Contract Marriage with Memory Loss on Top - Chapter 0
Prologue
Yeon-woo needed money. So much so that checking job postings every morning had become a daily routine. Despite working part-time at a convenience store on weekdays and weekends, and at a logistics center in his spare time, it wasn’t enough. Just when he was desperately in need of a higher-paying job, Yeon-woo stumbled upon a high-income part-time job posting.
The conditions listed in the notice were simple. A neat appearance, discretion, and being an omega. As if mesmerized, he went to the office, which turned out to be a private detective agency. I must be crazy, Yeon-woo thought to himself as he stepped into the office. He had come here without even knowing what kind of place a detective agency was. There was a risk of getting involved in illegal activities such as fraud or organ trafficking, so he tried to back out, but they hurriedly held him back.
“Hey, student! Just hear us out first. I’m telling you, this is a real sweet part-time job.”
“No, thanks. I’ll just go. Please forget about my job application.”
“300 million won! We guarantee a base pay of 300 million won. By the way, that’s a six-month contract payment.”
The pitch to get Yeon-woo to stay was tempting, but equally suspicious. What crazy person would pay a mere part-timer 300 million won as a signing bonus? They must be trying to get him to do something shady. Yeon-woo, who had abruptly stopped, started moving his feet again. The detective agency employee followed closely behind, rapidly firing off details about the job.
Since his ears were open, the information flowed in whether he liked it or not. That’s when his determined steps began to slow.
“Is that… really true?”
“I’m telling you it is!”
According to the detective agency employee, someone was looking for a fake marriage to avoid an arranged marriage. It was a countermeasure, and that someone happened to be an executive at a large corporation. The detective agency was looking for an omega to enter a contract marriage under the guise of recruiting a part-timer.
“An executive at a major company?”
“Not just an executive, a chaebol!”
“A chaebol…? Like the chaebols in dramas?”
“Yeah, that kind of chaebol!”
“Wow…. How can I believe that? Scammers can say that too.”
“You’ve been deceived all your life! If you search the name of the person who will be your husband, a bunch of photos will pop up. Identity theft is possible, but you can’t fake a face!”
The employee added that several renowned lawyers would be present when signing the contract. After hearing the detective agency employee repeatedly emphasize that there would be no risk, Yeon-woo’s resolve began to waver little by little. 300 million won. 300 million.
Some people might think, ‘No matter what, who would do such a dangerous thing?’ But Yeon-woo was different.
Chaebol, large corporation, executive. Just these three conditions alone suggested that the client was a high-profile figure. In that case, he judged that they wouldn’t be able to pull any funny business during the contract period. After all, if they got sued, it would damage their corporate image. With a contract discussed with famous lawyers, even if they didn’t win the lawsuit, it was certain to have some impact on their reputation.
Getting 300 million won for half a year’s work.
As long as the breakup could be clean, he was willing to do a contract relationship or marriage anytime.
For Yeon-woo, who needed money, the decision didn’t take long.
***
A plush mattress and a cozy comforter enveloped his entire body. Having just woken up from a deep sleep, Yeon-woo blinked drowsily and nuzzled his face into the pillow.
“It’s the weekend today…”
His husky voice cut through the air and reached Kwon Ki-won. Unlike Yeon-woo, who couldn’t properly open his eyes due to morning drowsiness, Ki-won was almost ready to leave for work. As Ki-won took a tie out of the wardrobe, he glanced at the squirming Yeon-woo. Yeon-woo had curled up into a ball and was groaning.
“You’re going to work even though it’s the weekend?”
Yeon-woo, who had finally managed to open his eyes, looked toward the man and asked.
“I have an urgent matter to take care of. I’ll only handle the morning work and come back, so don’t skip breakfast and eat.”
“…Okay.”
Yeon-woo blankly stared at the immaculately pressed suit for a moment before staggering to his feet. He had intended to at least see the man off, feeling bad that he had to go to work without rest even on his day off.
It had been 5 months and 2 weeks since he had signed the contract and married him. During that short yet long period, the Ki-won he had faced was a busy and diligent person.
“If you’re sleepy, get some more sleep.”
“It’s okay… I have a morning appointment anyway.”
Ki-won’s hands, which had been adjusting his tie knot, paused. He slightly raised an eyebrow and looked down at Yeon-woo.
“Appointment?”
Yeon-woo, who had been yawning deeply due to sleepiness that didn’t easily go away, nodded his head several times. Belatedly noticing Ki-won’s lips moving, Yeon-woo tilted his head.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…I’m just curious about who you’re meeting. Is it that person who calls you every dawn?”
It was a question thrown out as if it were nothing, but Yeon-woo’s shoulders visibly flinched. It didn’t take long for bewilderment to seep into his large eyes.
“No… It’s not like that.”
He felt wide awake now. Yeon-woo fiddled with his clasped hands for a while and awkwardly twisted the corners of his lips. He wanted this conversation to end, and it was clear he was trying to change the subject in a hurry.
His heart was pounding heavily, and his Adam’s apple kept bobbing as he swallowed dry saliva. In contrast to the flustered Yeon-woo, Ki-won, with a calm expression, had already finished preparing to leave. The man approached the bed, draping his coat over one arm. Yeon-woo quietly looked up at the man who was closing the distance between them while sitting on the bed.
“You’ll get wrinkles.”
Ki-won pressed Yeon-woo’s forehead as if poking it. For someone denying it, his tone wasn’t very natural. It was suspicious behavior to anyone’s eyes, but Ki-won didn’t pry further.
Yeon-woo followed closely behind Ki-won, who was about to leave the bedroom. Then he almost bumped his forehead into Ki-won’s broad back. The man had suddenly stopped walking. Ki-won turned his body and headed toward the table where the calendar was placed.
“The 28th?”
He seemed to have noticed the part at the bottom of the calendar where Yeon-woo had drawn a circle. The black eyes that had been directed at the calendar shifted to Yeon-woo.
His gaze was asking what day it was and why he had marked it.
“Ah, that’s the expected date of our contract termination. It’s approaching soon, so I checked it in case I forgot.”
“…You want to terminate the contract?”
The marriage contract was set to automatically renew in one-year increments unless there was a specific intention to terminate communicated between them. Ki-won’s lips, drawn into a line, twitched as if a spasm was about to come. Ki-won tried his best to smile and hid his thoughts as he always did.
“Yes, we have to end the contract, right?”
There was no hesitation in Yeon-woo’s answer.
He had heard that the arranged marriage discussions that had been going around the house had disappeared after marrying him. Since the original reason for requesting the marriage had been resolved, there was no need for him to stay by his side any longer.
Above all, Yeon-woo desperately needed the consolation money he would receive from Ki-won after the divorce. If the contract was extended, the timing of receiving the consolation money would be pushed back. Yeon-woo was being mindful to avoid such a mishap.
“Yeah, I see…”
Ki-won, who had muttered softly, twisted the corners of his mouth. It was a stiff expression that didn’t fit the situation. Since it was only a fleeting expression, Yeon-woo blinked his sore eyelids a couple of times, thinking he might have seen it wrong.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Ki-won tapped his temple a few times, emphasizing the word “remember.” Yeon-woo inadvertently gave an affirmative answer.
The man, who had returned to his usual expression, headed towards the front door with a brief farewell, saying he would get going. Yeon-woo could only follow Ki-won’s movements with his eyes.
As soon as the front door closed and the sound of the door lock turning was heard, an inexplicable uneasiness brushed past Yeon-woo’s nape.