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Chapter 18
Seohui looked at Woo-hyuk with a puzzled expression, as if asking whether he had more to say.
“Did you have a meal with that friend earlier?”
By “that friend,” she must have meant Joo-young. Woo-hyuk had avoided Joo-young’s offer to buy him a meal, and since I stayed behind, Seohui seemed curious.
“Yes.”
As I answered, I suddenly remembered that I had even shared drinks with her. I wondered if I smelled of alcohol.
Seohui hastily covered her mouth with the back of her hand. Since she was on familiar terms with Woo-hyuk, it seemed best to part ways before being rude today.
But Woo-hyuk said something unexpected.
“Do you have prior plans?”
“Huh?”
“Earlier.”
Woo-hyuk pointed with his hand toward where Jae-min had disappeared. He had probably overheard my conversation with Jae-min.
“Ah…”
That “prior plan” was him. Seohui shook her head.
“No, I don’t. Nothing like that.”
“Then…”
“…?”
“Would you like to grab coffee together? If you don’t want coffee, something else is fine too.”
I knew Woo-hyuk didn’t usually give others room to maneuver. Even thinking back to past memories, I’d never heard of him marrying anyone.
Yet here he was, speaking as if asking me out. I didn’t have any romantic feelings for him, but this was a good opportunity to get closer, so there was no reason to refuse.
“Coffee sounds good. I’m not hungry anyway.”
The two of them headed to a café near the school.
“Dad, it’s nice to have a meal just the two of us.”
“Yes, that’s good.”
Unlike Isu, who smiled broadly, Taegyu’s expression remained unchanged—a face that contradicted his words. Though the cold response made her slightly tense, Isu deliberately smiled even brighter.
“This place is always delicious. Next time, we should come with Mom. Or maybe when my brother comes to Korea?”
“Jun-young said that guy is coming to Korea to see you?”
Jun-young was Taegyu’s son with his ex-wife and Isu’s half-brother.
“No. He’ll finish school soon….”
“Tell him not to expect anything if he comes without achieving anything. Did you see Grandpa give someone a place just because they’re family?”
“But Seohui gets it.”
Isu said this with a sense of injustice. Even though complaining wouldn’t change Taegyu’s mind, she felt it was unfair that only Seohui was favored.
“Grandpa isn’t that soft.”
“….”
“Han Seohui is smart and clever. And she’s a descendant of the child he cherishes most, so it’s like she has wings.”
Taegyu said this nonchalantly. Feeling embarrassed, Isu fell silent and focused on cutting the steak on her plate.
A heavy silence settled. Only the sound of fork and knife against the plate broke the uncomfortable quiet.
Feeling like she might choke if she continued eating, Isu put down her utensils.
“So what should I do?”
“What do you mean?”
“I want to be recognized by Grandpa too. I’m confident I can do better than Seohui.”
Isu’s petulant words came out. Even Taegyu paused his meal, and his gaze toward her was cold as he set down his cutlery.
“This is why you won’t succeed.”
“….”
“You struggled just to beat Seohui. And yet you lost. Did you see her yesterday?”
“…Yes.”
“Did you figure out what she was scheming?”
I had thought I knew Seohui inside and out, but everything had gone against my expectations. Though I didn’t want to admit it, I shook my head.
“So you lost. You stayed close all along, pretending to be friendly, but you didn’t know what she was really thinking.”
“That’s…”
“That boy Seohui likes.”
“Jae-min senior?”
“Does she really like that Park Jae-min guy? From what I gathered, he’s nothing special.”
Isu felt uneasy. When her father spoke specifically, it meant he had already done some background check.
Could he know about my relationship with Jae-min? Nervously, she bit her lip and clutched her skirt under the table.
“You’re not seeing a guy like that, right?”
Taegyu asked as if he knew nothing. Even if he didn’t show it, I could tell. His question was a warning.
“You said you want to be favored by Grandpa, Isu. Then you should know how to behave. You can figure it out just by watching your mother and yourself.”
Isu forced a smile.
“Of course. Don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you, Dad.”
