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“How did Dojun-ssi get here...?”
“Didn’t you come after seeing the message I sent?”
“I left my phone behind.”
This time, Dojun’s brow furrowed.
“No wonder you didn’t answer when I kept calling. So you didn’t know I was here either?”
“The director said he was having dinner with the agency staff.”
“Do you have to go too?”
He looked unusually sharp, dressed in a carefully chosen suit with his hair swept back. As if determined, he focused intensely, making Haejoo’s vision feel hot.
“It probably won’t be a big problem if I’m not there.”
“Then you chose me?”
“Maybe?”
“It’s an honor.”
Dojun pulled out Haejoo’s chair for her. The thought of their near miss sent shivers down her spine.
“How did you know where I was?”
“The staff member said there was a reservation under my name, so I was half-doubtful.”
“I should praise Secretary Song for making a reservation under your name.”
The table was set for two.
Haejoo, having moved to her seat, alternated her gaze between Dojun and the Jeju coastline spread out beyond the glass wall.
“Did you come down without contacting me on purpose?”
“I wanted to surprise you, but I was more surprised when I couldn’t reach you.”
“I’m sorry. I keep forgetting things lately.”
“Let’s go on a date today.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, now.”
“But the weather outside...”
The wind and waves looked ominous.
The sky that had been clear at lunchtime was now covered with dark clouds that had swallowed the horizon of the sea.
It was clear at a glance that driving in this weather was impossible.
“There’s no reason why a date has to be outside.”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you forget this is a hotel?”
“......!”
“You’re surprised. I’m going to stay here tonight. With you.”
Haejoo felt her ears ringing.
It was because, despite being an adult, her heart hadn’t escaped the young girl it once was.
There was something she had to do first.
She had to contact Jinhan, who had suggested dinner first, so she asked Dojun.
“Can I borrow your phone for a moment?”
“Here.”
“I’ll wash my hands while I make the call.”
Haejoo went to the restroom and typed Jinhan’s number into the phone but then deleted it.
The number she pressed instead was Hyun-sung’s contact.
As the phone rang, her throat felt parched.
She swallowed hard as Hyun-sung answered.
-This is Choi Hyun-sung. Who is this?
“Hyun-sung-ah, it’s me.”
-Haejoo Noona?
“Yeah.”
-Whose phone is this?
“I left my phone behind, so I’m using Dojun-ssi’s.”
-Ah, so he came to Jeju Island?
“Yeah, it just happened suddenly.”
Hyun-sung seemed to take it in stride.
Relieved, Haejoo got to the point.
“The director gathered all the agency staff for dinner, did you hear about it?”
-Dinner?
“Haven’t you heard yet? The restaurant in the H Hotel.”
-Anyway, what is it?
“I just found out Dojun-ssi came down, so I don’t think I can go.”
-Ah, okay.
“Eat well for my share and please explain things to the director for me.”
-Okay, Noona.
There was worry in Hyun-sung’s voice, but Haejoo ended the call.
She felt sorry thinking about Jinhan, who was probably somewhere in the same restaurant.
Hoping there would be no issues later, she returned to the room where Dojun was waiting.
“Did you make the call?”
“Yes.”
“It’s a set menu, so something came out already. Let’s eat.”
A cute, artfully arranged appetizer was on the plate.
While Dojun savored his white wine, an ade was placed in front of Haejoo.
“I think I need to get a little drunk today.”
“Did something happen?”
“It’s a date, after all.”
Elegant dishes with delicate textures were served one after another.
Even with the elaborate food in front of her, Haejoo kept glancing at Dojun.
His sharply angled jawline and eyes, both strong and piercing, were incredibly intense. His impression was far from gentle, with a captivating charm that was both intimidating and alluring.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Just because.”
Lightning flashed in the distance at the end of the sea. As if waiting for it, the rain and wind began to scatter.
“What’s your older brother’s image like?”
“You said you didn’t get a good look at my brother’s face back then, right?”
Dojun rummaged through his wallet. What he carefully took out was a photo of him and Lee-joon taken when they were twenty.
“This was before hyung got sick.”
Except for his short hair and moderately tanned skin, Dojun retained his current appearance.
Then, his gaze turned to Lee-joon. As twins, they had quite similar height and facial features. Yet, Lee-joon possessed an almost mystically gentle gaze and atmosphere.
While looking at the photo for a while, an image flashed through Haejoo’s mind.
“I remember seeing your brother! Not during the marriage registration, though.”
“Where did you see my brother?”
“There was a customer who always came to my mom’s cafe wearing a hat.”
Haejoo covered part of Lee-joon’s face in the photo with her hand, as if he were wearing a hat.
Then, her memory became clearer.
