Chapter 19
Nothing happened.
Absolutely nothing.
Just knowing that Seo Woohyun was sleeping in the room diagonally across from hers had kept Byeol awake all night.
Yet the man hadn’t made a single sound until morning.
Unable to sleep at all, Byeol jumped out of bed and headed straight for the kitchen.
The first rule of cooking was cleanliness.
She tightly tied up her long hair into a bun, took out a pot, and filled it with water.
Then she opened the refrigerator and took out the assortment of seafood her mother had already prepared.
Snow crab, octopus, various shellfish, and a generous handful of bean sprouts.
Once the water reached a rolling boil, she dumped everything into the pot.
The bubbling water instantly calmed down.
“Th-That’s not right…”
Her eyes trembled like pudding.
Feeling that something had gone wrong, she discreetly checked the recipe her mother had written down.
Just then, the sweet scent of peaches drifted in from behind her.
“What are you doing?”
Startled by the man’s voice, she spun around.
“Ahhh! Clothes!”
Seriously!
Byeol repeatedly smacked Woohyun’s arm.
He had just finished showering.
He wasn’t wearing anything above his pants.
How was that okay?
Even if they were the only two people in the house, she was already sleep-deprived.
She did not need that kind of visual stimulation first thing in the morning.
Only then did he quietly return to the room.
A moment later he came back wearing a shirt.
Apparently he’d slept practically naked, judging by how wrinkle-free it was.
Remembering the excited chatter of her parents when they’d come home around dawn, Byeol let out a sigh.
What had they said again?
“We thought he was cold as ice, but your eye for men is incredible.”
Rubbing her tired eyes, she stirred the seafood in the pot.
“There are a lot of hangover remedies in Korea, but I think ramen is the best. I felt fine yesterday, but my stomach’s a little upset this morning.”
“You cook ramen with all this seafood?”
“It’s just leftover ingredients from my parents’ restaurant. My mom always cleans and freezes them like this so she can use them in stews.”
She looked at him.
“…You’ve never had seafood ramen?”
“The only ramen I’ve ever eaten was in the military. Instant noodles aren’t really to my taste.”
“…You’ve lived a pretty boring life if you don’t even know how good ramen is.”
Chuckling softly, he turned away.
By then the water had begun boiling again.
Byeol quickly added the seasoning packet and noodles.
Fortunately, despite her earlier worries, the ramen turned out perfectly.
She added a little more chili powder, sliced green onions, and spicy Cheongyang peppers.
The finished seafood ramen looked surprisingly delicious.
Setting the pot directly on the dining table, she handed him a plate and chopsticks before fishing out the biggest abalone for herself.
Woohyun, who had just picked up his plate, raised one eyebrow.
Then he searched through the pot and picked out a medium-sized abalone.
“I thought guests were supposed to get the best piece.”
His slightly offended tone made her grin as she chewed the chewy abalone.
“First come, first served.
Besides, not all guests are treated equally.”
People always say that even ghosts who die while eating look happy.
There was no point pretending to be modest anymore.
They’d already crossed every awkward line imaginable.
Who would’ve thought she’d one day sit across from a man, with sleep still in her eyes, eating breakfast together?
“So if I’m not a guest…
what am I?
Ah… I like that.”
“Alright, alright.
Just eat.”
She’d noticed it before, but even the way this man ate was elegant.
She found herself unable to look away from the way he held his chopsticks.
“You keep staring at me…
Did you sleep well last night?”
His sudden question made her choke.
“Cough! Cough!”
She hurriedly reached for water, tears forming in her eyes as she shook her head.
“I think the neighborhood cats were fighting outside.
I didn’t sleep at all.”
“I see…”
“What about you, Mr. Seo?”
“Me?”
He probably slept like he was in his own house.
“I don’t know whether to call it uncomfortable or torture.
The water stains on the ceiling kept bothering me.
And it had been ten years since I’d slept on the floor instead of a bed.
