Chapter 11
“Oppa!”
Hyun-seo let out a dry, incredulous laugh. She had nerve.
Did that side of her always exist? It was truly unexpected. The Min Tae-yeon he knew at the company was the kind of woman he never imagined could possess such boldness. Polished and proper, she handled her work with quiet responsibility and made sure her relationships with others went smoothly—she always said yes to everything.
“I really misjudged her.”
His muttered words hung in the air, and a moment later the door clicked shut behind her. When Tae-yeon looked up, Choi Hyun-seo was already gone. Left alone in the empty office, she felt a fresh wave of anger surge through her.
He sees me as nothing more than a replaceable accessory he can swap out whenever he wants. Of course. In any company, employees are always treated like that—small parts of a machine.
He can replace me anytime. The only reason he can’t is because this seat isn’t just a spare part. It’s the place of Yun-woo’s mother and Choi Hyun-seo’s wife.
To ordinary people, a wife isn’t an accessory. It’s a living, breathing relationship filled with warmth and blood ties. So I’m not just any employee.
If that’s how he sees me, I should feel nothing but disgust. Yet every time I sigh, it’s because I can’t help wanting to glimpse even a tiny corner of his heart. Is it even possible?
That man who cried when he saw the dying mother of his nephew. The man who stayed buried in darkness for three whole days after the news that Yun-woo’s mother had died. The man who can never forget her as long as he looks at Yun-woo.
Can I really reach that heart of his, even a little?
Only by trying will I know. But I didn’t come here with any intention of leaving without trying anything. I’ve simply grown tired over time.
The internal messenger of Miwoo Group was on fire thanks to Choi Hyun-seo and Min Tae-yeon’s wedding. And because Min Tae-yeon worked in the PR department, every female employee was practically foaming at the mouth.
“Do you know who Min Tae-yeon is?”
“That quiet girl from the PR office? She has a good personality and seems really capable in so many ways.”
“The fox of all foxes.”
“And she’s not just capable—she’s outstanding.”
The teasing voices bounced back and forth, and Shin Noel listened to every word. He and Tae-yeon weren’t dating openly. But it was clear this went far beyond the simple relationship of a landlord’s son and a woman living in a rooftop room or just between a brother and his friend.
So why was I wandering around Itaewon at this point, two days before her wedding?
It was the height of summer, and the remaining heat was pouring down like an open wound. The streets of Itaewon after work were blazing under the dying sunlight. After hesitating for a long time, Noel finally called Tae-yeon. Her voice came through, familiar and warm.
“Oppa.”
“Tae-yeon-ah. I’m right near your place.”
He was in Itaewon, just one street away from Hannam-dong. That tiny distance felt like an entire world. His gaze toward Hannam-dong was heavy with complicated emotions.
“Can I get a drink? Just one glass.”
It was evening. Hyun-seo usually came home late, but even if he came early, it wouldn’t matter. He wanted to see Noel once in a while.
“I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll be out for a bit.”
When Noel told Icheon-daek that he was stepping out for a moment, she smiled and nodded.
“Oh, it’s good that you go out once in a while. You’ve been cooped up in the house too much, young madam. Take a walk or meet a friend. Director will be gone for hours.”
“Yes.”
The coffee shop in Itaewon was bright and packed with people. The moment Tae-yeon stepped inside, a strange feeling washed over her—she had been stuck at home for months. Between work, colleagues, and the occasional dinners and beers with Noel after getting off, every small piece of normal life felt like something from another life entirely.
“Oppa.”
Noel’s heart twisted painfully when he saw Tae-yeon walk in. If he had known she was leaving so suddenly, he would have dragged her out of this hesitation long ago.
A love that never quite burned. The brother who only hoped for her happiness. The feelings he had lost in the chaos of time finally crystallized into love, but those lost days still felt like a very long stretch.
Then, when he dared to confess, Tae-yeon politely refused. Even though she rejected him, he wasn’t disappointed because he knew her feelings for him. After they both became managers, things only grew more positive.
