LS Ch 39

When they arrived at Incheon Airport, it was early in the morning according to Korean time. Thanks to that, the airport was quieter than usual. Jewoo, wearing just a cap, leisurely picked up her luggage and exited the arrival hall. Jiho had asked if he should come pick her up, but she declined, saying there was no need to go through the trouble since she could take the airport bus. Jiho didn’t insist, knowing she was used to getting around by herself when there was no work.

Even as she moved toward the airport bus stop, no one seemed to recognize her. The lack of fame was certainly helpful in moments like this.

While she briefly stopped to check the airport bus schedule and routes on her phone, she suddenly felt an arm wrap around her shoulder from behind. Startled, she instinctively tried to hit the person behind her with her elbow, but it didn’t quite work.

“What the hell…!”

Jewoo turned around, her eyes widening in surprise. The person behind her was wearing a black cap and mask, and at first glance, they looked almost like a stranger. However, the eyes that peeked out from the mask were familiar.

“You…!”

Jewoo barely stopped herself from shouting Kang Yiwon’s name. She had seen him before, even when he was wearing a helmet that covered his face during a drama shoot. She was certain it was him. But if she called out his name now, people would start noticing and crowding around them.

“Let go, first.”

She told him to release her from the hug, but he didn’t budge. The corners of his eyes seemed to curve slightly, as if he was smiling.

“Promise me you won’t run away again.”

His request was so random that Jewoo couldn’t help but chuckle.

“If I were planning to run, would I have let you catch me so easily?”

She told him the time and flight she was arriving on, and if she had known he would be here to pick her up, she wouldn’t have mentioned it at all.

“I’m not going. I won’t go, so let go. That way, you can see my face properly.”

She figured it might look suspicious to others if he was holding her like this in the middle of the airport, so she urged him to let go. Only then did Yiwon release his arm around her shoulder. She turned to look at him, but since he was still mostly covered, she still couldn’t see his face clearly.

“Did you come alone? Where’s your manager?”

“I drove here. Let’s go.”

Instead of answering her question, Yiwon grabbed the suitcase that had been standing there and started walking briskly. Knowing she couldn’t have a proper conversation in the middle of the airport, Jewoo silently followed him.

“Did you sneak out without telling your manager?”

“I’m not a kid. I don’t report everything I do.”

So, that meant Kang Yiwon hadn’t told his manager he was here.

“What about work? Aren’t you busy today?”

“I have to go to the practice room in the afternoon, but I’m free until then.”

“When did you start waiting?”

“I started an hour ago, just in case.”

Jewoo couldn’t help but laugh at his response. What was there to worry about? Was he concerned that she might disappear again, cutting off all contact like she had before? He said an hour ago, but she suspected he had been there even earlier, waiting for her.

“Did you sleep well?”

“I slept enough.”

“Really?”

She asked again, not quite believing it, and Yiwon stopped walking and turned to look at her. Jewoo stopped as well, meeting his gaze.

“Can I be honest?”

“…?”

“I didn’t sleep at all. It didn’t feel real. I kept wondering if it was a dream. I was afraid you’d block me again and disappear.”

His unexpected confession made Jewoo burst out laughing.

“You’re laughing? After you left me hanging like that?”

Yiwon sighed and responded.

“Sorry, sorry.”

Jewoo tried to suppress her laughter and looked at him, giving him a sweet smile.

“Did you miss me that much? You really like me that much?”

She asked half-jokingly, teasing him. But Yiwon’s serious expression made her stop and clear her throat, wiping the smile off her face.

“I realized how it feels to be dumped by someone. It’s worse than I thought. Now I understand why people act like they’re going to die over relationships. That was me. Even with work, all I could think about was someone, and I kept worrying this might turn into something bigger.”

Jewoo was taken aback by his unexpected serious response. She murmured in response, then turned around. Yiwon immediately caught her wrist, and though she shook her arm to get free, it was no use.

“I get it. Let’s go to the car and talk, okay?”

He coaxed her gently, and his pace quickened. Even with her suitcase in hand, he moved effortlessly. He didn’t let go of her wrist, so Jewoo had to walk along, pulled by him. To avoid being recognized, she lowered her hat further and kept her eyes on the ground as they walked.

