Chapter 5
Up to this moment, Hyein had been nothing short of terrified. The question that continually plagued her was why she had become a target and, more perplexingly, why Woojin’s mother refused to leave her in peace.
“Why me?” she implored, her voice trembling with fear.
“Because, Ms. Seo,” Woojin began, his eyes locked onto hers, “after today, she will believe you to be mine.”
“But that’s not the truth,” Hyein protested, her brow furrowing.
“Whether it’s the truth or not isn’t the issue here,” Woojin explained calmly. “Who would believe you? Besides, we have a history, remember? She’s bound to uncover it when she investigates.”
A soft laugh escaped Woojin’s lips, marking the first time Hyein had seen him smile since their reunion. Hyein, however, was far from sharing his amusement.
“So, what are you trying to say?” she inquired, her patience wearing thin.
“You’re not seeing anyone right now, are you?” Woojin queried, a hint of superiority in his voice. “Well, it’s clear you aren’t. You’re still struggling to make ends meet, trapped in your ‘breadwinner orphan’ persona. Should I consider myself lucky?”
“Did you conduct a background check on me?” Hyein asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.
“Perhaps, when it was necessary,” Woojin admitted, his demeanor unapologetic. “I have much to learn since someone mysteriously disappeared from my life before.”
Hyein pondered whether people truly changed over long periods. This version of Woojin was entirely unfamiliar to her. The Woojin she remembered had been kind and friendly, but this current incarnation seemed to have a penchant for invading others’ privacy and using crude language. Hyein found herself feeling flustered in his presence.
Could this arrogant side of him be his true nature? It seemed plausible; otherwise, how had he deceived her for so many years? She had clearly misjudged his character.
“So, you’re admitting you did a background check on me? Did you come all this way just to tell me that?” Hyein inquired, growing impatient.
“No, that’s just the beginning,” Woojin replied, ignoring her waning interest. “I was about to get to the point…”
But Hyein had already lost interest in his proposal. She had hoped for an apology for his mother’s behavior but had no inkling of what Woojin was about to suggest. Determined to end the conversation, she attempted to walk away. However, Woojin’s hand stealthily found her shoulder and held on, his touch surprisingly tender, as if he was cradling something precious. It had been a while since Hyein had experienced such physical contact, and she couldn’t help but let out an involuntary scream.
“Let me go!” she demanded.
“I haven’t finished speaking,” Woojin insisted, his grip tightening as he stroked her arm.
At that moment, Hyein felt an eerie sense of déjà vu. Every place Woojin touched seemed to burn, a sensation he had a habit of invoking whenever he touched her. Woojin would often rest his hand on her shoulder and gently glide it downward as though it were an instinctive gesture.
Hyein abruptly shook off his arm and snapped, “What do you want from me, exactly?”
“We can help each other out with something. You need money, and I need a woman to deceive my mother.”
His words left Hyein in a daze, her mouth slightly ajar.
“Be my girlfriend,” Woojin proposed with a hint of disbelief.
It was inconceivable.
Woojin appeared to have lost his mind.
Hyein, taken aback, unconsciously bit her lower lip.
“I thought you’d be occupied with your directorial duties. But you seem to have plenty of free time,” she retorted.
“You have no idea how much I’m sacrificing by standing before you right now,” Woojin admitted, his tone becoming softer.
“If you’re making such a sacrifice, why are you saying such bizarre things?”
Something about Woojin’s behavior baffled Hyein even more than his arrogance—the fact that he was asking her to be his girlfriend again. Eight years had passed, and people had changed. Woojin should have recognized the chasm that had grown between them.
“Don’t you need someone to stand up for you? My mother is a formidable force.”
“I can handle myself. She’ll believe me if I tell her that there’s nothing between us. Plus, I’m Seo Hyein. Don’t you know who I am?”
“There’s no need to react so defensively. I suggested we date, not fall in love.”
Hyein was taken aback by his unexpected response. It seemed he understood her reaction and was trying to persuade her.
“My mother believes that if I marry someone from a respectable background, it will benefit the company. That’s why she keeps arranging these marriage meetings, just like she did for my brother.”
“I have no interest in your family’s history,” Hyein replied flatly.
“But I despise it. It feels like I’m some kind of farm animal.”
Hyein couldn’t comprehend his point. Why didn’t he express his feelings to his mother if he genuinely opposed it?
“Then tell her you don’t want it,” she suggested.
“Don’t you think I’ve tried that already? I’ve been saying it since I was born. ‘Mother, I want to live my own life.’ But no matter how many times I say it, the result remains the same.”
Hyein remembered the woman with the icy demeanor. She couldn’t find a rebuttal and remained silent, oddly compelled by his words.
“Think about it… It’s not a bad proposition. If you accept, we’ll pretend to be in a relationship for a while. Eventually, we can break up. Ms. Seo, you’ll also receive compensation.”
