will check it soon after this exhibition ended," Hyunbin replied.

*****((()))*****

The phone recorded their conversation after the incident. It was being played inside the darkroom. The one who was being the witness kept playing the recorder didn't put other kinds of music or voices in the playlist. The witness was enjoying the shower inside the bathroom at the highest volume. The recording file was being recorded without intention and it was the perfect timing to leak something between the two celebrities.

"You, don't you say that you are getting married to him to cover our scandal?"

"I don't..."

"Yejin-ah... please, be honest to me!"

"I did, Sunbae. But it is not only the reason I am getting married to Oppa..."

"Do you love him?"

"I...." 'PRANG'

The recording file wasn't full enough to prove the truth and kept repeating the point of the conversation. The marriage that was being held to cover a scandal.

*****((()))*****

The last day of the Exhibition had ended and Hyunbin and Yejin decided to stay another day to get more time together after confession, and not being disturbed by Woosik and Hari.  Like she had said, she gave him a chance to get closer to her as a man who was in love with than usual Oppa she was always seen. Yejin with her almost healing swollen leg wore a pair of flat shoes and waited for Hyunbin to end the Exhibition in his car. The longer they were together, they looked like a real couple. He gave her his spare key, made breakfast for her, and went to the grocery together.

After the confession, he kept making loving gestures that were never done before and he asked for a date. Her heart started thumping hard thinking that it would be their first date. They often went somewhere together and they made it fun. But, that time wasn't like they used to do, they made a clear identity. As a man who fell in love who was trying to get the woman's heart. Furthermore, her brother's words kept making her face reddened.

-Flashback-

"Yejin-ah...." Woosik said while driving his car. Yejin who read her script on the backseat tilted her head to Woosik.

"Why Oppa?"

"You... I mean should I ask you this?"

"Oppa .... what are you doing?" Hari who sat beside him also got confused by him.

"You .... " he stuttered again.

"Oppaa...." Yejin rolled her eyes and closed her script.

"Yejin-ah, don't you want to wear something like lingerie or something thinner? For the God's sake, throw away your childish pajama!" he talked fast suddenly feeling irritated on something the women didn't know. Realizing his sudden attack, he blinked his eyes fast, being aware of the most woman sensitive topic to be discussed with. It was not a sensitive topic, but when men discussed that it felt so weird for them. Hari and Yejin cleared their throats in unison after listening to lingerie and pajamas that were being discussed by Woosik. It was just making them embarrassed since they knew what will the conversation goes to.

"Yah, why do you say that?" Yejin opened her script even though she didn't read any words on it.

"I met him every midnight in the villa. He groaned ...." Woosik cleared his throat before continuing the next part. "No, he was taking bath in the midnight with sounds." The women diverted their eyes from Woosik's blunt words, especially Yejin who was busying her hand by flipping the pages of the script.

"Yah...I know you two would date tonight. Hah...I would be very mad if I were him and I don't even do something that I should do. But, Yejin-ah! You are married to him already. You don't know what men are feeling. But, trust me. It isn't something easy to hold it himself. Understand?" he suddenly bickered a non-sense topic that also confused women's innocent thoughts. His boldness made Yejin bit her lip and her cheeks reddened listening to the first-ever raised voice of Woosik protecting his best friend.

-End of Flashback-

They often spent time together as friends and it might be awkward for them to call the day with a date. She let out her nervousness while reading her movie script to divert her non-senses thought about it. Not long after her first touch after Woosik and Hari left her, he entered the car after the whole Exhibition hall was fully darkened.

"I am sorry, it took so long..." he lessened up his collar and buckled up the seatbelt. Yejin looked at him in a confusion. Her heart beat irregularly and made her flushing her cheeks. He looked somewhat dependable and more appealing after finishing his big exhibition. It changed her way to see him after looking at his works by herself. She put her script on the backseat and she took a bottle of water. Trying to look more natural as a wedded couple, she opened it and handed it to him.

He looked at her in a daze being surprised, but he still takes the bottle with a smile. He gulped the water with a lightened heart seeing a move from her.

