Chapter 6: She’s Terrible at Lying
“Hello? Teacher.”
A large sum of money had just left her account, yet there wasn’t a trace of regret on Yoon-kyung’s face.
“You’re at the hospital? How’s Hyun-seo doing?”
When the person on the other end told her Hyun-seo was doing much better, Yoon-kyung smiled in relief.
“I transferred the surgery fee just now. Please schedule the operation as soon as possible… There you go again. I told you, it’s money I earned honestly. Teacher, don’t you trust me?”
Despite saying she was hurt by the comment, the corners of her lips softened as she spoke.
It was the first genuine smile she’d worn all day.
“I’m happy that the money I earned through hard work can help someone.”
If enduring those moments she desperately wanted to escape meant saving a life that was slowly fading away…
…then perhaps today’s suffering hadn’t been meaningless after all.
If it meant the person she loved could finally rest without worry…
…Yoon-kyung could endure days like today over and over again.
“Please let me know once the surgery date is set. I can come by in the evening too. Okay. Get some rest.”
After ending the call, Yoon-kyung kept holding her phone as she gazed at the flower buds.
The blossoms hadn’t even opened yet, but somehow she imagined she could already smell cherry blossoms in the air.
“Soon enough… this place will be filled with the scent of cherry blossoms too.”
Once the cold wind softened…
…the world would be blanketed in white petals before anyone realized it.
She pictured a gentle world where even hurried pedestrians slowed their pace and looked up at the blooming trees.
“I wonder how beautiful it’ll be this year…”
“Do you see something inside those buds?”
Her quiet murmur was interrupted by a deep voice beside her.
Startled, Yoon-kyung turned toward the sound.
“You must really like trees.”
Do-heon looked down at her as he spoke.
“What kind of tree is this?”
He pointed with his chin toward the tree she’d been staring at.
Yoon-kyung realized she hadn’t noticed him approaching because of his scent.
It wasn’t the sandalwood fragrance she remembered liking.
The Kwon Do-heon standing before her carried a completely unfamiliar scent.
Just like that unfamiliar fragrance…
…the man before her was now someone she no longer knew.
“…It’s a cherry tree.”
“So today you’re not lying.”
Yoon-kyung looked at him silently.
She wasn’t nearly as shocked as she’d been yesterday.
His appearance wasn’t as overwhelming anymore.
Besides, after running into Sung-hee earlier, she already knew Do-heon was staying at this hotel.
Her gaze drifted past him, searching behind him and around the area.
“I’m alone.”
Her eyes immediately returned to him.
“You looked like you were searching for whoever came with me.”
Yoon-kyung was about to deny it.
But avoiding his eyes, she closed her mouth instead.
She didn’t particularly want to lie.
Nor did she feel obligated to answer.
To begin with…
Talking to him like this made her uncomfortable.
His unfamiliar behavior…
Watching how much he’d changed…
Neither was something she welcomed.
“I…”
“Your mother is staying here tonight.”
Yoon-kyung had just lowered her head as if to excuse herself.
A beat later, she looked back up at him.
She couldn’t understand what he meant.
“What…?”
When her eyes met his again instead of avoiding him, Do-heon took one step closer.
“You knew it was an apricot tree yesterday.”
“You still pretended not to know.”
“Is pretending not to know your hobby?”
Confusion filled Yoon-kyung’s eyes as they searched his face.
“And yet…”
He smiled faintly.
“You’re really bad at lying.”
At his words, Yoon-kyung quickly looked away.
She avoided his gaze…
But she couldn’t hide her confusion.
His words simply didn’t make sense to her.
“You were terrified yesterday.”
“But today, you’re not very surprised.”
Yoon-kyung couldn’t understand the man standing before her.
“It’s almost like…”
He studied her expression.
“…you already knew I’d be here.”
She had no idea what he was thinking.
Or why he was acting this way.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Yesterday… at the office…”
“Not yesterday.”
He cut her off.
“Before that.”
He felt like an entirely different person.
Someone she’d never known.
“For example…”
“…at Kwonseong.”
The moment the company’s name left his lips…
Yoon-kyung’s shoulders shook violently.
Her eyes trembled just as much.
“H-How…”
She instinctively took a step backward.
“How do you…”
“If I’d known you’d react like this…”
“…I wouldn’t have bothered asking HR.”
His words struck her so hard she nearly dropped her handbag.
“Could it be… your mem—”
“Secretary Kim mentioned it.”
He finished calmly.
“He told me Kang Yoon-kyung used to work at Kwonseong.”
The tiny hope she’d been clinging to collapsed instantly.
Yoon-kyung clenched her fists.
She’d thought she’d already let go of those expectations long ago.
She hated herself for hoping again.
“You left three years ago.”
“Why did you quit?”
Though it had lasted only an instant…
Do-heon hadn’t missed the disappointment that flashed across her face.
“Whatever your reasons…”
“…going from Kwonseong to your current company…”
“…doesn’t that seem like a waste?”
“…Isn’t choosing where to work the employee’s own decision?”
“You got in through connections.”
“And yet, unlike most people, you work incredibly hard.”
“You even seem to do all the work by yourself.”
One thing after another made no sense to him.
Do-heon looked directly at the woman he couldn’t understand.
