Chapter 7

Cha Kang-joo

“Kang-joo, you know Mommy’s heart, right? Do you love Mommy?” 

In his childhood, his mother always asked this question vaguely. The answer she wanted was always the same. 

“Yes, I love you, Mommy.” 

And after that habitual answer she wanted, an embrace would inevitably follow. 

Her fragile body, awkwardly holding him. The faint scent of perfume that would gently rise whenever there was hesitation about whether to hug him. 

“Our Kang-joo, Mommy loves you a lot too.” 

His mother’s clumsy confessions of love always seemed to be directed more toward herself than her son, Cha Kang-joo, as if she was trying to force her affection for him, barely holding it together. 

Jeju Island. 

The art museum, full of flowers, had very few visitors. It was a secret garden built in name by a wealthy lady, a place where her hidden secrets were left to gather dust. 

He didn’t know when he had started living there. Since childhood, Kang-joo had been surrounded by flowers and solitude, with his mother visiting occasionally, and no father in sight. The only person who visited every day was his grandmother. 

“Why don’t I have a dad?” 

He never asked such things. Since the concept of family didn’t exist from the beginning, he had no questions about it. Since his mother wasn’t often around, he didn’t wonder about it either. He simply cherished a small affection in his heart and longed for some unknown presence. 

He remembered his grandmother, who had always been there for him. His grandmother’s voice was quiet and slow like Kang-joo’s, and he remembered the wrinkled hands that turned the pages of the fairy tale book. 

One day, as they were looking through the fairy tale book, he suddenly asked, 

“Grandmother, am I your family?” 

The fairy tale book he was looking at had a picture of a family holding hands and heading to an amusement park. The balloon the boy was holding was a bright blue. The square art museum, surrounded by stone walls, was like the blue sky above, the only world he knew. 

At his question, his grandmother’s face, usually gentle, showed a slight hint of hesitation. 

“......” 

Kang-joo, understanding the meaning of his grandmother’s expression despite his young age, lowered his gaze back to the fairy tale book without saying anything. 

The peaceful and quiet time passed slowly. 

It was only much later that Kang-joo learned that his very existence was what could have turned his mother, Yoo Yeong-hyeon, into a single mother. The only blemish on the elegant and cultured only daughter of a wealthy family. The fact that he, the illegitimate child, was a constant shadow following his mother, the shameful secret. 

The lonely child had always wondered. Why doesn’t the person called “mother” live with me? Why don’t I have a family? 

But he couldn’t ask his mother such questions. He was afraid that his mother might not even ask, “Do you love me?” He was afraid that the one person who visited him occasionally might stop coming. He was afraid of that. 

“I love you, Mom.” 

And he quietly murmured the answer his mother wanted. 

His mother, who was pleased and often said how smart and calm Kang-joo was for a child, didn’t know. The child had forced himself to abandon the childish demands, all to become a good son who loved her. 

Then one day, their daily routine changed. The grandmother who visited every day had disappeared. Kang-joo didn’t ask why. He thought that his affection had been like a can of food with a short shelf life, trapped in a cold metal box, destined to fade away. 

The day he left Jeju for Seoul, Kang-joo waved his hand at the art museum, now left behind, with sad eyes. 

Goodbye.

Seoul was colder than Jeju. Although the cold sea wind had disappeared, the warm indoor air felt colder to him than the winter air. 

At seven years old, in December, the first time he saw the man called “father,” he was very large. Standing under an elegant chandelier like a mountain, he looked down at Kang-joo with a smiling face. 

“Kang-joo, this is the first time you’re seeing Dad, right? Let’s get along from now on.” 

Looking at his legal father, Chairman Cha Byeong-jun, Kang-joo actually wanted to step back. 

His mother, Yoo Yeong-hyeon, cried tears in the corners of her eyes while holding his half-sibling, Si-eun, saying that finally, their family was together. But, he had already realized that there was no place for him in the family his mother spoke of. 

Kang-joo soon settled into the Seon-gang Group’s mansion like a shadow. Like a night where even the moon had hidden itself—dark and secretive. 

His mother was always absent. It was harder to see her than when they lived in Jeju. Mr. Kim told him that his mother, being the director of the art museum, often traveled abroad for artwork collection. 

But the truth was, his mother had been avoiding him. He was the mistake born out of a youthful error. The guilt from not being able to give love and affection, despite being expected to do so. His mother had run away from it. 

Kang-joo remembered the many emotions that passed through his mother’s eyes every time she looked at him. Shame. Regret. And a little bit of affection. Kang-joo barely held on in the huge, desolate mansion, clinging to that small bit of affection. 

Kang-joo was eight, in the spring. 

“Kang-joo, why did you push Si-eun?” 

Chairman Cha’s tone was gentle. Kang-joo, sitting awkwardly on the sofa, stared at Si-eun, who was clinging to his arm. His little sister’s eyes were red from trying to hold back her tears. 

Kang-joo lowered his gaze again. 

“She touched my storybook.” 

Chairman Cha’s eyes narrowed slightly. 

“Si-eun is your sister. You should value your sister more than the storybook. That kind of behavior is wrong.” 

“......” 

At Kang-joo’s silence, Si-eun started crying loudly again. 

It wasn’t anything special. He was just reading a storybook, like he used to with his grandmother in Jeju. It wasn’t time to be reading a big-lettered book, but he was just nostalgic. 

When Si-eun had come into his room and briefly ignored him, Kang-joo had been playing with her. Si-eun, not getting Kang-joo’s attention, had approached him and demanded the storybook. Kang-joo, after a moment, had calmed her down and said they’d play later. 

But upset, Si-eun had finally snatched the book from Kang-joo’s hands. 

“I’ll tear this if you don’t play with me!” 

And without warning, she ripped a page right out of the middle. 

“Stop it!” 

For the first time, Kang-joo, who had always been calm, shouted. In the process of grabbing the book back from Si-eun, he had fallen. And inevitably, the sound of crying followed. And with that, the current moment arrived. 

“Apologize to your sister.” 

“......” 

“Apologize for pushing her, now!” 

Chairman Cha’s tone was stern, and his gaze was cold. Kang-joo stared at his desolate eyes and calmly replied. 

“No.” 

“Why not?” 

“I didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“Even if I tell you I was wrong?” 

“Yes.” 

It was probably then that Chairman Cha began to harbor a thorn in his heart toward him. 

Kang-joo, who had grown up too quickly, realized that Si-eun, who had cried and sobbed, was the one who had been wrong for ripping the book. He understood that he had to be careful around Chairman Cha, even though he was still so young. 

Chairman Cha stood up suddenly, grabbed Kang-joo’s storybook, and slowly tore it in half while looking down at the shocked Kang-joo. 

“You’re probably too old for storybooks like this now, Kang-joo.” 

Inside the mansion where her mother’s shadow had disappeared, Kang-joo faced Chairman Cha alone, fiercely.

Chairman Cha Byeong-jun. He had elevated Kang-joo to be his legal son, and instead of staying silent, he had maneuvered his way into the position of son-in-law at Seon-gang Group.

Chairman Cha’s abuse was subtle. Whenever he didn’t like Kang-joo’s behavior, rather than hitting or yelling at him, he confined him. On the surface, it appeared to be a rather cultured punishment.

At first, it was in Kang-joo’s room. Then, in a secluded room. Eventually, it was in a small storage room within the mansion. In that dark, black space.

When he was first locked in the storage room, Kang-joo cried and begged to be let out, but when the door didn’t open, he eventually resigned himself to reality. He curled up and lay there, trembling in fear, enduring it alone.

Kang-joo couldn’t even tell his mother. He didn’t believe that she, who was always absent, would be able to protect him. Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that he had no expectation that she would rescue him.

The suppressed fear piled up like snow. It became a solid and unyielding layer, swallowing Kang-joo whole. Even as an adult, the reason he kept his bed in the living room instead of a bedroom was because of this. He couldn’t bear being in a small, dark space. The fear from his childhood always lingered beneath the surface.

There were many reasons a small child could be locked away. Fighting with Si-eun. Making the chauffeur wait in front of the school. Not having perfect grades. Every time, Kang-joo was punished. Under Chairman Cha’s power, the mansion remained silent about the abuse.

Lying in the lightless storage room, Kang-joo quietly held back his tears. Enduring the darkness that pressed down on him, he bit his lips tightly. The scars on his lips never healed.

Then one day, as he was quietly rotting away.

Kang-joo was twelve, in the summer.

“Who is it? Is it really a ghost?”

Someone opened the storage room door and entered.

A little girl had come with a handful of salt, claiming she was here to drive out the ghost.

“Unni, there’s a ghost in the storage room. Is there really a ghost over there?”

Eleven-year-old Yoon Jae-hee’s summer.

Jae-hee glanced over at the window in response to her younger sister Hyo-jeong’s words.

Now four years old, her sister was always curious and had many questions. Jae-hee looked out the window at the brightly sunlit garden. A small storage room was visible near the stone wall. The daylight made the mention of a ghost not seem very frightening.

“Why? Did our Hyo-jeong see a ghost?”

Hyo-jeong, who had been playing with a toy train, nodded her head.

“Yeah, I heard ghost sounds at night the other day.”

“Really? Did the ghost cry? Like in the movies?”

“Yeah. Unni, is there really a ghost?”

