Chapter 56
The mention of ‘my wife’ sparked a flicker of flame in Geon-ho’s eyes for a brief moment. The raging anger, like turbulent waves, was held back only by his dwindling patience.
“I already told you. Let’s not perceive it as something negative.” Geon-ho spoke with a voice so deep it carried a tangible weight. Unfazed, Woo-jin remained calm, diverting his gaze away from Geon-ho and lifting the hesitant Hae-gang to a standing position.
For someone who had just declared Geon-ho clueless, Woo-jin’s face was excessively serene, even enviable. Oh, how I wish I had that level of composure.
It took quite a while for Hae-gang’s legs to stop trembling and support her properly. The stillness in the confined corridor couldn’t be more unsettling. The air felt thick as if coated with frost, and it cut through like a sharp blade.
Only after Geon-ho was out of sight did she manage to regain her senses. Woo-jin, who had been inspecting her own body for injuries, suddenly looked down at Hae-gang’s broken shoe heel. His gaze lost in thought for a moment, shifted back to Geon-ho as if debating which problem to address first.
“I remember,” he said.
“But,” the short interrogation that followed Woo-jin’s words revealed how much he disliked this conversation. In stark contrast, Woojin’s expression was dry, bordering on boring.
“However, you cut me off without waiting for an answer back then. It seems today is the day you can finally speak.”
Hae-gang’s hand involuntarily touched the hem of Woo-jin’s clothes. Instinctively realizing that this person would only speak politely, with refined words, he felt a mix of appreciation and regret.
“Thank you for your words, but unfortunately, it’s too late.”
“Min Woo-jin.”
Although Hae-gang tried calling his name with a trembling voice, she couldn’t stop the words that followed.
“I don’t think I can match the rhythm of that exchange.”
As Woo-jin finished speaking, Geon-ho’s hand swiftly clenched around his throat. Something must have struck a nerve because Geon-ho’s thick eyebrows twisted momentarily.
Woo-jin’s back collided with the wall with a fierce sound, and in the blink of an eye, the unfolding scene left Hae-gang frozen like a statue. Caught off guard, he couldn’t even scream. The sound of Woojin’s suppressed cough echoed through the empty corridor.
“Not amusing at all. Do I seem to require your answer?” Woo-jin’s voice resonated emptily in the corridor.
“What the hell are you doing?! Let go of him right now!”
Hae-gang, belatedly regaining his senses, staggered forward, hindered by the unwavering shoe he couldn’t take off. But Woo-jin, seemingly resigned, waved his hand as if to dismiss him.
Glancing down at the hand firmly gripping his throat, Woo-jin reluctantly met Geon-ho’s fiery gaze. A gaze that seemed to ask how long this would continue. In defiance, Geon-ho’s grip tightened even more.
Woo-jin, convinced that waiting wouldn’t resolve anything, reluctantly brushed away the hand clenching his throat with a rough gesture.
“I knew you were a jerk, but the extent is worse than I thought.”
Hearing the accusatory words filled with clear hostility, Hae-gang involuntarily closed his mouth. No one had ever spoken to Yoon Geon-ho like this before. No one dared to meet his gaze, let alone speak words that might offend him. Even his own parents found their son challenging. That was until Min Woojin opened his mouth just now.
Hae-gang’s lips dried up. It was hard to imagine Geon-ho would take those words lightly.
“You two don’t seem very friendly. Your actions are surprisingly similar to your brother’s.”
Geon-ho’s suppressed chuckle slipped through his lips in response to Woojin’s unrelenting critique. But the laughter was confined to his lips; his eyes glared with a sharp intensity. Frankly, she wished Woo-jin wouldn’t provoke Geon-ho any further.
In their five years of marriage, she hadn’t known, but after the accident, she felt it throughout her body. Yoon Geon-ho could be an extremely ruthless person if deemed necessary.
“What are you all doing here?”
A voice, sharp as pulled strings, cut through the tense air. The woman who was about to enter the restroom occupied the passage, casting a skeptical glance at us. Geon-ho’s face was filled with displeasure as he realized this situation wasn’t in his favor.
“Sorry, please go ahead,” Woo-jin slightly lowered his head toward the woman, making way for her. As the woman, who politely greeted back, passed by, Geon-ho, still glaring at Woo-jin with hostile eyes, raised his hand to loosen his tie.
Unbuttoning one button and loosening his neck slightly, as if savoring each word, he uttered, “Remember what you just said.”
Geon-ho wasn’t one to let pass the comment that indirectly criticized him. Despite the intimidating tone, Woo-jin didn’t reproach him for not properly scolding the person attempting to escape. Instead, he simply extended his hand first.
In an attempt to smile at Geon-ho, standing tall despite the height difference, Woo-jin eventually gave up and lowered his head. The ill-fitted shoes caught his attention.
“Will you walk like that?”
Following her gaze, Woo-jin asked as he looked down at the shoes. There was a faint warmth in his voice that wasn’t present moments ago. Unable to discern his intentions, Hae-gang stared, and he even managed a faint smile.
“Then break the other one too.”
Hastily, hae-gang lowered her head and took off both shoes. With Geon-ho openly watching, she couldn’t possibly ask Woo-jin to fix the heel alignment while his knees were touching the floor.
