Chapter 37 – I Didn’t Cry, Though

A feather-like weight softly landed on Tae Seo-jun’s chest.  

Although it was still dawn, Tae Seo-jun, who had woken from sleep, naturally turned his gaze toward Eom So-yeon’s small hand, which was fidgeting slightly. Her adorable movements brought him an inexplicable sense of joy. The corners of Tae Seo-jun’s lips gently curved upward, not because of the tickling sensation on his chest, but because of a strange sense of satisfaction.  

Last night, So-yeon had sighed deeply while sipping whiskey.  

What could she have been thinking about so much in that small head of hers? She remained silent, her expression serious.  

Perhaps it was the alcohol. At some point, her head, which had been nodding slightly, slowly tilted forward. Just before her forehead hit the table, Tae Seo-jun had caught her and, unable to leave her like that, laid her on the bed to wait for her to sober up.  

But perhaps it was the accumulated fatigue from wandering around all day, or the fact that she had cried her heart out during their conversation—So-yeon didn’t wake up. Instead, she ended up falling into a deep sleep.  

What could he do? While waiting for Eom So-yeon to regain her senses, Tae Seo-jun had laid down beside her for a moment, only to find himself dozing off as well.  

That’s how the two of them, unintentionally sharing the same bed, ended up falling into a deep, dreamless sleep, tangled together and sharing warmth until morning.  

He thought he’d only feel satisfied if he held her tightly enough to fill the void.  

But just being in the same bed with her was enough to make Tae Seo-jun feel quite content. Simply having her by his side brought warmth to a heart that had always felt cold.  

Even like this, he felt as if there was nothing more he could wish for. The foreign sensation lodged in his chest for years seemed to vanish completely. But above all, what pleased him most was the feeling that Eom So-yeon was his woman.  

The small bird that had returned to his arms.  

Already nestled in his embrace, Tae Seo-jun wrapped his arms more firmly around her, showing no intention of letting her go.  

The neat curve of his lips once again stretched into a smooth arc. It was a smile that signified his acceptance of the fact that he could no longer live without Eom So-yeon.  

But something felt off.  

Tae Seo-jun sensed a dampness somewhere on his body. Looking closely, he saw that his shoulder, where So-yeon’s cheek rested, was wet with a warm, moist substance.  

“Mm… Ugh…”  

Before long, soft groans escaped intermittently from So-yeon’s lips.  

Her body refused to move, no matter how hard she tried. She wanted to scream, but her voice was trapped in her throat. The frustration was unbearable, and tears began to fall, soaking Tae Seo-jun’s clothes.  

“Don’t… don’t go… sob…”  

Just when he thought she was sleeping peacefully, it seemed she was having a nightmare. Tae Seo-jun shook So-yeon’s shoulders to wake her.  

“Wake up, Eom So-yeon!”  

“Ha…!”  

At the sound of Tae Seo-jun’s voice, her eyes flew open, and the suffocating grip on her chest loosened. However, So-yeon’s mind was still trapped in the nightmare.  

“No, no matter what I did wrong, how could you do that! I can’t live without Hyun-woo, but you can! So please, please don’t take him away… sob…”  

“Shh… It’s okay, it’s okay…”  

It seemed she mistook him for Hyun-woo’s father. Tae Seo-jun, who could roughly guess why she was crying so sorrowfully, pulled her trembling body closer, gently patting her head and back.  

“It’s okay, Eom So-yeon… It’s just a dream…”  

“Really…?”  

“Yes, just a bad dream.”  

“Waaah… sob…” 

Although the word “dream” brought her a little relief, So-yeon was so shaken that she buried her face in Tae Seo-jun’s chest and cried for a while.  

Tae Seo-jun continued to soothe her, patting her back until her sobbing subsided.  

However, his dark eyes reflected more than discomfort—they burned with anger.  

He was reminded of the story Eom So-yeon had told him on the plane to Spain.  

She had said there were reasons she couldn’t share why she had broken up with Hyun-woo’s father. Though he wasn’t by her side, she had been happy to give birth to her child because the baby was from the person she loved most. She had even lied to her parents, claiming the baby’s father was dead, so they wouldn’t hold onto false hope.  

