Yoonseul was speechless under the intense gaze directed at her from across the table.

At the same time, she felt relieved.

Go Wooyoung had felt the same way she had. She hadn't been the only one waiting, the only one remembering all those years.

For some reason, simply knowing he hadn't forgotten her was enough to bring her comfort.

She was the first to break eye contact, lowering her gaze and emptying the glass of soju in front of her.

"You really can hold your liquor, huh?"

Wooyoung chuckled at the adorable sight of her taking little sips.

"Told you. Hic. I'm good at drinking."

Yoonseul answered with an immensely proud expression.

Her words were already coming out noticeably slurred, a sure sign that the alcohol was getting to her. Her eyes had gone a little unfocused, too.

Still, Wooyoung had to admit she was holding up reasonably well, just as she'd claimed.

He laughed softly.

"That's right. Na Yoonseul is an excellent drinker."

He gave her a thumbs-up.

And just like that, Yoonseul felt herself getting choked up again.

Go Wooyoung. The one person who could always make her cry.

She had endured so much over the years, holding herself together through every hurt and disappointment. No matter how miserable or sad she felt, she had managed to keep her tears in check.

Yet in the few days since meeting him again, how many times had she cried?

And the way her heart went wild whenever their eyes met was driving her crazy.

She liked him. He was like an older brother to her, someone who felt like family.

But unlike when she was little, other feelings kept surfacing without warning.

I keep seeing Na Yoonseul as a woman instead of a little sister.

That remark he'd made earlier certainly wasn't helping.

She hadn't thought anything of the sort before, but now his words kept echoing in her ears, impossible to shake.

"Come on. If you're finished drinking, let's go."

"...Where?"

"To bed."

"..."

Yoonseul's eyes widened in alarm.

Wooyoung rose from his seat with a mischievous expression.

"I told you earlier, didn't I? We're staying the night."

Right.

He had said they would be staying overnight.

But where on earth did he intend for them to sleep?

While Wooyoung stood, Yoonseul remained rooted to her chair. He tilted his head toward her.

"Come on."

With that, he headed off to pay the bill.

Yoonseul drew a deep breath, picked up her handbag, and followed him.

******

"This place..."

The place he had brought her was none other than her old home.

Or rather, the land where her home had once stood.

In the past, her house and Wooyoung's had stood side by side. Now both appeared to have been demolished, replaced by a fairly large vacation house.

Standing in front of it, Yoonseul looked around with wide eyes.

"What are you doing out there? Come inside."

"Wooyoung!"

He had already opened the gate and gone in.

Am I drunk? Is this really the right place?

Yoonseul looked around again, trying to make sure.

It was definitely the right place.

Even at night, there was no way she could fail to recognize it. That tree was still standing where it always had, and the house with the yellow roof farther down the road hadn't changed either.

While she stood bewildered at the gate, Wooyoung had already crossed the yard.

He stopped at the front door and beckoned to her.

"Seul, hurry up."

She hurried after him in quick little steps.

When Wooyoung opened the front door and switched on the lights, the interior came into view.

"Wow..."

A soft exclamation escaped her lips.

Everything was brand-new, yet the place felt wonderfully cozy.

It wasn't so spacious that the entire interior could be seen at a glance, but something about it felt warm and welcoming.

Yoonseul could feel her heart softening.

"It's actually my first time seeing it in person, too."

Wooyoung glanced around.

He had hired people to build and furnish the place while he was in America.

Every corner reflected his personal taste.

He had received photographs throughout the construction and furnishing process, approving each stage as the work progressed. So although this was his first visit, the house already felt surprisingly familiar.

"Well? What do you think? Do you like our house?"

Our house.

Those two words lodged themselves firmly in Yoonseul's mind.

She was still staring at him in surprise when he continued.

"And this is Na Yoonseul's room."

He strode over to one of the doors and threw it open.

Then he opened another door directly opposite.

"And this one's mine."

Yoonseul stood in the middle of the living room, staring at him.

The entire situation was too unbelievable to process.

Wooyoung smiled at her and slipped off his suit jacket.

Now dressed in nothing but a white shirt stretched snugly across his broad frame, he looked so striking that her heart began fluttering all over again.

"I'm going to take a shower. Oh, there's a bathroom in my room and one in yours. I've stocked your room with clothes and underwear, too, so you can shower and change if you want."

With that, he disappeared into the room he'd claimed as his own.

Silence settled over the living room.

Suddenly left alone, Yoonseul began slowly wandering through the house.

