The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 48

CHAPTER 48

“Are we meeting here?” 

When she turned her head, there were Moon Ji-hyuk and Jo Yoon-young. Go-yeo noticed that Ji-hyuk had his hand in his pants pocket, looking interested in both Ga-eul and herself. But she knew his gaze wasn’t just full of interest.

Seeing Ga-eul sitting across from her, she could feel his discomfort bubbling up visibly. If there were no onlookers, he might have elegantly flipped the table. Yoon-young locked eyes with Ji-hyuk. She didn’t seem uncomfortable with the situation, but rather anxious. She didn’t seem as relaxed as when they met at the hotel last time.

Go-yeo quietly took another sip of wine and smiled casually. 

“So it seems.”

At Go-yeo’s nonchalant reply, Ji-hyuk’s eyebrows twitched. Leaning forward, he whispered as he touched the armrest where Go-yeo was sitting. 

“I missed you.”

Turning her head sharply, Go-yeo glared at Ji-hyuk. It was audacious of him to act like this after what happened at the hotel last time. Ji-hyuk thought his actions were justified. Sincerely.

“It’s not easy to meet like this. Shall we join you?”

“No need for that.”

Despite Go-yeo’s response, Ji-hyuk pulled out a chair and sat down. Then, he gestured with his chin towards the empty chair opposite him, indicating for the helpless Yoon-young to sit.

“Moon Ji-hyuk, stop it. What are you doing?”

Go-yeo couldn’t bear to watch this farce any longer.

“We’re just having a meal together, why are you acting like this?”

As Ji-hyuk grabbed Go-yeo’s wrist to stop her from getting up, she reflexively pulled her hand away. Even with Go-yeo’s sharp reaction, Ji-hyuk just chuckled.

“Go-yeo, if you overreact like this, I might misunderstand, you know?”

Ji-hyuk even ordered the menu from a passing server. Yoon-young, seeing no end to it, sat down in the empty seat opposite Ji-hyuk. Go-yeo sighed softly, only now noticing Ga-eul sitting opposite. He had his lips tightly shut and his expression hardened.

Ji-hyuk slowly turned the wine glass and, without permission, picked up the wallet on the table. He leisurely examined it, furrowing his brow as he inspected the engraved initials.

“Please give it back.”

At Ga-eul’s words, Ji-hyuk looked him straight in the eye. His eyebrows twitched before returning to normal. Ji-hyuk smirked and casually dropped the wallet back onto the table.

The silence that descended upon the table made even the movement of cutlery cautious. If Go-yeo had been her usual self, she would have stormed out, but she kept her seat, not wanting to cause any further disturbance because of Moon Ji-hyuk. It was a feeling of accommodating rather than confronting a lunatic. So, she gritted her teeth and stayed put.

The suffocating meal continued. Eventually, they barely touched the course meal and only drank water. It wasn’t just her appetite that had diminished; everyone except Ji-hyuk seemed the same. Ji-hyuk was the only one continuing the meal smoothly with a sluggish expression.

She felt sorry for Ga-eul sitting across from her. She smiled bitterly at him. Ga-eul smiled back as if to say it was okay.

Go-yeo sat up straight, casting a fleeting glance at Jo Yoon-young’s Parisian face. Their eyes met, and Jo Yoon-young frowned, avoiding her gaze.

When Go-yeo got up and headed to the restroom, Yoon-young followed shortly after. Only Ga-eul and Ji-hyuk were left at the table. Ji-hyuk tidied up around his mouth with a napkin and casually asked.

“Are you doing well at work?”

“…Yes.”

“You seem to have a lot of affection, more than expected. To care for a mere boss like this.”

“…”

Ji-hyuk looked at Ga-eul’s calm eyes and smirked.

“I understand what it’s like when you’re young. It’s possible to harbor feelings for an undeniable opponent back then. But if I could give you one piece of advice, it would be not to think too deeply. It’s uncomfortable.”

“The one in front seems to be the one lacking courtesy to his fiancée.”

Ji-hyuk laughed lightly and lifted his wine glass.

“She’s only a fiancée when there’s an engagement. Jo Yoon-young means nothing to me… Just like you.”

Ji-hyuk stared directly at Ga-eul and threw a heavy sneer.

“And I’m inherently discourteous to anyone who means nothing to me.”

Despite his blatant contempt, Ga-eul remained composed. Regardless of his attitude, it was irrelevant to him, and he wasn’t foolish enough to get angry and retaliate.

Seeing Ga-eul unfazed by his provocation, Ji-hyuk tried to regain his composure by sipping his wine.

“How much do you make for your job? Since you’re just driving, is it three hundred? Four hundred?”

“I don’t see a reason to answer that.”

“I’ll triple it if you stop.”

“I have no reason to listen to that.”

Haha. Ji-hyuk chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re something.”

Then he muttered a curse under his breath. Ji-hyuk seemed on the brink of losing control, not knowing how to handle this dirty feeling rising from deep within him. He was barely restraining the urge to strangle the guy in front of him right now. Seeing someone as calm as a windless lake would have driven him even more insane.

