“Bringing a woman into your bedroom. What a lucky guy, huh?”
Brrrrr. It’s chilling. I feel someone’s gaze piercing my chest. I’m done for. My hands and legs aren’t faster than my eyes, so here I am in this mess.
“Im Ha-yeon. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“…Gg-gah.”
Maybe she hasn’t grasped the situation yet. Zhuge Xiang, with her eyes closed, muttered shyly.
“…I guess we’ve become that kind of relationship starting today?”
What a perfect timing to pour oil on a burning house.
A voice so cold it could freeze came right in.
“I know you find it hard to believe. Miss Zhuge can explain it to you. Please, Miss. Stand up and speak.”
I hurriedly sat Zhuge Xiang up on the bed and stood up.
“Miss Zhuge. Is it really a misunderstanding?”
“Fuh! Th-th-that’s…”
I can’t. I’m a hamster in front of a cat with its claws out.
“Miss Zhuge. Please don’t be nervous and speak honestly.”
Give me a precedent that says an accident during humanitarian work can’t be considered sexual harassment, will you?
Did my eyes convey my feelings?
Zhuge Xiang glanced back and forth between me and Im Ha-yeon, and then, with a determined expression, stood up.
Oh. Is she going to muster the courage to speak up?
With her fists clenched, Zhuge Xiang opened her trembling mouth toward Im Ha-yeon.
“…Master Kang is my, m-my match for marriage. I… I think Ha-yeon unnie shouldn’t interfere.”
What?
Zhuge Xiang and Im Ha-yeon exchanged brief yet long stares before Im Ha-yeon’s expression contorted.
“…Ugh!”
She bit her lower lip so tightly that it looked like it would bleed, then turned away.
Where are you going?!
“Im Ha-yeon! Wait! Im Ha-yeon!”
—
Where on earth did she go?
I immediately chased after her, but no matter how much I searched the mansion, I couldn’t find Im Ha-yeon.
The sun was setting; where could she have gone?
“Im Ha-yeon, are you here?”
I hurried towards the Yungi Inn.
If she left the mansion, she’d probably be back at her old place.
“Unnie? I haven’t seen her. Hey! Is unnie on the third floor?”
“She isn’t here!”
“Seems she hasn’t come.”
“Right. So this isn’t the place.”
Where could she be? While I was pondering for a moment, several employees approached with worried expressions.
“Club Leader, please take care of unnie. These days, her complexion is unrecognizably dark.”
“That’s right. It feels like you’ve been neglecting unnie lately.”
“What’s with you all of a sudden?”
Talking about Im Ha-yeon seemed to prompt other employees to come closer.
“We also know about the marriage meeting. If the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family marries, her fortune will surely change. But that shouldn’t happen.”
“Right. If you abandon the virtuous companion who struggled with you when times were tough, you’ll be cursed.”
“Please reassure her. I will never abandon her. No matter who tempts me, you’re my wife. Can you assure me of that?”
Unbeknownst to me, Im Ha-yeon plays a crucial role in the alumni association.
It seems everyone is worried about the rumors of my relationship with Zhuge Xiang.
“Understood. Let me know when Ha-yeon comes.”
—
“So-so. You’re still here? Did unnie come here?”
The next stop was the bookstore branch of the Tea Bookstore, where Im Ha-yeon knows many people.
“Ha-yeon unnie? No, I haven’t seen her today.”
“Alright. So this isn’t it either.”
Where the heck has she gone?
“Did you have a fight with Ha-yeon unnie?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“You had a fight. Sigh. In the end… uh, manager, please sit down for a moment.”
“Why?”
Ha So-so pointed to a seat that had just finished being cleaned.
Does she have something to say?
Ha So-so exchanged glances between me and the ceiling, sighed deeply, and then looked at me as if she was about to make an important statement.
“I know that unnie is prickly and sharp-tongued toward you. But, Master Kang, her feelings toward you are genuine.”
“So-so.”
“She expresses her affection clumsily. I don’t know why, but even though she’s so pretty, she lacks confidence in herself. Because of that, she doubts and feels insecure.”
“That’s for a reason.”
Because she’s a runaway courtesan.
“Do you know that when she’s with me, she talks more about you than herself? In her heart, you occupy a larger space than me.”
“…”
“It might seem like the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family has better conditions. But for Master Kang, it’s Ha-yeon unnie. Please embrace her when you find her. No matter what happened, she’ll forgive you if you say you’re sorry.”
“Understood. I’ll remember that.”
Everyone seems to be worried about Ha-yeon. She’s quite the lucky woman.
