Vol. 1 Chapter 2.2

Seeing Yoonha Kim suddenly charge into his world, it was surprising, even welcoming, but it also made him feel a little sorry for her.

She was trying to act brave, to hide it, but he could see how scared she really was, trembling just beneath the surface. And for some reason, that made him pity her even more.

What should I do with this little coward now?

Lost in thought, he said nothing.

And maybe misreading his silence, Yoonha suddenly snapped her eyes wide and spoke with force.

“If you won’t give me back the car, then I don’t have a choice. I’ll report it to the police.”

“Wouldn’t that be a problem? If it got impounded?”

His pointed remark shut Yoonha up. Yunseok watched her closely, the corner of his mouth curling with a twisted smile.

“You came running, desperate to find it, because the monthly payments are killing you. You were probably planning to sell it off, weren’t you?”

“So you’re saying you won’t give it back?”

If that was how he wanted to play it, then she’d do exactly what she had every legal right to do. That’s what she paid taxes for, after all.

Yoonha narrowed her eyes, her voice sharp as she shot the question back at him. Yunseok let out a faint laugh, breathy and dry, shaking his head.

Straightening, he rubbed the stiffness from his neck as he looked down at Yoonha Kim, her expression sharp and fierce. Even in that moment, he was still torn.

Would it be so wrong to indulge in just a little cruelty? After all, he hadn’t gone looking for her. She had come to him.

Something old and buried inside him stirred. Desire, dark and long-dormant. But then he remembered that younger version of her, the one who sat on an express bus and refused to look back. His expression formed into a bitter smile. That memory still stung.

“Why don’t we talk for a bit?”

Yoonha lowered her gaze at his suggestion. A silent no.

Talk? About what? There was nothing left to say. Even if she could go back, she’d still get on that bus to Seoul. She’d leave him again, and she wouldn’t apologize for it.

As if reading her mind, Yunseok tossed out bait she couldn’t ignore.

“Then I’ll give you the car.”

“You’ll just hand it over?”

She looked up at him, brows knitting in suspicion.

Yunseok met her gaze and, as if he couldn’t hold it in anymore, let out a laugh. He raised his right hand, and Yoonha flinched instinctively, her shoulders tensing, but he moved slowly. Deliberately.

“Yoonha.”

He whispered her name, brushing her soft cheek with the pad of his index finger. His hand was cold, so cold it stung as it passed over her skin.

“You really think I wouldn’t give you something as trivial as a car?”

Something as trivial as a car.

This damn car. Yoonha repeated his words in her mind and let out a bitter smile. Because of that stupid car, she’d spent an entire week running herself ragged. Screaming matches with used car dealers, and fights with half the city. A strange wave of sorrow rose in her throat, leaving it tight and stinging.

“What is it you even want to talk about?”

What could we possibly have to say to each other now?

The moment Yoonha muttered it under her breath, Yunseok’s mouth tightened, like he’d heard every word anyway.

He was angry. Furious, even. Not just because she didn’t want to talk, but because she was still willing to do all this for people who clearly didn’t deserve her.

Because she’d rather look him in the eye with guilt than admit that she cared more about her pathetic excuse of a brother than him.

Jealousy. Resentment. Bitterness.

Call it whatever you wanted. It was ugly, it was petty, and it was eating him alive. The fact that those worthless bastards got to be born her family and receive her loyalty like it was nothing… it made him sick.

And the fact that he couldn’t be part of that—that he would never be—that made it worse, but he tried not to show it.

“This isn’t really the place for a conversation, is it?”

Yunseok’s gaze flicked toward her younger brother, Yoonhyun, who was still peeking out from behind a distant container, too afraid to come closer.

“Yoonha, do you have a driver’s license?”

Caught off guard by his question, she nodded before she could think better of it. He turned to Minjun, who was still hovering nearby with a deep scowl.

“Minjun, give her the keys.”

“Pardon? You mean the car keys?”

Minjun frowned, clearly unsure if he’d heard correctly, but Yunseok didn’t repeat himself. Instead, he just casually flexed his hand open and closed as he looked down at Yoonha, whose wide, uncertain eyes mirrored the same confusion.

Poor thing. Looks like today’s not her lucky day, he thought, unable to hide the faint curve of sympathy in his brows.

He had half a mind to let her go earlier, but the more time passed, the more his twisted desire grew. Greedy. Unchecked.

“Wait—you want me to drive?”

“What, you think I’m just going to give you the car and walk home in the middle of the night?”

Yoonha blinked, her eyes catching the faint smirk on his lips. Yunseok held her gaze, then said in a low, velvety voice:

“You’re driving me.”

“Me?”

“Minjun will take Yoonhyun home. I can see him hiding over there.”

He added the explanation like it was the most natural thing in the world. Minjun, clearly irritated, handed the keys to Yoonha without even bothering to hide his annoyance. He couldn’t read what his boss was thinking, and that was saying something, because he usually could.

What the hell is so special about this woman? Minjun scowled subtly, his eyes narrowing as he studied her.

As Yoonha accepted the keys from the man glaring at her like she was something foul, she bit down on her tongue for no reason other than nerves.

What is this? More than relief over getting the car back, fear took hold first. Yunseok Jeong had always operated outside the bounds of her understanding, and that scared her more than she wanted to admit. Her palms were starting to sweat from nervousness.

“Let’s see just how good you are behind the wheel, shall we?”

Yunseok’s tone was light, teasing even, but the smile on his lips didn’t match his eyes. Those stayed sharp, cold.

Yoonha found herself squeezing the keys without even realizing it.