Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
“I know there’s a young kid at home, but still...”
Lee Ho-beom half-listened to the voice tinged with frustration, letting it in one ear and out the other. He gave a half-hearted nod to Shin Chul-woo, who greeted him from the driver’s seat.
“Are you seriously going to keep canceling business trips on a whim, babe?”
He had entrusted the reports to Shin Chul-woo. Lee Ho-beom suppressed a belated sigh and responded coldly to Kang Mook-hyun on the other end of the call.
“I told you not to call me that ridiculous shit.”
“You’re just being mean. You call Kang San-jo ‘hyung’ so easily, but you never do that with me. What does he have that I don’t, babe?”
“You really need me to spell it out? This dumbassery right here.”
Standing in front of the elevator, Ho-beom pressed the button and rubbed his forehead as if he had just walked into a headache. From the other end of the call came a quiet chuckle. Who the hell had the energy for such idiotic games this early in the morning? They had been working together for years, yet sometimes he still couldn’t figure this guy out.
“What’s the problem? Things are moving along just fine even when I send someone else.”
At Ho-beom’s blatant shamelessness, Kang Mook-hyun lowered his voice.
“You think it’s the same as the actual person in charge showing up? Just because there haven’t been any issues so far doesn’t mean there won’t be in the future.”
“…….”
“Cut the crap. You’ve got a serious problem, you know that? That girl isn’t some helpless toddler. She can eat and sleep just fine without you. What exactly are you so anxious about that you can’t leave her side?”
“You wouldn’t understand.”
“Yeah, and judging by the way you act, I’d rather never understand.”
A long, exaggerated sigh came through the receiver. Clearly, it was meant for him to hear.
“I won’t waste more words. You already know how important this overseas consortium is to the company. Don’t try to weasel your way out again—you’re going yourself.”
Ho-beom had anticipated the pressure would come sooner or later. There was no way his irresponsible evasion could be considered a valid excuse to others. Even so, it was a matter that had an undeniable impact on him personally.
He had left for the sake of his future once before—and lost Hae-soo in the process. The memory still lodged deep in his bones, aching.
He understood, at least rationally, that she wouldn’t just disappear on him again. But some part of him still twisted with unease, still burned with that restless anxiety.
That was why he kept postponing every business trip that came his way. He accepted domestic ones if they were brief, but if they dragged on too long, he sent a subordinate in his place. Overseas trips were out of the question entirely.
Looking back on all of this, he could see why Kang Mook-hyun was losing his patience.
For all his easygoing demeanor, Mook-hyun was someone who knew how to draw a firm line. In a way, that made his words sting even more. This time was no different—before Ho-beom could even think of a response, Mook-hyun had already hung up.
By then, the elevator had arrived.
Riding it up to the top floor, Ho-beom shoved his phone into his pocket and stepped into the apartment.
“…….”
It wasn’t even seven in the morning yet.
Even as the door clicked shut behind him, the place remained utterly silent.
Something inside him twisted, tightly and deeply.
Of course, signs of Hae-soo’s presence in the house were everywhere. A neatly placed pair of women’s flats at the entrance, a glass bottle of reed diffuser, a convenience store umbrella hastily bought on a day he couldn’t pick her up himself.
Everything pointed to her being here.
And yet, the simple fact that he couldn’t see her with his own eyes was enough to send something ugly curling through his insides.
Whenever this silence crept up on him like this, it felt as though he were drowning in a massive, merciless wave—his senses dulling, his mind going blank.
A business trip, under these circumstances?
Ho-beom let out a self-deprecating chuckle as he toed off his shoes.
His steps, usually directed straight to the bathroom upon returning home, instead led him toward the bedroom.
The door wasn’t fully shut.
The first thing he noticed was a small foldable table.
She had mentioned she was in the middle of exams all week. As expected, textbooks and notes were scattered across the surface in disarray.
Instead of tidying up, Ho-beom walked past the table, making his way to the bed.
Pale morning light seeped through the window, its golden rays brushing against the white sheets, where Hae-soo lay sleeping.
The moment he laid eyes on her, the storm inside him finally settled.
Slowly, he sat down on the edge of the bed.
At that very moment, the phone beside her pillow blared with an alarm.
She must have set it the night before.
Yet despite the piercing sound, Hae-soo didn’t stir, continuing to breathe in soft, even rhythms. Ho-beom reached out and silenced the alarm with a touch.
“An Hae-soo.”
His voice slipped past his lips, a whisper curling against the shell of her ear.
There was no way she’d wake up from something that gentle. Hae-soo was a heavy sleeper—something he had learned after living with her.
Something he wouldn’t have known otherwise, unless they had spent nights under the same roof, sharing the same bed.
He parted his lips and caught her earlobe between his teeth.
Softly sucking at the plump flesh, he then bit down. Still, no reaction.
Finally, he pressed his palm against the mattress and leaned closer, slipping his tongue into her ear. The ticklish sensation finally drew a faint twitch from her small frame.
When he persisted, the irritation finally reached her. She stirred, her eyelids fluttering open just slightly.
Barely awake, she blinked drowsily at nothing in particular.
Ho-beom had always been particularly fond of watching her like this.
In the morning, Hae-soo was different from how he usually knew her—less guarded, a little more unfiltered.
The way she silently stared into space, rubbed at her eyes with the back of her hand, or stretched her limbs with a lazy yawn—these were the few moments that betrayed her true age, leaving her looking so naturally unpolished.
