Mine, Again Chapter 6

By the time Ji-hoon, who had been waiting outside, arrived after receiving Sung-woon’s call—  

 

President Park was sprawled on the floor, clutching his cheek.  

 

“Argh! That lunatic attacked me! Somebody call the police! Cough, cough!”  

 

“What the…?”  

 

Ryu Sung-woon resorting to violence? Ji-hoon couldn’t believe it. Was this some kind of hidden camera prank? He quickly turned his head, scanning the corners for a hidden camera.  

 

But there wasn’t one. Not even a single CCTV in sight. So he really did hit him?  

 

Sure, Sung-woon had a nasty temper—he was cold, irritable, and infuriatingly meticulous—but he detested violence.  

 

Please, let this be a misunderstanding!  

 

Ji-hoon glared at his friend and boss, demanding an explanation.  

 

“It was self-defense.”  

 

Sung-woon gestured toward his loosened tie and wrinkled shirt. If not for his disheveled appearance, Ji-hoon might have refused to believe the situation until the very end.  

 

“You crazy bastard! Self-defense, my ass! Do you even know who I am?”  

 

Just one little grab at the collar, and this guy called it self-defense? President Park was foaming at the mouth in indignation.  

 

“I won’t let this slide! That fraudster bastard! My new implants feel loose!”  

 

For someone with such a gentle, refined-looking face, his punch had been brutally strong. President Park screeched in outrage, but his body subtly shifted backward.  

 

“Go ahead and sue me. Civil or criminal, your choice.”  

 

“W-what? You bastard! How dare you act so confident after hitting someone!”  

 

Without sparing President Park another glance, Sung-woon brushed past Ji-hoon. Like a lotus blooming in the mud, his gaze remained serene, unfitting of the chaos around him.  

 

“Take care of it.”  

 

Make it loud.  

 

Ji-hoon understood his friend’s intentions as he tapped his shoulder in passing. Which meant—this mess was now his responsibility to clean up.  

 

“I have a date with Song Su-hwa.”  

 

Leaving the dumbfounded Ji-hoon behind, Sung-woon took Su-hwa’s hand and leisurely disappeared.  

 

***

 

The commotion from the inner room spread like wildfire to the hall. As the two people held hands and hurried down the corridor, the attention of the restaurant patrons turned toward them.  

 

“Oh my, what’s with that couple? How can they both look like that?”  

 

“The inner room was noisy earlier. It looks like the man is taking away the woman who was supposed to be on a blind date with someone else. What a thrilling moment. Even just watching them makes my heart flutter.”  

 

Envious murmurs erupted from all around. Su-hwa, however, was too focused on the hand holding hers to notice their gazes.  

 

The broad back of the man walking ahead of her. The warmth that spread from their tightly clasped hands. It was enough to send warmth coursing through her body.  

 

“You can let go now.”  

 

“Oh, I’m sorry.”  

 

As the elevator doors closed, leaving them alone, Sung-woon let go of Su-hwa’s hand as if shaking it off. She subtly suppressed her disappointment and stepped back to maintain some distance between them.  

 

It must not have been easy for him to even touch a woman. Feeling flustered on her own made her feel guilty.  

 

“For now, let’s take my car. Too many eyes are watching.”  

 

The two of them headed to the hotel parking lot. The tinted sedan provided a quiet space where they could talk without being seen. At the very least, there was no need to put on a performance of a couple in love here.  

 

Su-hwa gazed at Sung-woon, who was seated in the driver’s seat.  

 

Why had he gone this far? To deliberately throw gossip fodder into the spotlight, bound to grace the tabloids by tomorrow?  

 

“How… did you know I was here?”  

 

“Are you disappointed that I came?”  

 

“No, of course not.”  

 

Su-hwa widened her eyes and shook her head. She had been waiting so desperately for his call, but instead, he had come in person—it was simply unexpected.  

 

“I thought a bit of a spectacle was necessary to create a legendary romance.”  

 

“…Pardon?”  

 

“I’ve decided to accept your proposal, Song Su-hwa.”  

