WWBU - 58

A soft chuckle came from the other side of the line.

-Hyun-soo must have run to tell you right away. It’s just as I said. Your father and I intend to unite the two of you.

“Who decided that?”

-What’s the problem?

“What’s the problem? The problem is that my affairs are being handled without my consent. Do I need to spell it out?”

-You like that girl, don’t you?

Guk’s eyes darkened with a sharp glint.

-Even though I’m old, I still have the sense to see that.

Ji-young continued, unable to hide her amusement.

-Sorry, but it doesn’t seem like it will go your way. I have my cancer removal surgery in two months, and I intend to settle the marriage issue before then.

“You’ve completely lost it.”

-I’m offering to marry you to a woman you like. What’s the problem?

“You’re the problem. What are you trying to do this time, tormenting an innocent person? Are you going to push her down the stairs again, just like you did before?”

She was the woman who pushed his mute mother down the stairs. A monster who reached out, hoping to shatter two lives, wishing for death or crippling injury, even for the life in her womb. What more could he expect?

In the past, Ji-young had brought Guk’s mother into the house under the pretext of not letting the family’s bloodline be scattered outside. It was because Guk’s mother, too naive in her youth, readily listened to the main wife’s offer to help.

Hell began then. The petty torment turned into a large-scale ostracism involving the household staff. Everyone openly ignored her, blatantly and cruelly despised her. Guk’s mother had to spend every night in tears, listening to their malicious curses on her child’s future. Everything was too heavy a price for her naivety.

Guk’s voice was icily cold. Ji-young didn’t stop laughing.

-It depends on what Hyun-soo does.

“I should have gotten rid of you old fox sooner.”

This time, there was silence on the other end. Only the sound of quiet, labored breathing could be heard.

“Don’t even think about touching my things without my permission.”

-Alright. Of course, how could a mother refuse her son’s wish?

Guk, no longer willing to talk, hung up. The car became silent.

Even at this early hour, the roads were crowded with cars heading to work. Guk, in the car slowly stopping at a traffic light, looked out the window.

The clear, rising sun painted the world in red. The remnants of the conversation kept rippling through the depths of his mind.

Hyun-soo was still in Guk’s room, on his bed. She was curled up, holding her head.

“Ugh...”

She was troubled by the sudden situation and Guk’s inscrutable behavior. What was with the sudden marriage talk, and what was with Yoon Guk’s reaction? It seemed like he wasn’t opposed. Was he really going to try something?

Hyun-soo shook her head at the absurd thought. She pounded the mattress and sat up on her knees. She felt like she couldn’t be pushed into a choice.

Outside the window, the bluish dawn light was fading, and the red sun was painting the world. It seemed that morning had indeed arrived. Morning, yes, morning.

“Morning?”

Hyun-soo, sitting on her knees with disheveled hair, looked around as if she had realized something. She was looking for a clock. When she checked the time, it was almost 6 o’clock.

“Oh no, I’m late!”

Hyun-soo, groping across the wide bed, finally stepped onto the floor and hurried to the door. She had belatedly realized that she had an early morning appointment with someone.

Looking outside the door, Hyun-soo confirmed that no one was there and went downstairs to the first floor. She tiptoed carefully, afraid of making any noise on the stairs.

After moving with tension that made her sweat, Hyun-soo finally arrived at her room. She moved the door slowly, biting her lip, afraid that even opening and closing it would be loud.

“Where are you coming from?”

“Huh!”

Hyun-soo jumped at the unexpected appearance. Turning around, clutching her trembling body, she saw Yoon Han looking at her. He was sitting on Hyun-soo’s bed, tilting his head.

“Where are you coming from?”

“That’s...”

In fact, the early morning appointment was with Yoon Han himself. So it would have been fine to meet Han early, but the problem was that he was in Hyun-soo’s room. It was a matter of timing and place, and perhaps because she had spent the night in Yoon Guk’s room, even though nothing special had happened, she felt awkward looking at him. It felt like she was jumping to conclusions, overlapping with the incident at the villa.

Hyun-soo, still flustered, awkwardly lifted the corners of her mouth.

“To the, to the bathroom.”

“Bathroom?”

“Yeah, the bathroom.”

“I’ve been here for over 40 minutes. Were you in the bathroom all that time?”

Damn it. She wanted to hit herself on the head.

“Ah, and then I went outside for some fresh air...”

