The Season I Loved You Without You - Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

 

 

 

Go-yeo made Ga-eul sit across from her and asked Ji-yeon to bring him coffee. She calmly observed Ga-eul. Although his face was bowed and his expression unreadable, she noticed that his eyelashes were particularly long for a man.

 

 

 

The painting Ga-eul had been looking at earlier depicted the body of a woman painted by a famous foreign artist. The lines of the woman’s body were beautiful, portraying a serene scene, in contrast to the feeling evoked by the man sitting in front of it. A naive boy and a sensual woman’s body appeared in sight, creating a stark contrast.

 

 

 

As Go-yeo leaned forward on the sofa, the leather creaked. Hee-kyung placed a cappuccino on Ga-eul’s table and left. Go-yeo chuckled at Ji-yeon’s sense of humor. Ga-eul seemed unlikely to drink the strong coffee, hence the cappuccino.

 

 

 

Go-yeo pondered why Ga-eul had come. It was probably because of the money she gave him just before leaving yesterday. There seemed to be no other reason. He had been reluctant to accept it from the beginning. If she had imagined him to be a diligent and principled man, he might have come to return it.

 

 

 

So how did he find his way here? Did he find out at the club? It was quite difficult to obtain customers’ personal information, especially about herself. Come to think of it, he did mention coming to find Ji-yeon first.

 

 

 

‘Oh, I must have taken Ji-yeon’s business card from my wallet. And he came here recklessly after seeing it.’

 

 

 

Ga-eul slowly raised his head while holding both hands tightly. The woman in front of him seemed somewhat pale. Yet her lips were as red as ever. A soft sigh escaped her lips.

 

 

 

“Now that you’ve finished thinking, shall we talk? Have some coffee while we’re at it.”

 

 

 

Go-yeo smiled faintly. She could easily display a social smile, especially to someone who knew nothing.

 

 

 

“I’ve come to return the money you gave me, as it was too much.”

 

 

 

Ga-eul took out a check from his pocket and placed it on the table. Go-yeo thought to herself, as expected. It was all too obvious, which annoyed her a bit. Maybe his pride was hurt. Well, she could just tell him to keep it. But she waited, curious about something else.

 

 

 

“What I did yesterday could have been done without money.”

 

 

 

The sunlight streamed through the blinds, reaching across the table. Golden dust floated above it, drifting towards Ga-eul. Was he not a dangerous person? His clear and upright gaze seemed out of place in this twisted world.

 

 

 

“I don’t take back the money I’ve already given. If you don’t need it, you can throw it away on your way out.”

 

 

 

A chilly and indifferent voice flowed out. What irritated her the most was his gaze. There was no particular reason, but perhaps it was because of those eyes. So she wanted to spoil him like untouched snow. Let his pathetic pride be shattered for once. His eyes subtly trembled, perhaps because it was quite shocking after all. 

 

 

 

Ga-eul couldn’t decide how to react to Go-yeo’s words. She appeared resentful, but it was unclear what specifically had angered her. Was this some sort of rule in a woman’s world? To him, it was just a small favor, but did it offend her somehow?

 

 

 

“…”

 

 

 

Go-yeo found it difficult to address the harmless Ga-eul amidst the silence. Her head was pounding, and even the lemon candy lingering in her mouth was annoying. So, she got up from her seat and limped over to her desk. She asked for some headache medicine to be brought through the intercom.

 

 

 

Not long after, Hee-kyung knocked and entered.

 

 

 

“Boss, there’s no headache medicine in the first aid kit. Should I go buy some? Are you feeling very unwell?”

 

 

 

There were no pharmacies nearby, and she couldn’t send a busy person out. Go-yeo waved her hand, indicating she’d manage.

 

 

 

“Is there anything else you need to discuss?”

 

 

 

Sitting at her desk, Go-yeo looked down at Ga-eul. She wondered what he would do. Since she had told him to throw it away, leaving the check on the table was also one of his options.

 

 

 

Ga-eul hesitated. He looked coldly contemptuous, yet his lips smiled. Words lingered in his mouth, but he didn’t say them. He tightly gripped the headache medicine in his pocket before slowly retrieving it. After all, he didn’t need to see her anymore, and the medicine wasn’t bought for himself. He decided she needed it now, so he gave it to her.

 

 

 

Even if he received her sharp gaze, it was nothing. It stung for a moment, but that was all. He could forget about this place as he left.

 

 

 

“…Here’s a headache medicine. It seems like you’re in a lot of pain. Please take it. And as for the money, I’ll leave it behind.”

 

 

 

Go-yeo chuckled. These people were really something. They persisted until the end. She got up from her seat, looked back at the man with thinly veiled eyes, and then called him back. Then she thought of creating a reason for him to accept the check.

 

 

 

“Mr. Yoon Ga-eul. Let’s do this. Take the money. Would you like to drive as compensation? As you can see, I’ve injured my ankle. I hope you don’t call this a favor because I’m using your time and labor.”

 

 

 

Ga-eul turned slowly. It seemed there was still no option for refusal for him.

 

 

 

A person who, despite being injured, moved gracefully like a ballet dancer while reading Charles Baudelaire’s “Les Fleurs du Mal.”