 

“Then… you are…”  

 

“Let’s do it. That contract marriage.”  

 

Hearing his response, the tension in her body dissipated. Just moments ago, when she had nearly been dragged to a hotel room by President Park, she had been ready to throw everything away.  

 

Was this a dream? She secretly pinched her thigh.  

 

It hurt. For the first time, pain felt like a joyful sensation.  

 

“Thank you. I may be lacking, but I will do my best.”  

 

“You’ll hear the details of the marriage contract from the lawyer.”  

 

“Understood.”  

 

Su-hwa obediently nodded. A contract marriage meant she could plan for a future after it ended.  

 

I’ll escape from Song Won-sik’s grasp and take my mother overseas.

 

To a place where no one knew them. Somewhere quiet, somewhere free.  

 

If she could just escape this hell with her mother, what wouldn’t she do?  

 

“Song Su-hwa.”  

 

“Yes?”  

 

“There’s an important matter we need to discuss.”  

 

An important matter. Su-hwa clenched her fists. It was the conversation she had expected.  

 

“In this marriage, I intend to have an heir with you.”  

 

“A child… I’ll try my best during the contract period.”  

 

“Try your best, huh…”  

 

“Yes. As long as my body can handle it, I will try my best.”  

 

Her voice grew smaller. While waiting for Sung-woon’s call, she had researched artificial insemination procedures.  

 

There were plenty of success stories from a single attempt, but failures across multiple rounds were even more common. Countless warnings stated that the process could easily leave a woman both physically and mentally exhausted.  

 

A heavy weight settled on her chest, as if a stone had been placed there. But this was a burden she had chosen for herself.  

 

“After the divorce, both custody and parental rights will be transferred to me. This will be specified in the prenuptial agreement, with no room for revision. That is the purpose of this marriage.”  

 

“…Understood.”  

 

A contract that required her to relinquish the custody and parental rights of a child that did not even exist yet. Hearing it spoken aloud left an uncomfortable feeling in one corner of her heart. But her mother’s survival was at stake.  

 

My mother protected me until the very end.

 

She had given birth to her at nineteen without a husband, nearly placing her in a baby box but ultimately choosing to raise her.  

 

– “Su-hwa, run far away. As far as you can. Hide anywhere and survive. You have to survive, okay?”  

 

That chilly dawn, when the dew had yet to dry— The hands that had pushed her forward, urging her to flee through the attic window of Song Won-sik’s house.  

 

Her mother had desperately tried to save her until the very end. How could she ever turn her back on her?  

 

When Su-hwa was caught and dragged back, her mother, Mi-hee, had already become an addict.  

 

“What should we do now? Your mother’s taken drugs.”  

 

“Do you know what kind of drugs those are? They’re for people who think they made it big on their own. When they refuse to renew their contracts and try to jump to another agency, this is what we use. The addiction is top-tier. If I report her, she’ll make the headlines of every news outlet, so you’d better behave.”  

 

Song Won-sik had locked Mi-hee, trembling from withdrawal, in the same room as Su-hwa. She surrendered within a day. She had been terrified that her mother would lose her mind. She had pleaded, begged, willing to do anything to keep her mother alive.  

 

“If she’s going to receive treatment, naturally, she’ll need to be admitted to a professional facility. And that costs money. From now on, it’s all up to you.”  

 

From that moment on, she had lived as Song Won-sik’s puppet. Her name was added to his family registry. Her surname was changed. She lived by the schedule he dictated.  

 

But from now on… I’m going to fight my own way.

 

Feeling guilty about a child she had yet to conceive was a luxury. Right now, her mother and herself came first.  

 

I need to prove my worth. If I’m deemed useless, I might be discarded.

 

Her opponent was Ryu Sung-woon—a man born into nobility, surrounded by luxury from the moment of his birth. She had to become a woman who could meet his standards.  

 

“If there’s ever anything you don’t like or anything that bothers you, please tell me right away. I’ll fix it.”  

 

“There’s no need to be that submissive.”  

 

“Even so…”  

 

“This is purely a contract of necessity.”