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Just like the crumbling leaves that crackled and fell, the wall I had firmly built against Seok-kyung collapsed.
Even though I told myself that expecting anything from him would lead to nothing good, that I was just a mere plaything to him, I couldn’t help it.
This was the first time Seok-kyung had been so kind, and my heart was helplessly shaken.
________________________________________
She must be awake, right?
It was well past three in the afternoon, so she must have woken up by now.
But why hasn’t she contacted me?
Seok-kyung tapped his desk with his fountain pen.
He, who never lost his cool, was lately being swayed too much by Eun-chae.
She bothered him.
He kept glancing, worrying, and wanting to contact her.
Surely she didn’t leave the apartment, did she? Even though she has nowhere to go.
Her former father-in-law, CEO Lee, was in prison, and her mother, Ms. Park, was said to be staying with her half-sibling’s family in the countryside.
With CEO Lee’s bankruptcy, all her acquaintances and relatives had cut ties.
Seok-kyung had even taken the meager deposit, so Eun-chae had nowhere to go immediately.
There was no way she, who had lived in poverty for three years, would go to a hotel or anything like that.
Come to think of it, why was she at the hotel that day?
Just as he was about to grab his phone to call, he received a call from Eun-chae.
“This is Baek Seok-kyung.”
Even though it was the call he had been waiting for, Seok-kyung calmly answered in a low voice.
• It’s me, Eun-chae.
“I know.”
‘I know’ is all you can say? You should have asked if she was okay.
He smacked his forehead with his palm.
• I’ll stay here until I find a place.
“Just stay here.”
• No, I can’t do that.
Eun-chae’s voice was firm.
Why can’t she stay? Is it because of Ha Joo-eun?
He wanted to ask outright, but if she said yes, he wouldn’t have anything to say, so Seok-kyung held back.
“Alright, do as you please. How are you feeling?”
• I’m fine. Thank you for the medicine and porridge.
“Did you eat it?”
• Not yet.
“Why not? Don’t you like it? If it’s not to your taste, I can get you another kind of porridge...”
• I just woke up.
Eun-chae interrupted Seok-kyung, who was rushing his words in his anxiousness.
• I’m going to wash up and eat. I’m running a bath.
“...Okay.”
• I’ll hang up now.
Eun-chae was about to hang up.
“Lee Eun-chae.”
• Yes?
Why did he call her?
He called to stop her from hanging up, but he couldn’t think of an excuse.
Oh, he did have an excuse.
“Nothing happened that day.”
Eun-chae didn’t respond.
“Are you listening? I only went to the hotel that day because they had something to receive. Her parents are abroad, so she doesn’t have anywhere to stay in Korea. So, she’s at the hotel...”
• I’m not interested.
“What?”
• I said I’m not interested in that woman’s story.
Her voice was cold, quite different from before.
“Okay... then why were you there?”
• ...Do you want to know?
If she asked like that, he...
Seok-kyung gritted his teeth. He was curious, but he was also afraid of what she would say.
• I went with my mother.
Eun-chae opened her mouth with a short sigh.
• She nagged me that she wanted to sleep in a hotel for the first time in a long time. I must have been crazy since you paid off my debt.
Ah, that’s what happened. With her mother...
Seok-kyung didn’t know why he felt relieved.
• Can I hang up now?
“Don’t stay in the bathtub too long. You’re not feeling well, you might get dizzy.”
It was an unusually gentle thing for him to say.
For the mighty Baek Seok-kyung to worry about someone like this.
Come to think of it, he had begged, asked, and worried about Eun-chae.
What was so special about her?
• ...On the weekend.
“Huh?”
• Would you like to come for dinner on Saturday?
Why all of a sudden?
Seok-kyung gripped his fountain pen tightly.
• I wanted to repay you for the meal you made last time. There’s no other meaning...
“I’ll come.”
Seok-kyung interrupted her.
“Lunch is out, but I’ll come for dinner. I’ll come in the evening.”
• Okay, then. I’ll hang up now.
After confirming that the call had ended, Seok-kyung dropped his phone on the desk. Then, he leaned his forehead against the edge of the desk.
A broad smile spread across his face as he looked at the floor. He finally understood what it meant to have a smile that reached his ears.
She said she would move out of the apartment he provided once she saved enough money to find a place, and she didn’t want to hear about his fiancée, Joo-eun, but she would still have dinner with him.
With food she made herself.
Seok-kyung felt like bursting into laughter, so he covered his mouth with his hand and tapped the desk with his fist instead.
An unfamiliar joy made him smile.
“Sir? Are you alright?”
Chief Secretary Won’s voice was heard above him. He didn’t know when he had come in.
“Ahem.”
Seok-kyung quickly composed himself and raised his head.
“What is it?”
“Ah, it’s time for the meeting, so I knocked, but there was no response...”
