Chapter 7.5
The story of a woman of such stature, Seok Hwa, the daughter of a chaebol, involved with someone like Hyun Woojin, was bound to carry a weight of its own. "How could a woman of such beauty and pride, her mother being Seok Hwa, endure such humiliation? She proposed to break off their engagement, but Hyun Woojin stepped in, insisting on taking responsibility. She couldn’t bear it and ended up taking her own life. Even then, Hyun Woojin wanted to marry her, fully ready to take responsibility. Thanks to that, Kim Jeong-geun, her father, still holds him in high regard, treating him like a son-in-law."
Normally, the wise thing to do when someone in her state suggests breaking off an engagement is to pretend not to know and agree. But Hyun Woojin chose to take responsibility for her. Haewon felt down because, unbeknownst to him, his subconscious was aware that Hyun Woojin had not forgotten her.
With a heavy sigh, the chilling wind felt like it tightened around his lungs. And in that moment, Haewon realized just how deeply entangled he had become with Hyun Woojin.
"You're drunk."
"Maybe. I guess I am. Feeling sleepy."
It was distasteful to talk about it. Someone like him, who preferred transient encounters, wouldn't want to spill cherished memories. Haewon felt the same.
Following the tragedy with his fiancée, Hyun Woojin had lived a life of casual relationships, fulfilling only his physical needs.
Haewon wanted to ask if he was merely serving as a means to satisfy those needs. Even for him, who typically spoke his mind without filtering his thoughts, this question remained lodged in his throat. He swallowed it as if gulping down a lump.
He had said that his feelings mattered, yet Hyun Woojin did not want just anyone in even a casual relationship. Haewon had treated him as just anyone, and Hyun Woojin had vowed to set him straight. Had he ever spoken sweet words to her, the same ones he uttered now, claiming it was a once-in-a-lifetime thing because reincarnations tended to diverge?
"Get a taxi now. Go straight to the officetel. Don't wander off somewhere else."
A warning tone came through the phone.
Haewon longed to be close to him.