Melting Slow

Kim Seung-jae’s eyes widened. 

He looked as though he had just heard something he never expected to hear. 

He couldn’t believe this was Yeo-min’s reaction. 

He had assumed she still hadn’t gotten over him—that she was in so much pain from being abandoned that she made this foolish choice. She was supposed to be the woman who could never forget him, swallowing her tears day after day. 

He was certain of it. After all, she was going through with a ridiculous marriage because she had been abandoned. So he believed that if he extended his hand again, she would gladly take it.

But Yeo-min didn’t look away; instead, she stared directly at him.

“Kim Seung-jae, you don’t have a single thing that’s better than Yoo Hwan. Not wealth, not family background, not even looks. So, what gives you the confidence to think that way?”

“…Chae Yeo-min!”

“Ah, there used to be a hint of affection toward me. But now, there isn’t any left, is there? Not after that grand betrayal you gifted me in the end.”

Yeo-min shoved away Kim Seung-jae’s now weakened grasp. 

She pushed him back by his chest, forcing him away from her, then grabbed the doorknob and glared at him.

“Your trashy actions didn’t leave any scars on me. They don’t mean anything to me anymore, and I certainly don’t care about them.”

“……”

“But that doesn’t mean what you did wasn’t trash.”

Kim Seung-jae stared at Yeo-min blankly. 

The look of someone waking up from a solid delusion was pitiful—his expression drenched in shame and humiliation.

“Yoo Hwan… Do you think that bastard can love you?” 

Leaning against the cold wall, Kim Seung-jae gritted his teeth, almost like a last desperate attempt to hold onto something—as if he were certain, as if he needed to believe it. 

“He’s pushing for this absurd marriage because he’s got a grudge against me too. He’s twisted. He could be using you, and if you marry him, you’ll be miserable for the rest of your life.”

“No. I’ll be happy. At least much more so than you and Chae Nari.”

With those final words, Yeo-min closed the door. 

Bang! 

Through the crack of the closing door, she saw Kim Seung-jae’s face, red around his eyes, still staring at her in disbelief.

After closing the door, Yeo-min sank to the floor. 

The tension broke all at once, and her legs gave way. 

She listened nervously for sounds from outside the door, hearing the footsteps growing fainter and fainter. Only then did Yeo-min let out a breath, clutching her trembling left hand with her right. 

The trembling wouldn’t stop so easily.

She had tried to seem unfazed, but the truth was, she had been terrified. 

The strength of his grip that wouldn’t let her go no matter how hard she struggled, the violent act of forcing the door open, the eyes that blazed as if they could devour her at any moment—the harsh shouts that echoed in her ears. She had become acutely aware of the stark physical difference in strength between the two of them.

‘…He’s different from the team leader.’

When Yoo Hwan stood in front of that door, she hadn’t felt fear—even though he was taller and bigger than Kim Seung-jae. 

Yeo-min, crouched down, rested her forehead on her knees. When she closed her eyes, she could recall Yoo Hwan’s voice from the time he stood in front of this door.

‘Can I come in?’

He was assertive, but it was still a clear request for permission. 

If Chae Yeo-min hadn’t nodded back then, he would never have set foot inside. 

A man who was rough yet gentle, arrogant yet kind. Someone who seemed to do as he pleased but always left the power in her hands.

“Haa…”

Yeo-min let out a quiet sigh. 

At that moment, she missed Yoo Hwan so much it hurt. 

The night grew deeper. 

After much hesitation, Yeo-min finally made up her mind and dialed Yoo Hwan’s number. It didn’t take long; after just a few rings, Yoo Hwan answered the call.

– Yeah.

“Um, Team Leader.” 

Yeo-min called out to him without any particular thought but then fell silent. 

From the other end, he was the one to speak first.

– Is there something you want to say?

“Kind of… I have something I want to ask you.”

– Alright. Wait for me.

“What?”

– I’m coming over now.

With that, the call ended. 

Yeo-min stared at the now dark screen, lost in thought. 

Had he sensed something in her voice? He was still the same man, quick to act rather than talk. 

Part of her was eager to see him, while another part of her wished he wouldn’t come. She was scared of the answer she’d hear from him.

Yeo-min lay down on the couch, fiddling with a stuffed toy. 

It was a mermaid doll—a gift from her mother that she had once lost to Chae Nari, only for Yoo Hwan to secretly retrieve it for her. 

She used to play with it so often that the fabric had worn down, turning shabby and ragged. She had put it up on a shelf to prevent it from falling apart, but tonight, she just wanted to hold it close. 

Holding onto the doll tightly, Yeo-min tried to steady her thoughts, her heart a mix of anticipation and fear. 

Would she be able to ask him? 

Would she be ready to hear his answer? 

She hugged the doll to her chest, closing her eyes as she listened for the faintest sounds of the night.

Yeo-min placed the small doll against her chest and closed her eyes. 

Her heart pounded nervously, overwhelmed by anxiety and unease. 

How long had she lain there like that? Suddenly, she opened her eyes. 

She had heard the doorbell ring. Quickly, she got up and went to open the door.

As expected, Yoo Hwan was standing there.

“You’re here? I’m sorry for making you come so late.”

“Don’t worry about it. If it was something uncomfortable, I wouldn’t have come in the first place.”

Yoo Hwan replied casually as he stepped inside. 

Yeo-min led him to the dining table and brought out some warm tea. 

Then she sat down across from him.

“I have something I want to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Can you tell me if anything happened when you were in the United States?”

“……”

The hand that had been reaching for the cup paused. 

Yeo-min lifted her gaze from the table, looking at him. 

Yoo Hwan’s face was expressionless, and the shadow cast by the light under his eyes looked cold.

The rumors she had heard about his time in the U.S. were all the same—nothing but scandalous gossip.

