SELA - 70

“Please, take a seat first.”

“Thank you, Father. Let’s sit down.”

Ji-hyuk bowed at Tae-won’s words. Then, holding Sa-hee’s hand, they sat side by side on the sofa. Young-shin watched the scene with displeasure, then sighed and plopped down into her seat. Tae-won and Soo-hyuk stared at the two of them silently.

“What on earth is going on? You two were clearly...”

“You said you knew, that we were seeing each other.”

Ji-hyuk replied calmly to Young-shin’s probing words. Seeing Young-shin unable to retort, Tae-won spoke.

“Did you know about this?”

“No, that’s...”

“If you knew something like that, you should have given me a hint. What’s with keeping it to yourself, woman?”

“No, it’s not that. It’s because they were going to break up soon anyway. What’s the point of telling you about something that’s just a brief fling, bothering someone as important as you?”

“Still, that’s not right.”

Tae-won seemed displeased that he was the only one who didn’t know about their relationship. Perhaps feeling pressured by his tone, Young-shin, who had been showing her sharp claws, softened a little.

“As Mother said, we broke up once and recently got back together. It seems like breaking up just isn’t going to work. Father always told me when I was young: what’s meant to be will be. It was the same for Sa-hee and me. We tried to break up, but we ended up back together. It was meant to be this way.”

“Ha, this one’s completely bewitched, I tell you.”

Unlike Young-shin, who snorted, Tae-won seemed lost in thought. Soo-hyuk nodded, sipping his tea as if he understood a part of it.

A brief silence passed. Young-shin, who rarely hid her exasperation, took a deep breath and composed herself. Finally calm, she spoke with an elegant air.

“Secretary Yoon.”

“Mother. It’s not Secretary Yoon, it’s Yoon Sa-hee. Today, I’m here as his girlfriend and fiancée.”

“You! Fiancée, my foot!”

But that was only for a moment. Young-shin quickly became agitated again at Ji-hyuk’s words.

“Dear.”

Tae-won called out to Young-shin. He looked at his wife gently, giving her a look that seemed to say, ‘do that.’ Young-shin scoffed as if she couldn’t believe it.

“Alright, whatever. Miss Sa-hee, you told me something before. How can you change your mind so quickly like this? I can’t understand it.”

“I sincerely apologize for that.”

Sa-hee bowed her head deeply in apology.

“At the time, that was a promise I made with all my heart. I wanted Ji-hyuk-ssi to be happy. I don’t know if you’ll understand, but to be honest... I was in a state where I had very little confidence in myself, so I thought it would be better for Ji-hyuk-ssi to meet someone else. That’s why I decided that I should step aside.”

The family members listened to Sa-hee’s story in silence. Ji-hyuk also sat right next to her, turning to her and listening intently. Swallowing hard, Sa-hee continued to speak with difficulty.

“It was my mistake. I thought my choice was right, but it wasn’t. If you love someone, no matter how beautifully you try to package it, you shouldn’t give up. Instead, you should protect them even if it means sacrificing yourself. I learned that this time through Ji-hyuk-ssi.”

While Tae-won listened silently, Young-shin still turned her head away with a displeased expression.

“I may be very inadequate and not meet your expectations. I understand. But don’t you trust Ji-hyuk-ssi, your son, more than anyone? Please trust your son’s choice just one more time, not mine. I will work hard not to disappoint you.”

After Sa-hee finished speaking, it became quiet again. Tae-won seemed to be thinking about something, then nodded, and Young-shin sighed audibly. Soo-hyuk, who met Sa-hee’s eyes, smiled warmly at her.

“Even before, I thought Secretary Yoon, no, Miss Sa-hee, was very efficient and handled her work cleanly. She speaks her mind clearly even in private settings.”

Sa-hee smiled at Tae-won’s words and awkwardly fidgeted with her hands. Ji-hyuk took Sa-hee’s hand.

“As you said, I trust my Ji-hyuk more than anyone in the world, no matter what anyone else says.”

“Father.”

“Since that’s the choice that fellow made, what more is there to say?”

“Honey!”

“I can’t say I’ll allow marriage right away, but you two should see each other well. If you’re meant to be, you’ll end up marrying eventually. What’s meant to be will be.”

At Tae-won’s surprisingly willing permission for them to date, Ji-hyuk and Sa-hee looked at each other. Joy flickered in their eyes.

“Thank you, Father.”

“Thank you.”

Tae-won chuckled at their greetings.

“Oh, Father, you’re cooler than I thought? What about Mother?”

At Soo-hyuk’s question as he put down his teacup, Young-shin’s expression hardened.

“I don’t know. What can I do if I still don’t like it? I can’t force myself to lie.”

