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chapter 62
The subtle quarrel between the two who weren’t acting their age was finally ended by Hyewon.
“Enough now. It seems President Park has arrived too. As Executive Director Ha said, you should take care of your work first. You two should finish your tasks as well.”
It seemed Hyewon had come here because of an important promise with Eunse.
Eunse, who had been engaged in a pointless power struggle, stepped back with a pout.
“Let’s go together next time.”
“Contact me anytime.”
Although our response didn’t entirely please her, Yoonjae didn’t interfere further.
We politely bowed to Hyewon, who had saved us from the siblings’ commotion.
“We’ll get in touch, ma’am.”
“Don’t bother yourself with that. Just stay close with Executive Director Ha.”
Don’t bother. Absolutely.
The sincerity hidden behind her bright smile was clear.
Then Hyewon addressed Yoonjae, who was bowing, briefly.
“Have a good birthday.”
When his eyes widened slightly at her unexpected words, she had already turned and walked away.
With Eunse’s blunt expression as the last sight, the two quickly left.
After this somewhat chaotic meeting, we looked up at Yoonjae.
“You knew, didn’t you?”
“…….”
He answered with silence and let out a short sigh. Then, holding her hand firmly, he spoke.
“Don’t acknowledge anyone from now on.”
That, too, was sincere.
Given the location, there were a few people who recognized Yoonjae.
But whether “don’t acknowledge anyone” applied to himself or not, he blocked them with just a glance.
The exhibition was incredibly satisfying.
The best part was that, since it was a place designed with light, once we entered and the interior became dim, anyone who might recognize Yoonjae had completely disappeared.
“I love this.”
Under the light, her smile was so bright it seemed almost transparent, and he couldn’t help but kiss our foreheads.
Smack.
Startled by the sudden kiss, she instinctively looked around.
“What if someone sees?”
“No one cares about us.”
He replied casually, lifting the corners of our mouths while cradling our heads.
“And even if they do, it doesn’t matter.”
Among the colorful, shimmering lights above, Ha Yoonjae appeared even more captivating.
His already handsome face looked like a photo spread, with the deep shadows emphasizing his features.
“……”
We swallowed nervously and subtly grabbed his collar.
That’s what you think.
Whatever else, the notion that “no one cares” was incorrect.
Though it seemed no one was paying attention, every gaze toward Ha Yoonjae, whose mere presence was striking, seemed to be felt only by us.
Well, it doesn’t matter.
It was too precious a moment to worry about others.
She smiled, rose onto her toes, and boldly kissed Yoonjae on the lips, taking his hand.
“Let’s go, husband.”
Tight.
He tried to release the tension in his body.
Hoo.
Resisting the urge for a deep kiss that could steal our breath, he followed us.
After spending about two hours at the exhibition, we stepped out, clutching our stomachs.
“I’m hungry.”
We had skipped breakfast to prepare after waking up, and now it was past noon.
But nearby restaurants were already crowded, making it difficult to find a spot.
Rumble.
Our stomach growled so loudly that she grabbed Yoonjae’s arm tightly.
“Let’s eat anything. Really, anything. If you want to eat grass, I’ll even eat that.”
The hunger was painfully real for us, who had just discovered the joy of eating.
Since the exhibition was on the outskirts, it would take at least 20 minutes to find a proper restaurant.
“Ugh, I should’ve had a snack.”
As we bent over in hunger, Yoonjae said,
“Let’s go there.”
He pointed to a somewhat worn street food stall in the distance. We straightened our bent backs.
“A street stall?”
“If you don’t like it, we can look elsewhere.”
“No, it’s just that I’ve never tried street food before.”
The eldest daughter of Ha Sung Apparel, raised with care, she asked with genuinely curious eyes.
“Have you been here before, Yoonjae?”
“About ten years ago.”
Before entering Yeongdo, he didn’t always have time to eat properly, so he’d sometimes stop by twice a day.
Back then, around 3,000 won was enough for a bowl of noodles.
At the end of his calm gaze, a memory from long ago surfaced. Reading this, she quickly grabbed his hand.
“Let’s go. I really want to go.”
Despite many people already inside the stall, fortunately, seats were available.
Yoonjae, who led us to a seat as though we were first-timers, handed over the menu.
“Pick anything.”
“I’ve seen this before, but it’s my first time sitting. Surprisingly comfortable, even without backrests or cushions.”
Whispering, she seemed to marvel at the simplicity of plastic chairs. But to him, it looked adorable.
“Pick something delicious and order three.”
