Chapter 146. What Did We Just See? (4)

Minkyung leaned her forehead against the closed door. She felt the wind whistle softly in her ears.

She had thought that love was like a field of flowers. After all, love and romance were usually depicted with pink hearts. However, love felt more like a muddy swamp. No matter how carefully one moved, it was inevitable to slip, fall, and get dirty.

Her inflated pride, exaggerated emotions, and illogical fantasies repeatedly plunged her into despair in a relationship with a man like Lee-Seob. As determined as she was to build a wall, it was absurd to do so with a heart like unset cement. Whenever her emotions took control over reason, she’d remind herself bitterly,

“There’s not much left. This romance will soon end.”

***

“Welcome.”

Seonae greeted Minkyung in the dining room. From the separated kitchen behind, the smells of boiling soup and savory frying filled the air. Once again, Lee-Seob’s mother had asked Minkyung to visit a little earlier.

“Sorry for waking you early.”

“No, it’s not that early.”

Seonae seemed to interpret her answer to mean that she rarely slept late, so she asked,

“Senior Manager Kang, do you usually get up early?”

“Yes, it’s a habit from childhood.”

Under Seonae’s silent gaze, Minkyung felt nervous and added unnecessarily,

“My parents started work early in the morning, so I got used to it from a young age. When I grew up, I got up early mainly to exercise.”

“What did you do when you were young? I doubt you got up early to help in the kitchen at your parents’ restaurant.”

‘My parents’ restaurant…’

Minkyung was clear that they knew a lot about her life through work, but when she heard those words out loud she felt uncomfortable. If Seonae had asked a question like this on her previous visit, she would have answered casually. Now, even such a simple question made her uneasy.

Minkyung smiled slightly to soften her expression,

“I read books. My siblings were still asleep and there wasn’t much I could help my parents with.”

The small sounds of those early mornings were vividly etched in her memories: her siblings’ breathing, the scratch of a pencil, the distant clatter of kitchen utensils.

As she sat in the modern dining room with its sleek marble table, she thought about the small room with warm ondol floors and cold drafts. The yellow light of a small lamp, the chipped desk, and the creaky chair she had to sit on carefully.

“That’s admirable.”

The unexpected comment made Minkyung look up sharply.

“As a child you studied early and now as an adult you exercise early. I used to study early in the morning too, but I never managed to exercise. My father emphasized that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. He forced my brothers to exercise early, but I was given more leeway as his only daughter. On the rare days I joined them before dawn, I felt so sleepy and unhappy. That’s why I admire people who exercise in the morning. It’s tough.”

“Ma’am, it’s not something that deserves such praise.”

Minkyung wrapped her hands around the warm teacup. The smooth, slender porcelain felt perfectly comfortable in her palms.

“Due to your diligence and competence, Lee-Seob seems to have found his place quickly. Thank you.”

“I did nothing. Director Tae Lee-Seob has always been exceptional.”

Seonae laughed softly at Minkyung’s formal response. Her smile was remarkably similar to Lee-Seob’s, which made Minkyung stare dazedly at her lips.

“I’m a little embarrassed, but at the same time I’m very pleased that someone as capable as you says that. Just a moment, Ms. Kang.”