When they arrived at the parking lot and Yiwon loaded the suitcase into the trunk, he gestured toward the backseat, not the passenger seat. Jewoo wondered if someone else was driving and looked at the driver’s seat, but there was no one. She couldn’t figure out why he wanted her to sit in the backseat.

He opened the door for her, and once she got in, Yiwon followed her.

“Are you going to drive, or…?”

Before she could finish her sentence, Yiwon pulled off her cap, placed his hand on the back of her head, and, with force, yanked her closer, covering her lips with his. He gently bit her lower lip to create a small gap between their lips, then pushed his tongue inside. Before she could even react, his tongue explored every corner of her mouth.

Jewoo didn’t resist; she accepted his kiss. Although this wasn’t what she had planned, the heat that pressed against her ignited something inside her. She cupped his cheek with her hand and tilted her head slightly to deepen the kiss. Their hot breath tangled together, and it was hard to keep track of everything happening.

After a long time, Yiwon finally pulled away slightly, breathing heavily, and let out a deep sigh. He still held the back of Jewoo’s head, and the space between them was so small that it felt like there was only a thin sheet of paper between them. Every time Yiwon exhaled, his breath touched her lips and cheeks, and Jewoo could tell that Kang Yiwon was struggling to hold back an overwhelming desire.

“What if someone sees us?”

Jewoo was a little worried, and Yiwon gestured toward the front.

“You can’t see anything.”

There was a partition in the front, and the windows on the door had darker tinting compared to other cars.

“You’re thorough.”

Jewoo chuckled, finding his actions somewhat cute, and Yiwon let out a long exhale.

“You’ve been torturing me, and now you’re going to keep smiling like that?”

Jewoo smiled even more widely at his complaining tone, and Yiwon groaned as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her close. It was an awkward position with only their upper bodies leaning together, but Jewoo didn’t want to push him away, feeling guilty for keeping him waiting for over two weeks.

“So now we’re really dating, right?”

Yiwon asked, as if confirming, and Jewoo nodded.

“You won’t disappear again, right?”

Yiwon seemed anxious, and though it wasn’t intentional, he still seemed like a cute little brother to Jewoo, and she smiled softly.

“If you block me again, I’ll come to your company and make a scene.”

“Hey, that’s too much…”

“You can avoid all that by not blocking me.”

She tried to act nonchalant, but hearing that he was hurt by being blocked made her feel even more guilty. She gently ran her hand over the back of Yiwon’s head as he rested his forehead on her shoulder.

“I won’t do it again.”

Although she had unblocked him quite a while ago, she hadn’t told him that she hadn’t checked any of his messages since.

“You’re not going to get confused again, right?”

Yiwon kept asking, seemingly not fully reassured, so Jewoo smiled faintly.

“I’ve come to you as the real Jewoo.”

When she mentioned that she had definitively parted ways with ‘Haeyul,’ Yiwon seemed to relax, nodding with a slight smile.

“It’s still before morning, right? You must be hungry.”

Having calmed down a bit, Yiwon released the arm he had been holding around her and mentioned breakfast. Jewoo hadn’t felt hungry since she’d eaten on the plane and slept most of the time, but seeing the time, it seemed like Yiwon would need something to eat.

“Do you think any place will be open at this hour?”

She had briefly considered going to a restaurant inside the airport, but then realized it would be impossible to take Yiwon there. As she wondered if there was a quiet restaurant nearby, Yiwon simply said “Let’s go” and got out of the backseat, heading to the driver’s seat. Not wanting to sit alone in the back, Jewoo moved to the passenger seat.

“Do you know somewhere?”

“Yeah.”

Yiwon answered as he started the car, and since she didn’t have any particular preferences for food, Jewoo told him to choose and put on her seatbelt.

“Take a nap. We have a bit of a drive.”

“Where are we going?”

Jewoo asked out of curiosity, but Yiwon didn’t answer and focused solely on driving. Not minding, she settled deeply into the seat. She doubted she’d fall asleep since she had slept so much on the plane to adjust to the time difference.

As they passed familiar scenery at a fast pace, Jewoo realized that she had truly returned to reality.

Is this really okay?

A subtle worry popped into her mind, and she glanced at Yiwon’s face before shaking her head, trying to push the anxiety down. She had thought it over carefully and made a decision, so for now, she would try to be honest with her own feelings.