SELA - 7

“How troubling.”

The tears came suddenly. Sa-hee, startled by her own emotions, hurriedly covered her face. Ji-hyuk handed her a handkerchief and watched her silently.

“I’m sorry.”

In her haste, Sa-hee wiped away the tears with her hands and apologized. Ji-hyuk, sitting casually with crossed legs, glanced alternately at the handkerchief and her face.

Fifteen minutes earlier:

The two had descended to the hotel restaurant and taken their seats, quickly ordering their meals. With little appetite, Sa-hee followed Ji-hyuk’s lead and ordered the same light brunch. After that, silence reigned.

Ji-hyuk briefly gazed out the window before turning his attention to his phone for work-related matters. Meanwhile, Sa-hee couldn’t help but steal glances at him. Despite vowing not to make it obvious, her instinct to look at him was irresistible.

Perhaps that was when it started—the tears.

The more she looked at him, the harder it became to believe. There he was, alive and unchanged.

“The people here will undoubtedly think I made Secretary Yoon cry.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If I get scolded, at least let me know why you’re crying.”

“It’s nothing. Just...”

She had no plausible excuse ready. Forced to improvise, she fumbled through an explanation. Ji-hyuk tossed his phone onto the table and leaned back in his chair.

“If that’s the case, why cry in front of me?”

“...”

“It makes me curious.”

What could she say? An awkward silence settled over the table. Ji-hyuk sat relaxed, one leg crossed over the other, staring intently at her. Though she hadn’t done anything wrong, Sa-hee felt uneasy under his gaze.

“To be honest, a sudden bad memory came to mind...”

This was the flimsy excuse she came up with. Even as she said it, her ears burned with embarrassment. The lie was so transparent. As expected, Ji-hyuk immediately saw through it. A faint smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

“Secretary Yoon, do you take me for a fool?”

“...”

“Should I just let it go?”

“...”

“Is that what you want?”

Ji-hyuk tilted his head slightly, his expression making Sa-hee swallow hard. Should she just agree? If she did, he would likely pretend nothing happened, as usual.

But she knew the deeper meaning behind his words. Unable to nod, she tried again.

“I’m not feeling well. My condition must have caused it without me realizing.”

“Because of your condition.”

His deep, penetrating gaze swept over her, assessing the truth of her words. This time, Sa-hee met his eyes squarely. She wasn’t lying, so she felt no fear.

“You do look pale.”

“...”

“As for the reason behind your poor condition, I don’t think I need to know.”

With that, Ji-hyuk carelessly flicked his hair back. For a fleeting moment, Sa-hee’s heart fluttered. But then her gaze dropped. What was she even expecting? He remembered nothing.

“You look unwell again. Let’s leave.”

“No, please eat. I’m really fine.”

When Ji-hyuk abruptly moved to leave, Sa-hee quickly stood to stop him. Grateful for his concern, she didn’t want to ruin his meal.

Just as she thought the situation was becoming unbearable, their food arrived. Relieved, she finally had a moment to breathe.

Amidst the clinking of cutlery, neither touched their food much. Occasionally, they sipped coffee or juice. At one point, their eyes met again—Ji-hyuk had been watching her all along, while Sa-hee had just raised her gaze.

His languid, almost bored expression sent an unexpected shiver through her. Flustered, she knocked over her glass of water. It fell to the floor, shattering with a sharp sound. Startled, she bent down to clean it up, but Ji-hyuk waved over a server and approached her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes? My hand slipped.”

“Let’s clean it up.”

“But the glass broke.”

“Don’t touch the shards. Stand up.”

“No, I should at least—”

“I said stand up.”

Seeing her repeatedly reach for the broken glass despite his instructions, Ji-hyuk frowned. Today, she seemed unusually disobedient, acting unlike herself—as if she were someone else entirely.

He grabbed her hand firmly and pulled her up. Her slight frame stumbled forward into his arms.

“Do you plan to ruin someone else’s meal?”

“What?”

“Just let them handle it.”

“Ah...”

“Sit down.”

Once seated, the server quickly cleaned up the mess. Soon, everything returned to normal—except for her damp skirt.

As Sa-hee discreetly smoothed the wet hem of her skirt—

“Shin Ji-hyuk!”