“No, there isn’t. Don’t be scared, Hyo-jeong. There’s really no ghost.”

Is it really a ghost? Jae-hee felt a chill on the back of her neck and turned away from the window. Was it because the mansion was so incredibly large? When night fell, the garden would be completely covered in darkness, and the quiet, empty lawn made her feel scared for some reason.

It had already been three months since Jae-hee had come to live in the Seon-gang Group mansion. She had come along with her mother, who had somehow ended up here as a housekeeper.

Though they lived here, there was a separate back entrance to the mansion, and their room was tucked away behind the main building, so she rarely encountered the people of Seon-gang Group.

After her father passed away, the house, which had been buried in debt, collapsed entirely. Her beautiful and delicate mother, who had once been like a potted plant in the house, worked all day and night. Some days, they went without food, and other days, they couldn’t bathe because there was no water.

At that time, when Jae-hee was struggling to take care of Hyo-jeong and continue their difficult life, they ended up coming to live here. They even got a small room in this grand and magnificent mansion.

According to her mother, it was thanks to the help of the “Chairman, whom we had known for a long time,” that they were able to move in. He had paid off their debts, given them a room in the mansion, and helped in many other ways.

Jae-hee briefly lifted her eyes and looked over the garden again. The brick storage room was still standing awkwardly in place.

It was late at night. Jae-hee woke up in the early morning to go to the bathroom and then stared out the window. She had heard an unfamiliar noise amid the sounds of insects.

“Could it really be a ghost?”

After staring out at the garden for a few seconds, holding her pounding heart, she returned to her room. Hyo-jeong and her mother were sound asleep. Jae-hee lay down briefly next to Hyo-jeong, lost in thought, before suddenly sitting up again.

“I need to check if it’s a ghost.”

The child’s curiosity overcame her fear.

It was a small room with no kitchen. She grabbed a handful of salt from next to a portable stove and quietly sneaked out, lifting her heels.

The summer night was cool. She passed through the grass field and headed toward the storage room nestled under the stone wall. Unable to gather the courage at first, she circled around the area a few times before finally approaching the door.

The cold iron door was locked with a strange lock that could only be opened from the outside. Click. She unlocked the rusted lock and squeezed her foot through the gap in the door.

Could it really be a ghost? The inside was quiet. Standing at the door, Jae-hee quietly stared inside.

“Ah...”

She sighed as she opened her mouth.

Moonlight poured in, illuminating the face of a young boy. His face, pale and streaked with barely-contained tears, reflected the moonlight, with the tears sparkling like stars.

He was so beautiful. Could he really be a ghost? He must be beautiful because he’s a ghost, right? Jae-hee was speechless for a moment. Silence hung between the two children.

“......”

“......”

“...Who are you? Are you really a ghost?”

Jae-hee, still holding the salt tightly, asked the boy. He slowly blinked his eyes. One tear fell and ran down his cheek. Only then did Jae-hee realize that someone unfamiliar had entered her lonely space.

The boy roughly rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and turned his head. He was deeply embarrassed by having his hidden tears discovered. Despite enduring his pain alone, he was still just a child.

Jae-hee cautiously approached him and threw a few grains of salt near him. The grains bounced off his clothes and rolled onto the floor.

Only then did the boy slowly ask.

“...What are you doing?”

“Sprinkling salt. If you’re a ghost, go away.”

“......”

He stared at Jae-hee with a baffled expression, then shook the salt off his clothes.

“I’m not a ghost.”

The boy’s voice, which had been heavy with tears, had now become calm.

If it were normal, he probably wouldn’t have responded at all.

Though being locked up had become a regular part of his life, there were still moments when fear would surge over him like a storm. The darkness that filled the storage room would suffocate him, as though it would swallow him whole.

On this night, when he was swallowing his tears, the child had come. Like a secret gift. He couldn’t bring himself to push them away.

Jae-hee sat down next to him, pressing her hip against his.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m being punished.”

“Punished? What do you mean?”

The boy kept his mouth shut. Jae-hee poured the salt she was holding onto the floor and then patted her hands to shake off the grains.

She turned to face the boy. Bathed in the pale moonlight, his face looked like it had been carved from smooth porcelain. His face, now wiped clean of tears, was calm, and his quiet gaze was deeper than most children’s.

“But who are you?”

“Cha Kang-joo.”

“Cha? Are you the son of Chairman Cha?”

“...Yeah.”

Kang-joo quietly answered, staring at the floor. After all, a son is still a son. On the dusty floor, the salt Jae-hee had scattered glistened. After staring at the sparkling grains for a while, Kang-joo finally looked up.

“Then who are you?”

“Me? I’m Yoon Jae-hee.”

“Aren’t you the ghost? I’ve never seen you at home.”

In fact, it didn’t matter to Kang-joo if Jae-hee was a ghost. At that moment, if anyone could just be there with him, it would be enough.

Jae-hee smiled softly and casually replied.

“I live over there. My mom works here as a maid.”

Jae-hee’s finger pointed toward the space behind the half-open door. A small room at the end of the main house, located in the garden. Kang-joo also followed her gesture and looked up. As he watched Kang-joo’s smooth nose, Jae-hee asked, adding another question.

“Aren’t you scared being alone?”

“......”

“Do you come here often?”

“...Yeah.”

“Then if you hear any ghost sounds, I’ll come and help.”

Kang-joo remained silent at her words. He didn’t say whether it was good or bad, but he nodded very slightly.

One year later.

Jae-hee walked along, holding a tangerine.

It was a dark night. From the storage shed, an unfamiliar noise could be heard. The fact that the sound was coming from there meant that Kang-joo was locked in the shed, and that Jae-hee herself had to go there.

It had been some time since Jae-hee met Kang-joo. She learned that he was a year older than her and the son of “Chairman Cha,” whom her mother occasionally mentioned. This was a secret relationship; aside from their secret meetings, they had never crossed paths outside.

Jae-hee looked around to make sure no one was watching, then opened the shed door, which could only be opened from the outside. She saw Kang-joo crouched down, his face buried in his knees. The young boy’s shoulders were trembling.

Startled, Jae-hee rushed to Kang-joo.

“O-oppa! Are you okay?”

She crouched down in front of him and asked with concern. Kang-joo didn’t respond. Jae-hee gently cupped his cheek and lifted his pale, terrified face, meeting his eyes filled with fear.

Kang-joo’s lips trembled with anxiety.

“I’m here.”

“…….”

Kang-joo’s eyes, which had been shaking, slowly started to calm down. He exhaled deeply and slowly. Jae-hee held his hand tightly and breathed slowly and audibly.

“Follow my lead. Hoo—ha.”

Kang-joo stared at her, his breath unsteady, as if he was about to cry. He looked down at Jae-hee’s hand holding his, then back at her, as if chasing a vision.

Though he tried to act unaffected, the confinement he had endured since childhood had long turned into a trauma. Even though Jae-hee was here, the fear inside him didn’t simply disappear.

Sometimes, the suppressed fear would resurface, and in such moments, Kang-joo would find himself in situations like this. The air would feel like a heavy rock, pressing down on him, and a sensation like a giant snake constricting around him would make it hard to breathe, causing him to clutch his chest and roll on the floor.

But...

“Are you feeling better now? Your heart’s beating so fast.”

Jae-hee’s warmth was felt as she placed her palm on his chest. The fear slowly subsided. As his labored breathing calmed, Kang-joo finally turned his face away from Jae-hee.

“Now I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah. So... now go.”

“Go? Why?”

Jae-hee, not giving up, moved closer to Kang-joo, who had turned away. He bit his lips tightly.

“...It’s embarrassing.”

Why did he only show his vulnerable side in front of her? He hated his weakness.

One day, Chairman Cha had said something. He called it a mental illness. He had said that after watching Kang-joo suddenly fall into a panic attack in a narrow elevator, sweating coldly. He had told Kang-joo’s doctor to keep it quiet and nodded, saying, “You can’t escape bloodlines.”

“You can’t escape bloodlines.” He didn’t fully understand what it meant, but he knew that it meant he had become something shameful. That’s why he didn’t want Jae-hee to see him like this, even though he knew she was the only one who could see his true self.

“What’s so embarrassing? Is there anyone in the world who’s not scared of darkness? I’m scared too. You’re just more scared than others.”

Jae-hee’s hand touched Kang-joo’s forehead. Casually comforting him, she wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

Kang-joo, whose eyes had been anxiously wet, followed Jae-hee’s touch. The spot where her hand touched felt as if it was burning with heat. Kang-joo pulled her hand down and grasped it tightly. The hands of the two children intertwined, securely linking them.

Jae-hee looked down at Kang-joo’s hand, which he desperately clutched.

“Your hand is cold.”

She quickly placed her other hand over his hand, wrapping it in warmth. Kang-joo felt a sense of comfort from the warmth and, for some reason, felt like he wanted to cry.

“Does it feel warmer now?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you breathe easily now?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. If you’re scared again, tell me. I’ll hold you.”

“...Okay.”

Kang-joo nodded obediently. He suppressed the emotions knotting in his heart and repeated only the word, “Okay.”

Several years later.

By the time he became a high school student, Kang-joo was rarely locked in the shed anymore. Now that he was older, he lived quietly, obediently, without opposing Chairman Cha.

