Chapter 59. Keeping a Promise

“What… what do you mean by that?”

“Just what I said.”

Minju crossed her legs and continued.

“You know Taeseong’s mom is a famous film director, right?”

Haeyoung bit her lip without answering.
She’d heard she was a director—but never that she was famous.

“…You didn’t even know that? Wow, you really don’t know anything, do you?”

Minju asked, sounding genuinely surprised, and Haeyoung clenched her fists.
She thought she knew Taeseong at least a little—but clearly, she didn’t.

The truth was, she didn’t really know him at all.

“It’s Director Choi Myeong-eun. She’s been nominated at Cannes twice.”

“So?”

“She heard Taeseong wants to major in film and came back to suggest he study abroad—but he turned her down. Flat.”

“Even though it’s such an incredible opportunity.”

“…Why?”

“Why do you think?”

The scolding tone in Minju’s rhetorical question made Haeyoung’s heart sink uncontrollably.

“It’s because of you.”

“…….”

“Taeseong’s too kind to even bring up divorce with you, don’t you get it?”

“…What are you talking about…”

“Your grandmother’s really sick, right? That’s why the two of you got married. Isn’t it?”

This part was just a guess from Gijun, so Minju straightened up, tense.
If there was a hole in the lie, Haeyoung might strike back.

“W-Why… how do you know that?”

That bastard Kwon Gijun.
Unreal instincts.

Minju barely suppressed her smirk at Haeyoung’s reaction and smoothly continued the lie.

“You know it too, don’t you? Taeseong’s a sweet, soft-hearted guy.”
“How could he bring up divorce to a girl with a sick grandmother?”

“How did he… know that?”

“That part doesn’t matter. What matters is he told me he’s been suffering over it.”

“Suffering…? That’s what he said?”

As soon as the word suffering hit her ears, Haeyoung’s mind went blank,
and her heart plummeted like a falling stone.

“Yeah. It hurts him. He can’t come to me, can’t chase his dream—because of you.”

Minju’s sharp words pierced like a blade. Haeyoung clenched her jaw tightly.

The person she loved… was in pain because of her.

Her heart felt like it was being shredded apart.

“Even if you can’t lay flowers on Taeseong’s path, at least don’t throw ashes on it.”

That final blow caused Haeyoung’s fragile heart to finally collapse like a crumbling sandcastle.

“…So, you came all the way here just to tell me to get divorced?”

“At least you’re not completely clueless.”

“…….”

“And don’t even think about hovering around him under the excuse of being ‘just a friend.’”

Minju openly scanned Haeyoung’s appearance from head to toe.

“Let’s be real. If it weren’t for the deal between your grandfather and Chairman Joo, you and Taeseong? You’d never have crossed paths—you’re from different worlds.”

Each of Minju’s words stabbed right where it hurt. Haeyoung closed her eyes.

“…That’s enough.”

Compared to them, her life was undeniably modest.

But that didn’t give them the right to belittle it.

“That’s enough. I heard you loud and clear.”

“Pfft, so you do have some pride?”

“I won’t be the one throwing ashes on Taeseong’s future.”

Because she had promised herself to support his dream.
Because even if the whole world opposed him, she’d be the one person who stood by his side.

‘That’s why… at the very least, I can’t hold him back.’

Haeyoung steadied her thoughts and slowly parted her firm lips.

“But since you came all the way here, there’s something I need to say too.”

“…….”

“I’m not walking away from Joo Taeseong because of your petty threats.”
“And I’m not scared of you, either.”

Her heavy gaze pinned Minju in place.

“Did you just say… petty?”

“I’m leaving Joo Taeseong’s side purely for his sake.”

Haeyoung swallowed hard, as if trying to pour her whole heart into each word.

Then she continued:

“Because I want his heart to be at peace, safe in a place where it doesn’t hurt.”

“Because I want his dream to blossom on a smooth road, without a single stumbling stone.”

“Because this is how I choose to love him.”

After finishing her words, Haeyoung stood up.

“So don’t get it twisted.”

With those final words of advice, Haeyoung walked out of the café with her head held high.

But despite her brave front, her nose began to sting.

As she left the shop and headed for the bus stop with large strides, tears began to fall.

The winter wind pierced her chest like a knife, cold and cruel.

Haeyoung wiped her tears away and whispered a courageous lie to herself:

“I’m fine.”

She’d planned to get divorced anyway.

“It’s okay, Haeyoung.”

She had only intended to like him a little.
From the beginning, she knew Taeseong liked someone else.

