Chapter 32

Seojin, who parked his car in front of the building where Haji’s cafe was located, turned off the engine and turned on his phone screen. He looked again at the text messages he had exchanged with Haji a little while ago.

“About 10 minutes left, huh.”

10 minutes until Haji comes out.

It was enough time to handle work over the phone. Seojin made a call.

– Boss, how did it go? 

Matthew’s voice, asking as if he had been waiting for the call, was impatient. After all, he was the most disappointed about not being able to accompany Seojin to finalize the resort deal in Gangneung.

“It went well.”

– How well? Explain.

“We agreed to proceed with a reduced down payment.”

– How did you manage to cut such a high down payment in half?

Despite Matthew’s voice mixed with laughter, Seojin checked the time. Until Haji comes out.

“The ad content was well received.”

– What’s the ad content? Why won’t you tell me when I’ve been asking?

“I’ll let you know at the next meeting since it’s been finalized.”

Seojin closed his eyes and pressed his palm against them firmly. His eyes were strained from making the video until the previous night. 

It was a video revealing Emily and Rober’s personal history. It was too difficult to entrust to anyone else. Something he had to do himself.

– When will you tell me? Should I come to your house when I go up tomorrow?

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

– We should celebrate! I know where your house is, I’ll come once.

Click, while Seojin was on the call with his eyes closed, the car door opened.

Seojin’s furrowed brow smoothed out and his pupils appeared. Haji sat in the passenger seat with a bright smile, greeting him with her eyes.

– What’s wrong with me coming over? Am I going to steal something? Huh?

“Hang up.”

Seojin coldly dismissed Matthew’s impending whining and turned his upper body.

“You came early.”

It was a caring tone completely different from the one he used with Matthew.

“Who was that?”

“A weird person.”

“A weird person?”

“Don’t worry about it.”

It was something Matthew would have been very disappointed to hear if he had heard it. But for Seojin, such feelings weren’t important. He just didn’t like Haji being interested in other men.

“How was today?”

“Thanks to Woobae, we were able to finish early.”

“That’s good. Glad he was useful.”

“It’s not just that. He’s really good at his job.”

Seeing her speak with a bright smile, Seojin’s hand moved before his thoughts. Towards her small, moist lips.

As his hand brushed her lips, Haji’s eyes widened like a rabbit’s.

“W-why?”

“Your lips were moving so much, I wanted to touch them.”

Although his hand moved before his thoughts, Seojin spoke shamelessly. He was getting used to his body moving before his mind in front of Ahn Haji.

“Keep talking.”

“How can I talk when you’re touching me like this?”

Haji, uncomfortable with the hand on her lips, mumbled her words with her mouth barely open. Her flushed cheeks showed how shy she was about physical contact.

“Should I stop touching?”

“Yes. Please stop.”

“Your firmness makes me want to touch more.” 

It was an excuse. An excuse made up because he just wanted to touch more.

“You’re not a green frog.”

“I am a green frog.”

(T/N: In this passage, the conversation between Seojin and Haji is filled with playful teasing and an undercurrent of romantic tension. The analogy of a ‘green frog’ refers to a traditional Korean tale of the “청개구리” (Cheong Gaeguri) which is known for doing the opposite of what it’s told.) 

“Are you a child, Sunbae? Playing weird pranks…”

A chuckle escaped Seojin’s lips. Who would have thought he’d engage in such childish and nonsensical conversation.

But amusingly, it was quite fun. Because it was time spent with Ahn Haji.

“Haji.”

“Yes?”

“Didn’t you miss something?” 

Even without a subject, she would know what he was asking. It was a roundabout way of saying he missed her.

His eyes and attitude were saying so. 

I missed you.

“I, I also……”

Just as she was about to barely utter the words, showing a lot of shyness.

Riing, Seojin’s phone rang shrilly. Seojin, who had furrowed his brow, tried to hang up the call and look at Haji again, but.

Riing.

“Hold on a second.” 

Seeing the name [Jeong Eun-sol] on the screen, Seojin gritted his teeth. He was an unhelpful guy.

– Can’t I come tomorrow?

As soon as he answered the phone, the previous conversation continued. Seojin’s teeth clenched tightly. He exhaled softly, worried that Haji might hear his cold voice.

“Don’t. Come.”

– Really?

“If you come, I’ll report you for trespassing, you know.”

Seojin, who spoke coldly, switched his phone to silent without hesitation. He should have understood by now.

“What’s wrong?” 

Haji captured Seojin’s annoyed expression with her clear eyes. Soon, that expression was tidied up so quickly it seemed like an illusion. 

“Someone said they’re coming.”

“Who?”