The shoes made a dull sound as they fell carelessly, and her feet met the hard floor directly.
“Let’s go.”
Afraid that her knees, which had been shaky all along, might give out at this crucial moment, Woo-jin reached for the hand extended to her. Woo-jin, as if signaling that he had been waiting, held her hand, and they walked ahead.
After just a few steps, a forced and surreal laughter echoed loudly from behind, unmistakably audible.
“I’m warning you, don’t hold that hand for long; the more you do it, the more CEO Min’s life will be lost.”
The words, piercing through the ears, were not easily dismissed. Though it wasn’t clear to whom they were directed, Hae-gang felt a pang in her gut.
Turning her head and following the unpleasant voice, she found Geon-ho standing there, and their eyes met. The obsession flickering in his dark eyes felt like a tightening noose around her neck. Quickly, she moved closer to Woo-jin, seeking refuge.
The thin stockings couldn’t shield her from the cold rising from the ground, and enduring the bone-chilling sensation, Hae-gang exited the hellish space.
“Sigh.”
It was only after stepping outside the building that her legs, which had been holding up under pressure, gave in. Tears she had tried to hold back fell freely, painting the ground, and intermittent trembling breaths escaped her lips. The feet that had trodden on uneven ground began to sting belatedly.
The fact that she didn’t collapse but rather sat down was solely due to Woo-jin’s arm, which she clung to; it wasn’t because she still had strength.
“Hmm…”
Wiping away the overflowing tears haphazardly, Hae-gang pulled Woo-jin, who had been sitting across from her, into a tight embrace. The warmth radiating from him melted her body, which had been shivering all along.
The hand that had been patting her back gently lifted her. As she leaned against his shoulder, the secretary, who must have quickly come down from the car, opened the door.
“We’re going home.”
“Yes. I’ll drive.”
Woo-jin carefully released the earnestly clinging hand, took off his jacket, and covered her upper body. Due to the drained energy, even sitting upright was challenging. His shoulder served as her pillow, and leaning against it, she felt his long, slender fingers approaching.
Resting against the white fingers, which had gently caressed her reddened eye area, his hand covered her eyes, and through the pitch-dark darkness, Woo-jin’s monotonous voice echoed.
“Get some sleep. It would be good for you right now.”
After that, Hae-gang tossed and turned for a while. Though the movements of others were not usually comforting, Woo-jin remained silent, faithfully playing the role of a pillow.
The small hand tightly grasping her, even if it were to be her lifeline, bore visible strain. Clothes were strewn about in disarray on the floor, and her tear-streaked face needed no words.
Sleep wouldn’t come easily. That’s what happens when you’re a bold and insensitive person.
It took a long time and several adjustments before her breathing settled into a steady rhythm. With each inhale, Woo-jin released the tension from his stiff shoulders.
Tiring. Unlike during the Yoon Seon-woo incident, fatigue is undeniably present now. The difference in mindset between then and now played a significant role. Back then, the thought was to quickly resolve the situation when Seonwoo approached. It wasn’t Woojin’s taste to let things drag on, and he wanted to restore normalcy to Hae-gang’s life as soon as possible.
“Tsk.”
Woo-jin clicked his tongue softly. It wasn’t true. It wasn’t done for Hae-gang’s sake; it was an action driven by his desire to see the Seo Hae-gang of eight years ago as soon as possible. Regardless of the results, he didn’t pay much attention to the process.
He gently caressed Hae-gang’s hand, which he had been holding like a lifeline. The dry hand continued to tremble under the weight of guilt.
Woo-jin rolled down the car window and took in the outside air. The once-refreshing air had now become dense with moisture as if it would pour rain at any moment.
***
Standing alone, guarding the corridor, Geon-ho stared intently at the discarded shoes thrown by Hae-gang. The two pairs of shoes, haphazardly scattered, depict the ruined relationship with Geon-ho. The small feet, not caring about their appearance, were pressed against the ground. The traces left behind did not even glance at Geon-ho; instead, they were holding another man’s hand.
Remaining below, Geon-ho stared at the thrown shoes. The mismatched and carelessly scattered shoes vividly illustrated the deteriorated relationship with Hae-gang. The small feet, untouched, pressed against the ground. The traces left behind, without a second thought, held another man’s hand.
The desperate face of Hae-gang wouldn’t leave his mind. The face of Min Woojin, who showed no signs of disturbance when he approached, was also ingrained in his memory.
The moment he grabbed her by the neck, the familiar scent of chamomile from the long-ago Hae-gang overwhelmed him. Back then, he was sure it was a good fragrance that suited her, but even now, the scent lingering in the corridor was so repugnant that he wanted to cut off his nose.
The same scent. The held hand. The steady footsteps.
“My wife.”
And the assertive statement was delivered as if nothing were amiss.
As the words echoed incessantly in his mind, his head simmered with frustration, and a prickly sensation crawled up his throat.
“Damn it.”
Geon-ho spat out the curse, letting it escape without filtering. Only now, in this moment, did he finally admit the truth he had been denying all along.
Seo Hae-gang was completely out of his grasp.
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