“I’ll be out soon.”
“Yes, sir.”
Chief Secretary Won turned around with a flustered expression.
________________________________________
Saturday.
Eun-chae, who had come to the large mart near the apartment to shop for groceries, pushed the cart with a blank expression.
Inviting Seok-kyung for dinner, she must have been crazy.
He was someone who either said harsh words or hugged her when they were together, so how did she end up inviting him to dinner?
She must have been out of her mind.
“Are you listening? I only went to the hotel that day because they had something to receive. Her parents are abroad, so she doesn’t have anywhere to stay in Korea. So, she’s at the hotel...”
His voice, explaining about Joo-eun, echoed in her mind. He spoke faster than usual, as if trying to reassure Eun-chae.
She coldly cut him off, thinking she didn’t want to hear such excuses, that she had no reason to listen.
“Don’t stay in the bathtub too long. You’re not feeling well, you might get dizzy.”
His words, worrying that she might faint, melted her frozen heart.
She felt like she had become someone a little special to Seok-kyung, and she unknowingly invited him to dinner.
But the die was cast. She couldn’t cancel the appointment now.
Besides, it was already the day of the appointment.
What food should she make? What did he like?
No food came to mind. Eun-chae didn’t know what Seok-kyung liked or disliked.
Seriously, who would believe they were married for a year?
Then, she suddenly remembered a story the housekeeper used to tell.
“Young master has loved curry since he was little, but the madam doesn’t like food with spices, so she doesn’t make it for him. He only gets it when the madam is away on a business trip or vacation, and he eats it so well that it makes me happy just to watch.”
That’s it, curry!
Eun-chae smiled brightly as she thought of the menu.
Her mother, who couldn’t do any housework, was good at cooking. Thanks to her mother teaching her how to cook various things, she could make curry with her eyes closed.
She thought she could make fish cake soup, which goes well with curry, and have a beer with Seok-kyung.
Then, maybe the cold wind wouldn’t blow so harshly.
She put the curry and fish cake soup ingredients in the cart and bought side dishes from the side dish shop.
As she finished paying and headed to the taxi stand.
“Eun-chae?”
Hyun-woo smiled brightly and greeted her.
“Ah, team leader, what are you doing here...”
“I came grocery shopping too.”
He said, holding up his shopping basket.
Team leader Kang in jeans, a cotton t-shirt, and a jumper? The company’s fan club members would go crazy if they saw him.
It was the first time Eun-chae saw him in casual clothes, and she suddenly thought that.
“Did you come to your mother’s house?”
“Pardon?”
“I heard you were staying at your mother’s house in that apartment from last time. Is that right?”
He must have overheard her conversation with Team Leader Yang. Eun-chae nodded reluctantly.
“We decided to stay together for a while.”
“I see. That’s good.”
“Yes?”
“Our homes are in the same direction, and this is the only mart in this neighborhood. We’ll be seeing each other often, won’t we?”
Eun-chae awkwardly smiled along with Hyun-woo, who had a pure, clear smile.
“Do you have some time?”
“Time?”
“Since we met like this, how about having a cup of tea together?”
“Ah, well...”
Seok-kyung wouldn’t be here for a while, but it was awkward since she had never met Hyun-woo outside.
“There’s a cafe I’ve wanted to go to for a long time, but it’s a bit awkward for a man to go alone. Can you do me a favor? I won’t take up too much of your time.”
He asked so earnestly that she couldn’t refuse, so Eun-chae agreed.
The place Hyun-woo took her was a small, pretty dessert cafe. The colorful macarons and cakes caught her eye from the entrance.
She understood why he said it was awkward for a man to come alone.
The cafe was crowded, probably because it was the weekend, and it was full of women or couples dragged by their girlfriends.
“Wait there. I’ll order.”
“Ah, I’ll pay for my drink...”
“I asked you to come with me, so I’ll pay.”
Hyun-woo quickly stopped Eun-chae and hurried to the counter. She had no choice but to sit in an empty seat and wait for him to return.
After a while, he returned with a flushed face.
“Wow, how pretty.”
A tray full of colorful macarons was placed on the table along with two iced Americanos.
“Do you like macarons?”
“Yes. I like sweets, but I’m trying to restrain myself because I’m afraid of gaining weight.”
He looked fit, and giving up his favorite desserts to maintain such a body made Eun-chae think he was more amazing than she thought.
“It would be nice to have a girlfriend to come to places like this, but I guess not having a girlfriend has its advantages?”
“I didn’t know you didn’t have a girlfriend. I thought you definitely had one...”
“Hmm? Why?”
“You’re popular at work.”
“Me? I had no idea. Try this.”
“Ah, thank you.”
As she took a bite of the macaron Hyun-woo handed her, the sweet cream melted in her mouth. It was much tastier than the macarons made by a famous patissier she used to eat.
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