He barely managed to calm his complicated expression and answered.
“……Yeah, I’m not telling you to marry a woman you have no feelings for right away. But you never know what might happen if you meet her. Father has already prepared someone, so just try going on a blind date once. Who knows, you might be attracted to her.”
“Where did you learn the term ‘blind date’? I refuse.”
“Lee Seongjo! I’ve already compromised a lot. I could force you to set a date, but considering you……”
However, those words didn’t continue to the end either. Seeing Seongjo’s calm expression, he soon let out a sigh and trailed off.
“Aigoo…… Are you planning to live alone for the rest of your life just because you broke up with that bastard? You need to meet other people.”
He could have just let his nagging go in one ear and out the other. But Seongjo impulsively opened his mouth.
“I’m seeing someone.”
“What?!”
The moment he heard those words, it was quite entertaining to watch his father’s face change in succession from flustered to anxious to secretly pleased. Soon he opened his mouth as if he’d reached a conclusion.
“……Right! Having someone, anyone, is better than having no one. Even if her background is a bit lacking, that’s fine, so just bring her over. What family is the young lady from? What’s her occupation?”
Of course, saying he was seeing someone was a lie. But he needed to have someone he was seeing to postpone his father’s interference, so for an impulsive statement, it had quite a bit of meaning. Seongjo answered slowly, as if drawn by something.
“A teacher.”
“A teacher is good! How old?”
“Younger than me.”
As he said that, there was a face that came to mind. Jeon Yujeong, whose occupation was teacher and who appeared to be around Seongjo’s age or perhaps a bit younger. It was true that he had made quite a striking first impression, but he hadn’t intended to use his image in this situation. He felt slightly apologetic. Separately from that, his mouth moved faithfully.
“But also male.”
“What……!”
There was probably a reason why his father naturally assumed Seongjo’s new lover would be a woman. He was someone fundamentally closed-minded for his age, and except for Yeongbeom alone, he had always only dated women. The problem was that he dated that one for too long.
However, he couldn’t say his imaginary lover was a woman. It was obvious he’d immediately pressure him to bring her and get married. Offering Yujeong another non-apology apology in his mind, Seongjo smiled shamelessly.
President Lee’s face, which had brightened thinking his only son had finally come to his senses, instantly became gloomy as if covered by dark clouds.
“Are you rebelling? If you keep acting like this, Father won’t stay still either.”
“What are you going to do? Cut off my card after I’ve passed thirty?”
“You……!”
Seongjo smiled and touched the corner of his mouth. If he kept playfully responding like this, even his father’s patience, which he’d been barely holding onto and appeasing, seemed like it would run out. When he held firm with his mouth tightly shut, his father covered his flushed face with one hand and plopped down in a chair.
“What on earth is this kid trying to do……”
‘That’s what I’d like to know.’
What would be best? Though he’d already blurted it out, deciding what to do from now on was difficult for Seongjo too.
His father, having heard this quite shocking confession, went on with various lectures as if trying to persuade Seongjo somehow. However, Seongjo let the nagging flow through one ear while lost in thought. At least one thing was certain.
He needed to move out.
Saying he was moving out at 32 sounded ridiculous, but the circumstances were a bit different from ordinary families. Seongjo basically lived at the main family home with his father, but there were many days he wasn’t there. He had a separate apartment where he stayed on days he didn’t go home. (While meeting with Yeongbeom, that apartment was mainly used as a dating spot.) The main house was so large it was hard to call it a family home, and his father was also often away for work, making the phrase ‘living together’ meaningless.
However, no matter how little time they directly bumped into each other, there was a world of difference between living in a place where his father could interfere at any time and not doing so. Since the apartment he’d been using was already known to his father anyway, he was thinking of finding a completely new place.
Having reached that conclusion, Seongjo finally cut off his father’s nagging that had been continuing all along.
“Understood, Father. I’ll be going now.”
“We’re not done talking yet!”
“Ah, please keep this secret from Grandfather.”
Though even if he didn’t say anything, he’d have no choice but to keep it secret from him anyway. After flashing a wink and smile, he quickly exited the president’s office. He seemed to hear the sound of a deeply deflated sigh behind him.
