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chapter 39
Yeonha bit her lower lip slightly, seemingly flustered by his candid words. At that moment, his gaze lingered on her intensely.
“This makes it hard to resist.”
Watching her, bewildered, he playfully tilted his pale chin closer, glancing at the lip she had bitten.
His eyes stayed briefly on the whitened mark, and his Adam’s apple bobbed slightly.
Feeling the tension of a moment that seemed on the verge of a kiss, Yeonha hurriedly turned away.
“Let’s stop here.”
“Wait a moment.”
As she quickened her steps, Dohyeon chuckled softly and effortlessly caught up with his long legs.
When they reached the parking lot, he naturally helped her into the passenger seat and returned to the driver’s side.
“Do you have any plans after this?”
“No, I was just going to rest at home. Why?”
“Then it’s perfect.”
He gave a meaningful smile and started the car. Yeonha shrugged and fastened her seatbelt.
However, contrary to her expectations, the car headed in a direction away from her home.
“Dohyeon, aren’t you going the wrong way?”
“I know.”
“Was this on purpose?”
“Yes.”
Yeonha furrowed her brows slightly as he nodded nonchalantly.
“Let’s eat. You haven’t had breakfast yet.”
“Isn’t it unfair to do this without saying anything?”
“If I had told you beforehand, you’d have said no.”
That was true.
Yeonha turned her head, speechless.
When the car stopped at a signal, Dohyeon looked at her.
“This is our first time… just the two of us going out.”
His low voice, paired with his gaze, strangely tightened the air around her.
Did he realize how deadly his eyes were?
Feeling her earlobes heat up, Yeonha quickly looked away.
Misinterpreting her reaction as rejection, Dohyeon spoke in a lonely tone.
“If you don’t want to… I can turn back.”
“No, let’s just eat. We have to eat anyway.”
Though she said that, she found herself unexpectedly enjoying the city outing they had with Kayla earlier.
Perhaps that’s why she felt quietly excited about spending time alone with Dohyeon.
“I know a delicious place. You won’t regret it.”
Once Yeonha gave her approval, Dohyeon let out a relieved smile and drove off confidently, as if he had been preparing for this moment for a long time.
The destination was a famous restaurant atop one of Songdo’s skyscrapers—so popular that reservations were nearly impossible.
When they arrived, Dohyeon gave his name, and the server checked the list before leading them to a window-side table.
“The food will be ready shortly.”
Once the server left, Yeonha looked at Dohyeon in surprise.
“You… reserved this place in advance?”
“Yes. I’ve always wanted to come here.”
“What if I said no?”
Dohyeon smiled playfully, lifting his glass.
“Then I would’ve persuaded you. The food is really good.”
“Do you think I’d give in just because of that?”
Yeonha snapped teasingly.
He replied calmly, “But you’re already seated.”
Yeonha laughed in disbelief and shook her head. Honestly, she didn’t mind.
The modern-classic atmosphere was elegant. The sunset over Songdo, viewed through a wall of windows, was breathtaking. And above all, the quiet, private space felt comforting.
Did he choose this place thinking of me?
As she pondered this, the server quietly placed appetizers on the table.
Crispy bruschetta topped with finely diced tomatoes and basil, with optional ricotta cheese and olive oil—the aroma teased her senses.
Yeonha quietly picked up her fork and took a bite. She felt his gaze and looked up.
He hadn’t touched a thing yet, quietly watching her.
“You said you wanted to come, so why aren’t you eating?”
“Watching you eat fills me up.”
“Are you saying I eat a lot indirectly?”
“Of course not.”
“Then stop watching and eat.”
Embarrassed, Yeonha urged him, and he grinned mischievously, taking a big bite of the bruschetta. Seeing him nod and smile in satisfaction, Yeonha chuckled softly and resumed eating.
After their late lunch, the two walked slowly through Central Park to aid digestion.
The afternoon sun bathed the path softly. Being outdoors after a long time felt refreshing—or perhaps even more so because she was with him.
She glanced around, but couples filled the park.
How do we look to others?
They walked with some distance between them, yet the warmth in their eyes suggested more than strangers.
At that moment, several women walking toward them all looked at Dohyeon.
One’s eyes widened in surprise, another couldn’t close her mouth, and the last blushed.
Yeonha quietly sighed at the familiar reactions.
Ever since entering the park, women’s gazes had followed them. Too obvious to ignore, yet too distracting to disregard.
Why am I bothered? They’re not even dating.
Yet here she was, feeling jealous of other women. Quietly, she decided it was best to leave before making a mistake with him.
Just as she was about to say, “Let’s go,” he grabbed her arm.
“Wait a moment.”
Turning her head, his hand reached out. As she swallowed, his fingertips gently brushed her hair.
“There’s a petal stuck.”
He removed the petal from her hair and blew it away. The breeze scattered his own hair, like a scene from a movie.
Her heart plummeted.
…It’s over.
Yeonha finally realized she was in love with him.
She had known she liked him, believing she could always control her emotions. But she hated the way other women looked at him, and it was even worse seeing him look at anyone else.
She wanted his gaze to rest solely on her.
When had it happened? How had her heart gotten this far without her noticing?
Was it the moment he saved her from the drunk man? When he broke down sharing his family story?
Perhaps all those moments combined had led her here.
Suppressing the whirlwind of emotions in her mind, Yeonha exhaled quietly.
If he realized she loved him, he would surely ask her out. Then she would have the office romance she had been trying so hard to avoid.
He was different from his ex-fiancée, so maybe it would be different. But her worry was that he might leave at any moment.
It was understandable. He came to Korea to find his biological parents. His mother was already deceased, and soon, with DNA results, finding his father would be just a matter of time.
If she could find him, that would be fortunate. But if his father had passed away like his mother, or lived abroad, it was unlikely he would stay in Korea. His career, family, and friends were all in Australia.
Trying to keep him by her side was her own selfishness.
If the ending was predictable, she didn’t want to start.
What should I do?
Should she end this, or continue pretending as if nothing had happened?
Rationally, ending it was correct. But thinking of him left her breathless.
Her chest tightened slowly, her fingertips went cold. Her heart seemed to drop.
Seeing her standing dazed, Dohyeon furrowed his brows slightly, approached carefully, and asked in a low voice:
“Are you okay?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t look well.”
“Oh… I’m just a little dizzy.”
“Stay here. Let’s find a bench.”
It was a spontaneous excuse, but he took it seriously, scanning the area for a place for her to sit.
“Actually, I think it’s better if we head home.”
“Why? You’re not feeling well?”
She nodded faintly. He hesitated briefly, unwilling to leave, but seeing her pale face, he turned toward the car without lingering.
