CHAPTER 25

After briefly answering, she slurped up the chewy udon noodles with enthusiasm. She scooped up the steaming broth with a spoon, it felt like warmth seeping into her stiff body, thawing away the discomfort and cold that had lingered throughout the journey. 

[You’re just eating dinner now? And udon, too?] 

“It just turned out this way, but it’s really delicious. I’ll treat you to it when you have some time off.” 

[…]

Ijun fell silent for a moment, and Siyeon understood the meaning of this silence all too well. 

“Every time this happens, I either have to lie to your brother or call him only when I’m lying in bed at home.” 

[If you were in my shoes, what would you do? How would you feel if I had to eat cup noodles for dinner while living independently? Would you be okay with it?] 

“Don’t exaggerate. I’m not eating convenience store cup noodles, I’m eating the udon that I want at a specialized udon restaurant.” 

[Every time, I get so annoyed by the fact that I’m in the military.]

“If you feel unjust, then get discharged soon.” 

Siyeon chuckled and slurped up some more noodles. Talking to Ijun while eating made it feel like they were having dinner together. 

As she enjoyed her udon and they’re engaged in a light conversation, a call came in from someone else. Siyeon glanced at her phone’s screen, furrowing her brow for a moment, and quickly spoke into the phone. 

“I’ll finish eating and then head home. Sleep well, and we’ll talk again.”

 [Okay. Leave a message when you get home.] 

“I will.” 

Why did Gwihyeon call me again?

Siyeon recalled their recent conversation, and her heart felt uneasy. After ending the call with Ijun, Siyeon answered Gwihyeon’s call. 

“Hello?” 

[You were on the phone for quite a while. Were you talking to Ijun?] 

“…Yes.” 

Siyeon hesitated for a moment but soon admitted it honestly. There was no point in denying it; he would figure out she was lying anyway. 

[You’re getting so close to your future brother-in-law that it’s making me jealous…] 

“Are you being serious?” 

[I’ve always been serious. I can’t speak for you, though.] 

For some reason, Gwihyeon had changed. Siyeon was now certain of it. He wouldn’t have spoken like this to her in the past. It was a strangely irritating tone. 

“Why did you call so late at night?” 

Siyeon picked up her bag and quickly paid the bill before heading outside. Her body and mind, which had briefly relaxed while she was talking to Ijun, tensed up again. When the cold wind hit her face, she hunched her shoulders and hurried her steps. 

[I’m coming up to Seoul soon too. I wanted to let you know.] 

“Why are you coming to Seoul?” 

[My classes start in March.] 

“But you’ve been commuting from Suwon.” 

[I’m getting an apartment in Seoul because it’s too far to commute from home.]

Gwihyeon used to rely on a chauffeur to drive him to school. The distance from Suwon to school was considerable, but above all, it was what the elders wanted.

“Which neighborhood in Seoul?” 

[Hannam-dong. I visited there the last time I saw Grandma, and I liked the neighborhood.] 

“…” 

The moment she heard the mention of Hannam-dong, Siyeon understood the source of the discomfort she felt from Gwihyeon. He had changed ever since he met her Grandma and Ichon-dong parents in Hannam-dong. 

His voice was still gentle, but she had sensed a sarcastic undertone. Now she finally understood the essence of that change. 

I see. 

Yes, Gwihyeon had realized that she had Eunhye had been switched. 

* * * 

Siyeon returned home and sat on the couch to calm her racing heart. Her heart was still pounding, and the irregular breathing that had persisted since earlier remained ragged. 

Gwihyeon had found out the truth. Grandmother must have told him. Anxious about the possibility of Siyeon marrying Gwihyeon sooner because of her own words, she must have confessed to Gwihyeon. And yet, Gwihyeon knew the truth but pretended not to and continued to watch Siyeon.

It must be because I mentioned Yeongjin.

She bit down hard on her lower lip, her face tense with anxiety.

Gwihyeon must have remembered her request from a few years ago when she asked for help with Yeongjin, even though her reason for helping Yeongjin without any apparent benefit didn’t make sense to him. Now that he knew that the boss couple of Yeongjin were Siyeon’s biological parents, Gwihyeon could fully grasp the situation. 

But that wasn’t all. Gwihyeon now knows that she and Eunhye were swapped years ago. 

But Gwihyeon was still baffled at how Siyeon had come to know of this fact when the Ichon-dong parents and Grandma assured him that Siyeon and Eunhye were still unaware of this fact. 

He must have thought badly of me. 

Gwihyeon must have been furious, knowing that they would never be together, yet Siyeon asked him for help about Yeongjin, without telling him the truth. To add more, he now knew that she was dating Ijun. 

He must have wanted to run to his grandfather immediately and tell him the truth, but couldn’t because her grandmother had strictly forbidden it. 

