Come Back

“Were you watching?”

“…Yeah.”

He straightened his posture as he leaned back, sitting up straight.

“I’ll be honest since it’s nothing to hide. You deserve to know, Hongseo.”

“It’s a friend I’ve met before.”

Hyunseo could guess the implications of having met this friend. Yet, part of him clung to the hope that perhaps when Lee Haeseong mentioned “friend,” he was really just talking about a simple friendship.

“So, having met means… you dated?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing to say, but yes, that’s it.”

Lee Haeseong chuckled shyly, bowing his head slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“We originally knew each other from the same high school. We developed a relationship after some time, but since it was long-distance and we were both really busy, it couldn’t last long. Eventually, we decided it was better to part ways.”

Lee Haeseong spoke matter-of-factly. It was all in the past, something trivial, as if it didn’t mean much to him. From what Hyunseo could gather, it was a relationship that hadn’t lasted long and wasn’t serious.

Even so, Hyunseo still felt uneasy. The shock of this revelation was greater than what he felt from the incident with President Jo. The fact that he was more shocked than he expected was shocking in itself.

“Is it okay for you to share this with me?”

“Why not?”

“Don’t you think I might spread it around or something?”

Even if a mere idol were to expose Lee Haeseong’s secret, it would probably be brushed off as a desperate ploy for attention and quickly forgotten. Still, it could potentially lead to some annoying complications for him.

“Do you really think I’d do that?”

At his question, Hyunseo shook his head several times while looking down at his hands resting on his lap.

“I won’t say anything.”

“……”

“I will never say anything bad about you, Vice President.”

Lee Haeseong paused for a moment, quietly gazing at Hyunseo’s face. He wore a soft smile, but there was a hint of bitterness beneath it, as if he were touched but also saddened by the story.

“Thank you. I believe in what you say too.”

Though he trusted Hyunseo’s words, he could not trust others. That implication seemed to convey a deeper meaning, and Hyunseo began to understand the bitterness behind Lee Haeseong’s smile.

Seeing the sadness in Lee Haeseong’s gaze made Hyunseo want to change the subject quickly.

“By the way, Vice President, you were married to that woman, right?”

“……”

Lee Haeseong tilted his head slightly, looking surprised that Hyunseo brought it up first. He usually initiated discussions about their relationship.

Hyunseo added as an excuse, “I did some searching on you too.”

“I thought everyone knew I was a divorced man; I guess I was overconfident if you found that out through a search.”

The playfulness in his expression gradually faded, leaving only a somberness behind.

“So you know I got divorced several years ago?”

“Yes.”

Because it was a ‘too clean’ divorce for someone from a chaebol family, various rumors had circulated online about the nature of his divorce. Speculation suggested that the divorce had been too easily settled given the overwhelming dominance of the ARA Group in the domestic market, implying that Lee Haeseong must bear the brunt of the blame.

Despite the two years of marriage, excluding the separation period, the absence of children only fueled more sensational gossip.

“I’ve never lived a life free from obligations or responsibilities since I was young. I never even thought about it.”

He recalled CEO Myung’s words, who had mocked him, saying he was a model chaebol scion who knew nothing but work.

“I had a vague sense that I had some tendencies in that direction, but I thought it would be no problem to meet someone of the opposite sex, build a family, and live as part of ARA. I believed it was something achievable through effort. I had never emotionally connected or been intimate with someone of the same sex before marriage.”

“……”

“But I found it impossible to be intimate with my wife.”

He spoke without hesitation, revealing his weakness and flaws like he had done when unveiling the secret room filled with cameras.

“I could only acknowledge that it wasn’t something that could be resolved through effort after paying a tremendous price.”

He added that he had to endure three years of separation because both families insisted that divorce was absolutely out of the question, chuckling bitterly.

“So… about that person earlier…”

At Hyunseo’s cautious question, a smile returned to Lee Haeseong’s face.

It was a slip of the tongue, and only after seeing his reaction did Hyunseo realize what he had said. He felt warmth rush to his face in an instant and shook his head vigorously.

“No, no! Please pretend you didn’t hear that.”

“Just now, were you asking if I slept with Gaspar?”

“Forget it, please.”

“Were you jealous? Of Gaspar?”

