A Night Soaked With You - Chapter 35
Yeong-won walked slowly along an unfamiliar road, alone. Her mind was so cluttered that she declined the provided vehicle and was making her way back to Seoul by herself.
As she walked, her thoughts were filled with Chae-young.
Yeong-won had tried hard to understand Chae-young.
During the ‘School’ shoot, they were both cast as leads, but all the attention had shifted to her, so she figured it must have made Chae-young upset.
But now, years later, was it still normal for Chae-young to be so wary and desperate?
Being around Chae-young made Yeong-won feel like she was being consumed by malice.
‘She’s doing so much better than me…… so much more popular…… why?’
While Yeong-won worked part-time at convenience stores and took on small roles, Chae-young had only soared higher.
Among the younger generation, there was hardly anyone who didn’t know Chae-young.
Honestly, how could Yeong-won not have felt some jealousy toward Chae-young.
Still, she had always thought that they just had different roles to play in life.
She had consoled herself, thinking it was because Chae-young was prettier and more talented in acting.
But that wasn’t how Chae-young saw it.
‘She’s the type of person who, even with a large bundle of gifts, can’t stand to see me even try to take a single candy.’
That’s exactly how Chae-young appeared in Yeong-won’s eyes.
After walking and walking until her legs ached, Yeong-won suddenly realized she had lost track of where she was.
‘Where am I?’
The scenery was unfamiliar. It seemed she had wandered too far.
Yeong-won plopped down at a bus stop, staring blankly into space.
Just then, a black sedan quietly pulled up in front of her.
“Huh…….”
Yeong-won’s eyes naturally shifted toward it. As she muttered to herself, wondering if it could really be, the window rolled down.
Tae-geon, sitting in the driver’s seat, came into view.
Yeong-won, who had been staring at him dumbfoundedly, awkwardly stood up and greeted him.
“Oh, hello.”
“Your phone.”
“Sorry?”
Instead of answering, Tae-geon glanced at the phone Yeong-won was holding. She checked it and saw a missed call.
“I’m sorry, I just saw it now.”
She hadn’t meant to ignore it, but holding the phone in her hand while missing the call made it seem like she had.
“Have you had lunch?”
“I had something simple.”
Yeong-won nodded at Tae-geon’s question. In truth, because of In-woo’s NG, she had missed the lunch break.
Although she ate something afterward, she had no appetite and barely touched her food.
“You look like you haven’t eaten properly at all.”
“……You don’t need energy just to apply ointment, do you?”
Yeong-won mumbled with a gloomy expression. It was her way of saying that if Tae-geon came for the medicine, she hoped he’d apply it and leave quickly.
Her mind was too cluttered, and she wanted to avoid staying with him for long.
“Seems like you get irritable when you’re hungry.”
Noticing her state, Tae-geon chuckled lightly. He got out of the car and opened the passenger door for Yeong-won.
“Let’s go get dinner.”
“It’s fine. Did you come to apply the ointment? I can do it now, so—”
“I don’t have a habit of asking a woman with shaky hands to apply ointment.”
“Who’s shaking?”
Yeong-won spread out her steady hands, showing they were fine, but Tae-geon didn’t seem to buy it.
He simply stared at her and gestured with his chin, silently telling her to get in.
‘Is that how he became the boss, by being so domineering?’
As soon as Yeong-won got into the car, Tae-geon made a call to someone.
He seemed to be asking his secretary for a good restaurant nearby. Meanwhile, Yeong-won sank deeply into the seat. Despite her discomfort, the adequately cushioned seat made her body feel at ease.
She leaned her head against the window, taking in the passing scenery. At some point, her eyes began to gently close.
Tae-geon drove along an unpaved road. The restaurant Jameson had suggested was in a more remote area than expected.
He glanced at Yeong-won. She was fast asleep, her head resting against the window.
If she had been awake, she’d probably have blinked her large, dark brown eyes nervously, thinking she was being kidnapped.
The thought of her reaction made the corners of Tae-geon’s mouth lift slightly.
‘Should I wake her up? I kind of want to see that expression.’
The mischievous thought crossed his mind, but Tae-geon didn’t act on it. Despite wanting to tease her, this woman always softened his resolve in the end.
Even now, seeing her sleep so soundly made him want to let her rest comfortably.
“She acts like a nervous herbivore scared of being bitten, but here she is, with no sense of caution at all.”
Tae-geon muttered under his breath, feeling an odd sense of frustration.
Whether it was fortunate or not, they arrived at their destination before Yeong-won woke up. As Jameson had mentioned, the scenery was indeed impressive.
A lush green lawn spread across the yard, and to the side, a tall pine forest extended out.
Judging by the number of cars in the parking lot, it seemed like a fairly well-known place.
Once he turned off the engine, the already quiet space became even more serene.
Tae-geon loosened his tense muscles and leaned on the steering wheel, staring at Yeong-won.
With the sound of birds chirping in the background, her face appeared even more radiant.
‘She really is beautiful.’
Her forehead, with its soft curve, her sharp, straight nose, and her slightly moist, lively lips were all beautiful.
Tae-geon had always lived a busy life. At times, he’d been so consumed by work that he forgot to even breathe.
The moment of greatest thrill for him had always been when his investments yielded multiple times the profit he had anticipated.
But today, just a little, his thoughts were starting to change.
The quiet time spent observing someone in the stillness of the space wasn’t entirely unpleasant for Tae-geon.
It was at that moment, as he quietly admired Yeong-won, that he saw her lips twitch. Soon, tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes.
