LU C10

Chapter 10

Late, but when Jae-i finally spoke, it was clear from her voice that her thoughts were firmly made up.

Silently watching her, the stiffness around his lips slowly began to loosen.

If one hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, it would have been impossible to believe—Kang Joo-won’s faint, subtle smile suddenly knocked heavily against her heart.

Something that had been tightly sealed away, never opened to anyone over the years, seemed to creak open, as if a bolt somewhere had finally come undone.

Unlike the first time she had ridden in the car he sent for her alone, the return trip home had her sitting side by side with Kang Joo-won in the same space.

The moment she got in, his familiar scent filled every corner of the car.

It was only a simple meal together, yet it felt like they had taken one step closer.

Without realizing it, a small laugh slipped from her lips. He raised a brow slightly and turned his gaze toward her.

His look seemed to ask if she had something to say.

Jae-i hesitated, unsure whether to speak, biting lightly at her lower lip.

Joo-won silently observed her conflicted expression and thought it was unexpectedly varied—almost interesting.

“Honestly… I’ve been wondering if I should stay here at all,” she finally said. “I keep thinking maybe I’ve just been acting on my own assumptions. I don’t really feel like I’ve been of any help to you, sir. I don’t think I can stay like this forever, so I even considered going back to the U.S. But even if I return… there’s no one waiting for me there.”

For a moment, her attention was stolen by the passing lights outside the window, but in the quiet of the car, their eyes met again.

She briefly lowered her gaze, then slowly lifted her eyelids.

He was still looking at her.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but the temperature in his gaze—looking down at her from a slightly higher angle—felt subtly different.

The awkwardness in the air was almost suffocating, enough to make her hands feel cold, yet her heart pounded loudly in her ears.

“I’m not someone who wants to live alone,” she said calmly. “I don’t like being completely by myself. I want to marry early and have several children. My dream is to be a strong mother who can stay by her children’s side for a long time.”

She smiled faintly as she spoke, her expression composed.

But to the one watching her, there was something quietly sorrowful about it.

Realizing his own emotions had loosened without permission, Joo-won quickly turned his gaze away.

He had almost reached out and patted her head.

Telling her she had grown up well on her own. That she had endured far more than she should have.

But he was a man known as cold-blooded, someone said to have no warmth.

Unnecessary comfort that could be misunderstood—anything that might stir emotions in others—was not something he should ever offer lightly.

“By the way… when will your grandfather arrive?” Jae-i asked, glancing at his serious, now familiar expression reflected in the window.

His gaze, once directed outside, suddenly met hers in the reflection.

For a brief moment, neither of them looked away.

In that stillness, it felt as though time itself had stopped, leaving only the two of them suspended in an isolated silence.

“Whenever he comes, you two won’t really be seeing each other much anyway,” Joo-won said. “Unless there’s something special.”

Finishing his words, he let out a tired sigh and leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes.

It felt like a silent warning—don’t say any more.

Jae-i exhaled softly, turned her head away, then found herself staring at him again without realizing when she had looked back.

His thick eyelashes cast long shadows. His sharply defined nose looked like it could cut if touched. Yet, strangely, something unfamiliar and heavy stirred in her chest as she looked at his closed lips.

He was a man who had everything—lacked nothing—yet she couldn’t understand why she felt this quiet sense of pity.

Sensing herself getting pulled into something overwhelming, she quickly turned her head away.

And yet, her eyes kept drifting back to him in the reflection of the window.

Her gaze kept… going back to him and stopping there.

Fighting off overwhelming sleepiness, Jae-i left the house early at dawn.

The darkness had not yet lifted, and the streets were still quiet and empty.

The route had become familiar after a few days of going back and forth, so she naturally began running.

The cold early-winter morning wind brushed against her skin, refreshing and sharp.

Her leggings clung to her body, emphasizing her slender figure and drawing attention from passersby.

With each steady stride, her toned thighs moved with a lively rhythm.

Jae-i regulated her increasingly uneven breathing, exhaling intermittently.

Far away, she watched a beautiful red sunrise rising over the river and took in the fresh air with all her might—this moment was her favorite part of the day.

When her breathing became so intense it felt difficult to continue, all the clutter in her mind disappeared, leaving a vacuum-like clarity she loved.

On the way home, her stiff muscles loosened, and it felt as though every cell in her body had come alive.

Turning the corner, the massive mansion at the end of the road belonged to Kang Joo-won.

In the quiet alley where the day had not yet begun, Jae-i continued running, her breath still heavy.

Then, from a distance, the faint sound of an engine and rolling tires approached. A car passed her slowly, then reduced speed and stopped by the roadside.

The person who got out was Kang Joo-won.

Wearing a windbreaker over training pants, he looked as sharp and agile as an athlete.

Compared to his usual perfectly pressed suits, his casual outfit made him seem more relaxed—almost younger than his age.

His approaching gaze briefly swept over her.

His eyes were not pleased as they landed on Jae-i, who wore leggings that boldly revealed her body’s curves.

Jae-i smiled faintly and stopped in front of him.

Up close, she could smell the fresh soap scent of someone who had just showered after working out.

“Were you out exercising?” she asked.

Unlike his clean, dry appearance, her forehead was damp with sweat despite the cold air.

Even her breathing sounded strained as she spoke.

Yet her bare face was full of vitality, as if all the life in the world had gathered into her.

“I ran a bit far, so I got out of breath,” she added.

To catch her breath, she bent slightly forward, and the neckline revealed a deep line as she breathed heavily.

His dark eyes, slightly furrowed, swept over her without restraint.

Just the thought of her running around like that, exposed to the gazes of all kinds of men, twisted something unpleasant inside him for no clear reason.

But that thought lasted only a moment.

What did it matter what she wore or who looked at her?

Joo-won found himself irritated—not at her, but at his own thoughts.