ASE 31

“…W-What!”

Startled, Juyoung wiped her lips with the back of her hand. She just blurted out anything.

“Maybe you should open your eyes properly, Mr. Bae Sunghoon.”

“How exactly am I opening my eyes, then?”

Curious, Sunghoon leaned his upper body forward. He blinked quickly, as if telling her to look closer.

Juyoung leaned back to keep some distance, but the car door stopped her.
Sunghoon moved even closer.

“Tell me. How should I open my eyes from now on?”

“Y-You’re opening them like… like triangles. Right now.”

“Triangles…?”

“From now on, open them round. It’s creepy.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Juyoung hurriedly got out of the car.

Behind the closing door, she heard him chuckle.

Heat flushed into her face. She didn’t even understand what she’d just said.

Telling him to open his eyes round… what the heck was that supposed to mean?

Eyes are round to begin with. Well, technically almond-shaped, but still!

No one opens their eyes like triangles!

Damn it. She had totally played into Bae Sunghoon’s hands.

Why did she suddenly have to touch her lips, of all things…

Juyoung opened the trunk and pulled out her suitcase.

Thankfully, she’d only packed light for a one-night, two-day trip. If she’d packed heavy, he might’ve seen her struggling and whining while trying to get it out.

Sunghoon got out of the car a bit late and reached out to help, but Juyoung shook her head.

“It’s fine. I can do it.”

Thud.
The suitcase wheels hit the ground.

After taking a breath and lifting her head, she saw Sunghoon smiling silently, only the corners of his lips raised.

“…Why are you smiling?”

“I was just thinking you bounced back fast. Now you’re finally like the Choi Juyoung I know.”

“…As if you know that much about me.”

Her tone was brusque, but she understood why he’d told her not to act like a drenched kitten.

She herself was aware her mood had been low since yesterday.

Normally, she would’ve regained her poker face quickly, but during this Jeju trip she hadn’t been able to control her emotions well.

Everything was difficult, exhausting—and above all, she didn’t even feel motivated.

She just wanted to drop everything and rest.

But she’d been found out—by Bae Sunghoon and his family.

So that’s probably why Chairman Bae and Madam Min said those things during breakfast.

“I’m tired, so I’ll go up now. Drive safely.”

“Thanks for worrying.”

“I wasn’t worried.”

“If you’re really not worried, at least text me? That you got home safe?”

“I don’t need to.”

“Okaay~.”

He didn’t listen to her at all.

He didn’t even pretend to. That annoyed her enough that she followed him, thinking she shouldn’t let him believe she was worried.

He was already in the driver’s seat.

Whirr—

The window rolled down, and through the dark tint, his face appeared.

“Get plenty of rest.”

The car drove away.

Juyoung couldn’t say anything back.

The loud noise of the hair dryer stopped.

Coming out of the bedroom, Juyoung walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard.

Inside were a bottle of chamomile petals and a bottle of sleeping pills.

Without hesitation, she grabbed the pills and swallowed one with water.

She normally couldn’t sleep well, and on nights like this, when she had too much on her mind, it was worse.

Yesterday she had managed to fall asleep thanks to alcohol, but today she hadn’t had a drink and didn’t feel like drinking—so she borrowed the strength of medicine instead.

Shhh—!

She washed the glass right away, set it upside down, and returned to bed.

With blackout curtains drawn, the room was completely dark.

The only sound she heard was her own slightly ragged breathing.

Juyoung quietly closed her eyes.

She wasn’t sure if the pill would help, but it had to be better than nothing…

Buzz!

Her phone vibrated, cutting through the silence.

“Who…?”

She reached out, grabbed the phone from the bedside table, and pressed the power button—but froze the next moment.

She’d seen the message from Bae Sunghoon.

I arrived safely.

Buzz—!

Another message came right after. Same sender.

In case you were waiting.

Click.

With an irritated motion, she tossed the phone back onto the table.

She closed her eyes again, but soon let out a short, disbelieving laugh.

“This isn’t even funny.”

Who asked him to send something like that?

Bae Sunghoon was definitely insane.

And yet…

“Next time we meet, open your eyes properly. Don’t act like a rain-soaked cat. That’s not like you.”

Without realizing, she remembered his words. Curling onto her side, she pulled her knees to her chest.

The corners of her mouth were still faintly raised.

Fine. I’ll let it slide today.

Meanwhile, around the same time—

Drying his hair with a towel, Sunghoon checked his phone.

Both messages had been delivered. The little “1” indicating unread messages was gone.

Choi Juyoung had read them—and didn’t reply.

“So this is what you call ‘read and ignored,’ huh.”

But it wasn’t unexpected.

He sent the messages knowing she’d probably ignore them.

If you asked why… well…

Part of him wanted to confirm something. Part of him just wanted to tease her.

She’d been unusually subdued.

No stubbornness, no fiery reactions—she’d just drifted along like someone who’d given up.

And yet, she still had things she needed to say.

“Blood is thicker than water. It’s hard to cut off, and because it’s thick, the wounds it leaves are deeper. That’s what family ties do.”

Yeah. That’s the kind of person you are.

Smirking faintly, Sunghoon flipped his phone over and set it down.

Placing the towel aside, he resumed drying his hair with the dryer.

“She’ll be fine.”

Yeah. That was the Choi Juyoung he knew.

A few days later—

Summoned by Choi Kwon-yong, Juyoung visited her family home.

His reason for calling her was simple:

He wanted to know if she’d picked up any useful information at the Jeju Seongun Hotel VIP event.

Also—

“I heard Yoo Man Foods’ Executive Director Tae Jin-ho attended. Did you talk to him?”

“I saw him, but we didn’t talk.”

“Oh. That must have been disappointing.”

“What’s there to be disappointed about? I never had anything to do with him anyway.”

“Why wouldn’t you? You definitely had one big connection.”

Executive Director Tae Jin-ho was another name on Choi Kwon-yong’s list of preferred sons-in-law—just like Bae Sunghoon.

He was notorious for his dirty womanizing.

Seeing him in person, she understood why.

She still vividly remembered how he had flirted not only with VIP guests but even with hotel staff.

“If you mean that, I remember. But isn’t that already in the past?”

“It’s not in the past until you actually marry President Bae, Juyoung.”

…Ah.

So that’s why he suddenly brought up Tae Jin-ho—to pressure her about marriage.

He really was the complete opposite.

No matter how hard she tried not to compare, she couldn’t help comparing him to Chairman Bae and Madam Min.

“Well, I actually have something to tell you about that.”

“Oh? Go on.”

I hate you to death.

Even if I heard you were dying, I probably wouldn’t shed a single tear.

Does it disappoint you to have a daughter like this?

Of course, you probably wouldn’t even feel disappointed. Call me an unfilial brat if you want.

“Sunghoon and I are going to seriously start setting a wedding date. We’re also planning to schedule a family meeting soon. When would be good for you?”

Like father, like daughter.

Facing Choi Kwon-yong, Juyoung never lost her smile until the very end.