The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 77

CHAPTER 77

Eun-jae realized that Anna had not contacted her since their last meeting. After multiple attempts to reach out, only to be ignored, she concluded that her sister was still upset.

However, Eun-jae didn’t feel the need to apologize. Despite how wonderful Anna was, she couldn’t agree with her sister just for the sake of peace. Anna had accused her of indifference because Ga-eul wasn’t her biological brother, but even if he were, Eun-jae believed she wouldn’t have told their mother or intervened.

Ga-eul seemed wiser and more capable of handling his affairs. Yet, a few days ago, Eun-jae heard something from a friend whose brother attended Korean University, making her doubt her judgment for the first time.

‘Hey! Huge news! There’s a rumor at school that your brother has a sponsor. Is it true?’

‘They say it’s a super rich woman. Did you know?’

‘Is that how you got that wallet and phone? Did she buy them for you?’

‘Someone saw him in a Ferrari that only the filthy rich could afford.’

Eun-jae denied the rumors to her friend, who remained skeptical. But her friend’s opinion wasn’t important at the moment. Biting her lip, she pondered over Ga-eul and the boss who had helped her so willingly.

‘Could the boss and brother be…?’

No matter how she thought about it, it didn’t seem right. She shook her head.

‘A sponsor? Not a normal relationship, but one based on money?’

The boss was wealthy and generous, often expressing it in tangible ways. Misunderstandings must have arisen from these gestures.

After much deliberation, Eun-jae decided to call Ga-eul. Though she hadn’t planned what to say, she felt an urgent need to address the rumors. She couldn’t believe them but felt she needed confirmation.

– Hello, Eun-jae.

Hearing his usual voice, she felt a sense of relief.

“…Brother, are you doing well?”

– Yes, of course. How’s mother? I spoke with her recently, but she always says she’s fine.

“She’s okay. You should come home when you have time.”

– Sure, I will. Did you call for a reason?

“Um, not really, but…”

– What’s up? Is mother unwell again? Do you need something?

Hearing Ga-eul’s insistent questions, Eun-jae felt a pang of guilt. She and her mother were still a burden to him.

“It’s not that… I heard something from a friend, and I think there’s a misunderstanding.”

– A misunderstanding? About what?

Ga-eul’s voice sounded unaware, which made her hesitate even more. She finally managed to speak the words she had been holding back.

“There’s a rumor at school that the boss is your sponsor… that’s not true, right?”

– Ah…

The silence that followed felt interminable. Eun-jae anxiously wetted her dry lips, awaiting his response.

– Of course not true. People gossip about trivial things for no reason. Don’t worry. And just in case… don’t mention the rumor to the boss.

“Alright. What should I say then? Oh, thank goodness. It’s ridiculous that they think the boss and you are in a sponsor relationship. You’re not the kind of people to do that.”

– ……

After an awkward pause, she quickly changed the subject.

“The boss has been so kind to me, even coming to the police station for me.”

Following Go-yeo’s advice, Eun-jae recounted the incident at the convenience store to Ga-eul, who, as expected, was upset. Nevertheless, she felt relieved when Ga-eul thanked her for being honest.

– Right. She’s a good person.

“Anyway, even if I can’t help you much, I’m always on your side. You know that, right?”

– I know. Thank you.

“Thank you. We’re family. And when I graduate, I’ll earn money quickly, so don’t worry then.”

– Alright. But before that, you should study hard, okay?

“Okay. Don’t worry too much about me and mom.”

After hanging up, Eun-jae felt much lighter. The moment she heard about the rumor, she felt uneasy, but now she thought the rumor had been exaggerated as it spread among people.

“Oh! I should have asked if they’re dating. I forgot to ask.”

Regretfully hitting her head and turning her back, Eun-jae was startled and dropped her phone when she heard her mother’s voice.

“What was that?”

Seeing her mother’s pale face, she knew her mother had heard the conversation with Ga-eul.

“Wh-what?”

Eun-jae wasn’t good at lying, but she tried to answer as casually as possible. However, Hee-sook knew better than anyone that Eun-jae couldn’t lie, and she had undoubtedly heard the entire conversation.

“Stop beating around the bush! Tell me straight!”

Her face flushing, Eun-jae realized she might be in trouble and tried to calm her down first.

“Mom, calm down before getting angry.”

“Do I look calm to you? Do you want to see me collapse again? Do you think I’m a fool who knows nothing because I was in the hospital? A sponsor? That Ga-eul is in such a relationship with that boss because of money?”

Grabbing Hee-sook’s trembling arm, Eun-jae led her to the living room. Despite Hee-sook’s weak resistance, she was eventually led to sit down by Eun-jae. Eun-jae sat opposite her and held her hand tightly.

“Mom, no. I confirmed with my brother, and it’s not true. Do you trust him? So don’t worry unnecessarily.”

“Ga-eul would say it’s not true! It was strange for that boss to pay for my medical bills. Even though my body wasn’t normal, my mind should have been. It’s all my fault. My fault…”

Eun-jae sighed softly at Hee-sook’s state, who was completely ignoring her words.

“Even the police station incident was because of that relationship, right?”

“Mom! That’s not true!”

Eun-jae’s voice unintentionally rose a little. She knew her mother was agitated, but she insisted that it wasn’t true.

“How would you know! You haven’t even met that boss a few times!”

“But still, it’s not true! The boss helped me because she was genuinely concerned about me!”

She didn’t completely fail to understand her mother’s feelings. Even during her hospitalization, she couldn’t relax. She felt guilty for being a burden to her children. Moreover, during her struggle with illness, she felt sidelined by her children, who were taking care of themselves and solving their problems, which made her feel increasingly insignificant. No matter how often Eun-jae visited and talked about this and that, her presence seemed to diminish.