Most importantly…
someone kept grinding their teeth.”
Byeol casually looked away toward the distant mountains.
“That was my dad.”
“I’m not so sure.
The sound was a bit… higher pitched.”
“Men and women grind their teeth the same way, you know.”
“If you say so.”
His tone clearly meant, Believe whatever you want.
While she simmered with annoyance, Woohyun steadily finished the enormous bowl of ramen.
“I noticed marks on the wall where someone’s height was measured.
Were you born here?”
After taking a sip of the spicy broth, Byeol nodded.
“This house is really old.
It was built before I was even born.
Back then, my grandparents lived here with us too.”
“No brothers or sisters?”
“What is this?
A background check?”
“I’m just curious.”
Resting one elbow on the table, he put down his chopsticks.
Despite eating so much, his place setting remained spotless.
Feeling strangely self-conscious, Byeol wiped the table in front of herself with a tissue before answering.
“I’m an only child.
My mom’s pretty petite.
She had a hard time after giving birth to me, so my parents decided one child was enough.”
“Then why did you come back here?
Why did you even quit your job?
Was it because of… what happened that day?”
“This isn’t really breakfast conversation.
Do we have to talk about it now?”
“Manager Yoon will be here in a few minutes.
We’re heading back to Seoul.
This is the only chance we’ll have.”
“…I’ll tell you later.
After we’ve finished all seven drinking sessions.”
For once, she sounded completely firm.
Woohyun didn’t press the issue.
“Alright.”
As expected, Manager Yoon arrived and rang the doorbell.
After taking a drink of water, Woohyun buttoned the two buttons he’d left undone, then went into the room to retrieve his jacket.
He’s really leaving…
Until now he’d only felt like an inconvenient guest.
But the thought of him actually leaving made something stir uneasily inside her chest.
“Come here for a second.”
Still holding a dishcloth, she looked up from clearing the table.
“Me?”
“Is there another Lee Byeol here?”
“Yes, yes.”
She hurried into the room where Woohyun had gone.
“What is it?”
The moment she stepped insideā
He grabbed her shoulders.
She barely had time to realize she was being pushed gently against the wall before his lips touched hers.
Byeol blinked.
After stealing the kiss without warning, he smiled.
Ha…!
Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach before bouncing violently back up.
It pounded like an overinflated basketball.
She was so stunned by the sudden kiss that she could only stare at him with wide eyes.
“The truth is…
I couldn’t sleep all night because I wanted to do this.
I never heard anyone grinding their teeth.
Next time…
let’s sleep together.
After we’ve officially gone from flirting to dating.”
Before entering the expressway, Suil chewed on a dry convenience-store bread while glancing into the rearview mirror.
He was dying to know what had happened overnight.
He’d never seen Seo Woohyun like this before.
Taking another sip of strawberry milk through a straw, Suil finally spoke.
“Whew…
The pillow at that motel was so high my neck still hurts.
Did you sleep well, Director?”
Still staring absentmindedly out the window, Woohyun slowly turned only his eyes toward him.
“Do I look like someone who slept well?
Can’t you see I even have dark circles now?”
“Well…
There are plenty of reasons a man might be tired after spending the night somewhere…”
“Ahem.”
“Stop talking nonsense and focus on driving.”
“Conversation keeps drivers awake.
So…
She’s not your girlfriend yet, right?”
Woohyun’s eyebrows shot up to nearly seventy degrees.
It was the exact expression he wore during meetings whenever someone proposed an utterly ridiculous idea.
Oh?
He’s actually flustered?
Seo Woohyun?
Suil couldn’t help feeling delighted.
It was as though he’d finally discovered the perfectionist narcissist’s one weakness.
The man who never let anyone get close…
Who’d recently started acting completely unlike himself whenever Byeol was around…
He’s fallen hard.
“One-sided love…
That’s rough.”
Trying to suppress his triumphant grin, Suil spoke sympathetically.
Woohyun replied with complete seriousness.
