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“…….”
“I won’t do anything else, so don’t worry. If someone sees us, they might think I brought you here to do something bad.”
“…….”
“Well, I can’t guarantee that completely.”
Joo-hyuk chuckled as he spoke.
“If you go home with that face, Auntie will be really shocked. Do you want that?”
Joo-hyuk presented a convincing reason to the hesitant Sena.
Auntie…
Sena closed her eyes for a moment.
Just as Joo-hyuk had said, it was painfully clear how her aunt and uncle would react if she went home looking like this. The bruise marks, turning from red to purple, would send her aunt rushing over to Mr. Kang’s house immediately. This time, even her uncle might not try to stop her.
The decision was easy.
“Let’s go up.”
Sena opened her eyes and spoke as she opened the car door.
Rather than breaking their hearts, it was better to trust Joo-hyuk’s promise. Whatever consequences arose, she could take responsibility for them. After all, she had done it once before—there was no reason she couldn’t do it again.
Joo-hyuk got out of the car and approached Sena, taking her hand once more.
“You don’t need to hold my hand; I’m not going to run away.”
Her cold words made him laugh dryly.
“I’m not holding your hand because I’m afraid you’ll run away.”
“Then why?”
“Well…” He paused thoughtfully. “Maybe it’s to let you know that anyone who messes with my girl will be crushed into pieces? So don’t worry about it.”
This man knew how to stir up waves in an otherwise calm lake.
With just a small joke, he had created ripples in the peaceful state of mind Sena had painstakingly maintained over the past 12 years.
***
Joo-hyuk’s home was a penthouse on the top floor of the apartment building.
As they entered the nearly 100-pyeong penthouse, lights automatically turned on throughout the house. The living room windows were floor-to-ceiling glass overlooking the Han River, and the ivory marble floors shimmered softly under the sparkling light of the chandelier.
“My place is a bit empty, isn’t it? Living alone does that to a space,” Joo-hyuk said sheepishly.
True to his words, the interior was utterly bare of any decorations, making it feel quite desolate. Moreover, the size of the apartment was enormous—far larger than what one might call “spacious.”
Sena barely managed to keep her jaw from dropping and simply nodded at him.
“I’ll change clothes and come back, so make yourself comfortable. Oh, before that…”
Joo-hyuk turned from heading toward the dressing room and walked toward the kitchen instead.
Opening the fridge, he grabbed an egg and handed it to Sena.
“Rub this on your cheek. Your pretty face shouldn’t bruise too badly.”
He tapped his own cheek lightly with his finger, gave her a playful smile, and then turned away.
Sena pressed the cold egg against her flushed cheek. She was momentarily startled by its chill but continued rubbing without pause.
After a while, growing bored, she began to look around the living room. Across from the kitchen stood a desk neatly organized, free of clutter.
The hallway leading to the rooms was lined with bookshelves filled with what seemed like every kind of book imaginable. There were plenty of titles on journalism and linguistics, along with bestsellers Sena recognized from bookstores.
“He reads a lot…”
It wasn’t a bad hobby.
In fact, it was a great one. Reading books was something Sena enjoyed as well.
She picked up one of the books from the shelf: a thick volume titled The Path of a Truth-Seeking Journalist.
The Path of a Truth-Seeking Journalist, huh?
“It’s a boring book.”
Joo-hyuk had already changed clothes and come out without her noticing. He took the book from her hand before she could react.
He had swapped his suit for a comfortable t-shirt and jeans, but before she could even feel surprised by his casual appearance, he returned the book to its original spot on the shelf.
His actions made it seem like he was displeased that she had taken the book out, leaving her feeling awkward.
“Sorry… I was waiting and…”
Even her instinctive attempt at an excuse annoyed her. She carefully placed the egg she had been rubbing on her cheek onto the table and picked up her bag.
“I should get going.”
“Was I too harsh?”
Joo-hyuk called out to stop her as she turned to leave.
Slowly, she turned back to face him. The slightly sheepish look in his previously expressionless eyes made her pause.
“I can’t say it wasn’t harsh. I’m sorry—I didn’t mean to snoop.”
“Oh, if that’s how you felt, then I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”
He gestured politely with one arm, inviting her to sit on the sofa.
‘What now?’
After a short sigh and a moment of hesitation, she decided to sit down in the living room. At the very least, she would hear him out before leaving.
“It wasn’t about you taking the book out—it was the book itself that made me sound sharp.”
“That book? Is it special to you?”
“…Not at all.”
He let out a derisive snort, mocking himself.
