Chapter 3
Memory. Isn’t it something only those who truly know can possess?
Lee Seo knows nothing about Kang Yuri.
She has no right to remember him.
“I’ll be leaving now, please move.”
“Was it because you loved your husband so deeply that you avoided all interviews? Keeping those memories alive by writing them down could be a way to remember him longer.”
“…Kang Yuri.”
“Excuse me?”
“The person you keep calling ‘husband,’ his name is Kang Yuri.”
“Ah… yes, that’s true. Kang Yuri, a name everyone in South Korea knows. He cared deeply for you, Hong Iseo. So…”
“So?”
Lee Seo couldn’t help but ask again, even though she shouldn’t have.
Like someone who had captured his prey, Seongha’s gaze sharpened.
“You were famous for being so close. Even just before the accident, Kang Yuri told you he had to rush to you, refusing an after-party invitation.”
Lee Seo hadn’t known that fact.
Furthermore…
“You were planning a trip together, weren’t you? Kang Yuri requested a sabbatical from management.”
That woman,
Maybe she holds the answer to this mysterious accident.
Everyone thinks it was Lee Seo.
But, perhaps, it wasn’t her,
It was the woman Kang Yuri truly loved.
“How do you know that?”
“Didn’t you know? Kang Yuri, despite his appearance, has romantic tendencies. Did he create a surprise?”
“….”
Who is that woman?
Perhaps this bicycle wasn’t hers after all.
Should she not have ridden it?
Yet, surprisingly, a trace of anger bubbled inside her.
She didn’t want to question his betrayal now. That wasn’t the point.
But she was curious about how far he would go to justify it.
Was it just something easy for him?
Or did he need a smokescreen marriage to continue his relationship with that woman?
Still, it didn’t make sense.
He had his share of flaws, of course, and wasn’t particularly kind or gentle.
But despite all that, he seemed like a man of integrity.
During events where they were considered a ‘couple,’ he skillfully shielded her from prying eyes and offered her protection when needed.
He even warned her ahead of events she wouldn’t enjoy attending.
“…You must have loved her deeply.”
That thought slipped out of her lips unexpectedly.
Lee Seo knew love could blind people, making them foolish.
She understood that.
She had seen it in her favorite movie characters too.
But, that was a movie.
This is reality.
What if someone becomes blinded by love, just like in the movies, and ends up dying?
“Your way of speaking is quite interesting.”
Oh no, another mistake.
Her voice was rushed, trying to suppress her curiosity as much as possible.
When she finally refocused on Seongha’s face, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.
“Hmm?”
“Isn’t it? You love this person, yet it feels like you’re talking about someone else.”
“…You misunderstand.”
“Do I?”
“You’re being rude. Because of business ties, I’ve tolerated this until now, but enough is enough. Take care.”
“Wait a moment.”
Seongha reached out and grabbed her wrist gently.
It wasn’t painful, but memories of her earlier struggles with a strange journalist caused her to flinch.
Shaking slightly, Lee Seo pulled away, startled by her own reaction.
Seongha, seeing her reaction, let go of her hand.
Instead, he gestured toward a nearby café, his tone softer this time.
“That café has good coffee. Why not have a drink there before you go?”
“…No thanks.”
“By now, there should be people at your house.”
“What people?”
“I’m not entirely sure, but a black sedan passed by here just now, heading toward the same road as your vacation home. There aren’t many reasons for an expensive car like that to be passing through here.”
“….”
‘Hong Dayeong, perhaps.’
Suddenly, that possibility flickered through her mind.
Lee Seo’s younger brother, and essentially the mastermind behind it all, he was obsessed with becoming the successor of “Jeongan,” the family business his mother had been forced out of.
Unable to establish Lee Seo’s marriage as he wished, he sought to use Kang Yuri’s influence for his own benefit.
Perhaps even death would be a means to an end.
“Come in, I’ll pay.”
Then, she didn’t want to meet him.
It was a remote place; no matter where he stood, he would stand out.
Better to just step into the café.
Reluctantly, Lee Seo followed Seongha inside.
“You still look young, but you work hard.”
“I’m a bit greedy when it comes to work.”
“…I see.”
Even if she had started working early, she likely hadn’t reached a managerial level yet.
So was she just an eager rookie?
The café owner handed over the coffee with a bored expression, returning to his game of go.
Thankfully, he didn’t recognize her.
“Your writing talent isn’t wasted on just film columns, is it?”
“You’ve read my work?”
“Of course. I quite enjoyed it.”
“Your taste in films must be similar.”
“No, I don’t watch movies. It’s a waste of time.”
Was that rude, or just honest?
Either way, it was uncomfortable.
The black sedan that had brought him would inevitably pass through this road again to leave.
Lee Seo’s gaze drifted through the window to Seongha’s back.
“The woman who devoured your husband.”
“…?”
“A wicked woman seeking his inheritance.”
“….”
“Isn’t hearing those descriptions tiresome? It’s so clichéd, it’s almost laughable. Think about it.”
“Enough…”
“This is my business card. You seem uncomfortable, so I’ll excuse myself. You’ll call me anyway.”
Seongha said, standing up and heading to settle the bill.
As he hurried out, turning to mention,
“There goes the car.”
***
Back home, she had a late dinner.
Even in a house without Kang Yuri, when she needed to eat, she had the habit of retreating to her room, but today, for some reason, she didn’t feel like it and ate at the dining table.
She poured the wine the housekeeper had brought earlier. Though not a drinker, she quickly became tipsy.
Then, a few moments later.
Knock knock.
The sound of knocking echoed.
Was she imagining things? Perhaps drunk, all sounds seemed distorted.
Or… surely not again? The uninvited guest from earlier.
Knock knock knock.
Again, the knocking persisted.
Reluctantly, Lee Seo got up.
The intoxication made her dizzy, and her mind wandered to the indifferent comments people had made about her, surrounding her with carelessness at the worst moments.
She was fed up with people showing up uninvited.
It was time to confront them; she couldn’t hold back anymore.
Without checking the intercom, she opened the front door immediately.
“…!”
She froze.
She couldn’t even close her slightly parted lips.
The moment felt like a snapshot was taken,
then,
Crash.
Thunder roared, and rain began to pour down suddenly.
Unpredictable rain.
“I’m back.”
The soft voice pierced through the sound of the rain clearly.
Sharp, dark eyebrows, fair skin with defined shadows enhancing his high nose bridge and sharp jawline.
Though stern, a neat smile curved at the lips, and a pair of thin, tired eyes held a piercing yet melancholy gaze.
It was Kang Yuri.
In the living room, the television played silently in the background.
HEHEHEHE AND IT STARTS! but honestly, how would you reply to that? to a husband she’s not even close to, who allegedly has an affair with another woman? “welcome home???” 😭
Well he was hoping for it though.😂