Episode 9
From the beginning, Seo Taeyoon was never someone easy to deal with.
He was always arrogant and proud, had high standards, and rarely found things that satisfied him. Once he made a decision, it was almost never reversed. That was just how he was. So could she really make him change his mind?
As far as Serin could remember, there was only one person whom Taeyoon ever obediently listened to — his maternal grandmother.
For some reason, he always did exactly as his grandmother asked. He even went to study abroad in the U.S. to fulfill her dying wish — that he go out into the world and learn more.
But now that his grandmother had passed away, who could possibly make Taeyoon listen?
So when Youngsook told Serin to persuade him, it had sounded like a joke.
Serin wasn’t confident.
She had no confidence in persuading a man who only repeated the words “I like you” like a parrot.
When Taeyoon saw her hesitating and silently opening her mouth like she wanted to say something, he smirked.
“Why did my mother ask you to persuade me?” he asked, as if seeing right through her.
Serin had no choice but to nod.
“She did. She wants you to return to the company.”
“Typical of her,” he said with a dry laugh, which quickly faded as he stared at Serin with sharp eyes.
“I told her I’d come back in exchange for you.”
Serin shook her head. Youngsook had never said anything like that. And even if she had, Serin hated the sound of it.
“Really? Too bad. Then the deal’s off,” he said casually.
He bent down to pick up his racket and phone, clearly getting ready to leave.
Panicking, Serin grabbed the hem of his shirt.
“Wait. Let’s talk. Don’t just walk away like that…”
Taeyoon paused and gave her a look as if saying, “Then say what you need to say.”
“Maybe… maybe there’s something else you want?”
“Something else?”
His brows arched.
“What could you possibly offer me?”
“I… I mean…”
“You have no feelings for me. You have no intention of marrying me. So what can you possibly give me, Ms. Eun Serin?”
He sneered, his eyes narrowing like a snake.
Serin’s fingers tightened with anxiety. She tried to loosen them, one by one, pressing them with her other hand.
But nothing came to mind — she had nothing to offer.
When Serin remained speechless, Taeyoon chuckled.
“If you want something, you have to bring a card the other person finds valuable. That’s negotiation, isn’t it, Serin?”
He said this in a gentle, almost patronizing tone.
“Think carefully about what I want from you.”
With that, he patted her on the shoulder and left the court.
Serin watched him go, feeling helpless.
—
Later, she crouched by a small stream on the side of Taeyoon’s house, tossing pebbles into the water.
There was a manmade pond in his yard — they used to play there as kids. Taeyoon would toss the stones, and she would try to stop him.
Now, angry and frustrated, she no longer cared about the old rule: “Don’t throw things in the pond.”
“What does he want from me…”
She kept thinking about it. Even if she offered him money, status, or anything society might value — nothing seemed worthy.
Taeyoon had everything.
And she had nothing.
She thought of their kiss the other day, but quickly shook her head.
That wasn’t something to be given as payment. She wasn’t a thing to be traded.
It wasn’t right morally, or emotionally.
“Ugh…” she sighed, trying to stand up — when someone suddenly came to sit next to her.
“Why are you sighing like the world is ending? Something wrong?”
She turned and her eyes widened.
“Jeonghyeon oppa!”
She greeted him warmly.
“What are you doing here? I thought you were busy at the hospital.”
Jeonghyeon was one of the few people in town she could speak to comfortably. He’d even tutored her when they were kids. They were close.
Though they hadn’t met often since he entered med school…
“I heard Haeyoon’s mom wasn’t feeling well, so I stopped by. Things are a bit easier at the hospital now that I’ve built up some seniority.”
Jeonghyeon was in his 4th year of residency. He was finally a little freer.
He shrugged his shoulders proudly, and Serin burst out laughing.
“What, laughing at my pain? You have no idea how much suffering I went through to get to this year!”
As he playfully pouted, Serin laughed again.
It felt like they’d gone back to their carefree childhood days.
“You look good when you smile. Earlier, you looked like you were carrying the weight of the world.”
“Ah…”
Serin’s smile faded as her worries returned. Seeing her expression darken, Jeonghyeon asked gently:
“Is something wrong? I heard about the problems at Dongmyeong Food…”
Serin shook her head and forced a smile.
“It might actually turn out okay.”
“Really? That’s good.”
He didn’t ask for more details, which was a relief. If he had, she wouldn’t have known what to say.
They sat side by side, watching the stream flow gently.
The sound of water and chirping birds slowly calmed her heart.
Then, Jeonghyeon broke the silence.
“Serin.”
She turned to him, curious.
He rubbed the back of his neck shyly.
“If you ever need help, just tell me. Don’t suffer alone. I’m still your oppa. I’m sure there’s something I can do.”
Serin blinked in surprise. Seeing his red ears from embarrassment made her smile.
Teasingly, she said:
“You shouldn’t say that so easily, oppa. What if I ask you for your house and your car?”
“Then I’ll give them to you,” he joked. “But Serin, I live in a rented officetel near the hospital. And you know my dad — he’s donated everything to charity. He even bragged about it on TV.”
His playful reply made her laugh out loud.
Her cheerful laughter echoed in the air.
Jeonghyeon looked at her warmly.
Just then, a breeze blew by, gently sweeping her long hair across her face. Jeonghyeon softly tucked it behind her ear and smiled.
—
Meanwhile, from a little distance away, Taeyoon had been watching them.
Seeing Serin and Jeonghyeon being so warm and close, a flame of jealousy burned in his eyes.
“…Hah.”
He let out a sarcastic laugh — but his expression looked far from amused.
