Once Love Begins - Chapter 2. Par 1

Chapter 2. Par 1  

Today, she returned home later than usual after hanging out with her friends, and as usual, he was also late. She looked around the empty house, sighed, and went into her room, wondering if he would ever be the first to come home.

In hindsight, she regretted not accepting the offer from the frat boy who had invited her for a drink. Although she found his constant attempts to buy her meals and drinks through friends annoying for weeks, in that moment she wished she had accepted and spent time with him.

Unaware of her marital status, he frequently reached out to her through friends or obtained her phone number.

She was tired of cleaning up and fell onto the bed. Gradually, she closed and then opened her eyes, looking up at the pristine white ceiling.

It was another tiring day. She rolled over and buried her face in her pillow. Although she had been practicing singing, her throat felt slightly scratchy. She was on the verge of catching a cold, which seemed ridiculous in the middle of summer when she was sweating profusely after just a few minutes of standing.

She blamed her scratchy throat on hours of singing practice and chit-chat. She initially expected him to arrive at dawn when she heard the front door close.

She quickly stood up, hoping to find someone else in the house. She opened the door and listened, hearing him moving towards the kitchen. She quietly walked to the living room, making sure to step softly.

As he emerged from the kitchen, she collided with him, causing her shoulders to tremble. Their eyes met, and she felt a dryness in her mouth. He appeared to be drunk, his eyes glassy.

“What’s up?”

“……”

She bit her lip as he walked past her without saying a word. However, she caught a familiar scent – the perfume of her ex-girlfriend, Hee-young.

She had only smelled that scent a few times before, so she couldn’t understand why her heart was tingling.

‘Had he been drinking with her all this time, just the two of them?’

As he suddenly stumbled, she reached out to him.

She grabbed his arm. He coldly slapped her hand away. She quickly lowered her hand, left awkwardly hanging in midair, and brought it behind her back. The sting was like a knife cut.

“Don’t touch me.”

“……”

“Don’t touch me.”

He repeats it once more, drunkenly and coldly, then turns away. She glances back at him as he walks away.

“I’m sorry, I did this to you,” she mumbles, and his footsteps come to a stop.

“What?”

“It’s nothing. It’s nothing.”

The corner of her mouth lifts slightly, undeterred by his cold gaze. It was true. It was nothing.

As he vanished into his room, she stood there for a long time, unmoving. From that day on, she avoided him as much as possible. When he returned home, she remained confined to her room, not going out.

She stopped hanging out with her friends, fearing unexpected bumps into him at odd hours. She avoided all contact and did not want to be touched or engage in conversation with him. This was the only way she felt she could contribute, and surprisingly, she found contentment in doing so.

She moved her room to the guest room farthest from his. She hadn’t seen him in a week. Not seeing the hatred in his eyes was a welcome relief.

“Yeah. Get out now.”

A harsh voice on a phone call awakened her at dawn. Being a light sleeper, she desired more sleep, but Hana’s voice persisted. She asked Hana to wait, wiped away her tears, got dressed quickly, opened the door, and stepped outside.

“…….”

She bumped into him. It felt strange to do so after avoiding him for so long. He showed no interest in talking, so she instinctively dropped her head and covered her face.

He was getting ready for work. She passed him with slightly damp hair and comfortable clothes. She hailed a cab to reach her friend Hana who was waiting for her. Her heart pounded in her ears as she began the journey.

* * *

As he was about to ask her what was happening, he noticed her face turn pale. She walked past him with her head down. It seemed like she had witnessed something she shouldn’t have.

“Are you avoiding me?”

He watched her walk away, clicking his tongue in disbelief. He thought she was acting childish. If Chairman Ha had any issues, he would have been notified, so her behavior seemed unimportant.

“…….”

‘Why are you coming out of that room, anyway? That room is designated for guests when they visit.’

He shook his head. ‘Does Ha-yeon-woo use that room?’ He was sure it had sentimental value for her, even though they’d never had visitors. Additionally, it was unlikely that anyone would ever visit their house.

While eating breakfast, he remembered Ha-yeon-woo rushing out of the room. It felt strange because every time he saw her, she would tense up as if frightened. However, when he asked if she was getting ready for school, she would just say hello and run away.

He believed his discomfort came from avoiding her, not from any inability to act. Today, he felt exceptionally tired. He pushed through and completed his work despite the sensation of needles in his eyes.

