BTL Ch 2

Hayeon first met Kang Chaeheon in the spring when she was nineteen.

At 7 AM, Hayeon’s eyes popped open at the sound of her alarm. She started to bustle around, then paused, looking down at the still-quiet downstairs. Her slender eyes checked the time, and with a “no way!” expression, she practically flew down the stairs.

Then, BAM!

“Uncle, aren’t you going to work?!”

A groaning sound came from under the puffed-up duvet. She strode over and yanked the duvet off, revealing a wreck of a man wriggling like a worm. The sunlight pouring down on him made the “worm” bury his face in the pillow, his back quivering.

“Wh-what…”

“…Seriously, how is this supposed to be someone getting married in a few days?”

Hayeon looked at Taegeon’s large back with a pathetic sigh. “Why’d you drink so much when you can’t even handle it? You act like you’re still in your twenties. You’re forty, Uncle.”

After her rant, Hayeon clicked her tongue and turned around. “Maybe I should take a picture and show it to Jieun unnie.”

“Oh, hey… Hayeon. Isn’t that a bit too cruel?”

Thankfully, at the mention of his beloved fiancée’s name, Taegeonseemed to snap to attention. He wrapped himself tightly in the duvet and sat up. Then, he gave an uncharacteristic, goofy smile and asked Hayeon, who was about to leave the room, “Hayeon. Honey water, please.”

“…That old fool.”

“Oh, come on. What kind of way is that to talk to your father?”

Saying that with a face that wasn’t stern at all wouldn’t work on her one bit. Hayeon shook her head, but a faint smile had already formed on her lips as she pulled out honey from the cupboard.

Father.

She hadn’t known that word, rolling around in her mouth, could bring such a sense of security. Three years ago, after her parents passed away in a car accident, Taegeonwas the one who reached out, offering to live together, when she was left all alone in the world. From then on, he often referred to himself as Hayeon’s father. Something about how she already had a dad, so he’d be her father.

Hayeon didn’t dislike Taegeon’s attitude. Thanks to him, she realized she wasn’t alone in this world.

“Drink up.”

Taegeondowned the honey water Hayeon offered, and only then did he let out a long, deep sigh, looking like he could finally live. Then he lamented, “They called it a bachelor party, but they mixed drinks so viciously. It was even stronger than the mixed bombs Joowon used to give me when I enlisted.”

Lee Joowon. Hayeon could smile casually at the mention of her father’s name, flowing naturally from Taegeon’s lips. That was thanks to Taegeon, who had deliberately talked about her parents more often over the past three years.

And it wasn’t just “casual.” Taegeonwas the only one she could share memories of her parents with, so Hayeon found this time quite precious and even enjoyable.

“Oh, right. Hayeon.”

“Yes?”

“You were young then, so I don’t know if you’ll remember…”

Hayeon, who was about to take the empty glass out, raised an eyebrow with a puzzled look at Taegeon, who was suddenly bringing up memories.

“You were about five or six, I think? My cousin you met when you came to my house. Do you remember him? Joowon grabbed you by the back of the neck because you declared you’d definitely marry him.”

“No way.”

Hayeon shook her head, looking utterly clueless about a story from over ten years ago.

Right. Taegeonnodded.

“But why?”

“Ah. Well…”

Ahem. Taegeoncleared his throat and sat up straight. “My cousin called yesterday and said he’s arriving this weekend.”

“To attend your wedding?”

“Yeah.”

Taegeonlooked a bit troubled, wrinkling his eyes as he carefully began to speak. “But he doesn’t really have anywhere to stay, and he wants to stay at our place until the wedding. Is that okay?”

Hayeon looked at Taegeon, who was fidgeting and gauging her reaction, and smiled as if she’d heard something silly. “Of course. We have plenty of rooms, you know.”

Hayeon looked around the house, which was excessively large for two people, and shrugged. “Then I should ask Auntie to tidy up the guest room. Oh, will your cousin leave right after the wedding again?”

“Hmm, I don’t know. I haven’t heard that far yet.”

“Oh.”

Hayeon responded softly and returned to the kitchen, placing the empty glass in the sink. The clock already showed it was well past 8 AM. This wasn’t the time for leisurely conversation.

Grabbing her bag, which she’d tossed on the sofa, Hayeon yelled towards the master bedroom, “Uncle, if you don’t get ready now, you’ll really be late!”

“Oh my!”

Hayeon burst out laughing and shook her head at Taegeon, who was surprisingly easygoing for the vice president of KW, a leading conglomerate in South Korea.

***

So, on Saturday, in front of the international arrivals gate at Incheon Airport.

Hayeon stood next to Taegeon, holding a placard that read “WELCOME KANG CHAEHEON,” watching as people emerged one by one from the opening doors.

“So, what does he look like?”

“Huh?”

“The person named Kang Chaeheon. I came here without even knowing what he looks like.”

At Hayeon’s question, Taegeon, who had been staring intently at the arrivals gate, grinned. “He’s handsome.”

“…? What is this? Such a simple, unhelpful answer? Don’t you have a picture, a picture? We came all this way, so I need to know who to look for, right?”