“Get up.”
Sweeping back her tousled hair, he pulled down the hem of her crumpled pajama top before leaning in to nibble lightly at the bridge of her nose.
Hae-soo slowly sat up, leaning against the headboard.
It took her at least ten minutes after waking to fully regain her senses.
And Ho-beom never wasted that window of opportunity.
He closed the distance in an instant, capturing her lips in an insistent kiss.
Soon enough, her small hand rose, pushing feebly against his chest.
“You need to get ready for school.”
“There’s still time.”
“No, I have to check some handouts I haven’t looked at yet...”
Hae-soo, still drowsy, tried to argue, but she shivered as the cold crept under her pajamas. Since Ho-beom had just come back home, his fingers still held the chill of the outside air.
“I’ll take you there.”
Before Hae-soo could say anything, his tongue slipped between her parted lips. Instead of their usual messy kisses, he stirred her mouth languidly, setting the tone for the morning. She let out a short breath, gripping his shoulders.
This was another reason he liked her in this state. She was softer, more pliant than usual.
Wrapped up in the moment, they both lost sight of their original intentions. Waking up early had been pointless, as Hae-soo ended up being tangled with him for much longer than she had planned. And Ho-beom, despite having plenty of time, got so distracted that he never even mentioned the word “business trip.”
“Hae-soo unnie!”
As she pulled a textbook from her locker, Hae-soo turned toward the lively voice calling her from down the hallway. Closing the locker door, she saw Ji-an waving her arm excitedly as she approached.
“Did you do well on your exam?”
“So-so. What about you?”
“Don’t even ask. I almost cried looking at the test paper… I practically wrote a whole letter to the professor before turning it in. If I can get just a B+, I won’t ask for anything more.”
Ji-an let out a deep sigh, her face full of disappointment.
“But today is the last day! Let’s go celebrate, unnie!”
Her sadness was short-lived as she quickly shifted to excitement about the semester ending. She eagerly linked arms with Hae-soo.
“What should we eat?”
“I’m fine with anything. Didn’t you say you wanted to try that new tteokbokki place nearby?”
“Oh! Should we go there then?”
Ji-an and Hae-soo had become friends on the first day of orientation when they happened to sit next to each other. Thinking they were the same age, Ji-an had naturally spoken to her in casual speech. Since Hae-soo didn’t correct her, the misunderstanding persisted for quite a while.
It wasn’t until a drinking party celebrating the start of the semester that the truth came out.
“Hae-soo, something’s weird about your birth year.”
Ji-an had casually taken a look at Hae-soo’s ID, expecting to see a younger face in the photo.
“What’s wrong?”
“It says you’re four years older than me! Is this a mistake?”
“No, it’s right.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah?”
“...Wait, what?!”
Realizing the truth, Ji-an had dramatically apologized. “I seriously thought we were the same age! You look so young! Honestly, I thought you were even younger than me!”
Thanks to her over-the-top reaction, the misunderstanding was quickly cleared up, and no one else made the mistake of treating Hae-soo as their peer after that.
“By the way, unnie, your hair’s grown a lot. It was shorter last semester, wasn’t it?”
“Yeah, it has gotten longer.”
“Oh! I was planning to get a perm today—do you want to come with me after we eat? My friend’s sister runs a salon, and I can book us a spot right now!”
Hearing that, Hae-soo absentmindedly ran her fingers through her hair. It had grown down to her chest again. She had kept it at this length for quite some time, but now it was starting to feel a bit dull.
She suddenly thought of a certain someone—how he had even taken to chewing on her hair sometimes.
Maybe if she cut it short, he would stop.
“Yeah, okay. Let’s go together.”
“Great! I’ll make the appointment.”
After having tteokbokki for lunch, they headed to the salon. Since Ji-an’s connection had arranged it in advance, the place wasn’t too busy. The hairdresser, a cheerful woman much like Ji-an, quickly struck up a conversation with Hae-soo as she guided her to a seat.
“All done.”
Since it was just a haircut, it didn’t take long. Running her fingers through her now short hair, Hae-soo felt a little unfamiliar with the sensation.
“Oh wow, you look so much better with short hair!”
The hairdresser, brushing off loose strands from Hae-soo’s shoulders, admired her work. Ji-an, in the middle of her perm, widened her eyes in agreement.
“Oh my god, unnie! It really suits you!”
Even with their compliments, Hae-soo still felt a bit awkward. She kept glancing at herself in the mirror, adjusting to the change.
After Ji-an finished her perm, they headed to a nearby café.
“I’ll pay for the coffee.”
Wanting to return the favor for the salon introduction, Hae-soo made the offer. Ji-an’s face instantly brightened.
“Really? Yay!”
While Ji-an placed the order, Hae-soo browsed the pastry display. Everything looked delicious—clearly, the café had a talented baker.
But for some reason, just staring at the sweets made her stomach churn.
Did I eat too much at lunch?
Pushing the odd sensation aside, she turned away from the display and ordered an Americano instead. She didn’t feel like drinking anything sweet either.
Seated by the sunlit window, Ji-an studied her closely.
“Seriously though, unnie, why did you ever grow your hair out? You look way better with it short.”
“Thanks. You look pretty too.”
“Oh, by the way, unnie. Did Choi Ji-hyuk confess to you?”
Hae-soo, who had been untangling the strap of her bag, froze at the question.
“How do you know about that?”
