Chapter 31: A Quiet Encounter by the Sea

Han Jung-woo pushed open the creaking door and stepped inside first. I had feared it might be a gloomy, abandoned house, but thankfully, cheerful greetings echoed from beyond.

Feeling relieved, I pushed open the closing door and followed Han Jung-woo. Contrary to its dilapidated exterior, the interior was a tranquil cafe bathed in warm sunlight instead of artificial lights.

“Welcome.”

I gave a small bow in response to the kind greeting that welcomed me. The cafe’s proprietor was an elderly grandmother. Han Jung-woo, who had entered before me, seemed familiar with the place, as he headed straight for a prime spot with a clear view of the sea, without a moment’s hesitation.

“What will you drink?”

As I followed and took a seat, Han Jung-woo handed me a tattered menu. The moment I received it, I was met with an immediate challenge on the very first page. The menu, seemingly penned by the cafe owner, was filled with scrawled, crooked handwriting that made it agonizingly difficult to decipher.

“Americano.”

“Americano” was the only word I could barely make out. I considered ordering something to eat to fill my stomach, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to meticulously read the menu.

As I continued to wrestle with the menu, squinting my eyes intently, the owner approached from a distance to take our order.

I tried to convey that I needed a little more time with my eyes, but unfortunately, she didn’t meet my gaze. When the owner asked what we needed, Han Jung-woo stepped in on my behalf, as I fumbled for words.

“Americano.”

“Yes.”

Having placed his order with fluent ease, Han Jung-woo leaned deeply back into his chair. The precarious-looking chair creaked under his weight, but thankfully, it didn’t succumb to the disaster of breaking apart.

The owner departed to prepare our ordered drinks and food, while Han Jung-woo gazed out at the distant sea with unfocused eyes. Beside him, I took in the cozy interior of the cafe.

‘This place… it feels just like that other one.’

There was a time when the clamor of the entertainment industry became unbearably tiresome, prompting me to venture out without a destination in mind. While others might have seen it as a minor deviation, for me, a simple, ordinary outing was a luxury I rarely afforded.

Driving without consulting a navigation system, I serendipitously stumbled upon a cafe nestled at the very edge of a beach. It was a small, considerably aged establishment, much like this one.

The elderly owner there hadn’t recognized me. Nor did any of the other patrons who frequented the place show any interest in my presence.

At that moment, their indifference was exactly what I desperately needed. To blend in with ordinary life, to simply exist unnoticed, was a feat rarely achieved within the bustling city.

From then on, whenever my thoughts became muddled, I would seek out that cafe. With a cup of Americano and an occasional order of toast or waffles, I would gaze at the sea until my mind felt utterly clear.

Perhaps because of those experiences, there was a fleeting period when I dreamt of retiring and opening a quiet cafe in a secluded spot.

Of course, that was all in the past now.

“It’s nice here, quiet.”

At first, I thought Han Jung-woo was speaking to himself. It was only belatedly that I realized his softly murmured words, spoken in a lower tone than usual, were directed at me. The moment I turned my head, our eyes met.

In the depths of his dark pupils, only I existed. The intense gaze, which seemed to erase everything else and focus solely on me, felt burdensome. To alleviate the pressure, I continued the conversation while shifting my gaze to the window.

“It seems you dislike noise.”

“It hurts my ears.”

With those words, Han Jung-woo fell silent. I, too, had no intention of continuing the conversation, so I focused on the distant sea. Or rather, I tried to.

‘Indeed, they’re alike.’

Choi Yoon-hee, the writer, was renowned for establishing her protagonists even before penning the script. Consequently, the drama’s main characters often bore striking resemblances to the actors cast in their roles.

Given that Han Jung-woo was a character the writer had crafted with Seon Woo-jung in mind, their resemblance was only natural. Though, of course, Han Jung-woo’s obnoxious personality was entirely distinct.

‘This place is quiet and nice. I think I’ll come often too.’

After we became a couple, we had visited this cafe together, a place that had once been my secret sanctuary. Everywhere else we went, watchful eyes followed us, preventing us from ever truly relaxing on dates. But here, it was different.

He had told me how precious those moments were—the times when he could focus solely on me, without needing to be aware of anyone else’s gaze.

From then on, the cafe I once visited alone transformed into a shared space with him. It became a cherished place where, whenever our minds were cluttered, we would come together, sip Americanos, and engage in simple conversations.

“Yoo Seo-jin.”

