“Ms. Saebom.”
Hyeongwu’s voice snapped the chain of memories.
The very moment Saebom realized the sense of distance in that voice was far too close, she hurriedly rose from her seat and spun toward the direction the sound had come from.
“Nice to meet you.”
A large hand was suddenly thrust out. A beat too late, Saebom’s lips slowly parted as she identified the other person’s face.
“I’m Haegang.”
The low, resonant voice was not particularly loud, yet it held power.
It planted the impression that this man’s nature would not be easily trifled with.
In fact, Saebom knew better than anyone that this man’s nature was not easily trifled with.
Memories surged like a storm. It had been Hyeongwu’s voice that pulled Saebom out as she floundered at the boundary between reality and the past.
“Ms. Saebom?”
“Ah…….”
“…….”
“Jin... I’m Jin Saebom.”
At Saebom’s greeting, the man curved his almond-shaped eyes ever so slightly. It was an ambiguous expression, as if he were smiling, yet not.
“You’ve finished signing the contract, right?”
“Yes, Author.”
“Then I’ll leave you two to talk.”
Hyeongwu exchanged a brief glance with Saebom and stepped aside.
“Sit.”
After offering her a seat, he headed toward the kitchen. The faint sound of a coffee machine operating suggested he had gone to prepare something to drink.
Saebom stared in the direction the man had disappeared, her face unable to conceal its confusion.
‘...Is it not him? Is he just someone who looks somewhat similar?’
When she recalled the attitude and tone of his first greeting, there was a vast difference between him and the man Saebom remembered.
Saebom slowly re-examined the man’s face. The conclusion came quickly.
She couldn’t have been mistaken. It was a face she couldn’t forget even in her dreams. Yet the other party had greeted her as if they were meeting for the first time.
‘Could it be he doesn’t remember me?’
While she entertained a new question and constructed various hypotheses, the man returned and sat in the seat across from Saebom.
“Drink.”
She observed the man’s face. To determine whether he truly didn’t know her, or was pretending not to.
“I’ll skip over the work details since you’ll have heard them from the CEO.”
Regardless of Saebom’s turbulent heart, the man continued the necessary conversation at a leisurely pace.
He treated Saebom solely as a business associate. As though her certainty were mere delusion.
“Is there something on my face?”
The man, who had been explaining points to be careful of while working together going forward, expressed puzzlement at Saebom’s lingering gaze.
“No. It’s just that….”
Saebom made a decision. If the other party truly didn’t recognize her, it would be better to back out now.
“Author.”
“Speak.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can work here.”
The man’s eyes momentarily furrowed. He tilted his head slightly and met Saebom’s gaze.
His face looked troubled, yet somehow a little mischievous as well.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“So suddenly?”
“Something came up.”
“You’ve already signed the contract. I even paid out six months’ compensation in advance.”
“I’ll inform the CEO and return the money deposited today immediately.”
“Did you not see the penalty clause?”
“I was told that was made for confidentiality and security reasons. I haven’t even set foot in your studio yet, so it shouldn’t be much of a problem—”
“That won’t do.”
Saebom’s face hardened faintly.
The man, having shown a firm attitude, drank his coffee with a relaxed, unhurried motion.
That face was completely different from the one she had seen when they first exchanged greetings. With the mask of kindness removed, his face gave off the feeling of a predator hunting prey.
“All I’ve seen since coming here is your face and this huge house.”
“The problem is that you’ve seen my face.”
The more the conversation continued, the more Saebom’s thoughts tilted in one direction. It wasn’t that he hadn’t recognized her.
‘He knows.’
The moment she became certain of it, Saebom thought that the current situation might not have happened by chance, but rather was intentionally created by the man before her.
“Why would that be a problem?”
The moment she felt she had been deceived, her words came out sharp.
“It’s not like your face is gilded with gold.”
“This—”
The man’s gaze, which had been lowered over the teacup in his hand, slowly traced upward and met Saebom’s eyes.
“You certainly don’t mince words.”
His voice, casually tossed out, put an end to the entire situation.
The two faced each other in silence for a while. What broke the lengthening silence was the man’s shallow sigh.
Raising a hand to rub his mouth once, as though carefully choosing his words, the man looked at Saebom again.
“So—”
The moment he opened his mouth, he smiled.
