Chapter 5.4

Despite Su-eon’s clear refusal, Seung-jo didn’t back down. His resolute expression only made him seem angrier.  

“Do as I say.”  

“No.” 

“Ji Su-eon.”  

“I’ve already received enough help. I can handle the rest on my own.”  

His cold, sharp eyes briefly twisted before turning into a piercing glare aimed at Su-eon. It was the first time she had seen him this angry. Did he think she was rejecting his goodwill? That, too, was arrogance.  

“I’m really fine.” 

Su-eon said, her voice steady despite his scathing gaze.  

“It’s not a serious injury. With some ice, it’ll heal quickly. Of course, I’ll go to the hospital too. So, Executive Director, please just go back.”  

She mustered all her strength to move her stiff body and turned to leave. That was when she heard a sigh, almost like a groan, escape his lips.  

“I know. That you’re good at handling things on your own.”  

“…….”  

“You’re a smart person. I know you already have the answers in your head about what to do. I know this kind of injury will heal in a few days.”  

“…….”  

“I want to pretend I don’t know and just leave, but there’s one thing stopping me.”  

Seung-jo looked at her. Her face was pale as a corpse, and her thin shoulders were trembling slightly.  

“That ‘I’m fine’—it’s a lie, isn’t it?”  

“…….”  

“You’re not fine at all.”  

His gaze dropped to her arms. Her face was ashen, and her hands were trembling uncontrollably as if she were freezing. Su-eon clasped her shaking hands together, but the trembling didn’t stop. Her body, finally releasing the tension from the fear and violence she had endured, was no longer under her control.  

“You’re not fine. You’re such a scaredy-cat.”  

Seung-jo took her hand. He held her trembling hand and wrapped it firmly in his large palm. The warmth and strength of his grip began to break down the hard wall she had built inside herself.  

“……Why?”  

Why is it always like this? Why does he keep stepping into places where I don’t want anyone to enter? Why does he keep digging into me so deeply?  

Her entire body began to tremble now.  

“Why did you come back?”  

Her voice, too, was trembling uncontrollably. She looked at Seung-jo with her shoulders stiffened, almost accusing him.  

“Because you said ‘just because.’”  

Seung-jo gently placed both hands on her tense shoulders, holding them firmly.  

“When I asked why you went to the café, you said you went ‘just because.’”  

Just for that? 

Su-eon couldn’t understand a single word he was saying.  

“You’re not the kind of person who moves without a reason.”

He continued, his voice soft, as if trying to soothe her.  

“You’re also not the type to stop by a café late at night just because you felt like having coffee.”  

“…….”  

“I knew something had happened, and I knew you wouldn’t tell me even if I asked. So I came back.”  

“Liar.”  

“You’re cute when you’re stubborn.”  

“That’s ridiculous.”  

“You even know how to pout.”  

Seung-jo chuckled lightly, and Su-eon stared at him blankly. Her nose stung, and her cheeks grew hot. She bit her trembling lip and lowered her head.  

“……It’s not fair.”  

“What is?”  

Seung-jo bent down slightly to look into her face. Through her blurred vision, she saw his face freeze in shock. 

Why are you so surprised? Is it your first time seeing someone cry?  

“Ji Su-eon?”  

“……You hung up the phone.”  

Her trembling wouldn’t stop, and a whimper, like that of a child, escaped her lips. Su-eon was deeply upset and frustrated by this. She wasn’t Jung Cho-ah. What was this? She wasn’t someone who cried like this. She had never cried like a child before.  

So why did he keep pushing me? Why did he keep doing this to me?  

With resentment in her eyes, Su-eon glared at Seung-jo.  

“You didn’t say anything… and just hung up on me. Do you know how much I, how much I, h-heuk…”  

Letting out a small groan, Seung-jo pulled Su-eon into a tight embrace. His warm breath spilled over the nape of her neck.  

“I’m sorry. I had to turn the car around before getting onto Hannam Bridge.”  

“…Heuk.”  

“I was in such a rush that I couldn’t think of anything else.”  

Seung-jo cupped her cheeks and met her eyes.  

“You were really scared, weren’t you?”  

“Scared? Who’s scared…”  

“I’m sorry I came late.”  

“……”  

Tears poured out like a dam had burst. Each blink of her heavy eyelids sent droplets cascading down her cheeks. It seemed as though her tear ducts were broken.  

Between the tears falling drop by drop, she could see Seung-jo’s face, letting out a sigh that sounded like a lament. Su-eon didn’t want him to hear the childlike sobs escaping her, so she kept trying to press her trembling lips together.  

But it didn’t help. As she turned her head away, Seung-jo cupped her cheeks again and kissed her. Su-eon squeezed her eyes shut. His tongue pulled hers into a heated embrace, drawing it in deeply, as if to root it out entirely.  

Their tongues intertwined and released, the heat of the moment easing the sharp tension in Su-eon’s gaze. But instead, her whole body began to thrum as if she had swallowed thunder. She was afraid he might notice, but soon, she stopped caring.  

Seung-jo’s chest, pressed tightly against hers, was pounding just as wildly.  

* * *

“Just sit here for a moment.”  

After washing her face, Su-eon left Seung-jo sitting on the living room sofa and pulled out her suitcase to pack the essentials. Since tomorrow was the weekend, she planned to contact her landlord and a realtor first thing in the morning to find a new place to move.  

