NILWM - 60

So he opened his mouth again.

“So what? I’m not the chairman.”

“Then you joining SG was...”

“I first passed the blind recruitment exam, and then my achievements at the startup were recognized at the shareholders’ meeting, and my special recruitment was approved. Well, you could argue that even that was only possible because of my family background, but I didn’t get a single penny from my grandfather or uncle for the startup’s founding capital.”

“But wasn’t the fact that you could raise funds from outside investors because of your background?”

“That’s a fair point.”

He chuckled at Yeseo’s indifferent observation. He didn’t feel the need to deny it.

“Of course, even with that much capital, not everyone could have achieved such great results as you did, Sunbae.”

“You’re good at playing me, Min Yeseo.”

He said in a playful tone, but Yeseo didn’t smile. Instead, she said what he had been expecting.

“I don’t know, Sunbae. You suddenly feel so distant...”

“What’s so distant? I’m right here.”

He still spoke in a lighthearted tone and moved closer to Yeseo.

“You talked to my aunt for an hour, so you must know. That my family doesn’t get involved in who I date.”

“But...”

“I’m just me, Yeseo. The Han Juhyeok you’ve known all this time. Nothing more, nothing less.”

He stroked Yeseo’s hair as if to soothe her. He felt a sense of disgust at his own hypocrisy, pretending to be a mature lover while hiding the fact that he was secretly happy about her insecurity. Of course, he had no intention of ever letting Yeseo know about his hypocrisy.

“Nothing will change. Not now, not ever.”

Juhyeok spoke calmly and then chuckled wryly.

“Oh, something will change. Now I can spend money more comfortably.”

“...?”

“I couldn’t spend it properly before because I was so conscious of you. You wouldn’t accept anything but the cost of our dates, saying you were too indebted to me.”

“The fact that you always pay for our dates is already enough. No, you even lent me the deposit for my current studio apartment. How can I be any more indebted to you than that...”

“On that note, how about you take the deposit from that one-room apartment as your emergency fund and move in here?”

“What? What are you talking about...”

“I’ve told you several times, that building is too old. And I’m worried about your safety.”

“A-are you suggesting we live together? Live together?”

Yeseo’s eyes widened at his sudden suggestion. Her cheeks and earlobes turned red and flushed. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. He wished they could live together as she had misunderstood.

“Sunbae, I haven’t thought about that far yet...”

“Living together is a good idea. But for the next two years, you’ll have to live here alone.”

“What are you talking about now? Why would I live alone in your place... Where would you live, Sunbae?”

Min Yeseo frowned slightly at his increasingly confusing words. It seemed she wasn’t entirely opposed to the idea of living together, even though she was shocked by the suggestion.

“Yeseo. Actually, I have something to tell you.”

“...What is it?”

Beneath her long eyelashes, her large, clear, deer-like eyes trembled slightly. He could almost hear the anxious thud of her heart sinking. His heart raced, seeing the turmoil she was about to show.

You bastard.

He cursed himself. He was disgusted by how he was testing her again after promising he wouldn’t.

But he couldn’t stop. He couldn’t be satisfied until he had confirmed just how far Min Yeseo would accept him and endure him, and then felt pleased with her inability to let him go.

“After Christmas, on the 27th, I’m going to the U.S. I’m starting the Harvard MBA program in early January.”

“What...?”

“I wasn’t planning on it at first, but my uncle kept urging me. And the biopharmaceutical industry is going to be more North America-focused in the future.”

“...”

“It’s a two-year program, but I plan on finishing it in a year and a half if possible.”

Min Yeseo didn’t respond. Her dazed gaze, which was staring at him intently, was no different from when he had told her he was enlisting two years ago. The only thing that showed how shocked she was was the faint trembling of her lips. This was the reaction he had been hoping for and wanted.

“I think it would be better for you to live here during that time for various reasons. It would also put my mind at ease. If you decide on a date, my family’s staff will take care of the move, and the monthly maintenance fees will be automatically... “

“Sunbae.”

Her voice cracked as she tried to compose herself.

“You’re... doing this to me again.”

“...”

“It’s the same situation as last year. You said you were enlisting in a week... and this time you’re going to the U.S.? And in five days...?”

“I had already applied and was going to cancel, but I changed my mind recently. That’s why I couldn’t tell you sooner. I’m sorry.”

“You must have applied at least a few months ago. Shouldn’t you have told me then that you might be going...?”

“Yeseo.”

“I don’t get it. Why are you doing this to me...? Why are you doing the same thing as last time...”