After all, the relationship wasn’t deep, and if she only needed to impress her grandfather, it would naturally end. Isu still didn’t realize how she truly felt about Jae-min—how deep her feelings had grown, making it not so easy to just cut things off.
“That’s the way.”
Taegyu picked up his fork again and added,
“Ah, and…”
“Yes?”
“I’m arranging a match with the second son of Hankook Ilbo.”
“Hankook… Ilbo?”
Isu was caught off guard by the unexpected mention.
“Why so surprised? You’re about to graduate, it’s natural.”
“I haven’t even graduated yet, and I haven’t learned about the company work either, Dad.”
“You can learn even after marriage.”
“But…”
Though he said one could learn after marriage, getting engaged and married would be different. They would expect her to bear a child for the family line, and she wouldn’t be able to refuse.
Her father couldn’t be unaware of this; his words were a warning.
“I understand. So… please delay the marriage, Dad.”
Isu’s expression was firm. Seeing her resolve, a faint smile appeared on Taegyu’s face.
“If that’s your decision, I won’t force it. I’ll handle it.”
“Thank you.”
“Let’s finish the meal. Your mom will be waiting.”
Their conversation ended, and they resumed eating. Silence returned to the quiet space.
The café near school was crowded with students studying at tables.
“Looks like there’s no seating. What should we do?”
Woo-hyuk, who had come to buy coffee, was flustered. He had forgotten it was exam season.
“It’s okay. We can have coffee next time.”
Seohui agreed and suggested next time. They had exchanged numbers and were able to talk, so her purpose was achieved.
“Take-out.”
“…?”
“How’s that?”
Was he the type who hated owing others? Was he buying coffee just to draw a line? He was hard to read.
“If you insist, I’ll let you buy. Warm latte, please.”
At Seohui’s order, Woo-hyuk immediately went to the counter and soon returned with two drinks in hand.
“Thanks, I’ll enjoy it.”
Seohui nodded as she received the coffee. Outside the café, they met each other’s gaze briefly.
“Then I’ll be going now.”
Woo-hyuk’s eyes lingered on her face.
“Anything else to say?”
“No.”
Finally, his usual curt tone returned.
“Thanks for letting me borrow the book.”
“Well, it wasn’t really borrowing. I needed it too. Let’s call it even.”
Seohui also spoke plainly.
“Oh, and thanks for helping earlier.”
Woo-hyuk looked confused.
“For what?”
“….”
“I was in a tough spot, so thanks for helping.”
“Ah…”
“I’ll return the favor for today next time.”
Seohui nodded toward the cup in his hand.
“It’s okay. It was a situation worth helping.”
So, the coffee was likely just a way to draw a line. For now, it didn’t matter if she didn’t get closer to him—Woo-hyuk would eventually cross paths with her.
“Alright then. Goodbye.”
Seohui turned and slowly walked down the alley. Woo-hyuk watched her disappear before heading in the opposite direction.
“One cup of coffee isn’t enough to lighten my mood.”
As Seohui had expected, he hated feeling indebted. He paused, glanced back at where she had gone, and shook his head.
Seohui had said it was fine, so there was no need to worry. As she said, he just needed to return the book on time.
With that thought, Woo-hyuk headed to his studio. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing the caller, his expression stiffened.
“Yes.”
His voice betrayed his emotions.
-Where are you?
“At school.”
-I heard from your mom you haven’t been home in a while. How long are you planning to keep this up?
Woo-hyuk remained silent, only listening.
-Where did you learn to ignore your father’s questions like that?
Father… hearing that word made Woo-hyuk’s eyes colden.
“I guess I never learned from my father.”
-What? You brat!
“Just state your business.”
After a short pause, a calm voice came over the line with a deep sigh.
-Stop being stubborn.
“….”
-Go study abroad as soon as you’re ready.
Woo-hyuk’s tone turned even more rebellious.
“I’ll live my life my way. Goodbye.”
He hung up abruptly and quickened his steps. In that instant, Seohui vanished from his mind.
