Chapter 11.4

Unable to sleep, Moonkyeong stayed awake all night. She cried under the covers until dawn, muffling her sobs to ensure no sound escaped the tent. 

Even her dreams were a mess. In them, she followed Seojun everywhere, vowing not to look away for even a moment. She stepped on his shadow, determined not to lose sight of him, but suddenly, he was gone.

[Seojun, where are you? Can’t you see me? …Please, hold my hand.]

Lost and crying, she woke up from the nightmare after barely an hour of restless sleep. Even after waking, she lay still, overwhelmed by a sense of emptiness. 

Morning arrived, and soon, she heard the sound of Seojun moving around outside the tent. He was cooking ramen, and when it was ready, he called out to her.

“Seo Moonkyeong, get up…”

Seeing her swollen eyes, he abruptly stopped mid-sentence and turned away.

“Come out. I made ramen.”

“Yes, I’ll wash up and be right there.”

Her dream of eating ramen early in the morning while camping had come true. But it tasted like tears, and nothing about it was enjoyable. 

When Seojun suggested returning to Seoul early, Moonkyeong remained silent. Sitting under a tall tree, she unfolded a chair and stared at the river endlessly. Eventually, Seojun approached her.

“Don’t want to go home?”

“……”

“Seo Moonkyeong.”

“I don’t want to part like this. Not like this.”

He met her gaze with gentle eyes.

“Is there something else you want to do?”

“Sleep with me.”

“……”

“You kiss me and do everything else, so why won’t you do that? You used to do it three or four times a day once you started, but now you do nothing, and it’s driving me crazy!”

Her unreasonable demand made him reach out and stroke her hair. It was a habit they had both developed. As if on cue, they both pressed their lips together in silence.

Seojun looked at her with calm eyes.

“I’m not doing it because I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop. I’m afraid I won’t want to let you go.”

“That’s why I’m saying we should do it! If you don’t want to let me go, then keep me by your side.”

Seojun gently rubbed her lips with his thumb. Then, he leaned in and kissed her briefly before tilting his head.

“I’m afraid you might get pregnant. I don’t want to tie you down.”

“……”

“It’s not like I haven’t thought about it. If you got pregnant, it would be my responsibility. Whether it works out or not, we’d have to stay together as three. I even considered it—getting you pregnant and using that as an excuse to keep you with me. It’s not like I didn’t think about it.”

“And?”

“But I’m not that kind of man. I don’t want to stoop that low. If you want to stay longer, let’s stay until tonight. I’ll adjust my schedule.”

For Moonkyeong’s sake, Seojun postponed all his afternoon appointments. Secretary Park, visibly flustered, double-checked, but Seojun was firm. 

Even though delaying his work meant he’d have to sacrifice another full day to catch up later, he wanted to prioritize Moonkyeong.

Late at night, Moonkyeong drank. She downed two bottles of soju on her own, resenting Seojun for not having even a single glass with her. Exhausted from staying up the previous night, she quickly fell asleep. Only then did Seojun let out a sigh of relief. 

He arranged for Chief Secretary Yoon to handle the tent removal later. It wasn’t a big deal—just a matter of paying someone to take care of it.

Near her officetel in Samseong-dong, Seojun stopped briefly at a convenience store. He was worried about how frail she had become. He bought hangover medicine and returned to the car, waiting in the underground parking lot until she woke up to give it to her.

In the early hours of the morning, Moonkyeong finally stirred, rubbing her aching forehead. Seojun handed her the hangover medicine immediately.

“Drink this.”

She gulped it down in one go and looked around.

“Why didn’t you wake me? When did we get here?”

“I thought about carrying you home but changed my mind.”

“Why? Were you afraid you’d ass*ult me while I was asleep?”

Her joke felt oddly truthful, and she swallowed nervously under his intense gaze. She didn’t know what to do with this man who seemed so desperate to leave her.

Her frustration faded quickly, and she opened the car door with determination. If they were destined to part, as Hyesook had said, then their last moments should be memorable.

“Don’t meet anyone else.”

“What?”

Startled by her sudden words, Seojun laughed.

“If I can’t have you, I don’t want anyone else to have you either.”

“Okay.”