 

 

 

Go-yeo crossed her arms and gestured for Ga-eul to take the check from the table. After hesitating for a moment, Ga-eul bit his lip, nodded, and approached the table again to take the check.

 

 

 

He seemed satisfied. What a strange person.

 

 

 

Emotionally, the heavy paper returned to his hands. The paper he had carefully guarded against losing. He had deliberated over it all night, but it was too much money to just accept. It was a sum that could make or break his budget for the month.

 

 

 

Considering his circumstances, he could have closed his eyes and accepted it, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He wanted to receive small favors only to the extent of being favored. It was his meager pride.

 

 

 

Go-yeo called for Hee-kyung again and instructed her to send Ga-eul to the second floor with lukewarm water and clothes suitable for him to wear.

 

 

 

As Ga-eul turned back before leaving, Go-yeo was sitting on the sofa, tearing open the headache medicine. He still didn’t know the woman’s name. He cautiously asked the person in front of him.

 

 

 

“What’s her name?”

 

 

 

“Oh. The boss’s name is Han Go-yeo.”

 

 

 

He rolled the woman’s name on his tongue. Han Go-yeo. It was a strangely smooth name, like soft silk.

 

 

 

Suddenly, Hee-kyung seemed unsure why she was asked to provide clothes. She stood Ga-eul in front of a full-length mirror and brought out various pieces of clothing. Then she started to present different suit styles to Ga-eul’s body.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

As a recent graduate, Hee-kyung liked this boutique. First of all, they paid more than other places, and the work wasn’t too difficult. She mainly handled odd jobs assigned by the vice president. Occasionally, she would run errands for the boss.

 

 

 

Daring to say, the boss was a beautiful yet sinister witch. It was obvious to anyone who fell into her trap. Even though she didn’t know what kind of relationship they had, being asked by the boss to select clothes directly made Hee-kyung realize that he must be quite an important figure.

 

 

 

“Anything would look good on you, wouldn’t it?”

 

 

 

Hee-kyung smiled. There was a hint of flattery, but indeed, no matter what he wore, his dignified face supported it all. Seeing the boss every day, who outshined even the celebrities visiting the boutique, gave her some immunity to appearances. Otherwise, she might have felt awkward looking at him.

 

 

 

Hee-kyung chose clothes freely for the first time in a long time. The staff moved busily together. Even when dressed in a navy classic suit with a shirt and vest, it didn’t look like he was wearing his father’s clothes but rather a bespoke suit for a third-generation conglomerate heir. When she put on the camel cashmere coat, it was perfect.

 

 

 

Graduating from the fashion stylist department finally came in handy. She smiled proudly as she looked at the man in front of the mirror. He seemed slightly tired from changing in and out of clothes several times. He seemed like he could use a break, but he complied without complaint. However, he seemed exhausted beyond this point, so she packed the clothes he had worn into shopping bags.

 

 

 

“Shall we go upstairs then?”

 

 

 

Ga-eul stood still for a moment at the mention of going back upstairs to the fourth floor, then moved. He had no idea what was happening. The number of clothes he had tried on today seemed more than he had worn in his lifetime.

 

 

 

Go-yeo looked at Ga-eul, who was perfectly dressed. Seeing Go-yeo’s subtle smile, Hee-kyung knew her styling had been successful.

 

 

 

“You have a great sense of style, Hee-kyung. Well done. Leave the rest of the clothes in the car.”

 

 

 

Aside from Ga-eul’s awkward expression, everything was perfect. After Hee-kyung left, only Ga-eul and Go-yeo remained. Go-yeo stared at the stiff-standing Ga-eul.

 

 

 

From the classic suit to the shirt collar pinned with a collar pin and silk tie, it all matched the trendy sensibility. The sleeves of the shirt were tailored to come out of the sleeves, and the pants fell just above the ankles, revealing the sock’s neckline. The harmony between the navy suit and camel coat was quite pleasing.

 

 

 

“Feeling awkward?”

 

 

 

“…Yes. A little.”

 

 

 

Ga-eul tightened his grip on his shoes. The unfamiliar shoes were uncomfortable, and he felt strange in his heavily dressed appearance. On the other hand, Go-yeo seemed satisfied with his appearance. Her expression was slightly different from before, resembling that of a satisfied cat. It might have been due to her headache getting better.

 

 

 

Ga-eul hesitated between supporting Go-yeo, who seemed uncomfortable in her movements, or refraining from doing so. But his hesitation was brief, and he cautiously grabbed Go-yeo’s arm.

 

 

 

“Lean over here.”

 

 

 

Go-yeo glanced at Ga-eul for a moment before gently placing her hand on his arm. Ga-eul walked where Go-yeo led. Ga-eul realized he was exerting too much force on his body. It was probably because of the warmth of the stranger’s arm touching his. Not knowing where to look, he kept his gaze forward. However, when he briefly glanced down, he saw her white hand resting on his arm and her small pink nails. 

 

 

 

“Wait a moment….”

 

 

 

Ga-eul kneeled to see Go-yeo’s white shoelaces untied. Her feet were small. About a hand’s length? He tied them to match the knot next to them, careful not to tie them too tightly. When he looked up, his eyes met with Go-yeo’s, who seemed to be staring at him like an unusual creature. Despite her confusion, she appeared unfazed, her gaze not wavering from him. Her curiosity was nothing more or less than curiosity about something new.