Chapter 33: Why Does My Heart Race?

“Are you sure you can drink it?”

“A little, maybe. When should I go?”

“Uh……?”

“To Noona’s house. To drink coffee.”

“…….”

“Can I go now?”

Kangeun caught her breath, surprised by Siheon, who had suddenly leaned in close while looking down at her, tilting his head. Siheon didn’t lean in any further, but he didn’t pull back either.

He held her gaze, silently hoping she would understand what his softly lowered eyes, his languidly hushed voice, and the slight curve of his lips meant.

“Right now……?”

“Yes.”

“Shall we head up together?”

“…….”

They were already beneath the office-tel. Siheon had to clench his molars, grateful enough that she wasn’t avoiding his gaze. The two hands he had shoved into his coat pockets were balled into tight fists.

“Noona.”

“…….”

“Hmm?”

Even though he hadn’t called her Noona once while they were eating and drinking, here he was at her doorstep, calling her Noona to get her to go up with him. Kangeun squeezed her eyes shut at Siheon’s sly, childish tactics. Siheon’s eyes crinkled beautifully, his hair brushing softly against her delicate forehead as if he were being petulant.

****

As soon as they entered the house, Kangeun leaned against the front door and swallowed a dry gulp. She unconsciously raised both hands to her chest, trying to soothe her thumping heart.

Because Siheon had followed her into the elevator, Kangeun had thought he really intended to get a cup of coffee. As the elevator ascended to the 9th floor, her mind was a complex web, ignoring her racing heart.

Even if it’s Siheon, is this okay? She was the one who had offered to brew the coffee first, but when he had smiled so softly and asked for it, she suddenly felt a jolt of fear.

“……Why am I afraid? It’s Siheon.”

Kangeun couldn’t understand herself. Siheon hadn’t gotten off the elevator with her. He had simply stood at a distance, waving until she walked down the hall, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. She felt strange, her heart fluttering for Siheon. It felt as if she were a child who had thought a naughty thought.

“It’s Siheon. Not just some guy, but Siheon.”

During her time living in Italy, she had become accustomed to flirting. She had been indifferent even to Italian men who would wink, blow air kisses, and whisper sweet nothings every time they made eye contact. She had been calm even in front of people who seriously confessed their feelings for her.

Because she had played the role of the head of the household from an early age, she had passed through the turbulent, puberty-filled years that everyone else went through without a trace. She hadn’t had the time to feel the flutters of romance, nor the desire.

So why now? Why, at thirty-two? Why not anyone else, but Siheon?

“Huu…….”

She took a deep breath, but the heat at her ears, left by Siheon’s whispers, would not fade. Her heart, beating at a dizzying pace, seemed to reproach her sense of morality.

Was it because Siheon had grown up so remarkably well? She didn’t know why her heart kept racing when she looked at him. Even when she’d faced Siheon during the day, Kangeun had dismissed her intense emotions as mere happiness at their reunion.

But now, Kangeun knew that the texture of her feelings was slightly different. She wasn’t foolish enough to be unable to recognize romantic interest directed at her. But could Yoon Siheon ever be a romantic entity to Go Kangeun?

“But Siheon is my younger brother…….”

While she was with Siheon, she had seen no small number of women glancing at him. They would turn to look as they passed by, or crane their necks to watch him from afar. There were women who whispered to each other while sneaking glances at him, and women who tried to make eye contact with him with seductive smiles.

Siheon hadn’t cared at all, as if he were used to such gazes. He had only made eye contact with her and listened only to her stories. He had chimed in, nodded, and simply accepted and comforted the emotions she poured out. Siheon had grown into such a magnificent man.

“You’ve grown up so well. Really…….”

His appearance, his manners, his voice, his sense of style. There wasn’t a single thing she couldn’t praise. Honestly, Kangeun wanted to line up all the women who were showing interest in Siheon and brag that she was the one who had raised him. When she realized the women’s gazes were focused on him, she even felt a sense of pride.

So, she was just trying to calm her racing heart, telling herself there was no other reason, when her phone suddenly vibrated, making her shoulders jump.

Kangeun’s brow furrowed slightly as she checked the name on the screen.

It was nearly midnight. She could only conclude that for the Branch Director to contact her at this hour meant there was a problem with work.

“Director, is there a problem……”

“You’re at home, right? I’m coming up.”

“Yes……? Are you saying you’re coming to my house?”

“Yes, why? Is that a problem?”

Hyunwoo’s tone was aggressive, as if something were very urgent. Puzzlement spread across Kangeun’s face as she blinked, trying to grasp the situation.

“Did something happen at the company? Is it urgent?”

“No, it’s not because of work. Let’s just see your face.”

Not because of a work problem. If that wasn’t the reason, there was no reason for Hyunwoo to call her at this hour. Kangeun steadied her breath, trying not to let her displeasure show in her voice.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve just gotten home, and I need to rest.”

“……Kangeun-ah.”

