NILWM - 25

Park Sung-joon was walking down the lecture hall corridor when he saw a crowd of people near the back parking lot and stuck his head out the window.

“Huh? Why is my sister here at this time...? Who’s that?”

Huh? His eyes widened even more.

“Hey, isn’t that Joo-hyuk? Why is he with my sister...? Did something go wrong with the website again?”

Park Sung-joon’s widened eyes now turned to the car behind the man and woman.

“That’s my brother-in-law’s car, isn’t it? Looks like he’s on another business trip. I see Park Yeon-ji is driving it around however she pleases.”

The car carrying the two of them quickly disappeared from the school grounds. Wondering what was going on, Sung-joon called Joo-hyuk. But it just rang without an answer.

He had no intention of calling his sister. Her mind was already so scattered and disorganized that it was best not to bother her when she was behind the wheel.

“Ugh, seriously, Park Yeon-ji... I wonder if that online shopping mall of hers is even doing well. I wish she would just stick with one thing.”

Park Sung-joon scratched his head and put his phone in his jacket pocket. He thought Joo-hyuk had it rough, all because they were cousins.

________________________________________

Before the car entered the main road, Joo-hyuk unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Ms. Park. I’m sorry, but I’ll get off here.”

“What? You said you’d come to the party with me! You’re going to do this after coming all this way?”

“It was on my way anyway. If you need an escort, you can call Sung-joon now. He should still be at school.”

He opened the car door without hesitation. Park Yeon-ji was startled and quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road.

“Oh, seriously! What’s with you, you’re no fun. I offered to buy you dinner to thank you for making my website and covering for me when it almost got hacked, but you refused. You said you wouldn’t take money or gifts, so I thought I’d introduce you to someone at a hotel party.”

“There is a way for you to repay me, Ms. Park.”

“Really? What is it? But why the change in honorifics all of a sudden? ‘Ms. Park.’ Just call me ‘Noona’.”

“I don’t want to. Lately, using terms like ‘Noona’ or ‘Oppa’ with strangers feels strangely unpleasant.”

“What? I am your real ‘Noona’. Your cousin. Is there anyone who doesn’t know you and I are cousins?”

“Who knows? Most people don’t.”

Joo-hyuk stepped lightly out of the car.

“About repaying me, I’d be grateful if you could pick me up every day for about a week. And act like you know me in an obvious way, like you just did.”

“I don’t mind that, but I can only use this car until tomorrow. Our man is coming back from his business trip in Dubai the day after tomorrow.”

“...It doesn’t matter what you drive.”

Just before closing the car door, he added one more thing.

“Just you showing up is enough, Ms. Park. And if anyone asks, don’t say we’re cousins.”

Joo-hyuk closed the car door and turned back toward the public parking lot. For some reason, his steps felt light. The persistent migraine that had been tormenting him for days had also subsided a bit.

________________________________________

The mysterious beauty continued to pick up Han Joo-hyuk every day after that. It was a different SUV from the first time, but still a flashy, eye-catching car and appearance.

She was wearing a crop top that accentuated her sensual figure, a roomy jacket, a leather skirt that showed off her thighs, and boots that emphasized her long, slender legs. Everything she wore was an expensive luxury brand, and it suited her so well that it didn’t look like she was just showing off.

Although her exposure was a bit excessive, it also blended in with her exotic vibe and looked natural. The woman was a person whose wealth, confidence, and sunny self-assurance were more prominent than the luxury brands she wore.

“Hey. It seems like Senior Joo-hyuk is really dating someone. She comes to pick him up right on time after every class; that’s definitely dating, right?”

“She definitely looks older. What does she do? Dong-hwan was so curious that he asked him, but he wouldn’t give a straight answer. Something like, ‘You’ll find out later.’“

“Senior Sung-joon seemed to know something. Since he’s the closest to him, I thought he’d know and prodded him earlier. He just sighed deeply and didn’t say much. When I kept prying, he just sealed his lips and walked away.”

Chae-rin, Sae-eun, and Mi-joo brought up Han Joo-hyuk and the mysterious woman whenever they had a chance. It wasn’t just them; it seemed like all the students in the business administration department, the entire college of commerce, and even the whole school were talking about it.

Ye-seo used the excuse of having to go home early to help with the pharmacy and left campus as soon as her last class ended. Her head hurt even more than usual that day. She wanted to avoid them early on because she couldn’t help but see them, even when she tried not to. The woman was now parking her car and even coming into the business administration building to find Han Joo-hyuk.

Is she crazy? If she wants to date, she should do it off campus. Does she have to make it so obvious?

