II - 68

While I-ryeong was seething with anger from head to toe, Hanna remained eerily calm.

“It might sound irresponsible, but I don’t know… Even though I knew I should stop every time, I couldn’t.”

“Because of you, my life was ruined!”

Finally, tears spilled down I-ryeong’s cheeks.

She could still vividly recall the mocking and disdainful gazes of her colleagues.

No one had believed her, and the fear of returning to that time made her feel like she’d rather die than relive those agonizing moments.

“I was told I had issues with emotional regulation.”

“What does that have to do with me?!”

“I should have taken medication, but instead of doing that, I sent messages to you.”

Hanna’s excuse only made I-ryeong scoff bitterly.

“Are you insane?”

“Even if you call me crazy, there’s no excuse for what I’ve done…”

Hanna, who had been gritting her teeth to hold herself together, began trembling.

“I’ll pay for the sins I’ve committed. Truly, I’m so sorry.”

Hanna hung her head low, her shoulders quivering.

I-ryeong found it unbearable to even look at her. The way Hanna calmly listed her wrongdoings made her feel sick to her stomach.

“Please sue me using the text messages I sent you as evidence. And Kang Suk-tae too.”

“Listen to me, Ju Hanna!”

Ignoring the murmurs of other customers, I-ryeong raised her voice.

Eventually, she realized this meeting was yet another selfish act by Hanna—just like before.

Whether then or now, Hanna had always trampled on others solely for her own benefit. She hadn’t changed one bit.

“Why should I do that? Handle your fight with him yourself.”

“This time… This time, I’ll stand firmly on your side and cooperate fully.”

Hanna claimed it had taken her a long time to admit her mistakes.

“After seeing you and your husband at the police station that day, I made up my mind. Foolishly, perhaps.”

Seeing their tightly clasped hands had shocked her deeply.

The sight of I-ryeong, whom she had tormented and cursed, being loved by her husband filled her with regret.

“I envied you. That’s why I gave you the phone without thinking.”

Even knowing it would expose her ugly truth, she handed over the phone to I-ryeong.

“I know it’s shameless to ask this of you. But the only person who can free me from Kang Suk-tae is you. So please…”

Hanna trailed off, her words muddled, and tears streamed down her face.

I-ryeong was left confused, unsure whether those were crocodile tears or genuine remorse.

---

After Hanna left, I-ryeong was alone.

The weight of the unbearable truth pressed heavily on her heart, leaving her unsettled.

“To be hurt like that and still want more… How foolish.”

She mocked herself bitterly.

Hanna’s tears kept lingering in her mind, and she didn’t want to believe they were fake.

“Haa, how stupid. You’re proving just how dumb you are, Cha Eun-ryeong.”

Gulping down the now-cold coffee did nothing to ease the turmoil inside her.

Why was her heart swaying like reeds after all she’d endured?

[Should I wait longer?]

Just then, a message from him arrived.

She suddenly remembered her husband waiting nearby.

[No. Stop waiting.]

Her husband, who had likely been waiting in the car for hours.

It was only recently that she started calling him “husband.” In the beginning, it was a word she couldn’t dare utter—it was merely a formal arrangement born out of a contract.

[Then?]

From his brief reply, she could picture his expression.

He must have been itching to come in.

[I’m alone. Come to me.]

She sent the answer he wanted. After clearing away the teacup, she moved to a different seat. She didn’t have the confidence to laugh and chat with him where she had just argued with Hanna.

She ordered warm drinks again and glanced toward the entrance.

The dim street outside was nearly deserted, and the café itself was empty of customers.

“Here are your two orders of warm yuja tea.”

As the drinks arrived, I-jun entered the café wearing a black shirt.

When I-ryeong picked up the tray and headed to a window seat, he followed her.

For the first time, the couple sat side by side in a café.

I-ryeong gently rested her head on her husband’s shoulder and stared at the steaming yuja tea for a while.

Neither spoke. An invisible wall seemed to stand between them.

A wall that made it impossible to ask about what had happened just 30 minutes ago.

Leaning against him, I-ryeong closed her eyes. The scent that had been tickling her nose since earlier continued to waft into her senses.

Focusing on the fragrance gradually calmed her mood.

The refreshing aroma of yuja tea mingled with I-jun’s citrusy woody scent, creating a soothing effect.

“Did you put on new cologne?”

“Perfume?”

He raised an eyebrow slightly in surprise, then let out a faint smile.

“You noticed it?”

“Yes. It’s coming off you strongly here. The smell of Seo I-jun.”

I-ryeong lifted his arm and pressed her nose to his shirt sleeve to inhale deeply.

“I only sprayed a little there. Not bad, right?”

“No, it’s nice. It feels like a scent perfect for nighttime.”

