Contract Marriage with a Male Friend - Chapter 65

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#65

Her thoughts spiraled endlessly, stretching the shower far longer than she’d intended.
When she emerged from the bathroom, seven missed calls lit up the screen.
All of them from Beom Jin.
……
An Soo Yi stared at the name on the display, drawing a shallow breath.
Then, as if reaching a decision, she picked up the phone and pressed the call button.
— Hey, you.
Beom Jin’s voice came through before the ringtone had finished its first cycle.
He must have been watching the phone.
“… I was in the shower.”
— For that long?
“I was in the study going over some files, then I went straight in to wash up.”
— Why do you sound so tired?
She’d thought she was speaking normally enough.
But it seemed she couldn’t fool him.
“Just a lot on my mind, I guess. I’m a little worn out.”
— Ah.
A small sigh carried through the phone.
“What is it?”
— My trip’s going to take longer than I thought.
Her grip on the phone tightened.
— No, wait… I should be able to come back tomorrow afternoon. I think I can manage it. As soon as I can—
An Soo Yi forced her lips upward into a smile.
As if Beom Jin were standing right in front of her.
He had such keen instincts—if she didn’t pay attention to her expression too, he’d catch on in a heartbeat.
“I don’t want you rushing through your work because of me.”
She took a deliberate breath, keeping her anxiety hidden.
“Take your time. Finish everything you need to finish.”
Her firm yet tender tone created a brief silence on the other end.
Then his voice came back, low and subdued.
— Once this is done, let’s take a trip. Anywhere you want, as long as it’s long. I’ll have everything at the company processed by then.
A trip……
Could we really do that? Would such a day ever come?
During the marriage, and after the contract ended?
‘It probably won’t.’
They would never return to being friends again—not in this lifetime.
Perhaps she’d known it from the start, when they decided to go through with this contract marriage.
That’s why she’d clung so desperately to the idea of being “forever friends,” of an “eternal bond.”
“How long will it take?”
— At least four days, maybe a week. I’ll wrap it up as quickly as I can.
Four days to a week……
An Soo Yi nodded slowly.
Yes, that should be enough time.
“Okay. Be careful.”
— An Soo Yi.
Beom Jin called her name with an almost desperate note, as if trying to hold onto her.
— I have something to tell you when I get back.
……
— Listen to me. Promise you will.
“… Okay.”
Only then did his voice soften, relief evident in every syllable.
— After this trip, I won’t have anything pressing for a while. From now on, I’ll support you. Team Lead An Soo Yi, I’ll be your cheerleader.
At any other time, she would have laughed naturally at his playful words.
But now laughter simply wouldn’t come.
“… Yeah. Finish up and come back safely.”
With that, An Soo Yi hung up, as if fleeing.
‘What if he noticed?’
But maybe it didn’t matter anymore.
With a self-deprecating smile, An Soo Yi gazed at their wedding photo on the table.
……
Suddenly, a wave of emotion surged up, and she quickly burrowed under the blankets, pulling them over her head.
It was June, yet the night felt strangely cold.

***

Two days later.
Another call came from Bong Seong Tae.
— Ms. Jido, the man presumed to be your father has vanished without a trace. The last confirmed sighting was in Namhae. That’s all we’ve managed to find out so far.
At the mention of Namhae, An Soo Yi hesitated, but quickly steadied herself and nodded.
“Yes, thank you.”
— If any new information comes in, I’ll contact you right away.
After the call ended, An Soo Yi finished getting ready and headed to the parking garage.
It had been a very long time since she’d driven herself.
Beom Jin always picked her up, or he’d assign a driver.
The car stopped at a red light, and An Soo Yi stared blankly as it turned from yellow to red, her brow furrowing.
‘Namhae.’
The villa—Beom Jin’s suspected secret rendezvous spot—was also in Namhae.
And now her father was last seen there too.
Could this really be coincidence?
Just as the thought spiraled, the light changed.
A horn blared behind her. An Soo Yi snapped to attention, turned the steering wheel, and headed toward the company.
From the underground parking garage, An Soo Yi made her way not to the New Business Division where she worked, but to the Chairman’s Office on the topmost floor.
The secretaries at the reception desk jumped to their feet the moment they saw her.
“I’d like to see the Chairman.”
“Please wait a moment.”
The head secretary connected the intercom, confirmed the situation inside, and nodded before opening the door.
She stepped through the heavy wooden frame into the expansive executive office beyond.
“What’s all this? Visiting me right after clocking in. Has something gone wrong with the New Business Division project?”
“No, Chairman.”
Dok Go Hyung Jun, reviewing documents at his desk, looked at her over his glasses, then removed them and set them down.
“Sit, please.”
The two moved to the reception area sofa in the corner of the office.
Dok Go Hyung Jun clicked his tongue as he studied An Soo Yi’s hollow face.
“Your complexion is terrible. Have you come here to protest that I’m working you too hard?”
Under normal circumstances, she would have blushed and laughed sheepishly at his teasing rebuke.
But today she had no room for such niceties.
“Chairman.”
“Yes, I’m listening.”
“About twelve years ago—the Metropolitan Hub City and Resort Development Project that Kangho Construction carried out… Do you remember it?”
Dok Go Hyung Jun’s eyes narrowed.
He seemed to be reaching back through old memories, then nodded.
“Of course I do. It was a project that required so much effort from me because Kangho’s very survival hinged on it. But why are you asking? Is there something from that project we should reference for the current one?”
There was a hint of eager anticipation in his voice.
An Soo Yi always surprised him with groundbreaking proposals that never failed to delight him.
And now that she was bringing up the key project from his past that he’d nurtured to success, his interest was entirely natural.
“With such a large-scale development, there must have been considerable friction with existing businesses and residents… I was wondering if you remembered anything about it.”
Her tone was light, as if she were casually inquiring based on hearsay.
Dok Go Hyung Jun nodded unconcernedly.
“There were some minor controversies, I suppose, but everything was resolved cleanly in legal terms, and all the post-processing was completed perfectly. All payments were made normally. I personally reviewed the reports on that matter.”
At his confident and assured response, An Soo Yi’s fists clenched in her lap.
“Why? Has some new variable come up requiring additional land purchases?”
Dok Go Hyung Jun typically despised having to modify his plans midway or unnecessarily expand the scope, but with An Soo Yi he was always prepared to be flexible.
He was already thinking he’d personally handle any troublesome procedures—
“Beom Jin and I aren’t really married.”
“… What? Where is that coming from all of a sudden?”
An Soo Yi drew a deep breath, raised her head, and looked directly into Dok Go Hyung Jun’s eyes.
“We have a contract. To appear as a real couple for one year.”

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————