Chapter 39
A silent gym.
Standing in the ring, Lee Han slipped boxing gloves onto both hands one after the other.
He gripped the laces between his teeth, pulled them tight, and fastened them securely.
“Didn’t come around for a while, and suddenly you show up. What’s the occasion?”
His sparring partner was Seung-jae.
It had been a while since Lee Han, who enjoyed boxing as a hobby, visited the gym.
After a mistaken news report had gone out about an accident at a forum site, he noticed three missed calls on his phone.
They were from Dan Ha-ru, who hadn’t contacted him once in three days.
For a moment, he’d hoped she’d called out of concern for him. But when he answered, it wasn’t the reply he wanted.
Even after seeing her face briefly today, his thirst only deepened.
Maybe if he pushed his body until he was breathless, the thoughts clouding his mind would scatter—that’s why he came here.
“What about headgear?”
Wearing red gloves, Seung-jae clapped them together with a pop-pop and asked.
“Wear it if you need to.”
“If you’re not wearing one, I’m not either.”
In the square ring, facing Lee Han, Seung-jae rolled his neck to loosen it.
Lee Han tilted his head with a half-smile, beckoning him forward.
Their fiery gazes collided midair, filling the space with taut tension.
Seung-jae suddenly jabbed, but Lee Han easily slipped his head aside.
Jabs followed one after another, but Lee Han’s defense was quick and agile.
Then, just as Seung-jae struck again, Lee Han dodged swiftly and countered.
Seung-jae rubbed his aching jaw where the punch had landed.
“So, you want to do this for real?”
His eyes gleamed, sharpened by fresh competitiveness.
For a brief moment, as Seung-jae pulled back, Lee Han’s thoughts instinctively wandered to Ha-ru’s face.
“Right now, I don’t want to say anything to you.”
Dan Ha-ru’s wounded expression.
“Let’s cancel the contract.”
A firm, cold side of her he had never seen before.
“Give me time to think.”
The way she had walked away, and the face he saw today—thinner than usual—lingered in his mind.
In that lapse of focus, Seung-jae seized the chance and threw a straight punch.
The glove struck hard just above Lee Han’s lips.
Seung-jae froze, startled at his own attack.
“Hey, you okay?”
Only then did Lee Han snap back to his senses.
He nodded, wiped the blood from his lip with his glove, and curled one corner of his mouth into a grin.
“Hit me again.”
“What? Why are you acting scary all of a sudden?”
“Come on. Hit me again. Make me really wake up.”
Lee Han tilted his head, signaling him to come forward.
“Oh, so now you’re trying to fake me out with words? You think I’ll fall for that?”
Seung-jae widened his eyes and jabbed, determined not to be tricked.
But instead of guarding or countering, Lee Han simply let the punch land on his face.
“Damn, man! Why would you take that hit?”
“You hit me, didn’t you?”
“I hit you so you’d block it, not eat it!”
As Seung-jae scolded him in alarm, Lee Han smirked and sprawled on the canvas.
“What’s going on with you?”
“What do you mean.”
Lying down beside him, Seung-jae let out a rough breath.
“Come on. I’ve known you for years. You think I can’t tell something’s up?”
Today, Lee Han’s behavior was far from usual, and Seung-jae’s instincts told him something was wrong.
After a pause, Lee Han finally spoke.
“I admitted it. With my own mouth.”
“Admitted what?”
“The blind date I went to in someone else’s place.”
Seung-jae turned his head, studying him.
“So that’s why she dumped you?”
“Not exactly, but she’s furious.”
“Shouldn’t you be glad she knows? Compared to me, your specs are way better.”
“You think Ha-ru is shallow like you?”
“What’s so wrong with being shallow! Better than pretending not to be.”
Seung-jae tapped his glove against Lee Han’s side and went on.
“Anyway, you might be top-tier, but it’s not like I’m chopped liver either.”
Suddenly, he sat up straight as if recalling something.
“Hey, is my face really the type that makes women want to slap it?”
“What kind of question is that?”
“I mean, I’ve had girlfriends break up with me and slap me, but being slapped by a woman I just met? That was a first.”
He rubbed his cheek, recalling the incident.
“You think I look like a playboy? Maybe my face gives it away.”
He remembered what Da-in had muttered:
“Cheaters should all disappear.”
He still didn’t understand what she meant, tilting his head in confusion. Meanwhile, Lee Han suddenly sat up.
“Want to grab a beer?”
As Lee Han stepped out of the ring, Seung-jae asked, trailing behind.
“No. I’ve got somewhere to be.”
“Where?”
Lee Han didn’t answer, just kept walking.
I’ll be by in 30 minutes to show the place. Will you be home?
“Yes, I’m right outside now. Almost there.”
On her way home from work, Ha-ru had gotten a call from her landlady.
Her lease renewal was coming up, and when asked about extending, she said she wouldn’t be renewing.
Have you started looking for another place?
“I’m planning to check out some places this weekend.”
The apartment she lived in was the one she had first rented during her university days.
She’d lived there a long time, but it was time to move on.
Somewhere closer to GN Media would be better.
Okay, well, a realtor is bringing a client over today. Just so you know.
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Ha-ru got home, she hurried to tidy up.
Just as she finished getting ready for guests, the doorbell rang.
Opening the door, she saw a middle-aged man and a young man.
“Hello, we’re from the real estate office. The landlady contacted you, right?”
“Yes, she called.”
“Great, we’ll just take a look around.”
Ha-ru stepped aside, nodding, and let them in.
The young man, who had a pleasant, good-natured face, listened to the realtor’s explanations as he inspected the place.
“Nice and tidy, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it is.”
“The tenant’s been here a while, but she’s kept it spotless. Hardly needs any fixing.”
“Looks that way.”
He nodded in agreement.
While they toured the rooms and bathroom, Ha-ru stood back, keeping her distance.
“Gets plenty of sun, doesn’t it?”
The question caught her off guard, and she quickly answered.
“Oh, yes. It gets a lot of sunlight.”
“Exactly. It’s south-facing, so it’s bright all day. And in winter, heating costs stay lower.”
The realtor was mid-explanation when his phone rang. Smiling awkwardly, he excused himself.
“Yes, sir. I don’t have that document on me right now—ah, it’s in the car. Give me a moment and I’ll call you back.”
He hung up and turned to his client.
“You just need to check out the kitchen, I think. Why don’t you go ahead? I’ve got to grab something from my car real quick.”
“Sure, that’s fine.”
Then he glanced at Ha-ru.
“Sorry to trouble you.”
“Ah—no, it’s fine.”
And with that, the realtor left, leaving Ha-ru alone in the apartment with the young man.
The air turned slightly awkward. After a moment, Ha-ru spoke up.
“Shall I show you the kitchen?”
“Yes.”
“The water pressure’s good. There was a leak once, but it was fixed properly. No issues since.”
She turned on the faucet, and he nodded.
“This place feels cozy. I like it.”
Ha-ru nodded too. She agreed—she had lived here happily for years.
Since her twenties, this little apartment had been the backdrop of her Seoul life.
“I think I’ve seen enough. Thank you.”
He bowed politely and walked out. Ha-ru returned the farewell and saw him off.
The door closed with a click.
Only then did she sigh and head off to wash up.
But suddenly, the doorbell rang again.
“What now? Did they forget something?”
Assuming it was the man from earlier, she opened the door—
Only to freeze in shock.
Standing there was Lee Han, his face battered and disheveled.
