6. You’re Really Bad at Lying
“Hello? Professor.”
A large sum of money had just left her account, but there was no regret on her face.
“Oh, you’re at the hospital. How is Hyunseo doing?”
When the person on the other end told her that Hyunseo was doing much better, Yoonkyung smiled and said she was relieved.
“I just sent Hyunseo’s surgery fee. Please schedule the surgery as soon as possible… You’re doing it again. I told you, I earned this money honestly. Professor, don’t you trust me?”
Despite saying she was hurt, the corners of Yoonkyung’s lips softened as she continued the call. It was the first smile she had worn that day.
“I’m happy that I can help with money I earned by working hard.”
If enduring a time she had desperately wanted to escape could save a life that was slowly fading away, then she could believe that the time she had endured today had not been meaningless.
And if it meant that the person she loved could rest peacefully, Yoonkyung could attend a gathering like today’s over and over again.
“Please let me know when the surgery date is decided. I can go in the evening, too. Yes, get some sleep.”
After ending the call, Yoonkyung held her phone in one hand and gazed at the flower buds. Even though the flowers had not bloomed yet, she could almost imagine the scent of cherry blossoms in the air.
“Soon, this place will be filled with the scent of cherry blossoms, too.”
Once the cold wind softened, the world would suddenly be covered in pure white petals as though the cold had never existed.
Yoonkyung imagined a gentle world where even busy people would slow their steps and lift their heads to admire the flowers.
“I wonder how much it’ll bloom this year…”
“Can you see something inside the flower buds?”
Yoonkyung’s muttering was swallowed by a low voice beside her. Startled, she turned toward the sound.
“You must like trees.”
Doheon was looking down at Yoonkyung.
“What kind of tree is this?”
He pointed with his chin toward the tree Yoonkyung had been looking at.
Yoonkyung thought the reason she had not noticed Doheon’s presence was because of the scent coming from him.
Kwon Doheon, who carried a scent she had never smelled before rather than the sandalwood scent she used to like, was like that unfamiliar fragrance itself—a person she no longer knew.
“…A cherry tree.”
“You’re not lying today.”
Yoonkyung silently looked at Doheon.
She was neither greatly surprised nor shaken. Doheon’s presence was no longer as shocking as it had been yesterday, and she already knew he was at this hotel because of Seonghee, whom she had encountered a little while ago.
Yoonkyung’s gaze moved from Doheon to the area behind him and around him.
“I’m alone.”
Her gaze immediately returned to Doheon.
“It looked like you were looking for someone who came with you.”
Yoonkyung had been about to say no, but she avoided Doheon’s gaze and closed her mouth. She decided there was no reason to lie to him, nor did she need to answer.
She had been uncomfortable having a conversation like this with him from the beginning. His uncharacteristic attitude and seeing how much he had changed were both unwelcome.
“I…”
“I heard your mother is staying here tonight.”
Yoonkyung, who had been about to bow to Doheon as if saying she was leaving, looked at him a moment late. She did not understand what he meant.
“What…”
When the eyes that had been avoiding him turned toward him again, Doheon took one step closer to Yoonkyung.
“You knew it was an apricot tree but said you didn’t. Is pretending not to know your hobby?”
Yoonkyung’s confused gaze wandered over Doheon’s face.
“And yet, you’re really bad at lying.”
At his words, Yoonkyung turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.
She had withdrawn her eyes, but she could not hide her confusion. Her lips moved slightly as she struggled to understand what Doheon was saying.
“You were so surprised yesterday, but you’re not very surprised today.”
Yoonkyung found the Doheon standing before her difficult to understand.
“Almost as if you already knew I would be here.”
She could not understand what he was thinking or what his intentions were.
“We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
“Yesterday, at the company…”
“Not yesterday. Before that.”
The man standing before her felt like a completely different person.
“For example, at ‘Kwonseong.’”
At Doheon’s words, Yoonkyung’s shoulders trembled violently. Her eyes, which had been fixed on him, trembled just as much.
“Uh…”
Yoonkyung took a step back.
“How…”
“If I’d known you would react like this, I wouldn’t have needed to check with the HR department.”
At his words, Yoonkyung nearly dropped the bag she was holding.
“Could it be that you remem—”
“Secretary Kim told me. He said Kang Yoonkyung used to work at ‘Kwonseong.’”
The hope that had briefly risen inside Yoonkyung collapsed at his words. She clenched her fists tightly.
She had thought she had gotten over it long ago. She hated herself for allowing herself to hope again without permission.
“I saw that you resigned three years ago. Why did you quit?”
Doheon had caught the disappointment that had flashed across Yoonkyung’s face, though only for an instant, and continued.
“Whatever the circumstances were, going from Kwonseong to your current company seems like quite a downgrade, doesn’t it?”
“…Isn’t choosing where to work up to the person involved?”
“You got into this company through connections, yet you work harder than anyone else. And you’re the only one working hard here.”
There were too many things about her that he simply could not understand. Doheon stared at the woman standing before him.
“And what I understand least of all is…”
“Doheon oppa!”
