Chapter 20
Junhyuk spat the words out as though chewing on them.
“You could’ve just avoided giving yourself anything to apologize for in the first place. Don’t you think?”
It sounded almost as if he were deliberately saying it so she would hear.
Seoha exercised her right to remain silent.
“Fine. So, to sum it up, you’re saying you don’t care what the hell I do from now on.”
“Yes.”
“And you naturally assume that the woman outside is my lover.”
Not only does he treat me like a child, now he thinks I’m an idiot too?
Seoha’s expression hardened at Junhyuk’s shameless tone.
Wasn’t that obvious to anyone?
“You wouldn’t care if I brought another woman into the house we live in together?”
Of course not.
That wasn’t what she meant at all.
She only meant that whatever he did in places she couldn’t see or hear was none of her business.
No matter how composed Seoha was, there was no way she would be pleased to come face-to-face with her husband’s mistress.
Her imagination immediately ran wild, and a faint crease appeared between her brows.
More than anything, it upset her that the lighthearted mood she had been floating on before arriving here had collapsed in an instant.
Suppressing the urge to cry, Seoha spoke clearly.
“No. I don’t like that.”
“You said you didn’t care about anything. Why are you contradicting yourself now?”
In the end, Seoha swallowed down the anger boiling inside her and shot back with trembling lips.
“I’m saying if you’re going to do something like that, do it somewhere I’m not around. I meant that I don’t care what Han Junhyuk does where I can’t see it.”
“Whether it’s in front of you or behind you, you can’t see either way. What exactly is that supposed to mean?”
Hurt by Junhyuk’s heartless remark, Seoha drew in a small breath.
It was an obvious insult directed at her inability to see.
Han Junhyuk had a remarkable talent for pushing Yoon Seoha, who was indifferent to everything except her goal of surviving, to her absolute limit.
“If you really don’t care, why is your voice shaking so much? If you’re going to act, at least do it properly.”
As he spoke, Junhyuk rubbed his thumb over Seoha’s palm, which he was still holding.
The moisture that had seeped into her palm clung unmistakably to the tip of his thumb.
“You don’t care, right? Then why is your hand so damp, like someone who’s completely tense?”
The words trapped inside Seoha merely hovered at the back of her throat, unable to escape.
She couldn’t even tell whether she should be angry or simply endure it.
“Hey! You there! It’s noisy! It’s nighttime, so keep it down! If you keep this up, I’m calling the police!”
A neighbor’s shout mixed with the sobbing woman outside the door.
Junhyuk, already looking exhausted, furrowed his brow and led Seoha over to the sofa.
He brushed the strands of hair that had fallen over her face behind her ear and spoke slowly.
“It’s strange that the eyes of someone who supposedly doesn’t care are shaking so much. Are you jealous, by any chance?”
After casually tossing out those words, Junhyuk moved away from Seoha.
The moment his hand disappeared from hers, the space between her fingers suddenly felt strangely empty.
Relieved, Seoha rubbed her hand against her clothes.
Her pulse was pounding so loudly that she could hear it in her ears.
This is all because of that man who insists on controlling every situation however he pleases.
Jealous…? Why would I be?!
Seoha was now furious with herself for not immediately retorting when he had said it.
Her emotions, normally as calm as still water, turned into a roller coaster whenever she was around Junhyuk. It was enough to drive her crazy.
Not long afterward, the sound of the front door opening rang out.
Perhaps Junhyuk had brought the woman who had been shouting inside, because the noisy surroundings suddenly became quiet.
When only occasional sniffles could be heard, Junhyuk asked coldly,
“Does Dohee know you’re here?”
“No! Oppa, Dohee unni really doesn’t know! Don’t drag an innocent person into this.”
All of Seoha’s attention immediately focused on their conversation.
Dohee?
Was she talking about Kim Dohee, the woman who had agreed to be her bodyguard?
At the sudden mention of a familiar name, Seoha’s heart began pounding faster.
It was a name that had already been making her subtly uncomfortable all day.
“If you have an excuse, go ahead and give it.”
As though she had been waiting for that opportunity, the woman hurriedly continued.
“I came because I was homesick. I missed Korea so much. I came secretly and only meant to rest for a little while before going back. I knew you hardly ever use this place, but I never imagined you’d suddenly show up today.”
Junhyuk let out a cold breath, the sound echoing through the living room.
His voice dripping with sarcasm, he sneered.
“So, what you’re saying is that the problem isn’t the person who trespassed and occupied the place, but the homeowner who suddenly showed up?”
