Chapter 05
After that, Sea told Yeonsil roughly about her family situation. Her mother had remarried, and she had gained a stepbrother. They were not close.
She couldn’t explain everything in detail, but Yeonsil didn’t ask further.
Even so, Yeonsil was the only friend who knew that, unlike her calm appearance, Sea carried many scars and a complicated heart.
“I told you. From the start, Lee Dongjun’s face reading was bad. That wide forehead, that flat nose—how big is the area on that thing? He looks like a flounder, always acting all high and mighty. Ugh.”
Yeonsil had never liked Dongjun.
With her free-spirited thinking and blunt way of speaking, Dongjun hadn’t liked Yeonsil much either. After introducing them once, Sea never arranged another meeting.
“I don’t know about face reading. Dongjun isn’t that immoral. He’s always lecturing me about being a proper teacher.”
“Yeah, double standards. When he does it, it’s romance.”
Yeonsil slapped the table as she continued.
“So why did you avoid them? Huh?”
“I don’t know. At that moment… it just felt like I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see.”
Sea replayed that day in her mind.
The moment she saw it, everything went blurry. She felt dizzy. She wanted to deny what she had seen.
When she came back to her senses, she was already back inside the building.
She had retreated without realizing it.
“Then at least ask him. What were you doing there?”
Yeonsil narrowed her eyes.
“He might lie, sure. But he’d still feel guilty.”
“That’s true…”
Honestly, she wasn’t confident.
If he said it was true—what should she say?
If he denied it—what then?
Any answer would probably only confuse her more.
“So you’re just going to let it go?”
“No, but…”
“Then tell him to come where I am. I’m a black belt in taekwondo. I’ll secretly kick that bastard where it hurts.”
“What are you even saying!”
Sea shouted in disbelief.
“That’s a crime! What do you mean kick him there?”
“Ugh, I’m just frustrated. Thinking about you suffering alone without saying anything makes me furious. Or how about this? Tell him you made coffee and mix in some laxatives.”
Sea shook her head.
Maybe she shouldn’t have told Yeonsil.
“It’s not even confirmed that he’s cheating.”
“Hey, you said he put his lips on her forehead. If that’s not cheating, what is it? That’s why you shouldn’t have run away. You should’ve secretly recorded a video!”
Yeonsil slapped the table again. Sea grabbed her hand and glanced around nervously.
“Stop it. You’ll break the table.”
“Ugh, so frustrating. You’re frustrating, and so is my bladder. I’m going to the restroom.”
As always, Yeonsil’s blunt words left Sea stunned.
After she left, Sea turned her head toward the window.
“Am I really that frustrating?”
She had done her best to survive.
Back when she lived in that hellish house, and even now.
She always focused on what she had to do in each moment. She had no regrets.
Then why did she still feel unsettled?
“Yeah. You are.”
Sea thought she had misheard.
But the voice wasn’t unfamiliar.
“Ms. Han Sea. You’re very frustrating.”
When did he come?
Seonghan was sitting in Yeonsil’s empty seat.
Just like at school, he wore a tailored suit, his hair neatly combed back.
A faint woody scent drifted from him. His straight nose looked unusually sharp and smooth.
Sea frowned slightly, feeling strangely suffocated.
“Why are you here?”
“Why wouldn’t I come to my own hotel? Shouldn’t I ask you the same?”
Sea lowered her gaze.
Of all places—Jungwoon Hotel.
Yeonsil lived nearby, and since she had asked her friend to meet, she felt bad suggesting another place.
And most of all, she hadn’t expected to run into this man here.
“You’re the owner of this hotel?”
“Until last year. Not officially this year. But it’s still mine. I built this place.”
Seonghan slowly looked around Café Grace.
“Every detail here—I checked it myself and worked for it.”
Sea followed his gaze with an indifferent expression.
“Though I suppose you’re not interested, Ms. Han Sea.”
“Do you read minds?”
She asked, startled at how he kept guessing her thoughts.
“I don’t read minds. I’m just interested in someone.”
“Don’t say that someone is me.”
“All right. I won’t. Since you told me not to.”
He shrugged lightly.
When did he become this shameless?
Sea narrowed her eyes.
He was the man who kissed her and ran away.
A chaebol who disappeared overseas right after.
Damn that money.
Thinking about him becoming the Chairman made her want to quit her job immediately and live on tutoring gigs—but reality wasn’t that simple.
“I’m meeting someone. She’ll be back soon. Please move.”
“I heard. Something about a bursting bladder.”
“I didn’t know you had a hobby of eavesdropping.”
“I didn’t. But I picked one up. You should keep your voice down. I’m sure everyone in this café knows your situation now.”
He glanced around.
“See? They all look curious. Whether the bladder burst or not.”
Sometimes he looked like an adult in body only—still a high school boy at heart.
“Stop worrying about someone else’s bladder and leave. She’ll be here soon.”
Right then, as if on cue, the owner of the bladder returned.
Only then did Seonghan stand.
“My apologies.”
His tone was suddenly polite—completely different from before—as he greeted Yeonsil.
Sea was speechless.
“Oh? Oh my.”
Yeonsil looked between Seonghan and Sea in confusion. Meanwhile, Seonghan brushed past them and left first.
“Who was that?”
“Just… someone I know.”
“How do you know him?”
“I just know him.”
“I’m asking how!”
Sea shook her head silently.
If she told Yeonsil that he was the guy who kissed her in high school and then ran overseas, Yeonsil would probably kick him on the spot.
Thinking that, she couldn’t say anything.
“He’s the new Chairman.”
“Really? Seriously? So the junk car leaves and a Benz arrives?”
“What Benz.”
He’s the original junk car.
He already left once—after betraying her first.
Sea squeezed her eyes shut.
Then Yeonsil tapped the table again.
“If you can’t talk properly, I’ll give you a genius solution.”
Yeonsil, completely unaware of Sea’s tangled feelings, leaned forward.
“That guy seems kind of interested in you. Why don’t you casually spend some time alone with him?”
“What?”
Sea’s eyes widened.
What kind of nonsense was that?
“It’s called the ‘revenge cheating’ strategy. See how Dongjun reacts. And if he says anything, you tell him, ‘Didn’t you do the same with that teacher?’”
“What kind of ridiculous—”
“If you can’t speak, then at least act!”
Just then, a phone rang. Yeonsil answered and let out a low sigh.
“Okay, I’m coming.”
She was the mother of a two-year-old. She had left her child with her husband to meet Sea, but it seemed the baby was looking for her.
“Yeah, you’ve been out long enough. Go.”
“Ugh, I wanted to coach you until the end. Fighting!”
With that, Yeonsil stood and left.
As Sea slowly stood up too, she felt someone stop beside her.
“That’s actually a pretty good idea.”
A cool scent brushed her nose.
Sea looked up—and her face turned pale.
“Revenge cheating strategy.”
Seonghan narrowed his eyes and tilted his head toward her.
Why was he still here?
Had he been eavesdropping again?
“Do you have that much free time?”
“Want me to cooperate? If you ask, I’ll do it.”
His dark eyes gleamed as they locked onto hers.
