REH 13

Chapter 13

At Yugam’s almost commanding words, Jaekyung hesitated before taking the jacket he held out and draping it over her shoulders.

“…It’s warm.”

The familiar scent and cool warmth felt surprisingly comforting, contrary to what she had expected.

“It’s made from fabric designed to maintain a consistent body temperature.”

That was such a typically Yugam-like answer that a laugh escaped Jaekyung.

“Still, I’m not scared when I’m with you, Chairman.”

“That’s fortunate. We’re familiar with each other in the dark, after all.”

Her heart sank at his words, which dragged their past back up and used it to define the relationship between them.

“I… I’m going to move out of your house now. The audit office hasn’t contacted me anymore, either.”

She had somehow managed to endure it for a week, but living under the same roof as her ex-husband was simply too much.

“Just stay for three months. Who knows when the vice principal or the parents’ association might file another complaint with the audit office?”

“But it’s uncomfortable for you, too, and for me…”

“I’m not uncomfortable. Just focus on your work.”

Jaekyung was about to argue when the lights began coming back on one by one.

From somewhere in the distance came the sound of a door being unlocked.

“Is anyone in there?”

It was a security guard.

Uncomfortable being pressed so close to Yugam, Jaekyung hurriedly stood despite her throbbing ankle. As though she had been waiting for the lock to be released, she quickly opened the equipment room door and answered.

“Yes, I’m here.”

“KEPCO came and fixed the voltage equipment. Apparently, a crow caused the problem.”

“Thank you.”

Noise gradually returned to the gymnasium, and Jaekyung took the jacket from her shoulders and handed it back to Yugam.

“Here.”

Standing close to her, Yugam looked down at her reddened lips, from which a faint mist of breath escaped.

“Next time, don’t come in here alone.”

It was absurd to tell her not to walk around the gymnasium alone, too.

But he was standing so close that Jaekyung swallowed her trembling breath.

He seemed to have already noticed her heart reacting.

“…I won’t.”

Yugam fixed her with a cold, penetrating gaze.

“By any chance…”

His voice had already dropped into a low tone.

“…do you like that man?”

“Who…?”

Could he have seen her talking with Minho that morning?

“The math teacher.”

“Oh! No? What are you talking about?”

“Liar.”

“Mr. Choi would be offended if he heard that. Absolutely not. There’s nothing between us.”

Yugam looked down at Jaekyung with eyes filled with distrust.

“Then why do you get so nervous in front of me? You must be shaking because you have something up your sleeve.”

Jaekyung was dumbfounded.

This man simply couldn’t be reasoned with.

“That’s…”

Yugam slowly ran his fingertip upward beneath Jaekyung’s chin, and a cool sensation brushed her skin.

“The math teacher says otherwise. Apparently, you’re his type. I thought perhaps that was why you rejected his proposal.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. I only recently started dating someone. And besides…”

“……”

Seeing Yugam’s disbelieving expression, Jaekyung decided there was no need to explain that she had broken up with Minho today.

“Do I really have to explain everything to you, Chairman?”

“As your husband, I think I have the right to hear it.”

“You have no such right. We’ll be over soon anyway.”

Jaekyung held up three fingers right in front of Yugam’s face, which was still far too close to hers.

“Three months from now, we’ll have nothing to do with each other. Absolutely nothing.”

“Legally, we clearly have a relationship. What are you going to do if I change my mind and refuse to divorce you?”

Is he threatening me?

Jaekyung’s heart pounded beneath his piercing gaze.

She had to somehow proceed with the divorce without provoking Yugam.

“I’ll do my best to get us divorced. You’re too close. Move…”

“Does it make you uncomfortable when I’m close?”

“Of course.”

“So that was the problem.”

Yugam’s gaze wavered deeply before slowly lowering toward her.

Their lips were only a centimeter apart.

Their breaths mingled.

Heat surged through Jaekyung, but she refused to lose and kept looking directly into his eyes.

The moment he confirmed that she wasn’t backing down, Yugam’s gaze became unsettled.

Just before their lips touched, he abruptly dropped the hand that had been resting beneath her chin.

“Let’s go.”

“…Where?”

Jaekyung’s voice came out strained beneath the suffocating tension.

“We can’t stop here, so let’s get out.”

Yugam remained as cold as ever, but his voice was deep and dark, like an abyss.

Jaekyung straightened her gym clothes and, pretending not to be affected, picked up the shopping bag containing the lunch he had brought before walking out of the gymnasium.

