Chapter 13 – The Past Has No Power  

It took only 20 minutes for Seo-jun and So-yeon to reach their destination after leaving the CN building.

If he was a great mountain, described as a luxury actor, she was nothing more than a small hill on a flat land. Because of that, during the ride in his chauffeured car, So-yeon felt being with Tae Seo-jun was surreal.

Embracing her pounding heart, So-yeon stepped out of the car and entered through the blue door opened by a polite staff member.

The luxurious interior was far from what she expected of a famous brand chicken chain. Entering the large space, So-yeon couldn’t help but swallow dryly.

This grand room, which seemed to have rented out an entire restaurant, was a bit much. 

After all, we were just here to eat chicken…

With that thought, So-yeon, sitting across from Seo-jun at a large table that could easily seat ten, cleared her throat and asked calmly.

“Is this the chicken place you mentioned, Director?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The quiet atmosphere and all. This isn’t a chicken specialty place, is it?”

So-yeon was right. This was a high-quality restaurant known for its craft beer. But that didn’t mean their chicken dishes weren’t delicious. It was a hidden gem that Tae Seo-jun frequented.

“A restaurant doesn’t serve only food, and a makgeolli house doesn’t serve only alcohol, right?”

“Well, that’s true.”

Appetizers and draft beer were placed on the table before the main dish.

Enjoying the crispy texture of nachos dipped in salsa, So-yeon quickly brought the draft beer glass to her lips. The tempting white foam stimulated her desire to drink.

At that moment.

Seo-jun’s hand suddenly reached out from the side of the table to take So-yeon’s glass.

“Oh, Eom So-yeon, you can’t.”

“What!”

What kind of tyranny is this! Chicken and beer are inseparable best friends, an unbreakable fantastic combination!

Instinctively turning her body away from him, So-yeon tightly held onto her beer glass, snapping sharply with a pointed voice.

“Why are you doing this?”

Leaning closer to So-yeon’s ear, Seo-jun spoke in a smooth voice.

“You’re injured. How about you drink non-alcoholic sparkling water, Eom So-yeon?”

Dazed by the damp breath and resonant voice that melted her eardrums, So-yeon’s thoughts turned fuzzy. Whether he was aiming for this moment or not, Seo-jun’s hand moved swiftly.

“No, you can’t!”

Who knew this man could use his good looks as a tactic?

Almost losing her will and nearly surrendering, So-yeon quickly regained her senses and kept her glass far from him, defending it to the end.

“It’s just a slight injury. There are two glasses, so one is definitely mine!”

“I forgot I ordered two. Anyway, you can’t.”

“But I said I’m fine, so why do you keep doing this!”

Could a sly deer be like this? 

Her large, round eyes, fiercely raised, were incredibly adorable.

“Pfft…”

Seo-jun covered his mouth with his long fingers and chuckled.

The memory of her fearlessly grabbing his collar and kissing him with the same eyes the first time they met suddenly resurfaced, but it was also laughter that naturally emerged from emotions he couldn’t yet name.

“Then let’s do this.”

“What…?”

“Come running whenever I call you.”

“When? No, what does that mean?”

“Even a minor injury should be taken care of. Besides, I’m not someone who neglects a patient.”

Seo-jun knew how childish he was being, attaching great significance to her small injury. Yet, he couldn’t help but be persistent because he didn’t want to miss the chance to keep Eom So-yeon close.

“When you’re at the company, come to the office when I call you. At least until the injury heals, I should check on you. Especially the day after drinking.”

“So, I have to accept your terms to drink this beer?”

“Your comprehension isn’t bad.”

Knowing it was unreasonable, So-yeon didn’t dislike his excessive demands. So her response was exceedingly gentle.

“…Okay. I’ll do that.”

“But don’t drink too much. Just a little.”

“Got it.”

So-yeon hoped her injury would heal slowly. Even if just for that, she wanted to see him every day. She wanted to have this man greedily.

There was no reason to refuse when he was giving her a justification. No, she was just grateful to him for creating a suitable excuse for her, who might have loitered around the office anyway.

“But why are you doing this for me…”

Stopping mid-sentence, So-yeon suddenly stared at Seo-jun’s face.

“Because I don’t want you to be hurt, Eom So-yeon.”

“Why do you care, Director?”

“As a colleague and counterpart in the same project, let’s say it’s concern and interest? Let’s leave it at that.”

He was already aware that she was cast as a supporting role in the drama he was starring in.

But there was a hint in his words.

Emphasizing “colleague” seemed to draw a line, saying, “The past has no power.”

So just do as much as this man does. If it allows my barely breathing self to catch even a little more breath, that’s something to be thankful for.

Seo-jun and So-yeon clinked their beers and took a long drink.

Just then, the charcoal-grilled chicken was served.

Both picked up their forks and took a bite simultaneously.

“…!”

The spicy-sweet seasoning and unique spices melted the meat in their mouths. So-yeon, with a furrowed brow filled with the delightful taste, spoke.

“It’s delicious. How can it taste like this? I can see why you’d cry missing it.”

“Glad you like it. Eat as much as you want.”

Seo-jun served the juiciest and best-tasting part onto So-yeon’s plate.

He always thought she ate well, but he didn’t realize she was so sincere about eating. Seeing her chew what he gave her with her small mouth, a satisfied smile naturally spread on Seo-jun’s lips.

As the exceptionally smooth draft beer quickly emptied, Seo-jun replaced So-yeon’s empty glass with a new one and held out his palm.