“Gasp. So he really did confess?”
“No… No, seriously, how do you know?”
Hae-soo was genuinely flustered, even leaning forward slightly in surprise.
“It was kind of well-known that he had a thing for you ever since he entered school.”
“….”
“Oh, and how do I know about the confession? Well, at the last drinking party, he said… that he’d confess to you before the semester ended. I think he originally wanted to do it in person at the party, so he could see you face-to-face…”
Ji-an smiled sheepishly.
It wasn’t hard for Hae-soo to recall which day she was talking about.
One evening, Ji-an had invited her to join a department gathering that was already in full swing, asking if she wanted to come even at that late hour.
But at that moment, Hae-soo had been tangled up—literally—with Lee Ho-beom, who had gotten off work early, and they had ended up rolling around half-naked. Because of that, she only saw the messages much later. By the time she checked them, she had already passed out, exhausted from being pushed around by Ho-beom, who had stamina on par with a professional athlete. She only saw the missed calls and messages the next day.
It made sense now why she had also received texts from Choi Ji-hyuk that night, saying, “You’re really not coming, noona?”
“He said if you rejected him, he was going straight to the military.”
Ji-an shook her head in disbelief and showed Hae-soo her phone screen.
[I’m enlisting.]
“He just sent this message…”
Hae-soo couldn’t help but let out a deep sigh.
The group chat where Ji-hyuk had sent the message was practically on fire. New messages were flooding in so quickly that she couldn’t even read them. It seemed like everyone knew exactly why he was suddenly enlisting.
She was beyond relieved that she wasn’t in that group chat.
Back in her freshman year, she had joined the department chat because it was necessary to receive official announcements, but once people started messaging her at all hours for trivial things, she had quickly left. Since then, Ji-an had been relaying any important updates to her via personal messages or calls, so she hadn’t missed out on much.
“Wow, what exactly did he say when he confessed?”
Memories of the previous day suddenly came rushing back.
After her general education exam, Ji-hyuk had called, asking if she had a moment to meet.
Since she was already done with her test and had no urgent reason to head home, she had agreed without hesitation.
She walked into the campus café where he was waiting, ordered a warm sweet potato latte, and barely had time to sit down before Ji-hyuk confessed.
“I won’t drag this out. You know I like you, right?”
She hadn’t expected him to be so straightforward, so her mind went completely blank, and she could only respond with a weak, “Uh… yeah…?”
Was this really a confession?
Had he actually just confessed?
Still unsure, she sat there dazed, while Ji-hyuk simply crossed his arms and stared at her, as if he had just declared war.
It was only then that she fully realized—oh, this was a confession.
Flustered, she stammered, “I-I’m sorry…”
Right after she said that, Ji-hyuk’s gaze dropped to her hand, landing on the ring on her finger.
“Got it. Thanks for taking the time to meet me.”
He had remained composed until the very end, so she had assumed that was the last of it.
But apparently, it wasn’t.
Lost in the awkward memory, Hae-soo suddenly noticed that Ji-an, much like Ji-hyuk the previous day, was staring at the ring on her finger.
“Well, the whole military thing—he’ll figure it out. More importantly, unnie, don’t you have a boyfriend? I bet he loved that you cut your hair.”
Hae-soo instinctively lowered her gaze.
A simple silver ring sat snugly on her finger.
The moment Lee Ho-beom was accepted into university, the first thing he had done was slip this ring onto her hand.
Because of that, even though Hae-soo had never explicitly mentioned being in a relationship, her classmates had naturally assumed she had a boyfriend.
Of course, that didn’t completely stop people from taking an interest in her. Case in point: Choi Ji-hyuk.
In fact, Ji-an had been bombarded today with secret requests from various guys, all urging her to bring Hae-soo to the semester-end gathering.
“What does your boyfriend do?”
Other classmates never missed a chance to brag about their relationships, but oddly enough, Hae-soo never said a word about hers.
Even when the topic of relationships came up in group settings, she would just give a vague smile and move on.
Because of that, some persistent male classmates had started speculating—was the ring just for show? A fake barrier to keep guys away?
“Hmm?”
Hae-soo, who had been absentmindedly stirring her drink with a straw, looked up.
“I mean, other girls, the moment they get a boyfriend, won’t shut up about it. They either talk your ear off or flood their social media with pictures. But I don’t think I’ve ever heard you mention yours.”
Hae-soo hesitated, not sure how to respond, and instead gave an awkward smile.
Ji-an recognized that expression well.
It was the same one Hae-soo always made whenever people pried about her relationship.
“Are they the same age as you?”
“No, they’re older. A bit older.”
“I see. But honestly, I kind of expected you to date someone older.”
“Why?”
“Hmm… how should I put it? The way you look at the guys in our class… it’s like you’re looking at silly little kids.”
Ji-an added with a laugh, “You know, like that dead-fish-eye look? Like you don’t feel even the tiniest bit of romantic curiosity.”
Hae-soo, caught off guard, widened her eyes before breaking into a small smile, following Ji-an’s laughter.
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“So, so! Tell me more! What’s he like? His personality?”
“His personality? Hmm…”
Hae-soo took a sip of her coffee through the straw, buying herself a moment to think, then finally gave an answer she managed to squeeze out.
“A bit rough.”
“…Rough? In what way?”
“Just… in the way he acts and talks?”
“And?”
