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Chapter 30
The way he entered the kitchen and sat down at the table looked completely natural.
Watching his back with a bewildered expression, Mu-hyun turned his head toward her and asked,
“What are you doing, not coming in?”
It really was a case of reversed roles; she didn’t know who the homeowner was and who the tenant was.
But since it wasn’t a situation where she could chase him out again, Chae-yoon let out a loud sigh as if for him to hear, and stepped into the kitchen.
When she set the tray with gimbap and fish cake soup on the table, Mu-hyun, who had been looking sullen the whole time, brightened slightly. Perhaps truly hungry, he immediately popped a piece of gimbap into his mouth and soon nodded in satisfaction.
“This is good.”
Chae-yoon, who was naïvely happy to hear that it tasted good, quietly turned her body away. She didn’t want Mu-hyun to see her expression.
But the moment she stood at the sink to do the dishes, a voice calling her reached her ears.
“Song Chae-yoon, you’re eating too, right?”
“I already ate.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
It was true she hadn’t had much for dinner due to her lack of appetite. Still, accepting his offer to eat together felt awkward.
“I don’t touch it while someone’s eating.”
Maybe he was still hung up on what happened yesterday morning; Mu-hyun added in a slow tone. But Chae-yoon calmly declined his offer.
“I really did eat. Please have your meal comfortably.”
Fortunately, Mu-hyun didn’t insist any further.
Chae-yoon finished the dishes and tidied the sink as slowly as possible.
Even so, she couldn’t stop listening to the sounds coming from the table behind her.
Her heart raced at being in the same space as him, but she couldn’t help feeling anxious that something like yesterday might happen again.
Still, no sound of clinking dishes or chewing came from the table, so she had no way of knowing when to turn around.
Maybe he’s done eating by now.
Mu-hyun ate quickly and didn’t have much food, so it wouldn’t take long.
If she turned around naturally now and picked up the dishes…
As Chae-yoon was calculating the timing in her head, she suddenly heard Mu-hyun’s voice right behind her.
“You don’t seem to have anything to do. Why are you moving around so frantically?”
Startled, she hadn’t even noticed him moving. Wide-eyed, she turned, and he was right in front of her, one eyebrow raised.
“Hiding something? Why so surprised?”
“You came up behind me so suddenly… No, it’s nothing. Did you finish eating?”
Instead of answering, Mu-hyun set the tray he was holding down on the side of the sink. The plates were clean and empty today, too.
“If you’ve finished, then that’s enough…”
“Do I look like I’m desperate to kick you out? Or is that just me imagining things?”
Mu-hyun asked leisurely. Seeing that there was no trace of sarcasm, it seemed he wasn’t about to start the “second round” he had hinted at yesterday. Not yet, at least.
“No. I just meant it’s late, so you should rest.”
Chae-yoon answered in as soft a voice as possible, not wanting to provoke him.
She didn’t want to engage in another emotional battle. Facing Mu-hyun, who pressed her, always drained her and hurt her heart.
The wounds he created with his cold gaze and twisted words had been piling up in Chae-yoon’s heart. Now, even the slightest touch felt like a sharp blade scratching her chest.
“By my standard, nine o’clock is early evening.”
Mu-hyun, seemingly unwilling to heed her words, stood firm and replied.
“I think we need a deeper conversation between us.”
“…I have nothing more to say.”
Chae-yoon lowered her head, her voice weary. But Mu-hyun simply ignored her words.
“Even if it’s uncomfortable, how about enduring it a little? Think of it as helping someone who’s lost their memory.”
Chae-yoon looked up at the unexpected words.
Is he really asking me this? He’s not mocking me?
Until yesterday, he had questioned her with sharp hostility, so she couldn’t believe him. Seeing her suspicious gaze, Mu-hyun smirked.
“Looks like a face that doesn’t trust me.”
She said nothing, only stared. There was no clue as to why Mu-hyun had suddenly changed his attitude.
Chae-yoon felt sorry for him but couldn’t trust him. Perhaps after calming her with a gentle tone, he planned to pry memories from her while she let her guard down.
When dealing with strangers, Mu-hyun had always shown his cold, calculating nature more than anyone.
Seeing her expression, he raised both hands lightly.
“Truce, then? We don’t know how long we’ll be staying here, so isn’t it better to get along a little more?”
“I thought you hated me. Why the change of heart?”
“At first, there was a misunderstanding. Now, I just have a lot of curiosity. Seems like you’re the only one who knows my lost past.”
“….”
“I admit I questioned you too hastily. I apologize. Anyway, I want to get along with you from now on, Song Chae-yoon.”
Chae-yoon couldn’t be sure if he was sincere. His eyes and tone seemed genuine, but it was hard to trust. The Mu-hyun she knew didn’t change his mind so easily.
Her desire to believe clashed with the thought that she mustn’t let her guard down. Even though she felt doubt, the urge to trust him kept growing.
Unable to calm her chaotic feelings, Chae-yoon bit her lower lip. At that moment, Mu-hyun’s hand lightly pressed her chin. Startled, she parted her lips slightly.
“Habit, huh?”
‘Habit?’
“If you bite just a little harder, it’ll leave a mark, you know.”
‘If I bite a little harder, it might draw blood?’
The Mu-hyun of the past suddenly overlapped with the one in front of her.
Chae-yoon struggled to swallow the rising emotions, but she couldn’t stop the tears welling in her eyes.
Looking up at him with tear-filled eyes, Mu-hyun’s eyebrows twitched. Looking down at her with eyes that were both troubled and displeased, he asked in a low voice:
“Song Chae-yoon, you cry whenever you see me. What did I touch this time?”
“….”
“Which word I said earlier triggered your memory…”
“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
Chae-yoon, as if bound by his gaze, barely managed to speak.
Time with Mu-hyun was always precarious, but today felt especially so. One wrong move and she might lose control of her emotions.
Trying to get away, she stepped aside and continued,
“Please go. I need to rest now…”
At that moment, her foot slipped as she tried to avoid touching him. Quickly, Mu-hyun grabbed her arm and held her waist with his other hand.
“Ah!”
As she tried to pull away with a short gasp, he tightened his hold instead.
Their bodies pressed closely together. Mu-hyun’s gaze darkened as he looked down at Chae-yoon, who had gone pale with shock.
The sudden heat between them might have been a natural reaction. After all, he had felt desire since the first time he saw Song Chae-yoon; it would be strange not to react in this situation.
Yet, feeling her pale face, trembling eyes, and wildly beating heart made his emotions increasingly complicated—something he hadn’t anticipated.
Was it longing, simple excitement, or maybe even anticipation?
Mu-hyun was gradually consumed by these unidentifiable feelings.