Their meetings, too, had become less frequent, and instead of the shed, they now met in a small room— not Kang-joo’s room, but a tiny maid’s room attached to the backyard.

“Oppa, I don’t understand this. I can’t get it.”

On the opposite side of Kang-joo, Hyo-jeong, now in elementary school, asked him a question. Kang-joo, who had been working on a workbook, looked up and glanced at Hyo-jeong’s workbook.

“I think you had trouble with time problems last time too. Hyo-jeong, first, how many minutes are there in an hour?”

“60 minutes.”

“Correct. Now, it says here that the time it takes to get from home to the supermarket is 25 minutes. So, first, subtract 25 minutes from 60...”

Kang-joo calmly explained, and Hyo-jeong listened attentively with wide eyes. Jae-hee, who had been watching a video lecture leaning against the wall, suddenly interrupted.

“Why do you ask Oppa only? Why don’t you leave me alone?”

“You always yell at me.”

“When did I?”

“When I can’t solve a problem, you yell at me! Even now, you’re nagging me!”

Hyo-jeong pouted her lips as she gripped her pencil tightly. Hearing the sisters’ squabble, Kang-joo chuckled softly. This small, lively room had, over time, become his dreamlike sanctuary.

A little while later, Hyo-jeong rubbed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Kang-joo and Jae-hee, after studying for a while, went out into the backyard as the shadows grew long in the afternoon.

“It’s still a bit cold, right? Oppa?”

They sat side by side on the landscaping stones, basking lazily in the sun. Jae-hee stretched her arms behind her and yawned.

“You need to stop doting on Hyo-jeong so much. She’s been sticking to you a lot lately. It’s a big problem.”

“So what? She’s cute.”

“Cute? Well, I guess she is cute. Our Hyo-jeong.”

Jae-hee smiled widely and scratched her cheek. The little one had started to get loud now that her head had grown bigger, but that, too, was unbearably cute and endearing.

“By the way, Oppa, did I tell you about the fight I had with my class at school?”

“Yeah, you said you won.”

“Yeah. But guess what? I found out they were talking bad about me on social media. They said I’m annoying because I have no dad and I act like I’m all that, even though we’re poor.”

“......”

Kang-joo’s face grew dark. Jae-hee continued casually.

“They called me a really mean girl. They said if they were me, they’d be so embarrassed if their mom was a maid at someone else’s house.”

She didn’t mention how that nasty girl’s brother had also talked badly about her, and how they even came to the school to cause trouble. She didn’t want to worry him. It wasn’t a big deal; it was just some big, dumb guy threatening and yelling at her.

Jae-hee turned to Kang-joo, surprised.

“Hey, why’s your face like that? You look scary.”

She stretched his mouth with her finger, urging him to smile, and smiled herself first.

“It’s okay, the other kids saw that and started yelling at them first. Because of that, those kids are getting a lot of backlash now.”

“......”

“They’re really bad kids, right? Talking to you about it makes me feel a little better. I’m really angry about it.”

Kang-joo was lost in thought, his lips slightly lifted by Jae-hee’s fingertips. It seemed like many thoughts were passing through his mind. The three people who had fought with Jae-hee: Lim Ji-ye, Kwon Eun-young, Lee Hae-ran.

Jae-hee quietly watched Kang-joo, who was lost in thought. She slowly removed her hand from his lips, which she had been forcing into a smile.

Sometimes, Kang-joo Oppa felt distant to her. His long, beautiful eyelashes, his elegant nose. As she looked at his serene face, she was reminded that he was the son of a wealthy family, born with everything.

How much longer will we have time to talk like this? Once Oppa goes to university and we all become adults, we won’t be able to stay like this anymore.

Suddenly, a feeling of sorrow rose inside her. He wouldn’t know, but she had to suppress the longing that came with her one-sided feelings.

Cha Kang-joo. Kang-joo Oppa. Her first love.

She had been drawn to him from the moment they first met. The boy crying alone in the dark. She liked his sorrowful and beautiful face, his low, calm voice, his composed expression, and his eyes that seemed deep and wounded, not at all like those of a typical boy.

When she stared blankly at that beautiful face, their gazes naturally met, and every time it did, her neck would grow warm, and she would turn her head away. It was probably when her face started to flush in his direction that her feelings began.

On that dark night. When she held his hand as he curled up alone in the shed. When she faced him as he leaned on her, desperately trying to find his way back. She didn’t know why it hurt so much.

She didn’t realize it was because of her feelings for him. At one point, she even thought it was some kind of illness. Her body would grow hot, and her heart would race. She thought she had caught a terrible disease. She would clutch her pounding heart and beat her chest through the night.

While Jae-hee was lost in her memories, Kang-joo, who had been lost in thought, looked up. Their gazes met calmly in the rising sunlight. His gaze seemed to tear through her heart, exposing every anxious thought she had for her first love.

Jae-hee, unable to handle the awkwardness, blurted out something.

“Ugh, look at you.”

“...”

“You’re so handsome.”

“...”

Kang-joo blinked slowly at the unexpected compliment, then quickly composed himself. His ear, out of Jae-hee’s line of sight, flushed bright red.

“I’m really shameless. Saying things like this.”

At Jae-hee’s playful remark, Kang-joo let out a laugh, just a beat behind. Then, gently, he replied.

“I like people who are bold and shameless, Jae-hee.”

For a moment, Jae-hee’s heart dropped with a thud. She quickly turned her head, avoiding Kang-joo’s gaze.

What should I do? My face must be bright red right now. How embarrassing.

He was probably just saying it casually. It was just a casual remark. But she couldn’t bear to face the smile he gave her. His beautiful eyes, those deep, steady eyes, were enough to completely shake her heart.

Kang-joo, feeling uncomfortable, took a sip of water. It was the family dinner time that had been arranged after a long while, as Chairman Cha, busy with the recent mergers and acquisitions, had made some time for it. Kang-joo was responding appropriately to his younger sister Si-eun’s comments while eating.

Suddenly, Chairman Cha asked, “How’s your studying going?”

“Yes, Father.”

“I heard from the school president that your attitude in class is good, and your grades are in the top ranks.”

“Yes.”

The conversation between Kang-joo and Chairman Cha was distant, unlike most father-son dialogues. There wasn’t even a trace of a warm glance. As Si-eun listened to their conversation, she leaned forward toward Chairman Cha.

“Dad, I made it into the top 10 this time!”

At that, Chairman Cha’s expression softened. Afterward, a lively conversation continued between Si-eun and Chairman Cha. Kang-joo continued to eat, keeping his gaze downward.

“Thank you for the meal. I’ll head upstairs first.”

After a short while, Kang-joo put his utensils down first. Normally, he would wait until Chairman Cha finished eating, but today he felt uncomfortable and couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Wait outside for a moment. I have something to discuss after dinner.”

“Yes.”

Kang-joo nodded as he started to head upstairs but then decided to wait in the living room.

As Kang-joo sat on the sofa in the living room, waiting, the two of them—father and daughter—approached.

“Si-eun, you go upstairs first.”

“Why, Dad? I want to talk too. Huh?”

Si-eun clung to Chairman Cha’s arm, pouting. Since it was rare to spend time with Kang-joo, she was reluctant to end their conversation so quickly.

Kang-joo always kept a rigid distance from her, drawing a clear line, never letting her into his space. It seemed like he was much more comfortable with the daughters of the housekeepers.

But Si-eun knew the reason for that better than anyone, so she couldn’t bring herself to approach Kang-joo closely, pretending to be oblivious.

She had seen her father lock her brother in the shed many times when they were children. She ignored and looked away as she watched the terrified boy being dragged out.

“He must have done something wrong. Dad wouldn’t do that for no reason.”

At the time, she didn’t know that sometimes, there could be malice without reason. If she had known back then, would things have been different? Could Kang-joo have really become her brother?

“Go upstairs and study. I’ll check later.”

At Chairman Cha’s words, Si-eun reluctantly started to leave. As she climbed the stairs, she turned around with an unexplained feeling of regret. She saw Chairman Cha’s soft but firm expression and Kang-joo’s neutral face, which seemed to show a hint of boredom.

She looked at them, the father and son, who seemed so distant—two people who could never truly connect.

“Please, drink.”

The housekeeper placed a cup of tea in front of Chairman Cha, and then a warm cup of hot chocolate was placed in front of Kang-joo with a smile.

“Mr. Kang-joo, here’s your hot chocolate. I cooled it slightly so it wouldn’t be too hot. Enjoy.”

With her delicate and neat appearance, despite getting older, the graceful woman was Kang Mi-ryeong, the mother of Jae-hee and Hyo-jeong, and the housekeeper of this home. After serving the drinks, she left the room.

“You said you had something to discuss.”

At Kang-joo’s calm question, Chairman Cha turned his head again. Feeling thirsty, he took a few sips of tea, then cleared his throat.

“How’s life at school?”

“It’s manageable.”

“I heard your English skills are excellent.”

“I’ve been learning it since I was young.”

Kang-joo replied nonchalantly. He didn’t think Chairman Cha had called him here just to ask about trivial things. After listing a series of unnecessary questions, Chairman Cha finally dropped the bombshell.

“You should go to university in the United States.”

“What?”

“I’ll take care of everything, so you just go.”

