The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 74

CHAPTER 74

It was the day when Ji-yeon finally opened the result of her bone-grinding effort. The boutique she opened near the university had the same interior design as H. Collection in Cheongdam-dong. Luxurious and sophisticated.

Go-yeo suggested going for a lighter and more modern look, considering the age group of the target consumers, but Ji-yeon insisted on sticking to classic elegance. Anyway, since Ji-yeon was the one in charge, Go-yeo went along with her wishes.

As Go-yeo walked around the two-story building, she saw the clothes she had designed. A chiffon puff-sleeve dress with small cherry blossom patterns and a light pink polo shirt looked like a similar look. She had heard that the online opening had received a decent response, but she wondered how it would be offline.

Leaning on her arms in her small office on the second floor, Ji-yeon quietly looked out the window. Quite a few people were coming into the store. The main consumer group seemed to be nearby school students, just as Ji-yeon had anticipated.

Despite the noisy issues swirling outside, this place seemed unaffected by their influence. Go-yeo absentmindedly brushed her hair back, trying to erase the thoughts dominating her mind.

Ji-yeon’s tireless efforts paid off for a reasonable price. The first day’s sales were quite good, much better than expected, and Ji-yeon’s face lit up with a smile.

After the first opening, the new store employees and the employees from Cheongdam-dong gathered for a dinner party. When Hee-kyung said she wanted to eat beef, Ji-yeon gladly took out her card.

Today, Go-yeo didn’t mind the noisy surroundings. She watched absentmindedly as Ji-yeon and Hee-kyung chatted over the homemade cocktails Hee-kyung had made. Even though Ji-yeon couldn’t drink alcohol, she chattered away as if she were drunk.

After meeting that woman and sending a recorded message to Ga-eul, Ga-eul immediately called back. Whether it was fortunate or not, she could sense who was speaking and the situation. The trembling voice felt confusing and surprised her.

– … You must have felt uncomfortable. I’m sorry.

‘I hope I never have to go through that again.’

– There won’t be such incidents in the future.

‘… I hope both of you can resolve that issue well.’

The reason for the slightly delayed response was that she didn’t think Anna, contrary to her determination, was the type to just accept anything without it being according to her own will.

Ga-eul didn’t feel reassured even with a phone call, so he came to her house. She intended to stop him, but Ga-eul said he missed her a lot. So she felt better. 

She didn’t want to rely too much on Ga-eul, but that was not something she could control. Facing the boiling heat hidden in his firm gaze, she felt a strange sense of calm. It was unfamiliar compared to what she felt with Ji-hyuk, but it became addictive, making her want it more and more.

The alcohol quickly got to her after a long time of drinking. Feeling suffocated, she stepped outside for a moment and saw a small tree in the corner of the parking lot. A few people were scattered nearby, probably out there to sober up like her. Turning away, Go-yeo tapped the ground with her feet like a child. Then, a familiar name came up, halting her steps.

“Yun Seung-ok is something.”

“It’s not normal. Did you see her expression? She can’t be that shameless.”

“They said the evidence was tampered with, so it became invalid.”

“It’s not necessarily true. Some parts were accepted, I heard.”

Jin-young, who was already out there, approached with a worried expression. Go-yeo gave her a small smile as if to reassure her.

Today’s noisy atmosphere was also influenced by the recent issue that had been receiving attention from the public. Yun Seung-ok’s corruption had been exposed, and people were discussing it.

It wasn’t particularly surprising that Yun Seung-ok had done such a thing. It was just that she had left evidence carelessly, which was uncharacteristic of her. While corruption in the company often left traces due to many involved parties, the personal matters she handled were too sloppy.

Of course, even if the evidence had been tampered with in advance and was mostly rejected, it seemed difficult for people to easily change their perception of Yun Seung-ok. However, she wouldn’t receive as much punishment as the media outcry suggested. That was entirely Yun Seung-ok’s ability. There was no shortage of lawyers ready to handle the situation.

While Yun Seung-ok and Moon Ji-hyuk were mentioned together, MMK had drawn a clear line, deciding to protect Moon Ji-hyuk as much as possible. They were firmly divided. The image of Ji-hyuk, which seemed precarious, briefly crossed Go-yeo’s mind.

If it were Ji-hyuk, he would have known about this before it happened or might have been involved himself. She didn’t know what he was trying to gain from this.

Go-yeo sincerely hoped he was doing well.

‘Don’t dwell too much on the past, and don’t suffer like I did.’

She hoped his wounds would no longer trouble him.