“Live alone forever, lonely and regretful, missing me.”

“……”

“No, that’s too harsh. Forget what I just said.”

Her honest words hit him hard, but Seojun laughed again.

“What about the second part?”

“I’m not taking that back.”

As she walked toward the elevator, Seojun got out of the car and followed her. Over the past few months, this had become their routine—saying goodbye like any other couple at the end of the day. 

But now, with the sale of the officetel, those moments were numbered.

You’re a terrible person. So petty.

Moonkyeong turned back weakly and waved at him.

“I’m going.”

“Okay.”

Forcing herself to be cheerful, she smiled brightly.

“When I get in the elevator, tell me to sleep well.”

“Got it.”

Moments later, the private elevator arrived, and she stepped inside. 

Just as the doors were about to close, Seojun looked at her warmly and said, 

“Sleep well, Bora.”

The oblivious elevator doors shut. The face she needed to remember blurred with sorrow, overwhelming her senses. 

This maddening, overwhelming love—this fear that it might be now or never—consumed her. 

Even as she cried silently, she hurriedly pressed the open button. She was terrified he might have turned around and walked away by the time the doors reopened.

The elevator doors opened again, and his face appeared. He stood there, unable to press the button, gripping the cold steel frame with trembling hands, tears streaming down his face.

Ah. Kim Seojun is crying.

The man who only ever teased or mocked her was now in tears. 

This tall, broad-shouldered man, who could rival any basketball player, was crying as if lamenting their shared past.

Moonkyeong pulled Seojun into the elevator.

She pressed her face against his and embraced him more warmly than anyone else ever had. In the cramped elevator, filled only with their shared breaths, the two naturally kissed.

Moonkyeong gave herself to him completely, without hesitation. She wanted to give him everything, even her soul, so she undressed herself.

Undressing him in turn, she stayed in Seojun’s arms until dawn.

***

At 6 a.m., an explosion occurred in Seojun’s car, parked in the underground garage. The fiery accident left no evidence behind.

The CCTV cameras that monitored the parking lot coincidentally experienced a power outage at that exact time, plunging the case into mystery. 

The burnt vehicle was a new model from HAN Motors that Seojun had personally unveiled at a recent executive event, throwing the company into chaos.

As he rushed out, he warned Moonkyeong, 

“Don’t go anywhere until I contact you.”

Frozen in fear, Moonkyeong nodded, wrapping herself in a blanket. Seeing her trembling, he kissed her forehead briefly.

“I’ll send someone to you. You’ll be fine.”

“Seojun, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. I’ll call you.”

He ran around dealing with the incident, and within three days, the issue had largely subsided. 

A week later, Moonkyeong’s life returned to relative peace, but she couldn’t shake her unease. 

That night, she received a call from Nam Leehyun. Given her lack of reaction to the divorce proceedings, the call filled her with dread. She hesitated to answer but felt compelled to pick up this time.

“Yes.”

– I heard you’re leaving Korea?

“…Yes.”

– Seojun didn’t try to stop you?

“Yes.”

– I see. Take care of yourself.

The call was brief, perhaps just a simple farewell.

At that moment, the sound of the front door opening startled Moonkyeong. It was the security guard, whose visits were routine, but the timing caught her off guard, making her overreact.

“You’re here?”

After greeting him, Moonkyeong retreated to her bedroom. For a week now, Seojun had only sent people to check on her, never coming himself. 

She had every reason to resent him for leaving her alone after doing what he swore he wouldn’t, but given the circumstances, she felt she had to understand.

Ultimately, this situation only reinforced the fact that she needed to leave Seojun quickly. The thought made her laugh bitterly. 

She laughed, hollow and defeated.

In a notebook, she wrote the name he had so tenderly called her: her old name. 

If I was to be disowned, would I live again as Min Bora? Or would I have to adopt a new name altogether? 

The name he had called me was so warm. If I had met you as Min Bora, could I have still loved you?

That night, filled with countless thoughts, she lay on her bed, resting her head on her hand. Thinking of the passionate night she had shared with Seojun, her expression softened.

Just a little longer. If only time could slow down. Just a little longer. If only I could see his face again.

Once more, she struggled to fall asleep. Moonkyeong closed her eyes with difficulty.