TSS 17

Chapter : 17

“It really feels like the lunchbox Mom used to pack for picnics. I’m so excited.”

Hayeon’s voice was full of delight as she looked at the food. She looked as happy as a child—it was adorable.

“Hayeon, did you ever go on picnics with lunchboxes like this when you were a kid?”

“Huh? Of course. I’ve been on picnics before.”

“I see. Do people pack things like gimbap even overseas?”

Instead of answering Gunhyeong’s question, Hayeon popped a piece of gimbap into her mouth. Chewing eagerly, her face brightened even more.

“……It’s delicious! Your aunt is amazing at cooking!”

“She’s famous for it. Her snack shop is just a hobby, you could say.”

“A hobby?”

“Her specialty was actually banquet cuisine. Even now, after retirement, if people ask her, she’ll sometimes help with catering events.”

“Ahhh…….”

Hayeon nodded while chewing, and Gunhyeong casually added,

“I’m thinking of asking her to do the food for our wedding, too.”

Hayeon froze. The gimbap she’d been chewing stopped moving in her mouth. Staring blankly, she accepted the drink Gunhyeong held out.

“Here, drink. You’ll choke.”

Gulp. She swallowed the drink and let out a shaky breath.

“Haa……”

“Of course, today it’s just snack food, but she does Western, Chinese, even some Japanese cuisine.”

“W-wait, hold on……”

Hayeon tapped her chest. The gimbap felt like it was still stuck somewhere inside her. No—truthfully, it wasn’t the food. It was the endless mentions of marriage weighing heavily on her chest.

Her parents had already decided to marry her off, and Gunhyeong was clearly the best option for her. But Gunhyeong? Was it really okay for someone as good as him to marry someone like her?

Hayeon let out a quiet sigh.

“What is it? It can’t be the food, and you don’t like the drink?”

“N-no, that’s not it……”

“Then what? You’re wondering whether to marry me or not?”

Taking back the drink she was holding, Gunhyeong deliberately put his lips where hers had touched and drank from it.

The memory of their first meeting flashed in her mind, and Hayeon’s face flushed red for no reason.

“Well, at the very least, I should be the best option for you, Hayeon.”

His words were so natural that Hayeon looked startled. It was as if he knew exactly what she had been thinking. Without caring, Gunhyeong began ticking things off on his fingers.

“Let’s see. The next candidate after me was the third son of F Financial. That guy divorced last year because of domestic violence. Then there’s the fourth son of C Capital. He does nothing but waste his family’s money. Then the second son of A Financial—he’s not the worst, but……”

Closing the drink lid, Gunhyeong grumbled in disbelief.

“Still, I’m better than them, aren’t I?”

“B-better, in what way……”

“Oh, you’ve never seen that guy? Well, I guess not. Considering the head of F Financial, it makes sense you’d never even get to the A Financial son in the rotation. That old man spoiled his son rotten, and now he worries about the family line dying out. Anyway, just trust me.”

Gunhyeong picked up a neatly cut piece of fruit and took a bite. After chewing, he smirked.

“I’m at least a hundred times better looking than those guys.”

Hayeon’s mouth dropped open. She couldn’t say for sure about looks, but one thing was certain—out of all the men he mentioned, Gunhyeong definitely had the most money.

Aside from the domestic abuser, she’d never even heard of the rest. How did he know about a list even she didn’t? As if answering her unspoken question, Gunhyeong explained slowly.

“They all had one thing in common. And yeah, I’m included too, which kind of irritates me.”

He tossed another gimbap piece into his mouth. At his words, Hayeon nervously hugged her knees.

“Money, of course.”

His tone was casual, but he spoke as if he were picking meat at a barbecue. Including himself in the count. Hayeon felt guilty and mumbled into her knees.

“For me, you may be the best choice… but then for you……”

“So that’s what’s been bothering you from the start?”

From the start? What did he mean? Tilting her head curiously, Hayeon was startled to find Gunhyeong’s face suddenly right in front of her. She tried to pull back, but he cupped her chin with one hand and smiled.

“You mean you hesitated about marriage from the start because you felt guilty?”

“Ah……”

“Then let me ask again. Do you dislike me?”