I wonder what Grandma told him to explain why he has to wait until Eunhye turns twenty-five. 

It didn’t matter what excuse her grandmother gave him. What bothered her more was that he hadn’t informed Ijun or their grandparents about the fact that he knew. If he had, they might have tried to contact Siyeon to verify the facts. 

What is Gwihyeon-oppa thinking? 

Siyeon felt confused. Gwihyeon securing a residence in Seoul, especially in Hannam-dong, was probably due to Eunhye. He might be planning to start anew as neighbors this time, unlike when they first met at the company. 

[Let’s meet. Please let me know when you’re available.] 

After much consideration, Siyeon sent a text message to Gwihyeon. She needed to meet him to find out what he was thinking. Meeting him would help her to understand why he hadn’t told her grandfather the truth and why he hadn’t informed her that he already knew. 

“Anytime works for me. How about tomorrow?” 

[Going to the local cafe in the evening sounds good.] 

“Okay. See you tomorrow.” 

She couldn’t find answers by thinking alone. She had to confront him directly.

* * * 

She had been thinking too much and couldn’t sleep, so she woke up in the morning with a throbbing headache. 

Every step she took was painful. However, as it was her second day at work and she couldn’t afford to be late, she quickly got ready and hurried out of her house. Thanks to her diligence and haste, she arrived at the factory 30 minutes earlier than her scheduled shift time. 

After informing the office about her arrival, she returned to the factory office, put a green tea bag into a paper cup, and poured hot water. The boss rarely came to work on Sundays unless there were special circumstances, so seeing her Hannam-dong father’s face today was out of the question.

Fortunately, Deputy Yang, had a very welcoming expression when she saw Siyeon just now and didn’t mention the possibility of her being fired. Eunhye’s plan to fire Siyeon had failed. 

“Can I have a cup too?” 

The second to arrive again today was Yoon-soo, the guy who did part-time work as a hobby. He was an unconventional man who worked in the adjacent factory with his father’s company boldly displayed nearby. 

“I don’t think I can control the water amount, and everyone has their own preferences.”

Siyeon replied, turning his suggestion down, and stepped aside at the beverage counter. Knowing that he was close to Eunhye now, Siyeon decided to keep her distance from Yoon-soo. He mostly tolerated and indulged Eunhye’s wild behavior, which worsened Siyeon’s judgment of him.

“But it’s just a tea bag.” 

“Weren’t you going to drink instant coffee?” 

“If you don’t want to give it to me, just say so. 

He said while twirling the car keys in his fingers. The familiar foreign car logo spun around right in front of her. 

It was true that he worked at Yongjin as a hobby. Siyeon saw him yesterday evening on her way home, as he slowly passed her driving a car while she was walking toward the station. She could clearly see his side profile from the driver’s seat as he passed by. Eunhye, who was sitting in the passenger seat, laughed at her from the passenger seat as they passed by at such a slow pace. 

“I don’t want to give it to you.”

 “…” 

He suddenly stopped his actions and stared at Siyeon intently. He seemed genuinely surprised that she had answered like that. 

“My boyfriend doesn’t like it.” 

Siyeon added in a casual tone, after taking a sip of her green tea 

 “A girl with a boyfriend is working part-time every weekend?” 

“He’s in the military right now, so it’s okay.” 

“I thought you were just dedicated to work, but it seems you’re not neglecting your love life either.” 

“Yeah.” 

She intended to end the conversation with her short response, but he persisted. He took a sip of his instant coffee from the paper cup and continued speaking. 

“Why did you act that way yesterday?” 

“What did I do yesterday?”

“Eunhye tends to speak straightforwardly, but she would have let it slide if you had just ignored her.” 

“It’s not about speaking straightforwardly. She doesn’t differentiate between what can and cannot be said. She just says whatever she wants.” 

Yoonsoo furrowed his brow slightly at her response. 

“Don’t provoke her. Eunhye is the type to keep showing interest in something until she gets bored with it herself, whether it’s a good or bad thing, as long as it catches her eye. Since you acted like that yesterday, she won’t just let it go. If you don’t show any reaction, she won’t pay any more attention to you, so just let it slide if she says anything else.”

He was advising Siyeon to avoid unnecessary friction with Eunhye by not reacting strongly to whatever Eunhye said. 

“I have something I want to ask too.” 

“Go ahead.” 

“Why do you pretend to like the boss’s daughter?” 

Siyeon couldn’t help but ask, as Eunhye was currently the daughter of the Hannam-dong businessman. 

Siyeon had initially thought that he worked at Yongjin because of Eunhye, given that his father owned a large factory nearby. However, after observing his behavior yesterday, she began to doubt her assumption. 

“Why do you think that way?” 

She seemed partly uncertain, but her confidence grew after seeing his reaction. Instead of denying, he asked Seoyeon why she had come to think that way.