Prey - Chapter 47
Why is that?
The playful look from just a moment ago was no longer visible in his sunken gaze.
Rather, his pale face and deepened eyes made him seem tired.
Upon closer look, the shadows under his eyes appeared darker than usual. His quietly staring face seemed worn out somehow.
…Fatigue?
“That’s really a word that doesn’t suit Do Jeonghan at all.”
Suhyeon let out a baffled chuckle at her own thoughts and lowered her gaze to the glass.
Could such a human-like fatigue even apply to someone as cold and calculating as him?
Even during their marriage, despite his brutal overseas travel schedule and late-night work, he would still come to the bedroom and not let her go until dawn.
‘But why did he go that far?’
Back then, she thought he was just trying to torment her, but thinking about it now, it was strange.
Do Jeonghan was human too, so it would be natural for him to feel physical fatigue when he was too busy to sleep. Why did he insist on coming to the bedroom, even in the early hours of the morning?
He would come, dig into her frantically, and then leave for work again without even a moment’s rest…
“It’s really hard to face you.”
…Ah.
Suhyeon, lost in thought while staring at the flower pattern on her glass, snapped back to reality in a low voice and lifted her head.
Jeonghan was staring at her with a quiet gaze.
“If I don’t cause such trouble, Seol Suhyeon is too busy running away.”
Suddenly, he let out a self-deprecating laugh.
That laugh, too, somehow carried a clear sign of weariness, and Suhyeon felt confused.
“But… today, I have no choice.”
Letting out a low voice that sounded like a sigh, Jeonghan’s eyes darkened as he looked at her.
Suhyeon’s eyelashes trembled slightly.
His gaze was burning intensely.
“I need to see you like this, at least.”
“……”
“So bear with it. Seol Suhyeon.”
Jeonghan was holding her gaze directly, his eyes blazing darkly like a fire.
Suhyeon, completely held captive by that gaze, swallowed her breath, unable to move.
Jeonghan’s gaze shifted first. Suhyeon watched as he reached for the bottle of sake.
“Today…”
Suhyeon hesitated, words spilling out unconsciously, then paused, pondering for a moment before speaking again.
“Today, did something happen?”
Jeonghan, who was about to pour a drink into her glass, simply lifted his eyes and looked at her.
“Are you asking about something work-related? As Manager Seol Suhyeon of Donghwa?”
Realizing he was referring to her decision to remain as Manager Seol Suhyeon, Suhyeon quickly replied.
“No, it was out of my place.”
Suhyeon took the bottle from Jeonghan and filled his glass.
Jeonghan quietly watched her do this.
“Don’t misunderstand. Since Deputy Manager Jung Hyunwoo isn’t here, it’s just become part of my role.”
“Oh, I’m grateful for that.”
Jeonghan, once again, let out a rare smile as he lifted his glass.
Suhyeon clinked her glass lightly against his and observed him with her eyes.
‘Something’s definitely off.’
She had never seen Do Jeonghan let his guard down due to intoxication, but right now, he seemed somewhat drunk. That overwhelming sense of exhaustion wasn’t there earlier when Jung Hyunwoo was present.
Now that she thought about it, she recalled catching a faint scent of alcohol from Jeonghan when he came in. It seemed that Jung Hyunwoo hadn’t noticed at all.
…Ah.
Suhyeon snapped back to reality. She realized she had been locking eyes with him for quite some time, and her gaze wavered slightly.
As she belatedly shifted her eyes, a low voice broke the silence.
“It feels like when we first met.”
“…What?”
Suhyeon, who had been lowering her head, lifted it again. Their eyes met once more.
“When we first met on the company rooftop. Back then, too, Seol Suhyeon looked at me like this and then quickly looked away.”
‘He remembers? …That moment?’
Suhyeon was flustered by the unexpected words, as she had assumed he wouldn’t remember it at all.
Jeonghan was staring directly at her.
“Weren’t you in a situation where you were about to be confessed to by another man back then?”
Suhyeon’s eyes widened.
“Do you even remember that?”
Jeonghan gazed at her with calm eyes and spoke in a quiet voice.
“I knew you.”
“That’s because I was a prospective match for you…”
Suhyeon trailed off mid-sentence and paused.
She stared directly at Jeonghan.
“Did you know me even before that?”
“…”
In his silent gaze, Suhyeon read the answer. Her lips parted slightly.
Wait. If that’s the case…
Various thoughts flooded Suhyeon’s mind at once.
“Be honest with me.”
At Suhyeon’s serious question, Jeonghan silently stared at her.
Suhyeon swallowed hard.
This was her chance to resolve the curiosity that had been swirling in her head.
“There’s a reason you purposely married me, isn’t there?”
