The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 60

CHAPTER 60

Eun-jae enjoyed working part-time at the convenience store on weekends secretly from her mom and older brother. There wasn’t much work, but the pay was good. The small convenience store had few customers, making it convenient for her to study in between. However, the problem was the owner. The owner, a friendly-looking man in his 50s, seemed welcoming from the start, so Eun-jae thought he was a kind person.

At first, she didn’t realize it. The owner casually patted her head, encouraging her for being a student who both studies and works. She took it as praise from an admirable adult and didn’t consider it a problem. Although she had learned about sexual harassment during sex education classes, she never thought that this was similar to that.

As time passed, it escalated to touching. The owner praised her small but agile hands. When he grabbed her hand in a way that felt inappropriate, Eun-jae discreetly pulled away. She clenched her teeth at the remark that she was like a daughter.

When the physical touches became more frequent, Eun-jae decided to quit. However, when the owner said he wouldn’t pay her if she didn’t complete the month, she endured a little longer because she didn’t want her efforts to go to waste. Eventually, things blew up.

Being questioned at the police station was undoubtedly a first in her life. When the convenience store owner flexed his muscles and raised his voice, Eun-jae’s heart raced with sudden anxiety.

“She attacked me and bit me! She’s going to jail for at least two weeks just for that!”

The police frowned as if annoyed by the noise.

“For heaven’s sake, please calm down. According to the student’s statement, the owner harassed her. Since we’ve received a report on sexual harassment, that’s what we need to investigate first. Please cooperate.”

Upon the police officer’s words, the convenience store owner erupted into a frenzy. He vehemently denied any wrongdoing, shouting at the top of his lungs. He confidently asserted that he had a wife and children, questioning why he would bother with such behavior.

“Student, I’ll need you to contact your parents to come here.”

“My parents?” 

Eun-jae had been frightened and anxious since earlier. Even though the police had moved her away from the owner, her body still trembled. Her mom was in the hospital and couldn’t assist, and she felt sorry for burdening her older brother even more. Nevertheless, the only adult who could protect her at the moment was Ga-eul.

‘What if my brother gets upset?’

Eun-jae hesitated before dialing Ga-eul’s number. The image of Ga-eul, repeatedly advising against taking part-time jobs, came to mind. Though Ga-eul wouldn’t blame her for what had happened, he would blame himself for getting involved in such a situation.

He’ll be blaming himself that she got into trouble because he couldn’t fulfill his role as her guardian. Eun-jae sincerely didn’t want to burden Ga-eul.

Unable to find anyone else to contact, she decided to call her homeroom teacher.

‘But then the teacher will contact my mom…’

After searching through the phone contacts, Eun-jae pressed the button firmly after desperate deliberation. Despite her mom’s repeated warnings not to become disgraceful, now was not the time to consider such things. The dial tone rang for a while, and as expected, there was no answer. Just in case, she dialed again, and this time, a calm and quiet voice answered.

“Hello.”

Strangely, her tension eased. She felt confident that Ms. Han Go-yeo would surely help. Then tears began to flow again.

“Alright. I’ll be there soon, so don’t cry and wait for me.”

The voice Eun-jae heard was the most soothing voice she had ever heard in her life. Though not particularly gentle, it was just the calm voice of the boss. Her pronunciation was precise, and her tone was quiet yet firm.

As the atmosphere of the once noisy space calmed down like the dawn, she appeared. Quietly, she was consistently expressionless. Only faint wrinkles on her forehead hinted at her emotions. Beside her stood a lawyer and another middle-aged man. The middle-aged man guided Go-yeo and the lawyer into the room where Eun-jae was located.

“…….”

During their conversation with the police and the others, Go-yeo sat beside Eun-jae. Seeing Go-yeo, Eun-jae, overcome with sorrow, hugged her. Go-yeo didn’t know how to comfort someone, but she lightly embraced Eun-jae’s trembling body.

“You must have been scared.”

“Yeah. So much. Too much.”

“I know.”

Go-yeo comforted her while she cried for a long time. Even though her sky-blue dress was damp from tears, she remained unfazed. As Eun-jae’s crying subsided, Go-yeo took out a handkerchief from her bag and handed it to her.

Eun-jae accepted the soft handkerchief and burst into tears once again. Amidst her sobbing, she repeatedly expressed her fear and gratitude.

After finishing their conversation outside, the lawyer entered the room.

“Ms. President, I’m here to ask Eun-jae some questions. We need to hear from the victim about how to proceed with the sexual harassment case.”

Eun-jae was suddenly filled with fear at the thought of having to give another statement. Seeing Eun-jae’s anxiety, Go-yeo spoke up on her behalf.

“Earlier, he mentioned assault. What about that? Do we need an agreement for that?”

“He said if Eun-jae withdraws the sexual harassment complaint, he’ll drop the assault charges.”

“If we proceed like this, will it harm Eun-jae?”

Attorney Seo Guk-cheol smiled and replied.

“No, it won’t. Isn’t that why professionals like me exist? Take your time to think it over and let me know.”

