Contract Marriage with Memory Loss on Top - Chapter 32

“Let’s calm down…. They could just be friends.”

It was natural for people from big companies to network with each other. There was no need to be hostile unless they were competitors. Yeon-woo knew it was beneficial for business to have a wide network, but he felt like throwing a childish tantrum. 

He hoped the unfounded anxiety and inexplicable trembling that had risen without permission would quickly subside. It seemed to be because the time for him to leave Kwon Ki-won’s side was approaching. Thinking that his empty space would be quickly replaced by someone else like a part, he tried to suppress his inner turmoil by repeating to himself that he was disappointed.

Finally, the cell phone went silent and the missed call record popped up. Yeon-woo, who had been staring at it quietly, moved his lips. He was starting to feel embarrassed by his childish behavior. His conflicting thoughts and fluctuating emotions were only confusing.

Not wanting his voice to be heard when his emotions were a mess, Yeon-woo left Ki-won a text message after much contemplation.

[ I arrived home safely. I’m a bit tired so I’m going to rest… I think we missed each other’s calls so I’m just leaving a text. ] 

Yeon-woo pressed the screen of his cell phone forcefully with his fingertips. Unlike his pretense of being okay and unfazed, his mind continued to be in turmoil. What was the reason the grandson of Sugang Corporation came to see Ki-won, why did he seem so comfortable… All Yeon-woo, who knew nothing, could do was think about this and that on his own until it sank below the surface.

Actually, it’s not okay. A small voice rose from Yeon-woo’s heart. Yeon-woo, who had been pressing his thumping chest firmly, headed to the kitchen to drink some cold water. He thought that if he suppressed the heat rising from within, his mind would calm down. With each step, the sighs that came out seemed to melt into his toes, making his gait heavy. Come to think of it, he thought there was some orange juice. Yeon-woo opened the refrigerator door, holding his forehead, to get some sugar in his system as well.

“Huh? This is….”

What caught Yeon-woo’s eye was not orange juice, but Ki-won’s liquor. To be exact, it was the alcohol Ki-won had received from a collaborating company. There was a separate storage for alcohol, so seeing it here, it seemed to be the manager’s mistake. Or Ki-won may have put it in the fridge for a while. Whatever it was, it didn’t really matter.

After staring blankly at the liquor bottle for a while, Yeon-woo took it out after some deliberation. The coldness emanating from the glass bottle in his grasp took away Yeon-woo’s body heat.

“It looks refreshing…. Is it okay to drink this?”

He wasn’t the type to enjoy alcohol, nor did he have a taste for it, so he wouldn’t have even looked at it on a normal day, but strangely, his eyes were drawn to it. Yeon-woo, with a determined look in his eyes, moved his feet. The liquor bottle was still in his grasp.

Borrowing the power of alcohol to clear his mind of distress was also a method of sorts. He knew that drinking to suppress emotions was not good, but he decided to do something uncharacteristic of himself just for today. When Yeon-woo, who had prepared some cheese and crackers to nibble on, sat down at the dining table, it happened.

Woong, woong-. A short vibration sounded a couple of times. Only after filling the glass with liquor did Yeon-woo check the text message.

[ Kwon Ki-won: Okay, got it. ]

After blankly confirming the short reply, Yeon-woo picked up the glass and gulped down the liquor. The bitter taste of alcohol instantly engulfed the tip and root of his tongue, and left a not-so-pleasant scent lingering at the tip of his nose. He thought liquor might taste different, but alcohol was still tasteless as ever. Yeon-woo, who had hurriedly eaten some snacks as the burning sensation rose from his throat, pressed the sides of his throbbing head. Although it was only one glass, he felt dizzy already, perhaps because he drank it quickly.

“Was the reply… always this short…?”

Wasn’t alcohol supposed to be for emptying one’s mind? It felt like his whole body was gradually becoming numb, but his inner thoughts were falling into a bottomless pit of questions. Even now, he was agonizing over a single text message that he wouldn’t have cared about normally.

It seemed like the alcohol hadn’t fully hit him yet. Frowning at the bitter taste of the liquor, the motion of filling the empty glass was swift.

Somehow, everything was becoming bothersome. Even the sight of him unnecessarily racking his brain and trying to interpret every single action seemed pathetic. Yeon-woo, who closed his eyes tightly, swallowed the alcohol that was burning his throat once again.

“Ugh….”

The heat rising from his throat spread to his skin, making it difficult to tell which was which. Yeon-woo rubbed the heated area around his neck with the back of his hand and then covered his forehead. It seemed like his body temperature had risen too.

