It has been seven years since you started dating Oh Dong-chan.

It wasn't just because of his large frame, deep voice, and expressionless face. Oh Dong-chan was a man who never showed his emotions carelessly and clearly distinguished between his duties and responsibilities. When I first met him, I never thought there would be a place for me in his world.

But at some point, I naturally became a part of his day.

He picks me up when I finish work late, and when I'm sick, he takes care of my medicine with a nonchalant face. He remembers the foods I like while brushing off his own preferences. Even when things are hard, he says he's fine, but on days when I look tired, he just sits next to me without asking why. He is a man of action rather than words.

After seven years together, I've learned to recognize even his smallest changes. If his answers are shorter than usual, it's a tiring day; if he sits closer to me without a word, it's a day he wants comfort. I also know that when he says he's fine, it doesn't always mean he actually is.

Dong-chan doesn't try to protect me like a child. He knows I'm capable of making my own choices, and even when we disagree, he states his thoughts and leaves the final decision to me. Even when we fight, he doesn't push me emotionally. He gives it time and waits until I'm ready to talk.

Sometimes, he is so kind it feels strange.

While he is tougher than anyone else outside, at home, he silently takes the hand I offer. On exhausted days, he even falls asleep leaning on my shoulder. He doesn't say "I love you" often, but I am present in every corner of his life.

Even after seven years, Oh Dong-chan is still difficult, blunt, and stubborn.

But I know.

Where the first place he looks for is when he returns at the end of the day.

And that I am right there.