“……”

“Since your nationality is American, go there and finish the 12th grade at a secondary school. Once you complete your MBA, I’ll find a place for you in the company.”

A crack appeared in Kang-joo’s calm expression.

What is he talking about all of a sudden? Leave Korea and go to America?

Kang-joo had always thought that one day Chairman Cha would expel him, but he never imagined it would happen like this.

“……”

A chill ran up his spine from his toes.

He had endured Chairman Cha’s abuse in silence. He had endured his contempt and dismissal with patience.

When his mother once asked him what he would like as a birthday gift, Kang-joo jokingly answered:

“When I go to college, I want to live on my own. Please get me a nice house.”

His mother had laughed, saying he was already thinking about leaving the nest, but she eventually nodded and promised that when the time came for him to live independently, she would make it happen. That was how he was able to endure.

When the time came, he would be with her.

With that one person.

He had endured the hellish days, waiting for that hope.

Kang-joo’s eyes narrowed with cold resolve.

“I refuse.”

“Refuse? ...Why don’t you want to go?”

“I don’t want to go.”

“…….”

Chairman Cha frowned at Kang-joo’s defiance.

From the moment they first met, Kang-joo had been a thorn in his side, and as he grew older, he became even more of an annoyance. In truth, the feelings Chairman Cha displayed towards his son were less those of a father towards his child and more akin to the baseless hostility one man might feel toward another.

An antagonistic silence fell between Chairman Cha and Kang-joo.

“Stop talking back and do as you’re told. A kid like you thinks you can do whatever you want...”

“I’m not going.”

“When your father tells you to, you say yes, yes and accept it! When the time comes, you’ll go no matter what, understand?”

Instead of trying to persuade Kang-joo, Chairman Cha issued an order. It was rare for anyone to go against his will, whether in the business world or at home. Perhaps because of that, Chairman Cha found it even harder to tolerate Kang-joo’s defiance.

A loud voice filled the house. As Kang-joo walked away with purposeful strides, he shot a voice laced with anger over his shoulder.

“What do you mean, ‘when your father tells you to’? You’re not even my real father.”

Chairman Cha’s back stiffened, his rage surging.

“You...!”

Unable to contain his anger, Chairman Cha’s veins bulged with fury. He roughly grabbed Kang-joo’s shoulder.

“I raised you all this way, and now you defy me? If I say something, you should obey, and bow down! If, as you say, I’m not your real father, what do you think will happen if you keep rebelling?”

“Then why don’t you just throw me out? Oh, are you too afraid of what others might think to do that?”

“...You brat!”

“Just throw me out properly. I’ll live quietly and disappear. I won’t go to America.”

By this point, Chairman Cha’s desire to break the defiant son had turned malicious. He desperately wanted to crush that unyielding spirit.

It had always been this way. Every time Kang-joo looked at him with calm eyes, a strange urge arose in Chairman Cha. An irrational, low desire to break him.

“If you don’t do as I say, you’ll get nothing. Stop talking back and go when I tell you to.”

“I’ll tell my mother. I’ll tell her everything you’ve done to me. I’ll ask for her help.”

That was Kang-joo’s only weapon, his last line of defense.

Unable to control his rage, Chairman Cha hurled a teacup at him. Clink! The teacup shattered as it collided next to Kang-joo. Kang-joo didn’t even blink, calmly watching Chairman Cha’s outburst.

This only made Chairman Cha’s anger flare up even more. Panting heavily, Chairman Cha took a moment to compose himself. As he glared at Kang-joo, his smile twisted into something serpentine, sly and cruel.

“Kang-joo, do you know why your mother married me? Hmm?”

Chairman Cha’s voice, now relaxed, took on a dark and sinister tone.

“Because of you. Because of the illegitimate child no one was supposed to know about. She kept quiet, looking for someone to put you on the family registry as her legitimate son, and she ended up with me by chance.”

Kang-joo’s previously steady gaze grew cold and hard. Seeing Kang-joo waver, Chairman Cha felt a twisted sense of pleasure.

“You think your mother made you with a man who was just the son of some dog food company, don’t you?”

“......”

“Do you think you’re going to make your mother cry? Do you think you can tell her that you were abused while she neglected you and hurt her heart even more?”

Chairman Cha’s venomous voice pressed down on Kang-joo like a heavy weight.

Kang-joo silently glared at Chairman Cha. The abuse he endured from him was something his mother had left him to bear, driven by guilt. If she ever discovered the truth, she would likely be tormented by self-reproach. She would blame herself for abandoning her son again, for hurting him.

Even if that were the truth, Kang-joo could not bring himself to push his mother into that abyss. Even though she had failed to give him love, she was still his mother.

“You should be a good son. What could a kid who’s been holding his mom’s ankles since birth possibly do?”

Kang-joo spoke with a voice laced with derision.

“...You piece of garbage.”

Chairman Cha’s face turned bright red as he swung his arm. Smack! The hand violently hit Kang-joo’s cheek, making it burn with heat.

Yes, this is how it should be. Kang-joo smiled with his reddened cheek.

Now, he was taller, broader, and stronger than Chairman Cha. As an adult, his strength was incomparable. But he didn’t retaliate with violence because he was not as much of a piece of trash as Chairman Cha was.

Unable to control his anger, Chairman Cha screamed loudly.

“Bang Mi-ryeong! Get the bodyguards! Tell them to lock that bastard in the storage room!”

Mi-ryeong, who had been anxiously pacing behind, rushed forward with a face full of concern.

“Chairman, what are you doing? Can’t you speak instead—”

“Just hurry and get them!”

Instead of calling the bodyguards, Mi-ryeong placed her palm gently on Kang-joo’s heated cheek. Up until now, she hadn’t realized the sinister nature that Chairman Cha hid from her.

Kang-joo, trembling, lowered Mi-ryeong’s hand from his cheek. Then, he rang the bell to summon the bodyguards himself. Mi-ryeong, unable to comprehend the situation, looked back and forth between the two men with a fearful expression.

Soon, two large bodyguards hurriedly entered. Kang-joo casually extended his arm toward them and said indifferently.

“My father wants me locked up again.”

“…….”

The bodyguards looked at Chairman Cha, confused.

“Don’t let him out until tomorrow.”

When Chairman Cha spat these words out, the bodyguards cautiously began to guide Kang-joo away. As Kang-joo turned, Chairman Cha’s mocking laughter stabbed him in the back.

“A crippled idiot who can’t even breathe properly in a small space, how dare he.”

Kang-joo wanted to laugh loudly.

Who made me that idiot?

After dinner, Kang-joo was spending time helping Hyo-jeong with her homework when he suddenly heard an unfamiliar noise from outside. Before long, the area fell into silence. He knew what that secret presence meant. After reassuring his anxious mother, Jae-hee, she paused in thought for a moment, and as soon as Hyo-jeong fell asleep, she quietly stepped outside.

“…Oppa.”

Jae-hee unlocked the door and carefully opened the iron gate. The door creaked loudly as it swung open.

Inside, only moonlight filled the space, and it seemed empty. Expensive furniture was scattered here and there. Her brother would probably be somewhere among these, sitting elegantly, like one of these beautiful pieces of art.

She hadn’t understood when she was younger. She had just thought it was some odd punishment, nothing more. Kang-joo oppa was scared, so she needed to be there for him. That was all. Sometimes, when her mother got angry, she would slap her hand with a ruler once or twice—she had thought that was what punishment was like.

As a child, the tears he had shed and the occasional panic attacks that would suddenly appear made no sense to her. It was only as she grew older that she understood what they meant. And now, her heart ached even more. She had been a bystander. Ignorance was a sin.

Kang-joo was sitting with his back against an antique dresser, and when he saw Jae-hee approaching, he slowly lifted his head. His eyes, which had been frozen with tension, began to relax.

“You’re here?”

A faint smile appeared on Kang-joo’s lips.

Jae-hee exhaled, unsure whether it was a sigh of relief or resignation. She sat beside him and nervously asked in a trembling voice:

“Should I... should I report it? Should I call child abuse or something?”

Though, it was far too late to be considered a child now.

Kang-joo smiled faintly. Then, in a soft, reassuring tone, he responded.

“It’s fine. It’s just punishment.”

Even if she reported it, it was clear that it would have no effect on Chairman Cha. After all, wealth and power were like that, weren’t they? Twisting and crushing the truth was easier for him than squashing an ant underfoot.

Moreover, that cruel man could do something even worse, and he wouldn’t want Jae-hee to take such a dangerous step.

“Why is it like this here?”

Jae-hee looked at Kang-joo’s face in the moonlight. She gently traced his swollen cheek, which had been hit by Chairman Cha, and the cut at the corner of his mouth. In the dark, she slowly touched his face. Kang-joo allowed her to touch him, silently looking down at her.

His breathing gradually slowed.

“Your cheek is swollen... and your lip...”

Jae-hee, who had been worriedly examining him, suddenly stopped breathing. Kang-joo’s gaze, piercing and intense, felt so hot it could burn. Jae-hee, who hadn’t noticed her concern for him, suddenly became aware that their faces were now dangerously close.

If it had been before, it wouldn’t have mattered. But now, her feelings for him had changed so much that just being this close made her feel tense.

‘Ah, what am I doing? I think I’m crazy.’

Jae-hee quickly withdrew her hand. She wasn’t some naive girl anymore—what kind of person touches a grown man’s face like that?

