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Chapter: 19
Taejun stopped the car in front of the building where Jian was taking shelter from the rain without giving any explanation.
Seeing Jian completely drenched, he immediately got out of the car and ran toward her.
Taejun’s expression was enough to make it seem as if he was genuinely worried about her.
“What is this mess?”
“I didn’t have an umbrella, and it suddenly started raining.”
Jian gave a bitter smile.
She had been walking wherever her feet took her, thinking there would surely be a convenience store somewhere nearby, but strangely, not even a small shop had been visible today.
She had been soaked so much by the rain that she was shivering from the cold, and she had run into the nearest building when she got Taejun’s call.
“Anyway, what brings you here all of a sudden?”
If he had come all this way, maybe something urgent had happened.
Jian asked the silently standing Taejun.
His lowered gaze slowly lifted.
It was unclear what he wanted to say, but he looked like he was holding something back.
“Get in. I’ll take you home.”
“No, it’s fine. I can’t go home right now.”
Jian waved her hands in alarm, not expecting him to say something like that.
Taejun’s face darkened even more.
“And why exactly can’t you go home looking like that?”
“That’s…”
Jian was left speechless, only able to bite her lip.
She had no intention of telling Taejun about what had just happened.
It was such a humiliating moment that she didn’t want anyone to know, and just thinking about it made her feel like her insides were burning black.
Even her throat felt hot.
While she was frozen like ice in those thoughts, something suddenly fell onto her shoulders.
It was Taejun’s suit jacket.
“Chief Director.”
As soon as she realized what it was, Jian moved to return the jacket.
But Taejun pressed down on her shoulder, stopping her from taking it off.
“Get in first.”
“Huh?”
“I don’t like repeating myself. Get in the car.”
“If you have something to say, you can say it here. I’m soaked right now, I’ll mess up your car.”
“I’ll worry about my car. Just get in. Why do I have to repeat myself so many times?”
Why are you doing this to me?
At Taejun’s raised voice, Jian felt pressure build under her chin.
She was already feeling miserable, and now Taejun, who had suddenly appeared, was acting irritably too, making her emotions overflow.
She had been holding it in so much, but now it felt like she might burst into tears because of him.
Unable to hold it in any longer, Jian glared at Taejun.
“Do you even know what you’re doing to me, Chief Director… does Ms. Kim Jinsol know about this?”
“……!”
It slipped out in an instant.
At the mention of Jinsol’s name, Taejun’s eyes widened.
She hadn’t meant to say it, but she was so angry that it came out.
But since it was already said, there was no reason to hold back anymore.
“I don’t want to sleep with a man who has another woman he’s seeing.”
The only sound filling the heavy silence was the loud rain.
After a moment, Taejun broke the unshakable quiet.
“What if I have nothing to do with that woman?”
His eyes grew darker.
“That expression again.”
If anyone had a reason to be upset, it was Jian, yet Taejun—the one who caused all this—looked like the wounded one.
“Chief Director, what I want is not lies. Or are you trying to keep both a girlfriend and a woman you sleep with separate?”
Even her family, and even Taejun—it felt like everyone was trying to torment her, and tears welled up.
With a strained voice, Jian clenched her fists tightly.
Taejun silently looked at her and then spoke.
“It’s not a lie. Ms. Kim Jinsol came to me on her own.”
“How do I know that’s true?”
“…I hate lies more than anything in this world. No matter what happens, I don’t do such low things.”
He said it slowly, as if aiming the words directly at her.
“Then you and I are not involved in anything. So if you’re standing here shivering and enduring this because of that, don’t worry and get in the car.”
Jian wondered why he was insisting so much on putting her in the car, even going as far as explaining himself.
But no matter how much she tried to reason it out, she only felt more confused.
Even her biological father, Joonyeol, had pretended to care about her in front of her, only to turn around and use her.
Because of that, she couldn’t trust anyone.
Jian stood there silently, looking down.
Just then, her phone suddenly vibrated.
“Dad”
The moment she saw the name on the screen, tears surged up.
Since Taejun was there, she considered ignoring it, but he silently stepped away to give her space.
Jian quietly watched Taejun standing a distance away, looking up at the rain-soaked sky.
She thought maybe Joonyeol had found out late that she had heard everything earlier and was calling to apologize.
No, he had to be.
She wanted to confirm that the only lifeline she had in this world wasn’t rotten.
“People can make mistakes at least once in their lives, right?”
If Joonyeol apologized, she decided she would accept it.
She tapped the call button and brought the phone to her ear.
“Hello.”
- Hey, daughter. It’s raining quite heavily. Where are you? Have you finished work?
“Not yet.”
- Do you have an umbrella?
“Yes, I do.”
- That’s a relief. By the way, where did you sleep yesterday? I was so worried since you didn’t contact me at all.
“Oh, really? I’m sorry. I had a lot of work, so I slept at the company dorm.”
It did feel strange that he suddenly said that after not contacting her at all until now.
“If he was really worried, there would have been missed calls or messages earlier.”
As soon as she sensed something was off, Joonyeol revealed his true nature.
- I see. Actually, I called because I have something to ask you.
“Go ahead.”
- I borrowed some money from a friend recently, and they suddenly asked me to pay it back… I’m sorry, but could you give me this month’s allowance in advance?
It seemed she had only ever been a source of money to him.
A wave of humiliation washed over her at the thought of what she had endured all this time.
Her jaw trembled violently.
She lifted her head to stop the tears from falling, and through her blurred vision she saw Taejun’s back.
- Jian?
Frustrated by her silence, Joonyeol’s voice turned irritated.
“Yes.”
- Can you give me the money in advance or not?
She wanted to shout that he acted like she was some kind of bank, but she had never done such a thing before, so she only thought it.
“I don’t have money. I’m sorry.”
- When do you get paid?
“Next… week.”
- It’s still a week away and you have no money? Are you managing your salary properly? If it’s difficult, just hand it over to your father. I’ll help you.
“That money… already went to you.”
Only now did Joonyeol’s shameless face begin to fully reveal itself.
Maybe he had always been like this.
She had just never wanted to see it, always convincing herself otherwise.
Tears, now beyond control, began streaming down her face.
She had to bite her lip tightly so that he wouldn’t hear her crying.
She bit down so hard she tasted blood.
- Why are you so slow to answer?
His tone changed immediately upon hearing she had no money.
Jian no longer wanted to continue the call.
At that moment, Taejun turned and met her eyes.
As if asking, “Are you okay?”
“I have a lot of work today, so I won’t be going home. I’m hanging up.”
Without waiting for his response, she ended the call.
Then she walked quickly toward Taejun and stopped in front of him.
Seeing her tear-streaked face, Taejun frowned.
“Did you cry?”
“Chief Director.”
“What is it?”
“Are you really not involved with Ms. Kim Jinsol?”
Jian spoke exactly what her heart was telling her.
Taejun looked at her quietly for a moment, then nodded.
“Didn’t I already say so?”
“Then please stay with me tonight.”
“…What?”
At her impulsive request, Taejun asked again as if he had misheard.
She could have taken it back, said it wasn’t what she meant—but Jian felt like she wouldn’t be able to endure tonight in her right mind.
She wanted to throw herself into another reckless escape like yesterday, until her mind went completely blank again.
“As long as Director Cha Yuhyun doesn’t find out… I’ll accept the partner proposal you made.”
No.
And from now on as well.