Having finished speaking, Young-shin got up from her seat without even making eye contact. The hand that smoothed her hair as she sighed deeply looked tired.

“Let’s have dinner before you go.”

Those were the only words she left. As Young-shin disappeared into the kitchen, Tae-won smiled helplessly.

“If she really hated her, she would have kicked her out right away. Seeing her offer dinner means she doesn’t dislike her that much.”

Ji-hyuk turned to Sa-hee and nodded. It meant that Tae-won was right. He felt as if a thorn that had been painfully stuck in his throat, making it hard to breathe, had been pulled out. Sa-hee, who had been inwardly nervous, let out a small sigh of relief.

“Relax. I’m right here beside you.”

Ji-hyuk whispered, his voice close to her ear. His simple words wrapped around Sa-hee like a warm embrace. Meeting Ji-hyuk’s eyes as he looked down at her, Sa-hee smiled and nodded.

While waiting for dinner, Ji-hyuk had various conversations with Tae-won and Soo-hyuk. Even then, he made sure Sa-hee wasn’t left out of the conversation and didn’t let go of her hand. Sa-hee felt his fingers intertwined with hers like a strong lifeline.

“Dinner is ready.”

Just then, at the housekeeper’s announcement that dinner was ready, Tae-won got up from his seat. Ji-hyuk, Sa-hee, and Soo-hyuk also rose.

Walking behind Tae-won, who was leading the way to the dining room, Sa-hee took a deep breath. Ji-hyuk, noticing her getting nervous again, brushed Sa-hee’s hair back and raised the corners of his lips.

“Don’t think about anything else, just enjoy the food.”

Sa-hee nodded.

“Don’t choke.”

Sa-hee nodded again.

“Why are you being so obedient today? It makes me want to kiss you.”

Tae-won was in front, and Soo-hyuk was right behind them. Startled that someone might hear, Sa-hee hit Ji-hyuk’s chest. Ji-hyuk chuckled.

“I want to go have sex right now.”

This lecher. Sa-hee pushed him away. Ji-hyuk, who didn’t budge, put his arm around Sa-hee’s shoulder. The two, who had somehow started bickering playfully, entered the dining room. Young-shin, who had been waiting with a fierce gaze, glared at them, her face flushed red.

“Wow, the table is overflowing.”

Soo-hyuk exclaimed, circling the table to find his seat. Indeed, the table was laden with a tremendous variety of elaborate dishes. There were at least two main dishes, seafood and meat, and a very diverse array of side dishes. It was a scene that immediately showed how much effort not only Young-shin but also the staff of the house had put into today’s meal.

The three waited for the adults to sit down first, and when Tae-won and Young-shin took their seats, they also pulled out their chairs and sat down. Ji-hyuk, who escorted Sa-hee and seated her next to him, sat down last.

“Alright, everyone, let’s eat.”

At Tae-won’s quiet words, the rest of the family picked up their spoons. The meal that began was quiet for a while, without much conversation.

________________________________________

Only the sound of spoons touching dishes could be heard on the table. There was still no significant conversation. Soo-hyuk occasionally made a joking remark, but that was it; the exchanges didn’t continue for long.

Ji-hyuk was busy taking care of Sa-hee, who was sitting next to him. He didn’t say much either, but he constantly checked on her, pushed her water glass closer, and picked up side dishes from afar to place on her rice, showing considerable care. Sa-hee told him several times that he might look like a fool for being so doting, but it was no use. Feeling Young-shin’s obvious gaze, Sa-hee smiled awkwardly, raising the corners of her lips.

“So, what kind of work do your parents do?”

It was a sudden question. Sa-hee stopped eating, put down her spoon, and opened her mouth.

“My father passed away early, and my mother works at a restaurant.”

“A restaurant?”

“Yes. She’s helping out at a restaurant run by an acquaintance.”

Young-shin made a face as if she couldn’t believe it. Sa-hee felt a little embarrassed.

“Is that all the family you have? Just your parents and Miss Sa-hee?”

“No. I have an older brother.”

“I see. What does your brother do?”

“Mother.”

Sa-hee, who had straightened her back in tension, was about to answer when Ji-hyuk suddenly called out to Young-shin. His voice was low, quiet, and gentle.

“What is it?”

“We’re eating. Let’s talk later.”

“What’s wrong with eating? We eat while talking. Isn’t that right, Miss Sa-hee?”

Sa-hee forced a smile, trying to raise the corners of her lips that wouldn’t lift.

“So, what does your brother do?”

“He’s preparing for a job.”

“They say youth unemployment is serious these days, and it seems it’s true. My goodness.”

“Dear.”

This time it was Tae-won. He gave Young-shin a low look, signaling her to stop.

“Why? It’s true, isn’t it? Even if there’s a difference, it should be reasonable.”