Chapter 13 (Part 4)

In-ah sat in front of Jeong-ho’s bar, staring blankly as she waited for him.  

When Jeong-ho stepped outside and saw her vacant expression, he asked in surprise,  

“What’s wrong, In-ah?”  

After hearing everything from her, Jeong-ho’s face filled with concern.  

“You didn’t hear anything from him?”

In-ah looked utterly despondent, as if even the small hope she had been holding onto had disappeared.  

Jeong-ho tried to comfort her.  

“Don’t worry too much. He’ll come back soon.”  

But In-ah’s face didn’t brighten in the slightest. Seeing this, Jeong-ho examined her expression thoughtfully before asking,  

“You trust Jinwon, right?”  

In-ah nodded with difficulty.  

“Then that’s all that matters. Waiting might be tough, but…”  

Then, suddenly fired up, he rolled up his sleeves and continued,  

“That brat Jinwon! How dare he make our lovely In-ah suffer like this? When he comes back, I’ll give him a good scolding!”  

In-ah forced a weak smile.  

Seeing her like this, Jeong-ho cautiously spoke.  

“Have you met Jinwon’s mom before?”  

“Yes, recently.”  

Jeong-ho nodded and said matter-of-factly,  

“Then you probably know. Jinwon’s mom relies on him a lot. She’s not in the best health.”  

Although she didn’t say it out loud, In-ah thought to herself,  

She didn’t seem that way… especially with the way she got angry so easily.  

Unaware of In-ah’s thoughts, Jeong-ho continued to comfort her.  

“Once his mom’s health improves, Jinwon will come straight back to you. Don’t worry.”  

Although she didn’t mention anything about Shin-hye, it was actually Shin-hye who had fanned the flames of In-ah’s worries.  

But since Jeong-ho couldn’t possibly answer her doubts about Shin-hye, In-ah had no choice but to let her anxiety eat away at her.  

***

At the company, rumors were flying around.  

“They’re holding a disciplinary committee meeting today. What happens if Team Leader Lee doesn’t show up by today?”  

Hye-yoon’s words made In-ah’s worry nearly explode.  

She paced nervously in front of the conference room where the disciplinary committee meeting was being held, hoping Jinwon might show up.  

Then, she heard approaching footsteps and quickly looked up.  

It was Kang Cheol.  

“Team Leader Choi.”  

In-ah hurried over to him.  

“Have you been in contact with Team Leader Lee?”  

“No.”  

“Oh, I see. I was just wondering if he might have reached out to you…”  

Unlike In-ah’s worried expression, Kang Cheol’s face was completely calm.  

This puzzled In-ah.  

Kang Cheol was closer to Jinwon than anyone else in the company, yet there was no trace of concern or worry on his face.  

Kang Cheol walked past her and entered the conference room where the disciplinary committee was being held.  

Watching him go inside, In-ah suddenly recalled what Hye-yoon had said earlier:  

“I heard a witness is attending the disciplinary committee today.”  

Shocked, In-ah stared at the closed door of the conference room. 

Could it be?  

***

It was well past midnight, but In-ah still couldn’t fall asleep.  

The disciplinary committee had presented decisive evidence, making it impossible for Jinwon to avoid dismissal.  

And yet, Jinwon hadn’t shown up at the company at all. 

What on earth was going on?  

She wanted to call him, but since Shin-hye had Jinwon’s phone, she couldn’t even do that.  

Frustrated, In-ah suddenly sat up in bed.  

She went to the kitchen to quench her thirst and opened the refrigerator.  

Just as she was pulling out the water bottle, the doorbell rang.  

Startled by the unexpected sound, she dropped the bottle in her hand.  

Water spilled all over the floor.  

In-ah became extremely tense.

Who could it be at this hour?  

Stepping carefully through the puddle, she approached the intercom monitor with a nervous expression.  

When she saw who it was, her face lit up instantly. It was Jinwon.  

Barefoot and soaked, In-ah ran to the door and flung it open, throwing herself into Jinwon’s arms.  

Jinwon embraced her warmly.  

Without saying a word, he held her tightly for a long time, until she was ready to let go.  

It was only then that Jinwon noticed her wet feet.  

“Why are your feet wet?”  

Only then did In-ah look down at her feet and realize they were soaked.  

“I spilled the water bottle.”  

Before she could finish her sentence, Jinwon picked her up and carried her inside.  

Before she could protest, he carried her all the way to the sofa and gently set her down.  

“Stay here.”  

Jinwon began wiping up the water on the floor near the refrigerator.  

