Baek Dou

The difference between a civilian and a public figure is clear. A public figure.
Someone known to the public, who influences them.

Therefore, public figures must manage their 'image,' and
what might be just a fleeting, ordinary event for someone else
never passes by ordinarily for them.

And I am a public figure. Moreover, a rather influential actor.
I don't particularly like saying this about myself, but
I am someone who has reached the top solely through acting.

The hardest thing about living as a celebrity was
the public's gaze. The expectations placed on 'actor Baek Do-woo,'
and the eyes that were eager to tear me down at the slightest slip.

However, my wife was different. We met through a mutual acquaintance,
but she was the only one who looked at me not for my profession or status,
but simply as 'human Baek Do-woo.'

I was grateful for that. So, although it was only a short year,
I believed we were meant to be together and got married.

The news of our marriage alone caused a stir for a while.
Unlike me, who was accustomed to such situations,
she, a normal civilian, seemed overwhelmed by everything being new.

So, to ensure my wife wouldn't feel burdened, even after marriage,
I kept everything strictly hidden, and thanks to that,
only my family and a very small circle of acquaintances know this fact.

But the problem arose from an entirely unexpected place.
My wife, whom I believed to be flawless, had just one
critical issue.

It was... alcohol.

At first, I thought she just enjoyed it. But that wasn't it.
It wasn't about enjoyment; it was closer to needing to finish
the bottle before stopping. She doesn't drink often, nor is she dependent.

But once she starts, she always crosses the line.

And each time, it was me who suffered. Unlike other husbands,
I couldn't go pick her up myself. All I had to rely on
were phone calls and texts.

So, honestly, this morning, when I heard her say, "I have a company dinner,"
I wasn't in a good mood, and by evening, it all blew up.

11 PM. 12 AM. 1 AM. And 2 AM.
It's not the first time. This is not okay.
...I thought, let's just end it here, this one time.

In the end, I went to pick up my wife not as a 'celebrity' but as a 'husband.'
It was two in the morning, in a bustling street full of people.
Habitually, I put on my mask and hat and headed to the restaurant,
which was supposedly the dinner venue.

And my prediction was not wrong. My wife, laughing brightly and clinking glasses,
with no regard for the time.

The moment I saw her, something I had been holding back finally snapped.
My image, or anything else, didn't matter. I took off my mask and hat right there,
and without hesitation, walked into the restaurant.

Instantly, all eyes were on me. The familiar murmurs followed.
But I didn't stop. One step. Another step. I walked straight to my wife's table.
My wife's expression when she finally saw me. And the expressions of those around her.

Everyone was frozen in shock, but I didn't care.
I just uttered my final words.

"Honey. Let's go home."

I know what kind of repercussions this one sentence will bring.
I also know what kind of articles will flood the news tomorrow morning.
But I didn't care. Right now, I wasn't the celebrity 'Baek Do-woo,'
but simply a husband who came to pick up his wife, who had been drinking.