Whether it was a mistake or not, the man had abandoned his own child and woman in their most vulnerable moment. That alone proved he was a man with no sense of responsibility.  

Who the hell was that bastard, to appear even in her dreams and make her cry like this…?  

The anger in Tae Seo-jun’s eyes turned to frustration.  

How much must she have loved him to give birth to his child, even though he wasn’t there? The thought was maddening, as was the fact that Eom So-yeon had lied to protect that worthless man.  

But his irritation didn’t last long.  

So-yeon, lifting her head abruptly, glanced around the bedroom. Tae Seo-jun, caught off guard, followed her gaze.  

“This is your bedroom? Why am I sleeping here?”  

“What should I say to someone who passed out drunk?”  

“Oh…”  

Was I drunk? No, come to think of it, I wasn’t drunk—I was just so, so tired. That’s right. I must have just given up and fallen asleep.  

As if admitting her mistake, So-yeon lowered her gaze, remaining silent for a moment.  

That was it.  

Her head had been overwhelmed with countless reasons why she and Tae Seo-jun couldn’t be together and worries about her child.  

Even though she had resolved to give up, convinced they couldn’t be together, every time she looked into his eyes, a small part of her heart longed for him. Exhausted from the constant back-and-forth, she had simply wanted to lean on him and rest.  

Feeling awkward, So-yeon muttered under her breath in a small, sulky voice.  

“If I was passed out, you could’ve moved me to my room.”  

“You were a bit heavy.”  

“W-What? Heavy? I’m actually really light! How could you say that?”  

When So-yeon protested, Tae Seo-jun chuckled and gently guided her head back to where it had been. The movement caused her cheeks to squish between his large hand and firm chest, flattening like sticky rice cakes.  

“Well, since we’re here, let’s just sleep a bit more. It’s still early.”  

“……”  

Sleep more?  

Should I go back to my room now, or should I just stay here? What should I do? I don’t even know anymore.  

Meanwhile, he seemed to have fallen asleep in no time, his breathing steady and even. Left unsure of what to do, So-yeon blinked her eyes for a while.  

***

Cadiz is a port city about a three-hour drive from Malaga by car.

Although the official filming was set to begin in three days, the drama production team, who had arrived in Spain early, was busy finalizing preparations for the intensive shooting schedule ahead.

Manager Bong and Park Seong-ho had departed for Cadiz, where the production team was staying, an hour earlier. Tae Seo-jun had sent the two men to the filming location a few days in advance to secure uninterrupted time alone with Eom So-yeon.

That wasn’t all. He had also prohibited all staff members who came to work daily from entering the estate for the next two days. As a result, including today, the only people in the mansion for three days were Seo-jun and So-yeon.

The morning passed quietly, and it was nearing noon.

Seo-jun prepared brunch in the kitchen and brought it to the bedroom. It was for Eom So-yeon, who had stayed up through the early dawn and had only fallen back asleep in the morning.

Salad, seafood tomato stew, whole wheat bread with cheese and ham, and fresh fruit juice. The food on the bed tray looked delicious.

Hearing that they were the only ones in the mansion, So-yeon looked at the food Seo-jun had brought with a curious gaze.

“Did you make all this yourself, Director?”

When So-yeon asked, Seo-jun, sitting leisurely across from her, dipped bread into the tomato stew and replied simply.

“Meal kits.”

“Wow! They have those in Spain too?”  

“They probably do, but I told the kitchen to prepare them in advance.”

“Ah, as expected…”

As expected, a meticulous person does everything so thoroughly.

Skipping the rest of her thoughts, So-yeon smiled and started munching on the salad with delight.

“How’s your cooking, Eom So-yeon?”

“I’ve been living on my own for years.”

“You sound confident. I’d like to try something you make sometime.”

“Well… if the chance comes…”

Although he was likely speaking casually, So-yeon’s heart raced as if she had just received a proposal, and her words trailed off awkwardly.

Since arriving in Spain, she had spent all her time with Tae Seo-jun.

And today, they had woken up in the same space. Now, they were having lunch together in a sunlit, exotic bedroom, facing each other.

The mood created by this enchanting atmosphere made So-yeon feel as though they were on a honeymoon.