Feeling like she was being interrogated, Hae-soo smiled awkwardly. But when she saw the completely serious look in Ji-an’s eyes, she glanced around the café. Her gaze landed on a movie poster that featured a cigarette pack.
“He smokes… pretty often?”
Ji-an’s expression turned even more serious.
“Does he drink too?”
“Sometimes?”
“Unnie… are you sure you’re dating a decent person?”
Ji-an asked, looking genuinely concerned. Only then did Hae-soo start to understand what she was thinking. She let out a small chuckle.
“With me…”
Hae-soo paused, trying to find the right words.
“With me, he’s really good.”
It felt strange to describe Lee Ho-beom like this. Once, he had been a choice she desperately wanted to avoid. But ever since he became her one and only place of refuge, he had changed fundamentally. Or maybe… she had just been so busy running away and avoiding him that she never realized it before.
Despite her explanation, the serious look on Ji-an’s face didn’t ease.
“Oh, I get it now.”
“Hm?”
“Your boyfriend’s handsome, isn’t he?”
Ji-an’s gaze remained sharp and scrutinizing. Hae-soo unconsciously replayed an image of his face in her mind.
A strong jawline, a scar that added to his rugged appeal, a straight nose that only emphasized his untamed personality, sharp three-whites eyes that gave him an almost animalistic intuition, and thick, well-defined eyebrows…
His features were intense, giving him a naturally fierce impression. But there was no denying that he was, in fact, very handsome.
If he just dressed properly, without giving off that underworld vibe—and more importantly, if he just kept his mouth shut—women would be drawn to him without a doubt.
“Um… I guess so?”
“Ugh… Unnie, are you sure you’re not just getting taken in by his looks?”
“No way. I can tell the difference.”
If anything, wouldn’t he be the one getting caught up? Out of all the things he could’ve staked his feelings on, he had chosen love and chained himself to her. And now, he was constantly agonizing over the fact that he couldn’t provide her with a dazzlingly bright future.
“I’m so curious. You should introduce him sometime. Even if they don’t say it in front of you, I bet everyone’s dying to know about him.”
Hae-soo simply smiled and took another sip of her coffee. That was exactly why she couldn’t introduce him.
Lee Ho-beom was the kind of person who would turn into a massive gossip topic among her classmates. Back in high school, he had already attracted enough unwanted attention after repeating a year. For her, university was a chance to finally live a quiet life.
And now, with her fourth year already halfway through, she had managed to get through it all smoothly without any major incidents. Hae-soo was certain that keeping Ho-beom a secret had played a big part in that.
“Wow, when did it get this late? Should we get going?”
“Yeah.”
“Even though it’s break, call me whenever you’re bored, unnie!”
After parting ways with Ji-an, Hae-soo took a taxi home.
She had originally planned to take the subway, but her stomach had started feeling uneasy—maybe from lunch not sitting well. Her head felt a bit light, too. Or maybe it was just the tension from finals finally wearing off. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t feeling great.
She didn’t bother to contact Ho-beom. It wasn’t anything serious enough to make a big deal about, and she didn’t want to make him worry.
Back in her second year, during the fall semester, she had once suffered from severe indigestion.
Even though her classes were over and she had come straight home to rest, the pain wouldn’t go away. She had ended up curling up in bed, groaning, until she unconsciously dialed his number.
Thirty minutes later, Ho-beom had arrived. After a quick check, he took her straight to the hospital.
It was much later that Hae-soo found out that due to her call, he had walked out of an important meeting and ended up ruining a business deal he had been working hard on.
And even then, it wasn’t because he told her—she had overheard it in a conversation between him and Kang Mook-hyun.
What made her feel even more unsettled was his attitude, which showed not the slightest hint of regret for his actions.
Since that day, Hae-soo refrained from calling him over minor matters.
“Hmm?”
Just as she was about to open the door, she noticed his shoes placed by the entrance. It seemed that after dropping her off at school that morning, he hadn’t gone back to work. Then again, he had come home at dawn.
As she was about to step inside, Hae-soo caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror installed near the entrance.
‘Does my hair… look okay?’
Both Jian and the hairstylist had said it looked pretty, but what worried her was his reaction.
Lee Ho-beom never hid his feelings about trivial matters. If he didn’t like it, his expression would surely give it away.
She set down her bag in one corner and took a quick look around the house. Since the place was quite large, she had to search around a bit to find him.
She eventually spotted Lee Ho-beom on the balcony connected to the secondary bedroom. He was dressed in the comfortable clothes he usually wore at home, rather than a suit. He must have been smoking, as wisps of smoke curled up behind his back.
Hae-soo quietly approached and tapped on the closed glass door.
With a cigarette between his lips, Lee Ho-beom turned around.
Taking a deep drag, he rested both arms on the railing and gazed at her in silence. Even with the glass between them, Hae-soo felt an odd chill creep down her spine, as if she were standing before him completely exposed.
She slowly slid open the glass door. Just as she stepped over the threshold, he gave her a slight nod, beckoning her closer.
“I cut my hair.”
“Yeah, I know.”
His long, straight fingers toyed with the ends of her hair, which now revealed the white curve of her neck.
Like a child who had found a new toy, once he got hold of it, he wouldn’t let go.
“My friend says I look better with short hair… Is that true?”
“What do you mean?”
“My hairstyle.”
“Hmm…”
His lukewarm reaction was far from what she had expected, making her puff out her cheeks slightly.
“Either way, it’s still you.”
