─── chapter seventeen.
❛ DINNER CONVERSATIONS ❜

Yeon-Jin walked out of the shower, a towel wrapped tightly around her body, her damp hair clinging to her neck. She approached the mirror, where her belongings were scattered, and glanced at her reflection. The sound of footsteps caught her attention, causing her eyes to flicker towards the door. She adjusted her towel and ignored the sound, focusing instead on the body spray she picked up from the counter. Shaking the bottle, she uncapped it and sprayed it across her arms, chest, and neck.

As she returned the spray to its place, her husband, Do-Yeong, walked into the bathroom. Without turning, she called out, "I texted you earlier saying I'd be out until 10:00. Did you get it?"

Do-Yeong stood in front of the sink, rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt. His tone was cool as he replied, "You trying to start something?"

Yeon-Jin chuckled softly. "You're the one who's starting things here, you know." She turned to face him fully, her expression sharp. "Did you meet with Hye-Jeong? Why?"

Leaning back against the counter, she crossed her arms. Do-Yeong glanced at her in the mirror, his face unreadable. "Why do you care?"

Her voice dropped, tinged with frustration. "You're starting to scare me, hon."

Stepping closer, she tried to maintain a calm demeanor. "The past is in the past. The future's what matters," she said, her voice steady despite the tension building in the room.

Do-Yeong turned to face her, his tone icy. "I looked into your 'options.' Why Hye-Jeong?" His gaze was piercing, unflinching.

Yeon-Jin forced a smile, trying to regain control of the situation. "What did Hye-Jeong say? Do I have any options left?"

His response was dry, void of any emotion. "Sa-Ra's out—ruining her life with drugs. Jae-Jun? A thug. Myeong-O? Disappeared."

"And your mother, throwing millions at a shaman," he added, his voice rising with anger.

Yeon-Jin's confidence wavered as her husband's temper flared. "You're really doing this, then?" she asked, her voice quieter now, unsure.

Do-Yeong's fists clenched, his anger reaching a boiling point. He slammed his hand against the bathroom counter, the sound echoing through the room. Yeon-Jin's eyes widened as she watched him, her heart racing.

His voice was filled with fury, though his face remained stoic. "If I'm taking sides, it's with Ye-Sol."

The weight of his words hit her hard. Tears welled in Yeon-Jin's eyes as he continued, his voice laced with bitterness. "If you ever felt any guilt—for me, for our daughter—you would've said nothing. But you didn't. Because you don't feel guilty."

Without another word, Do-Yeong stormed past her, leaving Yeon-Jin standing alone, her emotions a whirlwind of anger, fear, and sorrow.

The next evening, Jae-Jun walked into the shop, carrying a freshly groomed Louis, the small dog snug in a gray winter jacket. As he approached the front counter where Gyeong-Ran stood, he asked, "Anything new today?"

"Not really," Gyeong-Ran replied, her tone flat, fingers loosely interlaced above the keyboard she was using. Jae-Jun lifted Louis slightly, showing off the dog's neat new haircut. "Just took Louis to the groomer," he added casually, leaning on the counter with his free arm. "When are you free?"

"I'm working here this weekend," Gyeong-Ran responded, her eyes briefly flicking up from the screen. "Why?"

"Guess we're closing the shop this weekend, then," Jae-Jun said with a chuckle. "I want to get a Christmas present for a friend, but I have no idea what."

"Would you like to come with me? She's pretty young."

She side-eyed him, her expression blank. "Is there nothing in the store?" she asked, scanning the shelves behind her.

Gyeong-Ran's gaze lingered on him for a moment before she asked, "Is it the redhead or the girl with the racing flag tattoo?"

"Or Joo-Won?" she added, before Jae-Jun could respond. "She wouldn't like anything in here."

Jae-Jun's smile faded as he grew annoyed. "Are you even listening to me?" he asked, turning to face her directly.

"I just need you to tell me if something's green or red," she replied dryly.

Jae-Jun sighed, frustration seeping into his voice. "It's Christmas. Everything's either green or red. Are you coming or not?"

Gyeong-Ran finally looked at him, her voice softening. "What exactly do you mean by 'new'?"

Jae-Jun furrowed his brows. "What?"

