Bad addiction

“Haah.”

As soon as Haeun stepped out of the hotel entrance, she let out a long sigh while looking up at the dark sky.

Her mind was a mess from everything that had happened, but the fresh air helped clear her thoughts a little.

If she said her blind date didn’t go well, she would have to endure endless nagging.

She wasn’t just looking for marriage; otherwise, she would have forced herself to accept any match this time.

But Dojun’s sudden appearance had ruined everything.

She couldn’t get his gaze—filled with disappointment—out of her mind.

‘Why is he in Korea?’

The day he left, Dojun had sworn he would never return to Korea.

That’s why their unexpected encounter left her feeling uneasy.

‘He wouldn’t have come back for good… would he?’

The worst possible scenario would be Dojun returning to Daehan Construction.

Just imagining it made her chest tighten.

That was something that absolutely must not happen.

Feeling on edge, Haeun decided to head home immediately.

Just as she was about to walk away, a car stopped in front of her.

The windows were tinted black, but she could guess who was inside.

Soon, the window rolled down.

“Get in.”

As expected, it was Dojun.

“No, I’ll go alone.”

She gave the same response she had given to Yunhan earlier.

Dojun tilted his head slightly, smiling in a way she couldn’t quite understand.

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

“……”

“Would you rather talk here?”

Even without hearing the rest, she had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk about.

It seemed like avoiding him wouldn’t work, so she reached for the car door and got in.

“You didn’t eat much earlier. Let’s start with dinner.”

Without waiting for her answer, Dojun started driving.

Just like that last night they spent together, she was once again sitting in the passenger seat.

⸻

The restaurant he chose was a Korean fine dining place not far from the hotel.

“Welcome. How many guests?”

“Two.”

“Right this way, please.”

Following the staff, Dojun and Haeun walked into the restaurant.

It was a traditional Korean house-style restaurant with a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

Though the place was quiet, Haeun’s mind was anything but.

After being seated in a private room and finishing their order, they were finally alone.

The door clicked shut, and silence filled the room.

She wanted to say something—anything—to break the awkward tension, but no words came to mind.

Just as she finally decided to ask when he had arrived—

“I came to Korea this morning.”

Dojun spoke first, breaking the silence.

The moment he finished speaking, Haeun responded as if she had been waiting for this.

“Didn’t you say you would never come back to Korea?”

That was the reason she had spent that night with him.

She looked at Dojun with resentment.

“I did say that. That was my plan.”

“…….”

If he was saying this now, it meant his plans had changed.

She tried to hide it, but she couldn’t stop her expression from turning bitter.

Back then, she could have left whenever she wanted.

Yet she had given in to impulse that night—and now she hated her past self for it.

Biting her lip, Haeun tightly clenched the hem of her dress.

“There’s something I wanted to ask if I ever saw you again, Seo Haeun.”

“What is it…?”

His persistent gaze made her mouth go dry.

“That night.”

Just those two words made her throat tighten.

A moment later, Dojun continued.

“Why didn’t you tell me it was your first time?”

It felt like she had been hit over the head.

She froze in place, struggling to stay composed.

“Does that matter?”

At her response, Dojun let out a scoff.

“So you’re saying it wasn’t a big deal?”

”…If you’re worried that knowing I was a virgin might have put you in a difficult position, then you don’t have to. It didn’t mean much to me.”

Dojun stared at her in disbelief.

She didn’t know exactly what he was thinking, but she could tell it wasn’t something positive.

Her throat felt dry, and she kept drinking water.

The conversation paused when their food arrived, but Dojun soon spoke again.

“How was your blind date?”

Thankfully, a different topic.

Not that it was a comfortable one, but it was better than discussing that night.

“Not my type.”

Since he was asking, that meant he hadn’t overheard her conversation with Yunhan, right?

That alone was a relief.

“He looked quite a bit older than you.”

“Yes, he was.”

There was no point in lying about something that was obvious.

She pressed her feet into the floor, feeling awkward.

“Are you in a hurry to get married?”

”…Yes.”

“So that’s why you’re willing to marry just any man?”

Haeun forced a small, awkward smile instead of answering.

“Can I ask why?”

“It’s hard to explain. I’m sorry.”

There was no need to explain her family situation.

But the moment she finished speaking, Dojun let out a dry laugh.

Like he found it ridiculous.

She stayed silent, and he murmured under his breath.

“Everything is so easy for you, huh?”

She understood what he meant but pretended not to.

The air between them grew heavy.

She licked her lips several times, feeling uneasy.

“You’re an interesting person.”

“What?”

She thought the silence had stretched too long, but he was still on the same topic.

His gaze seemed to flick.