“And what I understand the least is—”
“Oppa!”
What a nuisance.
Closing her eyes, Yoon-kyung sighed as she heard the familiar voice behind her.
After glancing at Yoon-kyung’s uncomfortable expression, Do-heon silently turned toward Ji-hyun.
“What was so urgent that you left first?”
Ji-hyun immediately slipped her arm through Do-heon’s in front of Yoon-kyung, almost as if putting on a show.
Judging by her attitude…
She must have already heard that Sung-hee had run into Yoon-kyung.
Hearing Ji-hyun’s whining voice was unfortunate.
But it also gave Yoon-kyung a chance to leave.
With Ji-hyun busy monopolizing Do-heon’s attention…
“…I was just—”
“Aren’t you two going to say hello?”
Do-heon’s question stopped Yoon-kyung just as she was about to walk away.
“You know each other, don’t you?”
“Haha… silly me.”
Ji-hyun forced a smile.
“I only had eyes for Oppa.”
She looked at Yoon-kyung.
“Fancy seeing Ms. Kang Yoon-kyung here.”
“…Hello.”
Yoon-kyung answered reluctantly.
Do-heon stared at her for a moment before gently removing Ji-hyun’s hand from his arm.
“You two don’t get along?”
“You both look incredibly uncomfortable.”
“Why wouldn’t I get along with a coworker?”
Ji-hyun laughed.
“As if.”
“…”
“…”
While Ji-hyun’s laughter rang out…
Yoon-kyung looked at Do-heon.
He had already been looking at her.
Can someone really change this much after losing two years of memories?
She simply couldn’t understand him anymore.
Or the intentions behind any of his actions.
“Oppa, the taxi’s here!”
Unable to stand the silent exchange between them any longer, Ji-hyun stepped between the two.
She deliberately blocked Yoon-kyung’s view of Do-heon.
Ji-hyun tried to shove Yoon-kyung’s shoulder aside.
But Yoon-kyung had already taken a step back the moment Ji-hyun approached.
“Please get home safely.”
Turning away from Ji-hyun’s possessiveness toward Do-heon, Yoon-kyung quickly left.
“Why were you two together?”
Ignoring Ji-hyun’s question, Do-heon continued watching Yoon-kyung’s retreating figure.
“I’m asking you!”
“How were you two toge—”
“So what if we were?”
He slowly turned his head.
His face had become noticeably colder.
Whenever Ji-hyun crossed the line by trying to force intimacy…
This was the expression he showed.
A silent warning.
“I mean… you’re strangers, so why were you…”
“What if we’re not strangers?”
“What are you talking about?”
Her face stiffened.
“How could you possibly know—”
“Know her?“
“Ah… I mean…”
Realizing her slip, Ji-hyun hurriedly corrected herself.
“How do you know Ms. Kang?”
“I met her at work yesterday.”
“You met her?”
“When? How?”
“I already told you.”
“I met her at work yesterday.”
“What did you talk about?”
“What did she say?”
Without answering…
Do-heon simply walked past her.
There was no reason to waste energy on pointless questions.
“I already called a taxi. Let’s ride together—”
“I called my own.”
“You can go by yourself.”
Before Ji-hyun could stop him…
Do-heon got into the taxi.
Without giving her so much as a glance…
He shut the rear door.
“Do you really want to drive your mother insane?!”
“Thanks to Ji-hyun, you even got Do-heon to buy us dinner today. You’ve got it good.”
The Sung-hee who had clung to Yoon-kyung’s arm…
…was nothing like the smiling woman who had stood beside Ji-hyun moments later.
And the same was true of Yoon-kyung.
“…Th-thank you.”
“Please let go before you talk.”
In front of him…
Her voice always shrank to barely a whisper.
She constantly avoided his gaze like a frightened person.
Yet the Yoon-kyung he’d seen confronting Sung-hee…
Had looked directly into her eyes without wavering.
It was a side of her he’d never witnessed.
“I don’t have a mother.”
“She died three years ago.”
The resolute expression on her face…
…was just as unexpected as the relationship between the two women.
“If you want to hide something…”
“Then do a better job hiding it yourselves.”
I thought she was just a naïve fool…
But despite that gentle appearance…
She knows how to stand her ground.
“Not bad.”
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Do-heon slowly drummed his fingers against his thigh.
It was a habit of his whenever he was deep in thought.
“Oppa!”
The emotion that flashed across Yoon-kyung’s face when Ji-hyun appeared…
Wasn’t jealousy.
It wasn’t sadness.
It was simply…
Annoyance.
Discomfort.
There had been no reason to bring up their complicated relationship first.
But there was also no reason to hide it from his fiancée.
Especially when she already knew the family’s situation.
What continued to bother Do-heon…
Was how conscious Ji-hyun seemed to be of Yoon-kyung.
She had linked arms with him right in front of her coworker…
Treating Yoon-kyung as though she were invisible.
Why?
The question in Do-heon’s mind only grew larger.
Yoon-kyung.
Sung-hee.
And Ji-hyun standing protectively in front of Yoon-kyung.
As he mentally pieced together the faces of the three women…
A sharp pain shot through his head.
“…Kang Yoon-kyung.”
A faint fragment of memory…
Flashed before his eyes.
