15.1

Responding to Seonho’s call that he was nearby, Chaeyoon opened the side door connected to her annex and stepped outside. A luxury car pulled up in front of her and Seonho got out. 

Their eyes met. It was a mix of happiness and awkwardness.

She wasn’t sure how to express her happiness, or even if it was right to express it. He was completely different from her usual friends.

Chaeyoon had a sort of behavioral manual depending on the distance she felt towards the people around her. However, he didn’t fit into any of the categories she had defined.

He was a new category for her, and the behavioral manual for him was not yet complete.

How do I greet him? ‘You’ve come to the right place?’

While Chaeyoon was pondering this, Seonho, without a moment’s hesitation, strode forward, stood in front of her, and suddenly embraced her tightly. 

It was a hug so intense it felt like it could crush her chest. Just as she thought they would part, he kissed her.

It was a fierce, deep kiss. Seonho licked her lips with his tongue and then opened his mouth wide, sucking her lips and tongue with such intensity it seemed he would steal her breath away.

When their lips parted, their heated breath drifted white through the cold air. Their hearts pounded violently, and their breathing was slightly labored, coming in short gasps.

“Have you been well?”

Seonho looked into Chaeyoon’s eyes and smiled softly, with that killer smile that could melt anyone’s heart.

His actions were incredibly natural, as if they had met just yesterday and shared a kiss like this. As if it was natural for them to kiss like this every time they met.

His actions gave Chaeyoon a baseline for how she should treat him. 

Although it had been almost a month since they last saw each other, with only video calls in between, it felt like no time had passed. It was as if today was the day after their last video call.

“I do well wherever I am.”

“What’s with the bandage? Did you get hurt?”

Seonho asked, noticing the band wrapped around Chaeyoon’s finger.

“It happened while I was working.”

“Be careful.”

Chaeyoon’s heart fluttered due to the worried expression and tone in Seonho’s voice.

“I’m careful, but I’m not used to the machine yet. I’m getting better bit by bit.”

“Is that so? That’s a relief, at least.”

Seonho stroked Chaeyoon’s hair and caressed her cheek.

“I missed you.”

Her heart skipped a beat.

“Didn’t you miss me?”

I missed you.

Chaeyoon was startled by the voice ringing in her head. It was only when she heard that voice did she realized she had missed him.

“Do I have to miss you?”

She spoke somewhat brusquely.

No. I shouldn’t miss him.

Her heart warned her.

“Weren’t we close enough to miss each other? As friends, I mean.”

Seonho looked hurt.

“Ah, friends.”

Her mouth felt dry somehow. The way he defined their relationship as ‘friends’ momentarily relaxed her guard.

In a corner of her mind, a question arose, “Isn’t it strange for friends to kiss so intensely?” But she dismissed it with an excuse, “It’s possible with Seonho.”

“So, what’s your schedule like?”

Fortunately, Seonho didn’t insist on her wanting to see him and changed the subject.

“I need to go to the market to shop.”

“The market? Not a supermarket?”

“Yes, a traditional market. It’s quite fun. The produce is fresh, and the prices are good. There’s a place there that sells delicious shrimp tempura rice bowls. I plan to have that for lunch.”

“Sounds good. Let’s go.”

Without further ado, Seonho took Chaeyoon’s hand and led her to the car. In the meantime, a man got out of the driver’s seat. He was British.

“Say hello. This is Paul. He’s my driver and bodyguard while I’m in the UK.”

“Hello?”

Chaeyoon greeted Paul with a slight bow.

“Hello.”

When Paul responded in his awkward Korean, Chaeyoon couldn’t help but laugh out loud. Chaeyoon asked Paul to drop them off at Kingston Square. After letting them out, Paul soon left them.

“Let’s go.”

Seonho pulled her hand forward.

“What about Paul? Isn’t he coming back after parking?”

“No, he’ll call when he’s done with the errands I asked him.”

“You said he’s a bodyguard, shouldn’t he be with you?”

Chaeyoon said, remembering the bodyguard Joo-eun had in New York.

“He’s more of a driver. Plus, I don’t like having bodyguards around. It feels more like surveillance than protection. I can take care of myself.”

Seonho grimaced. Even in Korea, he rarely moved with a bodyguard.

“Still, you should be more cautious abroad. It’s not as safe as back home. Kidnappers plan their moves carefully.”

“If someone’s determined, you get caught no matter what you do. Kidnapping isn’t easy unless it’s premeditated.”

“What about Junsu?”

Junsu wasn’t a professional bodyguard, but he was a black belt owner.

“He’s gone.”

“He went back to Korea first? Aren’t you two a set?”

“It’s my personal business to see you, it’s not fair to hold him down.”

“When have you ever cared about that?”

“I do care. You just don’t know me well enough.”

Seonho lightly shook Chaeyoon’s nose.

“But still, it’s a bit disappointing. You both came all the way here, couldn’t we at least have a meal together?”

Chaeyoon pouted.

“He might have wanted to stay, but considering the additional tasks we have, he probably thought it would be better to go back.”

“Going back doesn’t free him from duties either. You handle everything over the phone anyway.”

“I can’t make calls while on the plane.”

“I didn’t realize that.”

Chaeyoon nodded.

“The market is smaller than I thought.”

Seonho remarked, looking around the market with tents set up and stalls spread out.

“It’s a traditional local market mainly used by locals. Back in Korea, I never went to the market, but strangely, I prefer it here to the supermarket. It feels so different from Korea.”

“Do you come here often?”

“About once a week? Mostly to buy groceries.”

Chaeyoon picked various items from a vegetable stall.

“Do you cook for yourself?”

Seonho, who had paid for it, said casually.

“Yeah. Eating out here is very expensive. But the ingredients are cheap, and survival cooking is a must if I want to finish my study abroad healthy.”

After leisurely browsing through the market and purchasing everything she needed, Chaeyoon pointed to a tent with her finger.

“There, that place. They have delicious shrimp tempura rice bowls. I’ll pay for this one.”

“That’s very generous of you.”

“It’s a huge favor for a poor student like me.”

“Got it. Then, as a thank you, I’ll buy dinner.”

“Sounds good.”

Chaeyoon bought two bowls of shrimp tempura rice topped with large shrimp tempura.

“Looks impressive, but where shall we eat?”

Seonho looked around.

“Here.”

Chaeyoon pointed to a table set up next to the tent where they bought the food.

“Outside? Isn’t it cold?”

“The sun’s out today, so it’s not too cold. This is how you eat here. When else would you get to eat like this? Be glad you have such a resourceful friend. Joo-eun even got to experience a jjimjilbang because of me.”

Seonho smiled at Chaeyoon’s cocky tone.

“I’m so moved I might cry.”

“That’s not tears, it’s a runny nose from the cold.”

Chaeyoon giggled.

“No, it’s not.”

“Let me see?”

Chaeyoon pressed her face close to Seonho’s.

“What are you looking at? I don’t have a runny nose.”

“What’s this moistness then?”

“That’s just steam. The moisture in the air is heated by our breath. Look, it’s the same for you.”

Seonho traced his finger across the area between Chaeyoon’s nose and upper lip.

“Disgusting.”

Chaeyoon stepped back, startled.

“What’s disgusting about steam?”

With that, he planted a quick kiss on her lips and pulled away.

Oh, my God.