Chapter 33.2

Hae-gang awoke to a chill that permeated her bones. The sight of Woo-jin’s face, or the warmth of his chest, no longer startled her. It signaled that she had spent an extended period with him, and had grown accustomed to their time together. Since he had yet to stir, it was likely too early.

Sliding her feet out from under the covers, she was met with the coolness of the floor. Instinctively, she curled her toes and hurriedly slipped into the slippers by her bedside.

Woo-jin had always been the one to brew their morning coffee, but perhaps she could take over for a day. Hae-gang made her way down the stairs, clutching the railing as she descended into the kitchen. She dug through the capsule box next to the coffee maker.

“My husband,” the word slipped out of her mouth, filled with tenderness and shyness.

She checked that Woo-jin was still asleep before coming out, but she glanced back just in case.

Clearing her throat, Hae-gang quickly corrected herself, even though no one was around to hear her slip-up.

“Mr. Woojin Min, a double espresso. It looks like someone has a caffeine addiction.”

Maybe it was because they were busy with work, but everyone seemed to run on caffeine. He was no exception. “He” often downed several shots of espresso in the morning with a fatigued expression. Hae-gang had wondered more than once if it was the caffeine, not work, that was taking a toll on his health. Gazing at the freshly brewed coffee, meant for Woo-jin’s portion, she couldn’t help but think the same.

“What are you staring at?”

Hae-gang was lost in thought when a hand reached over and took the cup. She was taken aback by the unexpected touch and voice, and she turned around to face Woo-jin.

The breeze made him step back, and the coffee in his hand threatened to spill.

“Oops, sorry. Did you burn yourself?”

“It’s alright. I didn’t spill it. What were you so deep in thought about?”

“Mr. Woo-jin Min, how much caffeine do you consume in a day?”

“What a useless question.”

People fretted over such trivial matters, but it was pointless. He was someone who spoke without sentiment. Even as he spoke, he couldn’t help feeling a bit of bitterness.

“If you drink coffee like that, you’ll die young.”

But it was far from the truth. After staring at her for a moment, Woojin pulled out a chair at the table and sat down.

“It doesn’t matter. It’s the same as drinking an Americano or two shots. The amount of caffeine is equivalent.”

“Have you acquainted yourself with the concept of dilution?” Hae-gang’s attempt to relate coffee to poison was met with Woo-jin’s silence, as he rose from his seat and approached her. With bated breath, Hae-gang watched him rummage through the cupboard, half-expecting to be caught in his bluff. But instead, Woo-jin pulled out bread, prompting Hae-gang to feign agreement.

“Well, that’s a great idea! Nothing like a gaping hole in your stomach to start the day,” Hae-gang quipped, attempting to diffuse the situation.

“It’s for Ms. Dawn. I might have forgotten, but I don’t eat anything except coffee in the morning,” Woo-jin explained, as he used tongs to place two slices of bread into the toaster.

“Why is mine…” Hae-gang started to ask, but Woo-jin cut her off.

“Because if my sensitive little spouse drinks coffee on an empty stomach every morning and gets a hole in their stomach, I’m in trouble,” Woo-jin replied, his tone deadpan.

As the toaster hummed, Hae-gang’s stomach rumbled with hunger. She watched hungrily as Woo-jin placed the freshly toasted bread on a plate, using the tongs to pass it to her.

“I only eat this now, but when the lady comes later, we’ll have breakfast together. It’ll give you the energy to run away,” Woo-jin said, gesturing to the bread.

“Are you planning on running away?” Hae-gang asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Didn’t you mention wanting to take a walk this weekend?” Woo-jin retorted, his gaze trained on the coffee.

“How did you know that?” Hae-gang asked, perplexed.

“You’ve said it many times in front of me. I’m getting tired of hearing it. And if you happen to bump into someone from Moon-Ik while wandering this neighborhood, I suggest you run like the devil,” Woo-jin quipped, his eyes glinting with mischief.

“No, no. Wait. Not that. How do you know it’s today? Haven’t I decided yet?” Hae-gang asked, trying to catch up with Woo-jin’s train of thought.

Woo-jin’s light-colored eyes shifted toward her. She couldn’t tell if he was piercing through her with his stare, but then he cracked a smile on his previously expressionless face. It seemed a bit peculiar and loaded with meaning.

“The weather is quite pleasant today,” he remarked. “The temperature is higher than usual. By the way, there’s a great coffee spot just behind our house. Even if you order it hot, it will still come out lukewarm. Make sure to ask for it to be heated up.”

With that, Woo-jin put down his empty coffee cup and left the kitchen. Soon after, he heard the sound of running water as she started washing the dishes. As he prepared for work, Hae-gang tried to review his words step by step, trying to make sense of them.

“He said to go for a walk because the weather is nice, and if I see someone from ‘his’ family, I should run away. And he asked if I wanted my coffee hot. How strange,” she thought to herself.

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