IDMPYU 31

Chapter 31: Never Show Yourself Before Me Again

After the snow, the sky was clear. Though the melting snow made the ground slushy and sticky, Hajun paid no mind and kept running.

“Hajun, it’s me. Jihyun.”

For the first time, Jihyun had called Hajun. Her shy voice as she called his name made Hajun’s heart thump wildly.

Jihyun had asked to meet and said she would wait at the café they had visited before.

Though there was still plenty of time left before their scheduled meeting, Hajun couldn’t sit still. So, he ran. The cold air filled his lungs and made it hard to breathe, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

He arrived early and ordered a pink lemonade. Then he sat and watched the entrance, waiting for Jihyun to walk in.

Long, fine brown hair, pale skin, clear and round eyes like glass—Jihyun, with her soft coloring, looked radiant on her own. Watching her walk toward him, Hajun licked his dry lips.

He had always thought white padded coats looked stunning on her, and today was no exception.

“Hajun.”

She called his name gently. She probably didn’t know how sweet her voice sounded. But Hajun noticed immediately—something was different about her. Her expression wasn’t good.

When she took the cup of pink lemonade from him, her hands trembled slightly. Though she smiled, her pale face seemed tinged with loneliness, which made Hajun feel uneasy. Before he could ask if something was wrong, Jihyun spoke first.

“Hajun… I’m moving far away.”

With that quiet, tearful sentence, the wild beating of Hajun’s heart came to a dead stop. Just like the snowy path he had run across, her eyes began to glisten and dampen.

The students at Cheongmyeong High were busy peering out the windows, curious about the unfamiliar school uniform of the boy standing at the gate.

Some of the bolder girls wandered near the gate in groups, circling around the stranger, but none dared to speak to him. His uniquely haughty air kept them at bay.

Dressed in a deep navy coat over a black blazer, Seungho stood with his arms crossed, calmly watching Hajun walk slowly toward him.

“What are you doing here?”

Hajun was clearly not happy to see him and spoke first with a curt tone. Seungho felt the same.

A self-righteous, empty-headed guy who’s always rubbed me the wrong way.

Seungho raised one eyebrow and clicked his tongue.

“You know better than anyone why I’m here.”

His lazy yet silky voice hit a nerve with Hajun. Just looking at his well-groomed appearance made Hajun want to curse, so he turned his head away.

To Hajun, Shin Seungho was a shameless, cold-hearted jerk who didn’t know the meaning of guilt.

“Jihyun’s not here.”

“…”

“So get lost.”

It was a rough dismissal, completely uncharacteristic of Hajun. What was more surprising was Seungho’s reaction—he laughed, low and quietly.

What the hell is so funny? Has he finally lost it?

Hajun stared blankly as Seungho laughed for a while before abruptly stopping.

“So, you knew.”

His smile gone, Seungho’s face turned chillingly cold, making Hajun instinctively rub the back of his neck.

“Speak clearly. What do you mean?”

“You knew Jihyun quit working at our house.”

Ah…

Caught off guard, Hajun swallowed dryly. Seungho hadn’t come here to find Jihyun or to demand where she had gone. He had come simply to confirm something—whether or not Hajun knew.

Feeling a strong, unhealthy obsession from Seungho, Hajun denied it.

“I don’t know where she is.”

At that, Seungho smirked.

“I didn’t ask that…”

“Don’t even think about finding her.”

“That’s none of your business.”

Seeing Seungho smiling so arrogantly when he knew nothing about Jihyun lit a fire inside Hajun. Jihyun hadn’t mentioned Seungho once, even at the end, but Hajun understood—she had left because of the man standing in front of him.

If it weren’t for you… if you had just shown a little interest, she could’ve lived peacefully.

While Hajun glared with hostility, Seungho watched him with the ease of a predator at the top of the food chain. It was frustrating. The more Hajun stayed near him, the more he felt like sinking into a swamp. So, instead of trying to put up a front, he decided to be honest.

“Don’t look for her. That’s what’s best for Jihyun.”

Seungho said nothing. He simply turned and walked away without a trace of hesitation, as if his business was done.

“Hoo, hoo, relax.”

Standing at the foot of the stairs to the second floor, Manager Kim took a deep breath.

It was part of her routine before meeting Seungho. After calming herself, she cautiously climbed the stairs, each step feeling like the edge of a blade.

From a certain point on, Seungho had become increasingly irritable and sharp, making life difficult for the staff.

Not just the staff—his older brother Myungho had clashed with him a few times and eventually stopped coming home. Their stepmother, too, had quickly flown off to the U.S., seemingly unable to endure the tension.

It hadn’t always been like this. To be precise, it started exactly one week after Jihyun left the mansion. If Seungho had at least yelled for her to come back, it would’ve been easier to deal with. But he never once tried to find her.

Instead…

At the top of the stairs, Manager Kim cautiously glanced around. The pristine white walls now looked unfamiliar. Until recently, they had displayed a collection of rare butterflies.

“Clear it all out. I never want to see it again.”

Seungho had removed all the butterflies from his room. The last one was a snow globe he had brought from the U.S.

“What should we do with this, sir?”

When a staff member handed him the snow globe, Seungho’s expression turned sharp.

“This worthless thing…”

He muttered through clenched teeth, raising the snow globe as if to throw it. He held it in the air for a long moment—but in the end, he lowered it and set it down without a word.

“What a pathetic thing…”

Startled, the staff quickly picked it up from the floor and placed it back on the table. Seungho’s dark eyes turned, staring at the path leading to the annex.

Since then, sleepless nights had plagued Seungho. On pitch-dark nights, he would stand still in the garden with no lights on, scaring more than a few staff members who mistook him for a ghost. When they offered to leave a light on, he adamantly refused.

He ignored suggestions to call the family doctor or get therapy. His gaze sharpened, his expression more severe. Something inside him had clearly twisted.

He needs to return to his old self… soon.

Pushing aside her thoughts, Manager Kim shook her head and knocked on the door.

“Master Seungho, your friend is here.”

Click. The door opened. Facing Seungho, Manager Kim tensed up. He’d grown taller. No longer a boy, he now exuded both charm and an overwhelming pressure.

“Show him to the living room.”

“Yes, sir.”

The guest was none other than Minwoo. Seeing how different Seungho looked now, he gave a low whistle.

“Damn, you got even better-looking.”

It had been a while since Minwoo had seen him. With winter break and exam prep in full swing, he had been told his grades weren’t good enough for studying abroad. That had sobered him up fast, and he’d been focused solely on raising his IELTS score.

“Looks clean.”

He glanced around at the walls and took a sip of juice. Seungho said nothing, simply gazing out into the garden.

“You really not going to London?”

Rumor had it that Seungho had given up on studying abroad and was applying to universities in Korea instead. While Minwoo was breaking his back to study so they could go together, Seungho staying behind was infuriating.

“Don’t you get it? Life isn’t just about now. You’ll meet new people, new girls—forgetting her is just a matter of time…”

And there were rumors that Seungho had gone crazy over some girl who wasn’t even that special. At that, Seungho slowly turned to him.

“Who said that?”

“What?”

“Who the hell’s been spreading that nonsense?”

“Well, you know… people love to gossip… Anyway, you are going to London, right? Right?”

Minwoo, sensing the chill from Seungho, awkwardly tried to change the subject.

“So, you’re not collecting butterflies anymore?”

The white, bare walls cast sharp shadows on Seungho’s face. It took him a while to answer.

“I’m trying something else.”

“Like what?”

His indifferent gaze shifted to the snow globe on the table. His lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes, as they looked at the blue butterfly inside the globe—weren’t smiling at all.