CH 84

The truth was that she didn’t want him near an axe now that he was starting anew. While there was no denying Kwon Chae-woo’s old personality, there was no need to bring him back to his old ways now, not when things were so normal.

“And he isn’t used to being around others anymore,” she added. “I’m afraid I’ll have to keep him home for now.” She tried to use words that wouldn’t portray him in a bad way.

Kwon Chae-woo grimaced at the kindness Lee-yeon had offered him, but he couldn’t let himself do as she wished. He pulled her towards him.

“W-what?”

“You can’t expect nothing of me,” he told her. “That’s not my style.” Before Lee-yeon could say something, he added, “I want your attention. I don’t need your protection.”

Kwon Chae-woo turned to Joo Dong-mi. “I’ll contact you after discussing things with my wife,” was what he said, but, really, he just wanted the woman to get out.

Joo Dong-mi blinked. “Your wife?” she asked, looking between the two of them. She looked at Lee-yeon. “He’s your husband?!”

While Joo Dong-mi liked men, the thought of a husband was too much for her. She paled as Lee-yeon turned away, avoiding her gaze. ‘Why would you do that to me, Lee-yeon?’ she exclaimed. Lee-yeon never clarified to her that she was indeed this man’s wife. She looked up at Kwon Chae-woo again and felt a chill run through her spine at the thought of his marriage to the director. It just didn’t make sense.

‘Aren’t tame people supposed to be with tame people as well?’

Unable to keep herself composed and with no intention of separating them, Joo Dong-mi turned on her heel and left.

There was silence in the yard after the door shut.

“Lee-yeon, are you embarrassed of me?” Kwon Chae-woo asked suddenly.

Lee-yeon looked at him. “Pardon?”

“Just tell me that you’re embarrassed that I’m talentless and jobless,” he said. “Or is it something else? I feel like I already know.”

Lee-yeon looked away from him. Kwon Chae-woo realized that his suspicions were true. She still didn’t trust him.

“I don’t care if you lock me up here because you want to protect me.” He grabbed the back of her neck to make her look at him. “But you should only be doing that out of love, not because you’re afraid I’ll turn into a monster the moment I leave alone, not because you don’t trust me.”

“I promised yesterday that I’d try my best,” he told her. “That I’d bury it myself. You think that was a joke?”

Lee-yeon’s eyes shot up towards him. “That’s not it,” she said. “I was… jealous.”

“So you’re going to live in fear of that all the time?” Kwon Chae-woo asked. “You don’t seem to realize the weight of your words.” He watched as Lee-yeon looked away from him. “Even if I go back to the old me, why would things change between us?” he spat. “I’m all over you, so why are you scared?”

Lee-yeon looked at him and found both anger and sadness in his eyes. “I’m sorry!” she choked out. “I know it’s unfair. I just can’t control my feelings!”

***

“I don’t care if you work,” Lee-yeon admitted further. “But I can’t take you working with another woman.”

“With another woman?” Kwon Chae-woo asked.

“I’m a bit jealous,” Lee-yeon told him. She could feel the embarrassment bubble up with her. Jealousy wasn’t exactly something she was proud of.

Then, Kwon Chae-woo pulled her out of her thoughts and into a searing kiss. It was rushed and frenzied, and Lee-yeon opened her lips to let him slip his tongue through. Their tongues clashed against each other, hot and wet.

Lee-yeon could still feel her fears despite the kiss. It was not something she could be rid of easily and she knew that, at the end of the day, there would always be a part of her that didn’t trust Kwon Chae-woo.

He had never been in a relationship before so he was certain in theirs in ways that Lee-yeon couldn’t be. The killer and the witness, plaintiff and defendant. He didn’t know what she was keeping from him.

Even so, she pushed all of that aside and stretched her arms out. She would accept what she could take even if everything felt unreal.

Kwon Chae-woo wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into an embrace, still keeping his lips pressed against hers. Lee-yeon tried not to think about what they looked like, with his large build towering over her. They were twisting and turning, practically sucking on each other.

Lee-yeon realized that what other people did to her—pointing at her, beating her, cussing her out—became different when Kwon Chae-woo did it. Every action contained affection. Even if he came in hard and hurt her, deep inside, she felt like a child being caressed warmly.

But she had lied. She had lied about things that would come out sooner or later. Whatever fleeting moments they shared now wouldn’t last forever.