Someone called out to him.

“Did you get home safely last night?”

The approaching man had a familiar face—it was Ji-hyuk’s longtime friend, Joon-young. He also knew Sa-hee.

“Why are you here this early? Surely not just for breakfast.”

Joon-young rested a hand on Ji-hyuk’s shoulder, curiosity evident in his tone. But Ji-hyuk remained indifferent, sipping his coffee without responding.

“Am I being too hopeful for an answer? Fine, fine.”

Unfazed, Joon-young turned to greet Sa-hee.

“Secretary Yoon is here too.”

“Yes. Hello.”

“You must’ve had a tough time yesterday.”

Joon-young’s comment drew a raised eyebrow from Ji-hyuk, who glanced at Sa-hee. Yesterday likely referred to when she escorted him home after a drinking session. Claiming Song, the driver, had brought him to the hotel, Sa-hee nervously laughed off the remark, hoping her lie wouldn’t be exposed.

“Let’s join you.”

“No.”

Joon-young’s cheerful suggestion was met with Ji-hyuk’s sharp refusal.

“Why not? Come on, isn’t that what friends are for?”

Ignoring the rejection, Joon-young grinned and took a seat anyway.

“You sit too.”

He gestured to the person standing beside him. Only then did Sa-hee notice the young woman who had been quietly by his side.

Radiating innocence and charm, the girl exuded an air of privilege—clearly someone who had grown up surrounded by love and protection.

“Is it okay?”

“Yes, sit down quickly.”

Her voice carried a youthful lilt. Sa-hee watched as the girl took the seat opposite Joon-young, next to Ji-hyuk.

“My younger sister, Ji-young. You’ve met her once before, haven’t you? That was... three years ago? Anyway, she’s grown a lot, hasn’t she?”

At Joon-young’s introduction, Ji-hyuk glanced at Ji-young. She shyly looked up, meeting his gaze before quickly blushing. Sa-hee immediately understood—Ji-young had feelings for him.

Sa-hee absentmindedly poked at her salad with a fork.

“Oppa, hello. It’s been a while.”

“Yeah.”

While Ji-young’s face flushed crimson, Ji-hyuk remained as dry and detached as ever. His tone was devoid of warmth, yet Ji-young seemed enraptured nonetheless.

As Sa-hee stared at her brunch plate, Joon-young placed an order. Meanwhile, Ji-young fidgeted nervously, desperate to speak to Ji-hyuk.

“Hey, Shin Ji-hyuk. Can’t you be a little kinder to Ji-young? Don’t you see how pitiful she looks?”

“Quiet. Stop it! Oppa, please ignore him. He’s always like this...”

“Should I tell him? Lately, she talks about you every day...”

“Oppa!”

Joon-young teased his sister mercilessly, laughing as she protested loudly. 

Silent throughout, Ji-hyuk spun his glass of water and sighed deeply. Sa-hee recognized the look of boredom on his face and quietly observed the scene.

Suddenly, something brushed against her foot. Startled, she looked up to meet Ji-hyuk’s gaze. Sipping his water, he watched her through the glass.

It was Ji-hyuk. Unless mistaken, his foot had touched hers.

Unable to move, Sa-hee moistened her dry lips. She could feel his gaze lingering on her.

Why was he looking at her? Did he want to say something?

Lost in thought, a sudden wave of anxiety washed over her. Ji-hyuk disliked physical contact intensely. If this situation bothered him...

Finally, Sa-hee shifted her leg slightly inward. Pretending nothing happened, she took a sip of her coffee.

“...”

But moments later, something nudged her shoe again. This time, it pressed firmly against the tip of her heel.

Hesitant, she glanced up. Ji-hyuk appeared engrossed in cutting his food, feigning ignorance. Sa-hee’s heart raced, unable to decipher his intentions.

Joon-young and Ji-young continued bickering, filling the table with noise but sparing Sa-hee any awkward silences. Yet, the tension above the table clashed with the subtle playfulness below, leaving her thoroughly confused.

“I’ll step out for a moment to use the restroom.”

Unable to endure any longer, Sa-hee abruptly stood. Dabbing her mouth lightly with a napkin, she hurried away without looking back.