Chapter 104
*SLAP!*
...
I stood there frozen, unable to believe what I had just witnessed.
Yuna...
She...
She had crossed the line!
The slap turned Sera's head slightly to the side. A few strands of hair fell across her face. Slowly, she raised her hand and brushed them back into place.
Then, she calmly looked back at Yuna, as if the slap had meant nothing to her.
"Yuna, what are you doing!?"
I finally snapped out of my shock and instinctively glanced at Harin, hoping she would step in and stop Yuna. But… why hadn't she moved yet? And why did she seem to be enjoying the scene?
"Yuna, stop!"
Without thinking any further, I hurried forward and grabbed Yuna by the wrist.
I had to stop this before it got even worse.
"Let go of me!"
With a violent jerk, Yuna yanked her hand free.
The sudden force threw me off balance, making me stumble backward and fall to the ground.
"Ouch..."
"Haemin!"
"You stay there, Harin."
Yuna pointed at Harin warningly without sparing her a glance.
Her eyes stayed on Sera.
Then, in one swift motion, she grabbed her by the collar.
Sera merely lowered her gaze to the hand gripping her clothes before slowly meeting Yuna's eyes again.
She looked completely unshaken.
Yuna's eyes had already turned slightly red, yet her voice remained cold.
"I knew it was you all along, Sera."
Her grip tightened.
"You shameless woman. You dared to interfere in my marriage. And you're the one who sent that lawyer to him."
This is bad. Yuna already knew about it.
Sera remained silent.
She didn't even bother removing Yuna's hand from her collar.
What should I do?
This had already gone too far.
I quickly pushed myself back onto my feet.
"Yuna, stop it. If you want to blame anyone, then blame me. I was the one who accepted her help—"
"Shut your mouth, Haemin! Why are you defending this woman?"
Before I could answer, Yuna suddenly raised her hand again.
She was about to slap Sera a second time.
"Yuna, don't—!"
But before her hand could come down—
…
Everything stopped.
Because… Sera had caught her wrist.
And she slowly looked Yuna in the eyes.
"I let you do that... just to make us even. But don't push your luck."
With one firm motion, Sera pushed Yuna's hand away.
Yuna stumbled back two steps before regaining her balance.
"Chairwoman."
Harin immediately stepped beside her and gently held her by the shoulder.
"Chairwoman… this isn't an appropriate place for this."
Yuna didn't answer.
She kept her eyes fixed on Sera, her breathing becoming noticeably heavier.
"I'm not interested in a catfight with you, Yuna."
Sera calmly straightened the collar of her coat.
"And what if I was the one who sent that lawyer to him? Upset that you can't force him to stay with you? Do you realize where we're standing right now? How about I walk back inside and tell the police everything you've done to Haemin?"
Yuna's expression instantly hardened.
Her jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles along her face became visible.
Seeing that reaction, Sera let out a faint smirk before turning to me and extending her hand.
"Haemin. Let's go."
I immediately looked at Yuna in panic before turning back to Sera.
"S-Sera… it's okay. I can go home by myself—"
"No."
She interrupted me gently.
"You're coming with me."
"Ya, Haemin…"
I froze.
Yuna had suddenly called my name.
Slowly, I turned back toward her.
"Have you already forgotten what I told you this morning? If you want to find out whether I meant every single word I said… then go ahead."
My body stiffened.
The threat she made this morning immediately resurfaced in my mind.
"Hey, Yuna…"
My attention shifted back to Sera when she called Yuna's name.
Suddenly, she slowly closed the distance between them until they stood face to face once again.
*SLAP!*
…
My mind went completely blank.
…
Sera had…
She had actually slapped Yuna.
…
I could only stare at the two of them in complete disbelief.
Even Harin looked momentarily stunned.
Yuna remained frozen for a brief moment. Her head had turned slightly from the impact, as though she had never imagined anyone would dare to slap her.
Sera lowered her hand.
Her cold eyes remained fixed on Yuna.
"You bitch. If you're so desperate to show off your power, at least pick on someone who can stand up to you. And the nerve you have to threaten him right in front of me. Do you think you can do whatever you want just because he never fights back?"
Yuna slowly raised her fingers to her cheek.
She looked at her own palm for a brief moment before slowly lifting her eyes toward Sera again.
"Ms. Hwang."
Harin spoke coldly.
"This has gone far beyond acceptable."
Sera didn't even look at her.
"Oh? So it was acceptable when she laid her hands on me, but suddenly it's unacceptable when I return the favor?"
Her gaze shifted toward me.
"And threatening Haemin is acceptable too?"
Harin fell silent, glaring at Sera with displeasure.
Sera turned back to me.
The coldness in her eyes had softened.
"Haemin. Let's go."
I hesitated.
A heavy feeling settled deep inside my chest.
After Sera had openly stood up for me…
How could I reject her now?
