Chapter 34 – The Beautiful Season  

The sea and sky of Malaga were exceptionally clear and blue.

The destination they reached, after navigating the waterway without any landmarks aboard the yacht, was a small, nameless island. Tae Seo-jun had told her that the entire island was shaped like a heart. Why would he even say something like that?

Once, Hyun-woo had asked her.

Why is a heart called a heart, and why are its two sides symmetrical? She had explained that when two hearts meet, they create perfect love.

Clever as he was, Hyun-woo had then asked if that perfect love was him, his black, marble-like eyes sparkling. How could she not have known that he was trying to indirectly ask about his father? Her heart had clenched, and she had only nodded silently.

But as Seo-jun explained the shape of the island, her conversation with Hyun-woo suddenly came to mind. Tears welled up as she wondered if she was the one standing in the way of the bond between father and son, but she barely managed to hold them back.

On the deserted island’s beach, Eom So-yeon flitted about like a butterfly. Looking at Seo-jun, who seemed more princely than any prince in a fairy tale, her heart pounded.

She was happy.

It felt as though she owned the entire beautiful world. The time she spent with him was sweet as honey—no, even sweeter.

The unavoidable reality. Someday, she would have to bring the secret of the child she had sealed away to the surface, but those complex and uneasy thoughts were forgotten, even if just for a moment.

It was just one night.

And she had buried deep in her heart the man she couldn’t forget, the man who had been special to her from their first meeting. But now, the man who had reemerged was even more significant than he had been a few years ago.

She wasn’t sure if his feelings were genuine. It might just be a fleeting curiosity about something he couldn’t have. Even if Tae Seo-jun’s heart was only at that level, today she wanted to believe it was love.

If she had to part with him, she wanted to believe it was love all the more. Because she would have to live her life embracing him, with his love.

Her parents warmly embraced their daughter, whose belly grew day by day.

They had told her, “Our daughter is beautiful, but imagine how much more beautiful the child you’ll give birth to will be.” They had promised to help her willingly. They had also said, “But you must prioritize building a strong life for yourself first.” Though they had spoken cheerfully, how could they not have sighed? Their disappointment must have been as great as their expectations.

And so, carrying the weight of that emotional debt, she had come this far.

Enduring days that were never easy.

Could this be how the Little Mermaid felt, unable to speak to the prince and turning into sea foam? 

She wanted to tell him immediately that the child was his. But she shouldn’t yet. When their relationship was more solid than now. Until then, it had to remain a secret.

The time she had endured, driving nails into her parents’ hearts, the happiness she had painstakingly protected with him—it could all crumble in an instant because of her selfishness.

And she couldn’t bear for her and her child to become a blemish or burden to Tae Seo-jun.

She just wanted to remain a fairly decent woman in his memory. Even that desire would allow her to look back on the path she had walked and faintly smile in the distant future. Even without him, those memories would serve as a fulcrum for the rest of her life.

She would never regret coming here.

She would eagerly and diligently imprint the memories of this place, the short days, and the happy times with him in her memory.

Even if it turned out to be a crazy thing, if she could fulfill even half, no, even a quarter of those expectations…

Perhaps because her deeply buried thoughts were clearly reflected, So-yeon’s smile was exceptionally white and radiant like a pearl.

So-yeon spoke even more brightly.

“Tae Seo-jun, when did you start being so handsome?”

Her playful curiosity made her expression look utterly adorable.

“…”

When did you start being so beautiful?

Asking such a thing was embarrassing, so Seo-jun silently held her small, delicate hand more firmly and walked alongside So-yeon on the sand.

Was it destined to be this way from the start? Is this what an unbreakable fate is? If God were to confine him on this small island and ask him to choose one person to be with for a long time, who would he choose?

It would probably be you.

Her glossy long hair fluttered beautifully in the sea breeze. Her face, smiling sweetly and lovingly, looked so beautiful.

Seo-jun captured her image with his camera and let out a small, awkward laugh. It felt strange and unfamiliar to him to be taking photos just to remember this moment.

