I didn't reply.
"Look, Minji, my patience is ending," he said, his voice deeper, more dangerous.
I tightened my grip on the phone. "Joonseo, what about you?" I finally said, my voice low.
"Me?" he asked, confused.
"Yeah," I said, breathing heavily.
"What do you mean?" he asked again, voice colder.
Before I could answer, Nakyung's voice echoed from the table, cheerful and sweet, breaking the moment.
"Minji! Come over, there's cooked fish meat!" she called out, smiling brightly.
Perfect timing.I needed to get out of this.
"I gotta go. Bye," I said quickly and hung up, not even waiting for his reply. I rushed back to the table like I was running from a storm.
I slid into my chair."Here you go!" Nakyung said, placing a plate of fish meat in front of me with a proud smile.
"Thank you," I said, forcing a smile back.
She sat beside me, but before I could even breathe properly, I felt it—the heavy gaze.I turned slightly and saw him.Joonseo was walking back to the table, his face unreadable, his steps slow but sharp.
I quickly looked away, pretending to focus on my plate.
He sat down without a word, his eyes burning into the side of my face.
"Mr. Joonseo," Nakyung started, trying to keep the air light, "I didn't know what you liked, so I asked Yuna, and she said you're okay with fish. So... I just brought fish for all of us!"
I wanted to melt under the table.Why did she have to mention Yuna?
I lifted my eyes slightly and caught Yuna's smile—that smile, the one that said, I'm winning.
She looked at me like we were in a silent battle and she had just scored a point.
Meanwhile, Joonseo didn't stop looking at me, his stare sharper than knives.And Yuna kept making her lips pout, her jealousy leaking out in every tiny move.
I clenched my fork.This dinner was turning into a silent war.
After dinner, we stepped out of the hotel. The night air was a little cold, brushing softly against my arms.
"It's getting late," said Nakyung, glancing at the sky.
"Yeah... how about I drop you and Minji off at your place?" said Seungwoo, looking at us with a gentle smile.
"Sure!" Nakyung replied, smiling back brightly.
"I'll drop you off, Minji," said Joonseo, stepping forward.
I gave him a small smile. "Mr. Joonseo, I don't want to interrupt you and Yuna. I'll go with Mr. Seungwoo."
Before he could say anything else, I turned and walked toward Seungwoo's car. He opened the back door for me like a gentleman, and I got in. Nakyung slid in beside me, and Seungwoo got into the driver's seat. After entering Nakyung's home location, he started driving.
The ride was quiet, peaceful—almost too peaceful after everything that had happened earlier.
Soon, we arrived at her apartment. We stepped out of the car.
"Thank you so much," said Nakyung, bowing slightly.
Seungwoo rolled down his window to see us clearly in the soft night light.
"Thank you, Mr. Seungwoo, for the ride," I said with a soft smile.
"My pleasure," he replied, his eyes shining. Even from inside the car, I could see he was smiling warmly.
Then, he drove off into the night.
We entered the building, walked up to Room 20, and knocked on the door.
"I hope my brother's home," Nakyung whispered.
The door opened a few seconds later. It was Seojun. He was wearing a light blue oversized T-shirt, looking relaxed. But the second he saw me, he smiled—not at his sister, but at me.
"Minji," he said, walking closer. He gave me a small hug, which made Nakyung sigh quietly behind me.
We stepped inside.
"Welcome, Minji," she said, handing me guest slippers.
I switched out of my shoes and stepped into the living room, settling onto the couch. But before I could even relax, my phone started to ring.
"Excuse me," I said, walking away to a quieter spot.I glanced at the screen.
Joonseo.
I answered the call, unsure of what I'd hear next.
"Hello?" I said softly.
"Minji, come downstairs within five minutes or I'll come up myself," he said, his voice low and furious.
"I'm on my way," I replied quickly, hanging up the phone.
"Nakyung!" I called out.
"Yes?" she answered, coming out of the kitchen with a dish towel in her hand.
"I need to head back. My dad sent my uncle to pick me up," I said, trying to keep my tone calm.
"Again?" Seojun muttered from the living room.
"Let me walk you out at least—to your uncle's car," Nakyung offered with a sweet smile.
"Yeah, we want to meet your kind uncle," Seojun added playfully.
Panic stirred in my chest. That's not my uncle… That's my husband. And he's furious.
"No, no—really, I can walk out by myself," I said, waving my hand quickly.
"No way, I'll go with you," said Nakyung, grabbing her phone.
"Don't worry. I'll call you when I get home," I insisted, forcing a reassuring smile.
"Deal," she finally said.
"Deal," I echoed.
"See you," said Seojun, lifting his hand in a wave.
I waved back, then quickly changed out of the guest slippers and into my shoes. I stepped out of the apartment, rushed down the stairs, and out onto the street.
It was a quiet night. A few people were walking on the sidewalk, laughing, chatting. But all I saw was his car—a sleek black vehicle parked further down, its engine silently running.
I opened my phone as I walked. Before that last call, there were 15 missed calls from him.
What is his problem? Can't I hang out with my friends without being hunted down?
I reached the car and slid into the passenger seat. He didn't say a word. He just stared at me—his jaw tight, his eyes stormy with anger. I fastened my seatbelt without looking at him.
Then, without a word, he started to drive.
This guy is really something…
But after a few minutes, I noticed we weren't heading toward home.
"Mr. Joonseo, this isn't the road to the house," I said, frowning.
He didn't reply. His hands gripped the wheel tightly, and his eyes stayed locked on the road ahead.
"This is the wrong direction," I repeated, a little louder this time, my voice starting to shake.
Still no response. The road was darker now, quieter. Trees lined the side, and the city lights were fading behind us.
There might be a forest ahead… Who knows what he's thinking?