MFR 9

Chapter 9

Observing his stiffening expression, Hong-joo nodded.

“Yes.” “Everything?” “Yes.” “…”

Silence continued once again. Cold eyes completely devoid of emotion stared intently at her. If Hong-joo had been the observer until now, now it seemed Ji-hyuk had become the observer, scrutinizing her reaction. What is he verifying? His deeply sunken grayish-brown eyes quietly swirled, containing the moonlight.

After staring for a long while like that, Ji-hyuk tilted his head slightly and let out a snort. He had finished his judgment. The corners of Ji-hyuk’s mouth curled sharply, and his red lips opened slowly.

“Selling fake medicine when you can’t even remember.”

At Ji-hyuk’s rebuking remark, Hong-joo flared up.

“I do remember, though?”

At her retort, Ji-hyuk’s smile deepened slightly.

“No, you can’t.” “I do.” “I said you can’t.” “It’s my memory, though?”

It’s only right that I judge whether I remember or not.

“Why do you keep saying I can’t remem…”

It was that moment.

Grumble.

Ji-hyuk’s gaze dropped downward. Hong-joo’s gaze did the same.

Grumble, grumb-b-ble.

At the sound heard once again, Hong-joo clutched her stomach with both hands. Tilting his head askew, Ji-hyuk curled the corners of his mouth up.

“You still ruin the mood at important moments, huh?”

Hong-joo’s cheeks dyed red. She had kept watch at the hospital for days on end before Chairman Seol Byeong-joo’s passing. It was natural that she couldn’t sleep, but somehow food hadn’t gone down her throat easily either. After Chairman Seol passed, she hadn’t even realized she was hungry due to the sense of duty that she had to bring Ji-hyuk back. But did her tension loosen? To make such an unsightly sound in front of Ji-hyuk, of all people.

Too embarrassed, Hong-joo instinctively searched for a mouse hole to hide in first. If there had been a bush, she would have hidden headfirst like an ostrich. It was that embarrassing, but the result wasn’t bad. Because Ji-hyuk, who had twisted his head away at her hungry stomach sound, eventually burst into laughter.

Staring intently at the nape of Hong-joo’s neck and the rims of her ears, which were dyed red, Ji-hyuk made a remark.

“Now that I think about it, there is something I’m scared of. The sound of thunder coming from your stomach.”

Saying it playfully with a sly look in his eyes, he ordered room service for her. 11 PM. The living room table was filled with food. Pizza, steak, pasta, egg tarts, shortcake, and even a salad and fruit plate. Her saliva went down automatically. If she wanted to keep her pride, it would be proper to refuse, but the famished Hong-joo didn’t do that.

With a coy face, she lifted a piece of egg tart, took a huge bite, and twisted open the cap of a sparkling water bottle. As thirsty as she was hungry, she filled her glass with water to the brim. Watching her silently, Ji-hyuk had been on the phone with someone since earlier. Seeing him address the other party as “Team Leader” and mention something about “Van Daer,” it seemed to be one of the people he had met earlier in the day. It probably meant he had that much work and was that busy. Even so. No matter how busy he is, it’s only right to hold his father’s funeral.

Thinking that, Hong-joo gulped down the sparkling water. Ji-hyuk looked at such a Hong-joo as if she were somewhat pathetic. Hong-joo also returned a similar gaze to Ji-hyuk and lowered her glass. Putting strength firmly into her eyes as if having a staring contest, Hong-joo triumphantly wiped her lips with the back of her hand. At that, Ji-hyuk snorted and turned his body towards the window.

She had engaged in a battle of nerves out of pointless pride, but truthfully, to Hong-joo, being with Seol Ji-hyuk right now felt like a dream. Picking up a single strawberry, Hong-joo watched Ji-hyuk with bated breath. The moonlight flowing in through the window illuminated Ji-hyuk like a spotlight.

Seol Ji-hyuk, having turned thirty, had truly become a full-grown man. That fact was clearly revealed even in his silhouette from behind. Because she had chased only after Ji-hyuk’s back for a long time, what Hong-joo was most familiar with was his back. Because she was a Hong-joo who had stored the growth process of a nine-year-old boy until he became twenty neatly in her mind and kept it in her heart, Ji-hyuk’s appearance right now was both new and novel. He had broad shoulders and long legs back then too, but back then he was still on the side of having fine lines like an idol rather than being masculine.