“Seo Jaekyung.”

At the sound of Yugam’s voice behind her, Jaekyung stopped.

If she turned around and faced him, she felt as though sweat would break out all over her body from the embarrassing moment that had just happened.

“Don’t misunderstand.”

The word misunderstand made her freeze.

Jaekyung stared blankly at the black sky before her.

“…Misunderstand what?”

“That I might fall for you again.”

His interpretation was so absurdly distorted that Jaekyung whipped around and met his gaze.

“Don’t worry. I wouldn’t even dream of having that kind of misunderstanding. And… isn’t there anything scarier than passion—the kind that says you like someone, that you love them?”

The passionate love of a young man and woman in their twenties, burning and desperate.

Jaekyung was the result of that immature passion.

But for none of the three involved—her father, her mother, or Jaekyung herself—had the price of that passion been happiness.

“…The fact that you reject me so decisively makes me curious. I’ll see you at home.”

At Yugam’s words, Jaekyung gave him a small bow and turned away.

Fall for her again?

He really was a strange man, constantly making things confusing as though the two of them had once shared some special relationship.

Yugam watched Jaekyung’s troubled back as she walked away.

Then, reluctantly, he headed in the opposite direction for a dinner gathering with the executives.

If it weren’t for her ankle, I would have taken her to the dinner.

No.

Should I use her injured ankle as an excuse to take her home?

But after what he had just said, she would undoubtedly refuse, saying she didn’t want him to.

Passion.

Yugam thought of Do Junwoo, Chairman Do’s only son, who had died when Yugam was eight.

‘Yugam, you’re as precious to me as my own life. I love you. My one and only son.’

He had been a kind and affectionate husband and father.

He had passionately loved Executive Director Jin and Yugam.

But he had also passionately loved another woman and another child.

There had been times when he had been happy because of his father’s love.

But in the end, everyone became unhappy.

Love that you cannot protect isn’t love.

Because of that love, he had spent his life merely breathing with a gaping hole in his chest.

Was that the passion Jaekyung had said she was afraid of?

“It really is frightening.”

Yugam let out a hollow laugh.

Then he took the phone he had claimed he didn’t have from his pocket and called Chief Kwon.

“Have the car waiting in front of the main building.”

He remembered Jaekyung’s round, startled eyes beneath the moonlight when the lights in the equipment room had gone out earlier.

He had realized the moment he heard the sound that the door had locked.

But being trapped wasn’t the problem.

The problem was that Jaekyung was beside him.

‘Then we’re trapped?’

Just like five years ago in that bed, he liked hearing Jaekyung’s clear voice in the darkness.

Her pure, clear tone had echoed through the space and reached his ears.

In the silent room, every tiny movement Jaekyung made had seemed amplified, stimulating every nerve in his body.

‘Ah! It’s a little sore.’

When she touched her ankle, every cell in Yugam’s body reacted despite his will, as though they remembered Jaekyung’s voice and scent.

He had never planned for them to sit side by side on the mat.

Yet somehow, his hand had brought her down beside him.

It had been a mocking laugh.

But the fact that he had laughed at all was a bad sign that his defenses were beginning to crumble.

He had to shut down the reactions of his body and nerves whenever Seo Jaekyung was near.

He had confidently sworn that he would never waver.

Yet he kept falling apart.

It was a chilly night, and Yugam felt as though he wouldn’t be able to sleep because of Seo Jaekyung.

He clenched the hand that still seemed to retain the heat of Jaekyung’s body and walked toward the main building with his usual expression.

“Ms. Seo!”

At the unfamiliar male voice calling Jaekyung from behind, Yugam instinctively turned around.

The math teacher who had made unnecessary small talk with her on the field earlier had come out of the gymnasium and was approaching Jaekyung as she headed toward the auditorium.

“Is your ankle okay after getting hurt earlier? Shall I give you a ride?”

Under the lights, Jaekyung appeared to smile awkwardly.

“Oh, no. I’m fine.”

It was Jaekyung’s obvious trick.

A clear smile that suited her delicate face perfectly.

The graceful tilt of her pretty features as though she were shy.

A lovely smile that had nearly fooled even him.

Yugam walked toward the math teacher and Jaekyung with a sharp expression.

“Not Ms. Seo. She’s Secretary Seo, the Chairman’s direct secretary.”

“Oh! Chairman, hello.”

The math teacher froze in surprise at the Chairman’s sudden appearance.

“Let’s refrain from making personal propositions to female employees on school grounds.”