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Chapter 55

Shoooosh.

The rain grew fiercer. Now, the amount of water streaming from the umbrella was considerable. Even so, Hae-joon stood there, holding it open.

The scenery filled with rain, the ceaseless sound of droplets, the chilly wind, the empty streets that had been crowded just hours ago—everything felt surreal. In the midst of it all, only Hae-joon, standing firmly with his umbrella, felt real to her.

"Wh-what did you say?"

Could a dream be this vivid? It felt so real that she almost wanted to believe it wasn't. Stuttering, she asked, wondering if she'd even heard him correctly—clinging to the faint hope that the rain had muffled his words.

"Do you want me to start over?"

He looked ready to repeat it word by word, clearly and deliberately, if she asked. She had the ominous feeling that Kim Hae-joon, standing here, would go beyond anything she could imagine.

"Cha Si-hyun, I..."

"No! That's enough!"

She waved her hands urgently. She couldn't imagine what expression she'd make if he repeated those words.

"Do you remember now?"

His low voice cut through the rain and echoed in her ears. Even in this downpour, his words were crystal clear. Of course, she remembered every single word he'd said earlier. He'd definitely said it was a crush.

"But... why you, President...?"

"I asked you first. What do you think?"

She recalled the question he'd asked just moments ago. Like the sudden rain that didn't suit the bright sunshine, it was a question that didn't suit Hae-joon at all.

Thinking about his words, her heart kept racing. The pounding was so loud that she couldn't hear the rain anymore—only the thumping in her ears.

"I don't know. I can't make sense of anything you're saying, President."

Hae-joon took another step closer. Now, less than two steps separated them.

"You asked before. How I'd feel if you quit."

"......"

"It felt like shit."

"......"

"Other secretaries could come and go and I wouldn't feel a thing. But the thought of Cha Si-hyun not coming to work makes me sick."

Si-hyun just stared at him, speechless. She wanted to say something, but couldn't. She didn't know how to process his words—her mind had gone blank.

Then, the umbrella slipped from his hand. The sight of it falling to the ground seemed to move in slow motion. The rain still poured onto the upturned umbrella.

A moment later, his hands cupped her face, and his lips met hers. Rainwater streaming down his face seeped between their lips, but he didn't care, exploring hers. She stood frozen, accepting his kiss.

She didn't know how much time passed—seconds, minutes? She had no sense of it. After what felt like floating on a cloud, his lips parted from hers. She realized she didn't want them to leave.

"You did it first."

"...Huh?"

"Now you know how it feels."

---

"How did you get caught in this rain?"

Suk-kyung fussed over Si-hyun, soaked and shivering, and quickly brought a towel.

"It was sunny this morning—why did the rain have to come? Didn't he drive you to your door?"

While Si-hyun dried herself, Suk-kyung took her wet clothes.

"Why do you look so pale? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine... I'm going to rest."

Nodding, Si-hyun clutched the towel and went to her room. Puzzled, Suk-kyung could only watch her retreating back. She wanted to follow and ask what happened, but Si-hyun's expression was so bad that she knew she wouldn't get an answer. She worried about what might have happened outside.

Si-hyun entered her room, tossed the towel aside, and sat at her desk.

She replayed what had happened just hours ago. Though it had only been a short while, it felt like a distant past, utterly unreal.

After the kiss, she'd stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do. Each second felt like an hour.

'I'll give you a ride.'

She hadn't been able to get in his car.

'I'm fine.'

Just then, a passing taxi caught her eye, and she ran for it—as if she couldn't escape this place if she didn't catch it. She ran with all her might, flagged it down, and got in.

'Sir, please just go somewhere, quickly!'

She'd sounded like someone being chased, urging the driver to hurry.

'Miss, are you okay?'

Eyeing the man she'd just run from, the driver asked. When she insisted, he said nothing and drove off.

Leaving Hae-joon behind, she'd fled home. She'd gotten soaked in the brief time it took to catch the taxi. The driver frowned at the wet seat, so she paid extra for cleaning and got out.

Her heart was still racing. Over the years, she'd heard rumors whispering that something was going on between them, but she'd brushed them off as baseless. Recently, she'd been more aware, but Hae-joon had been so adamant that she assumed she didn't need to worry. And then, out of nowhere, he'd confessed.

A crush. From Kim Hae-joon.

Rumors about him fooling around with secretaries felt more realistic. A man who seemed like he wouldn't bleed if you stabbed him—having a crush? The word seemed more suited to a blushing girl confessing to a boy she'd liked for ages, not the prickly Kim Hae-joon. And that the object of his confession was herself—that was the peak of absurdity.

'You did it first.'

'Now you know how it feels.'

That's what he'd said. So she really had kissed him that night, drunk, in front of her house? He'd said nothing afterward, so she'd been relieved, thinking it was just a figment of her subconscious.

She really had kissed him that night. And he'd been carrying that with him all this time.

She ran a finger over her lips. It still felt like his warmth lingered. Her heart started racing again, uncontrollably.

"Pull yourself together, Cha Si-hyun."

She slapped her cheeks and shook her head. But once it started, her heart wouldn't calm down.

---

"Kim Hae-joon, what the hell happened to you?"

As he parked and walked toward the entrance, a familiar voice called from behind. He turned to see an unwelcome face. Su-ah approached him with a worried expression.

"How did you get in here?"

"Is that what matters right now? Did you get caught in the rain? What happened?"

Security shouldn't have let her into the parking lot, but she acted as if it were nothing.

"I've been waiting for you since earlier. Why didn't you come? Why didn't you answer your calls?"

When Su-ah had texted him earlier, he'd actually wanted a drink. His mood was bad, and he figured he'd meet her and settle things once and for all. So he'd driven out.

But he couldn't ignore the face that kept coming to mind—so he'd turned the car around. He didn't know if it was fortunate, but Si-hyun had been standing there.

"I'm not in the mood to deal with you today. Go away."

Ignoring her, he started to walk inside, but Su-ah grabbed his arm. He stopped and glared at her.

"When you make plans with someone, isn't it common courtesy to apologize if you don't show up?"

"I have no intention of apologizing to you."

"What?"

"If you don't like being treated like this, don't show up in front of me."

He shook off her hand and went inside. Su-ah could only watch him go.

He roughly took off his soaked coat and tossed it over a chair. Water was still dripping from it. On any normal day, he would never have let that slide—but right now, he couldn't see anything.

He stripped off his clothes, threw them on the floor, and headed to the bathroom. Unable to bear his rising heat, he turned the water to the coldest setting and stepped in.

The cold water washed away the rain, gradually cooling him down. Slowly, rationality seemed to return.

'I don't know. I can't make sense of anything you're saying.'

Si-hyun's face, looking back at him with incomprehension, lingered in his mind. Maybe it was only natural. He didn't understand this feeling himself—how could she? Even as the cold water poured over him, thinking of her made the heat rise again. After that, he stood under the icy water for a long time, trying to cool himself down.

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