Chapter 38

“What… do you mean by letting you stay?”

Did I hear wrong?

Or did I misunderstand the meaning?

Many thoughts flashed through her mind in a brief moment. Such feelings were clearly visible on Haji’s face.

“What do you mean?”

“The accommodation, I gave up my room next to yours.”

“Right? Because you said you were leaving today.”

Seojin shook his head. As if that was wrong.

“How could I leave? When you’re here.”

How could I go anywhere?

It might have sounded sweet in a way, but Haji was slowly backing away.

“Then…?”

“Let me stay over.”

The words she thought she had misheard came out of his mouth again.

As Haji hesitated, Seojin took a step closer. Making the distance she had created useless.

“… No way.”

Haji turned her head sharply. As if she absolutely couldn’t allow it.

“Figure it out yourself. My room only has one bed and…”

“Would two be okay?”

“As if there would be two…”

Haji, who was tilting her head, stopped speaking when she saw Seojin’s playful face.

“Don’t tease me.”

“You caught me.”

Hoo, Haji let out a small sigh. She had almost fallen for his scheme.

“Can’t you make a new reservation?”

“They say there are no rooms. As you know, it’s a famous place and it’s peak season now.”

“Ah, I guess so.”

It had taken her quite some time to find accommodation before coming. She had quickly made a reservation when they said only one room was left.

“Why don’t you go back to Seoul first……”

“Do you want me to go?”

“It’s not that, but what can we do?”

We really can’t stay together in one accommodation.

As if understanding Haji’s thoughts, Seojin nodded.

“You go in first.”

“What about you, Sunbae?”

“I’ll find somewhere to go.”

“If you can’t……”

What will you do?

The question she was asking didn’t come out fully. It didn’t seem right to ask when she wasn’t going to let him into her room anyway.

Thud, warmth covered Haji’s shoulder.

“It’s gotten cold. Wear this and go in.”

“I’m fine. Sunbae, you wear it first.”

Haji tried to give back Seojin’s cardigan that was covering her shoulders.

“It’s okay. I’m hot right now.”

Seojin firmly gripped Haji’s shoulders and turned her body. Gently pushing her so she could walk away with her back to him.

“Go in quickly. You’ll catch a cold.”

“Now?”

“When else were you planning to go? It’s almost 12 o’clock.”

“That’s true, but……”

Haji, who found it hard to leave Seojin behind, kept hesitating.

“Are you sure I should go?”

“Go. It’s late.”

As expected, her resistance when he pushed her away was as he had anticipated.

Seojin hid his relaxed smile and sent Haji away, pretending to be worried.

***

Haji, who had left Seojin outside, returned to her room, washed up, and lay down on the bed. Her wide-awake eyes stared at the ceiling. With bright eyes that didn’t look like they would fall asleep anytime soon.

“I wonder if he found a place to stay.”

Although she had acted coldly, she couldn’t help but be curious about his whereabouts.

“Was I too harsh…?”

She felt guilty about firmly stating that they absolutely couldn’t stay together in the accommodation.

“Maybe I should have told him to sleep on the first floor?”

It was a three-story private house. The first floor had a spacious living room with a private pool and sofa, the second floor had a bedroom, refrigerator, and movable TV, and the third floor had an indoor tent for a camping atmosphere and firewood for a fire pit.

Thinking about the size of the private house, Haji let out a small sigh.

“It’s so big, I rejected him too harshly.”

I could have lent him one floor.

Haji, whose heart had softened by now, regretted and worried about Seojin who might be outside.

Thud thud, Haji’s head turned towards the sound of something tapping on one side of the glass wall.

Small water droplets were getting bigger.

“Rain……”

And on the table next to the bed, the umbrella Seojin had given her was visible.

“This won’t do.”

Finally, Haji abruptly lifted her upper body. If she kept lying like this, she would end up staying awake all night thinking about him.

She picked up her phone and searched for Seojin’s number.

Beep beep, as the dial tone rang, Haji’s anxious gaze turned to the window. The rain seemed to be getting stronger as water droplets filled the window. The sound of rain also grew louder, thud thud thud.

As the dial tone lengthened, her anxious feelings doubled, as much as the sound of rain.

“Why isn’t he answering?”

Her heart became more uneasy when she couldn’t reach the person she was worried about while the rain was pouring. Even though he was a grown adult who could take care of himself.

There was a slight feeling of guilt for not sharing the accommodation and pushing him away.

Ding―.

While anxiously waiting for Seojin’s voice, the doorbell sound was heard. The sound of a doorbell at this late hour, in this weather.

Haji slowly got up from her seat and went down the stairs. Her steps quickened, wondering if it might be him who had come.

“Who is it?”

