TCE 28

Chapter 28

Inside the car, now back on the road, we were looking at the photos that the cheerful couple had taken of us.

They had been so enthusiastic—if it hadn’t been for Yoonjae’s abrupt farewell, they might still be taking pictures of us now.

Either way, traces of the café remained vividly in her phone, leaving her with an odd sense of wonder.

The pictures all looked similar, but among them was one that stood out.

The very first shot.

[Why, isn’t this the one?]

Click.

It had been taken at the exact moment they looked at each other in surprise.

Strangely, the photo showed no awkwardness. They even looked as though they got along well…

‘No, that can’t be right. What am I even thinking?’

This must be what people call a scam—something that tricks the eye.

Shaking her head at the memory of that fleeting moment when the picture was snapped, she turned to glance sideways.

A quick glance.

“……”

Her eyes just barely moved toward the driver’s seat, where Yoonjae sat silently, fully focused on driving.

As the memory of his warm grip came back to her, she quickly flipped her phone over.

Thump, thump.

‘It’s just because it feels strange. That’s all.’

As a child, there had been no one to take her photo. As an adult, there was neither the time nor anyone to take photos with—aside from graduation albums or occasional event snapshots.

That was why, being photographed with someone like this was almost a first for her. The unfamiliarity alone must be the reason for her pounding heart.

Yes, that had to be it.

Also, she had never thought she’d be taking photos with this face.

‘My face.’

Could she even call it “hers”?

Looking at the reflection in the car window, a heaviness seeped into her heart.

‘In another way, this is dangerous.’

The longer she lived in this body, the more natural it felt—like the face of Go Woori was fading away along with her.

She couldn’t tell if it was just adaptation, or if her soul was slowly being swallowed by this body.

If only there were some kind of signpost—but no, that was too much to hope for.

“…Phew.”

Lifting her shoulders with the force that pressed against her back, she let them drop and fixed her eyes on the scenery rushing past outside.

The car sped on, never stopping, heading straight for its destination.

A little later, the car halted, and they stepped out into a strange place.

Across the road stood a columbarium. Its white façade radiated solemnity, and it stretched so wide it couldn’t be taken in at a glance.

It was the weekend, so there were many visitors, yet the air remained startlingly quiet—except in one corner.

“Come this way, we’ve got plenty to choose from!”

“This way, please!”

The flower shop owners were calling out to passing visitors, their voices breaking the silence.

“Pretty lady, over here!”

Though the clamor felt somewhat inappropriate for the place, it oddly pulled her out of her daze.

“Shall we go there?”

“……”

It wasn’t because someone called her “pretty.”

Ignoring Yoonjae’s silent gaze, she followed him into a shop.

‘What am I even doing here…’

Such feelings would probably never end, not as long as she kept thinking.

Gathering herself, she looked over the colorful flowers and asked quietly:

“What do you think about Go Woori?”

Her tone was calm, almost flat.

“Still nothing?”

Though his voice was a little heavier than usual, given the place they were in, it wasn’t hard to understand.

Yoonjae tilted his head slightly.

“Do I need to have thoughts about her?”

As expected, a detached response.

She shook her head and murmured, almost absentmindedly:

“No, of course not. It’s just… weird, you know? Normally, we would’ve gone on living our lives, and Go Woori would probably be in America by now, living well.”

There was no point in questioning anymore how such an impossible thing had happened.

But the bitterness was inescapable.

Yoonjae, however, was struck by the accuracy of the name she mentioned.

“I thought she was going to Hawaii.”

Ah.

That had been a secret—only she and her secretary knew that Woori had planned to stop in Hawaii first before going on to the U.S. mainland.

She shrugged it off nonchalantly.

“Hawaii is U.S. territory too. Anyway, that’s not really the point. What I wanted to ask was…”

Changing the subject quickly, she continued:

“I felt sorry for her. What about you?”

“……”

“Did you ever feel even a little sorry for her?”

Ever since she’d discovered the sincerity of Woori’s affections in her diary, she had wondered about this.

