The next day arrived far too soon.
For Hae-in, the morning passed in silence, but inside her, a war raged. Thoughts collided, memories whispered warnings, fears tightened their grip. There was no one to listen. No one to ask if she was okay. So she carried it alone, the way she always had.
By lunchtime, the Han family arrived, filling the house with noise and warmth. Plates clinked, laughter echoed, and conversations flowed easily as if nothing in the world was misaligned.
Ji-hoon barely tasted his food.
His eyes kept drifting back to Hae-in, again and again, like his heart had developed a habit overnight. He smiled without realizing it, wide and boyish, as if happiness had taken control of his face. Every time she lifted her spoon, every time she lowered her gaze, something inside him softened.
Hae-in noticed. Of course she did.
She glanced at him once, briefly, then returned to her plate and ate quietly. Her parents laughed, spoke, and nodded along, acting as if everything was perfectly fine. As if their daughter wasn't holding herself together with invisible stitches.
When lunch ended, and everyone moved to the living room, tea was poured, and conversations resumed.
Then Hae-in shifted.
Umm… I want to talk to you, Ji-hoon-ssi."
Her voice wasn't loud. It didn't need to be.
The room fell silent instantly.
Mrs. Jeon's hand froze mid-air, cup hovering inches from the table. Mr. Han looked up, curious. Ji-hoon's heart skipped, a sudden rush of warmth and nerves colliding in his chest.
He looked at her.
She was calm. Too calm.
He smiled reflexively. "Yeah… sure," he said. "Please, go ahead."
Hae-in shook her head slightly. "Not here," she said, eyes lifting to meet his. "Somewhere private."
This time, her parents looked at her. She didn't look back at them.
Her gaze stayed on Ji-hoon, unwavering, like she had already chosen the battlefield and was waiting for him to step onto it with her.
A beat passed.
Then Ji-hoon stood up immediately, ready without hesitation. "Yep," he said easily. "Let's go."
"Ah—Ji-hoona…" Mrs. Jeon tried, hesitation slipping into her voice.
He turned, smiling gently. "Don't worry, Ommoni. We'll be nearby."
Laughter followed, light and harmless. The tension thinned just enough for the room to breathe again.
Mrs. Jeon pressed her lips together and stayed quiet.
Hae-in stood. "Please… come," she said. Ji-hoon smiled again and followed her.
Everyone watched as they walked away together.
She led him to a quiet corner of the compound, away from curious ears and polite smiles. Ji-hoon followed her, smiling, his heart already misbehaving.
"Your place is really nice, Hae-ina," he said casually.
She stopped.
Hae-ina?
The name landed softly, too familiarly, as he had already placed himself somewhere close to her.
He chuckled when he noticed her pause. "I know what you're thinking," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "But… I want to be honest. Right here."
She turned to face him.
"I really fell in love with you, Hae-ina," he said, smiling, shy yet confident. "Like love at first sight. From that night you entered my restaurant."
Her eyes widened slightly. He noticed.
"Don't think I'm crazy," he continued softly, careful. "I'm just being truthful about what I feel. It's not just because you're pretty. It's something else. There's something about you that undoes me... When you're around, my heart stops listening to logic. It forgets how to behave."
His voice dropped, steady but full.
"I've been searching for this kind feeling for years, Hae-ina. Thinking, maybe it didn't exist; people just exaggerate it. And then you walked into my life that night, like you were never supposed to be just a coincidence."
He smiled, quiet and certain. "And I felt that feeling for you."
"You know… I've always dreamed about one woman," he said softly, a shy chuckle slipping out. "My dream girl. She used to appear without a face. Just a presence. Warm. Familiar."
His gaze stayed on her, gentle and steady.
"She came to me again yesterday. But this time, she wasn't blurred anymore. She was clear."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"And everything finally made sense."
He met her eyes.
"It was always you."
He exhaled, smiling at himself. "I know this probably sounds crazy. Maybe too much. But this is how my feelings are, Hae-ina. Honest. Unfiltered."
He reached for her hands, holding them gently, his thumb brushing her fingers with care that felt dangerously sincere.
"I love you, Hae-in."