He declined Hee-young’s invitation to have a drink and headed home, thinking about cutting down on his drinking. Although he arrived home late every day, the idea of returning early felt strange after such a long time.

As he adjusted his tie, he heard someone else muttering in the kitchen. He wouldn’t have thought much of it, but his feet led him to the kitchen.

“Oh, Grandpa! I am not a child. I’m a married woman.”

‘She must be on the phone with Chairman Ha.’

“What about your medicine? You can’t just forget to take it like last time! You know?”

He turned away. He should take a shower and go to bed early.

“Kang-Jae is good. He said he would be home early today, so please hang up!”

He abruptly stopped when he heard her lie. It surprised him to see Ha-yeon-woo, who usually couldn’t lie, do so effortlessly. He let out a long sigh and cleared his throat. When he turned back to see what she was doing, his eyes widened at the sight of her singing.

It was a different voice from when she spoke. ‘Was Ha Yeon-woo really that good at singing?’

She was also swaying her head from side to side. Unaware that he was there, she grew increasingly excited, dancing her shoulders and eventually getting up to gently sway her hips.

Her hips swayed, making him feel uneasy. He was taken aback. He knew he would appear sneaky if he stayed, so he turned to go back into his room. Unaware of it, his cell phone rang.

Oh! shit.

While dancing and singing, his cell phone rang, causing her to turn around with a stiff expression. To avoid the tension, he quickly stepped into the room, pretending not to notice her presence.

He took off his tie and threw it on the floor. He felt filthy as if he had been caught shoplifting. He touched the screen of his phone roughly, which kept ringing.

“Why.”  

-” Seriously, you’re not going to come?”

-” I’m tired?”

-” Are you mad? I’m sorry. I’ll see you at work tomorrow,” Hee-young said.

He was frustrated by how much she was bothering him. He threw his phone onto the table and ran a hand through his hair, breathing heavily. This was the thing he hated most about being a man. Perhaps his dad wanted to split with his mom because she annoyed him so much, and that’s why he left. Then he laughed.

His father had an unhealthy obsession with women. Even now, he continues to pursue multiple lovers, leaving his mother in tears. Although he inherited some of his father’s traits, he struggles to develop an interest in women. It would be easier if he could follow his father’s example and date random women.

He had seen his stern expression before. He felt the need to take a shower, so he undid his watch, feeling that things weren’t going to get any easier. While unbuttoning his shirt, he heard a soft, very low knock at the door.

“Come in.”

Ha-yeon-woo and Kang-jae were the only occupants of the house, so there was only one knocker. Hesitantly, he opened the door and saw her. She stood outside the door, frowning, unable to enter.

He feels annoyed just by looking at her face. He is so angry that he wants to strangle her.

“Why?” he asks. His voice is deliberately cold. She fidgets with the doorknob and mutters something. Although she sings loudly and well, she cannot speak properly and sounds like a frightened person.

His stress may be building up. He walked briskly and stood in front of Ha Yeon-woo. He searched her face, wondering when and why she had come to his room, considering she had been avoiding him like the plague.

Ha Yeon-woo was easy to figure out when she was younger, but now that she was older, she could hide her feelings quite well. Her black eyes, the same color as her hair, stared back at him.

“Hey,” said Kang-jae.

“……”

Why does she struggle to speak in front of him? Kang-Jae is extremely annoyed and feels like he might die.

“I’m tired, so just speak straight,” Kang-jae said again.

“Oh, I’m sorry, ‘I’m sorry,” Ha Yeon-woo responds.

“What do you want to talk about?” Kang-jae asks again.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to make it to the meeting tomorrow,” Ha Yeon-woo added.

“What?”

“I don’t think I can make it.”    

He gazed at the bright red lips that contrasted with the white face.

“So that’s what you’re going to say to me?” asked Kang-Jae.

His head snapped back.

“Attend.”

“And why should I?”

Her eyes widened. She was about to tell him she couldn’t come. Kang-Jae noticed that she had a few tears in her eyes.

“I already told you you’re going to attend.”

“…….”

“You should focus on doing your job instead of complaining like a child about your inability to do it. Do not expect the world to understand you just because you are young. If you do, you will be forced to give up, because I don’t have that kind of mercy.”

He looked directly into her eyes. He appeared teary and spoke in a cold tone. He said, ‘You love me; aren’t you the one hanging?’ He continued speaking one by one.

She paused with her mouth at the corner and her eyes raised, as if she were chewing.