He became lost in thought on the way. He recalled Yujeong, who had become the model for the fake lover he’d just created. Why had he been the first to come to mind? If it had simply been for camouflage, he could have suggested simpler conditions.
Though he was bothered by him, it was ultimately because of the somehow familiar atmosphere and…… the subtle sense of incongruity from his sharp way of speaking.
As he mulled over things about him, he suddenly realized.
After breaking up with Yeongbeom, Seongjo had continuously thought about him. Whether the direction of those thoughts was love, hate, or doubt, whichever it was.
But after meeting that man, Jeon Yujeong…….
‘……Should I see him.’
Right, he should see him once more.
That thought occurred to him.
* * *
[That worked out well]
[Are you sure no one bullied you?]
[Be honest, I know everything even if you don’t say it]
<Jo Yeongeun>
[ㅠㅠ…]
[(An emoticon of a rabbit trembling with the text ‘ㄷㄷ’)]
[It’s not quite to the point of bullying but…]
[Today someone did say??? to be careful on my way home at night…ㅠㅠ;;]
[But I think it was a joke ㅠㅠ]
[Really…ㅠㅠ]
“As if it was a joke.”
Now that he’d decided to see Yujeong again, the place he needed to go was decided. Fortunately, Seongjo even had Yeongeun as a legitimate reason to visit the school, so it couldn’t be better.
He already knew the fact that Yeongeun hid bad things and only talked about good things so as not to cause unnecessary worry. Normally he would have had someone secretly look into it, but today he’d just pressed her for details.
Seongjo left a reply saying ‘I happen to have nothing to do today and I’m bored, so I’ll come pick you up’ and immediately started the car. Alone, without even bringing his secretary along.
When Seongjo’s car entered the parking lot, Yujeong was just walking in from the opposite side. Seongjo checked the direction Yujeong was heading, then parked appropriately across from where his car seemed to be parked. Yujeong was watching Seongjo get out with cold eyes. Though he thought he wouldn’t speak first, surprisingly he opened his mouth right away and said something.
“……What brings you here? Nothing should have happened to Student Jo Yeongeun today.”
“Oh? You recognize me.”
Seongjo smiled nonchalantly and leaned one arm on the driver’s side door he’d been closing. Though he’d thrown it out playfully, he’d actually thought he might pretend not to know him and pass by, so there was sincerity mixed in those words. However, after watching him for a moment, Yujeong didn’t even answer and pressed his car key firmly. The headlights flashed, signaling the lock had been released.
“Aw, come on.”
Seongjo, who had laughed lightly, approached him closely and this time grabbed the driver’s side door Yujeong was opening. Yujeong glanced down at Seongjo’s hand and only then opened his mouth again.
“This side is the direction students don’t come out. Please wait in front of the school gate.”
“What if I said I have business with the teacher?”
Even while looking at the playfully smiling Seongjo, Yujeong’s expression didn’t waver in the slightest. He answered in an extremely calm voice.
“I don’t have any business, so I’m leaving.”
It was clearly a statement severely putting up walls, but rather than getting angry or hurt, Seongjo burst into loud laughter. Rather than subtly showing his dislike, he was so blatantly expressing it that it actually sounded like a joke, which piqued his interest. It overlapped with the image of him reproaching the parent in the teachers’ office.
“Even if I said it’s important business?”
“It probably isn’t.”
That was both true and not true.
He’d come all this way using Yeongeun as an excuse. When he was neither her real older brother nor her real uncle. Of course, even if it hadn’t been Yujeong, he would have been worried about Yeongeun and taken appropriate measures, but he wouldn’t have come in person. So it wasn’t an exaggeration to say he’d come purely because he had business with Yujeong. However, it seemed like Yujeong would scoff even if he heard it.
What would be appropriate to say? Seongjo continued a meaningless staring contest with Yujeong while still holding onto the driver’s side door. Just then, someone entering the parking lot spoke to Yujeong.
“Teacher Jeon, are you leaving work now?”