“How’s Jin Saebom doing, the one who left me high and dry and ran off?”
The face before her seemed angry, yet also seemed to resent Saebom.
“I’m asking you, Saebom.”
Saebom knew the man before her.
The man who acted however he pleased ninety-nine times out of a hundred, yet was kind just once without fail.
The man who spat out words however he pleased without regard for the other’s mood, yet offered words of comfort at unexpected moments.
A man who, contrary to a personality that always carried chaos with him, liked quiet places and, unexpectedly, had a hobby of reading.
The man who always smelled of soap thanks to his habit of washing his hands frequently—
“After giving me that kind of farewell, I’m asking if you’ve been living well all this time.”
That man—Lee Do-hyeon.
* * *
Saebom first met Do-hyeon in April, when a late spring chill was running rampant—the day she moved back to Seoul for the first time in five years due to her father’s sudden transfer.
“Whew~ It finally feels like things are somewhat organized.”
Saebom dusted off her dirt-covered hands with a few loud pats, stretched, and headed toward the window.
Her new home was a small, two-story detached house.
It was an old house, but since the landlord had recently remodeled it, the house was clean and even had a small yard.
Above all, the neighborhood atmosphere seemed quiet, so Saebom liked this house very much.
‘Is the downstairs all organized?’
After finishing with her luggage and cleaning the second floor, Saebom washed her dust-covered body and went downstairs. The delicious scent brushing the tip of her nose made her turn her steps straight toward the kitchen.
“Dad, what are you doing?”
“Making dinner.”
“We’ve been working hard unpacking since morning. Why don’t we just order delivery? Aren’t you supposed to order Chinese food on days like this?”
“We already ate delivery for lunch. What’s so great about eating it twice?”
“Eating one more meal won’t kill us.”
Pouting her lips, Saebom approached from behind Suhan, wrapped her arms around her father’s waist, and poked her head out.
“Ahh~.”
When Saebom opened her mouth like a baby bird, Suhan picked up one of the round meat patties he had set on a plate to cool and popped it into her mouth.
“Delicious.”
“Are you done organizing the second floor?”
“Yeah.”
“My daughter is suffering because of her dad.”
“Suffering, my foot. You said we wouldn’t have to move again until I graduate high school.”
Saebom, wondering if there was anything to help with, had been looking around when her steps stopped in front of the dining table.
“Did Dad make this?”
Where Saebom pointed with her finger sat a rolled omelet boasting a thick breadth, arranged prettily on a plate.
“Of course.”
“You didn’t buy it from somewhere?”
At Saebom’s teasing question, Suhan put on a deliberately heated expression.
“What! Even Dad can do this much now.”
Suhan had begun learning to cook five years ago, after his wife suddenly passed away.
To fill even a little of the void of a mother that Saebom might feel, he had made various efforts, and cooking was one of them.
‘There was a time when he even burned fried eggs and got scolded by Mom.’
Of course, Saebom’s cooking still tasted a little better.
“Is there anything I can help with?”
“I do need tofu to make stew, but you don’t know where the supermarket is yet, right?”
“I don’t know about the supermarket, but I saw a convenience store on the way here in the car. It seemed within walking distance, so I’ll go buy some.”
“Then buy tofu, and an egg too.”
“Got it.”
“Be careful of cars.”
Saebom, briefly wondering if she should grab a coat, only took the baseball cap and mask left on the living room table and left the house. She figured it would be fine to go out as she was since she was wearing a thick hoodie.
But only five minutes after leaving the house, she regretted that choice.
“Ugh, it’s kind of cold.”
The distance to the convenience store, which had looked close when driving, was farther than expected. Though she tried walking a little faster, Saebom only arrived at the convenience store after walking another five minutes from there.
She grabbed a basket and put in the most important items, eggs and tofu, first. While wandering around the interior of the convenience store checking if there was anything else to buy, tangerines in a small net bag caught Saebom’s eye.
‘I should buy these and some hot cocoa too.’
When she finished paying and exited the convenience store, Saebom had hand warmers clutched in both hands.
Saebom looked around the still-unfamiliar neighborhood and moved her steps lightly, as if taking a stroll.
It was when she passed the street crowded with shops and turned onto a quiet road where houses huddled close together.