The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 53

CHAPTER 53

Even as the season changes, prompting people to shed their coats and dress lightly, feeling cold persists, without knowing its psychological roots. Despite just a gentle spring breeze, the body hunches up.

The news of Moon Ji-hyuk and Jo Yoon-young’s engagement being called off was headline-worthy. The media buzzed with this news constantly. The last image of Moon Ji-hyuk came to mind. Perhaps it was merely a matter of seeing what had passed with him, as there was no more emotion to be had.

‘I thought I knew everything about Moon Ji-hyuk, but apparently not.’

Yet, Moon Ji-hyuk and Han Go-yeo shared many similarities. Sometimes one should know when to let go, but she didn’t know how. At what point would she come to her senses? She should just accept that their relationship had run its course, but he seemed oblivious to that. No matter how hard she tried, there was nothing to grasp, it was like trying to catch a cloud.

She knew Moon Ji-hyuk’s emptiness well, but as Han Go-yeo, it was impossible to fill it. There was no rule saying she had to fill it with love. Marriage could bring stability between spouses, gain a mother’s trust, and earn the respect of those around you.

Go-yeo let go of her complicated thoughts and bought a book. It had been a long time since she visited a bookstore. It was an impromptu decision while she was out shopping. So, she strolled casually, flipping through titles without any particular book in mind. Jin-young was beside her.

She stopped and picked up a book. She was attracted by its cover, but after a glance, she put it down. Following the books, she wandered into a secluded corner. She picked up a French book and looked at the illustrations.

It depicted a child sitting alone in front of a fireplace with a crackling fire. Was it because of overwhelming loneliness? Even in a warm place, did the wind find a way to pierce through and chill the soul? The child in the picture seemed to resemble someone familiar.

‘You must be feeling very cold too.’

She gently stroked the child’s head in the picture. A small sigh escaped her lips.

There was no reason to feel troubled, yet her mind was oddly noisy. She consciously recalled pleasant things. Shopping, clubs, tennis… Yoon Ga-eul? She chuckled at the random thought. But Ga-eul had played his part. Thanks to him, she felt a bit better and smiled softly. She realized it had been quite a while since she last saw him.

Recalling the messages Ga-eul had sent, she knew he was doing well in school. But if he called, she might drop everything without hesitation. No, it was certain she would. While that fact wasn’t entirely pleasant, it wasn’t unpleasant either.

‘What am I doing, really?’

She shook her head at her complicated thoughts. Maybe being in a quiet place made her feel the noise inside more, and she thought it might be okay to go to a lively club. Once she decided on her destination, her heart felt lighter.

“Oh? Boss?”

At the now familiar voice, a small gasp escaped. Jin-young suddenly stepped in front of the boss, blocking her path. Go-yeo assured Jin-young it was okay and looked at the person in front of her. It was Eun-jae, who was sparkling even more than her brother.

“Nice to see you often.”

Despite Go-yeo’s calm response, Eun-jae approached with a joyful expression.

“Yeah, it’s amazing. I thought I wouldn’t see you again after my brother quit his job.”

Eun-jae glanced at Jin-young.

“Oh! Is the person next to you like a bodyguard or something?”

Go-yeo chuckled instead of answering.

“Wow, amazing.”

The sparkling gaze when looking at Jin-young was no different from when looking at Go-yeo.

“But Boss, you’re buying books yourself now! I thought someone else would do it for you.”

Go-yeo chuckled lightly in response.

“I still have hands and feet.”

Eun-jae chuckled as if she found the comment amusing. Then, she spoke about things that weren’t asked.

“I finished school early today, so I came to Seoul to sightsee and buy some study materials. Since I’m a high school senior, I need quite a few study materials. I heard Boss went to school in the US. Naturally, there must have been college entrance exam stress there too, right?”

Go-yeo wasn’t surprised as her personal information flowed through like water.

“Of course.”

It was something anyone could know if they looked it up. But it felt strange to have it directly pointed out, as it wasn’t something people usually mentioned.

“I’m really, really curious about this. Can I ask just one question?”

“Sure.”

“I hope you don’t laugh at my question.”

Go-yeo nodded naturally. But even so, she couldn’t help but laugh at Eun-jae’s unexpectedly serious question.

“Do high school students kiss passionately like in dramas?”

Despite being in a bookstore, both Go-yeo and Jin-young burst into laughter. Jin-young quickly composed herself and coughed lightly. Before the laughter could fully subside, Go-yeo replied.

“Don’t Korean couples kiss at school? If they’re alone, they could do it anywhere, right?”

Eun-jae’s face reddened slightly. It was quite a plausible answer. She scratched her head and mumbled.

“…I asked a foolish question.”

“They probably do it more freely. But they couldn’t do it blatantly in the corridors like in dramas. The school I attended had pretty strict rules.”

So, couples are often stuck in empty classrooms or corners of the playground.

‘I’ve never done it in school since Moon Ji-hyuk was my first.’

Go-yeo brushed off the natural thought and smiled at the sunny Eun-jae.

“Are you hungry by any chance?”

Eun-jae looked at the three-tier tray and tea cup on the white tablecloth.

“Oh. It’s so beautiful, really.”

It was a combination one might see in a movie. The three-tier tray was adorned with macarons, scones, and various types of cake slices, beautifully arranged. The teacup filled with black tea had a delicate floral pattern with a gold rim.

“Can I take a picture?”