This is getting annoying.
Yoonkyung closed her eyes and sighed at the voice coming from behind her.
Doheon looked at Yoonkyung, who clearly looked uncomfortable, then silently turned his gaze toward Jihyun as she approached.
“What was so urgent that you left first?”
Jihyun deliberately linked her arm through Doheon’s in front of Yoonkyung. Judging by her behavior, she seemed to have heard that Yoonkyung had met Seonghee.
Hearing Jihyun’s nasal voice was unfortunate, but it also gave Yoonkyung an opportunity to leave.
If she left now, while Jihyun was talking nonstop to Doheon and clearly conscious of her presence…
“A little while ago…”
“You two aren’t going to say hello?”
Doheon’s question about whether they knew each other stopped Yoonkyung once again as she was about to walk away.
“Ahaha, look at me. I only saw oppa and forgot everything else.”
Jihyun gave Yoonkyung a forced smile.
“I never expected to see Kang Yoonkyung here.”
“…Yes.”
Yoonkyung reluctantly answered. Doheon stared at her before pulling his arm out of Jihyun’s grasp.
“You two aren’t close? You look extremely uncomfortable around each other.”
“What reason would there be for me not to get along with someone from work?”
Jihyun laughed as though Doheon’s words were ridiculous.
“…”
“…”
As Yoonkyung listened to Jihyun’s laughter, she looked at Doheon.
She did not know how long he had been looking at her, but his gaze was already fixed on her.
Could losing two years of memories because of an accident really change a person this much?
Yoonkyung simply could not understand the changed Doheon or the intentions behind his actions.
“Oppa, the taxi’s here!”
Perhaps irritated by the two of them exchanging glances, Jihyun stepped between them. She deliberately blocked Yoonkyung’s view of Doheon.
Jihyun tried to push Yoonkyung’s shoulder, but Yoonkyung had already taken a step back the moment Jihyun inserted herself between them.
“Have a safe trip home.”
Yoonkyung turned away from Jihyun’s possessiveness toward Doheon and hurriedly left.
“How are the two of you together?”
Doheon did not answer Jihyun’s question. Instead, his eyes followed Yoonkyung’s retreating figure.
“I’m asking you. How are the two of you togeth—!”
“Are we not allowed to be together?”
Doheon turned his head, revealing a cold expression that was completely different from before.
Whenever Jihyun recklessly narrowed the distance between them and crossed the line, Doheon would show her this very expression—a silent warning.
“I mean, if you two don’t know each other, why were you together…”
“And if we do know each other?”
“What are you talking about, oppa? How could you know her…!”
“Her?”
“Ah, no. I mean, how do you know Kang Yoonkyung?”
Realizing her mistake, Jihyun quickly corrected herself.
“I met her at the company yesterday.”
“You met her? When? How?”
“I just told you a moment ago that I met her at the company yesterday.”
“What did you talk about? What did you say to each other?”
Doheon walked past Jihyun without answering. There was no reason to waste unnecessary energy.
“I called a taxi. Let’s go together…”
“I called one separately, so go on your own.”
Before Jihyun could stop him, Doheon got into the taxi and closed the rear door without even looking at her.
‘You really want to drive your mother crazy, don’t you?!’
‘Thanks to Jihyun, you even got a meal from Doheon. You had quite a luxurious day today.’
Seonghee, who had grabbed Yoonkyung’s arm and refused to let go, was completely different from the woman who had stood beside Jihyun and smiled.
And Yoonkyung was the same.
‘Th-thank you.’
‘Let go and then talk to me.’
In front of him, her voice had become so small it was almost timid, and she constantly avoided his gaze like someone who was nervous.
But Yoonkyung, who had faced Seonghee without wavering, was a side of her he had never seen before.
‘I don’t have a mother. She died three years ago.’
The determined expression with which Yoonkyung looked at the other person was just as unfamiliar and unexpected as the relationship between the two women.
‘If you want to hide it, then you should do a better job of hiding it.’
He had thought she was a foolish, naive woman.
But perhaps, despite her delicate image, she knew how to say what needed to be said.
“Not bad.”
Tap, tap.
Doheon slowly tapped his thigh with his fingers. It was a habit he had whenever he was deep in thought.
‘Doheon oppa!’
The emotion that had appeared on Yoonkyung’s face when Jihyun arrived was unmistakably discomfort and annoyance.
There was no need for him to bring up their complicated relationship first, but there was no reason for her to hide it from her fiancé either.
Especially not from someone who already knew their family relationships.
What had caught Doheon’s attention was the fact that Jihyun was extremely conscious of Yoonkyung.
She had linked her arm through his in front of her coworker, deliberately treating Yoonkyung like she was invisible.
Why?
The question mark in Doheon’s mind grew larger and larger.
Yoonkyung and Seonghee, and Jihyun, who had blocked Yoonkyung’s path.
As he pictured the three women’s faces in his mind, a sharp pain shot through his head, and Doheon quickly pressed a hand against his temple.
“…Kang Yoonkyung.”
A faint fragment of memory flashed before his eyes.
