Chapter 26
Whatever That Relationship May Be
“What… what did you just say?”
So-hye stammered in surprise.
Hakje, watching her reaction in detail, stretched his lips into a slightly wider line and said,
“I think your engagement with Mr. Shin is… a lie.”
“….”
“Maybe it’s because you want to believe it so badly.”
Softly, the strand of hair he had been holding slipped down and landed back on So-hye’s chest.
She could hear the pounding of her own heartbeat in her ears.
This man… could it be that he knows something? Or is he just testing me?
Why… why is he doing this?
His gaze was too sharp for it to be mere curiosity.
Her tangled thoughts grew heavier and denser in her mind.
So-hye forced herself to swallow the breath that had collected under her chin, filled with tension and anxiety.
No. I mustn’t show that I’m flustered.
Whether he spoke in jest or was truly trying to probe, she could not let him discover that her story was false.
No one but Woo-geon could know.
So-hye clenched the bag in her hand tightly, trying to calm the emotions that surged unpredictably within her.
“Why would you say something like that?”
“It’s only my feeling. I wondered if there might have been circumstances forcing you to act that way…”
Hakje deliberately emphasized “circumstances forcing you,” as if suggesting she had been compelled by some unavoidable situation.
His eyes seemed to want to pierce deeper than ever.
“That day, to me, you two didn’t look like lovers in love.”
If they were truly a couple about to get engaged, she wouldn’t have looked so flustered when he came close.
“Is that not so?”
Up to now, no woman had ever resisted his gaze, his aura, or his desperate intensity for long. Even if she initially stepped back out of pride, she would soon fall willingly into his arms.
Hakje was confident So-hye, so innocent and naive about the world, would be the easiest prey.
Slowly leaning closer, he pressed his lips near her ear.
“If you have any troubles you can’t share with anyone, tell me everything.”
The hidden intent behind that warm breath was clear:
“I can be your other lifeline.”
He wanted to shake her heart.
To show her that he could be a sturdier shelter than the other man.
Whether the engagement was real or not, he had always planned to take So-hye away from Woo-geon.
Of course, since they were not real lovers, it wouldn’t be that difficult.
“…What exactly are you saying?”
But the answer that came back completely overturned his expectations.
“Are you saying that I approached Mr. Shin with some other intention?”
Hakje’s brow twitched slightly.
He felt as if he had taken a wrong turn.
Slowly straightening his back, he looked down at the woman standing before him.
“I had thought of the boss as a good person all this time, but I guess I was mistaken about him.”
So-hye did not hide her offended feelings at all.
“It’s a fact that Mr. Shin and I are lovers. So why must I convince the boss to believe it? Especially while listening to such insulting words?”
She hoped that her reaction would be seen as displeasure rather than fluster.
Within her clenched fists was a desperate determination.
Yet Hakje, taken aback, could hardly see it.
“I had no intention of speaking ill of you.”
“Regardless of your intention, I felt offended. I want you to know that what you said was extremely rude.”
Ah, perhaps I was too hasty.
I thought it would be easy, but it seems I misjudged.
Faced with So-hye’s firm boundary, Hakje had no choice but to step back.
“I must have jumped to conclusions. I apologize.”
“I don’t even know how to feel about this situation.”
So-hye’s lips trembled, on the verge of tears.
Her gaze, full of vulnerability, dropped weakly to the floor.
“It was sudden and unexpected. I understand if you don’t want to believe it. That’s a choice for each of us to make.”
A tinge of hurt lingered in her clear eyes.
“But I hope that neither in front of me nor in front of the teacher, you don’t claim that our relationship is a lie. We’re already struggling enough because of those kinds of looks.”
Her eyes drooped as if she were truly exhausted.
It was now Hakje’s burden alone to bear, the tightening in his chest caused by her lowered gaze.
“There’s no excuse for what I said. My worry for you got ahead of me, and I spoke out of turn. Please forgive my rudeness.”
He bowed his head sincerely.
Perhaps she believed his apology was genuine.
So-hye’s flustered expression softened, and the sadness on her face lightened.
“Then let’s consider what you said today as unheard. I ask that you be more careful next time.”
“I hope you won’t take offense because of me, So-hye.”
“Now, the boss must be on my side.”
After all, he had caused her this much hurt.
Looking at her slightly blurred eyes, he could not even think of saying no.
“…It shall be so.”
At his response, So-hye finally relaxed, allowing a slight smile to appear.
“Well, I’ll take my leave then. See you next time.”
“Should I walk you to the door…?”
“No, that’s fine. I want to be alone right now.”
She bowed slightly and turned away.
The sound of her footsteps faded past the closed front door.
“Ha…”
Hakje exhaled softly and brushed his hair back from his forehead.
Had he really misread the situation?
Part of him had suspected so, but he had at least thought he had caught her off guard.
He did not expect her to plead so, showing such exhaustion. He was left completely flustered.
Hakje stared blankly at the door through which So-hye had exited.
From his firmly closed lips, a lonely voice muttered:
“You’re right. I’m not as good a person as So-hye thinks.”
On the contrary, he was the opposite.
He had handed her lover, Shin Woo-geon, over to Japan, planning to make her his.
“The relationship may be real… but that doesn’t matter anymore.”
Well, it didn’t.
He would change his plan.
Revealing that she and Woo-geon were bound by some contract, and bringing her to his side…
“Whatever that relationship may be, I’ll just shatter it.”
At least, his intention to have her by his side would never change.
Creak—thud.
The heavy gate slammed shut behind her.
So-hye, stepping out of the house in a daze, leaned against the closed door.
Her hand holding her bag trembled violently, and her legs felt so weak she could barely stand.