She remembered moving into Auntie Inja's home after Grandma passed away.

Her aunt's family had been struggling financially, so the only space they could spare for her was a small storage room.

How many nights had Yoonseul spent lying alone in that cramped little room, thinking about Wooyoung?

She had been grateful that her aunt had taken her in.

But the feeling that she had been left completely alone in the world remained painfully vivid even now.

"..."

The house had been decorated with extraordinary care.

Not just the furniture, but even the smallest ornaments placed here and there had clearly been chosen with thought.

There didn't seem to be a single neglected corner.

She had always known Wooyoung was thoughtful and meticulous, but she hadn't imagined he would go this far.

As she wandered around, Yoonseul eventually stopped in front of the room he'd said was hers.

Something about it made her feel strange.

For a while, she simply stood outside, unable to bring herself to enter.

Then, after a moment's hesitation, she stepped inside.

"Ah..."

The sight of the beautifully furnished room brought an unexpected tightness to her chest.

It was cozy.

Warm.

Comforting in a way that reminded her of being held in Go Wooyoung's arms earlier that evening.

Standing beside the bed, Yoonseul carefully sat down.

She ran a hand over the bedding, feeling its soft texture beneath her fingers, before gently lowering herself onto the mattress.

The plush, welcoming bedding cradled her back.

She lay there quietly.

And before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.

******

After finishing his shower, Wooyoung stepped into the living room.

"Is she taking a shower?"

But the house seemed far too quiet for that.

He walked toward Yoonseul's room, and his gaze settled on something inside.

He stood in the doorway for a moment, watching.

Then he stepped into the room.

"After all that drinking..."

She'd finally passed out.

She had looked utterly exhausted even before they'd arrived. Apparently, she'd lain down for a moment and fallen straight asleep.

She hadn't even managed to shower or change.

Yoonseul was still wearing the same clothes she'd had on earlier.

Wooyoung regarded her with tender affection before reaching out and gently brushing the loose strands of hair away from her face.

Her silky hair tickled between his fingers.

"And your eyes are all swollen."

She had cried her heart out in his arms earlier, and her eyes were still terribly puffy.

Her swollen eyelids looked adorable.

But the tender, irritated skin around her eyes, raw from so many tears, made his heart ache.

Wooyoung gazed at her quietly before carefully brushing his thumb over the little beauty mark beneath her eye.

Then his fingers moved gently across her cheek, the rounded tip of her nose, and her long, thick eyelashes.

Her delicate brows drew together.

"Mmm..."

Even the little noises she made in her sleep were adorable.

He couldn't help smiling.

Her cheeks were still as soft as rice cakes.

Na Yoonseul had always been adorable from head to toe, without a single exception.

And somehow, while he hadn't been looking, that little girl had grown into a woman.

The look in Wooyoung's eyes deepened.

"..."

His jet-black gaze lingered on her rosy lips.

Gradually, the smile faded from his face.

He carefully brushed his thumb over those soft, moist lips.

A multitude of emotions passed through his eyes.

Wooyoung stood there for a long while, looking down at the sleeping Yoonseul as he tried to sort through the complicated thoughts crowding his mind.

******

"Mmm."

Yoonseul shifted in her sleep, then moved a little closer, burrowing into a warm embrace.

As she nuzzled against it, a familiar, faintly sweet scent brushed her nose.

A scent that made her heart soften just from breathing it in.

Even half-asleep, she loved that fragrance.

Yoonseul rubbed her face against it again.

"..."

A large hand settled on her head, gently stroking her hair.

Then it moved down her back and drew her slender waist closer.

Naturally, she found herself nestled more snugly against the warm body holding her.

Just as she was thinking how wonderful that touch felt, something struck her as strange.

Isn't this... a dream?

It certainly wasn't the sort of dream she'd ever had before.

Still keeping her eyes closed, Yoonseul slowly raised her eyelids.

Blink.

Blink.

She blinked sluggishly until her blurry vision gradually sharpened.

And there, directly in front of her, was a robe hanging wide open to reveal a firm, bare chest.

"..."

What... is this?

She was still trying to figure out exactly what she was looking at when—

"Go back to sleep. Why are you awake already?"

A deep, sleep-heavy voice vibrated through the body pressed against hers.

More precisely, it seemed to be coming from somewhere directly above her head.

Yoonseul's expression instantly froze.

There was only one person she knew who had that voice.

She was just about to tilt her head back for a look when a strong arm pulled her close again.

Chapter 14

Comments