“You’ve been coming here before too, haven’t you?”
“Huh? No, I haven’t! Seriously!”
The woman was startled and hurriedly made excuses.
“You haven’t, yet you’re acting like you know this place so naturally? I gave you the number ages ago.”
At Junhyuk’s icy question, the woman’s voice shrank to a mumble.
“Oppa… Can’t you just let me stay here for a little while? I promise I won’t cause you any trouble. If you could just pretend you don’t know…”
“Why should I?”
Junhyuk’s cold retort made the woman’s sniffles grow louder.
But something was strange.
Their exchange didn’t sound like a conversation between lovers at all.
Perhaps frustrated by Junhyuk’s relentless accusations, the woman’s voice rose.
“You’re mean too, Oppa! Of course, Mom is the worst of all. But why am I the only one who has to wander around overseas?! I don’t want to go to Canada! I want to live in Korea too!”
Then three words slowly slipped from Junhyuk’s lips, tangling Seoha’s thoughts into a complicated mess.
“Han Junhee.”
Han Junhyuk and Han Junhee.
Could it be…?
His younger sister?
Seoha had heard plenty of rumors that Chairman Han Dong-pyo of H Bio had two sons, but she had never heard anything about him having a daughter.
Only then did the pieces of their conversation finally fall into place.
Had I never heard about his younger sister because she lived so far away?
Seoha tried to convince herself that was the case, but no matter how she looked at it, the situation was extremely abnormal.
Regardless of the circumstances, what kind of older brother treated his younger sister as though she were a complete stranger?
Seoha didn’t know what had happened between them, but there were countless things about the situation that she simply couldn’t understand.
“You could stay here and end up getting screwed over without anyone knowing again.”
“Whether I get played by that bastard or killed by my little brother, it’s all the same anyway. So I’d rather live comfortably for a few days before I die.”
After saying that, the woman began hiccupping, apparently feeling the effects of the alcohol.
Someone was pleading this desperately, yet there was no way constantly pressuring her would solve anything.
Their conversation was so extreme that it was impossible to figure out what exactly had happened between the two.
Unable to watch any longer, Seoha intervened.
“Excuse me.”
The woman, who had been sniffling, fell silent for a moment.
Then Han Junhee began sarcastically taunting her brother in a sharper voice.
Since begging had gotten her nowhere, she seemed to have decided to show her true colors.
“Does Mom and Dad know you’ve set up house here?”
“Shut your mouth.”
“Or are you two playing house, which doesn’t suit you at all?”
“Fuck, you…”
Since her pleas had failed, Junhee began going completely overboard.
“I wondered why you were letting that pretty face of yours go to waste, but I guess you were saving it so you could use it like this. If you were going to waste it anyway, you should’ve given it to me.”
At that moment, Seoha had no idea what Junhyuk had done, but Junhee suddenly began screaming in fear.
“Why? What? Did I say something wrong? Did I?!”
Unable to figure out what was happening, Seoha could only let out a deep sigh before quietly speaking.
Now that she realized the woman was his sister rather than his lover, she felt absurdly relieved.
She wanted to put an end to this awkward situation before they all ended up at each other’s throats.
“I’m sorry for the late introduction, Ms. Han Junhee. Since you don’t seem to know, let me tell you—we’re together with the permission of both our families. And even if Mr. Junhyuk intends to make full use of that handsome face of his, unfortunately, I’m blind, so I’m afraid I won’t be much help.”
At Seoha’s words, Junhee, who had been arguing back moments ago, suddenly fell as silent as if she had swallowed her tongue.
Seoha decided to chalk up all of Junhee’s rudeness so far to the concern of a younger sister who cared about her brother.
Then Junhyuk asked in a displeased tone,
“She said I was her lover?”
“No. She didn’t say that. She said we were two people who ate and slept together.”
“Fuck. You really say all kinds of things.”
There was clear irritation in Junhyuk’s voice, but Seoha’s tone had become much lighter.
“I didn’t know you had a younger sister.”
“You could’ve gone your whole life without knowing.”
Well, if she had been living overseas, it was entirely possible that they could have become strangers without ever meeting during their brief marriage.
Perhaps Seoha might have at least seen her at the wedding.
But judging from the atmosphere between them…
Seoha took a short breath before continuing.
The three of them couldn’t keep standing there in this standoff forever.
“Um, first, I’d like to give Dodam some food and water.”
Honestly, that was the more urgent matter right now.
Dodam always ate at regular times, but today his mealtime had already been delayed considerably.