I nodded and left the Tea Bookstore.
—
“Jeon Gil-san! Has Ha-yeon unnie visited any of the affiliated stores?”
If it’s neither the main nor the Tea Bookstore, could it be any of the affiliated stores?
“Did you have a fight?”
Jeon Gil-san glanced at me while reading documents at his desk and opened the door to his office.
“Not at all, what are you talking about?”
“So, you did fight.”
“…”
Well, it’s true.
“I knew this would happen. I could tell something like this would go down from the moment a crazy guy like you entered the mansion with his cousin and a woman.”
“Just tell me if she’s here or not.”
“Such a bold fellow. You’ve got a marriage meeting with the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family, yet you’re thinking of dating another girl at the same time… Well, with someone like Im Ha-yeon, I could see how it could happen.”
“Hey, Jeon Gil-san.”
“I’ll tell you where she is once this conversation is over, so listen up.”
Jeon Gil-san threw the paper he was reading and glared at me in frustration.
“…”
“You’re feeling guilty about having two relationships, so the situation became awkward.”
“If it was that easy, I wouldn’t be in this situation.”
In a moment of frustration, my true feelings spilled out.
“Why can’t you? Here I am, the great Jeon Gil-san, who’s fooled countless people, managing the Tea Bookstore, discovering talented authors, and creating a new delivery culture in Wuhan just to gain recognition from my grandfather, Man Geum-jeon.”
“…”
“Men should boldly say, ‘Be my woman.’ You should act like a real man and make her cling to you. If you keep being ambiguous, she’ll end up falling away, you know.”
“That’s not the situation.”
“Whatever it is, it’s still your fault. A guy who looks like he can change women at will suddenly being chaste? Either be definite or have hands that can fondle a woman’s heart.”
“Why do you always talk such nonsense?”
“Still, did it help?”
Jeon Gil-san smirked as he looked at me.
“Sure.”
“Ha-yeon unnie isn’t here.”
“I know, right?”
Is he trying to catch my slip and mock me? Starting from today, the store fees will be raised.
“If you can’t find her anywhere, I know where she’s likely gone. Check the places that hold memories with you.”
“Memory places?”
“If a woman’s love is real, she’ll be waiting for you there.”
“Memory places, memory places… Ah.”
A place popped into my mind.
“Sounds like you have an idea. If Ha-yeon unnie disappears, our business is doomed. Hurry and go get her. And when you bring her back, make sure to fondle her heart.”
“…Thanks.”
“Just hurry up and bring her back, you envious barbarian.”
I turned away from Jeon Gil-san’s words and headed to the place I had in mind.
Im Ha-yeon.
Are you really there?
—
“Hah! Hah. So you were really here.”
On the rooftop of a huge building with no people around, I can see the dazzling night view of Wuhan.
The same place where I had given her a pair of shoes after a joyful night walk.
“…Why did you come here?”
Im Ha-yeon sat there, hugging her knees, looking pitiful.
“Let’s go back.”
“…You want me to show up like this again?”
“It’s a misunderstanding. I happened to fall into that situation. Miss Zhuge is just generally clumsy.”
I explained the situation in detail, from what happened to how it escalated into a comedy-like scenario.
Im Ha-yeon glared at me disapprovingly and turned her head to abruptly introduce an unexpected topic.
“…Is hiding Ho Pil’s identity also a misunderstanding?”
“How did you…?”
“There was… a way.”
She must have peeked at the exchange diary.
With that guilty expression, she immediately pieced together the situation.
“Ugh. Can I sit next to you?”
As I sat down right next to her, Im Ha-yeon intentionally created a distance of two palm widths.
If she’s not moving away entirely, there’s still room for persuasion.
I never thought she’d find out my secret. This must showcase why keeping secrets is tricky; you must either reveal everything or nothing at all.
What should I say now?
Luckily, I’ve anticipated this situation.
“Do you know what it means to survive in the Central Plains with black hair?”
It starts with stirring sympathy.
I looked distantly at the Wuhan marketplace and let out a bittersweet sigh.
“A little.”
Hearing “sister-in-law” from the alumni association should give you a lot to understand, but maybe it’s empathy for someone who’s truly experienced it.
“A black-haired vagabond desperately needed success. While I had writing skills, revealing my true identity would have meant no one would read my books. So, I decided to hide my identity from everyone.”
“Even from me?”
Minimum, I should’ve revealed it to myself. Why not?
Im Ha-yeon’s voice was full of resentment.
She was right. So I had to find other ways to approach.