As his body seemed to be getting hotter and hotter, the dulled senses from drinking alcohol took hold of Yeon-woo. It was difficult to judge whether he had a fever because he wasn’t feeling well or if it was simply due to the alcohol. Yeon-woo, who had been rubbing under his eyes, dropped his hand with a thud. His head was already hazy and he didn’t want to agonize over such a simple matter.

The effect of drinking liquor kicked in half a beat late. Just a moment ago, his chest felt stuffy and suffocating, but it was different now. It felt like splattering white paint all over his complicated mind.

“I was the one who first asked hyung for a divorce.”

Yeon-woo, who let out a self-mocking laugh, heavily tilted his head. It seemed he couldn’t hide his desire to be by Ki-won’s side even though he was only human. Even though he could never even whine to Ki-won. He decided to show his pitiful side only until today.

“…It’s ridiculous to ask hyung why he met with Sugang Corporation’s grandson.”

Even if they had seriously started a relationship beyond friendship, it wasn’t something he could do anything about. Since Yeon-woo was the one who had encouraged the divorce, it would be too contradictory for Ki-won to express his heartache.

“I… hyung…”

Yeon-woo, who was staring down at the reddish-brown liquid, bit his lower lip without finishing the sentence forming in his mind. When his straight lips parted again, the cold liquor rushed into his mouth. He had lost count of how many glasses he had drunk.

The drunkenness that came made the area under his eyes red instead of leveling his emotions. However, the problem was that it stopped at an ambiguous emotion, not a state of calmness. Every time a hot breath escaped through his teeth, his heart ached painfully. It felt like something invisible was scraping the inside of his chest hard.

“Hyung…. Ki-won, Kwon Ki-won.”

Yeon-woo pressed his palm firmly over his blurring eyes. He thought he might be crying because he couldn’t see well, but the skin touching his eyes was ridiculously dry.

If he had known that he would crumble over such a trivial matter, if he had known that the reality of having to distance himself from Kwon Ki-won would make his chest feel stuffy…. Then he wouldn’t have entered into a contract marriage. He didn’t know the remaining affection would be this scary.

Yeon-woo, who let out a sigh that smelled of alcohol, filled the glass again. He hated the unpleasant bitterness lingering in his mouth, but the glass tilted mercilessly.

“Why is it so hot…?”

Yeon-woo’s hand that had been rubbing under his eyes moved up and pressed his forehead firmly. Now it was a distinct feeling of heat. The overall rise in body temperature, as if he had entered hot water, aroused the urge to take off his clothes. Yeon-woo, who was flapping his clothes, took the liquor bottle and moved to the living room.

When he opened the large glass door connecting the living room and the terrace, a strong wind and rain entered. Yeon-woo, who took a deep breath of the damp cold wind, sat down on the sofa, staggering. Normally, he would have closed the terrace door right away, unable to endure the cold, but Yeon-woo, who was drunk, only slowly opened and closed his eyelids.

His body was becoming languid. If he let his guard down for just a moment, he would often lower his head due to the drowsiness that poured down. It seemed like he could come to his senses if he stopped drinking now, but for some reason, he wanted to savor this feeling. Yeon-woo tilted the liquor bottle and drank incessantly.

Drinking only alcohol on an empty stomach made his stomach ache before long. Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes as if expressing annoyance at the unpleasant pain, but didn’t realize it was because of the alcohol. Checking the almost empty liquor bottle, Yeon-woo threw his head back.

“I’m full…”

He got full faster than expected. Yeon-woo patted his stomach and put down the bottle with a staggering gesture. He didn’t know why the ceiling was swaying so much. The walls and furniture were the same. It was as if they had planned this together, coming and going in front of his eyes.

He felt languid but strangely irritated. It might be because of the heat that the cold wind couldn’t cool down. The wind coming through the terrace couldn’t impact Yeon-woo, but strangely, his fingertips began to tremble. The weakly drooping shoulders were in the same situation. The slight trembling didn’t cease quickly and increased in frequency.

“It’s hot… it’s definitely hot but it’s strange.”

Yeon-woo examined his fingertips with vacant eyes. The motion of clenching and opening his fist was slow. Even his body was drooping like a water-soaked cotton. A good scent. Yeon-woo, who was holding his throbbing forehead, suddenly turned his head slowly at the lingering fragrance. A pleasant scent was wafting from the bedroom.

He shouldn’t have drunk the alcohol. With each step, his walking form was precarious. He somehow managed to move his heavy legs with the help of the surrounding furniture, but after that, he would stagger as soon as he took a step.

Thud, a loud noise was heard and his vision lowered. It was only much later that Yeon-woo realized he had fallen. Yeon-woo flailed his arms to support himself on the floor. It seemed like a pretty loud noise was made when he fell, but there was no pain. Was this also because of the alcohol? Yeon-woo burst into an uncontrollable snicker. There was no bigger mess than this.