I turned my head at the blunt summons, only for a fingertip to gently tap near my eye. Startled, I recoiled, and Han Jung-woo frowned.

“What thoughts are you so deeply lost in? I called you from right here, but you didn’t hear a thing.”

“Did you call? I didn’t hear you.”

“Of course not.”

He sulked, pressing his lips into a tight line. ‘It’s perfectly natural not to hear someone calling when you’re deep in thought. He’s acting like this just because I ignored him a few times. What a petty bastard.’

“Your order.”

After a considerable wait, our ordered food arrived. The owner, carrying a large tray, gently placed two teacups filled with coffee and a plate of French toast onto the small table before departing.

“Is this enough for breakfast?”

Han Jung-woo, placing a fork before me, asked with a playful tone. My stomach was truly rumbling, having skipped breakfast thanks to someone, but the generous portion of French toast seemed more than sufficient.

“I’ll eat well.”

At my somewhat defiant pre-meal greeting, Han Jung-woo let out a small chuckle. Regardless, my priority was to fill my stomach, so I picked up my fork and plunged it into the bread.

The French toast, fluffy like a sponge, was both sweet and delicious, pairing perfectly with the Americano. The toast melted away in my mouth, undoubtedly the best I had ever tasted.

“It’s truly delicious…”

The heartfelt murmur escaped me involuntarily. Then, one bite led to another, and before I knew it, I had completely cleared the plate by myself.

“You must have been very hungry.”

“Thanks to someone, I skipped breakfast.”

With that coy reply, I finished my Americano. Feeling a belated embarrassment for having eaten everything alone, I asked if he wanted to order anything else. Han Jung-woo stated he had no intention of eating anything from the start.

“Stay here for a moment.”

Setting down his empty cup, he rose from his seat. I initially thought he was just going to the restroom, but he completely exited the cafe.

‘Where is he going?’

A faint unease crept in, wondering if he might actually leave me behind, but thankfully, his car keys lay on the table. Reassured, I leaned back in my chair, savoring the feeling of fullness.

Han Jung-woo returned after a considerable while. Amidst a subtly deepened fragrance, I detected a faint scent of tobacco. It seemed he had gone out for a cigarette.

“Did you always smoke?”

“Well, sometimes.”

While “sometimes” seemed an understatement given the overflowing ashtrays I’d seen, I didn’t contradict him since he chose to characterize it that way.

After that brief exchange, silence descended upon us. Even though we were together, we acted as if we occupied entirely separate spaces.

The owner, who had been tending the counter, left her post for a moment, leaving the cafe door wide open. Inside the quiet establishment, only Han Jung-woo and I remained.

“Why did you ask to meet me?”

It was I who broke the prolonged silence. Han Jung-woo, who had been admiring the sea beyond the window, looked at me. Feeling his gaze, I turned my head and met his eyes.

“Do you want to know that?”

He asked with a gentle smile. Startled by a smile Han Jung-woo wouldn’t typically show Yoo Seo-jin, I was momentarily speechless. I quickly regained my composure, though.

“Logically speaking, Han Jung-woo, you and I aren’t exactly on terms where we’d sit side-by-side, admiring the sea, are we?”

No matter how many times I considered it, this meeting felt utterly strange. Han Jung-woo gained absolutely nothing from this interaction, where we simply sat side-by-side, eating and appreciating the scenery, without any real connection.

These were the sorts of things he should be doing with Jung Hee-soo, not with me—someone who detested even breathing the same air as him. Why would Han Jung-woo want to go on a date with me, the kind of date couples share when they’re getting to know each other?

‘What on earth is he thinking?’

Nothing could be read from his dark eyes, which made it all the more unsettling. Han Jung-woo’s eyes, when he looked at Yoo Seo-jin, were never like this.

They should have been sharper, filled with disdain, those eyes.

“I’ve come to want to know you, Yoo Seo-jin.”

Han Jung-woo spoke. Lost in an abyss of unknown depth, I only belatedly registered that he had uttered words.

Han Jung-woo detached his back from the chair and moved closer to me. As he leaned deeply forward, the distance between us narrowed to less than a handspan.

The cafe, with only the two of us inside, was eerily still and quiet. The breeze blowing in through the wide-open door carried a familiar scent.

“What did you just say—”

I barely managed to part my lips, but I couldn’t complete the sentence. Han Jung-woo, meeting my now wavering gaze directly, reiterated his words.

“Yoo Seo-jin, I’m curious about you.”