Chapter 37

“Why?”

“What?”

As she was about to enter her lodging, Haji asked Seojin.

“Why are you here?”

She meant to ask why he wasn’t going to his own lodging. 

“It’s right next door. I was on my way to my room too.”

“Ah……” 

Seojin shook a key of the same color as Haji’s from his pocket. His eyes pointing to the private house right next door. 

“I see.”

“Haji.” 

This time, Seojin called out to stop Haji.

“They say it will rain tonight.”

“…… Okay.” 

At the sudden weather forecast, Haji didn’t know what to say. She nodded at the bland remark and closed the door. 

Click, Haji, standing in front of the closed door, perked up her ears. To figure out Seojin’s movements outside.

“Why can’t I hear anything?” 

Is the soundproofing good? Did he leave? 

Haji, tilting her head, couldn’t resist and slightly opened the door. 

“Ah!”

She almost fell backwards in surprise as soon as she opened it, but.

“W-why are you standing here?”

Haji was more surprised to see Seojin standing in front of the door. 

“To give you an umbrella.”

“Ah, you should have said something……”

“I was about to, but you went inside.” 

Was that so?

Feeling awkward, Haji reached out her hand but then flinched as she looked at Seojin. 

“What about you?”

“I’m going back to Seoul now.”

“You’re leaving so soon?”

“Are you disappointed?”

“No. I’ll use it well.” 

Haji, who received the umbrella, closed the door. After walking around the spacious three-story private house, Haji plopped down on the sofa. 

It feels somewhat empty. 

It felt awkward trying to put up a wall with someone she had been living with every day. 

“It feels uncomfortable.” 

Because she wasn’t used to hating or disliking someone, this side of herself felt unfamiliar.

“Why did he give me an umbrella?” 

It’s bothering me.

Her resolve to hate him wavered at the sight of Seojin taking care of her as usual. 

“I came to relax. Why did we have to meet here?”

Haji, looking at the umbrella in her hand, suddenly had a thought and looked at the door.

“No way?”

Did he come knowing?

“No way…”

He said he came for work.

Shaking her head, Haji tried to put away thoughts of Seojin. No, she tried to make an effort to do so.

“I should go eat. The place Sehee recommended was close by.”

***

The restaurant Sehee recommended had a spectacular view of the rolling sea with a wide-open vista.

“This is so nice.”

“It is.” 

Haji frowned at the response from beside her. Turning her head sharply to the side. 

“Didn’t you say you were leaving today?”

“I still need to eat.” 

Haji was dumbfounded by Seojin’s brazen response. She was so flustered when she saw him right away upon entering the restaurant.

“And I was here first. You saw that, right?”

“That’s true, but!”

“But?”

“…… Just eat.” 

There wasn’t much she could say. As Seojin said, she had come in later.

After that, at the cafe, at the market, at the beach…

“You said earlier you were going to Seoul.”

“I came all the way here, and it feels like a waste to just leave. I keep wanting to wander around.”

“Huh?  But how do we keep crossing paths like this?”

Aside from Seojin’s brazen attitude, Haji was bewildered and even dumbfounded by their constantly overlapping routes. 

Don’t tell me this man…?

“You’re not following me, are you?”

“Wasn’t I always there first, for it to be following?”

“…Exactly.”

That’s what’s strange.

It’s as if you know exactly where I’m going to go. Exactly.

Like someone who knew in advance.

“Sit down and let’s talk.”

Seojin, who was sitting on the smooth sand, took out a handkerchief and spread it out.

“Don’t do things like this……”

“I only do this for you.”

“That’s why I’m saying don’t do it just for me.”

What are we even?

Haji grumbled and turned her gaze away. At that sight, the corners of Seojin’s mouth curved slightly. As if he noticed her softened heart.

“Haji.”

“…… Yes.”

Seojin, sitting on the sand, reached out his arm and lightly held Haji’s hand as she stood. 

“Look at me for a bit.”

Seojin’s appearance, seen from above, had a rare, sorrowful feel. The setting sun reflected red in his sharp eyes, making it even more so.

“Hmm? Look at me for a bit. I was wrong.”

“About what…?”

“Everything, all of it.”

As Seojin slightly tightened his grip, Haji sat down on the handkerchief as if giving in.

“Do you really know you did wrong?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

“Then why did you lie?”

Haji glanced at Seojin. Not thinking of shaking off the hand he was holding.

“I’m sorry.”

“Will you do it again?”

“No. Never.”

Haji spoke as if scolding a child, and Seojin answered obediently. 

“Promise?” 

Haji held out her pinky finger. As Seojin hooked his finger with hers, she pressed her thumb firmly. 

“If you do it one more time, I won’t let it slide.”

“Don’t let it slide.”

Do whatever you want to do to me. 

Seojin interlaced his fingers with Haji’s and brought her hand to his lips. Smooch. 

“What are you doing?”

Surprised by the sudden kiss, Haji tried to pull her hand away, but Seojin pulled it back. 

Smooch, smooch. 

“Why?”

