Chapter 5
In the end, Jin-sang refused to give up on that place.
I told him that no matter what, touching dangerous money didn’t seem like a good idea—but he wouldn’t listen. He kept repeating the same thing over and over, to the point my ears practically grew calluses.
Looking back now, if he had truly intended to borrow money that way, he would’ve rushed off immediately. But instead, he waited—waited until the words I’ll lend you the money came out of someone’s mouth.
From the beginning, he probably never even considered using loan sharks.
“I can’t pay it back right away. Is that okay? My mom hurt her back recently, so I’ve been sending money for hospital visits too.”
“…Alright. Pay me back slowly.”
To be honest, I wasn’t exactly well-off myself.
But once he brought up his parents and put on that pitiful act, it was hard to pretend I didn’t notice. On top of that, given his situation, I couldn’t bring myself to pressure him either.
“This is ridiculous. So he rolled around with another woman in a house bought with my money?”
My hand clenched tightly into a fist.
“Get that money back as soon as you can. Don’t let things slide again just because money’s involved.”
“What?”
Something about my words must’ve sounded off, because Hana’s voice sharpened. She set her chopsticks down on the table with a sharp clack.
“You think I’d meet him again after seeing that yesterday?”
“You never know with men and women.”
A lonely shadow crossed Hana’s lips.
“Eat.”
She’d suddenly brought up money, turned my insides upside down, and now she was calmly scooping up rice like nothing had happened.
Isn’t that a bit much?
I shot her an irritated glance—only for my eyes to be drawn back to Dogyeong’s lips yet again.
So he really didn’t care at all, huh?
Was I really that lacking as a woman?
That voice—so casual when he asked if I wanted him to use his tongue—kept resurfacing in my ears. I didn’t care about Dogyeong’s feelings, but his utter nonchalance after our lips had met still bruised my pride.
The more I replayed it, the more vividly the sensation returned, twisting my whole body in a strange way.
This is all because of that bastard.
If it weren’t for him, none of this would’ve happened. The thoughts kept popping up uninvited, but Hana forced herself to整理 her mind, telling herself it had been nothing more than an extremely unpleasant accident.
Today’s filming location was a professional counseling center.
Since Change Heart was a dating program featuring couples stuck in a rut, relationship counseling was woven into the process. The goal was to learn how to understand and communicate with each other—either to improve the current relationship or to avoid repeating the same mistakes in the next one.
Today was the first counseling session.
Dogyeong and Hana arrived early and waited in the lounge while preparing for filming.
“Hello.”
“Good afternoon.”
A little later, the featured couple—Wonho and Minyoung—walked in.
“Thank you for coming all this way.”
“It’s no trouble. But today’s counseling… are we doing it together?”
That was the first thing Minyoung asked upon arriving.
Without realizing it, Hana glanced at Wonho with pity before quickly looking away.
“You’ll have joint sessions, and individual ones as well.”
“Ah, I see. Understood.”
Minyoung clearly didn’t want to be anywhere near Wonho for even a moment.
She really has no feelings left at all.
From Hana’s perspective, it was a relationship that should’ve ended long ago. When it was her own situation, she hadn’t seen it—but as a third party, everything was painfully clear.
Even now, Minyoung was looking around curiously at the set, while Wonho’s eyes were fixed solely on her.
Ah…
The sight was so heartbreaking that Hana felt the urge to step away for a moment.
“There’s still some time before filming. I’ll go get coffee. What would you like?”
“I’ll have an iced Americano.”
“I’ll take a hot latte.”
“Alright. Please wait a moment.”
Hana had already scoped out the café on the first floor. She went straight down and placed the order.
“Phew…”
As she waited for the drinks, a sigh slipped out on its own.
After everything that had happened yesterday, the fact that that bastard still hadn’t contacted her at all made her insides churn.
Should I contact him first?
If it weren’t for the money, she would’ve ended things without hesitation.
As she swallowed the bitterness and sighed again, the café staff called out to her.
“Your drinks are ready.”
“Oh—yes. Thank you.”
Carrying the drinks, Hana slowly left the café. As she pushed the door open with her body, she spotted Wonho outside, smoking with an anxious look on his face.
Perhaps because their situations felt similar, she couldn’t help but worry about him.
Unable to just pass by, Hana cautiously approached him.
“You’re here?”
She spoke with a warm smile.
“Ah—yes. Writer-nim.”
Recognizing her, Wonho flinched and hurriedly crushed the cigarette under his foot.
“It’s fine if you keep smoking. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, it’s alright. Please give me the coffee—I’ll carry it.”
“Oh, then let’s go together.”
“N-no, really. Please.”
Despite Hana’s protests, Wonho took all the coffees from her hands.
Given her role of looking after the cast, the situation felt awkward—but it was also hard to insist further.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Side by side, Hana and Wonho headed toward the elevator.
When the silence grew a little too uncomfortable, Hana spoke first.
“You’re pretty nervous, aren’t you?”
Wonho scratched the back of his head and smiled awkwardly.
“I thought I’d be fine since it’s my second shoot, but… I’m not. It feels even harder.”
“That’s completely normal. If there’s anything uncomfortable or anything you need during filming, please let us know anytime.”
“Thank you for looking out for us.”
“No problem. I hope today’s counseling goes well, and that your relationship improves—whatever direction it ends up taking.”
“Thank you. Really.”
By the time their conversation ended, the elevator had arrived.
As soon as they entered the lounge together, Dogyeong and Minyoung’s gazes snapped toward them at the same time.
“Why are you coming in together?”
“We ran into each other in front of the café. Here—one coffee each.”
Hana answered Dogyeong as she handed out the drinks.
The moment she did, Minyoung raised her voice irritably.
“Ugh, that smell. Don’t tell me you smoked?”
It was like ice water had been poured over the room. The air froze instantly.
Minyoung let out a long sigh and shook her head.
“You can’t even keep a simple promise to quit smoking. So why are you still trying to stay with me?”
“I’m sorry. I was just really nervous.”
Wonho apologized helplessly.
With so many people watching, Hana wondered if Minyoung really had to go that far.
“Then just break up and smoke all you want. You keep doing this, and then I’m the one who ends up snapping. Stop making me out to be the bad guy.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t think it through.”
It was painfully clear who held the power in this relationship.
With their emotions completely frayed, the two of them went into counseling.
Dogyeong and Hana sat side by side, watching the session through the monitor.
Just like in their individual interviews, their perspectives were completely different.
“You know…”
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Dogyeong pointed at the monitor.
“When you and Mr. Wonho came in together earlier, Ms. Minyoung’s reaction was a bit strange.”
“How so?”
“Mm… like she was on guard? Toward you.”
“Right? I felt it a little too.”
Dogyeong, who seemed lost in thought, took a sip of coffee and nodded.
“If she really hated him, I don’t think she’d have that look. She probably wouldn’t care whether he smoked or not.”
“That’s true… Then do you think she still has feelings for him?”
Dogyeong’s read on that brief moment was surprisingly convincing.
Feeling relieved for Wonho lasted only a second.
“No. More like insurance. In short, he’s someone convenient—a man she can push around and treat however she wants, so she keeps him close.”
“No way…”
If that were true, it was just cruel.
Hana pressed her lips together and stared at the monitor.
Maybe it was just her imagination, but now that she viewed Minyoung through Dogyeong’s lens, it really did look that way.
Meanwhile, Wonho earnestly pleaded in counseling that he wanted to fix the relationship. It was nothing but heartbreaking.
Haah…
She swallowed the sigh that threatened to escape and focused again—
Just then, the phone in her pocket began to vibrate.