“Give me your phone.”

“Why…”

“To save my number.”

“A doctor’s call?”

“Something like that.”

“Wait a minute…”

Instinctively hiding her bag behind her, So-yeon took out her phone, covering the background screen with a child’s photo with the keypad screen.

Even after handing it over, her anxiety didn’t fade, so she leaned her face close to Seo-jun’s view, ready to snatch it back if necessary.

Fortunately, Seo-jun returned So-yeon’s phone immediately after exchanging numbers. However, as the saying goes, it wasn’t over until it was over, and what she feared happened in an instant.

Just before the phone was handed back to So-yeon, his long fingers closed the call log screen.

“!”

In that moment, So-yeon’s vision went dark, and her hair stood on end.

What would I say if he asked who the child on the background screen was, and how should I explain it? 

It was a dizzying moment that engulfed her mind.

Just when it seemed there was no way out, the phone vibrated, and the words “Senior Jo In-ha” floated on the center of the screen.

“Sorry. I need to take this call.”

“By all means.”

Relieved beyond measure, So-yeon sought Seo-jun’s understanding with trembling eyes and hurriedly answered the call.

“Yes, Senior.”

• It’s dinnertime, so I wondered if you’re still at the company.

“Oh, I just left and am having dinner.”

• Alone?

“No… with a friend.”

• A woman?

“What? Oh, yes.”

Ending the call with vague answers, So-yeon took a sip of beer.

“You should have said you’re out with me.”

Jo In-ha’s voice had been faintly audible to Seo-jun.

Moreover, Eom So-yeon’s overly cheerful expression at another man’s call was unbearable to watch.

That’s why he said it, but the cold wind brushing against Seo-jun’s hardened face was because he was suddenly very displeased with Eom So-yeon’s attitude of disguising a perfectly good man as a woman.

***

After following her mother and sister shopping all day and attending someone else’s dinner banquet, Do-soon could only return home late in the evening.

“Ugh! This isn’t what my day off is for!”

Throwing off her stuffy formal suit, Do-soon shouted like she was wailing and entered the bathroom.

After showering, sitting in a warm water-filled bathtub, Do-soon turned on her tablet PC and checked the schedule for the next day. But there was nothing special besides the new drama, so she habitually browsed the album synced with her phone.

While looking at Tae Seo-jun’s photos she had been longing for, Do-soon inadvertently found another photo and mumbled with a giggle.

“This little one has grown so much.”

Having only seen the child in Canada through photos, Do-soon had saved the new photo of Hyun-woo, recently installed on So-yeon’s phone, to her phone a few days ago. She was only now looking at it closely, but the more she looked, the more familiar it seemed, as if it resembled someone she knew.

Who could it be…

Pondering deeply, Do-soon’s eyes suddenly widened.

“…What?”

Why do I see Tae Seo-jun in the innocent child’s face? Is it because he’s handsome? Or is there something wrong with my eyes? 

It was truly puzzling.

After thinking about it repeatedly, Do-soon finally tapped her head.

“No way!”

They say a child’s face changes multiple times a day as they grow. So how different could a photo taken at an angle be from reality?

Besides, didn’t So-yeon say the child’s father was someone she met in passing years ago? It’s not like Tae Seo-jun is someone you can meet by chance.

Yes, that’s it!

Seeing Tae Seo-jun frequently these days must have messed with my eyes!

“Wow, Yeo Do-soon! Imagining strange things, you’re still not busy enough!”

Rising from the bathtub, Do-soon dismissed even the slightest doubt with a silly laugh and left the bathroom.

***

As time passed, quite a few empty beer glasses piled up at the end of the table.

Seo-jun gazed absentmindedly at So-yeon, whose face was flushed red. Yet, So-yeon, who seemed about to cry, kept her eyes lowered and didn’t raise them.

That was it.

Feeling inexplicably sorrowful just by looking at Tae Seo-jun’s face, So-yeon was staring blankly at his beautiful hand resting on the table. She was holding back tears that seemed ready to burst at any moment.

She wanted to touch him, who could never be part of her past. Despite knowing he was someone she couldn’t dare covet, she couldn’t stop being drawn to him.

It was because of that feeling.

So-yeon slowly moved her hand and lightly touched the man’s delicate fingertips. Yet, he remained still. Emboldened by this, So-yeon gingerly held one of Seo-jun’s fingers in her hand, yearning to feel his warmth.

Really crazy, Eom So-yeon…

Even as she reproached herself, So-yeon couldn’t let go of the finger she had grabbed. Yet, for some reason, he quietly looked down at his hand held by her without any particular movement, as if everything had come to a standstill.

Inwardly, So-yeon wished and wished fervently.

Just a little…

Just a little longer…

Just stay like this a little longer.

So I can feel you. So my tears can dry.

“Your hands… are beautiful. They make me want to touch them…”

“……”

Even though she was already doing so, she said she wanted to touch them. No matter how drunk she was, her actions were nothing short of cheeky. But Seo-jun didn’t mind the small, soft sensation wrapping around his hand.

No, perhaps he wanted something more than she did.

In an instant.

Seo-jun, who had only been giving, tightened his grip and clasped the delicate hand in his grasp. Caught off guard and captured by Seo-jun, So-yeon let out a short breath through her lips.

“Huh…!”

“I don’t think I can hold back any longer. So, are you going to touch more?”

Startled, So-yeon suddenly remembered something long forgotten.

This man, who reveals the instincts of a male in an instant, is truly a beast among beasts.