Contract Marriage with Memory Loss on Top - Chapter 75

“There won’t be many photos.”

“That’s still okay! It’s better than not being able to see any.”

The family must have been so busy that they couldn’t take many childhood photos. Yeon-woo closed and opened his eyelids to view the few photos with a clear view.

Most of the photos in the album were group photos taken when he was a student. Occasionally, if there was a photo taken alone, most of them were from angles as if someone had secretly taken them. He almost blurted out the question of whether he had been secretly photographed, but he bit his lips and endured it, thinking it would be rude.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve never seen Hyung taking photos.’

A photo that seemed to have been taken while playing a football match caught his eye. The atmosphere was similar to now, but his face was clearly younger and looked childish. He must have been popular….

“Why.”

“Yes?”

“Your expression didn’t look good.”

Ki-won, who quickly caught Yeon-woo’s change, tapped on the desk. Only then did Yeon-woo realize that his lips were pouting.

“No…”

Is it okay to say this? Handsome, tall, and with a good body, the dominant alpha was also good at sports. Then he must have been very popular, and thinking about this made him feel strangely unhappy. He couldn’t directly convey all of this. Embarrassed, Yeon-woo bit his lips tightly and then cautiously spoke to subtly probe Ki-won.

“Hyung, you must have received a lot of confessions when you were a student, right?”

“That’s a sudden question.”

“Seeing that you can’t answer, it must be true.”

Why am I so annoyed? Yeon-woo tried hard not to show his emotions on his face.

“You must have had a lot of lovers too.”

Yeon-woo unconsciously muttered and fumbled with the photo.

“I got married to Hyung right away…”

Yeon-woo didn’t have many memories to speak of. When he was a student, he was busy with part-time jobs, and after becoming an adult, he worked at a factory or logistics center, and spent his free time doing part-time jobs, so he had no time for dating. Now he was in a contract marriage with Ki-won, so he was expected to have no lover for another year.

“I didn’t.”

“What?”

“You asked if I had a lot of lovers, but that’s a rather startling question.”

“Not even one? You didn’t date anyone at all?”

He was just as surprised. Yeon-woo repeatedly raised the end of his words as if it were absurd, and then withdrew his body. It must be a lie. The distrustful Yeon-woo narrowed his eyes.

“I didn’t have the mind or the time for that.”

“…Oh.”

He was quite a model student. Yeon-woo let out a small exclamation at Ki-won’s studiousness.

“Hyung, you’re wasting your face now.”

Although the uncomfortable feeling that Ki-won had no lover subsided, a regretful feeling came belatedly. Kwon Ki-won was a clear handsome man to the point where complimenting his good looks was pointless. If he had been born into an ordinary family, everyone would have recommended him to be a celebrity without exception. It was a waste of his looks that such a person had never had a lover.

“Wasting my face?”

“Hyung, you’re incredibly handsome.”

“I’m glad my face is your type.”

“This isn’t a matter of type. It will just look handsome to anyone.”

Thick eyebrows and eyes that are wide open overall despite not having double eyelids. A straight, upright nose bridge and plump lips…. The facial features formed a perfect symmetry, making it look like a well-drawn picture. With a sharp face shape added to this, the word textbook handsome naturally came out.

“But I don’t think it’s a waste. I got such a pretty spouse.”

“No, Hyung!”

Yeon-woo’s face instantly flushed red. You really can’t let your guard down! If someone heard, they would think we had a love marriage. Yeon-woo cupped his cheeks to cool down the heat that was rising and whined.

“No one’s listening-“

Knock, knock.

What impeccable timing. Just as he was about to ask if they didn’t need to act like newlyweds when no one was around, a knock was heard. Did Hyung know someone was standing outside? He really had a ghostly sense.

“Come in.”

When Ki-won gave permission, the door opened and Mrs. Lim appeared. Lim Hwa-ran had changed her outfit from dinnertime. It was a slightly lighter outfit, and she had a shawl around her shoulders.

“I was wondering if I could borrow Ki-won for a bit.”

Ki-won blinked one eyebrow at the words that came out of Lim Hwa-ran’s mouth. He seemed to have no idea that he would be called out separately. Ki-won glanced at Yeon-woo and then spoke in a low tone.

“I’ll be back in a bit, Yeon-woo.”

