CHAPTER 67

Siyeon moved from the second floor to the master room on the first floor. The room she originally used would now be designated for her workspace.

As soon as the next day dawned, she planned to tell and help the helpers to move all her clothes and personal belongings to the first floor.

When Siyeon came out in her pajamas, Ijun was sitting at the terrace table in front of the master room, sipping whiskey from a glass with ice. It wasn’t too cold, as he had only thrown on a bathrobe over his pajamas.

Siyeon opened the sliding door and stepped out onto the terrace.

“Why are you drinking here?”

“It’s refreshing.”

“Aren’t you cold?” 

“It’s cold. Put on something warm and come out.”

As she tried to pull the chair opposite to Ijun to sit down, he gestured inside with his eyes, indicating for her to go inside. Thinking that the conversation might be lengthy, Siyeon obediently went inside, put on a long and thick shawl over her shoulders, and came back out.

“Do you want a drink?”

“Just a little.”

He pushed an empty glass toward Siyeon and asked. As she nodded, he took out ice from the basket, filled the glass, and poured whiskey halfway on top.

“Why did you hate me so much when we were younger?”

“Back then, I thought you were tormenting me for no reason.”

 “I wasn’t tormenting you; I was just trying to be nice.”

After a crisp clink, Siyeon took a sip of the drink. She thought the drink was smooth, but soon her throat heated up.

“Do you have difficulties at work?”

In response to her question, Ijun tilted his glass without saying a word, peering into its depths.  His profile, with tightly closed lips, looked lonely at first glance. 

After finishing the remaining drink, he set the empty glass down and spoke.

“My brother woke up.”

“…What? Really? Gwihyeon oppa woke up?”

“Yeah.”

“It’s really fortunate. The elders in Suwon must be very happy.”

“They were pleased.”

Ijun spoke calmly as he poured more liquor into the empty glass. If Gwihyeon woke up, it would undoubtedly be good news, but Ijun seemed to have mix feelings. 

“But why is your expression like that? Is there… something not right?”

“Probably, he can’t be the same as before right after waking up. The doctors say it will take more time for him to communicate freely. Aside from that, they say he can improve with rehabilitation therapy.”

“Then the family must be at the hospital now.”

“Grandfather seems to be considering re-admission, insisting on staying at the hospital from today.”

While listening to Ijun’s story, Siyeon found it hard to believe that Gwihyeon had really woke up. Seeing him without any signs of improvement for over a year, even his family seemed to have given up. It was truly a miraculous event.

The news of Gwihyeon was a great hope for Siyeon herself. In this life, she hadn’t lost anyone. Her parents, Gwihyeon, and now, in a life she hadn’t lived before, she would continue living with them.

“So… what are you thinking about now?”

“My brother lost his memories of the past. We need more detailed tests to know for sure, but chances of recovering the lost memories are slim.”

“How… serious is his condition?”

Siyeon asked cautiously.

“I don’t know the details. Communication is still not smooth. However… Grandfather mentioned that Hyung (older brother) had no recollection of Kim Eunhye, the daughter of a family that had received his grace when she stole it from you.” 

“How did this happen…”

If Gwihyeon doesn’t remember Eunhye, he must have lost a significant amount of memories. At least more than seven years.

“My parents and grandfather think it’s a blessing in disguise.”

“As long as there are no other problems… I think that might be better.” 

“Do you really think so?”

“What else is there to think?” 

“…”

Instead of giving an answer, Ijun stared at her intently. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Was it sincere when you said I am better than my brother?” 

“When did I say such a thing? I’ve never said that to you.”

“Grandfather said so. He mentioned that you said such things at the Suwon house in the past.”

“Oh…”

Siyeon, rolling her eyes, searched her memory for a moment and then suddenly stopped moving. She remembered. It was when she was about to enter college and went to greet his grandfather.

“Grandfather said a lot of things.”

“Even now?”

“What do you mean?”

“Even now, am I better than my brother?”

“Saying something like that… it’s a bit uncomfortable to say it in front of you.”

 Ijun waited for her next words with a slightly tense face.

“I don’t like Gwihyeon oppa. How can I like him after what he did to me? Of course, it’s something to celebrate that he woke up, but that doesn’t mean my feelings towards Gwihyeon oppa will improve.”

“So, for me…”

“I don’t curse in front of the people involved.”

 Siyeon skillfully avoided giving a direct answer.

“Fine. Let me change the question then. Who do you dislike more between me and my brother?”

“That’s a really difficult question.”

“So, who is it? Just give me a conclusion.”

 “I can’t really decide between you two because you’re both equally unpleasant.”

“Geez, that’s amazing.”

When Ijun made a face, Siyeon’s mood improved, and she burst into laughter. Just a few sips of whiskey had brightened her mood.

“I’m amazed too. If I were born again, I would never meet you, absolutely never.”

Siyeon emphasized strongly and took another sip of the drink. It smoothly went down, and she enjoyed the warmth it brought, matching her fiery temperament.

“Then, who would you meet?”

“I like affectionate people. A man who laughs easily and is kind-hearted.”

