“Ah…….”
What should I do?
If I miss my flight tomorrow, it’ll be a disaster.
As Bom thought about her upcoming schedule, her mind went hazy.
“Just kidding.”
A languid voice, tinged with a sleepy laugh, slipped into her ears.
“It’ll stop in a few hours. That’s when your dry cleaning will be back too.”
As Jung-hoo explained, Bom’s expression slowly brightened. But still, was it really okay to owe him this much?
Her heart sank heavily when she confirmed that her clothes weren’t where she left them outside the bathroom. She hadn’t expected him to take them for dry cleaning in the meantime.
“I figured you hadn’t eaten dinner, so I ordered room service.”
Just as she was lost in thought, Jung-hoo’s voice called her back. Glancing at her watch, she realized it was well past 7 PM. Perhaps because she had just come out of the shower, her tension had eased and her appetite returned.
“By the way, thank you so much for earlier.”
With a genuinely grateful expression, Bom finally gave Jung-hoo her belated thanks. If it weren’t for him, she would’ve been pickpocketed—and possibly even signed that suspicious paper.
“If someone like that grabs you again and starts talking, just ignore them and walk away. If you entertain them even a little, they won’t let go.”
“I will.”
As Bom nodded and answered, the doorbell rang. A voice outside announced the arrival of room service. Jung-hoo lifted his body from the sofa.
When the door opened, a delicious aroma filled the room. The staff came in and set the food on the table.
A juicy beef steak, pasta heaped with seafood, and a salad made with fresh vegetables and fruit. Even a cold beer that Jung-hoo had ordered was placed neatly on the table before the staff bowed and left.
“I was actually craving pasta.”
Unintentionally blurting out her thoughts, Bom blushed. Somehow, she felt a bit shameless. He had already offered her shelter from the rain, let her use the bathroom, and even sent her soaked clothes for dry cleaning. And now, seeing the food, she had spoken as if she had been waiting for it.
To explain herself, she hadn’t had a proper meal in New York, so there had been a lingering craving.
“You must be hungry. Go ahead and eat.”
Jung-hoo cut the steak into bite-sized pieces. Bom twirled the seafood pasta she had been wanting and brought it to her mouth. Watching Bom eat so well, Jung-hoo’s eyes curved in amusement as he looked at her.
“You should try it too. It’s really good.”
At Bom’s suggestion, Jung-hoo stabbed a piece of steak with his fork and brought it to his mouth. As he tasted the food, hunger kicked in. The tension that had wrapped around him when they first met again began to ease.
Maybe it was the warm shower. Or maybe it was the long-awaited pasta.
His eyes lingered on Bom’s clear face. And in that moment, Jung-hoo’s tilted remark slipped out.
“Looks like you’ve been doing well.”
His darkened eyes bore into Bom’s like they were about to swallow her whole. Her appetite vanished instantly, and she set down her fork. In the gaze locked on hers, she thought she saw a flicker of hurt. Was it just her imagination?
Bom parted her lips but then closed them again. If she spoke now, the words might tumble out unchecked. Maintaining her silence, she slowly lifted her eyes.
“……And you?”
Bom asked cautiously, and Jung-hoo gave her a lazy smile.
“As you can see.”
He gave a casual shrug. Seeing how well he seemed to be doing, the lingering feelings in her heart began to settle.
For quite a long time, she had been curious about him. No one had known anything about him after he suddenly left for the U.S. for his studies. It wasn’t until recently that she learned he had been working abroad.
Jung-hoo reached out and picked up a can of beer.
Pshht.
He popped it open and brought it straight to his lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably as he gulped it down like a thirsty man. Bom couldn’t take her eyes off him. The room suddenly felt stuffy. It was raining and cold outside, but in here, the temperature felt entirely different.
Just as Jung-hoo placed the half-empty can back on the table, their eyes met. Bom, who had been trying to avoid his gaze, reached for a can of beer.
“I’m thirsty too.”
