Chapter 38.1

Hae-gang dashed into the entrance hall, frightened by the sound of the door opening. With his hands tucked into his coat pockets, he entered, and at first glance, he appeared composed. However, still not reassured, she grabbed Woo-jin’s arm and turned his body around.

“Are you hurt? Don’t hide it; tell me quickly!”

“Did you apply an ice pack?” Woo-jin asked her back.

“Is that the issue right now?! That person, do you know what he’s capable of? Min Woojin had to interfere! How terrifying that person is….”

As Hae-gang spoke, the fact that she had faced that terrifying person came to mind, and her voice gradually grew smaller.

Yes, he was someone who could even kill a person. She hugged her trembling body with both arms, overcome by belated fear. Seeing Hae-gang in such a state, Woo-jin changed into slippers and let out a sigh.

“Where did Auntie go?”

“I sent her away. Is Min Woo-jin really okay?”

“I’m fine. Let’s go inside and have lunch.”

The table was filled with neatly arranged and pleasant-looking dishes, but the atmosphere in the dining room was far from pleasant.

Hae-gang was picking at her rice with a gloomy face, while Woo-jin had already put down his utensils and was gazing at Hae-gang.

“Did you have a hearty breakfast?”

“Thanks to you.”

“With that strength, you must have managed to escape well.”

“No, one meal wouldn’t be enough.”

“Did you order the coffee to be hot?”

Hae-gang chewed the rice in her mouth very slowly. He had three requests for her this morning.

Take a walk, escape successfully, and order the coffee to be hot.

Just how far was his plan? Hae-gang put down the chopsticks she had stubbornly held onto, as the food in his mouth became difficult to swallow.

“Min Woojin.”

“Yes.”

Hae-gang was overwhelmed with a myriad of questions. Why did he commit such an act? What did he discuss with Yoon Seon-woo? Why didn’t he even make an effort to conceal it? Did he plan to inform Yoon Geon-ho as well? The questions swelled within her, but fear prevented her from voicing them aloud.

It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Woo-jin. Even if Yoon Seon-woo’s words held some truth, she couldn’t believe he acted without any thought or consideration. However, scarred by a previous experience of betrayal from someone she once held an unwavering faith in, she couldn’t suppress the doubts that continued to rise within her. She wanted to believe, yet the shadows of uncertainty persisted.

“You mentioned meeting that person today,” she ventured.

“That person?” Woo-jin echoed, feigning ignorance.

“My ex-husband, Yoon Geon-ho,” Hae-gang clarified, her voice trembling with a mix of emotions.

Woo-jin fell silent, refusing to offer an answer without being asked. His refusal only fueled Hae-gang’s determination to seek the truth.

“What is it that you wanted to say to him?” she pressed, her words laced with a hint of hostility.

“I had no intention of meeting him. I simply mentioned it to Yoon Seon-woo,” Woo-jin replied, meeting her gaze steadily.

Hae-gang found herself staring at him, a blend of confusion and frustration etched across her face. How could she make sense of it all? She had anticipated that Woo-jin would take swift action once he realized the gravity of the situation. She believed that he had to act for any resolution to occur. Yet her plea for him to resolve matters had never been uttered.

“I never asked you to resolve anything,” she protested, her voice quivering with a mix of disappointment and anger.

“Yes, I understand that now. I admit I acted hastily,” Woo-jin conceded, his voice tinged with regret.

Hae-gang clenched her lips tightly, the weight of his acknowledgment lingering in the air. She, too, was beginning to acknowledge the truth she had long tried to evade.

Forever concealing herself was an impossible task. That was why, despite her unease, she had refrained from venturing outside today. However, her decision didn’t stem from a place of resentment. Although she yearned to escape a lifetime of hiding, she had hoped to spend at least three years, or perhaps just these three years, in tranquility.

Of course, Woo=jin’s promise only concerned their status, so he had no obligation to hide her, but still…

“We could have discussed it beforehand,” Hae-gang trembled, her voice choked with tears. “You could have told me, asked if I was okay with it, and reassured me that you would come so my mind would be at ease. You could have done all that.”

Could it be that the discomfort she had felt since morning had finally spilled out of Hae-gang’s mouth? Embarrassment crept onto Woo-jin’s face, usually impassive.

He couldn’t find the right words to say. Each of her words poured out, too heartbreaking for him to offer a hasty explanation. Uncertain of how to calm her, he simply gazed at Hae-gang with a helpless expression.

“Even if I don’t know the reasons, you knew that I was afraid of that person. Yet, how could you suddenly bring him before me?”

Her eyes, bloodshot from holding back tears, made her appear even more desolate. Woo–Jin finally managed to part his lips, which had been tightly sealed.

“I’m sorry.”

Could he no longer hold him accountable after such a sincere apology? Hae-gang, in the end, covered her face with both hands and let out the sobs she had been suppressing.

From the unexpected encounter with Seon-woo to the disappointment she felt toward Woo-jin, this day had been too harsh on her.

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