Although the experience was hurtful, Hana was able to understand her friends’ perspective to some extent. If the roles had been reversed and one of her friends had suddenly confessed to loving a man twice her age, Hana would have voiced her own concerns.
But the reality was different: she didn’t love Haru, not even a little bit. Sure, he was a kind man who respected her, and if he had been a few years younger, he might have been her type. But this? This wasn’t love.
She was exploiting Haru, and she had to hide it. The risk of exposure was too great; if anyone found out her real motives for marrying Haru, they would intervene. In the end, she was caught in a web of lies, deceiving the people she cared about most.