A promiscuous relationship with numerous women. Alcohol, drugs, and a decadent lifestyle. But.

‘There were four people found high on drugs in that bastard’s penthouse in Manhattan. One of them, a woman, had been stabbed.’

She had never heard such a story before. 

She needed to know what Kim Seung-jae had meant when he said those things to her.

‘He silenced that woman with money! He’s not someone a naive person like you can handle! His mindset, his past, his life, they’re worlds apart from yours!’

She had always just thought of him as a playboy. 

A typical wealthy heir indulging in excess. 

She had assumed that was all there was to it—but was she wrong?

The Yoo Hwan that Yeo-min knew was a little different from the rumors. 

He didn’t seem as reckless as she had heard, and there was no indication that he was doing drugs. 

She had thought the rumors were exaggerated, but Kim Seung-jae’s sudden claims had hit her like a collision out of nowhere.

‘But, I can’t judge him based solely on what Kim Seung-jae said.’

Instead of agonizing over it internally, Yeo-min decided to ask directly. 

Of course, it wasn’t really her business how terrible of a person Yoo Hwan might be. 

After all, the proposal was only to maintain the facade of a marriage. 

All she needed to do was play the role of the perfect wife. 

But still, she wanted to ask. 

She wanted to know what kind of person the man in front of her really was. 

If he had crossed a line… if he had harmed someone…

After a moment of silence, Yoo Hwan quietly spoke.

“Whatever rumors you’ve heard. It’s true.” 

“……”

“Is that what you wanted to know about me?” 

His expression was devoid of any emotion, looking stark and cold. 

He seemed distant, but it was also clear that he would speak the truth if asked.

Yeo-min’s lips trembled, a look on her face like she’d been struck hard. 

No way…. 

“Did a woman… die in your penthouse, Team Leader?”

“No, she didn’t die.”

“Then….”

Was what Kim Seung-jae said true, that you enjoyed obscene parties with women, got drunk, and did something terrible while high on drugs? 

Yeo-min stared straight at Yoo Hwan. 

His expression remained calm. 

His face was still solitary, showing no signs of guilt or regret. He rested his chin lazily on his hand, his face impassive as he spoke.

“I don’t know exactly where or what you heard, but it’s true that the incident you heard about happened at my place. Not all of it is true, though.”

“Then maybe…. You… stabbed a woman….”

Was it really him who stabbed the woman? 

Was the incident that Chairman Yoo managed to cover up that dreadful and brutal past? 

She barely parted her lips. 

It was a question she had been too afraid to ask, scared of knowing the truth. 

But Yoo Hwan’s answer was simple.

“No. I wasn’t even there.”

His eyes were calm, deep, and serious. 

Of course, it could be a lie, but it didn’t seem like he could fake a gaze like that. 

Even if it was a lie, eyes like those could make anyone believe him.

“Then what really happened?” 

Yoo Hwan was lost in thought for a while. 

His eyes dark and sunken as he remained silent. 

It seemed like he wasn’t going to tell her anything more. 

Since she had already gotten the truth she sought, Yeo-min decided not to press him further. Instead, she asked a different question.

“Team Leader, you’re not using drugs anymore, right? And if you ever ask me to do it… I can’t. I won’t go that far to fit in. Playing the role of a perfect wife doesn’t include things like that.”

She could understand the idea of a one-night stand, considering it his personal preference, but drugs were different. 

No matter how much she wanted to be the perfect wife for him, she couldn’t stoop to such a low level.

Yoo Hwan let out a short laugh, as if the question was ridiculous.

“I’ve never put that kind of garbage into my life, and I never will.”

His smile was clear, but there was a cold edge to it, as if the mere thought disgusted him.

“And you’re definitely not allowed either. If you even think about touching that stuff, I’ll personally make sure you end up in a hospital.”

“…At least it’s not a divorce. That’s a relief.”

“Don’t think about it.”

Before leaving, Yoo Hwan lightly touched Yeo-min’s cheek, then stood up as if it was time to go. 

Yeo-min followed him to the door, bidding him a polite goodbye as he left. 

Once the front door closed, Yeo-min was alone in the living room, biting her lip hard. 

The dark, bitter smile Yoo Hwan had given her before he left lingered in her mind.

‘He said it happened, but it’s not the truth… then what is the truth?’ 

With a quiet sigh, Yeo-min slumped onto the couch. 

There were still so many things she was curious about, but for now, she was relieved. 

At least Yoo Hwan wasn’t the kind of depraved man, high on drugs, hurting women as Kim Seung-jae had claimed.

***

A few days later, Yeo-min carefully stepped into an unfamiliar house.

“Excuse me…” 

After passing the lit entryway hallway and turning a corner, an open living room spread out before her. 

Sunlight streamed into the warm space through the large floor-to-ceiling windows. 

The garden visible beyond the glass was expansive, giving her a sense of ease just looking at it.

“Can I take a look around the house?” 

“Do as you please. This will be your home from now on.”

It was Yoo Hwan who spoke, having carried Yeo-min’s luggage inside. 

Until now, she had been hesitant to move into his house, putting off moving in by a day or two despite packing her things. 

But that Saturday morning, Yoo Han had barged in.

‘What brings you here so early in the morning?’

‘Came to pick up my roommate.’

Yoo Hwan had downplayed the move into their new home by simply calling it picking up his roommate, and then grabbed her luggage.

‘Get ready. We’re going.’

‘Didn’t you come back late from Changwon yesterday? Aren’t you tired? Have you eaten?’ 

Yeo-min held onto the hem of his shirt, looking at him with concern.

Yoo Hwan gently took her hand in his, then responded lightly.

‘Assistant Manager Chae, there’s something called prioritizing your work.’

And so, here she was.

Suddenly, like a blow to the back.