WWBU - 78

But Guk didn’t say anything. Had he not understood? Growing anxious, Hyun-soo carefully wrote the character for “sleepwalking” several more times on his palm. Just then—

“I understand.”

Guk spoke quietly. He had already figured it out.

Hyun-soo glanced at him briefly, and Guk subtly gestured for her to look away again. She bit her lip, feeling a small sense of relief wash over her.

The mere fact that he understood the situation made her feel as if she had gained an army of reinforcements. It wasn’t just that she now had someone to protect her from Chairman Yoon and Jiyoung—it was also the reassurance that Guk wouldn’t misunderstand her in some strange way.

“So you’re saying it’s true? That the two of you were secretly embracing upstairs?” Jiyoung pressed.

“It’s not a lie,” Han replied bluntly, his honesty making Jiyoung gasp and causing Chairman Yoon’s expression to twist with fury.

“Son. Let me ask you this—are these accusations true?”

“That is…”

“What on earth were you thinking when you did that?”

Chairman Yoon finally turned his piercing gaze directly toward Hyun-soo. His voice, sharp and growling, made her shrink back in fear. Clearly, both Chairman Yoon and Jiyoung had misunderstood the situation in the worst possible way.

“It’s true, but there’s another reason…”

“Another reason? What could that be? What possible explanation is there for a grown man and woman to be hugging each other in a house where her husband isn’t even present?”

Should she tell the truth? If they found out she suffered from severe sleepwalking and that this incident was a result of it, would they take it well? Worry gnawed at her. But she couldn’t stay silent either, not after things had escalated this far.

“Hyun-soo.”

Just as her mind teetered on the brink of chaos, Guk called her name. She turned to him, her face twisted in distress.

“It’s fine. Just tell them.”

“Tell… them?”

“Yes. Go ahead.”

If both options were bad, choosing the lesser evil might be their only way out. With that thought, Hyun-soo—newly married and already forced to reveal one of her deepest insecurities—spoke up.

“The truth is… I have somnambulism.”

“What?”

Jiyoung frowned, repeating the word incredulously.

“Yes. I used to suffer from it in middle and high school, but it went away. I guess it’s resurfaced.”

“So you’re saying that because of your sleepwalking, you accidentally embraced Han?”

“Yes, I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

“Tsk.”

“Hmmph.”

Chairman Yoon and Jiyoung openly clicked their tongues in disapproval. Hyun-soo hung her head, unable to say anything more.

“When you think about it, this is no small matter. This isn’t something that will end here—it could happen again anytime, right?” Jiyoung remarked sharply.

Her words drained the color from Hyun-soo’s already pale face. Guk, sitting beside her, noticed her distress and locked eyes with his parents.

“It won’t happen again.”

“What?”

“I’ll make sure of it. You don’t need to worry—I’ll keep her tied to me if I have to.”

Guk’s calm yet firm declaration sliced through the living room. For a moment, the conversation halted, leaving behind an eerie silence.

“How dare you say such nonsense…”

“That settles it. Let’s go.”

Without flinching, Guk rose to his feet, meeting his parents’ gazes head-on. When he saw Hyun-soo frozen in place, unsure of what to do, he reached out and pulled her up by the arm.

“But Father hasn’t finished speaking yet! Where do you think you’re going…!”

“That’s enough. Since when has that boy ever asked for permission before acting?” Chairman Yoon interjected gruffly.

“No matter how you look at it, this is unacceptable!” Jiyoung exclaimed heatedly, but Guk ignored her, continuing to lead Hyun-soo away despite her resistance.

As she was practically dragged toward the stairs, Hyun-soo kept glancing back. The thought of leaving like this felt like openly defying the elders of the household, which terrified her.

“I must’ve misjudged someone.”

Just as they stepped onto the staircase, Jiyoung’s voice rang out from behind them. Whether or not she intended for them to hear, her tone carried no hint of caution.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s exactly like her mother—always chasing after men.”

“What?”

