Impossible Romance - Chapter 55

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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55.

“The Hotel?”
“Yes. If you want to see different fish.”
He caressed Jun-hee’s cheek gently and whispered intimately. Even in this moment, thinking only of holding her while looking at her—I was inwardly astounded at what a madman he was.
The more I saw Jun-hee, the sorrier and more pitiful I felt, and because of that, I seemed to be losing my mind even more. Perhaps the burning sensation from his fingertips had transmitted itself to her.
Jun-hee’s cheek flushed crimson once more. Instead of the heat from before fading, a small flutter of anticipation now showed through. Kwon Seok-ha considered this a relief and opened the car door.
“Not the hotel, right? Surely you’re not actually going there.”
Jun-hee climbed into the car with a hesitant expression.
“Why do you think we’re not?”
Kwon Seok-ha closed the car door and settled into the driver’s seat, grinning mischievously.
“No, it’s just so sudden. It’s still daytime, and I have to go to the Company. I literally just left work.”
Jun-hee let out an incredulous laugh looking at him. The frustration from moments before seemed to vanish entirely—he was a man remarkably skilled at shifting the mood in an instant.
“Today is day one of us officially dating. I gave up on the sea, so you have to give up something too.”
“What kind of logic is that?”
“Then, either go to the sea and stay one night.”
At his suddenly transformed itinerary into a trip, Jun-hee’s eyes widened. All her serious thoughts evaporated at his abrupt proposal, and her lips parted slightly.
Finding her expression adorable, Kwon Seok-ha’s lips curved upward broadly. Even though he had made her cry all through last night, the thought of making her cry again sent heat rushing uncontrollably through his lower body. The absurdity of his own state made him let out a quiet chuckle, but he couldn’t explain the reason to Jun-hee.