Her hand trembled, and her heart pounded loudly, as if it could break the silence and reach Kang-joo. His gaze was still on her face, but she couldn’t bring herself to turn and meet his eyes.

The suffocating silence filled the room when suddenly, a voice called out from outside.

“Why is this door open?!”

It was Chairman Cha’s voice. Jae-hee was startled and almost screamed. Kang-joo quickly covered her mouth with his hand and dropped to the carpet.

“It seems it wasn’t properly closed earlier. Apologies, Chairman,” he said.

The voice of a bodyguard from outside the door drifted in.

Jae-hee was pressed tightly against Kang-joo’s solid arm. The hand covering her mouth was warm. The body pressing against hers in the dark felt equally hot. The rising heat surrounded her completely.

His large body covered her entirely. The sound of a heartbeat in her ear—was it her own, or was it Kang-joo’s?

A low whisper echoed in her ear.

“Don’t make a sound. If he knows we’re here, you’ll be in trouble.”

In the darkness, his voice was laced with a sharpness that sent a shiver down her spine. His voice, muffled and thick, felt unsettlingly intimate.

Jae-hee, nestled against him, managed to nod in response. Only then did the hand that had been covering her mouth fall away. Jae-hee’s hand, resting on his chest, twitched slightly. She couldn’t believe the reality of being held by him, nor could she believe how her heart was pounding so wildly.

Creeeak. The warehouse door opened. Her trembling heart began to beat in a different, more intense way.

Chairman Cha, who had been talking to the bodyguards, stood at the entrance, staring inside. Behind the dresser, only Kang-joo’s ankle was slightly visible. Jae-hee, lying against Kang-joo, had her feet pulled up in tense readiness.

Chairman Cha muttered, clearly displeased.

“I thought you were just sleeping... Tch.”

He knocked loudly on the iron gate and, almost as if yelling, said:

“Forget about today; it was my mistake. Come out and sleep in your room.”

It sounded like he was offering a great kindness. Chairman Cha turned his back without waiting for a response from Kang-joo and, with the bodyguards, left, leaving the door wide open.

After all the sounds faded away, only silence remained in the warehouse. The wind howling from outside and their heated breaths filled the still air.

Jae-hee didn’t push away Kang-joo’s hand wrapped around her waist. The tips of his fingers tingled. She bit her lips, gathering the courage to look up. His face was right in front of hers.

They were so close that their breaths could mix. If he tilted his head just a little, their lips would meet instantly.

The tension was suffocating.

Jae-hee forced a smile.

“Ah... we must look really funny right now... Right?”

She tried to break the tension with a forced laugh. Kang-joo’s face remained impassive, giving no reaction. As he gazed at Jae-hee’s awkward expression, he quietly spoke.

“It’s not funny.”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t think it’s funny at all.”

His gaze, filled with intensity, seemed to pour uncontrollably. His breath, as he whispered, felt as though it could burn her skin.

“Unnie.”

“......”

“Unnie!”

“Huh? Huh!”

It wasn’t until Hyo-jeong called out twice that Jae-hee snapped out of her thoughts.

“Oppa has been trying to talk to you. He’s been calling you since earlier.”

“Huh?”

Jae-hee blinked and shifted her gaze. She saw Kang-joo sitting next to Hyo-jeong, silently watching her. Her face quickly turned away again. The moment their eyes met, her heart dropped with a thud. Her face immediately flushed, and her ears felt hot.

“Why... why did you call me?”

Jae-hee asked, scratching at the floor with her fingertips, avoiding his gaze. Kang-joo continued to stare at her for a moment, then calmly said,

“Let’s go to the bookstore together with Hyo-jeong later. To pick out the book I promised to buy her.”

“Oh, I have plans tonight.”

She replied, trying to avoid him. It was the truth. Kang-joo’s birthday was coming up soon, and Jae-hee had planned to go buy him a surprise gift. Naturally, she couldn’t tell him in advance.

Kang-joo’s gaze scanned Jae-hee.

It had been like this since that time. Since the moment in the warehouse when he had embraced her. Jae-hee had been avoiding him and acting as though she was afraid or uncomfortable with him.

Kang-joo continued to look at Jae-hee, then nodded his head slowly.

“...Okay.”

He said softly.

The weather was very strange. The sun would shine brightly, only to be followed by sudden downpours, and just as quickly, the rain would stop, leaving everything dry. Perhaps it was the odd weather, but for some reason, Jae-hee felt a chill running through her body. They say that dogs don’t even catch summer colds.

While washing Hyo-jeong’s hair, Jae-hee fell deep into thought again.

That night. Kang-joo’s face, right in front of her. His smooth, sculpted cheeks and deeply set eyes. His lips, so close that they almost seemed within reach if she just tilted her head. His breath scattered in the air.

Her chest tingled, and her breath grew shallow.

“Ugh!”

Jae-hee let out a strained sound and swung the showerhead. She couldn’t hold back the rising emotions. Just such a light touch had made her heart burn with longing. That’s why it was so hard to look at Kang-joo’s face directly.

Whenever she met his gaze, it felt as though he could see right through her. She was scared her hidden affection for him would be exposed.

Is this what a first love feels like? So embarrassing and heart-pounding? She couldn’t even look him in the eye properly. What should she do?

“Unnie, what’s wrong?”

Hyo-jeong, covered in soap bubbles, slapped Jae-hee’s arm. Jae-hee, biting her teeth, hurriedly rubbed Hyo-jeong’s hair again.

What should I do? It felt like she had truly fallen into the fever of love.

By evening, the heavy rain began to fall. The weather had been fine just earlier, but now it poured down as if the sky had torn open. Jae-hee put on her cardigan and closed the window. The cool air rushing in made her head feel achey.

As she stared at the sleeping Hyo-jeong and her mother, Jae-hee sat by the window with a cup of hot barley tea. Then, she noticed it. Kang-joo, locked in the warehouse.

The sound of the rain muffled everything. If she hadn’t been sitting by the window, she wouldn’t have known.

‘Why again? This hasn’t happened in a while!’

The tension between Chairman Cha and Kang-joo over the issue of studying abroad had continued. For Chairman Cha, it seemed like a matter of pride. And, of course, it ended with Kang-joo being locked away.

Jae-hee stood up.

That chairman, that bad person! Kang-joo had assured her that it was just a punishment, that it was fine, but she knew better. That was clearly abuse. Kang-joo could sometimes hardly breathe.

As soon as the bodyguards left, Jae-hee grabbed an umbrella and ran to the warehouse. The pouring rain made the umbrella useless. She opened the warehouse door with her soaked body and hurried toward Kang-joo, who was crouched down.

“Oppa, Kang-joo Oppa.”

Today was the day. The day Kang-joo was struggling more than usual.

Kang-joo, sitting with stiffened shoulders, slowly lifted his head when Jae-hee shook him. His vacant eyes followed her, as if chasing the welcome.

With a face that looked like she was about to cry, Jae-hee grabbed his hand tightly.

“Take a breath. Okay? Breathe. In, deeply. Quickly.”

His breathing was so slow. Jae-hee exhaled first, as if breathing together with him. When she touched his forehead, cold sweat seeped out.

What should I do, what should I do?

Jae-hee tightly held his trembling hand, then clung to his neck, embracing him. She gently stroked his back.

“It’s okay, okay? Breathe, quickly...”

Her trembling voice tried to comfort him, and only then did she hear a sigh-like breath escape from Kang-joo.

Kang-joo gently rested his forehead on Jae-hee’s shoulder. Finally, his breathing eased in the warmth of her embrace.

Jae-hee.

Jae-hee.

Kang-joo only whispered her name into his mouth. He couldn’t bring himself to hold her. If he embraced her again, she might pull away, just like last time. If he got closer, she might push him away coldly. Her rejection terrified him more than death itself.

He thought he didn’t want anything. He thought there was nothing he deeply desired. He had no emotional reaction to the precious things his mother gave him. He believed he had no impulses or desires within him—until he met Yoon Jae-hee.

No matter how much he poured her affection into himself, it was never enough. At some point, a dark desire took root in him, and it became harder and harder to control.

It was all because something inside of him was empty. Nothing could fill that space except Yoon Jae-hee. His greed rose without knowing its place, constantly surging up. He couldn’t breathe properly without Jae-hee.

“Such an idiot.”

Kang-joo whispered self-deprecatingly, inhaling her scent. The warm pulse of her heartbeat. The fragrant scent. How could someone like me, a psychopath, have you? How could I have you?

He even feared that he might completely stain the endlessly bright Jae-hee with his darkness.

“Hmm...?”

Jae-hee quietly asked, unable to hear his words clearly due to the sound of rain.

Kang-joo didn’t continue speaking. He held back the desire to recklessly bury himself in Jae-hee’s warm body and exhaled a quiet breath instead.

Only the cold sound of the rain filled the warehouse.

Thud! It seemed like something made a loud sound.

Kang-joo briefly opened his eyes. When had he fallen asleep? He had only closed his eyes while resting against Jae-hee’s shoulder.

He groped beside him, searching for Jae-hee. He saw her lying on the carpet.

It was a night where even the moon hid behind the rain. The pitch-black space was so dark he couldn’t even see his own fingers. Kang-joo carefully removed his clothes and gently covered Jae-hee with them. His fingertips accidentally brushed against her nape. He flinched, pulling his hand back, then, with a startled look, touched her nape again.