"You asked if there was anything new," she reminded him.

"Yeah...?"

"Well, Eun-Ji and Yeon-Jin's husband came in separately today," she said, her expression unreadable. "Does that count as new?"

"They did? Why?"

"Eun-Ji was buying a bag. He tried on a shirt and left," she said nonchalantly, returning her focus to her computer.

Later that night, Do-Yeong stood by the window in his office, his eyes lost in thought. Turning, he approached his desk and opened the drawer, revealing a photo of himself with Eun-Ji inside 'MINISTOP' and a card that once belonged to Son Myeong-O.

He picked up the picture, holding it for a moment before dropping it onto the desk. Then, he took the card, examining it with a puzzled expression, as if trying to piece together a puzzle. Letting the card fall onto the desk beside the photo, his hands rested on the surface as he stared down at the two items.

"So... you wanted me to find Son Myeong-O," he murmured to himself. With a heavy sigh, he picked up his phone and began dialing.

Meanwhile, Dong-Eun stood alone in an elevator, her thoughts consumed with the next phase of her plan. She wore a long, sleeveless dress beneath her coat, concealing the burn scars on her arms. The elevator doors slid open, revealing Do-Yeong.

They exchanged looks before Dong-Eun broke eye contact, staring at the floor as he entered and stood slightly ahead of her.

"I'm sure privacy is important to you," Do-Yeong remarked without looking back.

Dong-Eun's gaze remained fixed forward. "That's why I chose Seoul, not Semyeong."

"It's been a while since we were here," she continued, her voice even. "But it's nice."

"I heard about the three of you," Do-Yeong said, referencing the history between Dong-Eun, Eun-Ji, and Yeon-Jin.

Dong-Eun's lips curled into a smirk. "Then you probably don't know everything."

Do-Yeong side-eyed her but said nothing as the elevator reached its destination. The doors opened, and Dong-Eun stepped out, with Do-Yeong following closely behind. They were greeted by a man, who bowed respectfully at Do-Yeong.

"It's been too long, Mr. Ha," the man said.

"Yeah," Do-Yeong replied curtly, his attention turning toward Dong-Eun.

"May I take your coat, ma'am?" the man asked.

Dong-Eun hesitated before sliding off her coat, revealing the scars that marred her arms. The man took the coat gently, but his expression turned from politeness to concern as he glimpsed her injuries. Do-Yeong's eyes widened in shock, his mind racing as he began to question whether his wife, Yeon-Jin, was truly responsible for this.

Do-Yeong and Dong-Eun sat at a table, plates of food in front of them. As Do-Yeong's gaze drifted to the photos of Eun-Ji and Dong-Eun's scars, he finally spoke. "I had so many questions."

Dong-Eun, her arms crossed, stared at him blankly. "They're pointless now."

"Do those still hurt?" Do-Yeong asked, his voice low.

Dong-Eun stiffened but kept her composure. "Don't ask me that. I don't want to hear weak questions."

"There are more important things to ask now," she said sharply, her eyes narrowing. "Like whether Yeon-Jin really did this."

"So... did you look for Myeong-O?" she pressed. "I even sent you a picture."

Do-Yeong's hands rested on the table as he bit his lip, deep in thought. "Anything else I need to know?"

"You know enough to leave Yeon-Jin," Dong-Eun replied. "What else do you need to hear?"

He tilted his head, considering her words. "I want everyone in her life to leave her," Dong-Eun continued, her voice steady. "Including you."

"Why?" Do-Yeong asked, his brow furrowed.

"Because you're Yeon-Jin's glory. Wouldn't you agree?"

The man looked at her blankly, sighing as his eyes wandered the room. "With a plan like this, I'm surprised you didn't act sooner."

"You're not the aggressive type."

Dong-Eun observed him carefully, wondering what thoughts churned in his mind. Do-Yeong cared about Eun-Ji—he liked her. But at this moment, he wouldn't leave Yeon-Jin, even though he knew staying would hurt them both.

"I'm not going to leave her," he finally said.

"Why not?" Dong-Eun pressed. She had some insight into his relationship with Eun-Ji.

"I don't know."