***

Leaving Heart Island and returning to the mansion, Seo-jun had to stop the yacht for a moment. It was because of something So-yeon had casually mentioned—how she had always dreamed of swimming in the middle of the sea since she was a child.

It was just a passing remark, but this man stopped the boat immediately. So-yeon found it both grateful and amazing that he, pretending not to listen, had paid attention, and she smiled.

“Seo-jun, aren’t you going to swim?”

“Not really. I heard recently that there are often shark swarms around here.”

Seo-jun mixed a spooky joke with his playful expression.

“Eek! You’re joking again, right?”

If it were true, he wouldn’t set the stage for her to swim like this. When So-yeon protested, Seo-jun shrugged his shoulders and chuckled.

“I’m the type not to believe anything until I experience it myself. I also tend to do what I want.”

“So you’re saying I should try it myself?”

“Well, whatever you do, it’s your freedom, isn’t it?”

“Geez, you seem to enjoy scaring people… Fine!”

So-yeon quickly took off her white cardigan and, in her swimsuit, jumped into the deep sea with a vast bottom. Her light dive was quite brave and lively.

She swam around the yacht proudly, and Seo-jun watched her leisurely movements from the deck with a deep gaze.

When So-yeon, having enjoyed swimming in the sea to her heart’s content, climbed back onto the yacht lightly.

Clap, clap, clap!

“Impressive.”

Seo-jun applauded, praising So-yeon’s courage and swimming skills.

“No reward?”

“…”

Though it was obviously a joke, when So-yeon playfully asked, Seo-jun raised his handsome lip corners and showed his most charming smile.

“Isn’t this smile enough?”

“That’s the reward?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh, really… Huh…”

So-yeon burst into laughter at Seo-jun’s shameless answer, finding it too much to handle.

It was the first time she had become one with the vast nature, forgetting all thoughts. Knowing that Tae Seo-jun was watching her with generous eyes was the most reassuring, and that’s why it was possible.

At this moment, So-yeon could feel it overwhelmingly.

This is what perfect happiness is.

***

When Seo-jun and So-yeon returned from the island to the dock, the sun was high in the sky.

At Seo-jun’s suggestion to show her around Malaga city, So-yeon hurriedly changed clothes and followed him.

The place they arrived at was the famous and beautiful Marques de Larios Street.

True to its nickname as the pedestrian’s paradise, walking on the clean and shiny paving stones, Seo-jun and So-yeon looked like a couple to anyone who saw them.

The large hand lightly holding the small hand nestled into the space between Seo-jun’s waist and arm was reassuring.

Perhaps she liked the warm touch of being protected so much. Worried that her flushed face might be noticed, So-yeon kept turning her head towards the shop windows on the street, pretending to be interested in products she didn’t care about.

Unaware that Seo-jun was watching her closely.

While excitedly wandering the streets, the two became hungry and ate the traditional Spanish appetizer, tapas. So-yeon grumbled because what she ordered wasn’t as tasty as expected. Then, Seo-jun generously offered his to So-yeon.

But his wasn’t much better.

“I thought only mine was bad.”

“Every time I eat this, I think it’s not it.”

“Eek! Why? If you knew, why come here?”

“It’s a famous place, and though it’s not to my taste, it might suit your, Eom So-yeon.”

As he spoke, Seo-jun casually wiped the sauce from the corner of So-yeon’s mouth with his thumb. His actions were so natural, and only So-yeon was flustered.

“Huh…!”

As So-yeon laughed helplessly, not knowing what to do, Seo-jun shrugged and chuckled.

No matter what expression or action Eom So-yeon made, Seo-jun found it all cute and very enjoyable.

In the end, after downing a cool drink, the two left the restaurant and walked a few steps to an apparel store.

Liking the clothes hanging in the shop window, she intended to choose gifts for family and acquaintances. However, seeing pajamas that could be worn as a set by mom, dad, and child, So-yeon left the store in less than five minutes.