“Okay, see you later! I’ll keep looking at the album.”

There were still quite a few photos he hadn’t seen yet, as he had been appreciating them at a slow pace, regretting turning each page. Yeon-woo waved his hand softly at Ki-won and then sent an eye smile to Mrs. Lim. They must have a lot to talk about since they hadn’t seen each other in a while. Yeon-woo didn’t add any other words so that the mother and son could have a comfortable conversation.

Left alone in the bedroom after Ki-won followed Lim Hwa-ran out, Yeon-woo leisurely examined the photos. While calmly turning the album and appreciating Ki-won’s student days, Yeon-woo suddenly realized something strange.

“There are only photos taken while studying abroad.”

Yeon-woo, who muttered to himself, quickly scanned the remaining few photos. That was because there were only photos from when he was a certain age in the album, and not a single photo from when he was very young.

‘Maybe they’re not here….’

He thought that the rest of the albums might be in the apartment they currently live in. I should ask him to show me if I get a chance later. Yeon-woo imagined Ki-won’s infancy and burst into laughter secretly. Thinking that there must have been a time when Ki-won had chubby cheeks, it felt strange and he couldn’t help but laugh.

***

“What is it? Calling me out separately.”

Mrs. Lim stopped walking only after reaching the yard. She looked up at the sky that had become dark and pulled up the shawl that had fallen below her shoulders.

“There are days when I want to chat with my son.”

As Mrs. Lim approached the tea table she had set up in advance and sat down, Ki-won followed behind her. Tea with steam rising was also prepared, indicating that it wouldn’t be a short conversation.

“Actually, I have something to say about Yeon-woo.”

The corners of Mrs. Lim’s mouth lifted slightly and then calmly subsided. A little bit of concern was also revealed in her deepened brows.

“Please speak.”

Ki-won’s gaze briefly turned towards the 2nd floor. I wonder if he’s playing well by himself. The light coming from the 2nd floor bedroom was reflected in his eyes, and Ki-won then turned his gaze and focused on his mother.

“I was so surprised when you brought Yeon-woo as your marriage partner.”

Lim Hwa-ran’s hand gripping the teacup tightened. Her face as she traced back the past was subtle. It was an ambiguous emotion that seemed sad, or perhaps regretful.

“I don’t know how you two became connected, but Yeon-woo is still in that… state, right?”

A thin breath escaped from between the teeth of Lim Hwa-ran, who was hesitantly telling the story.

“I mean, the memory loss.”

Lim Hwa-ran, who accurately added what she wanted to say, closed her eyes tightly while holding her temple.

“Before, what happened-“

“Mother.”

Ki-won, who had taken a sip of tea, put down the cup and interrupted her voice.

“We should be careful with such stories.”

“Huh?”

“We’re in the yard. Even if Yeon-woo is on the 2nd floor, if he opens the window, our voices might leak in.”

“Oh my…”

Mrs. Lim pressed her lips tightly and then nodded her head. It was a gesture indicating that she understood the meaning of being careful with the conversation.

“Anyway, fate is really scary. You two ended up connecting like this.”

“…That’s right.”

“Even if I don’t say this, you’ll do well, but always live considerately with each other. There are times when couples fight over really trivial reasons.”

In Lim Hwa-ran’s mind, fragmentary memories that she couldn’t bring herself to say out loud repeatedly appeared and disappeared. Kwon Ki-won quietly looked at his mother’s face that was changing every moment and then stretched his lips into a line. It seemed like he knew what she was thinking even without directly saying it.

“Of course. What kind of person do you think Yeon-woo is?”

So precious, a being that he couldn’t even carelessly look at because it felt like a waste. Ki-won put the three characters of Seo Yeon-woo’s name in his mouth.

“By the way, I was so surprised earlier.”

Mrs. Lim recalled what happened in the kitchen and clapped her hands.

“Hey, why didn’t you tell Yeon-woo that his allergy had disappeared? I naturally told him to exclude crustaceans without knowing that… I was so startled by Yeon-woo’s reaction.”

Currently, the two were married and living together. It was something that could have been resolved by saying that he heard from Ki-won that the crustacean allergy was gone, so he pretended to know, but what an awkward situation occurred. Who would have known that the crustacean allergy Yeon-woo had as a child would disappear when he became an adult?