But now, he was completely different from back then. The thin-textured loungewear dared not hide the rough lines of his bulging, angry muscles. Likewise, his firmly lifted gluteal muscles and solid thighs couldn’t be hidden either. Beyond the silhouette of the loungewear flowing along his body, Seol Ji-hyuk’s suggestive body was revealed completely intact. The boy had grown and become a man before she knew it. And a very wonderful, sexy man at that.

Looking at Ji-hyuk’s somewhat decadent back as if appreciating it, Hong-joo narrowed her eyes. Anyway… ‘How is he so certain that my memory hasn’t returned yet?’

Speaking frankly, 10 years had passed; my memory could have returned in that time. And yet, Ji-hyuk was certain that Hong-joo couldn’t remember, almost as if forcing the conclusion. Based on what?

Taking a bite of the strawberry, Hong-joo recalled the situation from a moment ago once again.

“Selling fake medicine when you can’t even remember.” “I do remember, though?” “No, you can’t.” “I do.” “I said you can’t.”

What did he see to be so certain? ‘Is it that obvious?’

I only lost 10 days’ worth of memories. Most people don’t even know I lost my memory. ‘Could it be that during those 10 days, I did something weird?’

Is there something I absolutely must remember? Is there something I did wrong, enough for him to leave without looking back at me, enough to not contact me once in 10 years? Instead of greeting him saying it’s been a long time at the moment of our reunion, should I have bowed my head and apologized first? …What do I do? Should I bow even now?

Just then, Ji-hyuk, having hung up the phone, approached Hong-joo.

“Stop staring. Looks like my face will wear away.”

Come to think of it, she had been staring blankly only at Ji-hyuk since earlier. Embarrassed, Hong-joo modestly lowered the strawberry in her hand onto the plate and made an excuse.

“No, I was just wondering how you managed to order only such delicious things.”

Placing both hands politely on her lap, she showed the most polite smile possible.

“As expected, your sense is outstanding and…” “Enough.”

Cutting off Hong-joo’s words, Ji-hyuk picked up the water pitcher on the dining table and poured water into a cup.

“If you’ve eaten enough not to starve to death, begin.” “Yes?”

Hong-joo blinked rapidly.

“…Begin what?” “Your job.”

Answering shortly, Ji-hyuk drank the water. Having tilted his head back and gulped down the cool water, he set the glass down and gestured with his eyes.

“You came to persuade me. So speak quickly.”

For a moment, Hong-joo doubted her ears.

“You don’t have anything to say?”

She thought even having a conversation would be difficult, let alone persuasion. That was why she had decided to employ forceful and stubborn tactics.

“If you don’t, then just leave.”

But having a conversation is possible this easily?

“My time is all money. Meaning there’s no reason for me to sit around like this with you with zero income.”

Hong-joo opened her mouth with a flushed face.

“My time is all money, too. As a lawyer, my rates are calculated in 10-minute increments.”

Right now is midnight. The earliest flight to Incheon is Air Macau departing at 8:35 AM. If she could just catch that, she could arrive at the funeral hall tomorrow afternoon. Having finished the calculation in her head, Hong-joo bowed her head.

“First off, I’m sorry.”

Having apologized abruptly first, Hong-joo lifted her head and looked straight at Ji-hyuk.

“I have really, really many things to say, but I’m not sure if those words will actually be able to persuade you.”

Pouring out a lengthy story in front of a man who says time is money would have no effect. It would probably only backfire.

“So you teach me a bit.”

The Seol Ji-hyuk she had followed and observed for a day was not the affectionate man from the past. Since he was only cold-hearted even in the face of his father’s obituary. So she shouldn’t handle things thinking of the Seol Ji-hyuk of the past. Information about Seol Ji-hyuk, as well as her experience points regarding him, were zero. At times like this, shouldn’t she learn anew?

“Please tell me a bit about what I need to do.”

At Hong-joo’s words, Ji-hyuk’s expression changed subtly. A curiosity of ‘look at this one,’ and a slight competitive spirit wavered within his dark eyes. Still looking at her as if observing, he opened his mouth.

“If I teach you, can you even do it?”