"Don't you feel tired? We can do it another time, though..." she said diverting her gaze to the road.

"I am fine ..."

"Where will we go then?" she tried to look straight at his bright eyes even it was still awkward.

"Somewhere ..." he smiled full of anticipation.

-----

He let Yejin walked by grabbing his arm because of her sprained leg that still wasn't fully recovered. Yejin took a look at the tall building in front of her.

"Why this place, Oppa?" she asked softly grabbing his arm. The question that beat his heart faster and made him gulping his throat full of nervousness.

"I am ..." Yejin realized his nervousness after taking a glance and tried to distract from the awkwardness.

"Yah..., Oppa Let's go! I am hungry to death!" she cut him with her overboard acting while caressing her womb. The usual annoying Yejin that tried to break the ice made him smile.

"Alright, let's go!" he replied with a big smile, feeling reassured after knowing that Yejin was still being comfortable beside him.

------

The room was only for them who sat facing each other. Dim lights and romantic music were played in the background.

The chef personally served the most VIP for the night. The menus started coming as they had ordered. The dining went silent more than usual. They seemed drawn to their thoughts. The dining services ended with a dessert. The chef served cheesecake in front of her and Yejin just smile at the chef. Hyunbin who looked more nervous took a glass of water to clear his throat.

"Oppa ... why didn't the chef give you some?" Yejin whispered leaning her body forward.

"I don't like something sweet," he cleared his throat and diverting his eyes somewhere else. "I am going to the restroom, you can eat the cake first," he left after saying the words hurriedly.

"See, he doesn't like something sweet," she mumbled but then she smiled remembering when he first orders caramel macchiato. Even, after all, she drank the caramel macchiato by herself. Remembering the scene made her heart feels warm.

She took a fork and cut the cake slowly. Not the taste of the cake that could mesmerize her. The way he acted gentle wherever she was around, suddenly reappeared as Woosik's words kept bothering her.  She chewed it with a slight tear, 'how can she not fall to this kind of action?'. The fork suddenly touched a small letter that wrapped with the plastic. Yejin cleaned the plastic with her fork and opened it.

"Yejin-ah, I know it would be awkward for us to be in the same room again after my confession. However, Can I try that too? Like the men who had confessed their feeling to you, I will patiently wait for you while we are living as a husband and wife. Hopefully, I will be the last that you are longing for and we don't need to do our unwritten agreement. -Hyunbin-"

"I am sorry, I can't say it. But, I hope you will understand," the nervous voice she knew so well suddenly came from her side. She turned her head to the source and found him holding a bucket of roses with his scrunched face being awkward with his cheesy surprise.

"You feel strange with this?" he asked her cautiously scrunched his face assuming that she would hate it, looking at her dazed face looking at the bucket of roses.

"Oppa ..." she nodded her face feeling messy inside. She was speechless and didn't know how to do. Just can they stay close forever? Like they used to be. Being close and without any awkwardness in between.

-----

Yejin hugged the bucket while Hyunbin was holding her hand tightly after the ride. He exhaled his breath out still feeling awkward. The first time he walked beside her as the man he wants and was waiting for her answer. They walked slowly toward the villa after dinner.

"Ouch ..." he felt her grip tightened because she was stumbling. He grabbed her waist fast which makes the bucket fell from her hand.

"You clumsy! Don't you remember that your leg just healed and you want to hurt the other? You don't want to film the movie you've waited for?" he chirped with his twitched brows.

"The bucket slipped from my hand and I should keep that," she replied innocently looking at the fallen bucket beside her that scattered all over the ground.

"I can buy you some next days."

"No, that is the special one," Yejin replied looking at his eyes as she raised a brow.

He froze listening to her words. He gulped his throat feeling something strange on his heart after he heard his excuse. He couldn't say more while suddenly he felt her arms hugged his neck tightly.

"Lift me then if you don't want my other leg to get sprained!" she added when she got no reply from him.  Her face was too close in front of him. "Quick Oppa, lift me, I am sleepy!" she whined and unconsciously his free hand caressed her cheek and kissed her deeply. He was still hugging her waist closer not letting it falls.