After the lawyer left, Go-yeo looked at the anxious Eun-jae. As an adult, she carefully chose her words. It felt strange for her, who had lived her whole life like a child. Pondering over what to say, she felt a little annoyed seeing Eun-jae cowering. She grabbed her chin and lifted her head slightly, then directed her gaze towards the convenience store owner, who was separated by the glass partition.

“Eun-jae, lift your head and look at that person.”

Eun-jae hesitated at Go-yeo’s words but wiped away the tears flowing from her reddened eyes and finally looked at the convenience store owner. Even from a distance, her teeth trembled.

“There you go. Hold your head up high and sit straight. You’ve done nothing wrong. The fault lies with that person.”

There was a strange power in Go-yeo’s words. Feeling a sense of calmness, Eun-jae followed her instructions.

“And remember, there’s no justice or ethics in someone like him. Eun-jae, you shouldn’t grow up to be like him. Got it? Today, consider it a lesson learned. If you want punishment, I can assign a lawyer even more ruthless than Attorney Seo.”

When Go-yeo’s usual tone was mixed with a hint of anger, Eun-jae sniffled and then let out a small laugh.

“How ruthless is ‘even more ruthless’?”

“You wouldn’t understand. Lawyers have a talent for making people very annoyed. They can make a lawsuit drag on for months.”

Eun-jae thought Go-yeo’s expression as she said this resembled that of a stern student. She could sense Go-yeo’s attempt at comforting her and adding humor to the situation.

“Besides, the other guy who came with me earlier is the chief here, so if there’s anything you want, let him know.”

Eun-jae and Go-yeo left the police station. It was already time for dinner, even though it was bright daylight. Through the lawyer, Eun-jae opted for an apology and a quiet resolution. The convenience store owner’s voice tapered off as soon as the lawyer from the well-known law firm presented his business card. Not only that, but after hearing about the legal consequences if he proceeded lawfully, he became as silent as a mouse.

Eun-jae considered proceeding legally to prevent such incidents from happening again, but due to the hefty lawyer retainer fee and Go-yeo handling everything on her behalf, she decided to settle at this stage.

Although she knew the boss wouldn’t fuss about it, she was sincerely grateful for everything Go-yeo had done up to this point.

“Oh, and one more thing, Boss. Please keep this a secret from my brother. He doesn’t even know that I was working part-time.”

Go-yeo looked at Eun-jae quietly, as if questioning why she was saying that.

“I feel sorry for my brother. He’ll worry, and if he finds out, he’ll tell my mom too.”

Go-yeo was about to say something else but closed her mouth tightly. She didn’t feel entitled to talk more about family matters. However, as an adult, she thought some advice would be okay.

“If you want, I’ll do as you wish, but I don’t think there’s anything to worry about for a teenager who still needs protection.”

Eun-jae smiled widely as if relieved. Since Eun-jae’s house was nearby, she said she would take the bus from there. Go-yeo nodded her head in agreement.

“Are you going to be home alone today?”

“Yes.”

The response seemed obvious, but Go-yeo felt heavy-hearted. She had told her to go to the hospital where her mother was, but now if she went, her mother might recognize her, so she couldn’t go.

She headed to the villa in Hannam-dong with Eun-jae, who said it was okay to just go. Could it be necessary to go this far? Go-yeo could answer “no” immediately to the question, but seeing the young student still with a dark expression beside her, she couldn’t just leave her alone. It must have been surprising to be alone at home. Isn’t it scary?

* * *

It was a house that could appear in magazines or dramas. She kept marveling at it until suddenly she screamed at the paintings hung on the wall like in an art museum. Moreover, various flowers were blooming in the glass courtyard inside the house. Eun-jae couldn’t close her mouth.

Go-yeo, unaffected by Eun-jae’s admiring reaction, handed her a herbal pill.

“It seems fine now, but you might be surprised when you go to sleep, so keep this.”

Eun-jae hesitated but thanked her and took it. Go-yeo ran warm water into the bathtub in the guest room on the first floor and threw in some foaming bath salts. She pushed Eun-jae into the bathroom and gave her clothes to change into.

After finishing her shower, Go-yeo briefly explained her sudden departure to Yeong-ran, and discussed with Jin-yu how to return the car. She hesitated to call Yoon Ga-eul, who had still left missed calls and messages.

‘But since it’s a family matter, I should talk about it.’

It seemed necessary to let her know that Eun-jae was here. The signal connected almost immediately.

“Boss. Is there something wrong? I was worried because I couldn’t reach you.”

Feeling urgent and worried, it felt like tears were welling up behind her eyes. The voice wasn’t trembling fiercely, but it was worrying enough.

“… More importantly, Eun-jae is in Hannam-dong. I thought you should know.”

– What? Eun-jae? What happened to Eun-jae?

“No. I’ll send her home tomorrow. Call me then.”

-… Yes. Thank you for taking care of Eun-jae anyway.

“And I won’t be able to contact you anymore.”