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Suddenly recalling the days of silence from him, Sena let out a bitter smile.
Why had she rushed to share the news of her marriage when the situation was still so uncertain?
Just then, her phone on the desk began vibrating loudly.
She was slightly startled when she saw who it was—Joo-hyuk, as if he were a ghost appearing at just the right moment.
“Hello?”
[Are you free to talk right now?]
“Ah, just a moment.”
She gestured for Seol-young to leave the room. When Seol-young mouthed, “Is it him?” Sena nodded.
With a face full of suspicion, Seol-young stepped outside. After confirming that the counseling room door was closed, Sena brought the phone back to her ear.
“Yes, go ahead.”
[Has it gotten better?]
“Huh?”
[Your face. Even though it’s faint, I thought there might still be some bruising.]
“Oh, it’s fine.”
[Did your aunt’s family say anything about it?]
“They don’t know. Thanks to you, it was light enough to be covered with makeup.”
[Really? I didn’t realize…]
“Hmm?”
[I was worried that your aunt might have found out about the situation, so I hesitated to call. Of course, I’ve been busy too, so it ended up taking longer than expected.]
“Ah…”
Sena bit her lip gently.
So Joo-hyuk hadn’t avoided contacting her because he regretted their impending marriage or because of the awkward atmosphere that day. On the contrary, he had delayed calling out of consideration for her situation, worried that her aunt’s family might be concerned or that she might feel uncomfortable.
And here she had misunderstood him.
A warm, bubbling sensation rose in her chest.
What was this feeling?
“That day, thank you. I didn’t even get to properly say goodbye.”
[It wasn’t easy playing the gentleman, you know.]
Joo-hyuk chuckled lightly as he spoke.
Playing the gentleman, huh?
Sena mulled over his words.
What exactly did he mean by “playing the gentleman”? Was he referring to helping her? Or was he talking about bringing her home and not laying a hand on her?
She couldn’t bring herself to ask, leaving only an awkward silence hanging between them.
Eventually, Joo-hyuk seemed to notice the awkwardness caused by her silence and cleared his throat softly.
[Actually, the reason I called…]
He continued in a somewhat sheepish tone.
[I was wondering if you could make some time to go watch a movie.]
In a way, it was their first date invitation. So far, they had only met out of obligation, sharing dull conversations over meals. This was their first call since the formal introduction meeting.
Of course, it wasn’t so much a question of whether she had time—it felt more like a demand to make time.
“A movie?”
[Yeah. I have a meeting that’ll run late today, so it’ll probably be a late-night movie.]
“Won’t you be tired since it’s a weekday tomorrow?”
Sena asked cautiously.
She thought movies could just as easily be watched on the weekend.
[That’s true, but… this is the last day this movie is showing.]
“Ah…”
[Tired?]
“No, I’m fine. I was just wondering if you’d be tired.”
[Actually, I want to rest because I’m tired, which is why I’m going.]
Sena tilted her head, puzzled by his seemingly contradictory statement.
“But will it be okay for you to go with me?”
[Hmm… Why do I even want to watch it with you?]
Why indeed?
Sena couldn’t answer that question, so she stayed silent.
[I want to watch the movie, and I want to see Kang Sena.]
“…You want to see me?”
Had anyone ever wanted to see her before? She searched her memories but found no one.
Come to think of it, apart from Dr. Cho, her long-time therapist, and Seol-young, her current counselor, Joo-hyuk was the first person to express concern for her well-being.
That warm, bubbling sensation returned.
[So what if I do?]
Joo-hyuk asked bluntly, without a hint of embarrassment.
[If that’s the case, will you come?]
“…Yes, I’ll go.”
[After work, wait for me at home. I’ll pick you up.]
And with that, the call ended.
Staring at the black screen of her phone, Sena was startled. Her own face reflected in the screen was brimming with an unmistakable smile.
Just minutes ago, she had been wondering when she would ever smile brightly again.
But now, like magic, Joo-hyuk had made it happen.
Why? How long had it been since they met? Could this be love?
The moment the word “love” crossed her mind, Sena shook her head vigorously.
It was an absurd thought. Truly absurd.
***
The notification that Joo-hyuk had arrived came around 10 p.m.
Sena quickly opened the front door and stepped outside, glancing down at her outfit. The deep green dress fluttered slightly in the autumn breeze—a result of not stopping Hana when she rummaged through her closet to pick out what she called the “prettiest dress.” Did she really need to go this far?
Still, Sena wanted to look nice, so she hurried out of the gate.
Under the dim glow of the streetlamp in the dark alley, a black sports car was parked. As Sena stepped outside and looked around, the car door lifted upward like wings, revealing Joo-hyuk inside.
