Ephphatha Chapter 11
by Ariana“Oh… Are you with him?”
“Didn’t I just say that?”
Since this was a private event for a select group of VIPs, it seemed that many of the attendees were already acquainted with each other. Watching the two men who appeared quite friendly, Seul-ah took a step closer to Chi-gyeom.
Chi-gyeom’s gaze briefly flickered toward her. Seul-ah merely looked up at him with clear eyes, seemingly unaware of her own actions.
“Is she your girlfriend?”
“Oh, no.”
Before Chi-gyeom could even open his mouth, Seul-ah quickly cut in. Just as she had done with Seo Han-seong, she even shook her head to emphasize her denial. Chi-gyeom chuckled and pushed the man’s shoulder.
“She’s just another leech on my bank account like you. So, forget about it and go explain the artwork. If you talk well enough, you might even sell one.”
“What?”
Chi-gyeom jerked his chin toward a woman standing nearby, holding a bag in both hands and looking in their direction. It was Seo Han-seong’s mother. Only then did the man let out a sluggish “Ah…” and start moving. He even gave a slightly awkward nod of acknowledgment to Seul-ah. She nodded back out of courtesy but then immediately turned to glare at Chi-gyeom with a sullen expression once the man had turned away.
“When have I ever received money from you, Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom?”
“Just go with it. It’s convenient to have a cover story like that.”
“……”
“But why are you charming the wrong guy instead of the one you’re supposed to be after? Where’s Seo Han-seong?”
“…He stepped out to take a call. But who was that man just now?”
She pointed toward the man who was enthusiastically speaking with Seo Han-seong’s mother. Chi-gyeom, who had his arms crossed, glanced in that direction as well.
“Is that your type? He’s a completely different genre from Seo Han-seong.”
“That’s not what I meant. They just seemed close.”
“He’s the one who painted that.”
He gestured toward the easel holding a painting. It was the same piece Seo Han-seong had briefly examined earlier. The painting depicted a steep hillside neighborhood in bold, vivid colors, and a sign beside it read: ‘Go Dae-seok <Moving>’.
“A guy with talent but no money.”
“Are you sponsoring him?”
“Maybe.”
She had inferred the answer by piecing together his earlier remarks—about her being a leech on his bank account and about sponsorship. It turned out she was right. Seeing that he even supported artists, Seul-ah once again looked at him with a sense of intrigue.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“It’s not ‘nothing’. Your eyes look damn suspicious.”
“……”
Instead of arguing, she changed the subject.
“But why did you bring up my mother? Seo Han-seong’s mother didn’t seem to like it very much.”
“She’s going to find out eventually, so there’s no need to hide it.”
That wasn’t wrong, so she quietly nodded.
“Besides, that woman seems to have quite a bit of sympathy for Han Ji-seon, so it’s not necessarily a bad card to play.”
“Sympathy?”
“I’ve seen her talking privately with Han Ji-seon before. People tend to soften up when they interact one-on-one. Your mother must have considered at least that much when choosing a potential husband, so don’t worry.”
“How does she know my mom?”
“Han Ji-seon auctioned off some paintings, and Lee Kyung-sook bought a few.”
“Auction…”
She immediately understood.
Come to think of it, Seo Han-seong had mentioned earlier that his mother had run into both him and Kwak Chi-gyeom at an auction house.
So then…
“Did you also meet my mom at an auction house, Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom?”
Chi-gyeom glanced down at the painting <Moving> and gave a halfhearted nod.
“Is that why you and my mom…”
Before she could finish her sentence, a woman’s voice cut in.
“Does President Kwak like that piece?”
Seul-ah quickly shut her mouth. Seo Han-seong’s mother had locked eyes with her and was smiling. But it wasn’t a warm smile—just a polite, socially appropriate one. That made Seul-ah feel a bit awkward.
“Well, Daesseok must be too spoiled because nothing seems to satisfy him.”
Despite his words, Chi-gyeom called over a passing curator to express his intention to purchase <Moving>. Around the same time, Seo Han-seong returned.
“Mother, have you chosen a piece?”
“Where were you?”
“I stepped out to take a call. If you’ve chosen something, should we head out soon? I need to go to the office.”
“What? We were supposed to have dinner together.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll make it up to you next time with a nice meal.”
“You always do this…”
Just as his mother was starting to look disappointed, Seo Han-seong noticed Seul-ah standing quietly and gave her an embarrassed smile.
“You must have been bored by yourself.”
“Not at all.”
“You still have the business card I gave you, right?”
Recalling the card tucked into her bag, Seul-ah nodded.
“I have to go today because of work, but let’s have a meal together next time.”
“What?”
“Call me when you have time.”
“Oh… Okay. Thank you.”
Unlike Seul-ah, who answered indifferently out of courtesy, Lee Kyung-sook’s expression hardened at her son’s uncharacteristic behavior.
“Are you leaving already?”
