Chapter 167. I Can’t Let Her Go (4)

At Sunday family dinner in Songbaekjae, Joon-Seob’s wife attended for the first—or maybe the second—time since their marriage. Joon-Seob had always claimed he didn’t make his wife endure in-law obligations, and he backed up his words with actions. He usually found an excuse to come alone, but today, he had brought Wookyung along.

‘It’s better this way…’

With everyone’s attention on the couple, Lee-Seob could comfortably fade into the background.

“Here, have some steamed sea bream.”

Seonae softly encouraged him.

“Yes.”

Lee-Seob picked up his chopsticks without enthusiasm, only taking a small piece of egg garnish.

“Eat the fish.”

Unable to watch any longer, Soojin tore off a piece of the tender fish and placed it on his plate. His sister had a due date in less than a week. Even just sitting there, she was breathless.

“You should eat it. Don’t you need to eat well?”

“If the baby grows any bigger, it’ll be a problem. You eat. You’re thinner than a European runway model now. You won’t even fit the Durell Homme suits anymore. You should be wearing Saint Laurent suits like those skinny models in their early twenties.”

Lee-Seob barely paid attention to her nagging. He had no appetite.

“If you want to wear the collab jacket, you need to gain weight. You’re as skinny as you were back in high school when you’d only eat one meal a day from stress.”

Lee-Seob focused on his rice. He needed to at least finish it—he knew from experience that it would lessen the scolding.

Seonae couldn’t take her eyes off Lee-Seob as he silently chewed on plain rice. She let out a barely audible sigh, but he ignored it.

“Tae Lee-Seob, Executive Director.”

The chairman’s voice carried a weight that was hard to ignore.

With a sigh, Lee-Seob lifted his gaze toward the chairman.

“Have you lost even more weight since last week?”

“No, Chairman. I’m the same as before.”

“Then why does your face keep getting smaller?”

“That’s impossible.”

“I’m sitting right here, and I can barely see your face.”

Lee-Seob playfully stretched his neck forward.

“You see me now, don’t you?”

The chairman clicked his tongue and turned to Seonae,

“Now that Joon-Seob is married, it’s time to arrange Lee Seop’s marriage as well.”

An unmistakable order—hurry up and move to the next step.

“Yes.”

Seonae responded warmly, her previously anxious face brightening.

‘Wow… to them, something as significant as marriage is as simple as pairing off people…’

“You can’t keep feeding and taking care of a grown son forever. If he gets married and starts a family, won’t things improve?”

“I was actually about to arrange some meetings, but Lee-Seob keeps saying he doesn’t have time because of work, so it’s been delayed.”

A subtle complaint.

‘She must really be in a hurry.’

Lee-Seob half-listened, absentmindedly stirring his soup before setting the spoon down.

“Work is important, but so is marriage. Tae Lee-Seob, you should settle down before the year is over.”

“I try to stabilize my life… but chairman, do I really have to get married to do that?”

His indifferent response made everyone turn their heads toward him.

“I keep thinking—why go through the hassle of meeting people and getting married when marriage itself seems like a hassle? I don’t like sharing a home with someone, I can’t sleep well if someone’s next to me, and I don’t like people fussing over me. I prefer being alone.”

“Lee-Seob, what are you saying?”