It was hot.

In a hurry, Kang-joo placed his hand on Jae-hee’s forehead as well. He felt the intense heat, as if she were burning up.

“Jae-hee.”

He shook her shoulder and urgently called her name. Normally, she would have responded with an “Hmm?” even in her sleep, but Jae-hee didn’t open her eyes.

“Jae-hee, wake up.”

Jae-hee still didn’t stir. For a moment, Kang-joo’s world spun around him. He jumped up from his position and ran toward the warehouse door. He needed to call for help. He had to get outside quickly.

But when he reached the warehouse entrance, he was faced with the tightly closed door. It was a door that was usually left slightly open when Jae-hee came in. The door could only be opened from the outside, and once it was closed, it couldn’t be opened from the inside. The loud thud they heard earlier must have been the sound of the door closing from the wind and rain.

“Open the door!”

Kang-joo pounded on the iron door with all his strength. The violent noise shook the entrance. But the loud sound was drowned out by the storm outside, unable to reach further.

Kang-joo kept pounding on the door, desperate to break it down. His breathing became harder.

If the door didn’t open, Jae-hee would have to suffer in this cold place until morning. And if something happened to Jae-hee—if anything went wrong...

The mere thought of it made him dizzy. His breath became shallow, and his head spun. Kneeling down, Kang-joo gasped for air, trying to calm himself.

“Idiot. Get a grip.” He gritted his teeth, rose again, and rushed toward Jae-hee.

“Jae-hee! Jae-hee!”

The calm and composed Cha Kang-joo was nowhere to be found. Blaming himself, he touched Jae-hee’s burning forehead, then stood up and dashed toward the door. He began pounding and kicking the door like a madman.

“Open the door, open it now!”

Bang! Bang! The harsh kicks made the rusty hinges creak loudly. But the sound was drowned out by the rain, never reaching the mansion. For the first time, the rain felt so terrifying and resentful. His vision blurred, caught between rage and fear.

How long had he been frantically kicking at the door? The iron door, which had been rattling under his kicks, finally swung open.

The sound of the rain poured in relentlessly. Kang-joo ran through the downpour, his breath heavy with fear. He felt like he was suffocating, but he couldn’t stop running.

As soon as he entered the mansion, he rushed into the room where the bodyguards were waiting. Grabbing one of them by the collar, he roughly dragged him out.

“Prepare the car!”

“Where... where to? What’s going on—”

The bodyguard struggled, being dragged along, and called out, “Kang-joo, sir!”

Kang-joo shoved him toward the entrance and shouted through clenched teeth.

“Get the car ready to go to the hospital!”

His sharp gaze pierced through the bodyguard. Only then did the bodyguard grab a walkie-talkie and try to contact the driver. Kang-joo dashed back outside, toward Jae-hee.

The torrential rain, like a tidal wave, overwhelmed him as he ran.

Since that day, Kang-joo struggled whenever it rained. He was so mentally shaken that he couldn’t even get into a car. All he could do was face himself slowly slipping into confusion and darkness.

The sound of rain filling the pitch-black storage room. Jae-hee, burning with fever. His own weakness, unable to do anything.

Every time it rained, an emotion that resembled fear clung to him, sticky and relentless. It pulled him deeper into a damp, suffocating space.

________________________________________

Jae-hee got up and out of bed less than half a day later. She regained consciousness as soon as Kang-joo left, but she couldn’t even understand why she was in the hospital, blinking in confusion.

As she lowered her head, she saw her mother, holding her hand tightly and wiping her forehead. Her hands were cold, possibly from the tension, but that coolness felt refreshing, and Jae-hee smiled once.

“What are you smiling about? What’s there to smile about when you’re sick?”

“What? How did I end up here?”

“Kang-joo brought you. Why is a grown person roaming around in the middle of the night? He seemed really shocked when he found you.”

“Ah... So, what about him?”

“He suddenly got a fever, and the bodyguards forced him to go home. He said he would stay to watch over you when you woke up…”

“A fever? Did I catch it from him? …I’m all better now though.”

Her throat still felt scratchy, but after resting and getting some fluids, she felt surprisingly close to normal.

“I want to go home. I’m all better now.”

At Jae-hee’s words, her mother Mi-ryeong sighed and nodded.

“Already better? Youth really is a blessing. Alright, let’s go.”

The house, the main house, was empty. Jae-hee, wearing a shawl on her shoulders, helped her mother in the kitchen, moving about busily.

“Why are you acting like this when you’re sick?”

“I’m fine. Moving around helps me recover faster.”

Her mother shook her head but didn’t stop her from helping. There was a lot of work to do anyway.

Jae-hee helped her mother with various tasks, then stirred the white porridge for a long time. Once it was finished, she neatly placed it in a shallow bowl.

“Take this to Kang-joo.”

“To him? Me?”

“Yes, since I’m busy. If he’s sleeping, don’t wake him up. Just quietly leave it and come back, okay?”

Mi-ryeong said worriedly. She knew that Cha Kang-joo was a polite student, but he was also sensitive and cold. She was concerned that Jae-hee might unintentionally upset him.

Jae-hee nodded in understanding, picked up the tray, and quickly walked up the stairs.

“Oppa.”

As she opened the door and stepped inside, the bright white sunlight poured in. He usually didn’t pull down the curtains. He probably disliked the feeling of a cramped, enclosed space. Knowing this better than anyone else, Jae-hee felt a pang in her heart.

She placed the tray on the nightstand next to the bed and sat down at the edge. His clean face was visible. He seemed to be genuinely ill, as he was asleep without even noticing her entering. He had a fever, so he was probably suffering quietly. It wasn’t like a relay race, where it’s one person after another—now it was his turn.

The sunlight seemed strong, causing a faint trace of irritation between his eyebrows. Jae-hee glanced over at the door and then gently rubbed his brow.

“Who makes such a face when they’re asleep...?”

She continued to gaze at him for a while. Lately, whenever she met his eyes, she felt shy and her stomach would flutter, making her quickly turn away. It had been a long time since she had studied his face this carefully.

‘He really looks like an angel. How can he be so handsome?’

She glanced at the door again, and then, cautiously, she reached out to touch Kang-joo’s cheek. His smooth cheek, like porcelain, felt warm, probably from the fever.

Cha Kang-joo. Kang-joo oppa. What should I do, I like him so much...

If her mother hadn’t been the housekeeper here, she wouldn’t have even been able to face him. It might be a time where there are no longer distinctions in status, but an even greater divide still exists—one that can’t be easily crossed.

There’s an insurmountable wall between him and me. No matter how much I like him, there’s no way to express it. A wall like that.

Jae-hee turned her head again to check the door, confirming that no one was around. After making sure, she carefully leaned in closer to Kang-joo.

She didn’t have the audacity to confess to him, there were no extravagant desires like that. She just wanted to be close. To gaze at him closely for once. His neat eyelashes, his beautiful lips. Someone I like, someone I may never get to see this way again.

She moved in so close that she could feel his breath. Then, gathering her courage, she gently pressed her lips to his.

“Ah...!”

In that instant, Jae-hee’s heart dropped. Kang-joo had opened his eyes.

His gaze, feverishly intense, was now close. Under the bright sunlight, Kang-joo’s eyes were shining vividly, deep and dark, as if they were about to pierce through her. Jae-hee couldn’t even offer an excuse, her lips just moving but no words coming out.

“Well, that’s...”

Her excuse didn’t continue. Kang-joo reached out and pulled her toward him. Their lips met before either of them could even react. In the surprised moment, their lips parted briefly, and his tongue quickly invaded. The breath between them, their tongues intertwining, was as hot as a burning flame.

Jae-hee let out a soft moan as she was pulled onto his body. The palm of his hand wrapped around her neck was burning. The heat enveloping her body, she wasn’t sure whether it was from his fever or something else.

Kang-joo pulled Jae-hee towards him and onto him. He devoured her lips relentlessly, holding her tightly and swallowing her moans. He twisted and turned her retreating tongue, thrusting deep inside her. She took it, and took it again. He pushed and pushed, as if it were never enough, with a desperate intensity.

The flimsy curtain fluttered, softly draping over their bodies. Beneath the curtain, a slick sound echoed.

The hand that had been gripping her nape slid down her body. A large palm trailed across her back, slipping beneath her shirt.

With every touch, Jae-hee’s body trembled. The skin where his hand touched burned as if on fire.

When his fingertips finally brushed against her bra, Jae-hee startled and shook her head. His hand paused, but his lips followed her retreating face. He pulled her closer, thrusting his tongue back into her mouth and sucking on her wet flesh.

He swallowed her ragged breaths and licked away the saliva that dripped from the corner of her mouth.

How long had they been like this? When Jae-hee’s body had gone completely limp, his lips finally pulled away.

With a wet sound, his hot lips parted from hers. Panting breaths filled the space between them. Jae-hee’s eyes were half-open in ecstasy. Kang-joo pushed her hair back and kissed her neck.

His voice, as deep as his kiss, slid against her skin.

“Jae-hee.”

Jae-hee collapsed onto Kang-joo, her body still trembling. Their bodies were hot against each other. Her head spun with a hazy sense of pleasure.

“Jae-hee...”