“Rather, because it was Ha-yeon unnie that I hid it more.”
“Why?”
I turned to look at Im Ha-yeon.
Did she cry? Up close, I could see tear streaks on her cheeks.
“I didn’t want you to hate me. You thought of me as a wicked merchant. If you found out I was exploiting my business through Ho Pil, I was afraid you would leave out of disappointment like today.”
I spun my fear of deception into a chin-up narrative about love.
To emphasize that it wasn’t for the same reasons as anyone else, but because of my affection for her.
“You confessed to that girl, though.”
“I didn’t confess; I was caught. She pieced together clues like during the Lush Green Post Office incident and figured it all out in one go.”
“…”
Didn’t she know?
A sparkle of confusion crossed Im Ha-yeon’s eyes that had seemed so cold before.
“I’m sorry. If my behavior lately stemmed from Ho Pil, I apologize a hundred times when I get back.”
“Forget it. Go live happily with the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family in the mansion.”
Im Ha-yeon turned her head and said to me.
Why so cold? Doesn’t she want to forgive me?
“Why are you acting like this? Let’s go back.”
“…The youngest Zhuge daughter is better than me.”
Im Ha-yeon lowered her head dejectedly.
“What do you mean by that?”
“She’s the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family. High status, wealth—you name it—talented and smart. As she said, with family power, she can serve well… she’d do better than me.”
Im Ha-yeon’s face twisted in a grimace. She was desperately holding back emotions that smashed against the surface.
The overflowing feelings could no longer be contained as tears began welling up in her eyes.
“Ha-yeon unnie.”
“I know. I know! That I cannot compete at all. How could a lowly courtesan ever compare to the youngest daughter of the Zhuge family? I’ll just become more miserable. …Just leave me alone.”
Her face and voice were filled with sorrow.
Should I just leave? What a ridiculous thought.
If she had truly wanted to disappear from me, she wouldn’t have stayed here.
She was waiting for me in the hall marked by our memories.
For me to cling to her.
For me to come and take her away.
To tell her the truth.
To speak her heart.
How do I hold onto her as she trembles?
What should I do? What should I say?
It’s time to unlock the door to the feelings I’ve buried deep within my heart.
“Even for a dense fool like me, I did have an inkling of your affection for me, Ha-yeon unnie.”
I’ve built strong walls around my life regarding women, but recently, I couldn’t miss her actions.
After meeting Zhuge Xiang, Im Ha-yeon often exhibited jealousy.
Why did she get angry and leave the mansion?
Why is she so sad? Up to this very moment, it’s not something I wanted to turn my back on.
“It’s been hard to give an answer. Right now, there are far too many problems.”
When Im Ha-yeon starts expressing her feelings, how am I supposed to respond?
I had resolved not to reject any future heroines, but now that it’s time, I found myself lost in worry through the night.
I had promised Murong Sang-a that I would save her, and Cheon So-hee was waiting.
And there were still so many issues piled up in Wuhan. There are just too many concerns I need to address.
Even if she is the heroine. Even if she likes me. Even if she knows my feelings, I decided to focus on the immediate problems at hand.
So I resolved to pretend for a moment.
“I want to answer you too, Ha-yeon unnie. But considering that we’re casually holding hands and gazing at the night sky, there are just too many problems around us.”
I carefully held onto her hand. It was freezing, as though she’d been outside for too long.
“Ugh.”
“Let’s overcome these trials together. After that, I will give you my answer. Isn’t that enough for now?”
I firmly gripped her hand, as if vowing not to let go.
May my true feelings reach her.
May my warm emotions touch her cold hand.
May my feelings that took root amid adversity and the affection that emerged unbeknownst to me reach her heart.
—
“…I’m sorry. I’ve been too selfish.”
When her hand finally warmed up, Im Ha-yeon leaned her head against my shoulder and spoke.
“It’s fine. It’s my fault for not expressing my feelings.”
Just wait a little longer.
I’ll rescue you and give you my answer. That’s my resolution.
Her eyes appeared hotter than her now-warmed hands.
Her face drew closer.
This isn’t…
Wait a minute.
I haven’t answered her yet.
“You’ve liked me since Wuhan and have been patiently enduring until now, while I was the only one being hasty.”
Im Ha-yeon smiled in reassurance before her face could get too close to mine.
“…Huh?”
What did she just say?
“Why?”
“Because you like me.”
“…Ha-yeon unnie likes me?”
“Eh?”
“Hmm?”
A mysterious silence enveloped the warm aura we shared.
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