Hyein belatedly processed Woojin’s words. The words “relationship” and “compensation” echoed in her mind. Suspicion flickered in her gaze as she fixed it on Woojin.
“So, you’re saying that… you’ll pay me if we casually date and then break up?”
“If you prefer, we can date for an extended period before breaking up.”
“That’s not the point.”
“It doesn’t have to be money. It could be anything I can provide, like property, a job, or something else of value.”
Hyein had finally grasped the essence of Woojin’s proposition. While the world saw them as lovers, he intended to use her as a shield against his mother, compensating her for her efforts.
Contemplating the audacity of Woojin’s proposal, Hyein couldn’t help but wish she could dissect his brain to understand how he could make such an indecent offer, especially to her, of all people. She swallowed her anger, silently seething.
With a cynical tone, Hyein inquired, “So, how much are you willing to pay?”
“Aren’t the terms something for you to decide, Ms. Seo?” Woojin responded calmly. “That’s why negotiations exist, after all. What do you say? Does this proposal seem more acceptable now?”
Hyein couldn’t help but think that if she had known earlier that Shin Woojin could brazenly suggest putting a price on a relationship, she would never have fallen in love with him in the first place. Even though their past had already left her shattered, the realization still stung.
Hyein clenched her lower lip and sternly criticized him, “Do you take me for a joke? How long do you intend to trample on people’s dignity? Back then, too, even if you didn’t do that to me…”
“Do what?” Woojin looked puzzled, but Hyein remained resolutely silent. She had no intention of bringing up past events and making it seem like she still harbored any regrets.
“It doesn’t matter,” she finally replied. “I decline. I want to live with dignity. Just because I lack money doesn’t mean I lack self-respect. Goodbye.”
Hyein, her eyes shooting icy daggers at the refined man in front of her, turned and walked away without a backward glance.
Woojin’s low voice reached her from behind, “You’ll eventually accept.”
Hyein halted mid-step and looked down at him from the stairs.
“Did you not hear what I said earlier?”
“I could ask you the same question, Ms. Seo. It seems my words went in one ear and out the other. I said you’ll be in deep trouble soon. I’m suggesting it would be better for you to accept my generous proposal now rather than come crying to me later. At least this way, you can maintain some semblance of dignity and pride. Isn’t it better to decide yourself than to be coerced into it?”
The older Shin Woojin was far more impudent and rude than she had ever imagined.
“You don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself.”
“How often do you think you’ll have an opportunity to change your circumstances so easily? Just take a bite. I’m telling you, you’ll be driven to desperation.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Besides, isn’t it amusing? Casually using a man you once abandoned and then abandoning him again.”
Hyein was about to argue back but hesitated. Despite the inappropriateness of his words, there was a hint of hurt in his voice.
“You asked if I didn’t know who you were. Well, I do. That’s precisely why I’m suggesting this. We already know each other, so we don’t need to waste time getting to know one another again. There’s no way we’ll fall in love anew. We parted on bad terms. All we have to do is take from this relationship what we need. I believe it’s a very advantageous deal.”
Her lips quivered. She didn’t want to hear any more of this. Even if he had presented this offer politely, it would still be offensive. After all, he was proposing to buy her. Hyein also wanted no part of him. Her life was a daily struggle, and she had no desire to entertain him further.
“I take back my words. Don’t take care. I hope you stumble and get bruised,” she remarked casually.
With all her might, Hyein slammed the entrance door to the building shut. Woojin was left alone outside, his face contorted in anguish. As he stared up at the rugged exterior of the building, he sighed deeply. His harsh words seemed to have hit him like arrows instead of their intended target. The pain lingered.
Of course, he hadn’t expected his offer to be received so disdainfully. He didn’t anticipate such a cold reaction. After all, she had been the one to abandon him. Woojin felt bitter because it seemed he was the desperate one.
“Damn it,” he muttered.
After seeing the lights on the top floor turn on, he returned to his car and let out another bitter sigh.
***
In the dressing room, Hyein’s hand, unbuttoning her uniform, froze in place. She stood there like a statue for a while, lost in thought. She finally leaned against the cabinet and exhaled a long sigh. Over the past few days, she had been unable to focus on her work due to Woojin’s absurd proposition. His offer of financial support in exchange for a romantic relationship had left her rattled.
Was he truly such a calculating and cruel person?
Just take a bite. I’m telling you, you’ll be driven to desperation.
“Take a bite… What am I, a caterpillar? What is there to peel off?” Hyein muttered to herself.
Shin Woojin epitomized arrogance and disrespect. It was as if he had never heard of humility. He put on a facade of gentleness, but he seemed to have no qualms about trampling on others until they were in tatters.
Hyein shook her head, removed her uniform, and placed it inside the cabinet.
At that moment, the gallery manager unexpectedly entered the room. She wore a troubled expression as if the words she had to convey were difficult to utter. Sensing this, Hyein instinctively clutched her uniform once again.