It was strange. Kang-joo’s voice, pressed against her neck, sounded so achingly tender, almost dreamlike.

A short while later, Kang-joo fell asleep, holding Jae-hee tightly in his arms. His feverish body, filled with excitement, once again slipped into a state of delirium.

Jae-hee cautiously lifted her body. The pounding of her heart was so intense that her chest felt heavy with pain.

What do I do? Oppa kissed me. My first kiss was with him.

What do I do?

I feel so good.

Is this a dream?

She tightly clenched her itchy hands and anxiously shuffled her feet. Then, feeling an odd sensation in her body, as if it were twisting with discomfort, she slowly pulled herself out of his embrace.

When Jae-hee moved away, Kang-joo’s hand quickly grabbed hers and held it tightly. Startled, Jae-hee turned back to him. She saw Kang-joo, sleeping peacefully like an angel. It felt like something from a dream.

For a while, Jae-hee could only swallow her saliva. It still felt as though the warmth of his kiss lingered on her lips.

Oppa and I, earlier...

Then, she thought she heard her mother’s voice from below and was startled. She rushed out the door, her face flushed red like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong.

The bowl of porridge she had placed on the table tipped over with a clink.

Kang-joo slowly opened his eyes. The sun had already set, and the room was filled with thick darkness. He slowly reached out for the space beside him, but only cold air touched his hand.

“...”

He pressed his throbbing temples, lost in thought, then lifted his body. How long had he been sitting there in the darkness? The door creaked open. A faint light from the hallway stretched into the room.

It was Mi-ryeong, Jae-hee’s mother.

“Kang-joo, are you awake? You should eat something. It’s important to eat well when you’re sick.”

She entered with a tray, turned on the light with a worried expression. Kang-joo squinted, his eyes stinging from the brightness. Under the table, the bowl of porridge was overturned.

Mi-ryeong sighed, “Aigo,” and went out to get a cloth.

When she returned, she began to clean the floor. Kang-joo took a sip of the water Mi-ryeong brought and asked in a lowered voice.

“Did Jae-hee come into my room?”

Mi-ryeong’s hand paused briefly. The overturned bowl. Kang-joo didn’t look pleased. When Kang-joo was upset, it was best not to disturb him.

It seemed like Jae-hee had knocked over the bowl and left, but there was no need to tell Kang-joo about it. It was already concerning that Jae-hee had come into the main house when the president wasn’t around, and if she found out that Kang-joo was angry, what would happen?

‘Jae-hee... I told her to bring the bowl back after Kang-joo falls asleep, why did she have to knock it over?’

Mi-ryeong shook her head.

“No, she didn’t come. Why?”

“...It’s nothing.”

A weary smile tugged at the corners of Kang-joo’s lips.

Right, that couldn’t be the case.

After showering, Kang-joo turned off the lights and opened all the curtains. The moon was bright, making the darkness less intimidating. Alone, he sat still and touched his lips. Even after washing with cold water, the heat wouldn’t subside. It wasn’t just the cold. The skin that had felt so soft beneath his palm. Her soft lips and wet tongue. Her hot breath. 

The desperate thirst he’d felt as he thrust into her again and again. Even though she might have been a fantasy, the desire burning within him was real. A filthy urge and an unfulfilled desire coiled within him, burning hot. He wanted to mess her up. He wanted to grab her slender waist, lick her all over, and strip her naked. Even in his dreams, he was parched, longing for her breath. As he sucked on her tongue and swallowed her saliva, he was far from satisfied, instead feeling an even greater urgency. He wanted to bind her soft body and feel her warmth, to thrust into her again and again, marking her completely. 

He wanted to release his boiling urge and feel a dark satisfaction as she wept. He wanted to bury himself deep within the pure, innocent Jae-hee. And now, even after waking from his dream, the filthy desire remained. An unfulfilled longing coiled around him like a torrent. Kang-joo bit his lip and reached down. He began to rub himself, his body hardened with desire. A wet sound echoed in the dark room. 

“Jae-hee, Jae-hee,” he whispered her name in a sigh. He took ragged breaths as he moved his hand. His mind was clouded with thoughts of her. It felt like his feverish body was being consumed by his desire. He continued to move his hand, lost in thoughts of her, until finally, with a rough breath, he released himself. With a self-mocking sigh, he lowered his head. He could see the messy trail of his desire. 

“Fuck…” A suppressed curse escaped his lips. He closed his eyes, his face contorted.

“It’s beautiful.”

Jae-hee looked at the delicately wrapped box of scented candles. It was the gift for Kang-joo’s upcoming birthday. Choosing a gift for someone who seemed to have everything was a tough task. Since he didn’t like the dark, she had thought of candles. That simple thought was why she bought them.

“But I wonder if he’ll accept this.”

Recently, Kang-joo’s behavior had been a bit strange. Even though it was the weekend, he hadn’t come around much. Normally, he would spend time helping Hyo-jeong with her studies, talking, and hanging out together.

‘Is it because of that day? That day when I suddenly pushed my face in front of him...’

Jae-hee’s face immediately darkened. Even though it was him who kissed her, she was the one who had approached first. She had done it while he was in pain, out of his mind. Maybe it was a reflex, pulling him closer since his face was right there.

As someone who attended the same school as Kang-joo, Jae-hee knew how many people admired him. How many crowds gathered around him. He was always the one standing at the center, at the top of the food chain.

‘Maybe he thinks I took advantage of him. Maybe he hates me now.’

She couldn’t find an answer, so all she could do was blame herself.

The next day, after the evening self-study, Jae-hee walked home alone. Normally, her mother would have picked her up, but since she seemed busy, Jae-hee had to go by herself. Once nightfall covered the upscale residential area, the streets were nearly deserted, with only cars passing by.

As she walked, casting long shadows, someone called from behind.

“Yoon Jae-hee.”

When she turned around, it was Lim Ji-ye. The same girl who had tried to isolate her with Kwon Eun-young and Lee Hae-ran and had posted insults about her on social media.

Suddenly, the school violence committee had convened by the director’s orders, and they had been suspended for their violence at school. Jae-hee herself hadn’t been the one to report it.

She remembered the three girls, crying and protesting, saying they would have a mark on their records. They hadn’t only tormented Jae-hee, so no one had sympathy for them.

But now, why was Ji-ye looking for her?

“Let’s talk.”

Ji-ye waved her hand toward the back. It seemed like she wanted to talk in the playground, a few minutes further down the road. Maybe she wanted to apologize. Jae-hee hesitated for a moment before nodding.

When they reached the playground, a large man was waiting for her. It was Ji-ye’s older brother, Lim Ji-won. She had met him before. He had come to scold her the first time she had fought with Ji-ye.

As soon as Ji-won saw Jae-hee arrive, he marched up to her and grabbed her arm tightly.

“Hey, you need to go to the chairman tomorrow. Go and fix everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Tell him you were wrong, that you framed Ji-ye for everything!”

Ah, now it made sense. Since Ji-ye had been suspended after the school violence committee meeting, he wanted her to somehow reverse the situation.

“I didn’t report anything to the school.”

“Whether you did it or not! Hey, did Ji-ye hit you? Kick you or shove you? It’s because you went off, all sensitive for no reason, that this mess happened!”

“I didn’t do anything. It was Ji-ye who posted that, and it was Ji-ye who tried to bully me, so why are you blaming me? If you’re so concerned, maybe you should keep an eye on your sister.”

Jae-hee calmly mocked him. The more she stayed composed, the angrier Ji-won seemed to get. He clenched his fist, raising it threateningly in the air.

Ji-ye, standing behind him, let out a harsh scream.

“See? I told you, oppa, I told you she’s vicious!”

Ji-won began pushing Jae-hee’s shoulder aggressively.

“Hey, you really don’t get it, do you? Do you think I’ll just let you off? My mom’s a doctor, and my dad—”

“Your dad’s a lawyer. I know. I’m just a nobody without money or connections, so you don’t have to remind me.”

Jae-hee replied, getting shoved further.

Those were the same things Ji-ye had said to her every day.

“How did you even get into this school? My mom’s a doctor, and my dad’s a lawyer, but your mom’s a maid. My mom and dad work their asses off to pay for tuition, and you—some poor girl—get a scholarship and take it from us? You’re a damn thief.”

“Tell the school to fix it and put everything back, you filthy bitch!”

Every time he shoved her, Jae-hee felt like she might burst into tears.

As Ji-won shoved her back, he grabbed the collar of her shirt, shaking her violently. The top button of her blouse popped off.

“Ah!”

Jae-hee staggered, her hands flailing as she fell. Her hand brushed past Ji-won’s cheek as she fell.

“Hey, you hitting me? Damn, you hit me first, huh?”

“Oppa! I filmed it! She hit you, oppa!”

“This is self-defense!”

Ji-won grabbed Jae-hee by the collar roughly.

Her body lifted from the ground, and her eyes were filled with fear. The cold air crept in through the torn fabric of her shirt. What did I do wrong? What did I do to deserve this? His hand was about to strike her down.

Jae-hee squeezed her eyes shut in fear, but what followed wasn’t the expected pain of a slap on her cheek.

“Screech!”

Ji-ye’s piercing scream echoed through the air. Immediately, the rough hands gripping Jae-hee released. There was a sound like bones cracking from somewhere. Jae-hee clenched her trembling lips and opened her eyes.