“…”
“What’s the point of making distinctions?”
Strangely, the moment those words passed through her ears, his touch—just toying with the ends of her short hair—felt unexpectedly intimate.
Lee Ho-beom must have sensed it too.
Tilting his head slightly, he met her eyes and ran the back of his fingers slowly down the line of her neck.
“Just like how, every time I see you, I want to lift up your skirt.”
“…You’re so crude.”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Feeling a bit ridiculous for having been nervous about this, Hae-soo turned to leave the balcony.
But before she could, Lee Ho-beom pulled her into an embrace.
“Your exams ended today, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Stay home quietly for a while.”
Hae-soo turned to look at him. His words sounded like something someone about to leave would say.
“Are you going somewhere?”
“For about a week. Maybe two, if it takes longer.”
“…A business trip?”
“Yeah.”
Since they started living together, he had never been away from home for that long.
It was curious.
As far as Hae-soo remembered, when she was young, her father frequently traveled overseas as if it were routine.
Her father had only managed a private business, yet he had always been that busy.
So it had always puzzled her that Lee Ho-beom, the CEO of Daeyoung, a major construction company, still managed to come home every night.
“Want to come with me?”
At those words, Hae-soo looked up.
Lee Ho-beom watched her closely, cigarette still between his lips.
When she didn’t respond, he ruffled her hair as if to dismiss it as a joke, then stubbed out his cigarette and stepped back inside.
Left standing there alone, Hae-soo absentmindedly smoothed out her tousled hair before following him inside.
For some reason, she felt uneasy.
Boredom.
That was the only way to describe what Hae-soo was feeling.
With a basket of bright orange tangerines by her side, she slouched on the sofa, lazily flipping through channels on the remote.
Even though she wasn’t expecting any calls, she kept unconsciously fiddling with her phone.
The week that she had assumed would fly by was dragging on at an agonizingly slow pace.
She figured it must be because of the sudden freedom after finishing her semester.
Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was still morning.
She planned to visit the hospital later that afternoon, where her father was admitted.
Even with something to do, time still crawled forward at a snail’s pace.
Straightening up slightly, she reached for the tangerine basket and began peeling one.
Since Hae-soo often sought out sweet things, she didn’t particularly like sour foods. However, when she happened to spot the tangerines, she suddenly found herself salivating. Without thinking much, she peeled one and popped it into her mouth.
She had thought that one piece would be enough to satisfy her craving for something tart, but unexpectedly, it didn’t. In the end, Hae-soo finished off all the tangerines in the house that day.
“Do you need anything?”
Even though Lee Ho-beom was away, a few of his subordinates had remained in the country as his contacts and errand runners. When they reached out on his behalf, the only thing that came to Hae-soo’s mind was the sweet and tangy tangerines. She wanted to eat them to her heart’s content—those juicy little bursts that filled her mouth with flavor.
And so, as a result, there were now three whole boxes of bright yellow tangerines stacked in the house.
“He said the business trip… could last up to two weeks.”
Today marked exactly one week since Lee Ho-beom had left. Which meant that if he returned as originally planned, today would be the day.
Hae-soo popped a neatly peeled tangerine segment into her mouth. Since arriving at his destination, it seemed he had been too busy to spare even a moment—his last contact had been three days ago.
Well, if the subordinates who hadn’t traveled with him weren’t saying anything, that likely meant he was simply occupied. She had no intention of pestering a man already drowning in work. If he was due back today as scheduled, he would surely reach out on his own.
Even though her mind rationalized it that way, her gaze kept flicking toward her phone as if an unseen force was pulling it there.
“I should just head to the hospital early.”
She shoved the last bit of tangerine into her mouth and got up. With classes now over, she had spent the past few days lounging around at home, which should have left her feeling completely rested. Yet oddly enough, her joints ached, as if she had been lying down too much. Stretching with a long yawn, she made her way to the bathroom.
After getting ready and stepping out of the house, she was met with a man who had introduced himself the day before as “Woo Hyun-oh,” hurrying toward her. He was shorter than Lee Ho-beom but stockier, perhaps due to his build. Compared to the cold and unyielding presence of Shin Cheol-woo, he exuded a different kind of intimidation.
“Where are you headed?!”
The way this burly man was excessively polite to her made Hae-soo feel uneasy. However, it seemed he was trying to put her at ease—his lips curving into an overly large grin. Of course, to her, that only made him seem even more threatening.
Seeing his gold tooth gleam as he spoke, she replied,
“I’m going to visit my father at the hospital.”
“Allow me to take you!”
As she climbed into the back seat he held open for her, Hae-soo found herself glancing toward the driver’s seat throughout the ride. She half-hoped Woo Hyun-oh might mention something about Lee Ho-beom, but he remained silent until they arrived at the hospital. As she made her way to her father’s hospital room, she idly pressed the button on her phone’s holder, turning the screen on and off.
“Dad.”
Unlike the biting cold wind outside, the hospital room was warm. Her father was asleep, bathed in the soft sunlight spilling through the window.
After being rescued from the gambling dens and hospitalized thanks to Lee Ho-beom’s intervention, her father had spent years in treatment, gradually regaining his humanity. Two years ago, when he had finally recognized her again, Hae-soo had cried for a long time.
She couldn’t help but recall the time he had wasted away in a dusty shipping container, too far gone to even recognize his own daughter, begging for nothing but drinking water. The contrast between that memory and his current state served as a constant reminder of just how much Lee Ho-beom had done for her.
