An elderly man, dressed in pajamas with an overcoat thrown over, came out next. The man, who seemed to be the homeowner, clasped Han Ju-sam’s hands with both of his and repeatedly bowed while saying something.
Ji Hyun-ho continued to photograph the scene. Watching in confusion, Tae-eun recalled the conversation he had with her mother.
“Did that guy hand out money when he ran for election with Uncle?”
“He was giving out 50,000 won in envelopes. When he was running with your dad, it was 30,000 won each. Inflation, I guess. Unbelievable.”
Han Ju-sam sent the elderly man back inside and got into a black luxury sedan parked in front of the orange gate. Tae-eun squinted at the car and its license plate, then spoke quietly.
“That’s a company car.”
“The one the union president uses?”
“Yeah. My dad used to drive it when he was president.”
As Han Ju-sam’s car started moving, Hyun-ho handed her the camera and pressed the start button of his own car.
“Isn’t it shameless?”
He spoke as he followed the union president at a safe distance.
“Driving around in a company car, handing out money.”
As she suspected, Hyun-ho was trying to gather evidence of Han Ju-sam’s bribery, carrying out a stealthy pursuit at this late hour.
The difference between 10 p.m. in Seoul and 10 p.m. in Hajung-ri was vast. The dimly lit street lights barely illuminated the roads, and even the convenience stores were closed at this hour. Han Ju-sam wandered through the sleeping village, knocking on doors. He stayed in each house for about ten minutes, and the homeowners saw him off with the same respect as the first elderly man. Hyun-ho captured all of this with his camera.
“Are you going to report this to the election commission?”
“Maybe. But without a shot of him handing out envelopes, this won’t be enough.”
She hesitated to ask why he was so diligently taking pictures, so she just stared at him. Sensing her gaze, he gave her a faint smile.
“Having this footage might come in handy someday.”
Ji Hyun-ho’s eyes moved back to the front. Han Ju-sam was being escorted out of another house by a resident. Then, instead of heading to his own car, he walked towards their SUV.
“Or it could be useful for some one-on-one intimidation.”
Even though the SUV’s windows were heavily tinted, Tae-eun felt like she was making eye contact with Han Ju-sam. She took a sharp breath and looked down, her heart pounding.
“Or we could distribute the photos to all the union members.”
Despite the proximity of the angry union president, Hyun-ho spoke in a calm voice.
Han Ju-sam knocked on the driver’s window. Tae-eun clutched her seatbelt tightly and glanced nervously at the passenger seat. As the impatient union president raised his hand to knock again, Hyun-ho rolled down the window without hesitation.
“Who the hell do you think you are, following me around?”
Even before the window was fully down, Han Ju-sam’s loud voice boomed. Tae-eun turned her head to the side, desperately trying to hide her face. In this small town, there was no way the current union president wouldn’t recognize the daughter of the former president.
“Hello, President Han.”
Instead of denying anything, Ji Hyun-ho greeted him casually. Han Ju-sam’s eyes widened as he scrutinized Hyun-ho’s flamboyant appearance.
“So, you’re Ji Yong-jae’s son…”
“Yes, I’m Ji Hyun-ho. Nice to finally meet you.”
After glaring at him with sharp eyes, Han Ju-sam noticed the woman in the car.
“And who is that?”
Biting her lip, Tae-eun slowly turned her head. The union president narrowed his eyes as the streetlight illuminated her face.
“What are Ji Yong-jae’s son and Song Ki-seok’s daughter doing here? Are you following me? Did your fathers put you up to this?”
The pale streetlight cast a harsh glow on Han Ju-sam’s increasingly red face. His shouts echoed through the quiet alley where even stray cats moved silently.
“We’re on a date.”
Unlike earlier, Hyun-ho’s face was now cold and hard. He rolled up the window and stepped out of the car, clearly intending to exclude her from the confrontation.
From the darkened car window, she saw him looking down at Han Ju-sam. The union president, despite his age, was quite sturdy but didn’t compare to Hyun-ho.
“Seems like there’s been a misunderstanding, sir. We were just looking for a quiet place.”
