Chapter 20 – “To Reach”
The sound of two people’s breathing overlapped as they lay flat on their backs, staring up at the ceiling. Yooa dangled precariously off the edge of the bed, as if half her body had slipped off. It was incredibly uncomfortable.
If it were just insomnia, she wished she could at least fall asleep.
Lying as far away from Lee Jun as possible, Yooa unconsciously shifted her body.
“Are you asleep?”
“Yes.”
“…Am I making you uncomfortable?”
His voice didn’t sound like someone who was trying to sleep.
Out of consideration, Yooa had told him to sleep on the inside, but now Lee Jun turned to face her from by the window. Propped on one arm, he looked down at her face, making her squeeze her eyes shut with all her might.
“Hmm? Yooa?”
She was about to pretend to be asleep in earnest when Lee Jun let out a low chuckle and breathed warmly near her face. His breath tickled her fine facial hairs, making them flutter.
“Aren’t you asleep? You said you were.”
Her face twitched involuntarily. She couldn’t take it anymore. At Yooa’s rebuke, Lee Jun lay back down and replied, saying he was just organizing his thoughts.
“I keep getting ideas for upgrading the camper. The development and PR teams have been working like crazy for the past week.”
Completely remodeling a nearly finished camper, scheduled for launch next year, wasn’t easy. She could imagine how hectic his schedule must have been.
“Grandpa’s probably knocked out by now. He wouldn’t have had time to stop by here.”
“Why… not?”
“I asked him to go down to the Pyeongtaek factory and lift the staff’s morale in person. We need a new mold, and although the prototype is out, there’s still a lot to fix. For those kinds of tough requests, it helps when Grandpa steps in.”
So, he wasn’t avoiding her.
Even though her assumption had been completely wrong, Yooa’s heart pounded loudly.
Had she… been waiting for Lee Jun?
When she asked herself that, she couldn’t deny it.
Sometimes, when she thought he might be driving back, she would find herself staring at the road. Even the sound of wind banging against the door made her look out the window, wondering if he was outside.
Such small, seemingly insignificant things had made her constantly think of Lee Jun, even when he wasn’t around. It was painful.
And he didn’t even know.
“What are you thinking?”
Yooa’s slow blinking was audible in the silence. After a hesitant pause, she replied quietly. The sounds of animals and wind outside the camper made her voice even softer.
“What about you, Executive Director?”
“Just thinking we could’ve made the camper bed smaller. Feels unnecessarily big.”
“Really? But if you think about having a kid in here, isn’t this size just right?”
“It makes it harder to reach.”
“To reach? What… oh…”
It didn’t take long for her to grasp what he meant. Unlike her awkwardness, Lee Jun simply sighed.
“Yoon Yooa.”
“Yes?”
“How long are we going to keep doing this?”
“…What?”
As if tired of her only answering with “yes,” Lee Jun sat up and turned on the mood light. A soft orange glow filled the previously dark camper. The two stared at each other in silence.
“That night… did I do something wrong?”
“Executive Director!”
“If not, do we really have to say, ‘Let’s date,’ like we’re kids, just to start something?”
Lee Jun brushed his hair back with long fingers, saying that long-time familiarity like theirs should make things easier, not harder.
His schedule must have been grueling—dark circles hung under his eyes. Yet even fatigue couldn’t mar his refined, handsome face.
Bathed in the soft orange light, Lee Jun looked radiant as he faced Yooa, who was slowly sitting up.
“Marry me. I’m the only man who can truly fulfill you—who can make you happy.”
Yooa had come to feel the same during their time apart. No matter how much she tried to push him away, they were like magnets—drawn together, inevitably.
He took her hand—the one she was fidgeting with on her lap. It seemed he knew her habit of picking at the skin when she was distressed or had too much to think about.
“If you’re saying all this just because you feel slighted that a girl like me left you—”
“What? Are you serious?”
“Even if you say you left me first, I’ll accept that.”
Her defensive posture came from not wanting to get hurt.
The proud heir of the powerful Taegyeom Group, and the daughter of a servant who entered the house through the back door.
Yooa feared his confession. She didn’t want him to hear the cruel things people would say about their relationship if they got married. That’s why she had resolved to keep her distance.
“You think this is about my pride?”
“…Isn’t it?”
“Hah.”
His sharp gaze, angular jawline, and cold voice all threatened to shatter her resolve.
There wasn’t a single thing about him she didn’t like. He was her first love—the father of the most precious child in the world.
“Yooa.”
Her nose stung at the gentle tone in which he called her name.
“Can’t you see I’m begging you?”
“No one asked you to.”
“I know. You never did. But I want to.”
Lee Jun gently cupped her face with both hands, forcing her to meet his gaze. He smiled and asked if she could stop resisting and just follow his lead.
“I know how many times you’ve pushed me away. But you know what? I never once pushed you away first. I hope that’s enough of an answer.”
“I… I mean, I…”
Her face flushed as she struggled to find the right words.
“I’m not that young. I’ve thought this through, and no matter what—you’re the only one for me.”
At his open confession—that he wanted to hold her whenever he wanted—Yooa’s eyes grew wet.
Was Lee Jun always this bold, this forward, four years ago?
Though he looked the same, something about this assertive, confident man felt completely different—like she was seeing someone new.
Seeing her trembling eyes, Lee Jun softened his tone, thinking she was scared.
“I know your habits, your heart—I’ve known you long enough to be used to it. I’m not trying to make things hard for you.”
“I’m scared.”
Scared of what would happen if she chose him again.
Her aunt’s cruel words, still vivid in memory, had once wounded her deeply. Even after Yooa’s value had risen, her aunt pressured the board and sabotaged everything, claiming he had chosen the wrong woman.
And yet, despite it all…
Was it right to take his hand?
Could she?
Yooa’s breathing grew irregular, and Lee Jun’s face turned serious as he looked at her reddened eyes.
“I know you’re cautious and scared. I’m not saying this lightly.”
He pulled her into his arms, gently patting her back. Yooa squeezed her eyes shut.
How could she escape someone who spoke and touched her like this? How could she possibly reject him?
“I also know your habit of running when you’re scared. So please… say it.”
His voice trembled as he tightened his arms, determined not to let go until she answered.
Yooa finally realized—it had taken great courage for him, too.
Why had she thought she was the only one suffering?
She looked into his eyes—filled with the same fluttering excitement and fear of rejection that she once felt. For the first time, she understood.
We really did love each other.
She began to see what she couldn’t see before.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and Lee Jun whispered like a plea:
“Say you’ll be mine.”
