Part 14

Perhaps it was because of finally going to work after a long time that Jiwook finished work at 5 o’clock. 

After preparing dinner for Jiwook and Seowoo, Soon-ja said she was going down to Busan.

‘I couldn’t stay longer because of my schedule. I’ll see you again next time.’

She said she had to rush down to take care of her brother. It was an unavoidable situation, so they couldn’t hold Soon-ja back any longer.

After dinner, they decided to take a walk.

“What did you do at home today?”

Jiwook gently asked, intertwining his fingers with hers. Glancing down at her, he briefly stepped in front of her to fasten her coat.

After pulling up her muffler to cover half her face, Jiwook smiled with satisfaction. He went to take her hand again, but she slipped her arm through his.

“It’s good.”

Jiwook firmly held onto her arm as they walked. Breathing in the cool night air, Seowoo felt her stifled chest easing a bit.

“You didn’t even eat the rice cakes.”

She had been so preoccupied that she couldn’t even eat the rice cakes he sent.  Hearing the slight disappointment in his voice, Seowoo leaned her head against his arm.

“I’ll eat them when we get back. I was taking a nap and couldn’t eat them.”

“Ah……. Good. Let’s have them together as a late-night snack.”

Seowoo nodded.

The entire day had been emotionally draining. Before the sadness of losing Yong-jae could fully settle, the pain of what Jiwook had gone through hit her heart, making it ache so much it felt like it might burst.

“I wish grandmother Soon-ja could have stayed a bit longer. It’s a pity.”

“Jiwook.”

“Hmm?”

Seowoo couldn’t figure out where to start. She wondered if she should just let it go. Without having a chance to explain, she thought of how Jiwook must have felt. 

Her heart felt heavy. Tears welled up at the thought of him being so lonely all this time.

“There’s something I’m curious about.”

Seowoo opened her mouth with determination.

“What is it?”

Jiwook leaned in to listen intently. But Seowoo remained silent for a long time after broaching the topic. Jiwook, who had been waiting, spoke first with a puzzled look on his face.

“Did something happen to you?”

He can’t help but think that something was definitely bothering her. She looked somewhat distressed, unlike other times. Clearly, something had happened.

“Why… didn’t you tell me?”

If you had mentioned even one of those many things.

They might not have ended up in this situation… While she herself had nothing to be proud of, having fled the marriage without a word, back then she had been too weary to even trust Jiwook.

“What do you mean?”

“You have things to tell me, don’t you?”

There were countless things he had left unsaid. Even if she hadn’t heard every detail from Cheol-hoon, she had confirmed all the important things.

The incident with Yoon-rim was one example. Before their marriage, the fact that he had personally gone to ask Soon-ja about it meant Jiwook had known.

She wondered if he knew about the ordeal she went through with Myeong-hye too. Due to the lack of communication between them, they had no choice but to resort to the extreme measure of divorce.

“If there’s anything you want to know, ask me directly. I’ll tell you everything.”

Her eyes were filled with anxiety.

“Don’t hesitate. Okay?”

Jiwook tried to reassure her.

What should I ask first? 

She didn’t know how to start.

Among the things she heard, the most shocking was the story of his accident in the United States. She couldn’t even imagine how devastated he must have been, knowing that he had been asleep for that long. And knowing that it was all because of his own mother’s actions. Seowoo couldn’t even begin to fathom how broken he must have felt.

“…….” 

Seowoo sighed, furrowing her brows. 

“It’s alright.”

As if conveying that it was fine no matter what she said, Jiwook looked at her with a wistful gaze. Taking a deep breath, Seowoo lifted her eyes to meet his. 

“I-I heard everything.”

“…….”

“What happened to you, from before the wedding to now. Everything.” 

Jiwook’s eyebrows shot up at that.

Where could she have heard that?

The ways she could have found out were very limited. Seowoo continued, her expression agonized.

“I misunderstood. I really didn’t know about the accident… I just thought that you had no lingering feelings for our marriage.”

That’s why she thought he didn’t come. 

Even though she was the one who ran away first, there was no contact from Jiwook either. She can’t forget the day the divorce proceedings were finalized, realizing that their long relationship had ended in vain. Her heart was broken. It felt like her whole world was falling apart.

“But that accident, it was because of… your mother.”

Without another word, Jiwook wrapped his arms around her trembling body. His familiar scent penetrated deep into her lungs. Burying his face in her shoulder, he gently caressed her back.

“I’m okay.”

It was already a done deal. Thinking about the past still stung, but there was no turning back now.

“And it’s not your fault. You have nothing to blame yourself for. It’s because I couldn’t give you assurance, that’s why.”

It was his fault for letting her run away without a word.

There was a time when he had resented her a lot. But now he understood. Seowoo had no choice but to leave in order to survive.

Seeing her anguish, his heart clenched.

“There’s nothing to be upset about.”

Tears welled up in her eyes as she tried to hold back her emotions, biting her lip.

Why is everything so difficult for us?

With unresolved issues still lingering, learning the unknown truths only made her more distressed.

“My love for you hasn’t changed, and I have to protect you and our children. This time, I’ll definitely protect you.”

“……sob.”

She had been told that Jiwook had completely cut ties with Myeong-hye. Partly because of what happened with Sung-hyun, but also because he realized that she schemed an accident to get a divorce.

She also heard that he recently went to their main home and destroyed all of Myeong-hye’s favorite potted plants. 