“I said he’s handsome! You know that person who’s the most handsome out of everyone coming out? That’s Kang Chaeheon.”

Are you kidding me right now?

Regardless of Hayeon’s dumbfounded expression, Taegeonjust smiled, looking like he was stating nothing but the absolute truth. “You’ll know when you see him.”

Immediately after he said that, Taegeonspotted someone and lifted both hands, shouting, “Chaeheon!”

Where had his dignity gone? At Taegeon’s booming shout, Hayeon’s head turned towards the arrivals gate. At the same time, an indifferent gaze seemed to hear his call and turned towards them.

At that moment.

Hayeon swallowed.

The moment their eyes met, Hayeon felt a “thump!” as if something had crumbled inside her. Her hands unconsciously tightened. The edges of the placard, unable to withstand the pressure, crumpled badly in her hand, but Hayeon didn’t have time to notice.

Uncle, are you kidding me?! You can’t just call him handsome!

Her parted lips only exhaled the breath she had instinctively taken, fluttering wordlessly.

“Ha.”

Hayeon’s eyelids fluttered rapidly.

Among the features of a face that looked like God had crafted it with more care than ever before, what first caught her eye was the languid, mesmerizing gaze. Looking closely, she saw a faint double eyelid on only his left eye.

They say uneven eyelids mean someone’s a playboy…

Remembering a rumor she’d once heard, Hayeon unconsciously licked her lips. She could taste the fruit scent of the lip balm she’d reapplied while waiting for Chaeheon. And a rough sensation too.

Hayeon’s neat eyebrows subtly furrowed. Lips that often cracked even in the summer were one of her complexes.

Hayeon subtly bit her lip, as if to hide it, and took in the man approaching, pulling his suitcase. She didn’t need to check to know that all eyes in the arrivals hall were on him.

The man was so tall that she would have to tilt her head back dramatically; he easily looked 190 centimeters tall. Moreover, the prominent inverted triangle of his upper body, visible even under his shirt, combined with his height, had an overwhelming power that made people shrink back instinctively.

Hayeon felt a pitch-black shadow fall over her and slowly lowered her gaze.

The woody scent from the man as he approached made her mouth inexplicably dry.

“Hyung.”

Is this what it feels like for your heart to pound?

At the low voice from above, Hayeon unconsciously pressed down on her solar plexus, which tightened reflexively, with the palm of the hand holding the placard, and let out a long, thin breath. Her breathing felt strangely flushed.

“It’s been a while, Heon-ah.”

Hayeon quickly blinked as she watched Taegeonhug Chaeheon, who was a good half-span taller than him, and pat his back.

Taegeon, after a brief reunion with Chaeheon, looked at Hayeon. Chaeheon’s eyes followed suit, and Hayeon’s lower back stiffened in a rigid freeze.

Unaware of her state, Taegeonplaced a hand on Hayeon’s shoulder and said, “Do you remember her? You two met once about ten years ago.”

At the question, asked with a hint of expectation, Chaeheon’s eyes slowly closed and then opened. Taegeon, reading a “no idea” answer from his subtly tilted head, nodded with an of course expression.

“Right. Our Hayeon has grown a lot since then. I probably wouldn’t have recognized her if I’d met her all grown up too.”

Taegeonlooked at Hayeon with fond eyes, as if showing off his wonderfully grown-up child, and said, “Will this help you remember? The little girl who said she’d marry you.”

Regardless of what Taegeonwas saying beside her, Hayeon felt like her mouth was bone dry, going crazy from Chaeheon’s calm gaze on her. Her chapped lips felt even more bothersome, and she was confused about where to look.

And anyway, how do I breathe naturally? In her dizzy state, Hayeon just fidgeted with her useless hands. She had never been this nervous in her life.

***

Then.

“Ah.”

At the low sigh from above, Hayeon moved her pupils, which had unconsciously shifted away, to look at Chaeheon. His eyes, meeting hers, held a peculiar glint as he looked down at her.

“Then.”

“Yes, you remember, don’t you?”

Hayeon made a sorrowful expression as she listened to Taegeon’s proud voice, happy that Chaeheon had regained his memory. At this moment, she regretted not being able to join their conversation.

Why can’t I remember? No matter how young she was, she shouldn’t have been able to completely forget that national treasure-level face. Even a fleeting glance should have been strongly etched in her mind, powerful enough to make her chew on that memory for a lifetime.

As Hayeon cursed her own “chicken-brain” memory and felt unjustly treated, Chaeheon nodded.

“You’ve grown a lot.”

At his answer, Taegeonburst into cheerful laughter and started walking first. “Alright, let’s go. We shouldn’t be lingering here. Auntie really showed off her skills knowing you were coming.”

Taegeonpaused and looked back at Chaeheon. Chaeheon, who was about to follow him, raised an eyebrow with a “what now?” expression.

“You remember Auntie, right? She really adored you.”

At that playful question, Hayeon forgot her nervousness for a moment and let out a small laugh.

Chaeheon’s gaze met hers, then dropped.