‘If I leave now, I can catch the last train. Secretary Gu will have a hard time, but if you want, I’ll have him take you to the station, so don’t feel burdened and just say so. Do you want to go up alone first?’

“Doesn’t it suit your taste?”

Gyeom asked gently, noticing her chopsticks had slowed down. Hyunseo hurriedly waved her hands.

“No, it’s delicious.”

“Your rice hasn’t gone down at all.”

“Well, I don’t have much appetite.”

“Force yourself to eat. If you collapse again, I won’t know what to do this time either.”

His threatening tone wasn’t fierce at all. Rather, it was on the affectionate side, so Hyunseo’s face flushed for no reason.

Actually, she’d been in this state the whole time. The heat that started from who knows where wouldn’t cool down.

She silently scooped up a large spoonful of rice and brought it to her mouth. The only noise in the restaurant, where she and Gyeom sat as the only customers, was the TV sound. The news anchor’s voice was so low it was barely audible.

The place they barely reached after breaking through the seemingly endless rainfall was a motel in a quiet rural outskirts.

Secretary Gu, horrified by the shabby exterior, said he’d quickly find another place, but Gyeom shook his head saying it was fine. And for good reason—the rain was pouring so hard they couldn’t dare move any further.

There were no other buildings in the vicinity. It was extremely fortunate that there was a restaurant on the first floor of the motel.

As expected, it was a small home-style restaurant with a modest menu, but Gyeom entered without hesitation and took a seat. 

Secretary Gu, who had finished eating early, didn’t refuse Gyeom’s suggestion to rest well since he’d worked hard driving, and had already gone up to his room. 

Hyunseo, who was scooping soup, raised her head at the gaze she felt.

“You look alike.”

“…Pardon?”

“Just like a squirrel. Maybe because your mouth is small.”

Her cheeks reddened at the candid assessment. She was embarrassed but couldn’t blame him. 

The reason she didn’t think it was rude was because of Gyeom’s serious expression, which showed he’d simply spoken honestly about what he felt.

“I’m not teasing you. Hurry and eat.”

He urged her to continue with her utensils that had stopped. Even though she knew she should hurry and chew and swallow, Hyunseo couldn’t pick up speed. 

She was self-conscious even about the shape of her bulging cheeks, and not knowing what to do, she carefully spoke up.

“Have you finished eating, Executive Director?”

“Yes.”

“Then, you could go up first.”

“You’d be bored.”

She became even more troubled. Unmoved, he didn’t seem to have any intention of taking his eyes off her.

She’d never been this conscious of someone’s gaze before. No, the very fact that she was doing this was an extremely embarrassing experience for her. She became uncomfortable all over again. 

‘Having a meal with Executive Director Sunwoo Gyeom.’

“What the hell kind of rain is this pouring down? Did a hole open in the sky or something?”

The restaurant owner shuffled out alone from the room attached to the kitchen. The middle-aged man with graying hair checking outside the dark doorway gave off a sense of boredom that had become routine.

“What time do you operate until?”

“We stay open until customers leave. Please eat comfortably.”

“Just one bottle of soju, please.”

“Yes.”

The restaurant owner, taking Gyeom’s order, shuffled toward the refrigerator. Saying they could take out more and to call anytime if they needed anything, the owner went back into the room.

“Want some?”

“…No, I’m fine.”

Without pressing further like he’d asked out of courtesy, Gyeom filled his own glass. Hyunseo stared blankly at him as he brought it straight to his mouth and downed it in one gulp.

Come to think of it, it was strange. A man who seemed like he’d only carve steaks with wine was tilting a soju glass in a shabby home-style restaurant. But who knew it would suit him this much?

“You seem curious.”

“Ah… a little.”

“Actually, I’m a soju person. This has less of an aftertaste than whiskey.”

He filled his glass repeatedly. Seeing the bottle already nearly half empty, Hyunseo expressed concern.

“You said you were tired.”

“That’s why I’m drinking.”

“Pardon?”

“I have to sleep somehow. It’s difficult with a clear mind. Especially on days like today.”

Gyeom tilted his glass slowly. Hyunseo quietly took in the sight of him fiddling with the empty glass in his hand. 

She felt like she vaguely understood the state of mind of someone who’d pushed himself until he had a nosebleed.

When you’re too distressed, you can’t sleep well either. Maybe he’d clung to work without rest trying to endure and hold on. Because as long as your eyes are open, thoughts continue. 

Because those thoughts eat away at you.

“My father drank almost every day.”

Looking down at the filled glass, Hyunseo spoke in a small voice. Gyeom’s gaze reached her.

“Since I was eight years old, after my mother left home from being beaten so much. I endured exactly eight years too.”

“Were you beaten?”

“I had no choice. My father when he drank was invincible. I ran away thinking I couldn’t do it anymore, but later I found out he’d collapsed from a stroke. That’s why I have him at that hospital from earlier.”

“You must hate alcohol.”

Gyeom nodded his head. Like he understood why she refused the drink, like he was hesitant now that she said she hated it, he delayed a bit more before slowly emptying his glass. 

Even the motion of setting it down was slow.

Taking advantage of the brief silence, Hyunseo suddenly thought, ‘Why did I bring this up?’

She didn’t know why she’d voluntarily opened up when Gyeom hadn’t even asked. Why, with what feelings had she readily offered it?

When she’d hated anyone knowing. When she’d tried harder to smile, pretending nothing happened, pretending to be normal.

‘Maybe I wanted to tell him. That it’s okay to open up like I did. That if it’s hard, he should just do that instead. Because pushing yourself is too painful and difficult. Because I don’t want you to do that somehow.’

