🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 8
Once the words started spilling out, the emotions that had been suppressed came rushing forth. Tears dripped down Boyan’s pale cheeks.
“So stop making me misunderstand, geez. I mean it, stop it.”
After a brief silence, Han-gyeol ran his hand through his hair and spoke.
“SOMANG, I’ve never gone on a blind date, and I’ve never intended to marry anyone.”
Her eyes wavered for a moment, but Somang stepped back, refusing to believe him.
“How would I know what happened in America… sniff… sniff.”
Somang’s actions—moving away as Han-gyeol approached—left him no choice but to stay in place.
“If you don’t believe me, should we call Siwon?”
She nodded. Somang wiped her blurred eyes with the back of her hand.
-
Uh, Kyeol.
“Siwon, did I go on a blind date in America?”
Siwon seemed quite flustered, stammering, “Uh, uh… well…”
-
How did you know that? Could it be… Baek Somang bothered you again?
Han-gyeol raised an eyebrow, as if asking if he could speak, and Somang crossed her arms in an X.
“That’s not it. I just talked in my sleep.”
-
Ah… Baek Somang kept pestering you because you went to America and couldn’t be reached. I handled it on my end since I knew you’d be busy in the U.S. She doesn’t know, right?
Siwon’s voice, anxious, implored him—warning that if Somang found out, she’d drive him crazy.
So all of this had been Baek Siwon’s lie?
Somang’s damp eyes quickly filled with surging anger.
Baek Siwon! That guy!
Every time she saw Han-gyeol, she would flutter and resent him dozens of times a day. She had no idea how exhausting her uncontrollable emotions had been.
-
Honestly, you were annoyed by my little sister too, right? Good for you, then.
Han-gyeol slowly turned his head, and Somang’s gaze was fixed entirely on him.
“I was never annoyed.”
-
Cheeky. Still… considerate, huh.
Soon, the call ended.
Having resolved the misunderstanding, Han-gyeol lightly pressed Somang’s cheek, saying, “See? It’s not like that.”
“Did you get jealous because I went on a blind date?”
His gaze remained fixed on her, unwavering.
“Yes, I did! Ah, I didn’t! Why would I?”
“That’s not it. In the office, you would glare at me whenever our eyes met.”
He saw everything. Han-gyeol wiped the tear stains from her face with his warm fingers.
Her deep resentment was wiped away like the tears, and she wanted to collapse into his arms right then and there.
“Let’s go. We’re late.”
Han-gyeol naturally grabbed Somang’s handbag from her hand and held hers as they left the house.
Somang alternated glances between their intertwined hands and Han-gyeol, but he didn’t let go. He only slowed his pace to match her slower steps.
She wasn’t even sure how she got into the car.
Even then, her left hand, tightly held by him, rested neatly on the console box.
So… the person he mentioned during the office dinner… is me?
Only after leaving the parking lot did she begin to regain her composure, and his words about marriage swirled in her mind.
Her entire body felt like a ticking time bomb about to explode.
“Are we really getting married?”
Marriage.
Her heart raced wildly at something she had longed for so desperately.
“You promised. When we were twenty-nine, if I liked you, we would get married.”
His words, delivered matter-of-factly, hit her like a blow to the head.
The reason for marriage was simply because of a promise—and his certainty that she would still like him made her feel both touched and wistful.
Without an apology, without an explanation, just: “Marry me, and you’ll say yes?”
Annoyed, Somang wished Han-gyeol would feel the same torment she did.
Thinking further, she realized that if they married now, she would continue to be the one to love him passionately all on her own.
So, this marriage was still on hold.
“No. I’m not marrying you.”
Saturday morning
<It’s something you caused, so you deal with it! You clean up the storage room too!>
Siwon, temporarily off work to clean the storage room at Somang’s command, shouted,
“Baek Somang! Do you want me to throw this away if it’s useless?”
“…What is it?”
Somang replied in a groggy, half-asleep voice, having stayed up nearly all night after Han-gyeol’s marriage declaration.