But it was nothing more than a happy fantasy.

Suddenly, So-yeon recalled the nightmare that had haunted her at dawn.

She had been playing leisurely with her son in a garden filled with blooming flowers. That much had been true. But then, Tae Seo-jun and his family had appeared out of nowhere, taking Hyun-woo and disappearing into the portrait hanging in the mansion’s central staircase.

She had tried to grab her son, but she couldn’t. A massive weight, like a boulder, had pinned down her lower body. Still, she had struggled, reaching out toward the portrait, but then, Seo-jun, holding Hyun-woo tightly, had looked down at her with cold eyes.

And beside him, Yoo Jung-hwa had appeared, standing close and sneering at her. As though to say that someone like her could never dare to have Tae Seo-jun.

How desperate must she have been to dream such a thing?

Faced with the reality that her dreams and imagination weren’t far from the truth, and that her circumstances were so distant from her desires, So-yeon’s heart felt hollow.

“Does this happen often?”

Seo-jun asked seriously. He couldn’t help but ask. Although he had only caught a glimpse, the dark expression that had flashed across So-yeon’s face made him feel as though it was his fault. He also had a nagging suspicion that her nightmares were connected to her child’s father.

However, Eom So-yeon, as if unaware, asked back with an innocent look.

“What does?”  

“Crying in your sleep.”  

“Me? When? I didn’t cry.”

It was a frightening habit. No, it was her maternal instinct, which refused to back down when it came to her child, that made her deny it. Even though she knew better than anyone that she had cried and that he had seen it, So-yeon feigned ignorance with a straight face.

“Really?”

Why are you pretending not to know when we both clearly do?

Seo-jun asked with a faint smile, but So-yeon stubbornly stuck to her denial.

“I’m telling you, I didn’t.”

Even if it meant being labeled a liar, she had no choice.

She was terrified that speaking of the nightmare would make it a reality. That she might lose Hyun-woo forever.

So-yeon was petrified at the thought.

***

In the late afternoon, So-yeon and Seo-jun strolled along a sunset-lit beach.

The soft sand crumbled gently between their toes. Walking barefoot, they left long footprints behind them. But as So-yeon glanced back, the waves rolled in with white foam, washing away all traces of their steps.

If I never get another chance to make Tae Seo-jun mine… If I keep pushing him away and end up losing him forever… If today becomes a regret I carry for the rest of my life…

If this man erases me from his life, just as the waves erase our footprints, will I be able to endure it?

So-yeon stopped walking and looked up at Seo-jun with a wistful gaze.

“You said yesterday that you really like me, didn’t you?”

“Why? Does it sound like a lie?”

“No. It’s because it feels so real that I’m asking.”

“If you can’t hold out any longer, you can come to me. Eom So-yeon is always welcome.”

Already on the verge of giving in, So-yeon’s resolve wavered even more at Seo-jun’s sweet voice.  

“…”

Can I really do that?

Her eyes, which lingered silently on Seo-jun, shimmered with the red glow of the sunset.

“Stubborn as ever.”

A part of him wanted to forcefully bind her to him, but Seo-jun knew better. He couldn’t. Human emotions couldn’t be controlled by force. So, should he give up on Eom So-yeon entirely?

“Your stubbornness is stronger than a whale tendon.”

No, that wasn’t it. Seo-jun, who realized things wouldn’t go as he wished, chuckled bitterly and added a playful remark.

“So, does that mean you don’t like me anymore?”

“Not a chance. How about we go on a date tomorrow night?”

The sudden suggestion of a date filled So-yeon’s wide eyes with excitement. Although they had gone sightseeing in the city yesterday, this was the first time he had explicitly mentioned a date.

“Where?”  

“There’s a carnival at the beach.”

“Will there be fireworks?”  

“Of course.”  

“Great! Let’s go!”

Grabbing Seo-jun’s arm with both hands and bouncing slightly, So-yeon answered with a bright smile.

But deep down, her heart wasn’t as light. She felt as though she were walking on thin ice.

She had already made up her mind.

No matter what, tomorrow, she would reveal everything she had been hiding from him.

And if he still liked her, she would hold his hand tightly and go to the ends of the earth with him.