“So, is it just a coincidence that you’ve been following my car all this time? Where are your fathers? I need to find out what they’re up to!”
“Why are you so worked up?”
Hyun-ho laughed lightly at the furious man.
“It’s as if you have something to hide that you don’t want anyone to follow you.”
“What did you say?”
Han Ju-sam started pointing his finger aggressively.
“You brat! How dare you be disrespectful in front of an elder? Did your mother raise you like this? Something to hide? Something to hide? You insolent—”
“If you were just campaigning normally, that should be the end of it.”
Hyun-ho casually folded the man’s accusing finger. Watching from inside the car, Tae-eun thought she could hear the joints popping.
“And here you are, interrupting a couple’s date and shouting, pointing fingers. Isn’t that rude?”
Hyun-ho pushed Han Ju-sam’s hand away. It didn’t seem like a strong push, but Han Ju-sam stumbled backward, barely catching himself on the car’s hood.
The man’s once-red face had now turned pale.
Hyun-ho placed a hand on his back, guiding him to his work vehicle. To Tae-eun, it looked like he was forcing him along.
“Keep quiet. Unless you want to fall again.”
Sensing the power difference, Han Ju-sam chose to be silent. He figured it was better to complain to Ji Yong-jae and Song Ki-seok later rather than deal with a young, strong man alone in a dark alley.
“Go inside quietly.”
Hyun-ho opened the driver’s door and practically shoved Han Ju-sam inside. Before shutting the door, he leaned in and warned in a low voice.
“Call her names again, and you’ll regret it.”
Han Ju-sam’s trembling eyes met his. His desire to retaliate against the young man flared up.
But Tae-eun was waiting. It wasn’t the right time.
Hyun-ho slammed the door shut and turned back to the SUV. He wanted to relax his expression for her sake, but his face remained stiff.
He had anticipated Han Ju-sam’s strong reaction. It was why he had brought her along, allowing the union president to see them.
But hearing him call her that name had instantly set him off.
How dare he insult Song Tae-eun.
“Are you okay?”
She asked anxiously the moment he opened the door. Her eyes were wide with worry, her eyebrows furrowed.
He took a deep breath, glaring at the black car ahead.
“I’m a bit pissed off.”
Hyun-ho flashed a light-hearted smile, briefly revealing the darkness inside him. Tae-eun, with her lips turned down, cautiously took his hand.
He looked down at the small hand holding his. Realizing it was her way of comforting him, he couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
“I’ll talk to my dad and uncle. Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for dragging you into this.”
“It’s fine. Who does he think he is to question our date? My dad would probably say you did well.”
Tae-eun pouted, making her full lips look even rounder. He stared at her lips, licking his own.
“I’ll take you home now.”
Holding her hand firmly, he started the car. The white SUV drove past the car Han Ju-sam was in and followed the coastal road. She fidgeted with her fingers, but he didn’t let go until they reached her house.
“Thanks for helping me out today.”
It was almost midnight. Hyun-ho glanced at her and smiled gently.
“What did I do to help? I just sat there.”
“You gave me an excuse for a date.”
“True.”
Tae-eun laughed, her chubby lips curling up. He couldn’t resist and leaned over the console to kiss her plump lips.
“Want to go on a real date?”
He asked with his lips still pressed against hers. She flinched and tried to pull away, but his hand cradled the back of her neck, making it difficult.
“You just want to do something naughty.”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
She gave him a reproachful look and pushed at his solid shoulder. But he didn’t relent and sucked on her lips with a loud, deliberate noise.
“At this hour, we can’t go anywhere else. Doing something naughty is perfect, don’t you think?”
“But we’re in the car.”
“Don’t you remember?”
He mumbled, nibbling on her upper lip.
“We did it at the beach, and in the camellia field—”
“Those were dreams! And this is in front of my house.”
She struggled to break free from his hold. But he shamelessly ran his tongue along her round cheek.
“If you stay quiet, no one will notice.”
“I’m on my period.”
“Really?”
He looked down at her lower belly and shrugged.
“There are still plenty of things we can do without that. Take off your jacket.”
🍉🍉🍉