“Hae-soo, you’re here?”
It was the professional caregiver, hired by Lee Ho-beom, who greeted her instead.
“What a shame! He just fell asleep. If only you had come a little earlier.”
“That’s okay. I just wanted to see him, so don’t wake him up.”
As she set her bag down on the bedside table, her gaze landed on a neatly placed picture frame. It was a new family photo—her father sitting on the sofa, and herself standing behind him with a hand resting on his shoulder.
The family picture she had lost was never found, but she had this new one now. That was enough. Even though her mother was absent, she was grateful that at least her father was here. Slowly, she ran her fingers over the smooth glass covering the photograph.
“Here, have this.”
“Oh, thank you.”
The caregiver had gone to the room’s refrigerator and returned with something in hand—an orange juice bottle.
Seeing the bright, refreshing liquid inside, Hae-soo immediately thought of the tangerines piled at home, making her crave it even more. Yet strangely, her stomach churned as if she had just caught a whiff of something rotten.
What’s with me again?
She had been feeling off like this for days now. Thinking she could just drink it later, she lifted the bottle—only to be struck by a sudden realization.
It was abrupt.
A peculiar suspicion crept into her mind.
Still holding the juice bottle, Hae-soo turned to look at the calendar hanging on the wall.
“When was my last period…?”
There was no point in racking her brain over it.
Back in high school, she had endured hardships most people never faced in a lifetime, and her body had suffered the consequences. With so many compounding factors, her menstrual cycle had been wildly irregular for years—so much so that tracking the dates was nearly impossible.
“Ma’am.”
The caregiver had just grabbed her coat to step out, as she always did to give the father and daughter some private time when Hae-soo visited.
But this time, Hae-soo stopped her.
“Could you do me a favor?”
Saaa—
Hae-soo couldn’t even think of turning off the faucet as she washed her hands. She stared blankly at the three pregnancy tests in front of her, all showing two lines.
Why?
That was the first question that came to mind.
‘But he had it done…’
It had been a long time since Lee Ho-beom had undergone a vasectomy. He knew that Hae-soo had been taking birth control pills ever since she was entangled with three men. But once he learned about the negative effects of oral contraceptives on women’s health, he made her throw them all away. And that very day, he went to a doctor he knew and got a vasectomy.
There was a time when he had wanted a child, but that had been more of a means to secure their unstable relationship rather than an actual desire for fatherhood. After Hae-soo had decided to stay by his side, he had never shown much greed for having a baby. To begin with, it seemed like the only thing Lee Ho-beom deeply craved was for her to remain with him. That alone felt like his most primal, innate desire.
‘Then how… how did I get pregnant?’
Knowing all this, she was even more bewildered.
Hae-soo finally turned off the faucet. The remaining droplets of water dripped down with a slow, repetitive sound, hammering against her dazed thoughts. She wrapped the test sticks in tissue, shoved them into her bag, and left the restroom.
“How was it? Did you check?”
As expected, the caregiver was waiting outside the door. Hae-soo reminded herself that this woman was someone Lee Ho-beom had placed there.
Trying not to seem awkward, she forced a small smile.
“Yes. It was negative. I guess I just wasn’t feeling well.”
She knew there was no real reason to hide it. But with her mind in utter chaos, avoidance was the first thing that came naturally. Leaving behind a farewell and a request to take care of her father, she quickly exited the hospital room.
Even after stepping outside, she couldn’t gather her thoughts. What was this feeling? She glanced down at her stomach. Beneath her clothes, her flat belly suddenly felt like it didn’t belong to her.
There’s a baby inside me?
Now?
Right now… there really is?
Leaning against the hospital door, her eyes darted anxiously. If she turned left, she would reach the main parking lot, where Woo Hyun-oh was waiting with the car.
There was no time to think.
As if being chased by something, her heart pounded recklessly. Instead of heading for the parking lot, she slipped out through the hospital’s back exit and hailed a taxi. She didn’t even know what destination she had given.
Through her disjointed thoughts, the passing city scenery stacked up like puzzle pieces, flashing by—until finally, she reached the open sea.
Children’s laughter pierced the air.
With her face buried in her knees, Hae-soo lifted her head as if drawn to the sound. It seemed to be a family on a trip. Two young children ran around the sandy shore, giggling.
Following closely behind them was a middle-aged couple, their hands tightly clasped together, as if afraid of losing each other.
It was a moment where happiness could be seen with the naked eye. From a distance, they looked like the perfect family.
As she took in the sight, a deep ache pulsed in her head.
Slowly, she lowered her hands from her knees. Something brushed against her fingertips.
It was the small bottle of soju she had picked up absentmindedly at a convenience store before coming to the beach.
She had craved alcohol.
That was the only way she could describe how she felt when she had first arrived here.
‘Not that I can even drink it anyway…’
She nudged the bottle with her fingers, watching as it toppled over onto the sand.
Her gaze lifted toward the sea. Since earlier, the scent of salt had been clinging to the air. Waves rippled and rolled across the surface, filling her vision.
The winter sea was eerily silent.
Once, she had tried to throw herself into it.
There had been a time when she had desperately hoped that, if she let the waves carry her away, all the pain she endured simply for being alive would finally dissolve into nothingness.
Hae-soo rested her chin on her knees.
Her light brown eyes were swallowed up by the gray horizon.
Inside her, waves surged and receded, again and again.