Seowoo wondered if they will be okay and just can’t hide her frustration.

***

Seowoo and Jiwook returned home. Worried that she might catch a cold from the cold wind, Jiwook brought her hot yuzu tea and the bean cakes he had ordered earlier.

Seowoo looked at it sheepishly, then dipped her fork into the rice cake in front of her and took a bite.

The chewy texture with the embedded beans was remarkably harmonious.

Despite his still concerned expression, Seowoo forced a smile.

“It’s delicious.”

Despite her heartache, the rice cakes were really tasty. Seowoo looked at the abundance of rice cakes in front of her with a somewhat puzzled expression.

“But why did you order so much?”

There were sticky rice cakes, rice cakes filled with red bean paste, and even rice cake dumplings. There was a huge variety of rice cakes, almost too much.

“I didn’t know what you liked, so I asked for all of them.”

No wonder the box was quite big. Earlier, she was too distracted to even consider opening it.

She shook her head, then picked up a rice cake with her fork and took a bite.

“About those stories earlier. Who did you hear them from?”

Jiwook asked subtly. Seowoo rolled her eyes and pursed her lips with her yuzu tea.

“Is that important?”

She couldn’t bring herself to say anything, not when the secretary asked her to keep it a secret. Evading the question, Seowoo chuckled as Jiwook picked up the mug of hot coffee.

“I have my ways to find out. I’ll figure it out.”

At his words, Seowoo’s actions momentarily froze. She glanced up at him.

“Then promise me something.”

“Promise what?”

“Promise you won’t retaliate.”

“So the secretary told you, huh.”

His response left Seowoo’s eyes wandering.

How could she act so well but couldn’t even manage her facial expressions?

Jiwook affectionately caressed her cheek, finding it cute, implying that Cheol-hoon was the only one who knew everything Jiwook had been through, as his closest confidant.

“Don’t say anything to the secretary.”

“Are you siding with Secretary Nam now?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Sounds like you are. You’re making me jealous.”

Ugh.

His unreasonable stubbornness was simply baffling. Jiwook smiled faintly and covered her hand holding the fork, bringing it to the corner of her lips.

“Just eat. I won’t fire Secretary Nam.”

Her slightly creased forehead relaxed at his answer.

Jiwook purposefully cracked a joke, seeing how gloomy Seowoo looked. Fortunately, it seemed to have the desired effect. Quietly watching her, Jiwook took a sip of his coffee before speaking.

“But why did you suddenly ask about that?”

Even though Cheol-hoon talked about it, Jiwook was curious why she asked. Seowoo finished a piece of rice cake and looked at him again. Jiwook’s expression turned serious.

“Are you going to quit the company?”

“Why?”

“I just… heard that somewhere.”

Lately, Jiwook had been cutting his workload. He’d been working tirelessly in hopes of taking over, but he was so exhausted and disillusioned with everything he’d been through that he didn’t even care anymore.

“Your father… came.”

Jiwook’s face contorted at the mention of Hyeong-gyeong’s visit.

It wasn’t Myeong-hye, but Hyeong-gyeong. 

He must have come to ask her to change my mind.

“After I got off the phone with you, someone rang the doorbell. I thought it was …… delivering rice cakes, but it was your father.”

“You must be surprised.  I guess I’ll have to hire another assistant.”

Just in case Myeong-hye or Hyeong-gyeong might come to her.

Meeting them would surely be stressful, and it would do Seowoo, who was pregnant, no good. Jiwook thought hiring someone to take care of her would be necessary and to report to him immediately. 

“You don’t have to, I’m fine.”

“Anyway, you’ll soon be getting heavier, so let’s just do that. I’ll be by your side, but you never know.”

“He came to urgently apologize, begging me not to let you quit your job.”

To anyone, it didn’t seem to be a sincere apology.

It was simply a plea to sway Jiwook’s mind.

There was no hint of guilt or remorse.

“I don’t care what you do.”

It didn’t matter that he wasn’t in Group K.

Seowoo didn’t like Jiwook because of his background. She just liked him because he was Kwon Jiwook.

If he wanted to quit, she would let him, and if he wanted to continue, she would wholeheartedly support him.

“And I’ve saved up a decent amount of money, you know.”

At the cute response, Jiwook let out a baffled laugh. Then Seowoo widened her eyes and opened her mouth.

“I’m serious.”

“Are you saying I should quit my job and we can live off your savings?”

“You won’t be able to live like you used to live all your life…… but we’ll be able to make ends meet. I’ll give birth, and then I’ll start doing dramas and commercials again.”

“I’d prefer you to take it easy, but do what you want. If you want to keep working, go ahead, if you want to retire, do that.” 

Seowoo nodded in understanding.

Her heart was still uneasy, but the frustration in her chest had eased a bit. Seowoo, who had been silently watching him, reached out to Jiwook.

He took her hand in his.

“Is this alright?”

Nodding, Seowoo gave a wry smile.

“Now I’m going to ask you everything I want to know.”

“Okay. Ask me everything.”

“You have to tell me everything too. Whatever it is.”

“I will.”

Seowoo’s eyes lowered.

She was grateful and sorry for Jiwook, who had endured silently all this time. Gripping his hand tightly, her eyes reddened.

“I have so many questions, and I’m going to ask them all.”

“As much as you want.”

Jiwook smiled faintly and lightly kissed the hand he was holding.