She then let out a hollow laugh at her own ridiculous criticism. If she were to be so critical, how would a campus couple meet on campus? All she did was come to pick him up after class, and then they’d rush off campus.

At the same time, she had a baseless conviction that it couldn’t be true. They aren’t dating. I don’t know what their exact relationship is, but they’re definitely not a couple.

Han Joo-hyuk had clearly said so. That he had no intention of dating anyone. That he didn’t want to get emotionally drained or swayed by others.

Her stomach churned and felt like it was about to flip over. It got worse every time she remembered Han Joo-hyuk’s arrogant gaze that had met hers. So she tried even harder to act cheerful and happy, laughing and chatting loudly. She also deliberately stuck close to Choi In-ha even more.

On Friday afternoon, she was having dinner and coffee with her friends at a popular restaurant in the Gangnam Station area, but a corner of her heart felt heavy and sore. She felt utterly pathetic. She felt like a piece of fruit that looked fine on the outside but was rotten and festering on the inside.

She just wanted time to pass and the semester to end. She wondered if her miserable and pathetic feelings would also disappear by the time the year changed and winter was over. Would she be able to face Han Joo-hyuk without feeling anything...?

“Ye-seo. Hey, that building over there? The one that looks like a Gaudi building.”

At Choi In-ha’s words, Ye-seo suddenly looked up. It was when she and Choi In-ha were heading to the bus stop alone after parting ways with Chae-rin, Sae-eun, and Mi-joo in front of the subway station.

They were passing a residential apartment complex a little way from the bustling downtown area when she saw a tall, white building across the street. Its unique and luxurious exterior didn’t look like a normal office building. She had seen it occasionally when she passed by her tutoring student’s house nearby, but she had never paid much attention to it.

“That’s one of those high-end residential officetels that are popping up everywhere these days. I was passing by here last Sunday for an errand and saw Joo-hyuk. He was coming out with that woman.”

Choi In-ha awkwardly scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t usually interested in other people’s gossip. He must have been telling her this because they were alone.

“I was going to say hi, but the traffic light changed, so I just turned around. It felt like I was eavesdropping on someone’s private life.”

“Oh... I see.”

Ye-seo pretended to be calm and nodded. Her composure lasted only a moment before Choi In-ha’s next words shattered her completely.

“I guess they really are dating. It looks like that woman lives there, and seeing them come and go late at night...”

“...”

“Oh, just let this be water under the bridge! I know you’re good at keeping secrets, so I trust you.”

“Yeah.”

Ye-seo pressed her lower lip to hide her emotions.

“But how did you know that woman lives there?”

“She was holding an entry card for residents. Sung-joon’s studio apartment is also here. Was it two years ago...? I saw it when I drove him home after we had some drinks. I don’t know if he still lives here, though.”

Ye-seo nodded as if she understood. Her heart felt heavy all the way home on the subway. Was it all a lie in the end? Or had he finally made a decision about which woman he would choose after going back and forth?

• “You’ll take back and apologize for that trashy thing you said... that you like me but can’t date me.”

• “I can’t take that back. And I can’t apologize. Because that’s exactly what I’m feeling.”

Luckily, she and Choi In-ha were taking different trains. Ye-seo was in a daze all the way home alone, and she started crying again when she got home. The heartbreak that night was a despair with much more basis.

________________________________________

Joo-hyuk found out about Choi In-ha’s grand plan by pure chance. Lee Dong-hwan and Choi In-ha were sitting in a quiet gazebo between the business administration building and the engineering building, and Joo-hyuk was crossing the bridge connected to the gazebo.

“So December 10th is the D-day? We have more than a month left, so why don’t you confess now...? Oh, is that her birthday?”

He had no intention of eavesdropping. But he instinctively knew that he had to hear what they were saying. So he stopped behind the gazebo. The autumn leaves were so thick that there was no need to hide.

“It’s not her birthday, but that’s when the final assignments and exams are all over. Not just me, but she’ll be done too...”

“Ah, I’m dying of curiosity! Senior, can you at least tell me if she’s a student here or at a different school? I swear I won’t tell anyone.”

“Later. That way if I confess and get rejected, you can keep it quiet.”

Choi In-ha laughed with his usual good-natured charm. But the feeling of wanting to confess wasn’t light, and his laughter didn’t last long.

“Ah, I’m so curious. Since Ye-seo’s family and yours know each other well, and you’re like siblings, it can’t be her. And Chae-rin has a boyfriend, so it must be Sae-eun or Mi-joo...”

“Hey, no more guessing. I’ll tell you when the time comes. Let’s get going.”

The two of them got up and headed toward the business administration building. Joo-hyuk’s eyes followed the backs of the two men. Or, to be more precise, his eyes were fixed on just one person.