“…Does it really look like I’m the one with the crush?”
“Yes.
Miss Byeol doesn’t seem interested in you at all.
Honestly…
A guy who’s too clingy isn’t very attractive.
Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
“…Clingy?
Me?
Was I clingy?”
“Absolutely.
Seriously…
It looked like someone had poured slime all over you.”
For a brief moment…
The light disappeared from Woohyun’s eyes.
“Ugh!”
He suddenly pressed a hand against his chest and groaned.
Startled, Suil looked frantically between the road and the mirror.
“Director!
What’s wrong?”
“…Take me to the hospital.”
“Huh?
Suddenly?”
“I think it’s heart disease.
It hurts like hell.”
Then…
Woohyun slowly looked up.
His expression was completely blank.
Only then did Suil realize he’d been tricked.
“You bastard.”
“Bastard?
I’m really in pain.”
“Miss Byeol is seriously too good for you.
She’s the woman from your social media, right?
She’s way prettier in person.
Her face is tiny!”
He held up his fist beside his own face so Woohyun could compare.
Neither an insult nor a compliment.
Woohyun kicked the back of the passenger seat lightly.
“Enough.
Stop by my house first.
I need to change.”
“Huh?
What about the hospital?”
At Suil’s sincere question, Woohyun clicked his tongue.
“Idiot.”
“Hey! I thought you were serious!”
He’d been completely played.
Grinding his teeth, Suil pressed harder on the accelerator.
Thanks to the newly opened expressway, they reached Seoul before traffic became heavy and headed straight toward Pyeongchang-dong.
Resting one elbow against the window, Woohyun suddenly leaned toward the driver’s seat.
“But seriously…
Did she really seem completely uninterested?
Was I…
really that clingy?”
“I don’t know.”
“Manager Yoon.”
“Yes, Director Seo.”
“If you don’t want to turn this car around and drive back to Samcheok…
answer honestly.
Was I…
really that clingy?”
Everyone knew the answer.
Suil replayed everything he’d witnessed in Samcheok before giving a firm nod.
“Don’t worry.
Even a clingy Director Seo is probably charming.
Maybe you’re a little persistent.
A little childish.
You repeat yourself.
You latch onto every tiny weakness.
So what?
You’re handsome.
Isn’t that enough?”
Mrs. Bang removed her glasses after staring intently at the fifteen-inch laptop screen for what felt like the hundredth time.
She suppressed another laugh before rewinding the footage once more.
“No wonder he completely disappeared that day…”
Completely unexpectedly…
Woohyun had been meeting an entirely different woman that day.
The very woman she’d describedā
Dressed in a white suit, carrying a copy of The New York Times.
The CCTV cameras they’d upgraded the previous year had astonishingly clear picture quality.
On the screen, Woohyun sat across from a sleepy-looking young woman.
And on his face…
was a smile Mrs. Bang had never seen before.
“Just who is this young lady…
who managed to completely captivate our Woohyun?”
Mrs. Bang was so delighted she wanted to invite the girl over for a meal.
The fact that her workaholic sonāwho only cared about business and television dramasāhad devoted an entire day to someone else filled her with satisfaction.
“What are you doing?”
Woohyun’s voice suddenly came from behind her.
Startled, Mrs. Bang hurriedly slammed the laptop shut.
“W-What are you looking at?”
“Oh! Nothing!
Did everything go well?”
“It’ll take a little longer.
How was dinner yesterday?”
“It was fine.
Though it wasn’t the same without you.
I’m heading to the hotel now.
Want me to drop you off?”
“No, it’s alright.
Once I change clothes, Manager Yoon will already be waiting.”
With that, Woohyun headed upstairs, looking exhausted.
The moment he disappeared…
Mrs. Bang immediately reopened the laptop.
No matter how many times she replayed the footage…
It was more entertaining than even the most outrageous television drama.
She liked both of the main characters very much.
“But seriously…
Why does her face look so familiar?
Where have I seen this young woman before?”
