Chapter 51

Si-Jin clicked his tongue at Na-Yool’s troubled expression.

“Don’t you find it astonishing?”

“I have never thought of such extreme situations…”

“It is astonishing.”

“……”

“That you thought of going back alone to a home where that bastard is waiting, it really is. Astonishing.”

According to Si-Jin, it was now a fact that Sang-Hoon was waiting in front of her house. Not even caring for Sang-Hoon’s opinion.

For a few minutes, Na-Yool’s dim consciousness mentally counted how many times he had told her off in such a manner, then asked:

“Mr. President, do you ever feel anything else but dumbfounded with me?”

“I am generally excited.”

The straightforward sexual innuendo popping out of nowhere rendered Na-Yool speechless once again. Of course, it was obvious he had looked for the most wholesome term to express himself. To the best of his abilities.

But to say it on a street lit up like broad daylight…

“The driver is here. Let’s go.”

Should I run away?

Just as the idea quietly crossed Na-Yool’s mind, Si-Jin grabbed her arm. Half-asleep, she followed him as he dragged her along to soon see a very familiar luxurious car in front of her. Before she could even react with a “huh?”, the rear door was opened. As it were, here is what had happened.

Out of consideration for Na-Yool’s dull reflexes, Si-Jin had walked at an extremely slow pace without haste, but she had not noticed due to her drunk state. So everything happened in an instant. When she came back to reality with her mind still fuzzy, her body was already crumpled in the back seat.

Si-Jin diligently set her in in a neat and precise manner, just like putting his freshly folded clothes in a commode drawer. Na-Yool soon was sitting like a stored item which had found its place.

Si-Jin sat next to her, and the substitute driver behind the wheel. The weight of their three respective bodies was absorbed by the expensive car without a shake but Na-Yool, catching on the faintest quivering, briefly hallucinated on her own that she was on a boat. Meanwhile, Si-Jin slightly leaned forwards to the driver seat. He nonchalantly placed his large hand on Na-Yool’s thigh as if simply to help himself to lean further in to be heard by the driver, to whom he gave the address.

Unlike before, Na-Yool could not even slap off the naughty hand.

Now that the fresh breeze which had temporarily sobered up her muddled brain was gone, all she could do was hold onto her dizzy head.

She tried to think about this situation as best as she could. Think, think… Far from actually thinking about it, the car set off as she thought nothing but inwardly repeating the word “think” over and over.

“…What are you doing?”

Si-Jin turned his eyes from his phone towards Na-Yool with an interrogative look. Rather than a question it was closer to random self-talking, and more like a reprobation of her weird behavior than an innocent inquiry.

Not bothering with him, Na-Yool stuck her body against the door as if there was a cliff right next to her and nervously twitched her eyes. Needless to say she was breathing in and out heavily.

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

Si-Jin properly asked this time. Na-Yool answered with a somber voice.

“…I think I am going to throw up.”

“……”

After setting off merely 2 minutes ago, the car quietly stopped.

Then the car resumed moving 10 minutes later. Na-Yool, plagued with a wretched appearance, got crumpled back to her ‘drawer’ after failing to regurgitate anything.

Noticing that Na-Yool’s mind remained drunk with no sign of throwing up, Si-Jin lightly disregarded her nausea and laid her down.

The sensation of her head, held in his big hands, as it rested on his hard thigh, made her feel light-headed like she was in a dream. No, it’s not because she liked it that it felt like a dream. It is just that this was too surreal. Her temple pressing against his leg, the touch of his cool hand now and then brushing her forehead… it just felt dreamlike.

As if every traffic light had turned green at its approach, Si-Jin’s car drove without pausing for lights on the night roads. Only the friendly GPS voice signaling left turns, speed cameras, and so on, occasionally echoed through the silent car.

The quiet engine sound and the pillow placed at appropriate height. Na-Yool hated hard ones, but her drunkenness softened everything. She was just about to fall asleep.

“…Is it for that person’s sake that you didn’t properly tell him who I am?”

Suddenly a low, soft voice flowed into Na-Yool’s ear. For a moment she didn’t understand and closed her eyes with a frown, before asking:

“Mr. President, who are you…?”

It was a strange question, requesting a confirmation of identity at its end while stating it clearly at its beginning. Of course, Na-Yool had her own logical reason for it. She was asking who more could he possibly be but ‘Mr. President’. However, they were not hinting at the same thing so nothing could be done about it.

Quite out of character, Si-Jin was until now rather tenderly looking down at her, even lending her his lap as a pillow. But suddenly his expression turned sour, as if looking at the most pathetic human being ever.

“Right?” Na-Yool repeated. Although Si-Jin did not say anything, Na-Yool felt his facial expression to her core, so much so that she almost physically heard it.

Seemingly annoyed by the obvious fact that she did not even call him “President” in front of Sang-Hoon, Si-Jin spat out:

“I wondered if it was for the sake of that bastard’s pride.”

“…?”

“I wondered if it was important to the stupidly kind Kim Na-Yool too.”

“What are you mumbling about by yourself…?”

“So important that you would want to protect his petty pride even if it meant ending it so unsightly like this.”

At his words she again did not understand, Na-Yool turned her head and slitted her eyes to look up at Si-Jin’s face. For a moment, the dim light of the streetlamps passing through the car window repeatedly shone on and off his sculptural face looking out.

Just as Na-Yool was appreciating the sight and blissfully thought it would be nice if he talked no more, Si-Jin looked down.

“Do you have lingering feelings?”

“…Who, me?”

Since it was obvious he was speaking of her, Si-Jin just made a face and did not elaborate. Na-Yool opened her slitted eyes wider with a stunned expression.

“Lingering feelings? Towards Lee Sang-Hoon?”

“Do you?”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Am I crazy?”

“Even a bit.”

“Unless I lost my mind, I would not…”

“Surprisingly, did you not spend 2/3 of a year with that bastard?”

So to say, it was possible enough that she was crazy. Na-Yool felt wronged and protested, “2/3 of 365 days aren’t 200 days…! It’s a long way off…!”

To think that is all she could spurt out as a comeback! Flustered, she felt like slapping her mouth and telling herself to pull herself together.

Si-Jin chuckled. From a biased viewpoint, his sneer made it look like he was scorning her, or that he was getting irritated by himself.

“You really are something else.” The tone was soft, but clearly sarcastic.

Still feeling like the victim of an injustice, Na-Yool muttered in grief, “Why would I have any?! How could I still have feelings for Sang-Hoon?!”

“If you don’t, then I can’t explain your attitude.”

“Can’t explain, what is it that you can’t explain—”

“You should have trampled on the root so that it doesn’t grow back. Plus, I was by your side to help.”

“Please recall who butted in. Please think back about who interrupted me every time I tried speaking.”

“Someone with great looks, not to mention his wealth.”

“……”

“With unrivaled abilities.”

“Could it be… that you are talking about yourself, Mr. President?”

“I know it really is nothing but incredible luck to you, but now your standard is me.”

“……”

“At least temporarily, as if a fleeting moment in your insignificant life…” Though unsaid, Na-Yool distinctly heard Si-Jin’s random arrogant premise and got struck speechless by his brimming audacity.

“So don’t you dare put that Lee Sang-Hoon and me on the same level”, is that it?

“So that bastard is below your standard. Got it?”

Si-Jin’s conclusion was a little different from Na-Yool’s expectations. Although it was, of course, a conclusion she could approve of. But just because she was briefly pleased with it, she was not to let herself get persuaded by that smooth talker, well-versed in providing sound arguments each time he opened his mouth.

Na-Yool smacked her lips and pried at him. As soon as she stared, she was once again at a loss for words.