Seeing this, In-ah immediately ran over to him.  

“Leave it. I’ll clean it up.”  

Jinwon gestured silently with his eyes.  

Following his gaze, In-ah looked down at the floor she had just run across.  

There were wet footprints marking the path she had taken.  

“Sorry.”  

She mumbled in a small voice, then turned to clean up the water herself.  

“Come here.”  

Jinwon patted his thigh and spread his arms wide toward her.  

What? He wanted me to sit there?  

Blushing, In-ah hesitated but didn’t refuse.  

She slowly walked over and carefully sat on his thigh.  

As if he had been waiting, Jinwon lifted her foot.  

Caught off guard, In-ah wobbled slightly but managed to regain her balance.  

Jinwon began gently drying her feet.  

“I should’ve dried your feet first. Sorry.”  

Hearing his words, In-ah felt a lump in her throat.  

She knew it wasn’t the right moment to cry.  

But her tears were already beyond her control.  

Startled, Jinwon exclaimed,  

“What’s wrong? Did something happen? Tell me!”  

Through her tears, In-ah managed to say,  

“Sorry. I should’ve trusted you and waited…”  

Jinwon listened quietly.  

“…I was so scared you might never come back…”  

Sniffling, she wiped her tears again.  

Jinwon gently took her hands, stopping her.  

Then, he cupped her face with both hands and wiped her tears away.  

“I didn’t know my In-ah was such a crybaby.”  

“I’m not a crybaby!”  

She retorted, her teary eyes flaring up. Jinwon chuckled, finding her adorable.  

“Does denying it make it true?”  

His sweet smile made In-ah’s lips curl up involuntarily.  

She realized just how much she had missed his smile over the past few days.  

And with that thought, her tears started flowing again.  

“Stop crying. It’ll give you a headache.”  

Jinwon stroked her head as he whispered.  

“Ugh, my head already hurts.”  

Taking the opportunity, In-ah whined to him.  

“See? Stay put. I’ll clean this up and make you some tea.”  

As Jinwon tried to stand, intending to set her down, In-ah stopped him.  

“No. Don’t clean it. Don’t make tea. Let’s just stay like this.”  

Finding her adorable, Jinwon playfully pinched her cheek.  

Then, without warning, he reached out and began wiping the floor.  

In-ah nearly toppled over into the puddle, but she managed to grab onto Jinwon’s neck for balance.  

Jinwon, holding her waist with one hand, swiftly wiped up the water with the other.  

Before she could fully grasp the situation, Jinwon leaned toward her.  

Now lying on the floor, In-ah found herself looking up at Jinwon, who was gazing down at her.

And then, she realized that Jinwon’s hand was beneath her head, acting as a pillow.  

Before In-ah’s head could touch the floor, Jinwon had cradled the back of her head with his hand, supporting it.  

As she fully grasped the situation, In-ah felt her body heat up rapidly.  

It wasn’t just her face that was turning red—her entire body felt flushed.  

Jinwon, who was just a hand’s breadth away from her face, couldn’t have missed it.  

He raised his other hand and placed it on her forehead. Then, startled, he quickly sat up.  

“Are you okay? You’re burning up!”  

But I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.

“Hold on a second.”  

Jinwon swiftly picked her up and laid her on the sofa, placing a cushion under her head.  

His movements were like those of a rescue worker tending to an emergency patient.  

He hurried to the kitchen and began filling the kettle with water.  

Lying on the sofa, In-ah watched him silently for a while before finally speaking.  

“How’s your mom doing? Is she feeling better?”  

Jinwon placed the kettle on the stove and answered,  

“Yeah. She’s doing much better now. Where’s the tea?”  

“In the drawer over there.”  

As Jinwon took out the tea, In-ah asked again,  

“Did that woman go to your mom’s house?”  

“That woman?”  

“Jeong Shin-hye.”  

Only then did Jinwon turn his head toward her.  

“How did you know?”  

In-ah paused for a moment, locking eyes with him.  

She hesitated to ask her next question.  

What if he says he’s leaning toward her? What if he says he’s leaving me right now?  

Even though she was scared, she couldn’t avoid it. Her desire to know the truth was stronger than her fear.  

“I saw her in front of your house yesterday.”  

“Shin-hye?”  

Even in this situation, it annoyed her that Jinwon didn’t use her last name.  

“Yes. She had your phone with her.”  

“That’s impossible.”  

In-ah couldn’t hide her disappointment. That wasn’t the answer she had hoped for.  

“Didn’t you give it to her?”  

“Of course not.”  

Silence fell between them again.