“It’s a heart-shaped gift box. Want to open it?”
“Mm… do as you like.”
Pulling the blanket over her in protest, Somang’s eyes suddenly opened wide.
“Oh, oppa! Don’t open it! It’s mine!”
Somang jumped out of bed and ran to the storage room, quickly closing the heart-shaped box that was about to be opened from his grasp, and returned to her room.
“What, Baek Somang… was it a love letter?”
Siwon, who had caught onto the teasing immediately, leaned against the open door.
“No! It’s not!”
“Did you date him behind his back? What kind of girl are you?”
She was furious—not only had he lied about blind dates and marriage, but now she had to endure Siwon’s playful accusations.
“Focus on cleaning the room first. Do you want the hospital closed tomorrow too?”
Siwon finally moved away from the doorway as Somang snapped her out of the daze. She took the opportunity to shove the box into the back of the closet.
“Ah… finally, some rest.”
Barely a minute after lying back on the bed,
“Baek Somang, get dressed. Let’s have lunch with Han-gyeol.”
Lunch with Han-gyeol?
Seeing her reflection in the phone, bare-faced and exhausted, Somang realized how worn out she looked.
Should’ve at least applied lip balm…
“I’ll rest. You two go ahead.”
She hugged her flattened stomach and replied.
“Don’t eat chicken later and come out quickly. Didn’t you say you gained weight recently? How many kilos again?”
“Ah, fine! Go ahead first.”
Somang got up, clearly feeling as if her weight would be broadcasted across town, and went to the vanity table.
Opening the bamboo-paneled door, she saw Han-gyeol and Siwon sitting side by side.
“What, did you put on makeup?”
“Just sunscreen.”
So that’s why she was late. Despite Siwon’s teasing tone, Somang’s attention was entirely on Han-gyeol. The blue short-sleeved shirt he wore looked perfect on him.
His arms—so firm and nice… she wanted to touch them. Her gaze lingered a moment too long, lost in admiration.
“Sit wherever you like.”
Han-gyeol’s gentle invitation brought her back to reality, and she quickly sat across from Siwon.
As if expecting her, Han-gyeol had already set her chopsticks and cup opposite him. Somang stretched and pulled them toward her.
“We’re ordering three servings of pork kimchi stew. Is that okay?”
“I’ll get something else.”
Somang, disliking Siwon’s heavily spicy choice, opened the menu to carefully choose something that would leave no traces on her teeth or lips.
“I’ll have pine nut porridge. I want this.”
It was the whitest, cleanest-looking dish in the menu photos.
“Pine nut porridge? Why not just eat rice?”
Siwon glared silently, thinking her choice ridiculous, but Somang stood firm.
“I want pine nut porridge. I like it.”
Defeated by her determination, Siwon called the waiter to order kimchi stew and pine nut porridge.
Somang fiddled with the paper pouch holding chopsticks and spoons, avoiding Han-gyeol’s eyes when they met.
<There is someone I will marry.>
<How about a spring wedding?>
Ah, just thinking about it again made Somang’s lips twitch uncontrollably.
A spring wedding does sound beautiful…
Baek Somang, you’re crazy! Han-gyeol is doing this out of obligation, and you’re agreeing?
Even if the blind date was Baek Siwon’s fault, showing up without notice assuming she’d be delighted—wasn’t that frustrating?
But what if she changed her mind and refused to marry?
She spent the night tossing and turning.
Feeling happy.
Feeling annoyed.
Feeling anxious.
By the end, her head ached, and her brain felt like it was boiling.
“Baek Somang! Are you listening?”
Siwon waved her hand in front of Somang’s face, frowning.
“Why are you thinking so much? I called you several times.”
“Why?”
“I have medical volunteering next week.”
It was a routine task, but…
“One night, two days?”
“No, six nights, seven days.”
Wait—so that means it’s just Han-gyeol and me at home… alone?
The soft pine nut porridge suddenly felt like gritty sand, and she coughed lightly.
