Chapter 34
34. How Dare She
2023.06.03.
Han So-eun's body, fitting perfectly in Kim Tae-joon's arms, was small and endearing. It made him want to protect this small body at all costs.
His lingering sigh trickled slowly down So-eun's neck. Reacting to this, So-eun flinched and wriggled, making Tae-joon's breath inside his throat grow hotter.
He wished he could just keep holding her, but it wasn't exactly the right place. Tae-joon released his tight embrace and took a half-step back. So-eun didn't raise her head. Tae-joon tilted his head to check So-eun's face. Her face was as red as the flesh of a ripe watermelon.
She's dated before, yet she's so openly shy.
That reaction was amusing, and a sigh escaped Tae-joon's lips again.
The worry about what to do next disappeared. Tae-joon took So-eun's hand and returned to the car. After putting So-eun in the passenger seat and sitting in the driver's seat, he immediately started the car.
Only after the car started moving did So-eun seem to regain her senses. The excitement of the confession hadn't subsided yet, but being released from the embrace and having her hand let go made her realize reality.
'What on earth did I just do? So, what does this person think?'
As if plugging in a function to fill an Excel blank, would the answer just pop out? This.
She set the end of the confession on her own and threw everything out there. And it seemed this person had changed direction. Her confession seemed to have changed his mind.
So, where are we going now? It doesn't seem like the way to my house? Are we going to eat, as this person said? I'm still a little embarrassed.
After a long silence, So-eun parted her lips.
"But where are you going now?"
"We're going to my house."
At Tae-joon's nonchalant answer, So-eun bit her lower lip with a nervous expression.
Tae-joon, watching So-eun's reaction with amused eyes, reached over and took So-eun's hand, which was tightly gripping her bag.
"Did you think I'd just send you home?"
Absolutely not.
Who knows how your words might change tomorrow? I won't let you go so easily.
And so, except when his right hand was absolutely necessary for driving, So-eun's hand remained in Tae-joon's grasp the entire time.
\
Hee-wook went to the department store to buy Choi Hyun-ji's proposal ring. It was a foreign jewelry brand with only one store in Korea, so he had to take time out in the evening and drive there.
It's damn hard to even propose. The humid weather made him curse involuntarily. Even inside the cool department store, he couldn't shake off the annoyance.
The jewelry shop was about halfway down the corridor lined with luxury brands.
"Welcome. You're the customer who made a reservation, right?"
Still, they treated him specially when he entered the store. Hee-wook was guided to the coolest spot and served iced lemonade, and he smiled bitterly inside.
"The ring you mentioned on the phone is this one, sir."
A woman wearing white gloves showed Hee-wook the ring. Under the brilliant lighting, the ring sparkled dazzlingly and was pretty. But whether it had a value of fifty million won was something he couldn't accept.
Seeing this called a proposal ring, she'll probably ask for another one for the wedding ring. How expensive of a wedding ring will she demand? Just thinking about it made his head ache. While having various bitter thoughts, Hee-wook found the price tag. The price was different from what he had seen online.
"But... the price is a bit different. I thought it was fifty million won."
"Yes. It was raised yesterday. The head office sent down the policy."
"...So you're saying you raised it by five million won in one day?"
Han So-eun's house deposit probably isn't even fifty-five million.
Hee-wook thought that his love was really expensive.
'No. Still, I'll be compensated that much after we get married.'
Hee-wook thought about the wealth that Hyun-ji's father would give him and paid for the ring. Checking the bank balance, which had instantly lost fifty-five million won, felt like losing an organ.
While the employee brought a new product, explained various things about the ring, and wrapped it, Hee-wook, feeling drained, turned his gaze outside the door. And his eyes widened.
He saw Han So-eun and Kim Tae-joon walking side by side. Thinking that he might have been seeing things after briefly thinking about Han So-eun, Hee-wook unconsciously ran out of the store. The backs of the woman and man, already far away, really looked like Han So-eun and Kim Tae-joon.
And that outfit of Han So-eun's. It looked like the outfit she wore when she met him once.
Returning to his seat, Hee-wook urged the employee.
"Can't you hurry?"
"It's all done. Here you go, sir."
As the employee handed over the ring packaging, Hee-wook snatched it away.
"Thank you, sir, good luck with the proposal!"
Hee-wook didn't acknowledge the employee's greeting and left the store immediately.
The woman and man had already disappeared. Hee-wook muttered small curses and walked around the area quickly before returning to his spot.
'I must have seen wrong.'
How dare Han So-eun, of all people, get Kim Tae-joon.
That foolish, clueless Han So-eun could never seduce Kim Tae-joon. A woman with nothing special about her education, job, or family. Even if the two of them were just having a fling, there's no way the big shot Kim Tae-joon would be serious about such a trivial woman. She's really nothing but looks. A woman who would only tarnish Kim Tae-joon's reputation.
'Ugh, instead of worrying about unnecessary things, let's worry about myself.'
