Impossible Romance - Chapter 6

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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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6.

Silence filled the room as Kwon Seok-ha swept his gaze over Jun-hee with the composed demeanor of a magazine cover’s protagonist.
His words struck at the heart of the matter, leaving her speechless. Once we had shared mutual affection, but now we were less than strangers—and it was my betrayal that had made it so.
“It would be inconvenient for you to drive, Executive Director. I don’t want to be a burden.”
“Then I’ll call the Driver for you.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Flustered, Jun-hee half-rose from her seat.
“There’s no public transportation out here, and taxis rarely come. But if the Executive Director calls in staff for dinner and then I slip away alone, can you imagine how much people will talk?”
He tilted his chin slightly upward, regarding Jun-hee with an arrogant gaze.
“Talk? Who would say such things about you, Executive Director?”
Jun-hee laughed awkwardly, feigning ignorance.
“You didn’t know the news is full of insults about me? I need to leave now, and you don’t want to go with me. Wait. Until the Driver arrives.”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
As expected, Jun-hee’s expression twisted. Yet she knew that praise and criticism of Kwon Seok-ha were always evenly split.
Half the public opinion praised his abilities and appearance, while the other half condemned his arrogance and willfulness. She was well aware of how much work the Secretary’s Office and Public Relations Department did to manage this balance.
Still, that public criticism felt different from the matter of him driving her home.
Jun-hee mumbled without any real objection.
“You said you didn’t want to go with me, didn’t you? I thought you wanted to stay here.”
Kwon Seok-ha scratched his forehead gently with his long fingers. His tailored suit moved with soft creases that followed his gesture.
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Then should I not call the Driver?”
“Yes. Please drive me home, Executive Director.”
Jun-hee suppressed something boiling inside her and finally made the request. It was better to be indebted to Kwon Seok-ha than to summon the Driver back after he’d already left for the day.
He was a man who enjoyed toying with me this way, so I decided to concede once more.
“Right. Well, it’s on my way anyway.”
Kwon Seok-ha shrugged his shoulders.
Jun-hee wanted to ask if he even knew which direction her apartment was, but she closed her mouth, fearing she’d be caught in another one of his persuasions disguised as something else.

***

By the time we drew near Jun-hee’s neighborhood, the sun had already dipped below the horizon, and the sky had transformed into shades of violet.
“Is this it? The navigation system says we should go a bit further.”
Kwon Seok-ha pressed the brake and asked curtly. The Driver had already clocked out when we entered the Restaurant earlier, so Kwon Seok-ha had driven us to the edge of the Neighborhood himself.
“The roads are steep, so this is probably the best we can do.”
I spoke quietly and reached for the door handle.
“Wait.”
After parking in a suitable spot, he stepped out of the driver’s seat.
Confused and uncertain, I remained still until Kwon Seok-ha opened the door for me, and then I got out. I hadn’t expected him to leave the Car, so I was puzzled.
“Are you getting out here too, Executive Director?”
“The Neighborhood is confusing—we drove around so much. It was suffocating, so I thought I’d walk a bit.”
Kwon Seok-ha grumbled and walked ahead of me, taking the lead.
His words stung, but they weren’t entirely wrong. The narrow alley leading up the Hillside had few streetlights, and when I returned after working late, the walk home always felt a little frightening.
“It’s just around here. I think it would be better if you turned back now.”
I didn’t want to show Kwon Seok-ha where I lived. Especially since redevelopment had been decided, people had been moving out, and the Neighborhood grew more desolate with each passing day.
“That one over there?”
Kwon Seok-ha pointed with his hand at a shabby building not far away.
In the darkness with only a few streetlights, the building looked as though it might collapse at any moment—much like my own circumstances—and I bit my lower lip slightly.
“Yes.”
“Is it a gosiwon?”
“No. It’s a One-room Apartment.”
“Right. I can see ‘Palace One-room’ written on it.”
“….”
My ears flushed red as I gazed at the building he was looking at. Beside the faded structure, the words “Palace One-room” were clearly visible on peeling paint, illuminated by a yellow light.
“People actually live in places like this.”
Kwon Seok-ha spoke as though he’d just witnessed something utterly fascinating and bizarre.
“People do live here.”
I stared at him with widened eyes, my gaze sharp with indignation.
“They must. You live there, after all.”
He shrugged, pretending not to notice my glare.
“I’m going inside.”
I said goodbye and hurried toward the building. Staying with Kwon Seok-ha any longer would only sour my mood further.
Kwon Seok-ha stood behind me and surveyed the Neighborhood. The problem wasn’t just that it felt poor—there were few streetlights, and people were scarce, which deeply displeased him.
Looking up at the building Jun-hee had entered again, Kwon Seok-ha finally turned to leave once he saw a light come on in the topmost unit.
I climbed the dust-laden stairs and entered my apartment on the very top floor, turning on the light.
The room was remarkably small, even for a One-room Apartment.
Though I worked at a respectable Company, I had so many expenses that despite coming to Seoul so long ago, I still hadn’t managed to escape this place.
I collapsed onto the bed that sat alone in the cramped space.
A memory surfaced—the first time I saw Kwon Seok-ha, over a decade ago.

It was the day I returned home after the summer break ceremony.
Rather than worrying about the mountain of vacation homework, my steps felt light at the thought of sleeping in for the next few weeks.
Jun-hee’s Apartment was situated a distance from the city center, so the path home wound through a lush Forest. A gentle Valley Stream flowed nearby, and during summer, I would often splash my face in its cool waters or wade in to play.
As I approached the house, I spotted three or four gleaming black cars parked in the spacious yard. It wasn’t an everyday sight, but neither was it entirely unfamiliar.
The presence of such expensive vehicles meant that either the royal family of Seonjin Group or key executives from the Company had come to visit.
My parents were managers of this Villa belonging to Seonjin Group. Of course, since Seonjin Group owned many other Villas, they didn’t visit this one regularly. They far more often enjoyed vacations at other domestic Villas or abroad.
However, because of its convenient proximity to Seoul, they occasionally came here for brief getaways or to conduct confidential meetings.
Today would certainly be hectic with so many guests to attend to.
“Ugh. Of all times, during summer break.”
A sigh escaped my lips unbidden.
During periods like this, I had to be far more cautious than usual.
My father, who threw himself into anything related to Seonjin Group with unwavering loyalty, was particularly strict with me when they were here—to the point where he might as well have told me not to breathe. His interference was suffocating.
I had heard that Jun-hee’s Grandfather had received help from the founder of Seonjin Group. That connection had extended to my father. Still, my mother seemed somewhat displeased with my father’s almost absurdly devoted behavior.
I was walking toward the Small Old House behind the Villa, my lips pouted in frustration.
On an old bench, an Unknown Male Student lay with one arm shielding his face. He was so tall that one leg was bent at the knee while the other dangled completely off the bench.
Occasionally, boys from School would sneak in like this to take naps, so I immediately searched for a broom nearby.
‘Taking a nap in someone else’s yard—how absurd.’
Though I’d never seen that School uniform before, he was clearly around my age. I gripped the broom tightly and walked forward slowly.
Just as I was about to strike the still-sleeping Unknown Male Student, his reflexes proved exceptional. He jolted upright and seized the broom I was holding.
“Aaah!”
A shriek tore from my lips as I was dragged helplessly like a fluttering leaf, my face suddenly inches from his.
The shock lasted only a moment,
‘Is he an idol?’
Overwhelmed by the intensity in his deep eyes beneath dark brows, my first instinct was to wonder if he was a celebrity.
I had never seen a man this handsome in this area.

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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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