Chapter : 43
What was she even doing?
Eavesdropping like this.
But she was curious.
Why her brother was acting that way.
What on earth had happened between the two of them.
Voices could be heard very close by.
They seemed to be right outside the door.
“Looks like you’re a little scared of me now.”
Iseol’s voice was so quiet it was hard to hear.
“Are you afraid you might start liking me?”
It was her brother’s voice—one she’d never heard before.
Filled with private emotion.
Had their relationship gone even deeper than she’d imagined?
“Or is it because of the kiss?”
Gasp.
Yusin clamped her lips shut to stifle the breath that nearly burst out.
They’d already gone that far?
Jaehyeok covered Yusin’s ears.
Dumbfounded, Yusin glared at him.
Jaehyeok quietly lowered his arms.
The two of them leaned in to listen again.
They couldn’t hear Iseol’s reply.
Suddenly, the doorknob rattled.
Pretending nothing had happened, the two stepped away from the door and turned their backs.
“Or is it because of the kiss?”
When Iseol didn’t answer and tried to turn the doorknob to leave, Taesin overlapped his hand with hers and stopped her.
The door closed again.
“Answer me.”
Asking whether it was because of the kiss was easier to answer than asking if she was afraid she might start liking him.
“Yes. You didn’t say anything when I told you I hoped it would never happen again.”
Afraid to meet his eyes, she spoke while staring at his chest.
“Look at me.”
Slowly, Iseol lifted her head.
His features—masculine yet delicate—came into view.
Her stomach churned.
Whenever she was in front of this man, she felt like she might get motion sickness.
“That won’t happen.”
It was the exact answer she’d wanted, yet hearing it from Taesin made something inside her feel like it was collapsing.
Her eyes visibly wavered, and Taesin quietly watched the tremor.
“Isn’t this the answer you wanted, Ms. Yoon Iseol?”
“Yes… it is.”
Then why did it feel like betrayal?
“Then why do you look like that?”
Ha.
Was it written all over her face?
What she was thinking right now?
Either this man was frighteningly perceptive, or—
Neither option was welcome.
Iseol pulled her lips into a smile.
“I just didn’t expect you to answer so easily. So now we’re… okay, right?”
“Then don’t avoid me ever again.”
This wasn’t right.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
If she didn’t avoid him, she’d be drawn back into Lee Taesin—and once she fell in, she’d never get out.
“This is a condition I can’t compromise on. If I’m going to properly protect you.”
How could she get past this situation naturally?
Her lips twitched as she hesitated.
“Promise me.”
He was the kind of man who always forced through what he wanted.
Iseol nodded.
“I promise.”
Even though it had been a successful negotiation where both got what they wanted, the aftertaste was bitter.
Like she’d somehow lost more than she gained.
Like things had tilted in Taesin’s favor.
“I’m going to Seoul with you.”
Iseol nodded again.
“…Okay. I’ll be going now.”
Eager to get away from him as quickly as possible, she opened the door—but he followed her out.
When they stepped out, Jaehyeok was poking at some scallions, and Yusin was fiddling with her chopsticks.
Something felt off.
What was this?
“Don’t come out. You need to study.”
“I’ll walk you. It’s raining.”
“There’s no need. It’s right across the way.”
“Your first love gets a pass, but I don’t?”
Jaehyeok and Yusin’s gazes snapped toward them, as if all attention in the room had focused there.
Iseol lowered her voice, conscious of their eyes.
“Excuse me…? What do you mean…?”
“Your first love must have been quite meaningful. You still remember it so beautifully even now.”
So it really bothered him—her first love.
“Of course. It was my first love. Isn’t that how first love usually is?”
She decided to be confident about it.
They weren’t dating, and first love wasn’t a crime.
“Well. I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had one.”
“Don’t lie.”
It was hard to believe a man like him had never had a woman.
“With so many women, maybe you just can’t remember which one was your first love.”
“That’s not true.”
The calmness of his reply somehow made her even angrier.
“I’ll get going now. You can return the dishes later.”
Dragging this conversation out would only hurt her, so getting out of it came first.
As she crossed the living room toward the front door, Jaehyeok called out.
“The pancakes aren’t done yet—!”
She wasn’t in the mood to eat.
“It’s fine. The three of you enjoy them.”
She opened her umbrella and stepped into the yard, but Taesin followed and took the umbrella from her.
The two stood facing each other beneath the black umbrella.
Rain slid down the umbrella and splashed into the yard.
Yusin and Jaehyeok’s gazes followed the front door as it closed with a click.
Once the tension broke, the breath they’d been holding spilled out.
Even Jaehyeok—who never flinched no matter what danger he faced—shook his head, unable to handle the tension Taesin and Iseol created.
When the doorknob rattled, he’d thought they were caught for sure.
“They’ve definitely gone as far as kissing.”
“He said it won’t happen again.”
“Do you believe that promise?”
“Have you ever seen the boss say one thing and mean another?”
“What am I supposed to talk about with a lifelong single?”
When Yusin shook her head, Jaehyeok raised an eyebrow.
Jaehyeok wasn’t much different from Taesin either—women were his weakness too.
“He’ll have to keep his promise. If not for anything else, then for Yoon Iseol.”
Jaehyeok was right.
But emotions weren’t something you could neatly sort out like that.
Yusin walked over to the window and looked at her brother and Iseol standing together in the rain.
Her brother liking someone.
It felt strange.
She’d never seen him look at a woman with eyes like that before.
“Give me the umbrella.”
She held out her hand, but he didn’t budge.
“So what happened?”
“Why are you curious?”
“…Never mind. It must be because it never came true that it feels so wistful.”
With an indifferent expression, Taesin turned away.
His detached attitude irritated her for no reason.
“Let’s go.”
He started walking, and Iseol had no choice but to follow.
The island village was unusually dark, thick with fog that made it hard to see ahead.
“About going to Seoul… won’t that be too dangerous for you, Mr. Lee Taesin?”
“It is a bit dangerous, but there are things I need to do there besides protecting you.”
“Ah…”
“In a way, it works out. I left things with a friend, but it’ll be faster if I handle it myself.”
“Still… are you really sure it’s okay?”
“If I were someone who could be caught that easily, I’d have been caught a long time ago.”
Iseol nodded.
She decided to trust his words.
He was cautious and meticulous—he must have prepared countermeasures.
“Go inside.”
“But you don’t have an umbrella. I’ll walk you back.”
Taesin let out a small laugh.
“What, you were so busy avoiding me before—now you’re reluctant to part?”
This man really did seem to have a knack for reading people’s thoughts.
“That’s not it. It’s just that there’s only one umbrella…”
Her awkward excuse didn’t work.
“Then shall we spend all night going back and forth together?”
It sounded like he wouldn’t mind that at all, and her face flushed on its own.
“No. Take the umbrella.”
She refused firmly, then hurried inside the clinic.
“Did you come back while making pancakes? You could’ve come tomorrow.”
“I just had something to talk about.”
Iseol smiled awkwardly at Director Jang’s words and went into her room.
