Chapter 2
“…Baekseung Hotel.”
I straightened my back sharply in the restaurant on the top floor of Baekseung Hotel, as if I couldn’t believe I was really sitting there. My shoulders were so tense from anxiety that it actually hurt.
Looking around, this place had nothing in common with me at all. It was a space where every corner was polished to perfection, bathed in light, unused, while I…
“……”
Was the kind of person who belonged in a dim, shadowy corner rather than somewhere that touched the sky.
I had promised myself not to sigh today, but it slipped out anyway.
Ha… I sighed again.
This was the first time I’d ever sat in a restaurant where everything looked so expensive. Just sitting here felt uncomfortable and awkward.
My father and stepmother had never taken me to a place like this before, so the luxurious interior, the piano music, the staff who moved without a sound—all of it pressed down on me like an overwhelming weight.
‘Don’t ever give your heart to Baek Do-hyun. At least you have a half-decent face, because you look a lot like my stepmother’s face, right?’
Father’s words echoed in my chest, squeezing the air out of it.
It would have been better if Baek Do-hyun hadn’t liked me. But the reason my father pushed me into this seat must have been important.
If it weren’t for that, he would have sent Jin Yeon-a instead of me, the illegitimate child.
‘Don’t climb up the ranks believing in a half-decent face! That’s what my stepmother drilled into my ears from when I was little.’
I slowly turned my head and looked at the face reflected in the window. Father and stepmother were right. If I had anything to be proud of, it was my face. Since I looked like the mother I couldn’t remember, it was truly half-decent.
I’d grown up hearing that I was pretty, even though the first memory of my childhood was supposed to be ugly. Of course, back when I was in school, I received countless confessions.
Whether it was good or bad, the strange rumors followed me around until they finally stopped, but I always knew who had spread them.
I turned my dry eyes and quietly stared at the delicate cup in front of me.
“H…ah.”
Now that I had graduated from university, my father had immediately demanded I get married. It was enough to make my heart ache. I gnawed at my lips as a knock sounded near my ear.
I quickly turned my head toward the sound. The door slowly opened, and the person who appeared made my breath catch.
The moment our eyes met, his steps toward me stopped. After a moment, he sat down across from me with a calm expression.
Though he showed no sign of it, I was honestly shocked. My heart was about to stop. No, he was too handsome. It made sense now why Yeon-a had been causing such a scene this morning.
Heat rose to my face, so I raised my hand and tucked a strand of hair behind my right ear.
“Is this Miss Jin Yeon-woo?”
“Ah… yes, that’s me.”
His voice was even lower than I expected, like it scratched against my ear.
“Baek Do-hyun.”
I stared blankly at the man who offered his hand for a handshake. He raised the corner of his mouth languidly, and I finally understood why Father had always warned me never to get attached to him.
If this weren’t the arranged meeting, he would have been the perfect ideal man at first sight. Or maybe the ideal for everyone.
I swallowed dryly and extended my small hand. Baek Do-hyun took it and gently shook it.
“Nice to meet you.”
“Ah… yes. Me too.”
My words were soft, but Baek Do-hyun’s gaze clung to my face with unusual intensity. I felt my throat burning under that stare, like I was being starved for air.
“Um… excuse me…”
His hand hadn’t left mine even after a while, making my face grow steadily hotter.
“Let go of my hand for a moment…”
“Ah, sorry.”
He released it quickly and apologized just as quickly in a polished manner. Then he took my hand again and held it tightly with his.
The hand that held mine felt burning hot. I thought about fanning myself because it was so hot, but I stopped myself and held still.
“I ordered lunch already. Is that all right? The chef here is a friend of mine. I asked him to prepare the most delicious food.”
“It’s… fine.”
I said it was fine, but worry crept in. Every time the food was brought out, my eyes darted nervously and my face turned pale.
I should have known how to use a fork and knife here, but I had no idea at all. Why were there so many of them? How did you eat the food that looked so precious? I had no clue.