Kwak Chi-gyeom, who had just finished speaking with the curator, joined the three of them. He glanced back and forth between Seul-ah and Seo Han-seong with a curious expression, as if he had overheard their conversation.
Han-seong smiled affably and extended his hand for a handshake.
“I’ll see you next time, sir.”
“Sure, well. Take care, ma’am.”
“I’ll be going now. Let’s go, Han-seong.”
Driven by an instinctive sense of concern, Lee Kyung-sook hastily pulled her son’s arm. Behind her, Chi-gyeom gave a light bow, while Seul-ah awkwardly bent at the waist. She walked away briskly.
“Mother, take it slow.”
“…….”
As far as she knew, this was the first time Han-seong had ever made plans to see a woman again. And of all people, it had to be Han Ji-seon’s daughter. A deep sigh escaped her. It wasn’t simply that she found the girl unworthy.
Being born out of wedlock wasn’t Han Ji-seon’s fault, and being Han Ji-seon’s daughter wasn’t Han Seul-ah’s fault either. But rejecting Chairman Han Tae-soo’s daughter only to show interest in the niece he had cast aside wouldn’t do Han-seong any good.
“Do you, by any chance, have feelings for that girl?”
As they exited the building, she asked, turning to Han-seong, who had just called for valet parking.
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“You’ve been showing interest in her, which is unusual for you.”
“…….”
“No matter how pretty she looks on the outside—”
“Oh, Mother, really.”
Han-seong smiled as if he found her endearing and escorted her to the car.
“Feelings? No, it’s nothing like that.”
“Then what was that earlier? You’re not the type to say things just to be polite.”
“She just… seemed pitiful.”
“…….”
“She lost her mother not long ago, didn’t she? Since Han Ji-seon raised her alone, she’s all by herself now. Chairman Han wouldn’t take her in. And I heard she’s in poor health, too.”
“…….”
“Even just being around her for a little while, I saw her coughing several times.”
Lee Kyung-sook glanced at Han-seong, who was getting into the car beside her, with a complicated expression. Whether it was sympathy or something else, Han Seul-ah had already caught Han-seong’s attention. Given her son’s soft-hearted nature, this was a concerning beginning. She needed to find him a match as soon as possible.
It was time to arrange another meeting with Chairman Han Tae-soo.
***
“Well done.”
As soon as the Seo mother and son left, Chi-gyeom gave Seul-ah a casual compliment. She had been gripping her bag strap as if it were a lifeline while staring at the entrance. Feeling his gaze, she looked up at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Seo Han-seong said he’d buy you a meal.”
“That was just him being polite.”
“You really don’t get it. That bastard doesn’t make meaningless promises to women.”
Seul-ah slowly blinked. Maybe because her movements were sluggish, or maybe because her eyes were big, she always seemed twice as slow as others.
A fleeting urge rose in Chi-gyeom to pluck one of her feathery eyelashes, but he let it go for now.
“Anyway, you did well.”
“But I didn’t do anything… He even left in the middle to take a call, so we barely talked.”
“Being born pretty is already half the battle.”
“…….”
Seul-ah coughed dryly, darting her eyes around. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and her movements grew stiff. Watching her flustered reaction up close, the corner of Chi-gyeom’s lips curled faintly.
“Why do you react like this every time? It’s not like you don’t have eyes. Look in a mirror once in a while.”
“N-Now that Seo Han-seong is gone, we should leave too.”
Seul-ah wiped her reddened cheeks with the back of her hand and took the first step forward. She seemed to be trying to walk quickly, but she was still painfully slow.
Chi-gyeom could easily catch up with just one long stride, but there was no need. Not long after, Seul-ah stopped in the middle of the gallery, apparently already exhausted. She took something out of her bag—her phone.
Seul-ah held her phone in both hands and looked down at it. Below her round head, a white nape was exposed. Her tied-up hair brushed against her neck.
Just then, Chi-gyeom’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Without taking his eyes off the slender curve of her neck, he pulled the phone from his back pocket.
At the same time, Seul-ah turned to him.
“E-Excuse me….”
Her face was no longer just embarrassed. Her wide eyes held a look of surprise—one he found familiar. It was the same expression she had when she had pressed herself against the funeral home wall, sobbing.
Chi-gyeom slowly shifted his gaze from her to his phone. It was a message from Kang Jin-ah.
「Jang Chae-young’s funeral has begun.」
Ah, so that’s why.
“Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom, I have a favor to ask….”
Her trembling voice made him lift his eyes. Seul-ah’s eyes were brimming with tears. She bit her quivering lips for a moment before speaking anxiously.
“My mother’s friend… p-passed away….”
“…….”
“Could you take me to the funeral home?”
Her face was pretty no matter what, but she looked best when on the verge of tears.
Clicking his tongue against his teeth, Chi-gyeom closed the distance between them in a single step. Seul-ah’s head tilted back as she looked up at him.
“Of course. If my lady orders, I obey.”