Hayeon shook her head silently. Gunhyeong smirked and brushed the loose hair from her face.

“Then do you like me?”

Hayeon froze like a statue, her face flushing red. Her fine hair slid like silk through his fingers.

“You don’t need to feel guilty.”

He pressed a fingertip lightly against her lips. At the soft touch, Hayeon’s heart started racing.

Her eyelashes trembled as she lowered her eyes. His finger moved from her lips to brush against her lashes, sunlight scattering off the tips.

“I told you, I live following my heart. And my heart has wandered off on its own.”

To you.

As he murmured softly, his lips covered hers. The touch was gentle, hesitant, as if too much force would break her.

“Mmm……”

A faint sound slipped from Hayeon’s lips. Gunhyeong’s reason flew out the window.

That same breathless sound that had once kept him awake at night tickled his ears again.

‘Damn, but it’s too soft.’

It wasn’t the first time. Every time, her small, unbelievably soft lips made him hesitate. He worried that too much pressure would break her. But just like always, his instincts won.

I’m not that much of a good guy, after all.

Like an excuse, he bit down on her lips.

“Mmnn.”

Contrary to his fears, her lips weren’t fragile—they pushed back, clinging to his tongue as if they had been waiting for his kiss.

So there’s nothing to be afraid of.

From then on, he didn’t hold back. And truthfully, he hadn’t known—Hayeon had been waiting for his kiss all along.

After a long while, Gunhyeong finally pulled back and added casually,

“I can’t help it, you know?”

Can’t help what? Hayeon tilted her head, panting for breath. Smiling, Gunhyeong brushed her lips with his thumb.

“I can’t control my heart. But I’m not shameless enough to demand you take responsibility for it.”

As a proper adult with common sense, he knew how to take responsibility himself.

Muttering softly, he smiled, his lips curving perfectly. Hayeon’s eyes fixed on those lips—the same lips that had just devoured hers. Her stomach fluttered strangely.

“Kyah!”

Hayeon squealed as Gunhyeong suddenly pulled her into his arms and toppled back. A pleased sigh escaped his lips.

“Ah, this feels good.”

“L-let me go!”

She struggled, but it was useless. His arms were as heavy as his large build suggested, and he held her tightly as if he would never let go.

“Just stay like this for a bit.”

When she kept wriggling, he murmured lazily into her ear,

“Just for a bit……”

“Hayeon.”

He spoke her name softly, his deep voice resonating. The unfamiliar intimacy of the name made her stop moving. Seeing her still, he whispered gently again,

“The breeze feels nice.”

Only then did she notice her surroundings. Trapped against his broad chest, she couldn’t see anything, but the wind brushing her skin felt wonderful.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?”

He asked again, and Hayeon nodded. The crisp summer air mixed with a faint scent she had smelled before.

“Ah……”

A mix of trees and a trace of cigarette smoke. Gunhyeong’s scent—familiar now. Familiar. Realizing that made her blush again.

As she shifted unconsciously, he stroked her hair as if to soothe her.

“……It’s refreshing, right?”

His low voice tickled her ear again. Instead of answering, Hayeon only nodded. His warm hand stroked through her long hair in rhythm with his steady heartbeat.

‘……Whose heartbeat is this……’

It sounded like a lullaby. Her eyes grew heavy. She had been more active today than usual, after being cooped up indoors for so long.

“Let’s nap like this.”

Even Gunhyeong’s words slurred slightly with drowsiness. It was tempting, but in the middle of a park? As if sensing her hesitation, he chuckled and added,

“Really, who’d dare mess with me, Choi Gunhyeong, after seeing my size? Especially in the neighborhood where my aunt’s shop is?”

If anyone tried, either he, Taeseon, or his aunt would deal with them. His voice was already heavy with sleep.

“Of course, the scariest of the three is definitely Auntie.”

At that, Hayeon remembered his aunt bustling around the snack shop. Yes—she would definitely be terrifying if she got angry. Hayeon smiled faintly.

“……I’m sleepy.”

“That’s fine. I’m here.”

Don’t worry. With those final words, sleep pulled her under. Neither could say who drifted off first, but both Gunhyeong and Hayeon closed their eyes.