Chapter 169. I Can’t Let Her Go (6)

“How did you get married, mom?”

He hadn’t meant to sound sarcastic. He didn’t want to hurt her. It was just… the truth.

Softly, he said,

“If you think they’re a good match, then it’s probably fine.”

Lowering his head, he stared at the floor,

“Though, I don’t know if they’ll like me.”

“Who wouldn’t like you?”

“Only in your eyes, mom.”

Avoiding her gaze, he stood up,

“I’m heading out.”

“Back to your apartment?”

“No. I’m planning to sell it.”

Seonae stared at him.

“I barely go there anymore. I haven’t stepped inside for nearly two months.”

— I want to end this relationship.

“… Right. Joon-Seob’s newly built apartment looks nice and convenient. Should I look into a place like that for you?”

“Not that one. Joon-Seob hates it.”

“Alright. I’ll take my time looking for a place that can be your newlywed home. The apartments being built on the L Hotel site will be ready for move-in in a few months, so I’ll check those out.”

“Will I have to live there with the woman you choose for me after I get married?”

“That’s how it is.”

“Okay. I’ll visit you often.”

“That will make me happy.”

“The house, the meeting dates—do whatever you want. I don’t care.”

Lee-Seob opened the door but then paused, glancing back at Seonae. As she passed him, she lowered her gaze.

— How did you get married, mom?

His words echoed in her ears. The image of him curled up in someone’s arms, asleep, refused to leave her mind.

That girl had kept her expression buried deep, answering Seonae’s questions calmly. Her usual cool intelligence remained intact—her straight posture, her precise speech. There wasn’t a single crack in her demeanor.

But then, Seonae saw her stop every few steps as she walked away from the car. Her knees nearly buckled, she steadied herself and walked again, only to stop once more.

At that moment, Seonae unconsciously gripped the steering wheel tightly.

Even after she disappeared from sight, she couldn’t bring herself to drive away.

‘I hurt someone deeply. I committed a sin.’

That thought weighed on her heart.

***

—— M Hotel, 7 PM. Just checking in case you forgot. ——

Seeing Seonae’s text, only one thought crossed Lee-Seob’s mind.

‘Why M Hotel of all places?’

That was where he had once seen Minkyung by chance at the bar lounge. The place where, on a day he tried to resist falling for her, he gave in and made an excuse to attend a law firm meeting there.

The day he recklessly pushed forward and stole their first kiss.

Memories poured down like an unavoidable summer storm.

Sitting in the backseat, Lee-Seob opened his tablet and pulled up the meeting notes Daehyung had prepared. He needed something to focus on, something to drown out his thoughts.

However, it didn’t work.

He read a few lines, then found himself going back and rereading them. Again and again.

At one point, he placed his fingers on the screen to zoom in on a graph, but completely forgot why he had done so.

He read the same passage again before finally remembering his intent and placing his fingers back on the screen.

“Uh… Director.”

A voice snapped him out of it.

Driver Kim was looking at him through the rearview mirror, bewildered.

Outside the car, a hotel staff member was waiting to open the door.

“We’ve arrived. There’s still time. If you need to review your work, should I pull the car around to the back for a while?”

“Yes, do that.”

Lee-Seob rubbed his temples with his knuckles.

Kim circled the car away from the hotel entrance.

Lee-Seob pressed harder against his forehead and then said,

“Mr. Kim, just drive.”

“Sorry?”

“I’m going to cancel the meeting.”

He scrolled through Seonae’s message, found the phone number she had given him, and pressed call.

“Hello, this is Tae Lee-Seob… Yes, that’s right… I’m very sorry, but something urgent has come up at work… See you another time, apologies.”

After hanging up, he leaned his head back.

It was impossible. There was no way he could sit through a meeting like this and then… marriage.

All the way to the hotel, he had tried to convince himself,

‘It’s nothing special. It doesn’t matter that it’s not Kang Minkyung. I can do it if I don’t see it as special. I can marry someone.’

However, it was impossible.

People say that life goes on. That love fades, and so does heartbreak. He wanted to believe those cliches, but they were wrong.

Love had been shared between two people. But the breakup… that was something he had to endure alone.

When love faded, the void it left behind didn’t simply disappear.

The separation itself didn’t fade—it kept blooming, again and again, relentlessly, like a wound reopening every day.