“He came every day during my work hours. Seeing him like this, I recognize him.”
“Hyung went to the cafe every day?”
“Yes. I couldn’t recognize him during the marriage registration because he was so thin.”
Dojun swallowed the food that was left in his mouth.
A strange feeling came over him, and he narrowed his eyes.
“Did hyung know you before I did?”
In that instant, Haejoo had a belated realization.
She belatedly recalled what President Park had told her about Lee-joon when he came to their house.
“He was just a customer, as far as I knew.”
“What did hyung order?”
“Earl Grey Mil...”
“Earl Grey Milk Tea.”
He repeated Haejoo’s answer as if shouting the correct answer.
An instant of silence fell over the table, which was then cleared by the staff.
Next, dessert was served, and the glass that had reflected the sea was now stained with scattered rain.
“No wonder hyung always bought that drink.”
“He must have liked it.”
“No, that was the drink my father liked.”
“......!”
“Hyung bought it every day for Father, so I thought he was a dutiful son, unlike me.”
Haejoo could only offer an awkward smile.
“This feels strange.”
Dojun drank water repeatedly.
Dessert was served, but he didn’t touch it.
“In times like this, is it better that hyung isn’t in this world?”
“How can you say that?”
“Haejoo-ya.”
“Yes?”
“Seeing you like this makes me want you even more.”
“......”
“You, I mean.”
The color Dojun possessed was red and vivid. In his gaze towards Haejoo, a mature moonlight was drawn.
For Dojun, who only knew how to go straight ahead, patience was no different from the raging sea beyond the glass.
He had already succumbed to the feverish heat that surged madly from his young body.
Haejoo’s gaze, now the object of temptation, wandered in the air.
She didn’t want to simply let go of Dojun, who had come all the way down here because he missed her.
Too shy to express it in words, she quietly got up.
“Shall we go now?”
The long meal had come to an end.
Taking her agreement as permission, he called Secretary Song.
“We’re done with the meal, so take care of the bill.”
Following Dojun, who stood up from his seat, Haejoo also gathered her bag.
In the awkward atmosphere, just as she didn’t know what to do, a large hand grasped hers.
“Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“To rest.”
Just then, a staff member opened the door for them.
They got straight into the elevator and got off at the lobby where the hotel’s main entrance was located.
There were occasional passersby, and Haejoo tried hard to avoid their gazes.
Undeterred, Dojun went to the front desk.
“I have a reservation under the name Park Dojun.”
Dojun received the key card from the staff and returned to Haejoo. After looking around the structure that surrounded the lobby in layers, they got into the elevator.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Just this and that...”
“Tell me even now if you’re uncomfortable.”
“I’m not uncomfortable.”
The two got off at the top floor and walked down a carpeted hallway.
The distance between the rooms gradually widened, and soon Dojun stopped walking.
He swiped the key card, opened the door, and immediately stepped aside.
Haejoo stepped in first.
Unlike their house, the large bed was the main feature here.
“Look at me.”
Dojun gently wrapped his arms around Haejoo’s waist as her gaze was fixed on the scenery.
Even the time it took to walk to the bed felt as long as the past three years to him.
Unable to hold back, he slowly lowered his face and pressed his forehead against hers.
“Our first night.”
Today was their first night together, and it was also Haejoo’s first experience.
So far, they had only shared one kiss, and they had only slept in the same bed before his business trip.
Dojun seemed to be holding back quite well.
Regardless of what was going on inside him, this was what Haejoo had thought while sleeping in the same bed last time.
‘I’m an adult too.’
Dojun had called this change dating.
Haejoo could also feel that as her mind raced ahead, her body was trying to follow.
She didn’t know the order of things or how to proceed. The moment she resolved to just follow his lead, his heated lips soon covered hers. The soft flesh was sweeter than the ice cream that had been served for dessert.
“What if I go crazy before we even start?”
“If we’re going to go crazy, let’s go completely crazy.”
Haejoo felt dizzy from the unfamiliar sensations.
As she was swept away by a force she had never felt before, her body was suddenly lifted.
An intense tremor ran through her toes.
When she regained her senses, she was already placed on the bed.
“Haa!”
A breath exploded from Haejoo’s surprised chest. When she raised her gaze, Dojun had already pulled down the tie that had been choking his neck and thrown it to the floor.
He was like a four-legged beast.
Kneeling down, he carelessly unbuttoned his shirt.
His panting breaths were unusual.
Even so, it was clear that he was trying his best not to startle Haejoo.
“Dojun-ssi, are you okay?”
“Just don’t be surprised later.”
Their intertwined lips meshed without any space.
From the beginning, Dojun deeply claimed Haejoo’s breath as his own. After ensuring she couldn’t escape, he repeatedly pulled up her fluttering clothes.
