Chapter 76. The Only Person I Want to Do This With
Haeyoung’s childish feelings suddenly surged up, and she tried to gather her reason and stay calm.
It could just be a work meeting. Maybe it was even a staff member.
She decided it would be better to knock and go in boldly to confirm.
She didn’t want them to keep misunderstanding each other anymore.
Just as she gathered her courage and raised her fist again, she saw the woman inside stand up through the crack in the door.
Then, with a provocative voice, the woman tilted her head toward Taeseong.
“Director, you know I’m interested in you.”
“Gasp.”
Haeyoung clamped both hands over her mouth to stifle the sound that almost escaped.
Her courage to enter completely vanished.
It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Taeseong — she just didn’t have the confidence to face this scene. It would be better to ask him about it later.
She turned away, looking down at the sandwich in her hand.
She didn’t think she could go in and give it to him directly, but she didn’t want to take it back either.
So she set the bag with the sandwich down near the door and quickly left.
The sandwich she’d made with excitement was left abandoned on the floor, never reaching its owner.
After closing the café, Haeyoung didn’t go home. Instead, she and Dohyun headed to a pub nearby.
She didn’t order food, just kept drinking. Soon, she was already tipsy.
Because of that, Dohyun had been listening to the same complaints for over an hour.
Her shiny nose tip was a little red, maybe from crying a bit in between.
“I’m telling you, even from the side, she was ridiculously pretty. I thought she was a celebrity!”
“So let me get this straight. You went to give Taeseong hyung a sandwich, but through the open door, you saw some woman flirting with him. Right?”
“Yeah, so—”
“So you didn’t give him your secret weapon sandwich, didn’t confront the scene, and just left. That’s it, right?”
“Yeah… hey, how do you know that so well?”
“Noona, you’ve said it twenty times already. If I couldn’t remember, I’d be a— not an idiot, but a goldfish!”
Dohyun downed a shot of soju, snapping in frustration, and Haeyoung’s face began to twitch like she was about to cry.
Alarmed, Dohyun reached toward her.
“Whoa, whoa. Noona, calm down. Don’t cry, okay?”
“That woman’s pretty, great body, probably richer and more successful than me, right? She’d match Joo Taeseong better than me, right?”
“Geez, pathetic. You always say confidence is everything for a woman!”
Even as he scolded her, Dohyun poured her a glass of water. Then, quickly, he slipped a hand under the table to text Taeseong.
Haeyoung shot him a suspicious glare.
“Hey! Kim Dohyun!”
He jumped, shoving his phone in his pocket.
“What?!”
“You weren’t paying attention to my story. That’s thirty more repeats for punishment.”
“Please, no…”
Dohyun slumped in despair — and silently prayed for Taeseong to arrive soon and rescue him.
Behind the wheel, Taeseong bit his lip. The text from Dohyun still lingered in his mind.
Hyung, emergency. Noona is completely drunk. I’ll send you the address.
“What the hell… she drank enough to get drunk? And with another guy?”
Muttering irritably, he pressed the accelerator harder.
It was thirty minutes after Dohyun’s message when Taeseong entered the pub.
“She was seriously pretty… What if, after today, I look like a squid to Joo Taeseong?”
“Noona, he’s liked you for ten years. To a man, the most beautiful woman is the one he loves. So… oh, hyung!”
Dohyun, who had been grumbling but still listening to her, jumped up to greet him.
But Haeyoung narrowed her eyes the moment she saw Taeseong.
“Hmph.”
She snorted at him and then flopped down onto the table.
“…Noona.”
“Haeyoung.”
Neither got a response.
Her round back just rose and fell steadily.
“…You asleep?”
Even to his question, she only kept breathing evenly.
“Sigh…”
Taeseong took off his jacket and draped it over her before asking Dohyun for the details.
He learned she’d made a sandwich for him, gone to his office, and seen a woman trying to seduce him through the slightly open door — then left.
After hearing everything, Taeseong exhaled sharply.
“…What?”
“Hyung, I’m not saying it again. I’ve told this story fifty times waiting for you.”
He nodded, not because he hadn’t understood, but out of sheer disbelief.
“How the hell did she see that…”
His brows knitted tightly.
He’d purposely left the door slightly open so no one could suspect anything from being alone with an actress in a closed room. But that had just caused this misunderstanding.
Still, when he thought about Haeyoung coming all the way to his office with a sandwich, his heart softened.
He brushed her hair back from her cheek and looked at her sleeping face gently.
After sending Dohyun home, Taeseong carried Haeyoung out. The pub was in a narrow alley, so parking was difficult.
It would take time to reach the car, so he tightened his arms around her.
After about three minutes, she stirred.
Her head slipped from his shoulder, and her drunken voice came out.
“Joo Taeseong…?”
“Yeah, it’s me.”
She squirmed.
“I want to get down. Put me down, I’m heavy!”
But his strong arms only held her tighter.
“You’re not heavy at all.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Why would I lie?”
“I gained three kilos over the holidays… I’m heavy, really heavy!”
“I’m the one carrying you, and I say you’re not.”
“Liar!”
The back-and-forth continued, him humoring her drunkenness while walking steadily.
“No, why do you keep—”
“You like slim women… pretty, slim, and super attractive…”
But her weak, deflated voice made him stop.
He turned his head.
Her round eyes were full of hurt, with tears shimmering.
“I’m heavy, I don’t match you because of it… My body’s just average… You’re popular… Even that Jo Minjoo unnie was so pretty and slim. You like women like that! I don’t match you…”
“Scared? That someone might take me away?”
“Scared? Not at a—”
Before she could finish, his patience broke. He turned and pressed his lips to hers.
Haeyoung squeezed her eyes shut in surprise, but Taeseong kept his open, taking in every detail — her tightly closed eyes, furrowed brows, trembling lips.
His gaze lingered over every part of her face as their lips stayed lightly pressed together.
Then, he pulled back.
On that cold winter street, their lips burned though they’d only touched.
Her damp eyelashes trembled.
“W-what are you doing…?”
“Don’t worry.”
Over her stammering voice, his steady, deep tone overlapped.
“The only person I want to do this with… is you. Now and back then.”
