Chapter 30: An Unexpected Outing

“Yoo Seo-jin.”

It seems his promise to see me tomorrow wasn’t an empty one. Han Jung-woo arrived at my door early, just as the first rays of sunlight began to filter through the curtain.

I blinked my half-closed eyes, denying reality, wondering if I was still dreaming. Yet, Han Jung-woo, who casually pushed past me, was undeniably real.

“Thirty minutes should be enough time to get ready, right?”

Han Jung-woo, settling brazenly onto the sofa, glanced at his watch and inquired. It was only after I closed the front door and turned back that my eyes fully opened.

“Thirty minutes?”

It felt as though showering alone would consume thirty minutes, yet he genuinely seemed to believe I could be ready within that timeframe.

This was despite his own appearance suggesting at least two hours of meticulous preparation.

“Just throw on some clothes.”

While that was indeed my intention, thirty minutes was still woefully insufficient. Finishing a shower would leave no time even for basic skincare.

“It’s not enough.”

“Then how much more do you need?”

“At least an hour?”

When I stated the pure preparation time, excluding any embellishment, Han Jung-woo gazed at me with an expression of disbelief. Regardless, I refused to back down.

“Just get ready quickly.”

This time, it was Han Jung-woo who first raised the white flag. Just as I was about to revel in what might have been my first victory, he announced with an air of absolute certainty:

“Today, we’re leaving the resort.”

“…What?”

I had assumed we’d merely wander around the resort grounds again, but this was a full-fledged outing. I hadn’t even agreed to it, so where exactly was he planning to go?

As my face began to cloud with dissatisfaction, Han Jung-woo held up two fingers. When I tilted my head, unsure of their meaning, he clarified.

“There are still two more promised meetings, you know.”

I had momentarily forgotten. Forgotten that our three agreed-upon meetings hadn’t concluded. Swallowing the multitude of words swirling in my mind, I quietly retreated to the bathroom.

‘It’s eight o’clock.’

A glance at the wall clock elicited nothing but a hollow laugh. Outside the resort, there was likely only a small village; what grand destination could he possibly be planning that required such an early, bothersome start?

‘What exactly is he planning to do today?’

It had always been this way, but as time passed, understanding Han Jung-woo’s thoughts became increasingly impossible. We weren’t exactly a couple who would go out on affectionate dates.

So why did he keep giving such ambiguous signals?

‘For now, I’ll stall for as much time as possible.’

Only the number of meetings had been set, not their duration. If I wasn’t careful, I might end up spending the entire day with Han Jung-woo.

If we went somewhere I didn’t even know, returning would be difficult. All I could do now was prepare slowly, letting time slip by.

‘Let’s try to drag it out for over two hours.’

While I had just promised Han Jung-woo to be ready within an hour, it was common to lose track of time while showering, easily exceeding the limit.

True to my firm resolve, after an excruciatingly long shower and preparation, the hour hand that had pointed to eight o’clock had now reached ten.

Not stopping there, I applied my basic makeup more meticulously than usual and styled my hair. I worried Han Jung-woo might misunderstand my more elaborate appearance, but stalling for time left me no other choice.

“You’ve been waiting long, haven’t you?”

I emerged brazenly, asking in a cheerful voice. Despite the promised hour having long passed, Han Jung-woo, who had stubbornly waited for me, seemed unexpectedly unfazed.

Perhaps he had anticipated this.

“Let’s go now.”

Given Han Jung-woo’s personality, he should have lost his temper hundreds of times over. It seemed his patience had deepened since I last saw him.

‘I had hoped he would just leave.’

Secretly swallowing my disappointment, I followed Han Jung-woo to the resort’s parking lot. Passing rows of neatly parked cars, he stopped before a black sedan, opened the passenger door, and then subtly tilted his chin.

‘Is he telling me to get in?’

I cautiously climbed into the car, leaning back into the plush seat. After closing the passenger door, Han Jung-woo walked around the hood to the driver’s side.

My heightened vigilance proved futile; the car’s interior was rather ordinary. That is, apart from the foreign car logo prominently emblazoned on the steering wheel, a brand often hailed as everyone’s dream car.

“Where are we going?”

Only before fastening my seatbelt did I remember to ask for our destination. Instead of answering, Han Jung-woo started the engine and drove off. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem inclined to tell me.

‘If anything goes wrong, I can just call the police.’

