Chapter 8: Got Played
Despite finishing her words with composure, her entire face seemed to ignite instantly. Biting her lower lip, Seim averted her gaze, then twisted her toes a moment later.
She had intended to step away, but her wrist was suddenly caught.
“Where do you think you’re going? Not even listening to what I said.”
Seim raised her furrowed eyes and looked up at Taemok.
Their eyes collided mid-air, perfectly aligned, and at that very moment…
“…Director?”
An unfamiliar—but not entirely strange—voice cut through the tense atmosphere.
Startled, Seim reflexively hid her wrist. And there, in front of her, was a familiar face.
She knew Manager Kim fairly well, but the others behind him were mostly strangers. Judging by their suits, they were likely employees of the Chaemok Group.
Manager Kim scratched beneath his chin and blinked rapidly.
“Seim too? How did the two of you end up—”
Curious eyes turned toward Taemok, and Seim stepped forward, as if to block him.
“Hello, sir.”
Behind her, out of sight, she struggled to free her wrist. Still, Taemok wouldn’t let go. Softly, almost whispering, Seim muttered, “Let go…”
Taemok only tugged harder on her wrist. He didn’t give the slightest thought to the people around them. When her back slammed against his firm chest, she almost gave up.
“Let go!”
“How can I when that brat says he’s going home?”
He didn’t even realize that “that brat” meant Manager Kim’s own son. Even if he did, Cha Taemok had the audacity to speak this way.
Seim stifled a few words of protest and twisted her restrained wrist.
“I’m not going there. I’m going home.”
Only after giving a firm answer did she free herself from his grasp.
“Then we’ll go by car.”
“……”
“Get in quickly.”
Conscious of the curious stares around them, Seim had no choice but to approach the parked car. Any further resistance would only make a scene.
She circled the hood and opened the passenger-side door. Only then did she hear Taemok’s voice greeting the employees.
“Thank you for your hard work in this heat.”
Everything he did flowed seamlessly, as if nothing had happened.
Seim saw him hand a card to an employee while opening his wallet. He looked every bit the consummate owner, with effortless gestures and a polished, courteous smile.
The passage of five years suddenly felt tangible.
And for such a short distance… it felt endless.
Seim, watching silently, didn’t get into the passenger seat. Instead, she closed the door and circled to the driver’s side.
Once she locked the door and raised the window halfway, Taemok approached with long strides. As their eyes met across the narrowing gap, his eyebrows lifted slowly, questioning why she had taken the driver’s seat.
Seim didn’t answer, simply buckling her seatbelt. Her gaze met his only after gripping the steering wheel firmly.
“You said to get in.”
The black sedan immediately cut through the alley.
The vanishing rear of the car rounded a corner, leaving only the sound of retreating tires. Taemok, laughing at the absurdity, brushed his gums with his fingers.
“Got played.”
It was so like Han Seim to strike calmly. The more she did this, the more this infuriating obsession gnawed at him—but Seim couldn’t know how far his thoughts had gone with that group earlier.
Frowning, Taemok scoffed.
Damn hypocrisy…
He’d pretended to be refined, but patience was never his hobby. If he hadn’t learned through bitter experience that his whims often trapped Seim, he would have steamrolled her again without a second thought.
Yet, strangely, he didn’t mind the mental sparring between them.
To know what this tiny woman liked or hated, what she found repulsive—he had never considered any of that before. Scheming for affection felt like the height of foolishness, and he rather enjoyed it.
Sliding his hands into his pants pockets, Taemok walked slowly, dragging his polished shoes along.
Past the only stationery store, the slush machine spinning in the snack shop, the faded sign of the piano academy, his steps reached the empty park.
His phone vibrated in his jacket pocket. The call that appeared was far from welcome.
His jaw muscles tensed as if exhausted. Slowly, he rubbed the back of his neck and sat on a bench, lighting a cigarette. Only after flicking the lighter did he answer.
―Why didn’t you call me after leaving like that?
His mother’s voice was sharper than usual, possibly triggered by her neurosis.
She reminded him that the path she had drawn was a ladder—just climb it. What could possibly be wrong? Yet he had left for the mainland without finishing the argument, and she had surely worn herself out worrying.
A loose smile broke as bitter smoke curled at Taemok’s lips.
“When have I ever?”
―Cha Taemok.
“Yes, Mother.”
He could almost picture her grasping her throbbing forehead.
―Stop now and come to Seoul immediately. You have no idea how much the chairman is invested in that island.
Everyone hesitated to take on the resort project on this underdeveloped island. The expected returns were low compared to the investment, but the biggest reason was his grandfather’s legacy. The project’s success reflected directly on the family honor, and failure would be the responsibility of the manager in charge.
Everyone knew this—and within the Chaemok family, no one wanted the burden. Yet Taemok had dared to step up.
―Even the elderly chairman would be upset if things went wrong. Haven’t you learned from your father’s ski resort fiasco?
“I don’t want to argue. Shall we end the call here?”
―How can you always worry your parents…!
Her voice trailed off, leaving only silence. Taemok knew exactly what memories were running through her mind—the sudden military enlistment after shaving his head with clippers, a shocking moment for her.
He flicked the ash off his cigarette carelessly and inhaled again.
“I’ll call again later.”
His tone alone conveyed enough distrust.
―Fine, do as you please. Be at Yeondo Port by eight.
A moment of silence passed.
Taemok furrowed his brows and roughly brushed his face. Observing the extinguished cigarette, he stood abruptly.
“Don’t do this.”
But the call ended with the sound of a ship’s horn blaring.
There was no way to stop the person already en route to Mangwoldo.
Glancing at the finished call, Taemok gritted his teeth. Checking the time while twisting his wrist only stoked his anxiety.
The thought of his mother coming to Mangwoldo made his head throb.
“Ha…”
He tugged his tie firmly and dashed to the roadside, unable to bear the pressure. He had to see Han Seim immediately.
He hailed a passing taxi.
“Sir, this road doesn’t go that way. Even if it’s paved, it’s rough…”
Veins popped on his hand gripping the seat.
“I’ll pay three times the fare. Start moving.”
“No, well…”
“Ten times, no—hell, a hundred times—just go!”
Suppressing a ragged breath, he regained some composure.
“Please, driver.”