“And Director, even if you are the Branch Director……”

“I told you not to call me Branch Director outside of work hours.”

“……This makes me uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable? You think of me as uncomfortable?”

She wasn’t aware of the sigh she couldn’t help but let out. Kangeun gripped her forehead and began to pace. The fatigue of her first day back at work, which she had forgotten about until moments ago, now weighed heavily upon her.

“It’s not like we live in the same house anymore.”

Until Hyunwoo married Soo-ah and left Verona, Kangeun had lived in the same house with Jaeseon-ajusshi, Anna, and Hyunwoo for nearly four years.

But even living in the same house, they didn’t see each other every day. Unlike Kangeun, who lived a life just going between school and home, Hyunwoo was busy. He was out of town more often than he was home due to club activities and frequent trips. Then he married early and lived in Milan ever since, only returning to Verona alone six months ago.

Even if they had known each other for nearly ten years, the time they lived in the same house wasn’t even half of that. The time they stayed in the same space must have been less than a quarter of that again. Even when they lived together, he had never knocked on her bedroom door at this hour.

So, Hyunwoo’s unreasonable behavior now was strange. No matter how much she tried to see it in a good light, she couldn’t help but think it was thoughtless behavior.

“Even if we lived together, it’s too late. If it’s not urgent, I’d prefer to talk tomorrow. I’ll go to your office as soon as I get to work.”

“……You, knowing it’s late.”

“……Yes?”

After a brief silence, Hyunwoo’s voice sounded almost eerie. Kangeun frowned at his attitude, which was impossible to read. But Hyunwoo didn’t say anything more.

“……Hello?”

“Huu…….”

At the end of Hyunwoo’s heavy, suppressed sigh, the deep roar of a motorcycle engine could be heard. And the sound was the same as the one Kangeun had heard with her own ears, not through the phone. It was the sound of a motorcycle passing quickly along the main street where the office-tel was located.

If Hyunwoo hadn’t called from his office-tel, but from the first floor of Kangeun’s office-tel. If he had come downstairs with the intention of coming to her house without even asking her.

A strange, chilling feeling washed over her, but since his office-tel was just across the street, it was possible they had heard the same motorcycle sound. It was too early to jump to conclusions. Kangeun felt a strange shiver and didn’t dare to check outside the window.

“……But Director, are you outside right now, by any chance?”

“Kangeun-ah.”

“……Yes.”

“Are you with a man? Right now, is there a man beside you?”

Ah, that crossed the line.

Kangeun’s face went white, and she closed her eyes. Her trembling eyelids betrayed her feelings.

“I don’t think this is right.”

“What?”

“Acting like this, you’ve crossed the line.”

“…….”

“Even if this is advice as an Oppa and not as a Director, I want you to respect boundaries.”

In a lower voice, with trembling hands, Kangeun instinctively checked the locks on the front door. Whether he understood her words, had nothing to say, or was just offended—Hyunwoo remained silent for a long time.

“It seems you are mistaken about something, Kangeun-ah.”

The voice that followed sounded just like the usual Hyunwoo.

“Yes. You’re right, it’s late now. It seems we need to have a proper talk. Let’s see each other in the morning.”

Hyunwoo unilaterally ended the call. Kangeun, who had been lost in thought while gripping her forehead, massaging her shoulders as she headed toward the bathroom. She stood under the shower for quite a long time, and even after washing thoroughly, the fatigue and the unpleasant feeling wouldn’t fade.

“Hmm…….”

She had felt Hyunwoo’s attitude was a bit strange ever since he returned from Milan to Verona, but she had thought it was just the gentle Oppa of the past acting a bit over-the-top. That had to be it, because he had a beloved wife.

Hyunwoo’s wife, Soo-ah, had been wary of Kangeun from the time they were dating. Kangeun had been the one to celebrate more sincerely than anyone when they announced they were in love, having met through her. That was why she felt hurt by Soo-ah’s sharp treatment.

But she had thought it was understandable. So she hadn’t said anything to Soo-ah, and she had started keeping her distance from Hyunwoo, who was still acting affectionately.

However, Hyunwoo, who had lived freely in Milan, had joined the company six months ago, saying he would take over the family business in earnest. It was natural that Kangeun, who was already an employee of Tenuto Coffee, would end up helping him. As a result, she couldn’t avoid him as he kept her by his side and contacted her frequently, and they ended up spending more time together.

She swore she never had any other intentions. She had only tried to be polite because he was a man she was grateful to and the son of Jaeseon-ajusshi, to whom she owed a great debt. But when had his temperature changed?

“Ah……. I don’t want to go to work.”

She didn’t want to see Hyunwoo, who would come by tomorrow morning saying they should go to work together. Kangeun’s gaze, as she dried her wet hair with a stiff expression, inadvertently fell on her phone.

It was Siheon. He had sent several messages: saying he had gotten home, and that she must be tired from her first day of work, so to sleep well. Kangeun’s cheeks softened as she replied to his messages.