CHAPTER 35…………………………
Her wrist throbbed. The red marks left behind still stung.
When she slowly curled her fingers, the pain spread into her palm.
Hana let out a long breath. Then, dragging her heavy feet, she slowly walked toward the parking lot.
The moment she got into the car, the tension drained from her body.
As soon as she leaned back against the seat, a long sigh escaped her.
“Ha…”
The sound that slipped through her lips felt like old resignation.
The fluorescent lights reflected faintly on the window outside.
In the quiet parking lot, inside the car with the engine off, the silence felt unnaturally deep.
Within that silence, Hana slowly closed her eyes.
Her thoughts were tangled into a chaotic knot.
Geonwoo headed back toward the elevator. When he pressed the button, the light slowly climbed upward.
The scene he had witnessed in the hallway earlier kept twisting and replaying in his mind.
Why had something like that happened? How had she ended up in such a situation?
No matter how hard he tried to suppress it, the uncomfortable emotion rising within him wouldn’t settle, climbing all the way to his throat.
10th floor.
Ding—
As the doors opened, he stopped.
In front of the elevator stood Misook and Serin. The two of them froze when they saw him.
Misook spoke first.
“Geonwoo…”
Her voice was cautious. Geonwoo gave no reply. He only stared at them with cold eyes.
Then, lowering his head slightly, he tried to walk past.
“Geonwoo!”
Misook hurriedly grabbed his arm.
“Please, just listen to your mother… please.”
There was desperation—and fear—in her voice. Geonwoo slowly turned his head to look at her. His eyes had gone completely cold.
“I told you clearly.”
“Geonwoo…”
“She was raised preciously too.”
Misook’s shoulders flinched. There was more restraint than anger in his tone.
That made it even more frightening.
Misook bit her lip hard. Her throat felt as if it were burning. After a long moment, she finally muttered in a low voice.
“…I’m sorry.”
“We’ll talk later.”
Geonwoo removed her hand from his arm. The gesture carried unmistakable distance.
Serin cautiously tried to step forward but stopped. Geonwoo’s cold gaze held her in place.
By the time Geonwoo came back out to the hallway to retrieve his watch, no one remained. Misook and Serin had disappeared without a trace.
He slowly returned to the elevator and pressed the button. As the doors closed, he quietly shut his eyes.
He let out a short breath and stood there without a word.
When the elevator arrived, he quickened his steps toward the parking lot.
Hana was already seated inside the car. The glow of sunset seeped in through the window, but the interior felt strangely dark.
Geonwoo sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. The sound broke the silence as he pulled out of the parking lot and onto the road.
Until then, neither of them spoke. A heavy silence filled the car.
The sky outside was dyed orange, but that warmth did not reach inside.
Geonwoo gripped the steering wheel tightly, staring straight ahead. Hana looked out the window without saying a word.
When the light changed and the car came to a stop, Geonwoo finally spoke.
“Don’t answer my mother’s calls from now on.”
Startled, Hana turned her head toward him. He was still looking straight ahead.
“Don’t answer my father’s calls either. Or anyone from my family.”
Hana bit her lip. For a long moment, she couldn’t say anything.
The light turned green. The car began moving again. Geonwoo spoke once more.
“Answer me.”
His voice dropped even lower.
“B-but…”
“Should we stamp the papers?”
The short sentence sliced through the air. Hana’s heart dropped with a thud.
Stamping the papers—the meaning of that word echoed heavily in her mind.
There was no way she didn’t understand. Divorce. That’s what he meant.
“…Okay.”
She barely managed to speak. Her voice trembled.
“I won’t… answer their calls anymore.”
Geonwoo glanced at her briefly, then turned his eyes back to the road. A sigh brushed past his lips.
“Seo Hana.”
He called her name quietly.
“I didn’t keep you by my side so you’d be treated like this.”
“……”
“You said you don’t want to divorce me. Then at least speak up. Don’t just stand there and take it.”
His voice remained firm, but the end of it trembled slightly. Helplessness hidden beneath anger—and concern—were mixed together.
Hana couldn’t say anything. Her chest tightened painfully.
She couldn’t tell whether his words came from anger or worry.
But one thing was certain.
He wasn’t angry at her.
He was angry at himself—for not being able to protect her.
Even after they arrived in front of the house, the heavy silence lingered inside the car.
Geonwoo parked and turned to look at Hana.
“Go inside.”
“…You’re not coming in?”
“I have somewhere to be. I’ll be late.”
Hana nodded. Then she opened the car door and stepped out.
Her figure walking toward the entrance was reflected in the side mirror. Geonwoo remained seated for a while, watching until she disappeared from view.
Then he slowly started the engine again and turned the wheel in the opposite direction.
When he arrived at the bar, Suho was already there. Soft jazz music flowed through the dimly lit lounge bar.
Suho was seated by the window, swirling a glass of whiskey.
Geonwoo approached and lightly tapped his shoulder.
“You’re here?”
He sat down across from him and pulled out a shopping bag.
“This.”
“What is it?”
Suho opened the bag and looked inside. A limited-edition watch from a brand he had been eyeing for a while was inside.
His eyes widened instantly.
“Happy birthday.”
Geonwoo said it briefly. Suho smiled and lifted the watch.
“Thanks. But how did you know I needed a watch?”
“You’ve been saying for months that you wanted this.”
“Did I?”
“If you don’t remember, fine.”
Geonwoo let out a faint smirk. It was brief and dry. Suho called the bartender and ordered two glasses of whiskey.
When the amber liquor was poured, Geonwoo silently lifted his glass and downed it in one go. Then he picked it up again.
Two glasses. Three. His Adam’s apple moved without pause.
“Hey. Did something happen?”
“Nothing.”
“Then why are you drinking like that?”
“Just… felt like it.”
Suho let out a short sigh. That was when he sensed it.
“Did something happen with Seo Hana?”
Geonwoo’s hand stopped. The glass hit the table with a sharp clink.
“…What could possibly happen between her and me?”
He laughed low. It sounded closer to resignation than amusement.
“Well, Hana’s not even interested in you anyway.”
At that moment, Geonwoo’s gaze changed. Suho deliberately avoided his eyes and took a sip from his glass.
“Hey, you bastard. If you like her, just say you like her.”
Geonwoo frowned slightly.
“Stop making her miserable for no reason.”
“What did I do?”
“You get suspicious over every little thing, act even colder, make her walk on eggshells.”
“……”
“And yet you’ve never once told her you like her.”
“……”
“That’s why Hana won’t open up to you.”
Geonwoo set his glass down. He closed his eyes and exhaled, as if struck at the core.
“Hey. You like Hana, don’t you?”
Geonwoo said nothing. He only slowly lowered his head.
“When your grandfather pushed for the marriage, you were secretly over the moon.”
“……”
“Then why won’t you say it? Why do you just swallow everything and keep quiet?”
Geonwoo’s lips trembled.
“…Because even if I say it, it won’t matter.”