For a moment, she forgot to breathe, staring into the void.
“Hah…”
She finally drew a deep breath into her chest and exhaled it all at once.
The sensations, stiff and tied as if with ropes, slowly loosened one by one.
“I almost got caught… everything would have been exposed…”
She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the frantic beating of her heart.
She had struggled so hard to keep it hidden.
Thanks to forcing herself to hold her breath, her chest ached.
“So he actually said it outright… that our relationship seems like a lie.”
Hakje really was sharp, far more than she had expected.
Fortunately, she had mustered all her strength to pretend it wasn’t so. If she had faltered, she might have spilled everything right there.
Or perhaps she had shown too much overreaction, making him more suspicious.
“And then he turned around and painted the boss as a bad person…”
So-hye turned around with a frown.
She knew better than anyone that the man was a good person.
At that moment, thinking she must escape somehow, she had even pushed him back in words.
Though Hakje had been blunt and rude, it wasn’t the truth, after all.
“I didn’t even greet Linjin or the aunt…”
She had rushed out too hastily to think of it, but she didn’t have the courage to go back inside.
Seeing Hakje, she could not confidently pretend again as she had moments ago.
So-hye left the house with a heavy heart.
By the time she reached Songil High School, the evening sky was already tinged with the colors of sunset.
All the students had gone home, leaving only the early fallen leaves, and the streets were quiet.
Had she come too late?
She hurried up the steps to the museum.
Once at the laboratory, she stood quietly, catching her breath.
Knock, knock. She tapped the door.
A voice asked from inside, “Who is it?”
It was a voice that, while somewhat unfamiliar, was not entirely strange.
“I’m here at Mr. Shin’s request.”
After a moment, the closed door opened, revealing a face as familiar as the voice.
“Oh? You were here last time in the lab…”
Se-ho recognized her and widened his eyes.
Though it had been a while and her clothes had changed a lot, he managed to remember her.
So-hye smiled awkwardly and nodded her greeting.
“Hello. It’s been a while.”
“Haha, indeed. You’re here to see the teacher?”
“Yes.”
Through Se-ho’s shoulder, she noticed several people inside the lab pausing their work to look at her.
But Woo-geon was nowhere to be seen.
Is the teacher not here?
Feeling awkward, she peeked around the lab.
“Here?”
A warm presence and a gentle voice reached her ear.
Turning around, Woo-geon looked at her with soft, warm eyes.
“I was waiting outside. Perhaps we missed each other.”
His gaze, as if it could melt her entire body.
So-hye’s pupils trembled slightly.
The faint scent of tobacco in his short inhale was intoxicating.
Woo-geon gently patted her back, soothing her tense shoulders.
“Come inside. We need to introduce you to everyone.”
“Oh… yes.”
The two entered together.
Se-ho at the door, and the others inside, all watched So-hye curiously.
They clearly hadn’t expected a newcomer.
Couldn’t they have given me a heads-up…
Meeting their puzzled eyes, So-hye felt even more at a loss.
She stood tensely before them.
Woo-geon introduced her to the lab members.
“This is our new assistant, Baek So-hye. She’ll handle the documentation from now on.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Baek So-hye.”
She bowed, receiving awkward applause in return.
Being the first female assistant in an all-male lab, everyone seemed embarrassed.
Se-ho, somewhat familiar with her, first introduced himself after gauging the situation.
“I’m Bong Se-ho. I mainly work on mountains and help the teacher map out the distribution of Korean butterflies. Nice to meet you again, haha!”
Perhaps it was because of their prior encounter in the lab.
Or maybe he still hadn’t let go of the misunderstanding from that time.
He smiled kindly, but there was a subtle pleasure hidden within.
No…
Whatever one imagined, that had not been the case at the time.
And now, with the fake couple act, it would be even stranger to explain it away.
“I look forward to working with you, So-hye.”
“Oh, yes. I look forward to it too.”
So-hye quietly shook hands with Se-ho, her chest heavy.
Afterward, others introduced themselves in turn.
Jung Seok-tae, also a butterfly expert; Kim Jae-woo, mountain expert like Se-ho; several students from the academic department.
“Taxidermy expert Oh Hee-wook.”
And then Hee-wook.
I think I’ve seen him somewhere… Ah!
She remembered his face from the day she first met Woo-geon at the modern café, when he was with Se-ho.
His sharp eyes and thick brows had left an impression.
Then it happened.
“I have a question.”
Hee-wook raised his hand, drawing everyone’s attention.
His crooked eyebrows and dissatisfied expression made it clear he was displeased.
And the target of his displeasure was obvious without asking.
“Is it true that the reason she’s here is because of the rumors that she’s your lover?”
‘That woman.’
That single word made it clear how displeased Hee-wook was.
He outright rejected the situation.
“If that’s the case, I’m opposed.”
A chilling silence fell over the lab.
As he had said, he didn’t beat around the bush—Hee-wook had hit the mark exactly.
“Whether you’re engaged to her or not, this is a workplace. Don’t bring personal feelings here.”
So-hye’s heart sank. She couldn’t speak, biting her lips tightly.
She feared she had already caused a problem for Woo-geon.
Yet she could not argue back to Hee-wook either.
Her skills were indeed needed here, but the main reason was to protect herself from being entangled with Kyung-rim and monitored by Japan.
She couldn’t openly explain that to them.
As her vision blurred,
“Why is that a reason to oppose it?”
Woo-geon, who had been silent, wrapped his arm firmly around her shoulder.
“Does being my lover make it a crime here?”
His hold left no room for any intrusion.
It was as if he would willingly take every arrow flying toward her.
No one could dare lay a hand on this woman.