And when the tide finally pulled back—when the turmoil within her momentarily subsided—she found herself most vulnerable.
Even after all this time, no matter how much she had healed, the wounds of the past remained as deep scars.
Scars that, at times, rose too sharply to the surface.
Like today.
Maybe that’s why she felt so overwhelmed.
It wasn’t just because she was pregnant.
It was because… this was his child.
Memories she had buried long ago resurfaced with an unstoppable force, gripping her ankles and dragging her into their depths.
Over the past few years, Lee Ho-beom had treated her with nothing short of devotion. He had cared for her so earnestly that it was almost beyond reason.
But the sins he had committed along the way—sins he had used to pave the road they walked together—were just as undeniable.
Getting slapped, having her hair grabbed, and enduring many shameful moments under his cruelty…
And yet, the recent memories smothering over those past ones like an unbearable weight.
The fragments of black and white were chaotically tangled, turning her mind into a complete mess.
This wasn’t the first time she had felt the urge to run away.
When they had just started living together… there had been countless crises and cracks in between.
Back then, Hae-soo’s emotional instability had been severe—even in her own eyes.
She could be sitting quietly, eating her meal, only for her appetite to suddenly drop, causing her to push the plate away and shatter it. Sometimes, she would cry for no reason while taking a shower.
There were days when the towering view from their high-rise apartment made her feel suffocated, as if it were punching her chest. Other times, she would lie on the marble floor, unwilling to do anything at all.
She often felt like an uncontrollable lunatic, her self-loathing eating away at her.
Whenever her emotions became unbearable, she would run to the front door, without thinking about what she was wearing or what she was doing.
Each time, he caught her by the ankle.
Of course, there was the fact that Lee Ho-beom had control over her father’s health, but more than that, it was the peculiar look in his eyes on a stormy, ash-gray day that always stopped her in her tracks.
Where would you even go? You have nowhere to go anyway.
That bleak thought, along with the painful memories of the suffering and harm she had endured from the other two men, would resurface all at once.
And then, a faint, insignificant hope would emerge—the hope that, at the very least, she could trust the sincerity in those eyes that had never once deceived her. It was that single hope that made her stay by Lee Ho-beom’s side.
His attitude also played a part—he never tried to console her like a hypocrite. He quietly accepted the weight of his own wrongdoings, lowering his head without excuses. There was an odd sense of genuineness in that.
Had he tried to comfort her with empty words, she might have lost her sanity in a completely different way.
The whirlwind of thoughts, caught between the best possible choice and the lesser evil, only left her in utter chaos.
Hae-soo continued to stare at the sea.
No one disturbed her. Her phone, which had started ringing in the taxi, had long since been turned off. She had no idea whether Lee Ho-beom had returned from his trip, whether he had come back to find out that she had suddenly disappeared.
She wasn’t thinking about anything. It was as if someone had pulled her soul straight out through the crown of her head—she felt empty, hollow.
By the time the descending sun had turned into a full sunset, devouring the sky bit by bit, she finally stood up. Her legs ached from sitting for so long.
Thanks to the newspaper she had laid down earlier, the sand had only stuck to the hem of her clothes and her calves. She dusted it off and dragged her heavy feet away from the beach.
Just as she was about to step over the dull cement ledge—
A long shadow pooled at her feet.
Instinctively, she lifted her gaze, and her steps came to an abrupt halt.
Standing there, leaning against a car, watching her, was Lee Ho-beom.
She had no idea how long he had been there.
The cigarette in his hand, now burned down to half its length, released a hazy wisp of smoke. Around his feet, numerous cigarette butts lay scattered—evidence of his patience.
So while Hae-soo had been drowning in the waves of her own thoughts, he had been watching her back all along.
“I thought about breaking Director Kang’s neck for a moment,” he muttered.
“……”
“Why the hell did he insist on sending me on that business trip and causing all this trouble?”
He began walking toward her, each step slow and deliberate, like someone struggling to contain his anger.
“Were you going to come back?”
Hae-soo’s gaze landed on his chest.
Sensing an uneasiness in the fact that she wouldn’t meet his eyes, he reached out and grabbed her wrist desperately.
“Tell me. Were you going to come back?”
“……”
“If you say yes, I won’t ask anything else.”
Even with his anger bubbling to the surface, he managed to say those words.
But Hae-soo knew.
If she gave him the answer he wanted, he truly wouldn’t get angry.
She could tell he would go to great lengths to suppress his explosive temper if she just said that one thing.
Knowing that, she still hesitated, her lips parting slightly but unable to form the words.
Seeing this, he let out a deep breath, his frustration obvious.
The acrid scent of cigarette smoke lingered in the air.
Without realizing it, Hae-soo reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
“Put out your cigarette.”
“Hae—”
“It smells.”
His brows furrowed deeply.
“Is now really the time to worry about—”
“It’s bad for the baby.”
The sharp words that had been tumbling from his lips came to an immediate halt.
At the same moment, Hae-soo finally lifted her head.
And for some reason, she almost burst into laughter.
Lee Ho-beom wore an expression as if someone had smacked the back of his head a few times and run away. It was a rare sight—his face looking utterly dumbfounded. Clearly, he was repeatedly processing the bombshell statement Hae-soo had just dropped on him.
“…A baby?”
After a long pause, he managed to ask in a rough voice.
“Yes.”
“…”
“I’m pregnant.”
The cigarette barely hanging from his lips dropped to the ground.