Haejoo felt like she was losing her mind. Dojun’s fearless touch, delving deep, was a bold and provocative temptation.
Tears unknowingly welled up in her eyes.
The self-esteem that had remained in a girl was being dragged out by him and exposed to the world.
“This feels strange like this.”
“Feel it. This is me.”
As if stealing Haejoo’s breath, Dojun was busy pushing his own into her. It was like performing CPR on a dying soul.
Before she knew it... he had swallowed Haejoo’s deep scent.
Everything was a first for the two of them.
________________________________________
Jinhan left the accommodation first.
He moved quietly so that the other agency staff wouldn’t notice.
“Should I have given Haejoo a ride and come together?”
When he came out, the light was still on in Haejoo’s room. He hesitated whether to wait and come together, but then headed straight to the H Hotel.
Jinhan had put more effort into his attire today than usual. He checked his appearance frequently, trying to calm his nervous heart.
Arriving at the H Hotel and going up to the restaurant, he was greeted by a staff member.
“Welcome.”
“I have a reservation under the name Yoo Jinhan.”
“Please allow me to guide you.”
The room Jinhan had reserved overlooked the hotel’s swimming pool. With the weather looking like it would rain any minute, he called Haejoo.
“She’s not answering.”
He ordered wine first and said he would order food when his party arrived.
Jinhan couldn’t shake off his excited mood no matter what he did today.
“They should be here by now.”
It was about five minutes before the appointed time. Someone knocked from outside, and Jinhan stood up.
Trying not to show it, even though the corners of his lips kept twitching, the door opened.
“Director!”
“Wow, you even prepared something like this for us?”
The people who rushed in were Hyun-sung and Yoonji, along with the other company staff. They must have come in a hurry, as they were wearing the same clothes they had on at the accommodation.
Confused, Jinhan could only offer an awkward smile, not knowing what was going on.
Hyun-sung took him outside.
“I heard from Haejoo Noona. You arranged dinner with the agency staff, right?”
“Hyun-sung-ssi, about that... actually...”
“Noona said she can’t come.”
The Haejoo Hyun-sung had seen recently seemed like a different person.
She used to always have a shadow of sadness, but after being with Dojun, she was surprisingly vibrant, without any trace of worry.
He had felt it during the last interview as well, but Haejoo was the typical picture of someone in love.
It was on a different level from when Jinhan liked Haejoo and treated her well.
This was something not only Hyun-sung but also the other agency staff felt.
“Why?”
“Noona seems to have indigestion from what she ate during the day. She told us to go without her.”
“That can’t be right. I saw her looking perfectly fine even in the afternoon.”
Jinhan’s expression changed immediately, and he tried to call Haejoo.
But Hyun-sung quickly stopped him.
“Have dinner with Noona in Seoul and treat us to something delicious today, okay?”
“Hyun-sung-ssi, tell me straight. Where did Haejoo-ssi go?”
“Noona said she wants to be alone.”
“Really?”
“You know Haejoo Noona’s personality.”
Jinhan couldn’t shake off the feeling of being rejected by Haejoo.
As if his words had come true, he ended up having a company dinner with the staff at this nice restaurant.
Jinhan, who was more thirsty for alcohol than food, kept drinking wine. Still not enough, he even ordered Booker’s.
“Director, you’re going to get drunk.”
Despite Yoonji’s nagging, he only drank the strong liquor.
When he became so drunk that he could barely keep his balance, he put down his glass.
“Did everyone enjoy the meal?”
Outside, the wind and rain were raging.
It was scary enough that they had to return to the accommodation immediately.
“I’m going to go see Haejoo-ssi. Hyun-sung-ssi, can you drive my car?”
“Yes, Director.”
Jinhan, having paid the bill himself, started to walk with slightly unsteady steps.
No matter how drunk he got, his hurt feelings didn’t improve.
On his way to the parking lot, he stopped walking. Looking around, he handed the car keys to Hyun-sung.
“I’ll stop by the restroom and then go.”
“Let’s go together.”
“I can go alone.”
He had already walked quite a distance from the restaurant and arrived at the hotel lobby.
Jinhan entered the hotel’s main entrance, pondering why Haejoo hadn’t come.
That’s when someone caught Jinhan’s eye.
It was Haejoo, with a small, white face and wearing a chiffon dress.
Haejoo wasn’t alone. She was with her husband, who exuded a powerful presence.
“Why am I...”
The two got into the elevator to go to their hotel room and moved further away.
Beyond a sense of deprivation, the pain of death washed over Jinhan. His legs gave way without him realizing it, and just as he staggered, Hyun-sung rushed over to catch him.
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