If she took leave until Monday, she could manage to deal with her face. In the meantime, she could return once more to gather the rest of her belongings, and that should be fine for now. Just in case, she packed her work suits and shoes as well. Looking up, she glanced at Seung-jo.  

He was sitting on the sofa, as she had instructed, quietly looking around her apartment.  

A single bedroom, a living room and kitchen just the right size for one person, a terrace with warm-toned rugs, and a single armchair.  

The apartment had never felt small to her before, but now, it was filled with Ki Seung-jo’s overwhelming presence.  

Suddenly, she remembered her first year living alone when she had intentionally placed a pair of men’s shoes by the entrance. Back then, she thought it would make people take her more seriously.  

[A woman living alone in a place like this is asking for trouble. The door looks like it could be kicked open after a few tries.]  

Su-eon’s eyes turned toward the front door. The layout of her apartment made the living room visible as soon as the door opened. There were times when she would flinch at the sound of footsteps outside while lying on the sofa, so she had placed a partition in front of the door as a screen.

It hadn’t bothered her before, but the space that had been a cozy and peaceful sanctuary until this morning had now been tainted, becoming a place where she had to be on guard and feel anxious. All because of that bastard.

Su-eon suddenly looked at the veranda’s glass window, surrounded by pitch-black darkness. 

Had I locked the outer window? 

Last night, it had been so hot that she’d left it wide open while sleeping, but she couldn’t clearly remember if she had locked it before leaving in the morning.

She went out to the veranda to check if the window was properly locked. Afterward, she checked the bedroom and made sure that even the smallest windows in the kitchen and bathroom had their locks secured. Even then, she couldn’t shake her unease. Standing in the middle of the living room, she scanned the white ceiling and corners as if inspecting them for any threats.

“That television… Did Chief Jung Cho-ah buy it?”

Seung-jo’s voice drew her attention.

“…How did you know?”

“It’s ridiculously big.”

“…”

“It doesn’t match this house.”

Looking at the oversized panel that filled the living room wall, Su-eon silently agreed. Aside from a few backlights that had gone out, the old television had still been working fine. But Jung Cho-ah had disposed of it without permission and brought in a new one.

The television was so large that they had to use a ladder truck to bring it into the apartment. That day, after causing trouble again, Jung Cho-ah had crouched by the entrance, waiting to be scolded. Remembering that, Su-eon let out a small laugh.

“Chief Jung likes gaming. She said the screen absolutely had to be big…”

When her lips cracked from laughing, she winced slightly, and Seung-jo pulled her hand toward him.

“Where’s the first-aid kit?”

“Just a moment.”

When Su-eon opened the drawer attached to the table, a neatly organized tray of emergency supplies appeared. Seung-jo took out an ointment and pulled her onto his lap. Holding her chin, he carefully examined her lips, applying the ointment to the bloodied corner of her mouth.

“It’s a little swollen.”

Muttering as he dabbed at her plump, swollen lower lip, Seung-jo added, 

“It’s going to take a few days to heal.”

“Then I’ll just have to endure it until then.”

The way he stared at her lips as he spoke made her feel embarrassed, and she darted her eyes around. Her heart was still racing wildly, and even though she was just sitting still, a wave of excitement washed over her, making her feel breathless.

Not wanting him to notice her state, she pretended to act nonchalant. But every time she met Seung-jo’s gaze, which seemed to see right through her, she felt as if everything had already been exposed.

“Does Chief Jung Cho-ah come here often?”

Just when she thought he might tease her further, Seung-jo turned his eyes to the gaming console buried in the corner of the sofa and asked. Su-eon nodded.

“Yes, well… Occasionally.”

Three or four times a week, Jung Cho-ah would visit Su-eon’s house for no particular reason, lazing around, eating dinner together, or drinking beer. She’d then insist on staying the night, only to end up being sent home in a half-drunken state.

“No matter how close you are, doesn’t it feel uncomfortable to hang out outside of work too?”

Jung Cho-ah had been following Su-eon around endlessly since they were young. While it could be a little annoying, Su-eon had never thought of it as uncomfortable.

Seung-jo let out a short laugh, his tone dripping with sarcasm, as if he found the situation distasteful.

“I thought only the younger one was crazy about her older sister, but it turns out it’s mutual.”

“…It’s not like that.”

“It’s always ‘not like that.’”

The mischievous glint in his eye made it clear he was teasing her. Feeling awkward and unsure of how to respond, Su-eon fidgeted with her knees. Seung-jo pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on her head, and lazily gazed around the small and cozy living room.

“This house… it’s so much like you.”

The ivory-colored sofa, wooden table, and white book tower—all the monochromatic furnishings seemed to embody her personality. The interior, with its minimalist selection of only essential items, felt like a warm, sterile environment.  

At first glance, it didn’t seem like much, but the more you looked around, the more it felt like you were seeing something incredibly special. It was hard to tear your eyes away. Just like Ji Su-eon.

Ah. Seung-jo suddenly realized something new. From head to toe, Su-eon always dressed in black, but everything in her house—furniture, decor, even household items—was entirely white. This place was like Ji Su-eon’s inner world, where nothing had to be hidden.

Feeling an inexplicable thrill spreading from deep within, Seung-jo met Su-eon’s gaze.