#253: Newlyweds And Everyday Life (7) — The Archmage's Restaurant

Lee Jin-ha’s problem was his fiancée. His fiancée and Lee Jin-ha came from the same orphanage. That’s why he had a rough childhood.

They were from the same orphanage—in other words, he’d had a long connection with his fiancée since they were children.

Back when they were snot-nosed kids, he once saved her from being bullied by others, which made them the closest in the orphanage.

But she was the first to leave the orphanage.

That’s because she was adopted into a good family nearby. Lee Jin-ha, five years older than her, left the orphanage on his own a few years later.

Of course, they weren’t in touch at the time, so he simply worked hard just to survive.

Their reunion happened by pure chance. She was still in middle school. He had just become an adult and was diving into the cutthroat world of work.

But was it fate’s doing? They ran into each other on the street, just like that. Like something out of a movie.

Of course he was happy. They had spent years together, after all. But she brushed past him like she didn’t want to acknowledge him. He didn’t really blame her.

She was no longer an orphan, living a good life unlike someone like him. No, he’d even heard that her adoptive father had made it big in business—enough to run a chaebol-level company.

That meant she now lived in a completely different world. The girl who once felt like a little sister to him was gone. As those childhood memories faded, a wave of loss washed over him.

She had always seemed lonely, not much of a talker—that’s probably why he’d felt compelled to look out for her.

Strangely, that quiet little girl always had things to say to him. That bond made it feel like he had a real family.

But that was just an illusion. Memories are only beautiful because they’re in the past. Reality was what it was.

Yeah—he wasn’t meant to have a family.

So, self-deprecating as ever, the young man returned home after their brief encounter. But when he took off his jacket, he found a phone in the pocket that wasn’t his.

Right then, the phone rang. Startled, he picked it up without thinking—and it was her voice. She was asking to meet up so she could get her phone back.

He later learned that her adoptive parents had been watching her, so she couldn’t greet him—and in her panic, she’d slipped her phone into his coat pocket.

That phone reconnected their bond.

And so they reunited. They stayed in contact. A new little sister. A fellow orphan who trusted him—it felt like family all over again.

Since then, she always turned to Lee Jin-ha for advice—even over trivial things. She still seemed quiet around others, but in front of him, she was just like her childhood self.

“Oppa, do you remember when you protected me as a kid?”

“Of course I remember. That punk Min-cheol from the orphanage was the worst.”

“That’s why… I’m learning Taekwondo and Judo these days. If someone bullies you, I’ll help you now.”

“What? You’re tiny. What’s learning that going to do?”

“Nope. Just wait and see.”

That was how she was. And that’s how their relationship continued. Jin-ha had barely anyone he could call a friend. She was the one who reminded him he wasn’t alone in this world.

Of course, he didn’t think it was love. They were just snotty kids, then reunited when she was in middle school, then in high school.

To Jin-ha, who had watched her grow through those stages, she was still a little sister.

Until then.

But then a big change came. Her father had intended a political marriage from the start when adopting her, and now that she was of age, he planned to marry her off.

The moment their secret meetings came to an end.

As soon as he heard the words “arranged marriage”, his blood boiled.

A little sister?

That’s when he realized how ridiculous that idea was.

Jin-ha had to laugh bitterly. He had definitely helped her as a kid.

But after that, it was her constant support that kept him going.

“Oppa, what do I do?”

“What’s the guy like…?”

“That’s not the point, is it? Tell me. How do you feel?”

“I like you.”

To that question, Jin-ha just blurted out a plain, awkward confession. He surprised even himself with how naturally the words came out.

But she burst into tears the moment she heard it. It was a clumsy confession—but one she had been waiting for.

“Idiot… I’ve liked you since you saved me from those bullies back then…”

Overjoyed by those words, Jin-ha and she eventually got secretly engaged.

Of course, Jin-ha worked diligently, and his boss held him in high regard. By the time they got engaged, he was already earning a solid salary and held a respectable position at a mid-sized company—enough to support a marriage.

He was a young man who had only ever looked forward.

And that’s why he proposed.

“Huh? So you’re engaged? That’s something to celebrate. Why do you look so miserable then?”

I spoke up, voicing my question out loud. Jin-ha hesitated again.

Rurin, who usually didn’t care about such things, suddenly shot up and joined the conversation—apparently she’d been paying attention.

“You didn’t give her a ring? You have to give one!”

Thinking of how happy Rurin was to receive her ring, she had a point—but that wasn’t the issue here.

“No. Of course I gave her a ring… That wasn’t the problem.”

“Then what?”

His words dragged. His expression grew darker. He kept downing soju.