Fiddling with the ring case, Hee-wook looked into precious metal dealers who handled imitation products as soon as he returned to the car.
No matter how he thought about it, the money was a waste. Spending fifty-five million won on a proposal ring that you only wear for a short time, not a wedding ring, didn't seem logical.
Even if there were many benefits to be gained from becoming Choi Hyun-ji's family later, he felt like he would regret the ring for a long time. Whether you receive a house or land, its value will increase, but the value of a ring won't increase, and even if you try to resell it later, you can never get its full value. It might only be worth the value of the gold. He was disappointed in Choi Hyun-ji for making him spend money on this.
After contacting the dealer, Hee-wook went straight to the dealer's store. And he showed the proposal ring. The dealer, wearing a magnifying glass, looked at it intently for a few minutes and said.
"The diamond setting is solid. The quality seems good too. Not just anyone can make this. If you want the same quality, you'll have to give me five million for the diamond price."
Hee-wook's eyes and ears perked up at the dealer's words.
"You're saying you can make it exactly like this ring for five million won? Perfectly."
"Of course. That's why I'm a professional. I'll make it perfectly the same."
Hee-wook's lips stretched to his ears at the dealer's confident words.
"I almost invested fifty-five million won to make something that costs five million won."
"Fifty million won is just bubble."
"That's right. It's bubble. Then I'll leave it in your hands."
Hee-wook paid the deposit and left the store in a good mood.
\
The distance from the department store to Tae-joon's house wasn't far, so the car quickly arrived at Tae-joon's apartment. Tae-joon got out first to open the car door for So-eun, but So-eun got out on her own.
As Tae-joon smiled at So-eun, his phone vibrated. It was a call from Tae-joon's aunt, Seok-hwa. He ignored the first call, but when it vibrated again, Tae-joon couldn't ignore it any longer.
"Just a moment."
Tae-joon took So-eun's hand and moved while pressing the call button.
"Hello."
[Tae-joon, are you off work? Where are you?]
"Yes. I'm going home."
[Oh, really? That's good. I'm on my way to your house now too.]
Tae-joon's steps stopped in place. So-eun stopped with him.
[I'm in the parking lot, where are you?]
Tae-joon looked at So-eun with hesitant eyes. He couldn't let his aunt meet So-eun.
So-eun, who didn't know anything, was widening her eyes and wetting and un-wetting her dry lips. Tae-joon quickly moved and put So-eun back in the car. The sound of a car was coming from the opposite side.
"I see a car, I'll go to your aunt."
Tae-joon's voice lowered after he hung up the phone.
"Wait a little bit. My aunt said she's here."
Without even asking So-eun's opinion, Tae-joon closed the door and hurriedly ran towards the direction the car was coming from. Not far away, Seok-hwa, who had gotten out of the car, waved at Tae-joon.
"Tae-joon!"
"Aunt."
Tae-joon, who had run over, greeted Seok-hwa happily. He was smiling, but his insides were burning.
"I heard you broke the Moon Jar."
"I'm sorry."So this time I brought Joseon white porcelain." How is it. This one is stable, right?"
"Oh, Aunt. You can just glue the broken one back together."
"How can you glue a broken one back together. And if you glue a broken one, its value drops drastically."
"It's not like I'm going to sell it, and I don't even put water in it."
"Still, take this too. I came all the way here to give it to you. It would look pretty next to the broken moon jar."
Tae-joon had no choice but to accept the gift Seok-hwa handed him. He had to send Seok-hwa back quickly without a long argument.
"Thank you. I'll take good care of it this time."
"Okay."
"But did Chief Song Mun-gyeong already tell you?"
"There's no way. How tight-lipped is Chief Song. I heard you found something similar to the moon jar, and Chief Song contacted the curator when I was meeting with the curator. It's nothing big, but Chief Song was very cute denying it."
"……."
"I'm a little jealous that you asked Chief Song before asking me, but I'm also proud that you seem to have become close to Chief Song."
"He's a good person. And professional."
"That's right. I hope you two continue to get along well in the future."
Seok-hwa, who had encouraged him with satisfaction, tapped Tae-joon's arm and opened the car door.
"I've delivered it, so I should go now."
"Aren't you coming up?"
"No. I have an appointment."
"Yes. Drive carefully."
Seok-hwa got into the car. Tae-joon waved at Seok-hwa and occasionally looked at where his car was.
After a while, Seok-hwa lowered the window.
"Tae-joon."
"Yes."
"I'll contact you before coming next time. I'm sorry."
"No. But it's better to contact me before coming. Aunt might make a wasted trip."
"That's right. Take care."
Tae-joon smiled kindly and saw Seok-hwa off, and after Seok-hwa's car was out of sight, he waved and returned to the car.
"I'm sorry, my aunt suddenly..."
He opened the passenger seat door and offered an apology, but the words couldn't continue to the end. So-eun wasn't in the car.
Brrr. Soon, a text message arrived for Tae-joon. It was from So-eun.
- I'm sorry, Director. I'll go home now.