He hesitated, then added, "I don't like admitting it, but I only just realized—I'm not ready to leave Yeon-Jin."

"So... maybe we should meet again."

Later, Dong-Eun stood at Eun-Ji's door, ready to share the man's decision. She knocked, and moments later, Eun-Ji greeted her with a small smile.

"Come in, Dong-Eun."

"Thanks," Dong-Eun said softly as she stepped inside and sat on the couch. Across the room, Joo-Won was awake, happily coloring in her Disney princess coloring book.

Eun-Ji closed the door and joined her on the couch. With a gentle poke on her daughter's cheek, she caught the child's attention, since Joo-Won wasn't wearing her hearing aids.

The little girl turned curiously to her mother. 'Say hello to Auntie Dong-Eun,' Eun-Ji signed with a smile.

Joo-Won beamed and enthusiastically signed, 'Hello, Auntie Dong-Eun!'

Dong-Eun's smile softened as she replied, "She reminds me of when you had those chubby cheeks."

Eun-Ji groaned playfully and nudged Dong-Eun. 'Joo-Won, it's time for your bath. Go tell I-Seul to help you.'

Joo-Won nodded and hurried off, leaving her coloring book behind as her tiny feet softly tapped across the floor.

Dong-Eun watched her go, then turned to Eun-Ji, her smile fading as she prepared to break the news.

"Eun-Ji, remember what I told you?"

"The dinner with Yeon-Jin's husband?" Eun-Ji asked, and Dong-Eun nodded.

"We talked. After I showed him everything... he said he wasn't going to leave her. At least, not yet."

Eun-Ji sighed softly, her face betraying no surprise. She and Do-Yeong had spoken about it days before. Still, hearing it again made something inside her made her heart sting, but she kept her face neutral, forcing a smile. "It's fine. Let's focus on your plan, Dong-Eun. Step by step, it's starting to come together."

Dong-Eun's gaze lingered on her friend. "You always smile, even when you're hurting. It's like a mask you can't take off."

That evening, Yeon-Jin returned home carrying bags of groceries. She slipped off her heels, exchanged them for her house slippers, and walked into the kitchen, setting her purse on the counter. When she looked up, she saw Do-Yeong at the dining table, already eating a salad while scrolling through his tablet.

"Why are you eating now?" she demanded, irritation simmering beneath her tone. "Didn't you see my text?"

He glanced at her briefly, unfazed. "I saw it," he replied dryly, spearing another piece of vegetable with his fork.

She crossed her arms, sass creeping into her voice. "Then why didn't you respond?"

He looked up, his expression calm but pointed. "This is my response," he said, popping the vegetable into his mouth.

Yeon-Jin's frustration reached a boiling point. She turned, threw the grocery bags into the trash, and looked back at him with a glare. "Are you seeing Seong Eun-Ji? Is that why you're acting like this?"

He gave her a cold, searching look. "What are you talking about?"

She drew closer, her voice lowering. "I don't understand...How could somebody like Eun-Ji even manage to catch your attention?"

Do-Yeong paused, as if reaching for words he'd long kept buried. "She made me curious," he finally said. "When we met, I found myself always waiting for her or wanting to see her."

Yeon-Jin's face twisted with disbelief, but he continued, unbothered by her reaction. "And when I met her again, I wanted to beat her."

"Beat her?" Yeon-Jin echoed, not comprehending.

Do-Yeong's eyes drifted, lost in memories of tense Go matches and the subtle expressions that hinted at Eun-Ji's next move. "But I lost the upper hand and floundered because I was cornered by her each time," he admitted quietly. "But part of me even wanted that too," The words of her husband shocked Yeon-Jin, who never expected that to come out of his mouth.

"I liked it when she cornered me in a Go match," he simply said, not mentioning the other things he the two did.

Yeon-Jin stared at him, stunned. "You cheated on me."

"No matter how you phrase it, that's cheating."

Do-Yeong let out a dry laugh, his gaze sharp and unsparing as it settled on her. "Seems unfair coming from you, but all right, then."

His gaze didn't waver as he added, "I'm not asking about you and Jae-Jun, am I?"

Her face paled, and for the first time, Yeon-Jin felt the power she once wielded slipping through her fingers.

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