“Look at how she lunges at people even in her sleep. Her intentions are obvious, aren’t they?”

Hyun-soo froze mid-step, instinctively turning to protest, but Guk’s quiet voice stopped her.

“Don’t pay attention to it.”

“…”

“They’re trying to provoke you on purpose. You know that.”

Maybe. Was that true? She didn’t know. Despite wanting to cry, Hyun-soo’s expression hardened as she trudged along behind Guk.

Soon, the two of them disappeared from sight, leaving only three people in the living room.

Han stared at the spot where they had vanished, his insides churning. Resting his elbows on his knees and clutching his head, he let out a long sigh.

“Ah. This is bad.”

“What was that?”

Jiyoung, who had been shaking her head in frustration, turned to look at Han.

“What did you say?”

“It could’ve been worse.”

“Yoon Han. Look at me.”

At Jiyoung’s insistence, Han slowly straightened up and met her gaze.

“Why are you acting like this? Are you sulking just because I said a few harsh words?”

“No. It’s all thanks to Mother.”

Han smiled softly, his lips curving upward as he held Jiyoung’s gaze.

“You were pretending to comfort your sister-in-law for the sake of family, weren’t you?”

“What?”

“That lie you told earlier—about comforting her and all that.”

“Oh.”

Though the corners of Han’s mouth remained upturned, only he knew the faint tremor at their edges.

Chairman Yoon set down his teacup and turned to look at Han. There was no warmth or empathy in his stern expression; he showed no consideration for Hyun-soo’s condition.

“Sleepwalking is just a sign of weak mental fortitude. I thought she was a decent girl since she seemed cheerful and polite, but clearly, there’s something wrong with her.”

Chairman Yoon scowled deeply, pointing accusingly at his own head—a crude implication that there was something wrong with Hyun-soo’s mind. Han let out a hollow laugh. He never expected such ignorant, irrational remarks from the chairman of a major corporation.

“We rushed into arranging this marriage, but compared to Guk, she still falls short.”

Jiyoung spoke with a subtle smile playing on her lips. She quickly lifted her teacup to hide her expression.

Han no longer saw any reason to stay seated. Rising abruptly, he moved to leave the living room—but Chairman Yoon’s parting warning stopped him.

“Today’s incident will be overlooked, but you and your sister-in-law must ensure this never happens again.”

“Oh, come now. It’s not like Han did this on purpose—it’s all because of her condition…”

“Exactly. If it’s due to sleepwalking, he should’ve been able to handle it properly. But he didn’t. When you think about it, Han shares some blame here.”

Indeed. Despite his age, Chairman Yoon’s ability to read situations and judge people hadn’t dulled. As Han turned to meet his gaze, Chairman Yoon stared back with burning intensity, as though he could see right through him.

“That’s enough. Go to bed.”

That was Han’s response—an ambiguous farewell that seemed to mock their absurdity while simultaneously conceding to their demands.

Without looking back, Han ascended the stairs to the second floor. Climbing those steps meant facing yet another space where he’d have to coexist with Hyun-soo and Guk.

But living this way, enduring their proximity, was still preferable to leaving entirely.

Han resolved never to abandon this place, no matter how much noise and anguish filled its walls every day. Never—especially not while leaving Hyun-soo behind.

The faint glow of the standing lamp illuminated the living room floor, crossed by streaks of light spilling from Guk’s room. Han stared at the slanted beams before stepping over them and disappearing into his own room.

Perhaps it started after that day. Hyun-soo began distancing herself from Han. She avoided looking at him and rarely spoke to him. She even went out of her way to ensure they were never alone in the same space.

Han noticed, of course. And so, forcing himself, he tried to understand her position.

If she had realized his feelings, it must’ve been burdensome for her. He struggled to rationalize this to himself—to convince himself that her actions were justified.

But all those efforts crumbled within days. When Guk informed him one day that Hyun-soo planned to quit working, Han couldn’t comprehend it. None of it made sense.