Of course, it wasn’t a question with a right answer. She just knew she wouldn’t get another chance to ask after today.

But his answer was as indifferent as before.

“Not really.”

Spoken in the same detached tone, as if it had nothing to do with him.

[Why should I?]

Exactly like before, as if Go Woori had never mattered to him.

Throb.

‘What is that?’

A sudden tightness squeezed her chest, and she bit her lip. Her heart occasionally did this—constricting or shuddering violently.

‘Do I have some illness?’

Rubbing at her chest absentmindedly, she watched Yoonjae pick out a bouquet with red roses as the focal point.

“She wouldn’t want to be thought of like that.”

Coincidentally, it was her favorite color—red.

But for some reason, emotions swelled within her. Cold as he was, she didn’t like how casually he dismissed everything.

“Having money doesn’t mean everything.”

“I didn’t mean money.”

“Then what?”

Irritation slipped into her tone.

He extended the bouquet to her.

“Conviction.”

“……”

“Unshaken.”

Caught off guard, she accepted the flowers he handed her.

They were beautiful—small but vibrant.

She was given flowers meant for “her.” And that stirred a storm of thoughts.

‘Go Woori…’

It was only now, at this place, that Yoonjae thought of her again.

From the very beginning to the end, she had always been proud, with bright, shining eyes—that was why their engagement had ended.

He had wanted a doll that would obey his will.

And he had found one: the woman in front of him.

Until recently, she had been exactly the doll he wanted.

But now…

“So that’s how you saw it.”

Could he really call those radiant eyes before him the eyes of a doll?

Her gaze kept pulling him in, more and more.

Unaware of the way he looked at her, she stared at the flowers in her hands and swallowed a bitter smile.

Perhaps Yoonjae really did understand her well.

She had always pushed forward, unwilling to fall behind simply because she was alone.

She had never shrunk back. Whatever the circumstances, she had lived each day doing her best for herself.

‘Because I am me.’

The encouragement she had once heard at an event echoed again within her.

She lifted her head and looked at him.

“I’m glad.”

In that moment, even within Aejeong’s body, she was entirely Go Woori.

Did that stir something strange in him? Yoonjae’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Do you… know something about Go Woori?”

Her heart jolted, hot and sharp.

“…Why?”

“You just seem that way.”

His perception was annoyingly sharp—too sharp.

The Go Woori of the past might have laughed it off dramatically, but today, she didn’t feel like it.

After wetting her lips a few more times, she parted them to speak:

“It’s just… pitiful.”

Neither denial nor confirmation—just a vague answer.

After paying, she walked ahead, leaving Yoonjae to follow. The cold breeze brushed past as she added quietly, almost drifting on the wind:

“It just feels like she left too soon.”

Her faint murmur held many meanings and scattered away with the breeze.

“……”

He had noticed before—sometimes she spoke as if she were someone else entirely.

It happened too often to be dismissed as a slip, but Yoonjae said nothing.

“Let’s go.”

For now, all he could do was follow her—like a flickering candle against the wind.

They had already checked the location of Go Woori’s niche, so there was no hesitation as they walked on.

Step by step, as reality drew closer, she felt a strange calm settle within her.

‘Maybe… maybe I’ll finally be able to let go.’

It was vague, but the feeling was strong.

She was walking toward Go Woori—toward the self she had never truly let go of.

And just as she followed behind Yoonjae and turned the corner—

Thud.

“Ouch.”

Looking at the flowers, she hadn’t noticed he had stopped, and bumped her head into his back.

The surprise was greater than the pain. She stepped back and asked:

“What’s wrong?”

But Yoonjae didn’t move an inch.

‘What’s going on…?’

Confused by his unusual behavior, she tilted her head and stepped around him.

And then froze in place, just as he had.

Her face turned deathly pale, as if all blood had drained away.

Her eyes trembled violently, as though struck by an earthquake.

Without even realizing it, her voice rose—not from her mind, but from somewhere deep inside.

“…Father?”

So lost in the sight before her, she didn’t notice Yoonjae’s questioning gaze turning her way.