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chapter 36
“Did you know?”
“How could I not? You were staring at my face so intently.”
He looked at her with a gentle smile as he flipped the meat, waiting for her to speak.
Unsure how to start the conversation, she cautiously spoke since he had broken the silence first.
“You didn’t say anything about your biological father earlier. Haven’t you been able to find him?”
His expression stiffened slightly. Yeon-ha quickly added, observing his reaction.
“It’s okay if it’s difficult to talk about.”
“It’s not so much difficult… I just don’t know who he is. Not his name, not where he lives.”
“You didn’t know the person who raised you either?”
“My late mother never told me anything. Maybe she was worried I’d go looking and cause trouble.”
She fell silent for a moment. Couldn’t he have considered that a child would grow up curious about their father?
It pained her to think he had to live without knowing anything about his biological father.
“That’s really harsh. Maybe she wanted to protect him more than me, or maybe she just didn’t want me to know I existed.”
“Maybe there were circumstances she couldn’t tell you about.”
His eyes darkened like a deep abyss.
“Is there really no way to find him?”
“The person who raised me found my late mother’s diary while going through her belongings, and there was a single portrait in it.”
“Then… could it be the person in that photo…?”
“You could tell even without me saying. That he was my father.”
“You must look a lot like him, then.”
He gave a bitter smile and downed his drink in one gulp. The harsh alcohol burned down his throat, deepening the furrow in his brow.
“The important thing is… it’s difficult to find him with just a photo.”
“Wasn’t there anything useful in the diary?”
His eyebrows tensed.
“Nothing. I could only guess from the candle on the cake in the photo that there was about a ten-year difference between my mother and him.”
“So… what do you plan to do now?”
Yeon-ha didn’t dare ask if he planned to give up.
Trying to find someone with only a photo and an approximate age difference seemed like looking for a needle in a haystack.
“I requested a DNA test.”
“A DNA test?”
“They said if we find close relatives in the DNA database and trace the family tree, it might give us a clue. If any relatives are registered, it could lead somewhere.”
“I thought it wasn’t automatically registered like fingerprints…”
“That’s right. You have to register personally, so the chances aren’t high. But you never know. Maybe we could even find distant relatives.”
“When will the results come out?”
“In a few weeks. Of course, there might be no matches, but I want to try every last straw. There’s no other real way to find him.”
Stepping out of the pork belly restaurant, her head spun.
He quickly caught her arm as she staggered.
“Are you okay? Can you walk?”
She nodded, but the ground still felt unsteady.
She had meant to keep him company while drinking, but ended up exceeding her limit.
Sitting, she hadn’t felt it, but standing made the world spin.
What should she do?
She hesitated, afraid of showing another embarrassing side, when he suddenly knelt.
“What are you doing?”
“Piggybacking you.”
His voice was firm through his back.
“I’m fine. I can walk myself.”
“Don’t hurt yourself insisting. Get on my back.”
“I’m completely fine…”
“Then shall I carry you?”
“Ah… okay.”
When he raised his arms around her waist and knees as if ready to lift her, she couldn’t resist anymore.
Even walking on her own felt impossible.
Once she agreed, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her waist.
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t like others seeing what’s mine.”
He mumbled as he secured the jacket. It was to cover her short skirt, but the words “what’s mine” lingered in her chest.
After ensuring the skirt was covered, Dohyun knelt again and lifted her.
Contrary to her worries, he rose lightly and walked briskly toward the officetel.
“Aren’t I heavy?”
“I’ve thought I should gain some weight.”
“You’re eating well.”
She felt relieved he meant she was light, but he added, looking troubled:
“If that counts as eating well, it’s a problem.”
“What’s a problem?”
“I’ve held back during intimacy, worried you might get hurt.”
Her mouth dropped in shock.
“You held back that much?”
The man who never let go until she fell asleep.
“Are you joking?”
“You can check now whether it’s a joke or not.”
His casual tone didn’t sound like a joke.
“Put me down. I’ll walk.”
“Stay still; you’ll fall.”
She struggled in his arms, realizing she might never leave his bed if carried like this.
He gripped her legs firmly, like solid rock, unwilling to let go.
Finally, she thought of a trick.
“Dohyun… I feel dizzy.”
“Very dizzy?”
“Let’s rest for a bit at the convenience store over there.”
“Okay.”
He trusted her words and set her down at the umbrellaed chairs outside the first-floor convenience store.
“Wait a moment. I’ll get some hangover medicine.”
She quietly breathed as he went inside.
She felt guilty for deceiving him but had resolved to refrain from intimacy while his sister was around.
As the wind cleared her head slightly, a yellow taxi stopped in front of the officetel. A familiar face stepped out of the back seat.
Instinctively, she turned.
She prayed he’d pass by, but the footsteps stopped in front of her.
“Seeing you again?”
Looking up at the familiar voice, Yeon-ha saw Kayla’s blue eyes staring down at her.
“Hello.”
“What are you doing here alone?”
Kayla asked immediately, without even glancing at her.
Yeon-ha realized again that Kayla didn’t like her at all.
“I was enjoying the night breeze. Just resting a bit.”
“You speak English well?”
Tilting her head in surprise, Yeon-ha replied carefully:
“Somewhat.”
“That’s good. Can I sit for a moment?”
Before Yeon-ha could answer, Kayla sat across from her.
Yeon-ha glanced nervously toward the store, worried Dohyun might come out.
“What’s this about?”
“I need to talk to your man.”
“To me?”
“Stop using my brother.”
Kayla crossed her arms, her tone resolute.
“…What do you mean?”
“Stop messing with my brother if you’re not going to date him.”
“I think there’s some misunderstanding…”
“My brother isn’t someone to be played with. I don’t know how you managed to charm him when he ignored younger, capable women, but stop immediately.”
Her gaze was sharp.
Had Dohyun told her about their relationship?
Though her attire was casual, just seeing him leave his room wouldn’t normally provoke such hostility.
While she appreciated her concern for her brother, being scolded by someone ten years younger wasn’t pleasant.
Her tone unintentionally turned cold.
“That’s… not really your concern.”
“What did you say?”
“Dohyun is an adult. No matter family, don’t interfere in his private life.”
“Because he’s family, I’m trying to stop him from going down the wrong path!”
Kayla had clearly marked her stance.
Wrong path, indeed. If things had been different, they could have been friends—a small pang of regret hit her.
“Talk to Dohyun about that. He’s the one who started this relationship.”
Sensing that more words would only worsen Kayla’s impression, Yeon-ha quietly stood.
The plastic chair scraped the floor.
“I’ll go ahead then.”
Ignoring Kayla’s reply, she walked toward the officetel.
Still dizzy, the cold wind seemed to ease it a bit.
