The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 65

CHAPTER 65

“Know that? Growing up with someone like you, Moon Ji-hyuk must have had it tough.” 

Yun Seung-ok hated it when she and her son were pitied. She’d rather endure insults. Moreover, she felt that receiving sympathy from someone like Go-yeo, who couldn’t stop hating her, might drive her to madness.

Yun Seung-ok’s expression contorted as if to say, ‘Do you dare to utter such words?’ Go-yeo, seeing this, felt a rush of delight in her chest and smiled.

“No matter how much of a boss you are, and Ji-hyuk being a team leader, people still call you a wh*re and a wh*re’s son behind your back.”

Though this was true, Go-yeo didn’t always confront Ji-hyuk with such thoughts just to spite Yun Seung-ok. However, most of the murmurs heard when walking with him were indeed about that.

Seung-ok wiped away her contorted expression and exaggeratedly laughed as if amused. 

“How dare you.”

Go-yeo, grinning at her reaction, provocatively continued.

“Ji-hyuk always says it doesn’t bother him, but does it not? Besides, if anyone should hear this, it should be your esteemed son, not me, because it’s not me who’s getting screwed, it’s Moon Ji-hyuk, and I’d be sick of it if I were him!”

There was a snap as Go-yeo’s head turned away. A fiery and exhilarating sensation coursed through her body. It was a feeling that burst the dam of restraint she always held in her chest.

“Who are you to hit me?”

There was no longer any need to tolerate such treatment. Go-yeo, too, slapped Seung-ok. Seung-ok, taken aback by Go-yeo’s unexpected reaction, trembled. Such a chaotic situation didn’t suit Han Go-yeo and Yun Seung-ok. But speaking nobly would be overly hypocritical.

Seung-ok grabbed Go-yeo’s long hair and whispered lowly, staring into her face.

“I hate this face so much. The face of Eun Ji-ho. If that man were alive to see this face, he would have loved it so much. He, who had no interest in me, held Eun Ji-ho, who wasn’t even his flesh and blood, and smiled affectionately.”

Go-yeo almost let out a cry of pain as her hair was pulled. Frowning at her, she seemed to have a flicker of normalcy in her gaze. Go-yeo knew that Seung-ok’s composure had cracked, so she provoked her further.

“Ji-hyuk’s malfunction is all because of you. Living with a woman like you, he couldn’t be normal.”

Was it because of the emptiness that became a part of him, not because of his absent father all his life, but because of Yun Seung-ok herself? Did she not realize that? Perhaps she simply refused to acknowledge it.

“Who are you to judge? My son is more perfect than anyone. He kept you around for so long, not because he liked you! You were just a means to satisfy his desires.”

“I despise both you and your son. I’m tired of this.”

Seung-ok’s hand was seen rising, and Go-yeo tightly shut her eyes. When she thought that moment seemed a bit long, Jin-young entered and held Seung-ok’s arm. Seung-ok brushed off Jin-young’s arm and released the hand that had been holding onto Go-yeo’s head. The corners of her mouth pulled tight and trembled slightly.

Seung-ok straightened her disheveled hair and gave a cold glance. 

“Let’s consider what happened here as if it never did. Ultimately, what I want to say is that the two of you should not get involved anymore.”

A person who knew nothing but themselves. She wanted to scream at Yun Seung-ok, calling her a crazy woman. She wanted her messed up life back.

Ultimately, she didn’t do that, but still, Go-yeo felt a sense of satisfaction in having dealt Seung-ok a blow. Seung-ok, like when she first entered this place, straightened her clothes and left as if nothing had happened.

“Why are there so many crazy women like her? Report her to the police immediately!”

“Enough.”

Jin-young came in with an ice pack and a handkerchief and gently applied it to Go-yeo’s cheek. Only then did Go-yeo feel the stinging sensation vividly. She looked at her reddened palm. It was hard to believe that she had struck Yun Seung-ok with this hand, but it was true.

Seriously, wasn’t fighting with her former mother-in-law just childish? Regardless of the face, it felt like she had broken free from the shackles of her past. She had always endured it because of Ji-hyuk. Rather than any familial relationship, facing her as a person, Yun Seung-ok seemed like an immature adult, stubbornly clinging to her own thoughts.

