Chapter 08
. Stroking the Cheek
“Thank you.”
At the harbor parking lot, after getting out of the car, Suni looked at Eun-young and said.
“Don’t thank me. Just greet properly and go inside. You’re not feeling well anyway.”
“Yeah. I’ll call you later.”
“Don’t. I’m busy. Bye.”
Eun-young waved through the car window as she drove out of the parking lot. Suni chuckled, watching the car fade away, then turned around.
“It’s dangerous there. You should come this way.”
At that moment, she saw a father and daughter who had come to the harbor for a trip.
The father scolded his daughter, who ran toward the water, then lifted her up high in his arms. Watching the warm scene with a smile, Suni was suddenly reminded of an old memory.
That day was Suni’s high school graduation.
After happily dining with her only family, her dad, they were walking home.
“My girl, don’t you want a graduation present?”
“There is one thing. But… it won’t be easy to get.”
“Come on, just say it. Your dad will buy you anything.”
“Really? Then I’ll trust you and say it, okay?”
“Of course.”
Her dad asked with a generous smile. After watching him for a moment, Suni hesitated before speaking slowly.
“The present I want is… for you to stay by my side for the rest of my life.”
“What?”
“If you’re gone too, then I’ll be all alone. So, the best gift you could give me is to stay with me. But you have to stay healthy and live a long, long life.”
Her dad looked at Suni’s playful smile with happiness.
“To live longer than you, how healthy do I need to be?”
“See? That’s why I said it’s not an easy present. You’re not saying you can’t do it, are you?”
“Of course not. I promise, I’ll keep that promise.”
He stroked her hair confidently. Suni leaned her head on his shoulder with a blissful smile.
It was such a happy moment.
But that happiness vanished far too quickly.
Suddenly, high beams shone on them. Right after that, a massive truck came roaring toward them at terrifying speed.
Bang!
The sound of a door slamming echoed.
Inside the CEO’s office, Secretary Kwon, who had been waiting, jumped up at the noise. Soon after, Gyeon-hee entered with a hardened expression.
“What—what happened? I heard you almost had an accident? Are you okay? Let me see.”
Secretary Kwon fussed, looking him over from front to back.
“Stay still. My head’s already full.”
Gyeon-hee slumped on the sofa, his brows tightly knit. The pain in his chest had subsided, but the memory remained vivid.
“Is it hurting again? Did you take your medicine?”
Kwon asked, watching him rub his sternum.
“Be quiet!”
He snapped, cutting Kwon off. His unusually sharp tone made Kwon cautiously observe his mood.
Now was the time to wait. Having been with Gyeon-hee since childhood, Kwon knew him better than anyone.
With his eyes closed, frowning, Gyeon-hee seemed lost in thought.
This was the chance.
“…What’s going on?”
Kwon carefully asked again.
“Haa.”
A sigh came first. How could he explain that he was experiencing Cheon Suni’s pain himself?
Rumble.
In the middle of the sea, a 55-ton ship stopped at buoy number 17. On that weekday afternoon, Suni was the only one visiting the sea funeral site.
“Buoy number 17, right?”
The gray-haired captain asked with a kind smile.
“Yes.”
She answered, turning toward the buoy floating on the waves. The white number “17” stood out on the green buoy.
“Take your time talking. When you’re done, just let me know.”
The captain smiled warmly.
“Thank you.”
With a faint smile, Suni gazed again at the buoy—its green hue soft as jade.
Her father’s face came to mind. A man who had suffered his whole life, raising her alone after her mother passed away early.
“…It’s been a while. Sorry I couldn’t come more often. You’re doing well, right, Dad?”
She spoke softly toward the buoy.
Only the sound of waves hitting the boat answered.
“I’ve been doing—”
But she stopped. She grabbed her tingling right wrist with her left hand, biting her lower lip to hold back the rising emotions. She had so much to say, but in front of her dad, words stuck in her throat.
“I broke up with him. Nothing big happened, it just… ended that way.”
Since her dad always worried about her, she sugar-coated the truth.
Three months ago to this day, she had broken up with him. She had wandered the Santiago trails trying to forget. Those months had been filled with resentment, pain, and bitterness—things she couldn’t bring herself to confess here.
“Sorry. For coming after so long and saying stuff like this…”
Her tears started to fall as she spoke. She had promised herself not to cry on this visit, but it was impossible.
“Don’t worry. I didn’t cry outside. It’s just… seeing you makes me happy, that’s all. Really.”
She wiped her tears quickly. No matter how old she was, before her dad she was still a little girl.
“Haa. But still, I feel so good seeing you again. I feel like I can breathe.”
Her damp eyes fixed on the buoy.
“I’m going to start over now. Clean up and stand again. You’ll help me, right?”
The buoy swayed gently with the waves.
As if nodding.
Suni smiled. The sea breeze stroked her hair as she forced a bright laugh.
In a basement office in a residential neighborhood—
While unpacking boxes, Ari looked up at the sound of the door.
“Oh? You came alone? Where’s Suni?”
Ari asked, seeing only Eun-young walk in.
“I dropped her off in Incheon. She said it might take a while.”
“How’s she doing? She looked unwell this morning.”
“She got an IV drip. She’s better.”
Relieved, Ari nodded.
“By the way, any calls?”
Eun-young suddenly remembered something and asked.