Then the answer could only be one thing. From everything he said, the darkest part of Jin-ha’s life had to be the fiancée’s adoptive father—the one who was spouting crap about arranged marriages.

“I told him we’d loved each other since childhood. That I could make sure she never suffered. I went to her house to get permission. But I never even saw her. She was locked up at home. And instead of meeting me, he sent his men to beat me up. Told me never to come near her again. I was naïve… I really thought if I showed my sincerity, he’d understand. I was stupid. She—Sunhye—she even said we should just run away…”

I knew it.

Absolutely disgusting.

Utterly revolting.

Sadly, this wasn’t all that rare. If the love is strong enough, people do leave their families and make a new life together.

Sometimes, when kids come along, even those estranged families start to reconnect. These stories were practically a trope by now.

But in Jin-ha’s case, the adoptive father clearly adopted her for the arranged marriage. Locking her up to fulfill that plan? That’s beyond disgusting.

Jin-ha probably just wanted to get things done properly—get approval and be recognized—because they were still the people who raised her.

Never imagining it would lead to this mess.

“It feels like her adoptive father won’t let her go until he hides her away and forces the ceremony… There’s just no way I can reach her.”

What is this, the Joseon Dynasty? Forcing a wedding was just another form of violence.

The more I heard, the more hopeless it sounded. But if it’s no-win, then fight no-win with no-win.

“So all we need is to meet her?”

“Yes.”

“Then I think I can help.”

I smiled and shrugged. Not the kind of talk to have with a drunk guy, but still.

So I sent Jin-ha home, cleaned up, and was back to being alone with Rurin.

We went to the bathroom together to get ready again, then climbed back into bed.

Rurin enjoyed recording me brushing my teeth. So I filmed her too, all lazy and stretched out while brushing, and she freaked out when she saw it.

“By the way, Rurin.”

“What?”

“What was that earlier?”

I’d tried to forget it, but Rurin definitely looked sketchy earlier, so I couldn’t let it go.

That mushroom she personally brought from the ruins.

When we were about to boil it—after the Kuns said it was good for male stamina—her reaction definitely hinted at something.

“That…is what it is.”

“What?”

Rurin crept up to me and poked my forehead with her finger.

“What are you doing?”

“If you eat that, then get your forehead tapped like this! It makes you honest!”

“Honest?”

She nodded.

Rurin nodded with hopeful eyes full of anticipation.

“You’ll have no choice but to answer whatever I ask! And best part—you won’t remember saying any of it!”

“Oh really? That’s absurd. And besides, I’m already honest with you…”

“You!”

“Yeah?”

“What do you like most about me?”

“What?”

Where?

That was a loaded question. And she thought I wouldn’t remember? Yeah, right—we’d already confirmed that mushrooms like Sekun had no effect on us.

But if she really wanted to know, fine. There’s nothing I dislike about Rurin. Even her laziness is part of her charm.

“I just… I don’t want you to dislike anything about me… So I want to know what you like the most! That way, I’ll show you that part a lot. S-secretly!”

And just like that, Rurin shouted—her face now bright red.

“Well, if I had to pick the best part…”

“Go on?”

I patted my legs while sitting on the bed. Rurin got the hint and climbed onto my lap. We were now face to face—practically pressed against each other.

“Your eyes, nose, lips. Your soft lips…and your shoulders, your ears, your chest, your waist, your belly…”

“Hh-hah…”

As I gently ran my hand from her eyes down to her stomach, Rurin let out a soft whimper.

“Oh, and now that I think about it, I also really like when you puff your cheeks.”

“Huh? M-my cheeks? Like this?”

Rurin suddenly puffed her cheeks out. It was that classic pouty puff she does when she’s sulking. Honestly, that’s one of the cutest things about her too.

How could I possibly rank her best feature when I loved them all?

“Dummy. Your best quality is how you’ve always been my constant strength.”

Yeah. Every time I struggled, Rurin was the one shouting “Who dares mess with you?!” and “You’re the best!”—she was always in my corner. That unwavering support is what pulled me in.

“…Me? For you? I don’t think so.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“It’s the opposite!”

“And if I had to pick something else… I guess I like your hair? This hair of yours?”

“M-my hair? You like my hair? Then, uh…what am I supposed to do with my hair…”

“What do you mean, what do you do with it?”

Rurin grabbed the ends of her hair, her eyes swirling in confusion.

“And also, Rurin.”

“Wh-what now?! Why hair?! I don’t know what I’m supposed to do with that…!”

“Actually, when we were eating meat earlier—you ate that mushroom too.”

“Eeeeeeh?!”

Rurin jumped in shock and tried to get up, but I quickly tapped her forehead.