“At this hour?”

“The morning air is refreshing. I took a walk in the garden.”

Han suddenly stood up. Then he approached Hyun-soo and started sniffing her. He smelled her hair, neck, and collarbone... Just like an animal checking its territory.

“That’s a lie. You don’t smell cold at all.”

Han, standing straight, had a chillingly cold expression.

“Instead, I smell something familiar. Unmistakable.”

“What?”

“Perfume. Even though it’s faint, I know whose it is.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Did you sleep with my brother?”

“What?”

“Did you sleep with Yoon Guk again?”

Hyun-soo pushed Han’s chest hard. But he didn’t budge, and Hyun-soo took a few steps back.

Her heart was pounding loudly, and she felt her ears burning. He definitely said “again.” That means...

“It’s hard the first time, but easy the second time.”

Her heart sank to her feet. He knew about the incident with Yoon Guk at the villa.

“No, it’s not like that.”

“You’re smelling like a man, and you’re saying it’s not?”

“...I don’t even know why you’re suddenly asking this and getting upset. Don’t act strange.”

“You’re right. I wonder why I’m like this all of a sudden. I want to ask myself.”

Han chuckled and took another step closer to Hyun-soo.

“Do I like you? Do I like you, noona?”

Hyun-soo’s face froze.

“Don’t be so stiff, you’re hurting my feelings.”

“...Han, stop joking. It’s not funny.”

“Not funny?”

“Yeah, not funny.”

Han and Hyun-soo stared at each other in silence. Han suddenly burst out laughing.

“Hurry up and go, you’ll be late.”

Even if it was acting, he was the usual Yoon Han, similar to him.

“Noona’s buying breakfast, since I’m late. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Hurry up and change.”

Han smiled handsomely and patted Hyun-soo’s shoulder. As soon as he closed the door, all the strength drained from her body. Hyun-soo sank onto the bed.

“...”

Hyun-soo’s hand trembled slightly as she looked at the closed door. She was mortified by the fact that he knew everything. How should she face him?

Her head was so confused that she didn’t know anything and wanted to cry, but she had to come to a conclusion. Yoon Han, who was waiting right outside, would open the door and come looking for her if she was even a little late.

In fact, there was no other way. She had no choice but to pretend she didn’t know. There was no way to undo what happened that day or erase the fact that Han knew. She just had to be shameless.

Hyun-soo got up and took out her clothes, standing in front of the mirror. The pajamas fell to the floor, crumpled at her feet.

For some reason, Hyun-soo felt a little nauseous. She didn’t want to pinpoint who or what the nausea was from.

Meanwhile, Han had just greeted Hyun-soo with a handsome smile. But as soon as the door closed, the smile disappeared. He, who had turned cold, slowly closed and opened his eyes, standing in front of the stairs. The second-floor stairs, where the morning sun was just starting to shine, were very displeasing to his eyes. He wanted to destroy them all.

Han’s appointment was with early morning swimming. It was originally a hobby that Yoon Han occasionally enjoyed alone, but Hyun-soo, who had lost a game, had to join him as a penalty.

The swimming pool at Hotel Onyx, which opened an hour earlier than the official opening time, was exclusively for Yoon Han. In a very quiet and pleasant space, Han enjoyed the water as if he had been waiting for it.

Hyun-soo, who was terrible at swimming, just sat and watched Han. He was swimming back and forth at the ends of the lane for a long time without saying a word, so focused on swimming that he was almost frightening.

“Aren’t you tired...”

It was a sprint that seemed to drain all the energy from her body just by watching. Just then, as if agreeing, Hyun-soo’s stomach growled. Hyun-soo, embarrassed, looked around. Of course, no one was there, but she still felt awkward.

“Han! Yoon Han!”

When Han came back towards her, Hyun-soo, who had been waiting, shouted. Then Han stopped moving and poked his head up.

“Let’s stop and go eat breakfast.”

“Why? I want to do a little more.”

“You’ve been going crazy since a while ago, you know? If I leave you alone any longer, you’ll be a corpse in the water. Come out, quickly.”

Han, who had been listening while looking up at her, shrugged. He didn’t seem like he was going to listen, but fortunately, he came out of the water.

Splash, water fell down his body as he came out. His slender, firm, and beautiful body stood out. Hyun-soo handed him a towel, and he took it and took off his goggles and cap. His wet face and rosy lips looked particularly red.