From the corner of my eye, I could still feel Yuna watching me.
She simply stood there in silence…
Looking at me with those cold, unreadable eyes.
I couldn't bring myself to meet her gaze.
"Haemin?"
I looked up when Sera called my name again. She was looking at me with a faint smile on her face, waiting for me to follow.
Whatever, I don't know anymore.
With guilty steps, I slowly walked toward Sera and quietly followed her.
I'll explain everything to Yuna later, once she has calmed down. Hopefully.
Right now, I was simply too exhausted.
Too many things had happened today.
My mind felt completely overwhelmed.
Whatever happens, I'll deal with it later.
_____
*Twenty minutes later*
*The car came to a stop*
"Haemin?"
"Oh, we've arrived."
I unfastened my seatbelt before turning toward her.
"Thank you for sending me home, Sera. And also… about what happened at the police station earlier, thank you for that too."
Sera studied my face for a few seconds.
"Are you okay, Haemin? You've been staring out the window and barely said anything the whole way here."
I forced out a small smile.
"I'm fine."
My gaze shifted toward the side of her face.
"Is your cheek okay, Sera?"
I almost raised my hand to touch it, but thankfully, I caught myself and lowered it again, knowing it would be inappropriate.
Sera looked slightly disappointed for a moment before lightly touching her cheek and giving a small shake of her head.
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it."
"I'm sorry, Sera… Because of me, you had to deal with all that."
"Don't apologize. I'm the one who wanted to help you. So this much from her was pretty much expected."
I lowered my gaze, still feeling guilty despite her reassurance.
"Oh, and also, I'm sorry we couldn't stay out longer tonight."
Sera simply let out a faint smile.
"Well, that's unfortunate. But I'm not that heartless. I know you've had an exhausting day. But tomorrow night… I want you to spend your time with me."
I hesitated.
"About that… Sera…"
"Hm?"
"About my message this morning… I really meant it. Until things calm down, we really can't be seen together in public."
A soft laugh escaped her the moment I said that.
"What are you talking about, Haemin? You don't seriously think I would agree to that, right?"
The smile on her face slowly faded.
"T-Then, could you… clear up the misunderstanding about us to the media? You know what Yuna is like. She really hates all these rumors."
Her expression changed the moment I mentioned it.
"Why do you care so much about what she thinks? She doesn't have anything to do with you anymore, right?"
Her voice sounded slightly irritated.
"It's true, but—"
"You keep thinking about her feelings. What about my feelings, Haemin? Are you embarrassed about people knowing about us?"
"No! It's not like that—"
"But soon, everyone's going to find out anyway, aren't they? So what difference does it make if they find out now?"
"S—Sera can you let me talk for a sec—"
"Or do you still have feelings for her?"
"W—What? N-No!"
"Or is she still hurting you? Is that why you're afraid of her finding out?"
"Sera, please, just let me explai—"
"Are you going to betray me and break your promise to me?"
"I'm not!"
"Then what?"
Sera stared at me intensely, waiting for me to explain myself. She wasn't yelling, but the way she kept pressuring me somehow made me even more nervous.
I took a quiet breath, carefully choosing my words.
"I remember my promise. But you see… Yuna and I are still in the middle of the divorce. If the news about us continues to escalate, I'm worried Yuna might use it as another reason to make things difficult for me. I don't want to give her any excuse to delay or complicate the process just because she gets angry or jealous."
"What if she tries to do that? You have me, don't you? Do you think I'll just let her do whatever she wants to you? I can make things a thousand times more difficult for her too."
"Then she'll retaliate and do the same to you. If the two of you keep going back and forth, when is it ever going to end?"
"I don't want to watch the two of you tear each other apart over something like this. Let's not provoke her, okay, Sera? Please. Do it for me… please?"
Silence stretched between us for a moment as Sera simply stared at me.
Eventually, she let out a quiet sigh and leaned back against her seat.
"Fine. I'll sort it out later. Happy now?"
I gave her a faint smile.
"Thank you, Sera—"
"But…"
"But?"
Sera turned toward me again, her expression becoming noticeably more serious.
"After your divorce is finalized, I want you to live with me."
I froze.
"S-Sera…"
My face immediately began to heat up.
"…That's…"
"That's what? You said you remember your promise, didn't you? If you really mean it and you care about my feelings, you'll agree to it, right?"
My face became even redder.
"S-Sera, I…"
Is she actually serious right now?
She didn't look like she was joking at all.
"I'll… think about it later."
"No. I want to hear your answer right now."
I looked at her in surprise.
She's really serious about this.
"I've been overthinking all day when you said you didn't want to meet me anymore. Do you know how much that hurt me?"
"Sera…"
She suddenly took both of my hands in hers and gently leaned closer.
"So at least let me go home tonight in peace, knowing that you won't disappoint me."
