24.2

Chaeyoon ate breakfast on the veranda, looking out at the peony garden. She was still in awe of the peonies as they sparkled in the sunlight.

“The flowers look like jewels. I never thought I’d see this again.”

After spending the night with Seonho and leaving this beautiful garden, she never dreamed she would return.

“If you had come to the villa even a day later, that front would have been a swimming pool. I was about to decide after receiving the blueprints. You saved them.”

Seonho sipped his coffee, scanning the garden.

“Saved them?”

Chaeyoon turned her gaze from the garden to Seonho.

“Yeah. Back then, you were against replacing the garden with a swimming pool.”

“But we weren’t supposed to see each other again at that time.”

“Must have known this would happen. Perhaps it was a businessman’s excellent foresight.”

“What are you saying?”

Chaeyoon chuckled, biting into a sandwich.

“I think I was already in love with you then.”

Seonho rested his chin on his hand, gazing intently at Chaeyoon.

“Am I supposed to believe that?”

“It’s okay if you don’t. Even I wasn’t even aware of it. I had other plans, but whenever you’d say something, strangely, it bothered me and I’d change my plans. The swimming pool was one thing, helping Joo-eun with her wedding was another. Looking back, perhaps you had already taken up space in my heart by then.”

“You acted without realizing? Is that even possible?” 

Chaeyoon tilted her head, puzzled.

“Maybe it was like the sunflower following the sun without realizing it? Unknowingly, I just found myself looking at you. What should I do? How can I create an excuse to see you again? Just like that, foolishly.” 

Seonho gave a wry smile.

“What’s foolish about that?”

“Not knowing that I liked you even though I did. Chaeyoon, I’m really happy now. Happy because I can love you, because I can be with you.”

“Were you not happy before?”

“Well, there were a few pleasant moments. But strangely, I felt empty. From the first time we met, you were a challenge. You were strange, irritating, and you made me angry. But every time, it made me feel alive. Now that I love you, I’m incredibly happy.”

Seonho’s eyes softened, and his smile brightened.

“What’s this? Is it confession time?”

“Do you have a confession for me too?”

Seonho’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

“I’ve already made mine. On the day I told you ‘I wanted to sleep with you’.”

“That’s a bit stingy, isn’t it?” 

Seonho playfully squinted his eyes.

“No. I was never going to get involved with you, but I couldn’t resist your allure and broke my own rule. If I hadn’t said those words then, we wouldn’t be standing here looking at each other right now.”

“True. I’ll give you that. If it hadn’t been for that, I wouldn’t have realized my feelings.”

Seonho nodded and took Chaeyoon’s hand. 

She rotated her wrist and interlocked her fingers with his. They stared at each other without saying a word and smiled.

“It’s a shame. It would be nice to just look at your face and spend days like this.”

Seonho sighed.

“Just hang in there a little longer. Two months will fly by.”

“Do you know how cruel that sounds?” 

Chaeyoon frowned.

“How is it cruel?”

“To me, a day feels like a thousand, and you say two months will fly by?”

“You must be free to say that.”

“Not really. Do you know how busy I am? I don’t even have time to sleep in on the weekends. That’s why I couldn’t come see you for a month and a half.”

“That’s why I’m here now.”

“Say it right. You didn’t come purely to see me. You came to see me in the middle of something else.”

“But I saw you first, even before Joo-eun. Isn’t that enough?”

“Yes, that works.”

Seonho grinned again.

“Do you want to go with me when I visit Joo-eun? Would that be okay?”

Chaeyoon looked a bit worried.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I’m just concerned it might cause issues. The Vice Chairwoman made a big decision.”

It was a plan to register the child the husband had outside of marriage in exchange for something.

Chaeyoon was grateful to Seonkyung but didn’t feel right about it. Even if the child wasn’t at fault, it wasn’t easy for a woman to accept an illegitimate child. It would hurt her pride and put her in a bad light.

“You’re meeting mother today, right?”

“Yes.”

Chaeyoon had finished her design course and was about to enter a design research phase, but took a short break first. She was tasked with creating jewelry to be sold at the school-run jewelry shop.

Her trip to Korea was partly to see her parents and mainly to deliver jewelry requested by Seonkyung and Mrs. Ko.

“Mother will want you to attend a party.”

“A party?”

“She plans to introduce you as a promising jewelry designer.”

“To build connections?”

“That, and also where you and I will meet again.”

“Like old classmates happy to see each other, and from there love blossoms?”

“Yes.”

“That’s an uncharacteristically romantic story for the Vice Chairwoman.  And very cliché.”

Chaeyoon looked surprised.

“She considered the mass appeal. An unrealistic but plausible scenario.”

“But what can I do? As you know, I have a lot of junior and senior connections from wealthy families.”

“And since I was the one who caught your eye, it must be fate. And I was the best one, of course.”

Seonho shamelessly said without batting an eye.

“Typical of you. Always the same.”

“You like that unique side of me. I’m one of a kind in this world.”

Seonho said with a soft eye smile.

“I’ll give you credit for that eye smile. But I don’t think your way of speaking is truly one of a kind.”

“Who is it? Who plagiarized my way of speaking?”

Seonho feigned outrage.

“As far as I’m concerned, you’re the plagiarist.”

“Me? Why?”

“Because your mother was born first.”

“My mother?”

Surprised by the unexpected mention of his mother, Seonho was at a loss for words. But as Chaeyoon pointed it out, it did seem similar.

“Ah, to think I have to lose to my mother in something like this.”

Seonho spoke in an annoyed tone.

“What’s the point of winning or losing over something like that? It’s your mother.”

“There are things you don’t know.”

“Anyway, did you do what I asked you to investigate?”

“Yes. I’ll email it to you. But why did you want me to do that?”

“Just because. I wanted to take a look at it.”

Rising, Chaeyoon stretched.

“Ah, when will I be able to come here again?”

“I want to ask you. When will I see you again?”

“Soon enough. We’ll see each other at the party, and when we go to Joo-eun’s.”

“Who says that?”

“Don’t just indulge in physical love. Emotional and spiritual love are important too.”

Chaeyoon chuckled, poking Seonho’s chest with her finger.

“Do you even love me?”

Seonho asked, grabbing Chaeyoon’s fingers and kissing them.

“Yeah, I love you.”

“How did I end up like this? So delighted to receive your prostration.”

Seonho grinned.

“That’s why I like you.”

Chaeyoon said this and kissed Seonho on the lips.

“You always get the most out of me with the least amount of effort.”

“That’s my charm.”

After that, the two enjoyed their sweet time together for a while.

Everything was still uncertain. They had plans, but as with all plans, the possibility of failure remained. But for the moment they were together, they made the best of it.

Even if everything was taken away from them later, the memory of this time would remain.