With three fingers raised, her excited face was evident.
Soon, our food arrived, and as we savored it, we whispered to each other.
“Definitely not a gourmet place.”
Flavor and ambiance were separate matters.
After filling our stomachs somewhat, we became enchanted by the atmosphere of the stall.
Eating at tables under a simple tent, with mismatched furniture and the bustle around, somehow made it easier to focus on each other. She finally asked something she had wanted to know since before coming.
“How often did you come here before? While at school? Or for other things?”
Questions poured out as if she were bursting with curiosity.
He swallowed the familiar taste of the food and answered.
“Both school and work. Back then, places like this were more common than convenience stores.”
“What kind of work?”
“Nothing special. Construction sites, tutoring, and the like.”
“It can be boring or ordinary. Tell me more. I want to hear everything.”
Soon, she’d even lean her chin to listen properly.
It wasn’t that we hadn’t experienced these things; we simply wanted to hear about Ha Yoonjae, to know everything about him.
Perhaps sensing her wish, he began sharing a story he had never told anyone.
“Around when I was fourteen.”
Though not particularly talkative, his straightforward narrative drew her in.
As the crowd in the stall dispersed, he recounted how he began delivering newspapers as a child, eventually doing various jobs: tutoring, restaurants, amusement parks, security…
We were genuinely curious about why he worked so much, especially since he was the son of Ha Taewon, recognized after turning twenty.
“Why did you work so much?”
Yoonjae paused, chopsticks in mid-air.
The reason: since he learned that someone he thought had left for good was in the hospital three days later.
If you’re going to hide something, hide it well. Don’t suddenly reveal it one day and force me to understand or accept it.
Hyewon’s words from a few hours earlier came to mind. Yoonjae looked at us quietly listening.
“Why? Did I ask something?”
She rubbed her cheek under his intense gaze, yet Yoonjae remained silent for a moment.
She had chosen to become “someone who wasn’t there.” Soon, she would truly be gone.
Was it necessary to speak about someone who would no longer exist to someone already burdened with enough?
But her words, that she wanted to hear everything, lingered.
Not mere curiosity, but sincerity.
“Ha Yoonjae?”
For the first time, Yoonjae shared a story he genuinely wanted to tell.
“I…”
“Ah, it’s raining.”
A sudden, unfamiliar voice interrupted, as if saying it wasn’t the right time. The sound of rain hitting the tent became audible.
Pitter-patter, plop.
“Suddenly? There was no warning.”
Raindrops began falling heavily outside the translucent tent.
Shhh.
Even as we finished our food, the rain didn’t ease.
“Wow, it’s pouring.”
The owner of the stall was right.
The walk to find a restaurant was about fifteen minutes. This was not light rain.
“My bag is expensive.”
A slightly vain mutter made Yoonjae chuckle.
Still, he couldn’t make us walk a long way in the rain.
“I’ll bring the car. Wait here.”
“No, I’ll come too. Getting a little wet isn’t a big deal.”
She already had her bag on her head, but Yoonjae shook his head.
Getting sick from the rain was one thing, but if her only spare clothing got wet…
“Absolutely not.”
He drew a firm line.
The stall owner, observing from a distance, stepped forward.
“Here, do you want to use this?”
He handed over a worn umbrella.
“Another customer left it before. It’s pretty worn, with a few holes.”
It felt like a savior had appeared.
We gratefully took the umbrella.
“Thank you so much!”
“Take care on your way.”
She repeatedly thanked him and spread the umbrella outward.
Bang!
“……Pfft.”
We couldn’t help laughing.
The umbrella was far more worn than it looked. Several ribs were broken, and there were holes.
“This barely works…”
“Thanks! We’ll use it!”
Blocking Yoonjae’s unfiltered remark, we stepped outside under the umbrella.
Shhh.
“Ah! It’s cold!”
Laughing joyfully, he pulled her close, keeping her from getting too wet.
Unable to move, we wrapped our arms around his waist while he, holding the umbrella, embraced her closer.
Mud splashed onto our pants from the messy street, but holding each other like this, we whispered.
“This is nice.”
Even though our backs and shoulders were wet, water seeped into our shoes, and droplets fell on our heads, it didn’t matter.
No, it was perfect.
Under a discarded umbrella, they faced each other and smiled brightly.
“I love this, Ha Yoonjae.”
The best birthday and gift.
He wished the rain would pour a bit more. He didn’t mind if the car ride was longer.
Because, like this, getting completely soaked was perfectly fine.