“Ah! What the hell! What is—ack!”

Ji-won staggered and fell to the ground with a heavy thud as Kang-joo kicked him.

“Hey! You crazy bastard—agh!”

Ji-won’s curses and pained screams mixed together in a chaotic chorus. Kang-joo, after kicking him again, grabbed Ji-won by the collar and began swinging punches.

The sound of brutal blows echoed. As Ji-won tried to escape Kang-joo’s relentless attack, he could barely beg for mercy before his body went limp. In the darkness, the red blood was clearly visible, and Jae-hee’s heart pounded wildly.

Only then did Ji-ye, realizing the situation, rush forward.

“Don’t hit my oppa!”

But at Kang-joo’s cold, emotionless gaze, she froze. His eyes, void of emotion, were so chilling they made the air around them feel frozen.

Jae-hee, still frozen in place, took a step toward Kang-joo. He continued to strike the motionless man before him.

“Oppa.”

Jae-hee barely managed to steady her trembling body, struggling to keep herself upright. She urgently called out to him.

“Oppa, stop. Okay?”

Only then did Kang-joo stop his movements. With a thud, Ji-won’s large body dropped to the ground as Kang-joo released his grip. Kang-joo slowly straightened up and walked toward Jae-hee, who looked pale with shock.

He silently examined her face.

“Jae-hee, are you okay?”

Jae-hee managed to nod weakly.

In the dim light of the night, his eyes—bright and piercing—looked strikingly unfamiliar.

“Damn you, are you out of your mind!”

Chairman Cha’s voice roared through his throat, shaking the air. Smack! Chairman Cha’s slap left a red mark on Kang-joo’s cheek. Kang-joo showed no reaction, silently bearing the sting, his cheek glowing bright red from the slap.

“Are you insane? Who hits someone like that? Do you know how much trouble this will cause? If this gets out, what will happen to the company’s reputation, you psychopath!”

Chairman Cha’s agitation made the house shake.

Ah, the company’s reputation. Kang-joo let out a dry laugh before turning away.

“Hey! Where are you going? Hey!”

He ignored the shouting from behind him. Reputation or not, he knew what was important. If they wanted to throw him in jail, then so be it. There was only one thing that mattered to him.

The chill of the night air seeped into his collar. Kang-joo wiped his bloodstained hands on his clothes, then slowly walked away.

The only thing on his mind was one person.

Jae-hee.

An hour ago, it had already gotten late, but the housekeeper, Mi-ryeong, was still there. It was time to pick up Jae-hee, but when he asked why she was still there, Chairman Cha said he had asked her to prepare a late dinner and couldn’t go.

As soon as Kang-joo heard that, he left the house. But even after waiting secretly, Jae-hee didn’t show up. He wandered around, and then he found it. A man roughly grabbing Jae-hee by the collar, with her shoulders trembling in fear.

After that, there was little he could remember. The only thing that stuck was how he had charged in, like a madman, and how, in his violent frenzy, he had lost his sanity. The moment he heard Jae-hee’s voice, he returned to reality.

That was all he could remember. The only one who would pull him back from the edge of the darkness was always Jae-hee.

Kang-joo turned the corner and entered the backyard. In the distance, he heard Jae-hee’s voice. And Mi-ryeong’s voice, her mother’s.

“Are you okay, Jae-hee? What happened?”

“...”

“Jae-hee, Jae-hee? Are you okay?”

“I’m scared.”

Jae-hee barely swallowed her trembling breath and answered in a whisper. Kang-joo froze in place.

“What’s scary? Huh?”

“Oppa… Kang-joo Oppa… I’m scared…”

Jae-hee, her voice shaking with anxiety, closed her eyes. The tears she had been holding back fell one by one. Her shoulders quivered, completely revealing her fear.

“What should I do, I’m so scared…”

Kang-joo turned away, leaving her trembling voice behind. His head was clouded.

She’s scared?

Chairman Cha’s voice echoed in his mind. You psychopath.

Yes, I was never sane to begin with.

Jae-hee, who had embraced me as I collapsed in panic in the dark. Jae-hee, who had tried to stop me, trembling in fear as I lost control and swung my fists.

Jae-hee. Jae-hee.

Kang-joo’s face twisted, as if he were about to cry. His world was collapsing painfully in that moment.

A twisted resentment whispered cruelly in his ear.

She’s scared of you.

The painful reality crashed down on him.

It can’t be helped. I’ve always been an idiot around her.

Then, the impulse he couldn’t suppress surged like a flame.

Still, I want her. By any means necessary.

If someone asked him what the most precious thing in the world was, he could answer without hesitation.

Yoon Jae-hee.

And if someone asked who would hurt her, make her afraid, or distort her with foolish possessiveness and obsession... he could answer that, too.

Maybe, it would be me.

“Jae-hee.”

“Jae-hee…”

In the pitch-black darkness, Kang-joo called her name over and over again. Desperately, painfully.

Jae-hee sat on a landscaping stone in the garden, holding a gift in her hands. The flower bed, bathed in sunlight, looked peaceful—so different from the horrific scene she had witnessed a few days ago.

Kang-joo oppa, soaked in blood. His sunken eyes, glaring in the moonlight, full of sorrow.

She had been terrified. She thought she might die from fear.

She was scared for Kang-joo oppa. She was afraid that Chairman Cha, who would imprison him for the smallest mistake, might harm him. She was afraid that in the end, Kang-joo might truly be hurt because of her.

He had thrown himself into danger for her, but she was terrified that this would lead to him getting hurt. Because of her. Because of her. If only it wasn’t for her.

She bit her lip, chewing on the rising guilt when, in the distance, she saw Kang-joo. Hesitantly, she approached him.

“Oppa.”

His cold gaze stared at her silently.

She had recently heard through her mother that Kang-joo was going abroad to study. Chairman Cha, who had barely covered up the assault incident, was sending him overseas. Unlike before, Kang-joo didn’t resist. All that remained was his departure.

Jae-hee extended the belated birthday gift toward Kang-joo, but he only lowered his eyes to glance at it. He didn’t reach out to take it.

Jae-hee lowered her hand, feeling embarrassed. Maybe the wrapping paper looked too cheap. She had tried hard to choose it.

“Oppa, are you going abroad?”

“......”

“Why didn’t you tell me? I couldn’t even prepare myself. I’m upset.”

Jae-hee asked, rubbing her foot against the grass. She tried to make it sound casual, though it was clear she was struggling.

She barely managed to hold back the trembling in her voice. She hadn’t really expected it to happen, but she never imagined it would end so suddenly.

Maybe she would never see him again. The bond they had when they were younger would probably evaporate without a trace. Their worlds were so different now. He would become someone she could barely face anymore.

It was truly the end.

She felt restless, sad, and her heart ached. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, but she couldn’t reveal her true feelings either, and that made it worse.

Then, a cold voice rang out from above.

“Jae-hee, what difference does it make if you know?”

Jae-hee looked up with a startled expression.

“…Huh?”

“Why would I tell you that?”

“......”

Through her wavering gaze, she saw Kang-joo smiling softly.

“We’re not really that close, are we?”

His face was still the familiar kind Kang-joo, but his words were cold, more so than ever.

“…Ah…”

Jae-hee’s eyes grew wet with sorrow. But she couldn’t bring herself to cry. She clenched her teeth and held it in.

Just now, a tall wall had been erected between them. She hadn’t even considered climbing it, but he had sharply pricked it with thorns, throwing her down.

I never wanted to claim you, oppa. I never had such presumptuous thoughts.

Kang-joo looked down at her wounded face, mocking himself inwardly.

He was a fool who couldn’t even control his emotions.

I want you to feel the same betrayal I felt. At the same time, he despised himself for the harsh words he had just said. He was desperate to hurt her, yet when he actually did, he felt pathetic and full of self-loathing.

The twisted emotions he had for her sharpened into cruel thorns.

Jae-hee, you said I scared you. You said you hated me. You know how I feel, yet you’re the only one for me.

He resented Jae-hee for saying she was scared of him. He hated her for avoiding him since some point. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to let go. His obsession grew stronger, and he wanted to hurt her, crush her, no matter what.

But he knew he shouldn’t.

“Thank you. Take care.”

Kang-joo patted her shoulder lightly and then left. He walked away from Jae-hee and retreated into the large mansion. Once back in his room, he collapsed alone.

Kang-joo had left, pretending as if nothing had happened. He had turned his back first, pretending to be unaffected. But he eventually returned to Korea. He had broken through Chairman Cha’s plan to bury him overseas forever, and had come back.

And now, he met again with Yoon Jae-hee.

Jae-hee hesitated and greeted him with an awkward face, after several years.

“Um... hello... Mr. Executive Director.”

“......”

Kang-joo stood still, looking down at Jae-hee for a while, as if chasing after a lost dream, staring blankly. Then, as if it were nothing, he smiled, extending his hand toward her as if meeting an old friend.

“Hello, Yoon Jae-hee. It’s been a long time.”

Their hands touched, cold to the touch.

Not “Kang-joo oppa” anymore, but “Executive Director Cha Kang-joo.” Not “Jae-hee” anymore, but “Yoon Jae-hee.”

It was a moment when two people, once so close, now met in a completely unfamiliar way.