Eun-jae whispered, feeling her voice might be too loud. Go-yeo nodded and took a sip of the tea scented with an apology. Eun-jae watched silently as Go-yeo drank her tea, her eyes fixed on the calmness.

‘…She’s like a real princess.’

Lost in thought, Eun-jae straightened her posture like Go-yeo and carefully held the teacup, looking down. She sipped the tea she didn’t know the taste of, frowned slightly, then put it down.

Instead, she started eating the strawberry mousse cake that Go-yeo had chosen earlier. Go-yeo had bought the study materials Eun-jae selected earlier, and when she mentioned she was a bit hungry, she brought her to the hotel lounge. She was so happy that she couldn’t control her expression.

“Boss, this is so delicious!”

Go-yeo smiled lightly at Eun-jae, who resembled Yoon Ga-eul. Her tenderness wasn’t just because she was his sister. Watching Eun-jae, she felt moved by even trivial things to the point where tears welled up in her eyes.

‘I’m glad you like it.’

Looking at Eun-jae with a resolution like Ga-eul’s made her feel as innocent as catching a cold. But that illusion wasn’t bad. It felt refreshing, and things she had always taken for granted felt new.

“It would’ve been nice if Brother continued working with you.”

Go-yeo looked at Eun-jae as if asking why she said that suddenly.

“Before, I could see you through Brother, but now it seems hard to even run into you by chance.”

The downcast eyes were enough to understand her feelings.

“Come to the boutique.”

“Really?”

Eun-jae’s eyes widened in surprise. Go-yeo nodded in response.

“I’ll go! I want to see the boutique too!”

At that moment, Jin-young, who had gone on an errand, returned. She had several shopping bags in her hands. Jin-young also sat down and enjoyed a leisurely time with coffee instead of tea. Mostly, Eun-jae talked, while Jin-young and Go-yeo exchanged small smiles and nods.

“Oh! Why don’t you work at the Wushin Group? Don’t the heirs usually take over the family business?”

It was a question Go-yeo hadn’t heard in a long time, and it sounded cliché. Just the thought that the fate of the group was left to her shoulders made it hard for her to breathe.

“Yeah.”

Usually, children inherit the company, but Go-yeo realized early on that she wasn’t suitable for it. And because Sang-moon readily accepted that, she lived doing what she wanted. Everyone else was working hard, so she thought it was okay to live a bit carelessly.

“I guess I’m not ordinary.”

Would she even be considered ordinary? Even with the lackluster answer, Eun-jae responded enthusiastically.

“Of course. You seem like you’d excel at anything, Boss.”

She couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of her words.

“I originally dreamed of being a fashion designer too. But now, my goal is to become an elementary school teacher.”

Eun-jae seemed like she could excel in anything. With her lively ideas, she would have been fine as a designer, and with her friendly and bright personality, she would probably be popular as an elementary school teacher.

She had heard that Ga-eul’s father was an elementary school teacher, and whether it was due to his influence or not, both of them were on the path to becoming teachers. The father of someone she barely knew seemed surprisingly pleasant to her.

Eun-jae accidentally mentioned Ga-eul’s family. She was surprised by her own words and stopped herself mid-sentence. But Go-yeo seemed to already know about it, which surprised her even more.

“You knew? Brother never talks about this kind of thing…”

Go-yeo shrugged lightly, indicating it wasn’t a big deal.

“Brother is subtly stubborn. He hardly says a word and is like a fortress, so he probably doesn’t have many friends either, right?”

It was unexpected. Considering the person she knew, she would have guessed he had many friends. Eun-jae thought Go-yeo’s silence was positive and leaned in closer to the table, speaking more intimately.

“Even though he looks gentle, he’s stubborn.”

Go-yeo agreed with Eun-jae’s words without hesitation.

“…Having no stubbornness means having nothing to protect, and people who have nothing to protect don’t live as hard as Mr. Ga-eul.”

Eun-jae nodded with a slightly surprised expression. It made sense. She hadn’t thought about it that way before. Feeling a little embarrassed, her face turned red, but Go-yeo didn’t seem to mind.

“It’s getting quite late. Shall we call it a day?”

Feeling regretful, Eun-jae stood up from her seat.

She insisted on taking the bus and going alone.

“This is the first time I’ve ridden such a nice car.”

She seemed to sparkle at every little thing. She was truly tireless.

A breeze carrying the spring air blew in through the window. It was spring. Flowers would be blooming along the streets. She closed her eyes for a moment, imagining buds blooming with a new energy. It would be fresh, colorful, and beautiful. And naturally, she thought of someone who resembled spring.

‘Yoon Ga-eul.’

His name lingered softly on her lips. An offspring resembling spring. His spring-like energy warmed everyone around him. Somehow, she kept smiling, and to stop herself, she had to close her mouth tightly.

She looked up at the sky, now elongated. The early evening sky was emitting a deep blue hue, and the nail-like moon hung in it. The thin crescent moon, emitting a faint silver light, looked beautiful.

Her dizzying heart had quietly settled down. It was undoubtedly thanks to Eun-jae’s presence, small like the crescent moon. She had been endlessly restless, but now, when she looked quietly beside her, she found that she had fallen asleep, holding tightly onto the box containing the remaining tea set snacks.

When the wind blew through the slightly open window, ruffling Eun-jae’s hair, she furrowed her brow slightly. She closed the window.