The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

“It’s quite late now, so I thought I’d just see you safely inside and then head back.”

 The woman smiled as if it didn’t matter whether he was there or not. He sat on the bench and toyed with a canned coffee. Though he could feel the gaze of the woman next to him, he couldn’t bring himself to turn and look. And he couldn’t find any words to say first. Bringing up a topic first would make him seem ignorant.

Even here, he could see the Seoul skyline. The sound of cars passing by the distant bridge faintly echoed in the quiet neighborhood.

The woman’s voice was clear and pure. She put the candy in her mouth and rolled it around thoughtfully. She seemed bored, contemplating if she should say something.

“What’s your name?” 

A weak voice finally came from her dry throat.

“…Yoon Ga-eul.”

The woman repeated his name with those lips. Her lips were dry and she licked them with her tongue.

“What’s your major?”

“I’m majoring in mathematics education.”

For a moment, the woman’s eyes sparkled as if she had discovered something fascinating, then the sparkle vanished. Strangely, he began to feel anxious. The fact that he felt a slight curiosity towards a woman who seemed disinterested in everything made him unnecessarily restless. Ga-eul couldn’t figure out why. There was no time to think about it immediately.

“Is the job manageable? Dealing with drunk people must not be easy.”

“So far, I haven’t had any particularly difficult tasks.”

“Can you tell me something to sober me up?”

So instead of asking a common question like her name, Ga-eul brought up the story he had read earlier. A story about neuroscience. Using cigarettes and lemon candies as examples. She might not remember anything else, but he would surely remember lemon candies. Whenever she thought of cigarettes, she would recall lemon candies at least once.

The woman who stood up from the bench staggered a bit. Not knowing exactly where her home was and fearing potential danger, he followed her. They soon stood in front of a villa with tall bars and a high wall. The woman standing in front of the white building looked like a queen in her castle, making her feel like a mountain even taller than Everest.

“Mr. Yoon Ga-eul, thank you for today.”

She said, her eyes still expressionless, but a faint smile lingered on her lips. She suddenly took her hand and turned back towards her castle. He watched the woman through the bars. Camellias bloomed splendidly among the landscaped waters, and flowers scattered on the ground in disarray. A red flower fell on the woman’s high heels.

In his hand, he clutched the check he had rejected earlier: three million won for a moment with her. He unfolded the crumpled checks one by one, and in between them was a business card. Holding the card, he approached where the light shone.

“Choi Ji-yeon.” 

Designer and vice president of H. Collection. Was this woman’s name? For a moment, his heart felt prickly and uncomfortable. It was a sensation of warmth rising unexpectedly. Somehow, Ga-eul felt pitiful. This was strange. There was no reason for him to feel this way.

He tightly held the check the woman had given him and ran. He only thought about returning to his world as soon as possible. From a woman who could easily give away this much money, there was nothing else to expect. Once he spent this money, it would be over. He would use it for medical bills, and buy things for Eun-jae. That would be it. He dashed down the alley with high walls, his heart pounding.

* * *

Go-yeo arrived at the boutique, later than usual, well past 4 p.m. She limped, wearing a protective brace on her right ankle. Taking the elevator that moved the items to the back of the building, she arrived on the fourth floor.

 Ji-yeon clicked her tongue at Go-yeo’s unusual state. Hee-kyung, Ji-yeon’s secretary, was the one supporting Go-yeo.

“Don’t drink too much. What’s with all this fuss about being an adult?” 

Ji-yeon finally nagged.

Go-yeo got up as leisurely as usual. However, her right ankle was throbbing with pain. She sprained it a little while coming out of the shower in the morning. In the end, she had to call Ji-yeon, and instead of the busy Ji-yeon, it was Hee-kyung who accompanied Go-yeo to the hospital.

Even with Ji-yeon’s nagging, Go-yeo absentmindedly looked out the window, thinking she must have drunk quite a lot yesterday. Ji-yeon suggested that Go-yeo not come to work until her ankle healed or hire a driver. Hee-kyung brought coffee for Ji-yeon and Go-yeo and left the office.

Go-yeo sipped her iced Americano through a straw. Ji-yeon glanced at Go-yeo and drank her warm mixed coffee.

“What’s the point of coming to work? Just stay home until you recover.”

Since Ji-yeon handled all the practical work, Go-yeo only occasionally entertained VIPs. So, Ji-yeon had an assistant that she didn’t have.

“You’ll have peace at home. If you’re going to shop and go clubbing with that ankle, you can’t keep calling Hee-kyung every time.”

 Ji-yeon watched Go-yeo ignoring her suggestion to hire a driver since the last time.

‘I worry about you driving at night without much experience.’

“I know. Hee-kyung has a lot on her plate. She has a hard time being my nanny, too.”

“If you know, then either raise Hee-kyung’s salary.”