“This is umeboshi dressing squid carpaccio, finely chopped umeboshi and all.”
A staff member came to introduce the dish, but I nodded without understanding a word.
“It goes well with red pepper flakes for a spicy kick…”
“You don’t need to explain. We’re starving.”
Did he sense that I was uncomfortable? Baek Do-hyun smiled faintly and dismissed the staff. Even I knew it took skill to talk to someone without offending them, but Baek Do-hyun seemed born with it.
“After eating lunch like this, I’m still hungry. Please enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
I followed the fork and knife he picked up from the many options. I kept glancing around, wondering if he had noticed me. Our eyes finally met.
I awkwardly lifted the corner of my mouth and lowered my head.
“Is the taste all right?”
“Ah… yes, it’s delicious.”
In truth, I had no idea what I was eating. I was so tense it felt like I was chewing sand. I hadn’t had a chance to even taste it.
“What kind of food do you usually like, Yeon-woo? You were a college student until recently.”
“……”
“I used to eat a lot of tteokbokki, pasta, katsu, ah, jajangmyeon, and all that when I was in college. Do you like those too, Yeon-woo?”
Out of the foods that clearly didn’t suit him came words that made me feel a secret joy, since they were the ones I ate most often.
“I do. I eat them often too.”
My stiff expression gradually softened.
“Hmm. I see.”
Had he liked it too much? It seemed like he was saying the food in front of us wasn’t good, so my cheeks flushed.
“These dishes are also very delicious.”
They were sophisticated and perfectly matched ingredients. I thought I’d remember them.
“That’s good to hear. Shall we go eat tteokbokki next time we meet?”
“What?”
My eyes widened. We’d only known each other for an hour, and he was already asking to meet again. He set down the fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and sat up straight. Then he stared at my startled face.
“I’ve been seeing a lot of suitors lately. You’ve probably heard—Grandma isn’t well, and she wants us to get married quickly.”
I was about to say I hadn’t heard any of that, but I closed my mouth.
“There’s no one I like, and I’m tired of seeing suitors. Time is wasting. I told my mother today would be the last time I’d see any.”
I bit my lip. Father’s voice kept ringing in my ears.
‘If you give your heart, it will ruin our plans. Stay sharp! You have to see your grandmother before she passes.’
Grandma.
Mom had passed away early, and I had lived with Grandma. If Father hadn’t suddenly appeared and separated us, we would have lived happily without money.
Until I entered university, I could see Grandma occasionally. When she collapsed from a heart problem and I said I would live with her now that I was an adult, Father hid her as if to prove a point.
It had been four years ago. Father used Grandma as an excuse to control me freely. Today was no different. If it weren’t for Grandma, I would never have been brought here.
“But I’m glad things turned out this way today. Let’s get married then.”
I didn’t say anything about how soon it was after meeting. I could tell from his eyes that he was serious.
As I had fallen for him, so had he for me. That much was obvious.
But there were complications. Most of all, Father was planning something. That was why I wanted to refuse. And…
“I’m…”
Even if it meant defying Father, there was no way we could be together.
I lifted my bowed head and looked straight at him.
“I’m an illegitimate child.”
“I know that. You probably wouldn’t have come if you didn’t.”
“…And my left ear…”
He opened his mouth to answer, but his voice was too faint for me to hear. What had he said?
***
Was I missing the past version of him so much that I dreamed of the first meeting?
“…Ugh.”
I let out a startled cry as a ticklish sensation ran through me and slowly opened my eyes.
“…Do-hyun?”
In the darkness, I reached out toward the man lying on top of me, sucking on my nipple.
“Do-hyun. Ha… kiss… kiss me, please.”
I loved his kisses. I pulled my lips up and hugged his head tightly. “Why don’t you kiss me fast?” I whined.
“……”
My shoulders jerked because he still wasn’t speaking.
“Ah… I’m sorry. It was just a dream.”
I quickly loosened my arms and let go of his head. He lifted his head from my breast, and his face was contorted.
Only then did I realize I had fully woken from the dream.