Lee Haeseong looked more amused than ever. He released Hyunseo’s hand but then quickly pulled him back, refusing to let go.

“It’s not jealousy or anything like that; I just thought you seemed to get along well! It was the first time I saw you in that light, so I was just curious about what kind of person he is…”

Even though he knew that his rambling sounded suspicious, that was the best excuse he could come up with.

Jealousy.

He had never experienced such a feeling, so he didn’t know how to handle it adeptly.

In an attempt to hide his nearly crimson face, Hyunseo had no choice but to bow his head. Lee Haeseong did not press further. Instead, he leaned his forehead against the back of Hyunseo’s neck.

“Hongseo, do I look like I’m just waiting patiently?”

“……”

“But that’s not the case.”

“……”

“Every time you show a little vulnerability, it makes me anxious to push in closer.”

“That doesn’t seem like the case…”

With his head lowered, Hyunseo mumbled. His attention was completely focused on the warmth of Lee Haeseong’s body against his sensitive skin, and he could feel the emotional strain beginning to build up.

“It sounds like you’re saying it doesn’t look like you’re dissatisfied?”

His breath was so close that it felt like he was blowing into her heart. Because of that, Hongseo found herself wanting to hold her breath.

Their hands were tightly clasped together. His forehead was resting against her nape. She could feel his breath against her heart. It was dizzying and suffocating.

“Do you want me to get more worked up because of you?”

Lee Haeseong lifted his head, breaking contact with Hongseo’s neck, making it easier for her to breathe. However, she felt a pang of regret. She wanted to stay close, even if it was suffocating. She couldn’t quite understand it herself.

Lee Haeseong’s other hand moved toward her hair. He gently tidied the strands that were already neatly arranged, pulling their joined hands tightly against his chest.

“Are you feeling anxious? Worried it’s just a whim of a chaebol?”

“……..”

“There’s no need to be anxious or worried. You’re the first person to make me feel this way, and my feelings are serious enough to frighten you… I mean it.”

Did he say such things to that charming foreigner as well?

Even if it had been a light relationship, it was still a connection between adults. He must have been intimate with that person, too, right? Just thinking about it made her feel as if her body were on fire.

It was the first time she had experienced such intense emotions for someone else, and Hongseo didn’t know how to handle it. The sweet and sour excitement, the tug of jealousy, the longing for someone… those feelings were overwhelming and foreign to her. She had spent her days just trying to endure without crumbling under the pressure. That alone had been exhausting.

Yet, he had managed to pry open a gap in her heart and introduce a rhythm into her life, which she had wanted to keep as a straight line, free from any ups or downs.

She stared blankly at her hand, resting on his chest, feeling the warmth of his body.

“I feel like five times might be enough.”

When they had walked together on Namsan, she had never expected to say something like this to him. But the words flowed from her lips effortlessly, overshadowing the previous distance and discomfort she had felt towards a VIP. It was as if she was simply stating something that had already been decided long ago.

“While you were on your business trip, time felt like it wouldn’t pass.”

“……”

“I usually… would search for my name on my phone whenever I had a chance, checking the comments, seeing how people reacted on communities and social media. But during that week in Thailand, I ended up searching for your name even more. I wanted to see if any other articles came out…”

He fixed his gaze on Hongseo without flinching.

“Did I really have to fill it in five times before deciding?”

When she asked cautiously, he shook his head gently and smiled.

“No, it doesn’t have to be like that. Just do what you want, Hongseo.” He took a long breath and asked once more, as if seeking confirmation. “But are you really okay with me? If it turns out to be a burden later, it would hurt me too.”

“How could I not like you when you treat me so well?”

“Do you really like me? Not just a passing fancy?”

“…Yes.”

She felt uneasy about the fact that they weren’t officially dating, nor had they been intimate with each other.

Though she had asked, she hadn’t expected such a clear affirmation. The expression on her face seemed to convey her disbelief.

In the next moment, his surprised expression melted into a gentle smile. She had thought he would be delighted, but there was a hint of pain behind that smile. Was it because of President Jo…?

He wrapped his arms around the back of Hongseo’s neck and slowly pulled her closer. This time, her forehead rested against his shoulder. His warm lips whispered in her ear.

“You really make it so hard for me.”