Chapter 2.2

Reaching that conclusion, Hae-soo glared at In-wook with fire in her eyes. But once again, there wasn’t the slightest hint of hesitation in In-wook. 

On the contrary, his crooked smile felt ominous. 

What was this? Why did she feel a chilling sense of foreboding down her spine? 

“Right. That’s probably how it was for you. And Baek In-ah must have secretly taken that key from Father.” 

“Secretly……??” 

Hae-soo’s eyes, which had been darting around, suddenly wavered intensely. This was even more unexpected than being treated like a Stone Age relic. 

“There are exactly two keys to this house. One is in a safe in Father’s study, and the other is with the person managing the property here locally.” 

“…….” 

“I had an urgent business trip scheduled here and went to Father to get the key, but coincidentally, it had vanished without a trace at that exact moment. I had my suspicions about Baek In-ah, but I didn’t think she’d actually do it.” 

“…….” 

“But turns out, it wasn’t just a suspicion—though it wasn’t Baek In-ah, but you who got caught in the act, Yoon Hae-soo.” 

At the end of his words, In-wook grinned, pulling the corner of his mouth upward. It couldn’t have been more suggestive or triumphant. 

It was as if he had been waiting for the conversation to flow in this direction all along. 

“Looks like the situation is tilting in my favor.” 

His words were like a final nail in the coffin. It felt as though he was implying, he’d use In-ah to get what he wanted. 

The moment she realized that, a bitter sense of defeat, which she didn’t want to acknowledge, washed over her intensely. 

How petty of him. 

“Even if it’s petty, there’s nothing I can do about it. After all the times I’ve been burned in Seoul, it’s too late to play fair now. Turns out I’m more narrow-minded than I thought.” 

As if he could see right through her, In-wook pinpointed Hae-soo’s true feelings. That only fueled her irritation further, and she bit her lip hard. 

“I’ll give you the choice.” 

“…….” 

“One, find a new place to stay. Two, stay here as planned.” 

In-wook extended his index and middle fingers one after the other in front of Hae-soo. With each gesture, her cheeks puffed up with frustration and resentment. 

In-wook could barely hold back a chuckle. The image of Yoon Hae-soo from her chubby-cheeked days, when she’d get upset over the smallest pranks, came to mind vividly. 

“How I respond will depend on your choice. If you follow my lead, I guarantee not only to keep this a secret but also to return the key you have to its rightful place without Father knowing.” 

“…….” 

“Of course, in that case, I plan to give you my spare key before returning home.” 

In-wook suppressed the laughter threatening to burst out and spoke with considerable firmness. Then he turned to face Hae-soo fully. 

In doing so, he appeared utterly cold and unyielding, without a single crack to exploit. He was no longer just Yoon Hae-soo’s friend Baek In-ah’s brother, but the fourth-generation heir of Taeseon Group and the CEO of Taeseon Department Store, in his truest form. 

In a situation where there seemed to be no room for choice, Hae-soo bit her lower lip hard. After a long pause, she finally let out the frustration she had been holding inside. 

“What’s the reason for going this far?” 

“Well, maybe I’m a bit annoyed?” 

“Ha, you’re doing all this just because I didn’t answer a few calls?”

Hae-soo let out a hollow laugh. While the incessant calls she ignored might have irritated Baek In-wook, to Hae-soo, it was a justified act of self-defense that didn’t even warrant reconsideration. 

Looking solely at the conclusion, it was a mutual fault. For Baek In-wook, persistently calling someone who wouldn’t answer might have seemed like a solution, but for her, avoiding him at that moment was the only right answer. 

Hae-soo had no regrets about her actions. Even upon reflection, she believed it was the best course of action. 

Though it was an accident that happened without warning, it was a mistake that should never have been made under any circumstances. Therefore, she needed to handle the aftermath as cautiously and cleanly as possible. 