She answered a question he hadn’t asked. Feeling his eyes clinging to her face, she felt the need to say something—anything. Even as the cool beer slid down her throat, it felt like her thirst wasn’t being quenched.
Was it his piercing gaze? Or was the alcohol hitting her faster than expected? Her face felt oddly flushed.
“Isn’t it kind of warm in here?”
“Really? I’m fine.”
Jung-hoo tilted his face slightly, peering at her. Her cheeks were flushed like a ripe peach after just a few sips of beer. Her clear eyes were half-lidded, blinking slowly.
“Why am I hot…….”
Muttering to herself, Bom fanned her face with her hands. But unlike how she felt, the room was only 26 degrees.
Her cheeks burned, her eyes felt hot, and her throat continued to dry. Was she really getting tipsy after just one beer? She wasn’t a strong drinker, but this seemed a bit much.
“I think you should stop drinking.”
“I’m fine with this much.”
Bom smiled as if to reassure him, then tipped back the rest of her beer. Her eyes now looked slightly glazed.
Was Han Bom always this much of a lightweight?
Before he could even think further, she had popped open another can and drank straight from it. Her peach-pink cheeks turned bright red.
“Can I have one more?”
Bom asked in a careful voice, even as her hand was already reaching for the can. Why ask when she was already grabbing it? She stared at him as if waiting for permission. Her wide, round eyes locked onto him, and just like that, his gaze darkened—just like the deepening evening outside.
“Aw, is it not okay?”
Disappointed, Bom pulled her hand back from the beer. Her tongue was already slurring.
“Yeah. I don’t think so.”
His voice came out dry and rough. But Bom, oblivious, only felt disappointed by his cold refusal.
“Really not okay~?”
Bom looked at him with drooping shoulders. Jung-hoo’s narrowed eyes turned toward her.
“Today was really tough for me. I didn’t even eat properly, and I did something praiseworthy today.”
“……”
“And now you won’t even let me drink a beer.”
Yeah, she was drunk.
Her voice, thick with sorrow, proved it.
“What’s got you so upset?”
Looking at her like he couldn’t help it, Jung-hoo finally reached for the beer. He handed it to her, and Bom eagerly took it and drank without pause.
Clack.
She set the can down on the table.
Her eyes were more unfocused than before. With lips wet from the beer, her eyes turned a little dull. She licked her lips with a red tongue and looked quite pleased.
“I used to do all the grunt work at the office, you know. And nobody noticed, it was so exhausting—but now I got promoted, and I finally have my own duties, and I love it.”
Bom smiled happily, unaware of what she was rambling about. Her voice, saying she was happy now, held traces of the hardships she’d endured.
“Team Leader Kim, that jerk, made me copy thick documents every single day.”
She demonstrated the thickness with her hands on the tissue box corner.
“Ah, Team Leader Kim, huh.”
“And that’s not all. I did all the work, and he took all the credit.”
“That’s shameless.”
He nodded along, his gaze suddenly sharp.
“He even made me do his kid’s homework. Ugh. Don’t stop me today.”
Shaking her head, Bom downed more beer without stopping.
Clack.
She set the empty can down and made a V with her fingers. Her face was full of conflicting emotions. Sadness, anger, joy—they all flickered across her expression. Jung-hoo watched every one of them. As if looking for a hint—any hint—of how she felt about him.
“Haah. Today, I finally signed a deal with a client.”
Bom, thoroughly drunk, had no idea what she was saying. Jung-hoo’s gaze turned curious.
“Every single day, I was so excited.”
“Oh? You were?”
“Yeeah. I really was.”
With a dazed smile, Bom seemed to sink into thought.
“I’m Associate Han now.”
She unzipped her bag on the chair and pulled out a business card, waving it proudly.
“Well, I won’t believe it until I see it.”
“I’ll let you see it specially.”
Shrugging once, she handed the card to Jung-hoo, who had reached out for it. His eyes dropped to the simple card with the company logo.
Sung-ho Group Overseas Business Department, Team 1 – Associate Han Bom.
Jung-hoo’s lips curled faintly as he read each word, one letter at a time.