Remembering Haji’s worried look about his stalker before, Seojin shook his head. 

“It’s not like that. Don’t worry about it.” 

For Haji, whose worry was bigger than expected, those words brought more anxiety. But Seojin didn’t know that at all.

***

Haji turned her head quickly as she watched the boiling budae jjigae in the pot.

At the same time, Seojin, who was sitting in a dining chair, turned his head. As if he hadn’t been looking. 

“Aren’t you going to come in?”

“… Isn’t it done?”

He had been there since she started cooking.

Haji looked at Seojin with narrowed eyes.

“Then can you serve the rice?”

As soon as she spoke, Seojin quickly got up from his seat as if he had been waiting.

Just as he was filling the rice bowl with a rice scoop after opening the rice cooker, ding dong. 

The intercom rang. 

Both of their bodies stiffened at the same time.

“I’ll go check.”

Seojin was the first to move. Watching his back, Haji bit her lip anxiously and turned off the induction stove with a click. 

What if that woman really came to the house?

The existence of the woman she had momentarily forgotten came to mind. Because she had seen the woman’s name on the phone screen that kept ringing in the car on the way here.

“What should I do if she really came?”

Should I call the police?

Or……”

“No, what am I thinking?”

Haji stopped her strange imagination. It was a thought that unconsciously came to mind because the neighbor’s child’s mother, whom she often encountered recently, mistook them for newlyweds. Pretending to be a married couple with Seojin. 

Haji, who had been thinking alone, tiptoed quietly. As she got closer to the entrance, Seojin’s voice gradually became audible. 

“Just give me that.” 

And the woman’s voice that followed was also faintly heard. She couldn’t hear the detailed conversation, but she could tell the other person was a woman. 

“Give it and go. That’s enough. Just go.” 

It seemed like the woman was trying to come in. And Seojin was firmly blocking her at the door. 

Watching Seojin’s back, Haji clenched her fist as if she had made up her mind about something. 

“Right now, this is the only way.”

Haji, who had finished thinking, hurriedly went into her room.

***

Seojin, who was arguing at the door, didn’t hide his annoyed expression. And his warning gaze towards the other person.

“Give it and just go.”

“Mom told me to see and come back.”

“What are you going to do by seeing my house?” 

It was all because a few days ago, Seonghee persistently asked for his home address, saying she would give him side dishes from their mother, so he told her to leave them at the security office. 

He thought she had given up when she didn’t come right away as she said she would that day. But to barge in when he was with Haji of all times. 

He absolutely couldn’t let her into the house. Because Haji wouldn’t want that. 

And she might say she’s leaving right away. This wasn’t a direction he wanted either.

“To see how you’re living, Oppa, why are you asking that? We’re family.”

“Because we’re family, I’m not asking. I figured you’d live on your own.”

Tch, Seonghee pouted and glared at Seojin. 

Watching her, Seojin tilted his head to the side with his arms crossed. Where did she get the idea that she was scared of him? 

He was sure Haji had misunderstood. Or maybe his sharp-witted sister had warned Haji in advance to keep her distance from him.

Such interference would be useless now, though.

“You’re mean. What, it’s not like I’m asking for the house?”

“Exactly. So why are you insisting on coming in when you’re not asking for the house?”

“Do you want to turn away your sister at the door like this?”

“Yes.”

At the firm answer, Seonghee seemed to have no more words and pressed her lips tightly. Now it seemed like this useless time was coming to an end.

“If you have nothing more to say.” 

Before he could say, “Now leave,” he sensed a presence behind him.

And then, a voice he hadn’t heard before, sultry and sweet.

“Honey, who came?” 

At the woman’s voice coming from behind, Seonghee, who had been backing away to go home, grabbed the door tightly. 

“Don’t tell me you’ve made a family without telling us?”

“……” 

He couldn’t answer Seonghee’s suspicious question. His body had stiffened at the presence felt from behind.

His feelings were complicated because he knew exactly who was calling him from behind. More precisely, he was in a state where he couldn’t distinguish how to take this. 

In the brief moment Seojin was frozen like a stone, the culprit of this confusion naturally linked arms with Seojin. And when she stood beside him.

“Honey, oh……”

“Huh? You?”

Haji, who was about to speak in a cute voice again, opened her mouth wide when she saw Seonghee at the door. Of course, her eyes widened too. 

It was chaos. 

“Why are you coming out of there?”

At Seonghee’s voice close to shock, Haji recalled her appearance.

“And why are you wearing that?!”

At Seonghee’s words close to a shout, Haji pulled down her short shirt dress and hid behind Seojin. Because it was the dress Seonghee had given her to wear when spending the night with a man.

“What are you two …