“It’s not the same. This time, I can contact you much more freely than back then.”

Min Yeseo’s reaction was a little different from what he had expected. Her anger seemed much more intense. And her disappointment as well. It was similar to two years ago, but it was also different.

“Yeseo.”

“...I’m leaving.”

Min Yeseo’s nose was red as she grabbed her bag and coat and stood up. Juhyeok followed her, but this time Min Yeseo was faster. The moment she reached for the front door, barely putting on her shoes, Juhyeok stopped in front of the inner door.

“Min Yeseo, if you walk out that door right now, it’s over.”

She stopped abruptly and stood still with her back to him. Her shoulders were trembling nervously.

With his hands in his pants pockets, he said it again.

“It’s really over.”

His own nonchalant tone sounded hypocritical even to his own ears.

“I’m not seeing you again.”

“...”

“And of course, I have nothing more to say if you’re the one who wants to end it first.”

Min Yeseo stood frozen, staring at the front door. Now, not even a faint tremor could be detected. Juhyeok clenched his fists tightly in his pants pockets. His hands were sweaty with anxiety.

“Is that what you want? If so, go.”

Min Yeseo’s shoulders, which were turned away, flinched again at his cold voice. In the midst of all this, her hand on the doorknob remained. He was anxious because of that. The anxiety was turning into a frenzy, threatening to engulf him like a formless monster.

What if she leaves right now? What if she’s finally disappointed and angry enough to end it? No. That won’t happen. Min Yeseo can’t do that. That woman loves me.

She can’t let go of me no matter what I do. No matter what kind of shitty thing I do to test her.

It felt like conflicting emotions were ringing in his ears. A silence that felt like an eternity passed. It was when Juhyeok couldn’t bear it anymore and took a step forward. Min Yeseo’s hand that was holding the doorknob slowly fell away.

“...I don’t want to.”

A small voice, barely audible, followed.

“I don’t want to. I don’t want to.”

Her head dropped, and her shoulders, which were covered by her long hair, trembled faintly.

“I don’t want to end things with Sunbae. But... I don’t want to keep going like this either. Why, why do you keep doing this to me...?”

Her voice became tearful, and sobs followed. Juhyeok suppressed the elation in his heart and went toward her. The triumphant feeling of victory, the joy of confirming how firm and unwavering his presence was to the woman named Min Yeseo—none of it was visible on his expressionless face.

I knew it. Min Yeseo can never let go of me.

His confident steps stopped behind her. He hugged Min Yeseo and buried his face in her hair.

“I’m sorry.”

As she tried to push him away, he tightened his arms around her torso. He pulled her back completely against his chest and whispered into her ear.

“But this time, it’s different. It really is.”

A faint sob was her only answer. The tears were both joyful and heartbreaking, and he blurted out without thinking.

“Let’s get engaged.”

He could feel her surprise throughout her body. The sobs were subsiding.

“Let’s get engaged, Yeseo.”

It was a very impulsive thing to say, but he had no intention of taking it back. After all, wasn’t it a process they had to go through at some point? Whether it was an engagement or a marriage, the end was already decided anyway.

“Yeseo. Look at me.”

He released his embrace and gently turned her to face him. Her face, red like an apple from crying, and her eyes, wet and blinking in a daze, met his gaze.

Juhyeok lowered his eyes for a moment. She was so cute and lovely that he felt like if he kept looking at her, he would want to frantically kiss and lick her wet eyes until they were dry.

“E-engaged...?”

“Yes.”

Instead of sticking out his tongue and voraciously licking her eyelids, he raised a hand and gently cupped her tear-streaked cheek.

“The conclusion is already set, isn’t it? Our marriage.”

Will you marry me? Should we get married? His words were far from a typical marriage proposal. Nevertheless, it was a proposal. After all, what else could it be when he was saying that their fate and destination was marriage?

Min Yeseo’s beautiful eyes widened even more. He continued to speak calmly. His voice was as nonchalant as if he were talking about the weather, saying, ‘What should we do today?’ or ‘Where should we go this weekend?’ or ‘What should we eat?’

“Since time is tight, the engagement ceremony will have to be after I get back. Or we can skip the engagement ceremony and just get married then. For now, let’s exchange rings, and let’s move up the meeting with my family that you promised my aunt to have on the 30th to the 26th and meet the elders then.”

It was a perfectly natural sequence of events. At this moment, discussing marriage with Min Yeseo seemed like the most natural and right thing in the world. Min Yeseo’s lips were now trembling faintly along with her eyes.