***

“Cancel all my appointments for today!”
Han Seon-young walked toward the Director’s Office as she arrived at the Gallery, her sharp voice echoing through the space. The staff members held their breath, watching her expression carefully.
“Understood.”
Kim Secretary answered calmly, his expression darkening.
The thought of being insulted by her son and Jun-hee at the cafe wouldn’t fade. She could overlook Seok-ha—he was always like that—but she never expected Jun-hee to act that way.
Every time I met Jun-hee, I had been so gracious, trying to resolve things amicably, yet I was betrayed so thoroughly. It was a stunning blow to the back of my head. At that thought, my clenched fists trembled.
“Bring me some tea.”
Han Seon-young reached for tea out of habit, and Kim Secretary immediately headed toward the Break Room.
The frustration with Seok-ha and resentment toward Jun-hee intertwined, leaving me unable to think clearly. That pathetic girl had finally caused trouble.
‘I shouldn’t have done that back then.’
Sending young Seok-ha to the Villa now came back as overwhelming regret. It was Han Seon-young who had sent him to a provincial school, claiming it was to rehabilitate her son after he caused trouble at his Seoul school.
Thinking about it, it wasn’t even a serious incident. The children had fought, and it was something that could easily have been overlooked. However, among those friends, there was a child Han Seon-young didn’t approve of.
At a school where prestigious children gathered, that child was the son of an ordinary conglomerate executive. The problem was that Seok-ha had thrown punches for that boy.
Han Seon-young wanted Seok-ha to befriend successors from groups befitting his status. So she sent him to the Villa under the guise of reorganizing his friendships.
At the Villa, there were only Seonjin Group employees—people within Han Seon-young’s grasp. She told him to stay there for a while, and had already planned to send him to study abroad in the United States.
But she never expected to encounter an even greater complication at the Villa.
Seok-ha, who was naturally willful, ended up spending his third year of high school there and even attended university in Korea. He eventually went abroad to study, but Jun-hee attending the same university was also a problem.
‘How infuriating.’
These few words couldn’t resolve my crumbling composure, but no better words came to mind.
Han Seon-young pressed her throbbing head and opened the Director’s Office door. The moment she stepped inside, her brow furrowed again. It was because of an uninvited guest.
Her husband, Kwon O-min, turned from looking out the window. His appearance was befitting of the father of Seok-ha, a handsome man, and matched Han Seon-young’s taste. But that was all.
“You’re arriving late for work?”
“Why did you come here?”
To his greeting that seemed like an inquiry about her well-being, she shot back with a cold question.
“Is there a reason the Vice-Chairman of Seonjin Gallery can’t come here? Besides, you’re my wife.”
He walked slowly toward the Sofa with a leisurely smile. It was a silent gesture inviting Han Seon-young to sit and talk with him.
“I have a headache, so just state your business and leave. I’m not interested in your new lover or anything like that, so there’s no need to mention it.”
Han Seon-young ignored his intention entirely, walked past the Sofa, and went to the Desk. It was a blatant gesture showing she didn’t even want to face Kwon O-min.
“I’m not dating anyone. Obviously, I don’t have a lover.”
Kwon O-min shrugged and sat on the Sofa.
Just then, the door opened and Kim Secretary entered with tea. He gave one cup to Han Seon-young and placed the other at Kwon O-min’s spot. He had learned through staff that Kwon O-min had arrived.
“Kim Secretary, why are you doing things I didn’t ask for? Someone who came without an appointment isn’t a guest. There’s no tea for them.”
Han Seon-young scolded Kim Secretary in a voice still filled with anger.
“My apologies.”
Kim Secretary bowed his head with an awkward expression. He knew the two well enough that this scene wasn’t new.
Still, he couldn’t remove Kwon O-min’s tea. It was a routine that Han Seon-young always went through whenever Kwon O-min visited. Kim Secretary lingered briefly, then quietly left the Director’s Office.
“Whether you’re dating or not doesn’t concern me. If you have business, state it. Otherwise, leave.”
Han Seon-young tapped her fingers on the Desk as she spoke. It was pressure for him to leave quickly.
“I was going to leave anyway. Father….”
“What about Father?”
Han Seon-young’s head snapped up. She suddenly remembered that Seok-ha had mentioned Jun-hee to Chairman Kwon earlier, and her stomach twisted. Were they all conspiring behind her back?
“You said you’d purchase Jo Hwabek’s painting. That’s what I came to tell you about.”
“That’s something you could’ve said over the phone. This is exactly why you’re so frustrating. Just go.”
Han Seon-young felt a wave of relief wash over her, but she waved her hand dismissively as if she couldn’t be bothered with anything.
With her head already pounding over the Seok-ha situation, she resented Kwon O-min showing up and spouting unnecessary words. Yet they weren’t the kind of couple who could discuss their son’s marriage together like normal parents would.
“Fine. I just stopped by on my way. I’ll get going.”
Pushed by Han Seon-young’s insistence, Kwon O-min rose from his seat. His tall frame bent forward as if crumpled. The fact that he’d caused her grief in their younger years meant he had no grounds to raise his voice in front of her.
“Understood. I’ll compile a separate list of Jo Hwabek’s paintings and show them to Father.”
“Yes. And I picked this up on my way here. For you….”
“What?”
Han Seon-young furrowed her brow and frowned again.
“No, I just thought it would suit you. I’m leaving.”
Kwon O-min slowly turned, opened the door, and stepped outside.
Han Seon-young watched his retreating figure and shook her head. All that remained for her toward Kwon O-min, who had done nothing but cause her heartache their entire lives, was a mixture of affection and resentment. Her obsession with Seok-ha was surely connected to Kwon O-min in some way.
Han Seon-young lowered her head to open a drawer for headache medicine. A small box caught her eye in the corner of the desk. The velvet-finished box bore the mark of a luxury brand she frequently wore.
Then she remembered what Kwon O-min had said about picking it up on his way. Han Seon-young opened the box with a puzzled expression. Inside lay an exquisitely crafted pair of earrings.
Han Seon-young lifted her gaze toward the dining table where Kwon O-min had been sitting moments before. The tea on the table remained untouched.
“Is this man losing his mind? Why is he doing things he’s never done before?”
Her words were spoken harshly, yet her complicated expression betrayed deep contemplation as she searched for answers. She felt a slight pang that she hadn’t even given her husband time to drink a single cup of tea on his rare visit.
But that didn’t mean she forgave him. The wounds he’d inflicted didn’t fade easily. As her chest grew heavy, her thoughts spiraled in another direction.
‘I shouldn’t have slapped him.’
The anger she’d directed at Seok-ha, and striking Jun-hee across the face—these weighed on her mind, intensifying her headache.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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