For a moment, her steps froze. A new, unfamiliar feeling seemed to stand between them.
“Is this your car?”
“I usually use the company car, but this one’s mine. Get in—I’ll drive you safely.”
Joo-hyuk spoke as he opened the passenger seat door for her.
During the drive to the theater, Sena felt as if they were gliding just above the ground, and she pondered the emotions rising within her toward Joo-hyuk. Finally, upon arriving at the theater, she realized what it was.
Distance.
Even though she knew Joo-hyuk was the CEO of KMS, she had never felt any sense of distance from him based on his demeanor or attitude until now. The restaurant where they had met her aunt’s family was fully booked for months, and the fact that he was close friends with the chef was impressive in itself. Not to mention the luxurious limousine he had arranged afterward. Yet, she hadn’t felt any distance then.
But a man who drove a sports car like something out of a movie and rented out an entire theater for a film screening—this was different.
“I’m sorry for lying.”
Joo-hyuk apologized to Sena, whose face was stiff with tension.
Not only had he rented out the entire VVIP theater filled with recliners, but it also wasn’t even the last day of the movie’s run.
“I was really exhausted today and needed some rest.”
“Then why didn’t you just rest at home instead of lying to come here?”
“Good question. Why did I go through all this trouble just to see Kang Sena?”
At his rhetorical question, her face flushed bright red.
Fortunately, the lights in the theater dimmed as the movie was about to start, and the screen lit up brightly. Sena quickly averted her gaze from Joo-hyuk to the screen, though she could still feel his eyes lingering on her.
She prayed fervently that he wouldn’t notice how red her face had become.
The movie Joo-hyuk had mentioned wanting to see was a crime thriller, a psychological suspense film that pushed human psychology to its limits.
As the story intensified, Sena grew increasingly uncomfortable and clenched her fists tightly. Overcoming psychological pressure was still difficult for her, even if it was just a fictional story on screen.
Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might leap out of her throat. Cold sweat trickled down her back, and goosebumps rose on her arms from the theater’s air-conditioned chill.
When her breathing became too labored to bear, she bolted out of the theater, unable to endure it any longer.
“Are you okay?”
Joo-hyuk followed her out in surprise.
Sena couldn’t answer; she clutched her chest and gasped for air.
“You’re sweating… Here, use this handkerchief.”
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the handkerchief he pulled from his pocket.
“Was the movie too scary?”
“No, it’s not that…”
She bit her lip, unsure how to explain. Her mouth felt dry as if it might crack.
“Let’s move somewhere else.”
“With me…”
Sena grabbed Joo-hyuk’s arm as he glanced around.
“Do you want to have a drink?”
She couldn’t believe the words coming out of her own mouth, and her eyes widened in shock.
Joo-hyuk seemed equally surprised, his lips parting slightly. But soon, he firmly grasped her hand.
His warm hand felt like it might burn her cold one.
***
The place Joo-hyuk took Sena to was a bar at a hotel in central Seoul. In the quiet atmosphere, with few people around, the two sat side by side at the bar table, drinking wine.
Sena placed a piece of cheese the manager had brought onto her tongue, letting it melt before sipping her wine.
“I have panic disorder.”
Finally, Sena spoke to Joo-hyuk, who had been quietly waiting.
“I used to have depression too, but I’m doing better with that now.”
“Ah, I see.”
Though her revelation was quite surprising, he responded calmly.
“I get panic attacks when I experience intense psychological pressure, though it happens very rarely.”
“Was it because of the movie earlier?”
“Yes, I think it stressed me out.”
“You’ll need to be careful at work too.”
“There’s no job without stress, so I just need to toughen up.”
Sena gave a faint smile as she spoke.
Joo-hyuk didn’t ask about the reasons behind her symptoms.
Was he not curious? Or did he think the reasons didn’t matter? Or perhaps…
“Are you suddenly feeling reluctant about the marriage?”
“What?”
“People say mental health is more important than physical health.”
“Does anyone in this day and age live without some kind of mental issue?”
He countered.
Surprised by his unexpected question, she stared at him for a moment. It wasn’t something one would typically hear from an ordinary person, unless they were deeply interested in mental health or worked in the field.
“What’s your mental issue, Joo-hyuk?”
“Me?”
His expression turned unusually serious, as if he hadn’t expected such a question in return.
It was probably a question he had never considered before.
As his silence dragged on, Sena began to feel guilty. His earlier comment had likely been meant to comfort and reassure her, and now she felt like she had unintentionally put him in an awkward position.
“You don’t have to think about it…”
“I can be pretty stubborn.”
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