Feeling uneasy, I pulled out my phone from deep within my pocket. To avoid betraying my anxious expression, I looked out the window. The car, having left the parking lot, was now speeding along the road.

I watched the rapidly changing scenery, wondering how quickly the police could catch this car if I called, or if jumping out here would kill me.

Just as my intense vigilance began to wane, my eyes slowly started to close. It seemed I hadn’t slept well last night, troubled by my thoughts.

“If you’re tired, just sleep.”

Han Jung-woo, whose hand was now supporting my head that had slumped forward, spoke. Startled, I straightened up, attempting to feign wakefulness, but my eyes were already heavy-lidded and unfocused.

“You can recline the seat if you want to sleep.”

“It’s fine, I’m not sleepy.”

With those words, our conversation ceased entirely. I tried valiantly not to fall asleep, but watching only the rapidly changing scenery in the quiet car, the fatigue I had suppressed finally overwhelmed me.

When I opened my eyes again, the car, which had been driving, was now stopped. Startled, I looked around and met Han Jung-woo’s gaze; he was leaning against the steering wheel.

“When did we arrive?”

“Hmm, about thirty minutes ago?”

If we had arrived, he should have woken me immediately. It was a mystery why he had simply watched me. Han Jung-woo, who gestured with his chin towards me as I tidied my disheveled hair, then exited the car first.

‘Where is this place?’

After a considerable drive, we had arrived at a beach, much like the one in front of the resort. Unlike me, who felt no particular emotion from seeing the sea so often, Han Jung-woo’s expression was completely relaxed.

‘There’s nothing particularly special about it.’

The beach in front of the resort was far prettier and better maintained than this wilder one. Yet, Han Jung-woo seemed to prefer this spot.

With his head tilted towards the cloudless sky, his eyes closed, he smiled faintly. Though the subtle smile vanished quickly, its afterimage lingered.

For a moment, he resembled someone so deeply.

‘He’s let his hair down.’

It felt familiar for a reason; many things about Han Jung-woo were different today.

Unlike his usual style, where not a single strand of hair was out of place, today his bangs covered his pale forehead.

He was wearing a rather modest cardigan instead of a suit, and perhaps because of the more relaxed atmosphere, it felt as though he wasn’t Han Jung-woo, but Seon Woo-jung.

Even though I knew it couldn’t be.

‘I prefer your hair down.’

‘Hmm, then I should always keep it down when I meet Joon-hee hyung. That way, you’ll see me as pretty, right?’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Tell me I’m pretty. Huh? Hyung.’

‘Gross, get away from me.’

After that fleeting comment I’d made about him being pretty, Seon Woo-jung always wore his hair down. Then, like a child craving praise, he would cling to me, pestering me to tell him he was “pretty.”

I hadn’t said it often, feeling unnecessarily shy, but I couldn’t understand why I had held back those words, as if they were precious.

If I had known our farewell would come so swiftly, I would have said it many times.

‘No matter how you looked, you always seemed beautiful in my eyes.’

“Shall we walk for a bit?”

Han Jung-woo, having seemingly finished his contemplation, asked. Cutting off my deepening thoughts, I nodded in response. Then, I followed behind him as he took the first steps.

On the beach, nothing could be heard but the crashing of waves. There was no one else strolling but Han Jung-woo and me.

As if we were the only two people left in the world.

“Are you deliberately walking so slowly?”

Han Jung-woo, halting his steady pace, turned back to me. The furrow in one of his brows suggested he disliked me lingering behind him.

Yet, that didn’t mean we were close enough to walk side by side. When I stubbornly remained still, Han Jung-woo sighed and took a determined step towards me.

“Don’t you want to walk?”

“It’s not that.”

“Then it’s settled.”

After that, Han Jung-woo matched his pace to mine. Neither slow nor fast. The awkward stroll continued for a long time. Without a single exchange of words, Han Jung-woo and I simply walked.

‘Why did we come here?’

For a walk, the beach in front of the resort would have sufficed. I couldn’t fathom why Han Jung-woo had brought us all this way when there was no apparent need.

Just as bewilderment began to fill my mind, Han Jung-woo abruptly stopped walking. It was only after I stopped too that I realized we had left the beach and arrived at a small cafe.

‘This place…’

The cafe bore the indelible marks of time. Peeling paint and a faded sign, a weathered roof—it was a rather shabby, ancient place, making one wonder if anyone ever visited.

“Let’s go in.”