He took a step closer. "I promise I'll love you with everything I have. I'll keep you happy. I'll never let you feel unseen. I'll treat you like my queen. I'll feed you, take care of you, protect you. I want to be someone you feel safe with."
His voice dropped a little, a faint glint of hurt.
"That night… when I saw you so tired, hungry, barely holding yourself together, it hurt me. I didn't like seeing you like that, drained and weak. So after marrige you don't have to work in that terrible job either. Leave it. I'll take care of everything. Your bills, your needs. You won't ever have to drain and starve yourself again."
For a moment, she didn't breathe.
Her eyes welled up instantly, emotions rising before she could stop them. She turned her face away, gently pulling her hand back. He didn't resist, just let her go, watching her with concern.
She smiled faintly, wiping her tears quickly, forcing steadiness into her voice.
"…You said too much, Ji-hoon-ssi."
He smiled back, soft and patient, as if willing to wait for her words whenever she was ready.
She sniffed softly, then looked back at him with a faint, apologetic smile.
"Thank you… for your sweet words," she said. "But I'm not the right one for you, Ji-hoon-ssi."
His smile faltered. Just for a second. His heart stumbled.
"I don't want this marriage to happen," she continued, steady but careful.
He looked at her, confusion and hurt flickering in his eyes. "Why?"
She drew in a slow breath.
"I'm sorry if this hurts you. Truly. But I'm not ready. And… I don't believe in the idea of marriage the way people around me present it."
Her gaze dropped for a moment before lifting again.
"I've seen marriages fail. I've seen them turn suffocating, disrespectful… even toxic for women. Those experiences, those examples around me… they scared me. They left fear behind."
Her voice softened, but didn't waver.
"I'm not saying you're bad. Please don't take it that way. I just don't trust the institution anymore. I've seen too many failed examples. And it left marks."
She paused, fingers curling slightly.
"I have dreams I still want to chase. Things I want to become. And I'm afraid that this new responsibility… it will take those dreams away before I even get a chance to reach them."
She looked at him fully now.
"So please… don't hope for me. Don't invest your heart here. You deserve someone who can walk into this without fear."
Her smile trembled, fragile but sincere. "I'm sorry."
He studied her face, as if searching for something he had missed. The woman he had imagined building a whole world with… standing right in front of him, gently closing the door.
Why?
Not because he was bad. Not because he had hurt her.
But because of fear.
A fear that wasn't his fault. A fear he refused to accept.
His chest tightened.
How could she walk away so easily, after he had laid his heart bare? After he had spoken everything honestly?
No. This couldn't be the end.
He clenched his jaw, resolve forming quietly. He didn't want to lose her without trying. He wanted her to see him, to understand that he wasn't the kind of man her fears were built around. That she wouldn't have to suffer the way she had seen others suffer.
Her voice pulled him back.
"So please… talk to your family and reject me," she said softly. "That will be easier for everyone."
"Hae-ina…" he called, stepping closer, his voice gentle but urgent.
"I promised you. I won't be like other men you're afraid of. I love you genuinely. I wouldn't let you be hurt. I wouldn't cage you. Your dreams won't be crushed. You'll be loved. Taken care of."
She shook her head.
"No, Ji-hoon-ssi." Her voice was calm, but firm. "As I said, I'm not interested. I'm not ready for this relationship. You deserve someone who can return what you're offering."
Her eyes flickered with apology, not doubt.
"I tried to explain this to my family, but they didn't listen. That's why I'm asking you. Please… reject me from your side. Say any reason. I won't mind."
She took a step back.
"Just end this."
And before he could say anything else, she turned and walked away. He stood there, unmoving, watching her walk away from him.
His chest tightened, breath catching painfully. How could something that had barely begun feel like it was ending already?
No. This didn't feel right.
The warmth he had felt, the pull toward her, the way she had entered his life so unexpectedly… it couldn't all dissolve like this. Not without meaning. Not without a reason deeper than just a fear.
She wasn't someone he could simply let go of.
Not yet.
Not like this.
She was his. And no matter what walls she had built, he was determined to make her understand, make her his.
With that thought burning in his eyes, Ji-hoon
turned and walked back into the house, his heart heavy but his resolve steady, carrying feelings that refused to fade so easily.