While working two jobs, they could have built a bright future together—dating, then marriage. But suddenly she was gone. He thought she would come back soon, yet the news hit him like thunder and lightning. Tae-yeon’s mother Kyung-ja had told him she had given birth to Tae-yeon’s son and was about to get married. To Noel, it was unbelievable and devastating.
Unable to believe it, he went all the way to the hospital where Tae-yeon had given birth. In the VIP room of the large hospital, he saw her walking out holding the baby, right beside his own man.
That man was none other than Choi Hyun-seo—the successor of the Miwoo Group. A man who never even dared to look at him.
He was holding the child. Looking at the three of them together, all strength drained from Noel’s body. He folded the photo. Even after folding it, he still felt like he was going mad.
Suppressing the whirlwind of emotions in his chest, Noel raised his hand toward Tae-yeon.
“Hey, come here and sit. Long time no see. What would you like to drink, Tae-yeon?”
“Uh… just an Americano.”
“Hold on.”
Noel went to get their coffees. They sat in silence with the cups in front of them, but the heavier silence was Noel’s.
“Are the kids doing well?”
“Our Yun-woo. He’s doing great. Getting stronger, eating more.”
When Tae-yeon spoke of her child with a full smile on her face, Noel felt an inexplicable sense of defeat wash over him. He was only facing Tae-yeon right now, yet it felt as if he were standing in front of Choi Hyun-seo and his second child.
“The wedding is the day after tomorrow. I came to see your face once.”
“Mm, thank you, oppa.”
Looking at that effortless “thank you” on Tae-yeon’s face, Noel felt a deep pang of loss. Had he come all this way just to see that face?
Noel smiled, picked up his coffee cup, and hid his feelings behind it. Watching him sip the heavy drink, Tae-yeon felt her own heart grow even heavier.
Should I not have come at all?
I came with an easy heart, but seeing Noel’s face made her feel anything but easy. Noel was her longtime friend, her oppa from the neighborhood. They lived in the same building and saw each other often; he knew her situation and had always helped her.
But the moment she looked at his face, an inexplicable guilt flooded her. It was all because of the unexpected man she saw next to her—her external husband. The man who had confessed to her just two days ago. This was truly absurd.
It wasn’t even a love wedding. Why should she even feel this way? She was the only one trapped in this mess.
Tae-yeon also picked up her coffee cup. No matter where she went, she felt uneasy. Meeting her mother, visiting her in-laws, even facing Hyun-seo at home. She gulped it down with the hot coffee as a sigh escaped her.
“Are you happy?”
What a terrifying question. What exactly was happiness? If it was simply eating well, wearing nice clothes, and living comfortably, then she should be happy. She received triple her previous salary, all of which she could save. If salary was the standard for happiness, she should be happy. But could she really say that?
Hope for an unreachable man. A fragile thread of hope. Standing on a tightrope with the enormous secret of Yun-woo’s birth felt like a performance she could never quite pull off.
“Why is the new bride’s face like that?”
“New brides always look like this because of dieting.”
“You just had a baby—how long ago was that for you to be dieting?”
“Exactly. You need to diet even more. The bride has to look beautiful.”
She spoke words she didn’t truly mean. But it was only natural since her weight had dropped so much.
In the back seat of the car that was still stuck in traffic, Hyun-seo scrolled through emails on his tablet, then closed the cover. None of the reports flooding in were to his liking.
“If you’re going to work like this, just submit your resignation.”
He was almost home when the road stayed jammed, making him sigh. As he turned his head, the café he had passed earlier came into view. And at a window table sat a familiar face.
Min Tae-yeon. And the man sitting across from her. They were laughing brightly, chatting away as if they were sharing something genuinely fun. Had she ever once smiled so warmly and relaxedly in front of him? The sudden thought hit hard, leaving him unbearably irritated.
Hyun-seo pulled his phone from his pocket and snapped a photo without thinking. He didn’t even know why he took it.
When he enlarged the picture, there was Min Tae-yeon, her red lips parted in a perfect smile and her even teeth gleaming. Any man looking at her would think she was beautiful.