Chapter 23
In the living room, only the women were seated, except for Jang Joo-bin. Jung Hana naturally had Kang Da-som sit beside her.
Ever since then, the two of them sticking so closely together was something Lee Soo-ha couldn’t stand. But since she wasn’t married yet, she couldn’t openly say anything either.
“By the way, about the Aria Club full membership… I was thinking of giving one to Soo-ha unni as well. Would that be okay?”
“Huh? Oh… yeah?”
The moment Kang Da-som arrived, Jung Hana immediately brought it up as if she had been waiting. Soo-ha, who had been about to let it go in one ear and out the other, flinched in surprise.
Jung Hana fiddled with the rim of her teacup before raising her head. It was the very teacup Soo-ha had once gifted to Jang Joo-bin.
“We three are all going to be the future mistresses of the Cheonmyeong family, right? You’ll probably be the first to get married, unni, but if we keep acting like this among ourselves… Don’t you think it looks a little bad to others?”
Just as Da-som had once done to her, Jung Hana deliberately let her words trail off.
“We’ll be seeing each other constantly from now on. We can’t keep this up forever, can we?”
“Oh… right.”
“They’ll be opening a new recommendation period for members soon. Let’s go together then.”
“Alright.”
Although Soo-ha felt reluctant, she didn’t refuse Jung Hana’s offer. After all, she already knew that many people in the club had turned her away out of consideration for Hana.
She didn’t know what had come over Hana, but being invited wasn’t bad for Soo-ha either.
The atmosphere grew more relaxed, and naturally the gathering turned into a drinking session. Da-som, having drunk some fairly strong alcohol, soon had flushed cheeks.
She excused herself, saying she needed some fresh air, and stepped outside. While she was staring blankly at the garden, Yoon Jin-woo approached her.
“You’re like a ghost. How did you know I’d be here?”
“What about you, noona?”
It wasn’t a spot just anyone would know unless they had lived in the house a long time. Jin-woo found it odd how Da-som moved about the place as if she had lived there forever.
“How did you even know this place existed?”
“I just wandered wherever my feet took me. When I’m drunk, I prefer places without people.”
Jin-woo walked over to stand in front of Da-som. He didn’t say it aloud, but earlier that day, before coming to Seonam-dong, he had argued with Hana.
It was rare for Jin-woo, who usually gave in to Hana, to clash with her.
‘You switched your manager from Sang-tae oppa to someone else? Why’d you do that?’
‘Because he lied to me.’
‘But Sang-tae oppa was doing it for your sake…’
‘Do you think that was for my sake too?’
‘……’
‘I don’t think so.’
He couldn’t even remember the last time they had fought. Their quarrel had only stopped once they arrived at Seonam-dong.
Jin-woo had the feeling Da-som was the reason Yoon Sung-hoon’s attitude had changed. Even if Sung-hoon wanted to surpass Yoon Ji-hwan and become vice-president, there were limits to what he could and couldn’t do.
Ji-hwan probably felt the same way. Still, Jin-woo didn’t bring up what had happened at dinner. He truly didn’t care about Cheonmyeong Group matters. What he wanted to confirm was something else entirely.
“Noona, do you really… with hyung—”
Before he could finish, Da-som suddenly pressed her hand over his mouth. Jin-woo’s eyes widened as his back was pushed against the wall.
“What are you—”
“Shh.”
Removing her palm, Da-som brought her finger up to her lips. Just then, the balcony above them lit up, and someone’s presence was felt.
A familiar smell of cigarette smoke drifted down.
“Ha… damn, this is exhausting.”
Of course—it was Hana’s voice. Jin-woo didn’t smoke, but he was familiar with the citrus scent of the cigarettes Hana occasionally smoked.
Clack. The sliding door opened, and the footsteps of a man followed.
“Seriously, you’ve got to quit swearing the second the elders leave. What’s wrong with you?”
“So what? It’s not like anyone’s here to catch me.”
“Forget it. Gimme a cigarette.”
Snap. Snap.
A lighter flicked, and the sound of both Hana and Sung-hoon smoking together drifted down.
Da-som’s finger was still pressed lightly to Jin-woo’s lips. His eyes wavered slightly, but he forced himself to stay calm.
He already knew Sung-hoon and Hana were close. Smoking together wasn’t much of a surprise…
“Mm… hey! Geez! You’re just as bad when the adults aren’t around, grabbing me like that.”
“Hey! Who told you to dress like that?”
“You think I dressed like this for you? It’s for Jin-woo.”
“Bullshit.”
“Anyway, hands off. What if Jin-woo notices? You really have no sense.”
The sound of Hana smacking Sung-hoon’s hand was heard. After a bit more pointless chatter, the two of them moved deeper inside the terrace.
From a certain point, Jin-woo couldn’t really make out their words anymore. Instead, the shadows cast by the lights below the terrace clearly showed how the two of them were pressed together.
When the sounds stopped, Da-som finally withdrew her finger from Jin-woo’s lips.
“Ha…”
“You didn’t know?”
“You’re speaking like you already did.”
“Yeah. I knew.”
“Then why…!”
Why meet with trash like my brother? Jin-woo couldn’t bring himself to finish the thought aloud.
“I’m an illegitimate child.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“……”
“You’ll never know how I was treated in that house, how I lived, what I felt. I’m not asking you to. But for me, there’s no choice.”
Da-som explained that it was Sung-hoon’s friend—and her own eldest brother, Kang Young-jun—who had introduced her to Sung-hoon.
“Don’t you think I should at least repay the debt of being fed and housed?”
She brushed her hair back with a faint smile. Though in truth, she felt she had more than repaid it in her previous life already.
“You knew all along, didn’t you?”
“……”
“You too. You just didn’t want to face it, right?”
“What do you know about me, noona!”
“I don’t. But you don’t know me either, do you?”
With a sigh, Da-som looked away.
When Jin-woo had left home claiming he wanted to be an actor, it was Hana who first reached out her hand to him.
If he had mistaken that for destiny, then he was truly foolish. There is no such thing as destiny in this world. Only inevitability that masquerades as fate.
“However you choose to take it—that’s up to you.”
Leaving those words behind, Da-som returned to the main building.
“Oppa, I’m drunk. I think I’ll head out now.”
“Already? Stay a little longer.”
“I drank too much. My head hurts.”
“Alright. I’ll walk you to the car.”
Sung-hoon supported her as they headed to the car. She got into the backseat, while Baek Sung-tae took the driver’s seat.
“Call me when you get home.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you.”
Sung-hoon was truly grateful to Da-som. He couldn’t even remember the last time his father had praised him. And now, he had even been entrusted with business over his brother—he couldn’t help but feel good.
“I’ll get going.”
Once the door shut, Da-som’s figure was hidden behind the tinted glass. As the car left Seonam-dong, Sung-tae handed something over from an envelope placed in the front seat.
It was a hangover remedy he had bought at a nearby convenience store.
“Here, drink this.”
“Thanks.”
Right then and there, Da-som downed two bottles of the tonic. Along with it, she found a business card in her hand.
“They call him Secretary Seo.”
“How old is he?”
“Twenty-eight. He married young and has one child.”
“He must have it rough.”
“He said if you need anything, just let him know. Tell me, and I’ll pass it along to him and report back.”
“Thank you.”