“Oh, Manager Song called. He said to meet at 5.”
“Manager Song, 5 o’clock. Anything else?”
While jotting down the meeting with President Choi, she asked again.
“Nope. Expecting someone?”
“No. Just…”
She paused, then spoke with a worried look.
“I think I saw that guy at the hospital.”
“That guy? Who…?”
“…CEO Woo.”
She recalled the face of Gyeon-hee, glimpsed in the hospital hallway.
“Oh… the Consencio CEO?”
Ari asked, and Eun-young nodded.
“He’s been quiet lately… Just in case, watch your mouth. And remember, the canceled contract must stay secret from Suni.”
“…Of course. Not exactly good news.”
After securing Ari’s silence, Eun-young glanced around the cramped office.
Half the size of their old place, boxes even spilling into the stairway.
The sight made her sigh deeply again.
“Hm.”
After listening, Secretary Kwon looked cautiously at Gyeon-hee.
“So you’re saying… you can feel Suni’s pain?”
“…Yeah.”
Loosening his tie, Gyeon-hee muttered, visibly frustrated.
“Hm.”
Kwon exhaled, then suddenly raised two fingers.
“…How many do you see?”
“What are you doing?”
“Just tell me. How many fingers?”
“…Two.”
“And this?”
“Four. What are you doing?”
Perplexed, Gyeon-hee frowned.
“Hold still.”
Kwon stood and placed a hand on his forehead.
“No fever…”
Finally realizing what Kwon was doing, Gyeon-hee smacked his hand away.
Smack!
A sting spread across Kwon’s hand.
“Ow…”
He clutched his hand dramatically.
“You think I’ve gone crazy?”
Gyeon-hee glared.
“No, it’s not that. Just—it’s so unbelievable… Come on, if I told you the same thing, would you believe me?”
“…Probably not.”
“Exactly.”
Kwon grinned.
But Gyeon-hee’s face only grew colder.
“So what you’re saying is, I wasted my precious time telling you some useless lie, huh? Isn’t that it?”
“Huh?”
“I spent all this time on nonsense. Right?”
“N-No. That’s not what I meant… I just meant it’s so unbelievable—”
“Get out. Before I throw you out myself.”
“Huh?”
“You’re not leaving?”
He shot a death glare.
“Ah, r-right. Sorry.”
Kwon scrambled to gather his papers and stood up.
“Don’t you dare spread this anywhere. Got it?”
“O-of course. My lips are sealed, don’t worry.”
He even clenched his fist to show loyalty before rushing out.
In the staff restroom—
Kwon checked every stall to make sure it was empty.
Then he quickly pulled out his phone.
When the call connected, a photo of Sera popped up—sharp eyes that hinted at ambition.
After a few rings, she picked up.
– What is it?
It was his girlfriend, Sera.
“Big news. Huge!”
He said excitedly.
– What?
She sounded uninterested.
“Gyeon-hee said he feels his ex’s pain!”
– What are you talking about?
Kwon took a breath, organized his thoughts, and continued.
“You know Suni, right? The girl I always talk about—the saint who dated him for three years.”
– Oh, her. So what about her?
“He says he feels her pain. Literally.”
– Her pain?
She asked, baffled.
Kwon, distracted by his reflection, noticed a stray nose hair.
“Like… imagine you pluck your nose hair—ouch!—and I feel it too.”
While flicking the hair away, he didn’t hear someone else enter the restroom.
– Really? That doesn’t make sense.
“That’s why it’s huge! If it’s true, it’s insane. If it’s not, it’s still insane. He’s been acting weird lately. Sharing pain, can you believe it?”
– Sharing? So if the guy’s in pain, the girl feels it too? That’s gross.
“Ah… didn’t think to ask that. Anyway, crazy, right?”
– What does he say is the reason?
“What else? Retribution. He torments every woman he dates, pushes them to the edge. And when they leave, he just says, ‘See? All the same.’ Pathetic.”
Kwon even mimicked Gyeon-hee’s voice mockingly.
– So is it some kind of illness?
“Huh? Not sure. Why?”
– If it’s an illness, I hope you catch it.
“What? Why!?”
– So you can feel what women go through. Maybe then you’ll stop dismissing it. If it’s contagious, ask him to give it to you. Okay, bye.
And she hung up.
“What the—”
Kwon stared at his phone, dumbfounded.
“Wait… but if it really is a disease…”
The thought of Sera suffering from menstrual cramps popped into his head.
Then he remembered touching Gyeon-hee’s forehead.
“Oh no. No way!”
Panicking, he pumped soap into his hands and scrubbed frantically. Then washed his face with it too.
Bang!
Suddenly, the restroom door slammed open.
“Gah!”
Startled, eyes full of foam, Kwon turned his head—only to see Gyeon-hee’s icy gaze fixed on him.
“Your lips are sealed, right?”
His voice was cold as ice.
“G-Gyeonhee…”
“Gyeonhee?”
“N-No, I mean, sir…”
“Exactly. I’m the CEO, and you’re the secretary. So the secretary obeys the CEO. Right?”
“O-of course. Haha…”
“Pack your things.”
“What?”
“Get your stuff and get out of my company. Now!”
With his face hardened, Gyeon-hee stormed out.
“Ah—damn mouth! G-Gyeonhee! I mean, sir!”
Still foamy, Kwon stumbled after him.