There seemed to be a reason why the bright expression on his face had darkened.
“It’s a book that has constantly made me question myself and reflect ever since I founded KMS.”
“Is it like a kind of bible for you?”
“A bible?”
He tilted his head slightly as if asking what she meant, then sat down beside her.
“You know how religious people often do that—read the Bible, reflect on their actions, and repent.”
“And then sin again?”
Joo-hyuk asked with a smile.
“Do you do that too, Joo-hyuk?”
“Me?”
He pointed at himself with his finger.
“Fortunately, I haven’t committed any work-related sins yet. Ever since I started KMS, I’ve considered uncovering the truth to be my mission.”
“Then why do you dislike that book? It seems like something you’d be proud of. It’s not an easy task, is it?”
Sena asked, struggling to understand his logic. A crooked smile formed on his handsome face. Unlike earlier, this time it wasn’t a self-deprecating smile but one tinged with interest directed at her.
“Maybe I don’t like the feeling that it’s always watching over me? I don’t know—I haven’t thought too deeply about it.”
“Is there something bothering you about it?”
“Absolutely not.”
Joo-hyuk flinched and leaned back, his expression one of surprise as if to ask, “How could you even say that?”
“Sorry. I was just teasing a little,” Sena apologized.
She herself was surprised by the mischievous streak in her that had made her toy with his sincerity.
“Let me take a look at your face.”
He smiled and moved closer to her.
With no space to retreat, she found herself face-to-face with him, her cheeks flushing red.
“The swelling has gone down a lot. The handprint is fading too. Though it still looks like there might be some bruising lower down.”
Joo-hyuk gently brushed a strand of hair off Sena’s cheek, his expression concerned.
Startled, she trembled slightly, and he chuckled softly before pulling back.
“Would you like something to drink? I think I have coffee and juice.”
He stood up from the sofa and asked.
“Tea?”
“Wine would be better, but I thought you might misunderstand if I suggested alcohol.”
“Oh.”
“If you want wine, we can do that. It doesn’t matter to me.”
“No, coffee please. I’ll have coffee.”
Her hurried interruption drew another laugh from him. His amused snickering was unmistakable.
After glancing at her reddened face for a moment, he shook his head slightly and headed toward the kitchen.
Quickly, she pulled out a compact powder from her bag and checked her face. As he had said, the handprint had faded, but her face had turned red for an entirely different reason.
The two sat side by side on the sofa with their coffee, exchanging stories. Most of the conversation revolved around general work-related topics.
“How did you come up with the idea to start KMS?”
“Hmm… I hated seeing newspapers copying and pasting the same articles over and over again.”
“That’s impressive. You created the first issue when you were still a college student, right?”
His ears turned slightly red at the compliment.
“It’s something anyone could’ve thought of.”
“Even if anyone could think of it, not everyone would actually try. It’s definitely something to be proud of.”
“Do you think so?”
He gave an awkward smile and lifted his cup to take a sip of coffee.
Though he likely meant to hide his reddened face, he couldn’t conceal the upward curve of his lips.
“How did you end up becoming a counselor?”
This time, he turned the question back to her.
“How?”
“It’s not a common job among the people I know, so I’m curious.”
“Ah.”
True, being a counselor wasn’t exactly a common profession.
“I just had an interest in it.”
“Just?”
“Just.”
That was all she could say to explain it.
Explaining why she had become a counselor would require digging up the distant past.
Should she start from the time her father brought his mistress and her half-brother into what she had thought was a peaceful home, even if not a happy one?
Or should she begin from the moment she discovered her mother’s lifeless body, after having fled that household and started to believe she could find happiness elsewhere?
Or perhaps she should start from the time she returned to that hellish house, only to escape once again?
Her lips felt dry and cracked, and she couldn’t hide the stiffness creeping over her expression.
Sensing the shift in her mood, Joo-hyuk slowly unfolded his legs, which he had crossed.
“It seems like it’s a story you’d rather not talk about.”
“Rather than difficult…” Sena corrected him, though she couldn’t think of a better word than “difficult” to describe it.
Still, she didn’t want to build walls between them. After all, wasn’t he someone she intended to spend her life with?
“If it’s not that it’s difficult, then maybe now just isn’t the right time.”
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
“Don’t worry. My patience is pretty good.”
Though his words were likely meant to reassure her or make her smile, Sena couldn’t bring herself to laugh. The mere thought of telling him everything someday filled her with such fear that goosebumps rose on her skin.
A silence, different from the one when she had rushed here, now filled the spacious living room.
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