* * *

As the tension that had been tightly wound loosened, there was a painful sensation all over the body. Go-yeo leaned back on the sofa lazily and fell asleep. How long had she slept? The surroundings were dark, with only the dim light in the study turned on. She stared blankly at that light. Today felt unusually long. She let out a soft sigh.

As she tried to sit up, she felt a presence where no one should have been. When she turned her head, she saw Yoon Ga-eul sitting on the opposite sofa. His face, illuminated by the dim light, gave off a halo-like presence. Even she couldn’t help but laugh at how absurd it seemed.

“…?”

Ga-eul’s hazy eyes met Go-yeo’s. Ga-eul smiled faintly and moved to the seat next to Go-yeo. Without saying a word, he cautiously touched Go-yeo’s red cheek.

As if asking if it hurt, Go-yeo shook her head. Leaning on Ga-eul’s shoulder, she closed her eyes again. Ga-eul smiled at the feeling of Go-yeo’s hand. 

“You must have been very surprised.”

“.…”

Ga-eul’s gentle voice still sounded pleasant. He mentioned vaguely about hearing some commotion. She didn’t know how to say it, but she felt the need to explain it to him. Whatever she’ll say, it won’t be good news for him. She needs to choose her words carefully. Even though she wanted to tell him the objective truth, it was a story that everyone already knew. Hesitating, Ga-eul held Go-yeo’s hand tightly and comforted her.

“Please tell me. I’m curious.”

“It’s not a particularly good story for you.”

“…Still, I want to know.”

“We graduated from the same school and studied abroad in the United States together. And then, we came to Korea, got married, and got divorced. Of course, things weren’t good with the former mother-in-law who came to visit. We’re not tied together anymore, but it’s a fact that we spent a long time together.”

Ga-eul nodded as if understanding. From her straightforward manner of conveying the information, Ga-eul found solace.

How much had she cried to be able to speak so calmly now? He knew how difficult it was for her to crumble, but despite that, he felt a profound sense of satisfaction in gradually erasing him. Ga-eul gently stroked Go-yeo’s soft hair leaning on his shoulder. At one point, he almost inadvertently said he liked it.

“…Right now, I like this moment.”

This moment of being together with her, being able to naturally touch her hair. The distance where he could feel her scent. And being able to touch lips without permission like this. Although not named in words, Ga-eul felt that his relationship with Go-yeo had changed. He was convinced again when he saw her trembling eyes at the hospital.

Closing her eyes, Go-yeo felt Ga-eul’s lips. His intrusion was gentle and warm, but it gradually and persistently eroded her. She looked at him again as she lay on the sofa. In his probing gaze, she burst into laughter, accepting only positive intentions. Ga-eul wrapped his arms around her neck and kissed deeply.

“…I don’t dislike it either.”

Ga-eul kissed her again, and they undressed each other, their n*ked bodies intertwining eagerly. In the enclosed space, the sound of ragged breaths and the provocative sound of bodies rubbing together echoed.

Ga-eul pressed against Go-yeo with such coldness that it felt welcoming. Leaving small kisses on Go-yeo’s hollow spine, he overlapped their bodies. The kisses seeking each other’s lips were only filled with sincerity.

* * *

Ji-hyuk frowned at the throbbing headache. His face had become sharper due to weight loss, and the clothes he used to wear tightly had become loose. He habitually swallowed painkillers. He touched his hair and chose a suit more carefully than usual in front of the mirror. It was a style she would like.

Ji-hyuk looked out the window, waiting for Go-yeo. The reunion scandal was an unexpected event for his plans. He was equally confused by the sudden news. With a swift rebuttal article from Wushin’s side, the incident was dismissed. He didn’t want to meet Go-yeo in this way. But since she wouldn’t meet him easily, he had no choice but to use this method.

“Hah…”

Suddenly, he felt a distant sensation and sank into the chair. It had been several days since he had slept. Even with sleeping pills, he couldn’t fall into a deep sleep. He closed his numb eyes and thought of Go-yeo. It felt like trying to grasp sand slipping through his fingers, no matter how tightly he held onto her.

Coming this far felt utterly futile. It would have been enough to abandon everything and just have Han Go-yeo, but now, the meaning of why he had gone this far seemed meaningless.

Even if Yun Seung-ok hadn’t let him go easily, it seemed like he wouldn’t have been this tormented if he had just run away with Han Go-yeo alone.

There was a commotion outside the door. Moments later, there was a knock, and Go-yeo entered. Lawyers were waiting in the hotel suite’s reception room.