“But… sniff… I knew all that, so why does it still hurt this much?”

Haeyoung wiped her tears with her sleeve.

“It’s fine. I’ll forget soon. Sniff.”

She kept trying to brighten her tone, but the tears falling on her cheeks didn’t stop.

“They say first love never works out anyway. Hrrk—.”

It wasn’t until long after this moment that Haeyoung finally realized—

Why she couldn’t stop crying that day.

It was the blurry border between nineteen and twenty…

Where she didn’t yet understand that every love in the world is special.

She had dismissed her feelings as an ordinary first love—a typical, unrequited crush.

It wasn’t until she grew up, until she could no longer give away even one pure piece of her heart—

That she understood:

There’s no such thing as an “ordinary” love.
Love is always special, always precious, and always pure in its own way.

Ironically, only after she became an adult who could no longer love so innocently…

Did Haeyoung finally come face-to-face with the true shape of her feelings for Taeseong.

And only then did she realize—

That it was perfectly natural for her younger self to cry without end that day.

She realized it far, far too late.

*   *   *

Back in her neighborhood, Haeyoung borrowed Cheolsoo’s phone and locked her bedroom door.
She dialed Taeseong’s number.

Her phone had been smashed, but she still remembered his eleven-digit number perfectly.

Unlike how confidently she dialed, her thumb hesitated over the call button.

“Haa…”

In truth, she’d always known that her relationship with Taeseong would likely end in divorce.

Still, she’d hidden away in Pohang all this time and never contacted him first—
clinging to a meaningless sliver of hope, delaying the inevitable breakup.

But now, it was finally time to face reality.

She had made a promise—to support Joo Taeseong’s dream.

If she couldn’t cheer him on, the least she could do was not hold him back.

Divorce—separation—was the last act of love she could give him.

Haeyoung blinked a few times, collecting herself, and pressed the call button.
Before long, a familiar voice came through the speaker.

[Hello?]

“……”

Sensing something off, Taeseong’s tone quickly dropped.

[It’s you, right? Cha Haeyoung.]

“Joo Taeseong.”

[Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering? Whose phone is this?]

As Taeseong bombarded her with questions without even taking a breath,
Haeyoung furrowed her brow.

She swallowed down the heat rising in her throat and finally spoke.

“Did… your mom come back to Korea?”

[What? How’d you know about that?]

“…She told you to study abroad, didn’t she?”

[Where are you? I’ll come to you right now.]

“No, it’s okay. I’ll come to you tomorrow. Let’s meet.”

As if she had confirmed everything she needed, Haeyoung’s tear-filled eyes trembled slightly.

“Tomorrow, 1 p.m., at the express bus terminal.”

The next day at 12:45, Haeyoung stepped off the express bus.

She walked inside the terminal and sat on a bench near the entrance, waiting for Taeseong.

She had arrived earlier than expected, so she had some time to spare.

On purpose, she let her mind go blank and simply watched the people passing by.

Then, in the distance, she saw him.

“Cha Haeyoung!”

Spotting her, Taeseong waved wildly and ran toward her.

He looked just like a big puppy reuniting with its owner after a long time.

He quickly arrived and plopped down beside her.

“Why’ve you been so impossible to reach? Yesterday you even called from some random number.”

“My phone broke. I’ll be getting a new one soon.”

Haeyoung answered without meeting his gaze.

“Now that you’re back in Seoul, you’re not going back, right? You’ll need to start prepping for college soon anyway.”

“Taeseong… where’s your mom right now?”

Her calm voice made Taeseong’s expression fall.

In the excitement of seeing her again, he had forgotten all about it.

“Oh, right. Mom.”

He mentioned her like he was talking about a stranger, his brow furrowing.

“I was going to tell you she came, but… well, do you want to meet her now? If not, that’s fine too. She’s going back to the U.S. soon anyway.”

Despite his sour tone, he had hoped that once his mother met Haeyoung in person,
she would come around—despite disapproving of their marriage.

“Taeseong.”

“Hey, let’s not do this here. Let’s go home first. Mrs. Jincheon said she missed you, too—”

“I think… it’s time we keep our promise.”

Haeyoung, who had been staring straight ahead the whole time, finally turned her head and looked at him.

“What… promise?”

Taeseong’s face darkened at her ominous tone.

His eyes hardened, completely unable to grasp what she was trying to say.

And then, Haeyoung finally said the words she had practiced hundreds of times the night before.

“Let’s get divorced.”