That was the least courtesy and duty she could show to In-ah, who knew nothing about it. Even if everyone called her choice selfish, Hae-soo’s stance remained unchanged. 

That’s why she needed time. Especially because the other party was Baek In-wook, she had to be even more cautious. 

Still, during this trip, she had intended to sort out her thoughts and reach out to him first. 

Hae-soo let out a heavy sigh she had been holding in. Though In-wook couldn’t possibly know the feelings she had never voiced aloud, his relentless pressure made a sudden pang of hurt well up inside her. 

She tried and tried to swallow it down, but when the bitterness she couldn’t suppress filled her mouth completely, it happened. 

In-wook, who had been staring at her all this time, took large strides forward. Then, in an instant, he closed the distance between them. 

“What, what is this? Why are you acting like this? Do you think I’ll give you the answer you want just because of this? I’m thirty now, you know? Oppa, I’m not that crybaby who used to run away in tears just because you made a scary face!” 

Hae-soo hurriedly stepped back. Even upon reflection, the random words she blurted out in her panic were ridiculously funny. 

Yet In-wook didn’t let out even a single chuckle. No, there wasn’t the slightest hint of amusement on his face. 

Before she knew it, Hae-soo had been pushed out of the bathroom and found her back against the wall of the opposite hallway. Only then did she fully look up at In-wook, and she had to gasp sharply. 

“…….” 

“…….” 

The distance between her and In-wook was much closer than she had thought. Not only that. She found herself completely trapped between his outstretched arms. 

All of this happened in the blink of an eye. Only then did she notice In-wook in his half-dressed state. 

“Just a few calls?” 

“…….” 

“To you, the missed calls from me on your phone might have been nothing more than insignificant numbers, but to me, they were a sign of care and expression.” 

His deep, heavy voice sweetly pierced through her defenseless ears. Against her will, buried memories resurfaced, and the image of his overwhelmingly attractive body came to mind. Just that was enough to make Hae-soo feel as if her entire body had frozen stiff. 

“I kept thinking about you, all the time.” 

“…….” 

“I was burning up day and night like a madman, lured by ridiculous words about welcoming me into your wild dreams. That’s how it was for me.” 

Her breath caught in her throat. What on earth was he saying? She couldn’t get a grip on herself at all. 

This was unfair. To shake her up this much. 

Yet In-wook showed no intention of going easy on her; he simply gazed down at her intently. Then, he curled up a breathtakingly charming smile. 

“Having had that much control over me, I think you should at least take some responsibility for what happened that night.” 

“Re-responsibility?” 

“Yes.” 

It was a perfect reprimand with no room for escape. Yet, instead of feeling upset, Hae-soo couldn’t help but lose herself repeatedly to the tickling sensation in her chest. 

“I’m not going to say you have to take responsibility for my life just because we spent one night together.” 

“…….” 

“Instead, while I’m staying here, don’t think about running away. Stay in front of me. That’s the punishment I’m giving you.” 

He delivered a penalty with a demand no different from before. It was the same content that had continuously hurt her feelings, feeling extremely one-sided and, on the other hand, even coercive. 

Yet why did she keep feeling this way? 

“Don’t roll your eyes for no reason. When I’m letting you off with a punishment like this, just accept it graciously.” 

His words, telling her to accept the penalty graciously, didn’t feel unpleasant at all. Even his firm gaze, as if warning her that she’d be in big trouble if she tried any tricks, wasn’t unwelcome. 

“…….” 

“…….” 

Her heart was beating at an excessively fast pace. It was so different from any other time, so unfamiliar, that she couldn’t even fully register this side of In-wook. 

Perhaps that was why. 

The reason she couldn’t take her eyes off In-wook, not even for a moment. 

“This time, I have no intention of letting it slide either.” 

In-wook’s face, reflected in her pupils, shook wildly. Even so, he was still striking and impressive. 

That unchanging impression made Hae-soo’s heart pound fiercely once again.