"Husband?" Yeon-Sik frowns at Sin Jeong-Hyuk and Chang Seol. "When did you get married?"
Oh Ji Ye is staring hard at Sin Jeong-Hyuk. Her face is pale. Tears brim in the corner of her eyes as a heavy lump in her throat threatens to burst into sobs.
"You don't know?" No Shi Won looks at Yeon-Sik. "It's been a month since they got married."
Yeon-Sik doesn't know what is going on. He looks at Oh Ji Ye and then, he turns his eyes toward Sin Jeong-Hyuk. Chang Seol is also blinking her eyes in confusion. The atmosphere in the living room is stifling.
"Amazing." Mun Soyoon, who has been watching them from the stairs, leans against the railing and tilts her body to get a good view of infamous Oh Ji Ye. When she can't get the view, she steps down the stairs and peeks at them from behind the wall. She gives a glance to Sin Jeong Hyuk and smiles. "You are in deep trouble."
"Jeong-Hyuk." No Shi Won lowers his brows. Where did he hear this name? "Sin Jeong-Hyuk?"
"That's me," Sin Jeong-Hyuk replies in a heavy tone.
"Aren't you?" No Shi Won turns his head toward Oh Ji Ye who hasn't uttered a word. "Noona, is it him?"
She gives him a nod, not breaking the eye-contact with Sin Jeong-Hyuk eyes.
"Then…" No Shi Won glimpses at Chang Seol. Feeling frustrated, he covers his face with his palm. "I can't believe this."
***
"What is going on?" Chang Seol reaches for Sin Jeong-Hyuk's hand and gives him a tug. "Do you know his cousin?"
"I know her." Sin Jeong-Hyuk mumbles softly, "She's my girlfriend."
Her heart skips a beat painfully. She places her hand on her chest as she lets go of his hand. Taking a weak step away from Sin Jeong-Hyuk, she looks at No Shi Won's cousin. Who doesn't know her?
This woman is Oh Ji Ye -- the nation princess of the film industry and a soloist singer. She debuted at the age of sixteen as a singer, and she didn't enter the world of drama and films until the age of twenty-two.
"How could you still call her your girlfriend?" No Shi Won scowls at Sin Jeong-Hyuk darkly. "You are already married. Do you treat my cousin as your mistress?"
Oh Ji Ye drops on her knees and weeps miserably. She covers her face, bending her back as she lowers her head. Her shoulders tremble as the sound of her sobbing infiltrate the air around her.
The colour bubble around her wobbles. She's bright green with patches of red and blue. There are a few drops of black and brown near her feet. The sound of her crying is carrying a melancholic shade of blue.
Chang Seol swallows when she sees it. She eyes Yeon-Sik who has a bright yellow bubble with patches of soft pink and orange. There are deep lines on his forehead. He seems to be torn about something.
"Did you know?" No Shi Won stops in front of Chang Seol and grabs her shoulders. He looks into her eyes. "Seol, did you know that he had a girlfriend?"
Startled, Chang Seol murmurs before she could think, "No, I didn't know."
If she had known, she wouldn't be this hurt.
"He also fooled you." No Shi Won releases her shoulders. His eyes fill with pity. "Chang Seol, you shouldn't be with a man like that. Give him a divorce and leave him. He's a bastard who plays with woman's heart."
Oh Ji Ye cries harder when she hears that. Sin Jeong-Hyuk shrugs and looks away. His gaze meets Mun Soyoon once before he shakes his head inconspicuously at her.
"You are wrong though." Chang Seol raises her head. It hurts her more to hear someone badmouthing Mister than finding out that he has a girlfriend. He's been always good to her in his own way. His ways might not have been always right or maybe she was just wrong. In any case, she understands why telling the truth is important. "I am not married to him."
All eyes turn to her. Oh Ji Ye stops crying, stunted to hear those calm words. No Shi Won frowns at Chang Seol, confused. Namgung Yeon-Sik gets an idea of what is going on. Lastly, Sin Jeong-Hyuk furrows his brows slightly as he grabs her wrist and pulls her toward himself.
"What are you saying?" Sin Jeong-Hyuk scolds her. "We are married."
Chang Seol jerks his hand off her. She faces him with fisted hands. Her round eyes are dark and raging. She's furious at him, herself, and everything else. His girlfriend? Yes, he told her that she should not have feelings for him. It seems that she already has it. Part of her wants to blame him. There's another part that is blaming her.
"Mister." Chang Seol says to him in an emotionless but formal tone, "Thank you for pretending to be my husband. I was able to avoid a marriage that my grandfather decided for me. I didn't want to marry No Shi Won. You understood my plight and went to my house as my fake husband. You have done a lot for me. Now, I don't want to cause a misunderstanding between you and the people who are dear to you. Let's stop our fake relationship."
Sin Jeong-Hyuk's heart clenches tightly when he hears those words. It feels like she's ending everything between them. "Chicken, why are you speaking like that? Our relationship isn't fake."
"And my name is Chang Seol." She gives him a polite smile. In a moment, a wide distance seems to have grown between them. Though they are in the same room, the air around Chang Seol has changed with the look in her eyes. She is looking at him with gratitude and respect but the sense of familiarity, mischievousness, and a tangible thread that only existed between them is gone. "Please call me by my name, Oppa."
"Why are you calling me that?" Sin Jeong-Hyuk takes a step toward her. His voice is desperate when he asks her, "I am Mister, aren't I?"
Chang Seol turns her head toward No Shi Won is shocked beyond words. "I am sorry for using this means to break the marriage. But I don't have any interest in you. However, my eyes are open today. If you want, we can date like normal people. Call me later."
Her polite smile disappears from her face as she walks past by Sin Jeong-Hyuk. She doesn't even give a glance to Mun Soyoon, heading straight to her room.