* * *

A few days ago, Ga-eul felt miserable and embarrassed by the voice file she sent him. What did Anna even think of herself when addressing Go-yeo?

Her tone sounded monotonous and indifferent, but how absurd it must have been. Regardless of being grateful to Anna, he felt the need to draw a clear line.

The school festival was going on, so the surroundings were chaotic. There were no classes, and he didn’t need to go to school since he didn’t participate in department events. But despite being a fourth-year student, he decided to see Anna near the school pub.

Afraid of causing unnecessary misunderstandings, he called her from a place far from the pub. When he faced Anna, he began to notice the parts where he had been careless. Anna’s expectant eyes were familiar yet awkward.

“Sister.”

“Oh. Ga-eul. What’s up? But before that, I have something to tell you. Can I go first?”

Near the school pond, it was slightly dark. The sound of flowing water and the rustling of leaves brushing against each other in the wind could be heard. This place was undoubtedly a familiar path for him, but could it feel so different? He felt like he knew what Anna was about to say.

‘You two don’t suit each other.’

‘I’ve liked him for a long time.’

But he wasn’t planning to listen to those words.

“Let me speak first.”

Anna smiled awkwardly and nodded, embarrassed by Ga-eul’s assertiveness when he would normally have yielded.

“Sister, I think I mentioned this last time, but I’m seeing someone now with positive feelings. Apart from being grateful for our family affairs, I’m uncomfortable with more than that. If you’ve been concerned because of those feelings, I wouldn’t have accepted it. If it’s an extension of my relationship with Eun-jae, I’ll talk to Eun-jae about it.”

Anna’s face flushed hotly at Ga-eul’s words. Was Yoon Ga-eul like this? She still believed that the woman named Han Go-yeo was ruining Yoon Ga-eul. There was no way that the woman who was wandering around could have a normal relationship with him.

“Ga-eul… I’m worried about you.”

Anna’s expression softened with her familiar expression.

“I’ll say it again, there’s no need for that.”

As he drew the line, Anna appealed more to her emotions. She hadn’t planned to say this, but there were many ways to touch his heart.

“Why? Do you know how much I like you? I’ve been watching and liking you for much longer. But I’ve endured it all for your sake. You said you didn’t have time to meet other girls. So I waited. I was there for you when you couldn’t pay attention to Eun-jae and your mom while you were in the military.”

Ga-eul was at a loss for words at Anna’s speech. He remembered it too. It wasn’t Anna who said there was no time to meet other girls, but it was Eun-jae who asked if he was dating anyone. He didn’t know when it was, but he had said that. He didn’t know it would become a problem now. He didn’t know it would be an issue brought up by someone other than the parties involved. He truly felt like he had done something wrong to Anna.

Finding his way out of the subtle conversation, Ga-eul found his composure.

“That’s a story completely unrelated to you, sister. Please stop bringing up the same topic.”

“…What? You’ve changed.”

Anna looked at Ga-eul again with a shocked expression. Even his eyes, which looked coldly down, didn’t show a hint of wavering emotion. Seeing that, Anna felt sorry for her own heart, which had followed him for years.

Anna felt like she was going insane, feeling pitiful for herself. She couldn’t believe she had hung onto him for those few years without realizing how light-hearted he was. Overwhelmed by intense emotions, her throat choked up. Her eyes became warm, and eventually, tears burst out.

Despite Anna’s tearful eyes, Ga-eul remained composed. All he could think about was resolving this situation well, so it wouldn’t repeat.

“How long have you been with that person? And you tell me this? I don’t understand.”

Understanding? That was beyond the realm of understanding. It wasn’t something he could grasp intellectually. If it had been, he would have stopped before it even began. Moreover, he didn’t need anyone else’s understanding. Even if everyone else was foolish, as long as he was okay, it didn’t matter.

“I’ll handle my affairs.”

Anna felt more disheartened by Ga-eul’s repeated similar remarks than his expression.

‘How… disappointing.’

His expression briefly seemed to convey boredom. Anna thought that the woman had completely ruined Ga-eul. It was a completely different expression, but it was similar to the feeling of being looked down upon coolly by that woman. He was not someone who could express such an expression. What was in front of her was Yoon Ga-eul, but it wasn’t the Yoon Ga-eul that Kim Anna had liked.

Anna turned away from Ga-eul, feeling that the tears she shed for him were wasted. Her feelings for him had been sincere, but as she turned away, there wasn’t even a trace of lingering attachment. She hoped that he would face reality, realize his shame, and regret not choosing her.