Go-yeo chuckled and put down her coffee, stirring it. There was no need to hire anyone since she had nothing to do, and it was ridiculous to fuss over someone.

“Are your wedding preparations going well?”

Go-yeo asked, pressing her temple.

“More or less. I’ve been quite busy lately.”

Ji-yeon said after finishing her lukewarm mixed coffee.

“Right. If you need anything, let me know. Your mother doesn’t seem to like me much.”

Ji-yeon jumped at the self-pitying tone.

“She’ll take it if you give it to her. What’s the problem?”

“What if someone misinterprets a gift from a divorced person? Aren’t you quite superstitious?”

“You look sophisticated, so you have a broad mind.” 

Ji-yeon replied with a disgusted expression. Then she said confidently.

“I won’t refuse what’s given to me. I have enough value for Han Go-yeo, and Han Go-yeo has enough money to give. I’ll be expecting something.”

Seeing Ji-yeon’s brazenness, Go-yeo chuckled.

“Excuse me.”

Ji-yeon glanced at Hee-kyung, who came in after knocking as if asking what was wrong. She raised her eyebrows when she heard someone was looking for her. There was no appointment, and she couldn’t think of any reason someone would come to the boutique to see her.

After Ji-yeon and Hee-kyung left, Go-yeo collapsed on the sofa. She slowly lifted her throbbing ankle onto the ottoman. She looked at her neatly painted pink nails and took out a lemon candy she had put in her handbag. Her head was throbbing. She thought she should ask Ji-yeon if there was any emergency medicine available.

Ji-yeon went downstairs and found a man standing near the fitting room at the front desk. The first-floor store staff and customers glanced at the man. The atmosphere was tense.

A model? Narrowing her eyes, Ji-yeon saw a man who seemed to tower over others. He wore a beige sweater, navy blue jacket, and black slacks. His style was ordinary, but his proportions and handsome face stood out. She was surprised that such a man had come to see her. But the man she faced also seemed surprised.

“You’re looking for me? What’s the matter?” 

Ji-yeon asked, seeing the man’s eyes widen in confusion.

“Are you really Choi Ji-yeon?” 

The man looked visibly flustered.

“Yes, I’m really Choi Ji-yeon.” 

Ji-yeon replied with a wry smile. Someone must have impersonated her. The man hesitantly handed her a small business card from his pocket. It was the latest business card made by Go-yeo. Deep green background with embossed lettering in gold.

“This is my business card.”

“I came to give this back. I’m sorry, I mistook you for someone else. I thought you were the person I was looking for… Sorry.”

The man apologized obediently, bowing his head. Ji-yeon squinted at him, his face turning red. How could he have a few business cards that weren’t even distributed? Ji-yeon shook the card between her index and middle fingers and asked.

“Where did you get this?”

“…It was stuck on a check from a customer I drove home yesterday. It might not necessarily be their business card, but I was a bit thoughtless. I’m sorry for the trouble.” 

Ji-yeon listened quietly to his explanation, not quite understanding.

“The guest didn’t lose the check; they gave it to you to keep. So why did you come looking for it? What went wrong?”

“No, it’s not that. She gave me too much… I can’t accept this much, even as a tip.” 

The man replied awkwardly.

Ji-yeon glanced at the slightly crumpled check he handed her and let out a hollow laugh when she saw the amounts. By the content, it seemed like it was meant for Han Go-yeo.

“Do you work at Club Freya?”

“Yes.”

“Well, at least you’re in the right place. Shall we head upstairs?”

Ji-yeon debated whether to send him away, but considering the effort he had put into coming here, she reluctantly led him up to the fourth floor.

Ji-yeon stood the man by the door and knocked. When she opened the door, she found Go-yeo peacefully reading a book. It was no different from usual, but seeing this calm demeanor when she was busy irritated Ji-yeon for some reason. But she endured it since she was paid well. So, she smiled widely and spoke.

“Han Go-yeo. The guest is here to see you, not me.”

Go-yeo glanced away from the book and briefly looked at Ji-yeon, raising an eyebrow, conveying, ‘Without an appointment?’

“Come in for now. Let’s discuss after taking a look.” 

Ji-yeon said, opening the door and inviting Ga-eul in. Ga-eul pursed his dry lips once before stepping into the space. A large window was covered with blinds, below which stood a long desk, a chair, and a bookshelf filled with books and a large painting on one side.

A mysterious yet serene atmosphere was created by a picture of green shoots on a silvery-white tree forming a dense forest. And on the opposite wall was a nude painting of a woman. Surprised, he quickly averted his gaze.

In the middle of the room, Go-yeo leaned against the black sofa, almost lying down, and stared intently at Ga-eul. 

Seeing Ga-eul entering her space again, Go-yeo felt a bit surprised at first, then wondered if this guy was different from what he appeared to be, maybe even dangerous. She lowered her foot from the ottoman and slipped it into her slipper.

“It’s you again.”