“He’ll probably act affectionate on the outside but want something else on the inside.”

“There might be people who aren’t like that, you know?”

She looked at Ijun as if she were poking fun at him. 

“When my brother recovers and returns to work, I was planning to leave again.”

“I was planning to leave once my brother recovered and returned to work.”

She made an awkward expression at his immediate follow-up.

“I thought it would only take a month or two, but it’s already been a year. In that time, you and I got married.”

“….”

“Do you want me to stay at the company?”

“Is my opinion important?”

“If it wasn’t, I wouldn’t have asked.”

 Ijun’s voice was earnest.

“I hope you do what you want without being tied down by the company.”

“If I said I wanted to go to the U.S., would you come with me?”

Siyeon paused at his question. The fact that she couldn’t readily answer ‘yes’ in her past life had always left a lingering regret. She had thought that if such a day came again, she would definitely say yes and go with him. 

“No.”

However, she shook her head. Siyeon didn’t want to leave the place where her parents and important people were. She knew that she couldn’t live happily with just Ijun’s love and attention.

“Is this the second rejection?”

“Back then, I wanted to go with you because I was lonely, but now I can’t go with you because I don’t want to be lonely.”

“Don’t want to be lonely?”

“Yes. Honestly, if we break up, it’s not like I’ll die and not be able to live… it’s not that kind of relationship.”

“…You’re very honest.”

His gaze softened a little at Siyeon’s honest answer. It wouldn’t have been pleasant for him to hear that she didn’t love him to his face.

Of course, Siyeon liked Ijun as a man. Being with him made her heart flutter, and she looked forward to the time he came back home. But it wasn’t as if she would die right away if he wasn’t there.

“You ran away because you didn’t want to marry me, and not too long ago, you were horrified to be with me. But what’s with that expression now?”

“That’s…”

“I understand. It was because of a misunderstanding about me. But just because the misunderstanding is cleared up doesn’t mean you’ll fall in love with me.” 

Ijun seemed like he wanted to say something, his lips moved, but he quickly shut them tight. Right now, he seemed to have decided to just listen to her words.

“About my pen name ‘Drumstick’, it’s exactly what you thought it was. When I was in my first year of college, trying to come up with a pen name, I recalled the happiest memory, and that name came up. But if I had to come up with a pen name now, I wouldn’t choose that one.”

“Why?”

“Because it makes me sad now when I think about that time now. It’s not a happy memory.”

When Ijun heard the pen name ‘Drumstick’, he immediately thought of the electric grilled chicken restaurant they had been to. So, he was grateful for that. She hadn’t forgotten the memories from that time. It wasn’t just a warm memory for himself; it brought a comforting feeling.

“Then I guess I’ll have to stay in Korea.”

Watching Siyeon bring the glass to her lips, Ijun said calmly. The way he spoke suggested that he had no regrets or concerns.

“So, was that why you felt uneasy today? Because Gwihyeon oppa woke up… and you want to leave the company?”

 “I can leave anytime according to my will. I don’t really worry about things like that.”

“Then what do you worry about?”

“…”

Ijun poured himself a drink. It was already the third time she had seen him do that.

“I’ll have some too.”

Feeling a sudden competitive spirit, Siyeon quickly emptied her glass and extended it toward him with both hands. For a moment, his face seemed to split into two or three, but when she squinted and opened her eyes again, he was just one person. 

Ijun raised an eyebrow slightly but didn’t say anything, pouring her a drink. He also added a few more ice cubes.

“It seems like it’s the first time we’re drinking together. You drink well.”

“It’s my first time drinking whiskey.”

 After taking a sip of alcohol, she shivered as it went down her throat.

“Is it cold?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

A sense of lethargy washed over her. The more she drank, the better she felt. With laughter bubbling inside her, it felt like she could burst into laughter with just a slight nudge.

“Do you still want to become the wife of Baekya Foods’ CEO?”

“I never wanted to be that. Except maybe if I were a government official.”

“You earned a lot of money helping Yeongjin, do you still want to become a civil servant?”

“A writer’s job is unstable, you know. I don’t like instability. Even now, I worry that the ground under my feet might crumble.”

As she spoke and let out a sigh, a funny sound escaped from between her lips. She tried to blow air out forcefully, but it was the same as before.

“Let’s go inside.”

“I have to finish this.”

Before Ijun could object, Siyeon gulped down the remaining drink. When she put the glass down with a thud, it seemed like she had exerted a lot of strength in her hand. Ijun looked at her with a strange expression.

“Are you going to hold my hand again?”

“No.” 

With Ijun’s response, Siyeon stood up from her seat with a dissatisfied pout. Ijun quickly grabbed her arm as she swayed a bit. Then, he swiftly put his arm between her back and knees, lifting her up. Siyeon was in such a tipsy state that she didn’t think it was strange at all.

“Wrap your arms around my neck.”

“Okay.”

When Siyeon wrapped her arms around his neck, Ijun lowered his head, bringing their lips together. A strong whiff of alcohol emanated from him. It was their second kiss.