"But I need time to thin—"
"You will agree, right?"
I swallowed hard.
My mind went blank for a moment. I should tell her that we need to take this slowly, but the way she was looking at me right now…
"I…"
"Right?"
"…"
"Hm?"
"O-Okay…"
I didn't know what to say anymore.
A small, satisfied smile appeared on her lips.
"That's all I wanted to hear."
She slowly released my hands then reached toward the center console and unlocked the car doors.
"Now go get some rest. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay…"
I just nod and reach for the door handle.
But just as I was about to open the door, something came to mind.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot… Can I ask you something, Sera?"
"No need to ask for permission, Haemin. Just ask. What is it?"
"Regarding Attorney Park…"
The moment I mentioned his name, the expression on her face changed slightly. The warmth that had been there only moments ago disappeared, replaced by a much more neutral expression.
"What about him?"
"Oh, nothing. I just wanted to ask… is everything settled now?"
Sera remained quiet for a moment before answering.
"Yeah. His body has already been transported back to Switzerland. I've already informed his family, and they're already there waiting for him. The arrangements will be handled by his family from there."
"I see…"
For some reason, I felt a little sad hearing that. I wish I could have gotten the chance to see him one last time before he was taken back.
"It's okay, then. That's all I wanted to know."
I looked back at her and gave her a small smile.
"Goodnight, Sera."
I reached for the door handle again.
*Click*
The door suddenly locked.
I stopped.
"Hm?"
I slowly turned toward Sera.
"Sera, you accidentally lock the—"
But…
She was already looking directly at me.
The look in her eyes…
I don't know why, but it sent shivers down my spine. I instinctively pulled my hand away from the door handle.
"S—Sera? What's wrong…?"
"Haemin."
Her voice was quiet.
"Why did you suddenly ask about him?"
I swallowed nervously.
"Because… I just wanted to know?"
Sera continued staring at me.
"Why do you suddenly want to know? Did he say anything to you when he came to see you?"
"No?"
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Don't lie to me, Haemin."
I quickly shook my head.
"N-No. He didn't say anything to me. He just came because he wanted to say goodbye. That's all."
Sera didn't answer immediately.
She simply kept looking at me, as if trying to determine whether I was telling the truth.
"Is that true?"
"Y-Yes! Sera… why are you suddenly acting like this?"
She continued looking at me for another few seconds before finally letting out a quiet sigh.
"It's nothing. I might be overthinking things. I thought he told you something important that he forgot to tell me before he left. I'm sorry for scaring you."
I let out a small breath of relief.
"It's okay. I understand."
But then another thought occurred to me.
"Wait… how did you know Attorney Park came to see me? I haven't told anyone about that."
Sera seemed slightly caught off guard.
"T—The police."
She answered a little too quickly, and for a brief moment, I noticed a hint of panic in her expression.
"They told me about that."
"I see…"
I nodded slowly.
"I guess that explains it."
I reached for the door again.
"Well, I should go now. Goodnight, Sera."
Sera unlocked the door.
"Yeah, goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow."
_____
*Click*
The front door finally closed behind me.
I stood there for a moment, letting out a long sigh as the quietness of my apartment slowly settled around me.
I turned on the light and went straight toward my bedroom.
The moment I reached the bed, I threw myself onto it and buried my face into the pillow.
"Ah… I'm seriously exhausted."
I stayed there for a few seconds before rolling onto my back and staring blankly at the ceiling.
"What a day…"
I let out another tired sigh.
"Can't I have just one normal day for once? I really don't understand my life anymore…"
My eyes eventually drifted toward the small table beside my bed, where a framed photograph of my parents sat.
I stared at their faces for a few seconds.
"Mom… Dad… What am I supposed to do?"
Obviously, neither of them answered.
I smiled bitterly.
"If you two were still here, I wonder what you'd say after hearing everything I've been through all this time."
I reached toward the photograph and gently adjusted the frame.
After resting for a while, I finally forced myself out of bed and began tidying up the apartment a little.
When I finally finished, I gathered my clothes and headed toward the washing machine.
I started sorting through them one by one before picking up my pants.
Just as I was about to put them into the machine, my fingers brushed against something inside one of the pockets.
"Hm?"
I reached inside and pulled it out.
A small house card.
"Oh… I almost forgot about this."
***
After putting the clothes into the washing machine, I finally went to take a shower.
The warm water helped me relax a little, washing away some of the exhaustion that had weighed on my shoulders since this morning.
By the time I finished, I felt slightly better.
I changed into comfortable clothes and returned to my bedroom before lying down on my bed.
For a while, I simply stared at the ceiling before reaching over and picking up the card again.
I turned it around.
There was a code printed on the front.
Then I flipped it over.
A house address was printed on the back.
I stared at it for a long moment.
I wondered why Attorney Park wanted me to keep it secret from everyone.