Its initial freshness gave way to a calming aura, reminiscent of walking through a forest at night.

“I’m glad you like it.”

While waiting for her in the car, he had carefully chosen the cologne and lightly sprayed it on his sleeve.

Though it might have been a heavy scent, he hoped it would help soothe his agitated wife.

“Our wife could probably become a perfumer.”

“Me, a perfumer? No way, that’s ridiculous.”

The couple gradually broke down the invisible barrier between them by sharing everyday stories and exchanging small laughs.

“Hey, I-jun. Earlier...”

After much deliberation, I-ryeong finally opened up to him about what had happened.

Though it was something unforgivable, she admitted that her heart kept wavering despite herself.

“I can’t forgive myself. I feel so stupid and foolish. It makes me think this all happened because of how naive I am.”

“It’s because you’re kind-hearted. I love that about you—it’s one of your charms. But, I-ryeong... Show that kindness only to me. I worry someone might take advantage of it.”

I-jun gently pulled her into his arms.

“I-jun... I... I’m struggling,” she confessed, admitting that the weight of everything felt too heavy to bear alone.

“That’s okay. When you’re like this, lean on me. Just like now.”

He told her he’d been waiting for the moment he could fully support her, holding her tightly as if to shield her from the world.

---

It was an ordinary afternoon, and I-ryeong was deeply engrossed in her work as usual.

Having skipped lunch due to a lack of appetite, she felt a bit peckish and decided to step into the pantry. A faint smile graced her lips as she scanned the snacks neatly arranged on the shelves.

“Doesn’t lack looks or business acumen—there’s nothing lacking about him. I fully support Vice President Seo taking over as CEO!”

She recalled the words her teammates had exchanged in the pantry some time ago.

Back then, she had agonized endlessly over marrying him, but now, remembering how they ended up holding hands and becoming a married couple brought an involuntary smile to her face.

Despite the summer heat, I-ryeong had always preferred warm drinks. True to form, she brewed a cup of green tea and savored it slowly.

“This will never happen again...”

Her gaze drifted out of the pantry toward the marketing department’s private meeting room.

She remembered the vice president walking in with blank sheets of paper, ready to push everyone hard during meetings.

And later, when they were alone in the meeting room—how he lowered the blinds and transformed into a beast.

“If you notice, give me praise. And if you kiss me, even better.”

As memories flooded back, I-ryeong’s face turned bright red.

That day, she had admitted her feelings to herself. She had fallen for him—the man who stirred her instincts like a wild animal.

Suddenly overcome by heat, she dumped ice into her warm tea.

“Ugh...”

The sudden cold made her shiver violently, but the heat rising within her refused to subside.

I-ryeong fidgeted with her earlobes, trying to shake off the unnecessary thoughts. But the more she tried to erase them, the clearer the memories became.

“Don’t get hurt without my permission.”

The man who had worried over her so tenderly back then...

“The way your face turns red is mesmerizing. You’re so beautiful when you’re flushed. Can you stop covering your face?”

The man who still showered her with endless compliments, saying she was beautiful even now.

“From now on, react only to me. We’ll be a couple bound by that rule.”

And just as he had said, it came true.

She reacted to his slightest touch, and the mere thought of him made her chest tingle.

“I miss you...”

Thinking of I-jun made her crave touching him in person. Was this the “Seo I-jun Effect”?

Unconsciously, I-ryeong let out a short, amused chuckle and stepped out of the pantry.

“Did you see something funny?”

“Huh?”

Hyun-wook tilted his head curiously as he watched I-ryeong return to her seat with a smile.

“No, I just thought maybe you found something amusing since you came back smiling. Was it something good?”

“Oh, you saw that?”

“What was it? Share the fun! I’m feeling so sluggish and sleepy right now.”

How could she possibly explain that she had been fantasizing about her husband? Instead of answering, I-ryeong simply laughed it off.

Just as she thought she could endure the languid afternoon with her fluttering heart—

Her phone vibrated where it lay beneath her monitor. The caller was Han Yu-jin, her sister-in-law. This was the first contact she’d received since returning from their honeymoon and saving the family’s numbers.

The faint smile that had lingered at the corner of her lips vanished, replaced by a sudden tension that made her tremble.

Why would Yu-jin call her out of the blue? At this hour, Yu-jin should have been at the Gangnam flagship store.

Since they weren’t particularly close, I-ryeong wondered if it might have been a misdial.

While lost in thought, the call ended.

Relieved, she reached to silence her phone when—

[Dear sister-in-law, there’s an issue at the store. There’s no one else I can call, so please come immediately.]

Yu-jin’s text arrived faster than expected.

The arm holding the phone stiffened as her heart began to race.

“...”

Why was she being called for a store issue? The inexplicable request only deepened her unease.