Looking at that family pajama set with a bright gaze, the image of spending a leisurely evening with him, her, and Hyun-woo naturally formed in her mind. It was an ordinary yet happy scene, but wasn’t it a family image far from her?

Discovering her own vain and excessive desire, So-yeon was suddenly frightened.

“Why did you just come out? I thought you’d buy something.”

“I thought the clothes in the shop window were pretty, but when I went in, I didn’t like them.”

After sightseeing in the city, the place the two headed to was an observatory where they could overlook Malaga city at a glance. However, after about 30 minutes of climbing uphill, the raindrops that had been falling lightly suddenly became heavy, forcing them to turn back halfway.

Until they reached the waiting car, Seo-jun took off his outer garment to cover So-yeon’s head and body from the falling rain. Meanwhile, he himself got drenched.

Thus, the two got into the car returning to the mansion.

As the black sedan stopped briefly at a traffic light at an intersection, a loud crack sounded as if the sky were tearing apart, and then a heavy rain poured down.

It was then that her head, just beginning to doze off, pecked at Seo-jun like a chick’s beak.

A short while later, as the light changed, the car started moving again.

At that moment, Manager Bong and Park Seong-ho in the front seat saw it.

Seo-jun letting her small head rest on his shoulder. Gently supporting So-yeon’s head with his large palm, lest it fall and get hurt. Tracing her white face with a soft gaze.

So-yeon was sound asleep, and Seo-jun didn’t care about the two men’s gazes in the front seat.

Shh!

Manager Bong and Park Seong-ho exchanged surprised glances in silence.

They knew well. As attendants, they must never disclose what they saw now.

***

In the evening, when Seo-jun and So-yeon arrived at the mansion, they had dinner together.

After that, back in her space, So-yeon sat in front of the dressing table and reflected on the day’s events.

The natural scenery viewed from the middle of the vast sea was truly beautiful.

White fluffy clouds were even whiter against the blue sky. Below, the green ridges and endless horizon swaying with the sea, the white yacht slicing through the emerald waves and the spray.

In that splendid spectacle, Tae Seo-jun was undoubtedly the most noticeable.

In the middle of the boundless Mediterranean, she was free.

There was no one to watch her, no one to say anything about her actions, a world with just the two of them.

While wandering around Malaga city, laughter just burst out.

When she laughed, he laughed, and when he laughed, she laughed again.

On the way back to the mansion, she dozed off. Having been in the rain and with the warm air inside the car, fatigue seemed to have hit all at once.

The warm touch that reached her at that time.

A time she was tearfully grateful for.

A dream-like day.

So-yeon, who carefully engraved the day’s events on a page of memories with him, suddenly burst into tears.

Her mother once said.

A difficult love is not love. A relationship forced to fit is bound to have problems. Someone you naturally meet while living. Meeting without difficulty and becoming indispensable to each other is true love. That such a relationship would surely come to her.

But what could she do?

She had already lost her one and only heart.

“Sigh…”

Unable to sit like a mannequin any longer, So-yeon took a deep breath.

Biting her pink lips firmly, she stood up from the chair and gently stepped outside the door. She was going to cross over to Seo-jun’s room as promised yesterday.

Tap, tap…

Her quick steps down the hallway became even faster.

She already missed Tae Seo-jun.

***

Seo-jun waited for So-yeon in his room.

Taking a sip of whiskey, Seo-jun maintained a calm demeanor and naturally shifted his gaze to the window.

Outside, the rain, still pouring down like a curtain, was soaking the garden where dusk had fallen.

Why did I bring Eom So-yeon here? What did I want to gain, what was I trying to confirm by coming here? When this persistent rain stops, will I be able to dislike Eom So-yeon even a little? Will I be able to hate her?

He asked himself, but he seemed to already know that it wouldn’t be the case.

Just thinking of her made his heart race, and his chest felt a tingling itch. His heart knew before his head.

That the beautiful season with Eom So-yeon was drawing closer.