As the server approached to refill their glasses, Ji-hyuk gripped his glass roughly, and a few drops of red wine splattered on his hand. He wiped his hand expressionlessly with a napkin.

‘Was there nothing going on between them the whole time?’

It wasn’t just a matter of preferences; the intimacy between the two seemed too close to dismiss as mere differences. Han Go-yeo wasn’t the type to care about just anyone. Ji-hyuk suddenly realized.

‘Damn. This guy’s a real piece of shit.’

As Go-yeo washed her hands and met eyes with Yoon-young who followed her in, Yoon-young chewed on her lips, looking at Go-yeo.

“I’m going to get married.”

Go-yeo couldn’t understand why she was saying this to herself.

“Whether you do or not doesn’t matter. Are you going to take Ji-hyuk with you? If you come to eat, just eat quietly. What’s with the drama?”

“If I could, I would have already.”

“I’m sick of this. You two should mind your own business.”

“Ms. Han is partially responsible.”

Go-yeo looked at Yoon-young through the mirror as if to ask what she meant.

“You two didn’t break up cleanly. Do you think I don’t know that you kept seeing each other after your divorce?”

She sneered at Yoon-young as if that was a problem.

“That’s your fault for not managing your fiancé well.”

“Go-yeo, you should be the one to quickly dump Ji-hyuk. Got it?”

Yoon-young spoke like a chewing cud and was about to leave, but she approached Go-yeo again and whispered to her.

“And isn’t it too careless for Princess of Wushin to be there so leisurely? There’s a line of people following her for background checks. She might just be living comfortably, born lucky without a care in the world… but be careful, okay?”

Yoon-young blurted out the last words unnecessarily. She admitted it came from her insecurity. Every time she saw Go-yeo’s naturally relaxed expression, it left a bitter taste in her mouth. While some people strive to be recognized for their worth, the overflowing energy of affection that emanated from deep within Go-yeo emphasized Yoon-young’s deficiency.

Go-yeo paused at her words. Even after Yoon-young left, she stood there blankly. She had been thinking about background checks since Ji-hyuk showed up at her house last time, but a line of people following her? And why was there still a need for that? Why on earth?

Go-yeo clenched her cooling hands tightly. As they returned to the table, Ji-hyuk, who was laughing jovially, and Ga-eul, who looked even stiffer than before, were more noticeable. When Ji-hyuk locked eyes with Go-yeo, he smiled even wider.

“So, it’s him, Han Go-yeo.”

His words were clear. He was smiling, but his gaze was chilling enough to kill someone.

‘Hide him well. I’m going to kill that bastard.’

He thought the other man was Yoon Ga-eul, but there was no reason for Go-yeo to bend to Ji-hyuk. 

“Whoever it is, you have no relevance to me anymore. I tolerated your rudeness today just because I wanted to let it go quietly. So let’s end this mediocre gathering.”

Ga-eul locked eyes with her. 

“Let’s go.”

When Ga-eul got up and grabbed her bag, Ji-hyuk grabbed her wrist. 

“…Han Go-yeo.”

His low, rumbling voice contained a warning.

Go-yeo couldn’t understand why she had to endure this treatment from Ji-hyuk. His behavior, thinking of her as a perfect possession, annoyed her. The idea of being made into someone who only moves according to his will was nauseating. His blatant arrogance and deep-seated rudeness were unbearable to witness. So the patience she had just kept to avoid making a scene shattered because of him.

It happened in an instant. It might not be common in such a refined dining place, but Go-yeo grabbed a glass and splashed wine directly onto his face. She felt a strange thrill and satisfaction as the wine dripped down Ji-hyuk’s face.

“Never try to control me again. Don’t even appear in front of me. Moon Ji-hyuk.”

With Ga-eul, she left the place. Go-yeo waited for the elevator, clasping her hands tightly. Ga-eul quietly peeled a sticker off his finger. Only then did she realize her hands were trembling. She responded with a small smile to Ga-eul’s smile.

“Boss, shall we go to my place? You said you liked the view there.”

Go-yeo nodded quietly.

“Han Go-yeo!”

Suddenly, her body spun around, and Ji-hyuk’s scent, now a stranger’s scent, hit her nose. And rough lips probed her mouth. Even when she pinched and hit Ji-hyuk’s arm, he didn’t let go, holding her chin firmly.

Despite Go-yeo’s struggle, Ji-hyuk pounced on her like a ferocious beast. He didn’t flinch even when she bit his tongue.

“Let go of her!”

For a moment, Ga-eul was dumbfounded by what was happening. A man named Moon Ji-hyuk was aggressively exploring her lips. Despite the boss’ fierce resistance. He snapped back to his senses when he saw tears welling up in the boss’ reddened eyes.

Ga-eul rushed towards them. Ga-eul grabbed Ji-hyuk by the collar and struck his face, and Ji-hyuk, as if wishing for it, smiled and rushed at Ga-eul. Ji-hyuk and Ga-eul rolled on the carpet, locked in a struggle. The manager and staff of Eternal rushed in at the commotion. Even when they tried to separate the two, the two irrational men didn’t easily let go.