“So that’s why you looked upset earlier. Coming here when you didn’t want to.”

Gyeom muttered quietly. Hyunseo couldn’t help but look at his eyes boring into her.

“It must have been a hard day. As much as mine.”

His finely lined lips released a low, deep voice. His expressionless face was still wonderful.

‘A fascinating person.’ 

Looking at Gyeom in front of her, Hyunseo admired him inwardly again. Every moment their eyes met, her oblivious heart kept thumping. 

‘The tingling even in my fingertips must be my imagination,’ she thought.

He drank his alcohol silently again.

Hyunseo didn’t press. She was curious about his circumstances but didn’t want to hear them by pestering. She didn’t want him to become more troubled by her speaking carelessly.

Just being there for him. At his drinking table. Like he’d waited for her to finish eating.

After filling and emptying his glass at a slow pace, he eventually faced her with the last glass before him.

“What do you think it would be like?”

“What?”

“If someone found out that the person who was beaten to death by employees was my biological mother.”

His tone was monotonous. The voice devoid of all emotion flowed clearly into her ears instead.

Hyunseo tried to hide her flustered appearance. Naturally it wasn’t easy, so she just clenched her innocent fists tightly.

“I heard she was a vagrant who caused a disturbance while begging. It took ten years to confirm it wasn’t true. That was the most shocking part. More than the fact that the mother who raised me wasn’t my birth mother, I couldn’t forgive myself for not stopping it when I clearly saw her being beaten. How could I not recognize her?”

With a heavy sigh, Gyeom picked up his glass. He just stared at it for a while, seemingly with no intention of drinking it right away.

“I keep having these doubts. Did I pretend not to know even though I knew? Because I didn’t want to give up what I had.”

Hyunseo lowered her head. Somehow it was difficult to take in Gyeom’s appearance. She was staring intently at her own clenched fists when she raised her head at a presence. Gyeom filled her empty glass with water.

“Let’s toast. Between people who need comfort.”

She brought her water glass to his liquor glass. His lips curved at the glass that touched obediently.

Erasing the momentary smile, he emptied his glass cleanly. Following him, Hyunseo also brought the glass to her mouth. Though it was clearly water, the taste was bitter. 

‘The reason I’m afraid to take another sip is probably because my throat is completely blocked.’

“It’s really raining a lot.”

At Gyeom’s languid voice, Hyunseo turned her head toward the door. The fierce rainfall was still pouring endlessly.

She stared vacantly. The completely dark outside couldn’t even distinguish where the sky and ground were. Only the countless raindrops falling and cutting through the darkness told her it wasn’t a frozen screen.

The drinking session ended around then. Gyeom, who could drink more—no, seemed like he should drink more—tidied up without complaint. The young man dozing at the motel counter handed over the keys they’d left with him.

The old elevator was cramped enough for two people to barely fit. The door opened first on the second floor.

“Rest well.”

“Yes, Executive Director. I’ll see you in the morning.”

The elevator door closed with a rusty sound. They’d gotten three rooms, one for each person.

Gyeom even put Hyunseo on a different floor out of consideration. Hyunseo, who passed through the dim corridor, inserted the key and entered the room.

There was only a double-sized bed and a small refrigerator, but it seemed sufficient for staying one night.

She stopped while taking off her outer clothes. Though she’d only walked a few meters from the restaurant, her clothes were quite wet.

Right when she was gently shaking off the moisture from her hair, there was a small knocking sound.

“Who is it?”

“Guest, it’s the front desk.”

Wondering what it was about, she quickly opened the door and the young man who’d handed over the key earlier grinned at her.

“Just checking if you need anything.”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Just a moment, let me check if the heating works.”

The man who entered without giving her time to stop him didn’t even look at the temperature control but shuffled around the room. 

He peeked around the bathroom area and unnecessarily tapped the bed, and just as she was about to say something because the man seemed strange—

Bang bang!

Ignoring the man who froze at the sound of pounding on the door like it would break, Hyunseo hurriedly opened it.

The person who appeared was Gyeom. He entered straight inside and spat words fiercely at the man.

“What’s this?”

“Huh? I, I just…”

“Don’t interfere and get out.”

Gyeom took off his suit jacket. The meaning of his action, even unbuttoning and loosening his shirt front, was clear.

“I, I, I’m sorry! I apologize!”

The horrified man hastily disappeared. Only after the loud footsteps beyond the closed door, like someone fleeing, completely disappeared did Hyunseo grasp the whole situation. Goosebumps rose all over her back.

“How did you…”

“I thought he might come up by the stairs.”

“Pardon?”

“I thought I saw something wrong, but it seemed strange.”

Hyunseo couldn’t believe Gyeom had come back to her on intuition alone. He kindly added an explanation.

“His eyes when he gave the key bothered me. He was staring so intently at only Ms. Do Hyunseo.”

“I see…”

“He must have been thrilled that a woman was staying alone. It’s obvious, in a place like this with no CCTV in the hallway.”

She realized again and again. 

‘That something terrible almost happened.’ 

The sense of relief was brief—suddenly realizing she was alone with Gyeom in one space, her heart pounded incomparably more than before.

“It’s okay if I stay a bit longer, right?”

At Gyeom’s words that there was no other choice, she obediently nodded and struggled to suppress her nervous heart.

Suppressing it didn’t mean it was easily suppressed. This was a motel room of all places. At this time, in this place, when an adult man and woman ended up alone together, what usually happens is…

“Want to wash up?”

‘Did he read my thoughts?’ 

Startled enough to forget to breathe, Hyunseo stiffly froze and looked at Gyeom.

“You must be tired. It’ll be late if you wait until I go up.”