“Mom, if my brother hears that, he’ll be disappointed.”

“It’s not about disappointment! If rumors are spreading to the school, it’s a big problem. This is not an ordinary matter!”

“He said it’s not true. So, it’s fine. That’s what matters most.”

Hee-sook also felt that she couldn’t communicate with Eun-jae. It wasn’t time to have conversations with her still-inexperienced daughter about worldly affairs. She roughly nodded, seemingly accepting Eun-jae’s insistence that it wasn’t true.

* * *

Go-yeo came out to the field for the first time in a while. It was only now that she had found the time, as Sang-moon had insisted several times. It was quite hot for a round of golf. Nevertheless, they strolled around the course leisurely, chatting about various things. Go-yeo was handling the golf club neatly, considering it had been a while.

Sang-moon watched Go-yeo play with a smile but coughed unnecessarily. He had heard that Tae-shin was getting married.

He had hoped to match Go-yeo with Park’s son, whom he had been arranging to meet for a long time. But it fell through, and Tae-shin mentioned that he had someone he had been meeting for a long time. Still, he understood the Parks, who had set up the situation, even though they didn’t like the prospective daughter-in-law.

Park’s wife particularly disliked the prospective daughter-in-law, but Park didn’t necessarily feel the same way. He would boast endlessly about his grandson. Even though it was more distasteful to see, he couldn’t ignore it, as he was his longtime friend’s son. His mind was in turmoil, and he even lost his focus on the game that was going so well.

In the end, when they finished the round, Go-yeo won. Sang-moon, whose skills had been honed over a long period, couldn’t concentrate until the end.

Go-yeo seemed uninterested despite Sang-moon’s invitation to go to the resort restaurant together. Yeong-ran was already downstairs in the room. Although Yeong-ran also played golf, she was taking a break today because she wasn’t feeling well.

Yeong-ran and Sang-moon sat side by side, with Go-yeo sitting across from them. Go-yeo watched Yeong-ran carefully beside Sang-moon, who didn’t look very happy. She wondered if Sang-moon was feeling unwell and asked various questions, worrying if something might be wrong. Seeing Sang-moon looking like a child made Go-yeo smile.

“Do you need to go to the hospital? Should I call Mr. Yoo?”

“No. I told you, I’m not sick.”

Go-yeo still couldn’t understand why Sang-moon, who had come to play golf seemingly in a good mood, was acting like this. Upon reflection, she realized there might be something bothering him.

“Is it because of Tae-shin’s marriage?”

Sang-moon looked a little surprised at Go-yeo.

“You knew?”

“Yeah. Didn’t you get an invitation from Tae-shin? He said his girlfriend was pregnant.”

Go-yeo casually relayed what she had heard from Tae-shin. After all, Sang-moon also knew the truth and considered Sang-moon’s discomfort unnecessary. But when Yeong-ran’s expression suddenly darkened, she wondered if she had brought up an unnecessary topic.

Yeong-ran felt embarrassed because she had actively led the meeting with Tae-shin. She thought it was wrong to bring up the topic just because Park’s wife hadn’t been honest. She felt guilty for not recognizing it properly and bringing up the subject because she liked Tae-shin, whom she had always seen favorably.

“I feel like I’ve made a fool of myself for speaking up unnecessarily.”

“Oh, come on. No, it’s Park’s fault for not saying anything.”

Watching the two of them bickering, Go-yeo chuckled again.

“Yes, yes. It’s all my fault. So let’s stop. The problem is that I haven’t remarried or had children, isn’t it?”

Sang-moon raised his wine glass lightly, teasing his daughter who only says the right words. When Go-yeo’s glass clinked with theirs, a clear sound rang out.

At the same time, Go-yeo’s phone rang. Go-yeo apologized to the two of them and found her phone in her bag. She frowned briefly at the screen before deliberately ending the call. Several more calls came in afterward, but she didn’t answer.

When Sang-moon asked what was wrong, Go-yeo just smiled slightly and shook her head. After drinking a few glasses of wine in succession, Sang-moon went tipsy and went to the room. Yeong-ran and Go-yeo drank a little more lightly. Go-yeo asked as they chatted.

“Do you also want to see your grandson, Mom?”

Yeong-ran hesitated to speak, then cautiously brought up the subject.

“Well… I suppose I do. Besides, since I haven’t given birth to a child myself, I guess I feel even more so. Of course, I’m not trying to burden you with this.”

Yeong-ran’s honest words left Go-yeo speechless.

“This may be the first time I’m telling you, but the truth is, I can’t bear children. Still, I’ve always liked children. Grandchildren and children may be different, but if the child resembles you, whether it’s a son or a daughter, I think I would love them dearly.”

Go-yeo chuckled awkwardly and toyed with her wine glass.

“I’m sorry to say this to Mom, but I don’t have any thoughts of marriage for the time being….”

“Yeah. Starting over isn’t an easy thing to do.”

The two fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.

Go-yeo had considered calling Ji-hyuk after seeing his message earlier, but now she judged that there was no need for direct conversation. Since she could convey her opinion through a proxy, there was no longer any connection between her and Ji-hyuk.

‘You’ve been quiet lately, so I figured you’ve gotten back to your own place. What else is going on?’

It’s not the first time he’s been noisy about Yun Seung-ok.

“I’m always on your side, Go-yeo. If Go-yeo’s heart is with someone… It’s okay. You understand, right?”

Yeong-ran thought of Go-yeo’s Ga-eul, who seemed to have Go-yeo’s heart these days. Frankly, in many ways, she wasn’t particularly fond of him, but being by Go-yeo’s side, who didn’t easily open up her heart, was enough. She decided to be satisfied with the thought that as long as he treated Go-yeo well, it would be fine. After all, they weren’t getting married right away.