“No, suddenly, what is this……”

“I’ve wanted to do this all along.” 

Haji bit her lip at Seojin’s intense gaze as he kept his lips on the back of her hand. 

“When you’re angry, I can’t do anything.”

“Don’t make me angry. I’m scary when I am.”

“Yes, you were really scary.” 

Contrary to his words, Seojin’s body leaned over Haji’s. Her upper body leaned back as if she would lie down on the sand if pushed a little more.

“Wait a moment, Sunbae.”

“Don’t call me Sunbae.”

“What?”

“Call me something else.”

“What?”

Given a task at a distance where they were about to touch, Haji blinked her eyes rapidly.

“S-stop! We’re outside.” 

She ended up blocking Seojin’s face, which had come right up to her nose, with her hand. But she quickly removed it, startled by the hot sensation on her palm.

“What are you doing?”

“No one’s paying attention.”

“I, I am!” 

I’m paying attention!

Haji, her face burning red, stammered as she resisted, and Seojin clicked his tongue as if disappointed.

“Then call me something other than Sunbae.”

“What do you mean?”

“Something other than Sunbae.”

“Sunbae is Sunbae, what else?”

Haji opened her eyes wide as if she really didn’t understand. As if she truly had no idea what he meant.

“Do you really not know?”

“…… I’m not completely over it yet!”

As Haji glared at him seriously, Seojin’s momentum diminished. As he hesitantly backed away, Haji exhaled.

“What if someone sees?”

“Who cares what others think? No one’s paying attention.” 

At Seojin’s blunt words, Haji glanced around, and Seojin grabbed her chin. Making her look at him.

“Are you still not over it?”

“…… I don’t know.”

Maybe she was completely over it. No, it might be natural for any anger to dissipate in front of such a face.

As Haji spoke like a sulky child, Seojin’s fingers intertwined with hers.

“What……”

“Is it not okay?” 

Is it not allowed?

Watching Haji roll her lips inward and moisten them with her tongue, Seojin tightened his grip on their interlaced hands. 

“Just a little……”

“Is this okay?”

Unlike before, as Seojin approached slowly, Haji hesitated. It was difficult to refuse with his gaze scanning her lips.

“Wait, let me think……”

Despite her words, the distance between the two was gradually closing. 

“W-wait.”

“No. Time’s up.” 

Seojin tilted his head. Over Haji’s face.

“Ki Seojin-ssi!”

At that moment, it felt as if the surroundings had gone quiet with the suddenly cooled atmosphere. Seojin’s movement froze like a stone at the formal address that came just before their lips touched.

“What?”

“Ki Seojin-ssi…?”

“Huh? Ki Seojin-ssi?” 

A dejected laugh escaped Seojin’s mouth, and as the distance between them widened, Haji smiled awkwardly.

She was also flustered by the title that had come out abruptly as she spoke hastily. It wasn’t what she had intended to say.

“Ahn Haji-ssi, are you trying to distance yourself from me?”

“That’s not it……”

“Then what’s with that form of address?”

Seojin raised his eyebrow as if he really didn’t like it. Haji let out an awkward laugh in response.

“You don’t like it?”

“Very much. Think of something else.”

“Okay……”

I know too. It’s strange.

Haji, feeling embarrassed, scratched her cheek and took in the calm evening seaside view.

“O……”

“……”

“O…?”

She started to speak but couldn’t quite get it out. It wasn’t easy to change a form of address she had been using for a long time.

“Orabeoni?”

“I’m not your older brother though.”

“Right. I think so too.”

It was a quick agreement because she knew herself that nonsense was coming out.

And as Haji glanced at Seojin, who was waiting for what she would say next, she seemed to make up her mind, taking a deep breath in and out.

“…… Next time.”

It wasn’t easy to say that unfamiliar word. Haji looked at Seojin with a red face and smiled sheepishly.

“Okay, next time.”

Seojin stroked Haji’s hair and grasped it in his hand. He whispered softly as he pressed his lips to her hair.

“Do it when you’re comfortable.”

“I will.”

His lips on the ends of her hair made her lips feel ticklish. Haji, who let out a small breath, cleared her throat.

“Shall we go now? It seems to be getting cold.”

Seojin let go of her hair and held Haji’s hand as he stood up.

“But it’s really amazing. How were you at all the places I went today?”

“Because I knew.”

“What?”

Seojin tightened his grip on their interlaced fingers. So that she absolutely couldn’t escape.

“I knew you were coming to Jeju Island.”

“Who was it?”

Haji asked as if she had expected it. Somehow, she thought it might be possible.

“Woobae, I heard you were coming to Jeju Island.”

“I knew it……”

The culprit was Woobae. 

It was as she had suspected. After all, Woobae is Seojin’s cousin.

“But you didn’t really come because of me, right? You said you came for work.”

“I came to see you and then do some work. You were the priority.”

As he said those ticklish words so casually, Haji bit her lip.

“Are you really going back to Seoul today?”

She asked with an inexplicable sense of regret. After all, she still had three days left on her trip.

“Are you disappointed?”