– It’s from the info desk. We’ve come to deliver something that was left for you.

“Something? But I didn’t leave anything……”

Haji tilted her head in confusion, placing her hand on the doorknob but not opening it.

“I haven’t left anything though?”

“We were asked to deliver it. By Mr. Ki Seojin.”

Upon hearing Seojin’s name, Haji finally opened the door.

“Here it is.”

“Thank you.”

Haji, who had taken the shopping bag handed over by the employee, came inside and sat on the sofa.

“Shoes?”

They were sneakers. White sneakers with a clean design, exactly her size.

Haji looked inside the shopping bag, but there was nothing else besides the sneakers. Not even a piece of paper.

“What is this……”

He’s not answering the phone, but when did he leave this?

“Why did he suddenly give me shoes?”

Haji tried on the shoes and tapped the floor.

“They fit perfectly.”

Ding―.

The doorbell rang again. Haji headed towards the door wearing the sneakers. She thought it might be the employee coming back.

“Who is it?”

“……”

“Who is it?”

“It’s me.”

Only after asking twice did a familiar voice come through. When she opened the door, sure enough, Seojin was there.

“Sunbae?”

“You’re wearing them.”

“Well, why are you like this…”

Haji looked Seojin up and down with surprised eyes. It was an unexpected appearance.

“Come in quickly. You’re all wet.”

Haji grabbed Seojin’s arm and pulled him in. Of course, she had to let in someone standing in front of her door completely drenched.

“What happened? Didn’t you have an umbrella?”

“I gave it to you.”

“That’s why. Why did you give it to me and get soaked yourself?”

Haji nagged at his appearance, water dripping all over.

“Sit down and wait. I’ll bring a towel.”

After taking Seojin to the sofa, Haji hurriedly went into the bathroom.

Seojin, watching Haji’s back as she ran around the room wearing the sneakers, pushed his wet hair back with his hand.

***

Haji handed Seojin a warm cup of tea and looked at him worriedly.

“Where did you get so soaked?”

“I was looking for accommodation.”

“You should have called if there wasn’t any……”

Haji mumbled softly at Seojin’s appearance. Although he had dried his wet hair with a towel, his body couldn’t be helped, so she covered him with a thick blanket.

Seeing him appear in such a state made her feel unnecessarily guilty.

“Where are your clothes?”

“I left them in the car.”

“If you shower……”

There were no clothes to change into. Seojin, knowing Haji was worrying, pressed down the corners of his mouth that were about to rise.

“Use the first floor. I’ll be on the second floor. There should be a robe in the bathroom.”

“Okay.”

“Rest. I’ll go upstairs.”

“Already?”

Huh?

At Seojin’s question, Haji, who had slightly lifted her bottom, sat back down on the sofa.

“Why? Do you need something?”

“No, rest.”

At the bland end to the conversation, Haji couldn’t get up right away. Seojin got up first.

“I’ll go shower.”

“Okay……”

Even as she watched Seojin enter the bathroom, Haji sat frozen in place for a moment.

“Why do I feel disappointed?”

What were you expecting?

Haji, who had been shaking her head while covering her face with both hands, got up and quickly went up to the second floor.

And so, the first night of the two people’s Jeju Island trip under one roof passed quietly. Unlike their worries.

***

Haji, who only opened her eyes after the sun was high in the sky, slowly got up. It was her first trip in a long time, and because she had fallen asleep late worrying about Seojin on the first floor, accumulated fatigue poured out.

Yawning, covering her mouth with one hand, Haji looked around as she descended the stairs.

“He’s gone.”

She had seen a short message Seojin had left in the morning. Saying he had something to do and would be back.

On the sofa where Seojin had slept, only the blanket he had used remained.

“Hmm……”

Haji lay down on the sofa, pulling the blanket. Due to her unresolved fatigue, it was difficult to keep her eyes open.

She was even more tired because she hadn’t fallen asleep right away last night. She had been so worried about Seojin on the first floor.

The bright sunlight piercing through the glass windows and the chirping of birds made her body languid.

“How long has it been?”

She couldn’t even remember the last time she had lazed around like this in broad daylight.

After her parents passed away when she was young, she always had to be careful living at her aunt’s house, and after that, she had been living such intense days just trying to survive on her own.

Her eyelids grew heavy. In her unconscious state, she hugged the blanket that still held Seojin’s warmth.

***

Haji’s body, smiling slightly and dreaming, shook a little.

“Haji.”

“… Huh?”

“Wake up. You need to eat.”

Half-asleep, Haji mumbled and blinked her eyes, looking at Seojin in front of her.

“When did you come?”

“A little while ago.”

“I had a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

Haji smiled softly. It was a smile that seemed to carry the scent of spring.