And after that… what happened?
Without a word, Lee Ho-beom put Hae-soo in the car and drove straight back to Seoul. The air in the car was unbearably heavy with silence, impossible to measure in weight. Evading his subordinates had been meaningless in the end; she was promptly taken to the hospital for various urgent tests.
“It’s confirmed—you’re pregnant.”
“…”
“And after testing the chairman as well, we confirmed that his vasectomy has, in fact, reversed itself. It’s a rare occurrence, but… not impossible.”
After the doctor’s words, a thick silence layered upon itself. Soon, Lee Ho-beom gave a brief nod toward the door, signaling the bespectacled doctor to leave. The man quickly took the hint and exited the room.
“So.”
“…”
“You found out you were pregnant and ran away?”
At the direct accusation, a faint crack formed in Hae-soo’s otherwise impassive expression. Before she could even react, Lee Ho-beom closed the distance between them in a few strides, gripping her shoulders to keep her in place.
“How much more certainty do you need from me?”
For some reason, his face looked unbearably sad. Despite the news of her pregnancy, there wasn’t even the slightest trace of happiness on his face.
“I didn’t run away.”
“If it wasn’t running away, then what was it? Oh—were you planning to get rid of it?”
“…”
“You wanted to make sure I never even found out?”
Hae-soo glared at him, her patience wearing thin. The atmosphere between them was becoming dangerously volatile. This wasn’t what she had come here for. This wasn’t the result she had hoped for when she’d agreed to the tests and revealed her pregnancy. She pushed at his forearms, raising her voice.
“I told you, no!”
“…”
“It’s not because I wanted to get rid of it—it’s because the only thought I had was that I didn’t want to get rid of it, and that terrified me…”
For a brief moment, the hands gripping her tensed.
“I was confused too! When I think about all the terrible things you’ve done to me, it seems obvious that not having this baby would be the right choice. But… but the only thing I kept thinking was that I didn’t want to get rid of it, and that confused me so much…”
She suddenly remembered the convenience store soju carton she’d abandoned on the sand. She had bought it, but hadn’t even touched it. Why? Because she knew—she knew it could harm the child growing inside her. That alone was proof enough. Her decision had already been made.
The realization made her throat burn. She felt something hot bubbling up from deep inside, ready to burst at any moment. Her eyes stung with unshed tears as she started pounding weakly at his chest.
“This is all your fault! If—if you hadn’t been so cruel to me from the start, I wouldn’t be—wouldn’t be like this…”
Her emotions erupted as if someone had seized her by the collar and shaken her violently. She let her tears spill freely, unable to even wipe them away as she kept pushing at his torso, striking him.
Lee Ho-beom simply stood there, watching her. He let her hit him, claw at him—her nails even leaving raw scratches near his neck. He didn’t flinch.
And then, just as she was running out of energy, he suddenly spoke.
“It’s my child.”
“…”
“You know that too.”
He let out a deep breath, as if grounding himself.
“And yet, you still didn’t want to get rid of it…”
His hands, which had been gripping her wrists, slowly slid down to intertwine their fingers together. Their matching rings clinked softly against each other.
“How… exactly do you expect me to take that?”
Lee Ho-beom’s dark eyes wavered, flooded with an emotion dangerously close to elation. Even the crashing waves outside could never replicate the intensity of that gaze. Hae-soo stared back, mesmerized, before she finally murmured:
“Just…”
“…”
“Just take it as it is.”
At that moment, Lee Ho-beom didn’t hesitate—he pulled her into a kiss.
At first, it was the usual, forceful kind, his tongue pushing into her mouth as if to claim her. But then, something changed. As if something inside him had pulled the reins, his movements slowed. He softened. Instead of an invasion, it became an exploration—leisurely, persistent, deep.
It wasn’t hard to guess why.
Because of the baby.
His concern was painfully obvious, and it made Hae-soo almost want to laugh.
“…Now you’re suddenly acting all proper?”
Though her words sounded like a scolding, he was smiling as if he was genuinely pleased. He had worn the same expression the first time she had accidentally spoken informally to him.
Come to think of it, Lee Ho-beom seemed to enjoy it when Hae-soo disregarded formalities and treated him roughly. He was a strange man. Well, not that she was much different—she, too, found it amusing to switch between informal and formal speech just to see his reaction.
“…What should I do about school?”
“Take a leave of absence.”
“I only have one semester left.”
“Even so, you can’t.”
The man, who had answered mercilessly, buried his face against Hae-soo’s shoulder and exhaled slowly. It could have been a sigh, or a breath of relief. It was hard to define as just one thing—it was layered, complex.
Only now did Hae-soo truly realize just how much her impulsive actions today must have put him on edge.
As she traced the muscular curve of the arm wrapped around her waist, she spoke softly.
“Let’s go home.”
“…”
“Our… home.”
Lee Ho-beom let out another deep breath. It was as if he had just fully grasped the fact that he had walked straight into an inescapable trap.
And Hae-soo didn’t deny it.
Now that she was carrying his child, now that she had made up her mind to nurture and protect this life, Lee Ho-beom had to take responsibility—not just as a father, but until the very end. That was the only way he could truly atone for his past.
…Though, judging by the look of sheer happiness on his face, it didn’t seem like atonement to him at all.
Still, wrapped in his embrace, Hae-soo felt something unfamiliar yet reassuring—an unexpected sense of stability.
Google Sites
Report abuse