Yejin looked at him with an unreadable look for a while before she closed her eyes. She felt strange too. Days after his confession, the awkwardness between them grew up. Especially with the presence of Woosik and Hari that might talk non-sense about them. She knew he was trying hard to hold himself since the confession. He gave her time and he respected her much. His gentleman side that she never know so far, but kept showing after the confession. As he asked for his birthday wish, he proved what he had said.

Without thinking much, she replied to his kisses deeply too by closened their gap. Yejin tightened her hug on his neck and traveled on his soft hair while he her lips hungrily. Yejin followed him and caressed his cheek to get deeper. Her tongue and his tongue searched for dominancy like they were in a real life. But, at that time it was dominancy that felt like a union.

Their breath mixed into one as he kept his balance from hugging his beloved one. His face warmed up when she also made their kiss deeper as he did. Suddenly something bothered him much. His heart twitched almost thorn apart. The one he kissed was an actress that kissed men as her co-stars. Suddenly, the image of her being kissed by men, thorn his heart to pieces. Even it was acting, his thought successfully threw him down from the top. He lessened his kiss when she was so eager to reply to his kisses. Just in a minute he stopped the kiss and bit his lips in disbelief. He didn't even know what he was just doing.

"Did you always put your feeling when you're acting?" he asked.

"Yes..." she replied with her furrowed brows confused with his sudden question. He bit his lip knowing he had made a mistake. His face was scrunched and he lost his confidence. He didn't know whether he should be happy or mad with honesty. But, her answer was successfully thorning his heart in a sudden. Just imagining she was kissing her co-stars with the same as he did. He just can't.

"Nevermind, I will lift you!" he said as lifting her in bridal style to the villa.

*****((()))*****

-Epilogue-

-A day after the lamp crashed incident in the Exhibition-

"Yejin-ssi's Husband?" Hyunbin's steps stopped by the sound behind him when he was on his way to the car after the exhibition ended. He turned his body to the voice. A man who he had known for a long time, that also aroused his temper sometimes even the man didn't know that he did something bad to Hyunbin.

"Yes, I am ..." he replied casually looking at the perfect person in front of him.

"I am Jung Woosung," Woosung handed his hand introducing himself being a gentleman.

"I am Hyunbin," Hyunbin grabbed his hand and shook it lightly. "What is the matter? Is there any problem with the exhibition?" he then scratched his temple.

"I am talking about Yejin," Woosung replied that made Hyunbin gritted his teeth. His brow raised being uncomfortable about the sudden topic he talked about.

"Ah, Yes, She is my wife. What is the problem?"

"Did you ask her to be his husband only to cover the scandal about her and me?" Woosung asked carefully. Hyunbin started feeling annoyed and put on a slight smile to someone who shouldn't involve the marriage.

"Do I seem to like playing with her?" he sighed.

"No, I just slightly heard about her, she was saying that she slept in the separate bedroom. Just in case the scandal ..."

"It is not about the scandal," Hyunbin turned his back ignoring Woosung presence.

"I hope so, If it were true because of the scandal, I won't let you get closer to her ever again," Hyunbin steps stopped right before he opened the car door.

" I love her..."

"I am her husband..."

" The feeling I had for her makes me feel like I am not acting even it was for our movie. I just realized it. I know you're her husband, but I am totally into her. Please, if it were because of the scandal, you can call me. I will take all the responsibility. I am sorry for the inconvenience caused by me." Woosung ended the conversation and turned his body leaving Hyunbin who smirked with the sudden confession. He exhaled his breath in disbelief.

"Told you, he loves you!" he mumbled and hit his car with his fist, hard.

-to be continued-

Authors note:

Hi my beloved reader ^^

Meet me again this week ^^

Thank you for giving me time to take a back last week, it helped me much ^^

Thank you for giving a tap on the star, comments, and direct messages that support me much ^^

It lightened my days ^^

Enjoy the story! Meet me again next chapter ^^

And for the last, kindly check my other stories The Binding Angel, Through Their Lenses, and The Luckiest ^^

Sincerely, Byeol-nim