“This time, I’m going to find out everything. All the way to the end.”
Seoyoon’s face went rigid.
Taejun didn’t put his phone down.
He looked like he might call again at any moment and track down the person behind that name.
“Don’t.”
Taejun’s hand stopped.
“Don’t what?”
“Don’t look for that person.”
“Why?”
“Just don’t.”
“Why not?”
Seoyoon couldn’t answer.
Taejun’s eyes narrowed.
As she thought.
She hadn’t been a stranger to him.
Seoyoon clearly knew something he couldn’t remember.
“You.”
Taejun slowly approached her.
“Do you realize how suspicious you’re making yourself by acting like this?”
“There’s no need to be suspicious.”
“Then tell me.”
“Who is it?”
Seoyoon bit down hard on her lip.
She couldn’t say.
The fact that the name had resurfaced was enough to leave her thoughts in chaos.
She’d thought it was over.
No.
She had tried to make it over.
Once she divorced Taejun.
Once she disappeared from this house.
She’d thought no one would ever bring up what happened that day again.
“Han Seoyoon.”
At his lowered voice, Seoyoon lifted her head.
Taejun was standing right in front of her.
“Is it possible…”
He paused for a moment.
“Did I do something to you?”
Seoyoon’s eyes wavered.
“What did you say?”
“Before I lost my memory.”
“The reason you were trying to divorce me.”
Taejun’s gaze swept over her face.
“Was it because of that person?”
“No.”
This time, her answer came quickly.
“It wasn’t that.”
“Then what was it?”
“It was just a problem between us.”
“What problem did we have?”
Seoyoon closed her eyes, her heart heavy with frustration.
They always ended up back in the same place.
Taejun wanted to know.
Why she had tried to divorce him.
Why their marriage had fallen apart.
But whenever Seoyoon told him one thing, another matter hidden behind it followed.
“You…”
Seoyoon forced the words out.
“You weren’t interested in me.”
Taejun’s expression hardened.
“You barely came home. And even when you did, you hardly said a word.”
“I didn’t know what you were thinking or where you were or what you were doing.”
Seoyoon spoke as calmly as she could.
“Even though we were married, we were worse than strangers.”
A faint tremor passed through Taejun’s eyes.
“That’s why I wanted a divorce.”
“Is that all?”
Seoyoon was silent for a moment.
“Yes.”
It was a lie.
Taejun seemed to realize that too.
But he didn’t press her further.
After staring at Seoyoon for a long while, he said quietly,
“I understand.”
He backed off far too easily.
So easily that it only made Seoyoon more uneasy.
“Really?”
“If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask anything else today.”
Taejun turned away.
Only then did Seoyoon let out the breath she’d been holding.
But after taking two steps, Taejun spoke again.
“Instead…”
Seoyoon’s shoulders tensed.
“I’ll find out myself.”
“Taejun.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
Taejun turned back.
“It’s my business.”
Seoyoon couldn’t say a word.
She knew that look in his eyes.
Kang Taejun wasn’t the kind of person to give up once he’d made up his mind.
Even losing his memory hadn’t changed that part of him.
If anything, he was more relentless now.
Driven by nothing but the thought of reclaiming the time he’d lost.
“You might regret it.”
Seoyoon’s voice was low.
Taejun’s gaze stopped.
“Regret what?”
“If you find out.”
Taejun looked at her for a moment.
“Even if I regret it, I need to know.”
“It’s better than letting you go without knowing.”
With those words, Taejun left the room.
Seoyoon couldn’t move for a long time.
Better than letting you go.
The words stayed strangely lodged in her chest.
The next day.
Taejun headed to the company early in the morning.
It was the first day he was properly going to work since losing his memory.
The documents his secretary had prepared in advance were piled on his desk.
His recent schedule.
The businesses currently in progress.
The people he’d been meeting.
Taejun slowly went through them one by one.
Then his hand stopped when he opened the last file.
It contained his schedule for the month before the accident.
Three times a week.
The same place was listed each time.
Seorin Hotel.
Taejun furrowed his brow.
“Manager Kim.”
“Yes, CEO.”
“Did I go to Seorin Hotel often before the accident?”
Manager Kim’s expression turned awkward for a brief moment.
It was an extremely subtle change.
But Taejun didn’t miss it.
“Why?”
“It’s nothing.”
“That’s not what your face says.”
Manager Kim pressed his lips together.
Taejun set the document down.
“Everyone’s acting the same just because I lost my memory.”
“Not telling me anything.”
“CEO.”
“My wife is the same.”
Taejun’s voice dropped into a cold calm.
“Don’t start doing it too.”
Manager Kim let out an uneasy sigh.
“There was someone you used to meet at Seorin Hotel.”
Taejun’s eyes changed.
“Who?”
“I don’t know the details either.”
“Was it a man or a woman?”
A brief silence.
“She was a woman.”
Taejun’s fingers stopped.
A woman.
The period when Seoyoon had tried to divorce him.
And the person he had been meeting over and over.
Taejun slowly leaned back in his chair.
“What was her name?”
Manager Kim answered carefully.
The moment Taejun heard the name, his expression hardened.
It was the exact same name he’d found on his phone yesterday.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of relationship did we have?”
“I truly don’t know.”
A deep crease formed between Taejun’s brows.
“But you told me not to let anyone know.”
“Not even my wife?”
Manager Kim couldn’t answer.
That silence was enough.
Taejun said nothing for a while.
Why Seoyoon had looked so anxious.
It felt as if the pieces were slowly falling into place.
No way.
“Was I having an affair?”
Manager Kim looked up in surprise.
“I don’t think so.”
‘You don’t think so?’
“I can’t say I know what went on between the two of you, but…”
“Then why did I hide it?”
Manager Kim couldn’t answer.
Taejun rose from his seat.
“Find out that woman’s contact information.”
“CEO.”
“I’m meeting her today.”
At the same time.
Seoyoon’s phone rang.
It was an unknown number.
She didn’t answer at first.
But the call came again soon after.
Twice.
Three times.
With a bad feeling in her gut, Seoyoon finally pressed the call button.
“Hello?”
For a moment, she heard nothing.
Then.
* Long time no talk.
The color drained from Seoyoon’s face.
There was no way she could forget that voice.
“……Why are you calling?”
* Kang Taejun contacted me yesterday.
Seoyoon shot to her feet.
“What?”
* His number hasn’t changed.
“You answered?”
* Not yet.
Seoyoon’s fingertips turned cold.
“Don’t answer.”
The woman on the other end gave a quiet laugh.
* Why not?
“Please.”
* Now you’re asking me?
“He doesn’t have his memory.”
A brief silence followed.
* I know.
Seoyoon’s breath caught.
“How do you know?”
* I heard about the accident too.
* But this is strange.
The woman’s voice lowered slightly.
* That the first person Kang Taejun is looking for after losing his memory is me, not you.
Seoyoon’s hand trembled.
“Don’t put it that way.”
* Am I wrong?
“You and Taejun weren’t in that kind of relationship.”
The line went quiet.
Seoyoon clenched her teeth.
“I know everything.”
* Know what?
“Why the two of you met.”
The other woman didn’t answer for a long time.
Then she spoke very slowly.
* Do you really know everything?
Seoyoon’s face went rigid.
“What do you mean?”
* Han Seoyoon.
For the first time, the amusement disappeared from the woman’s voice.
* Do you also know why Kang Taejun couldn’t go to you that day?
Seoyoon’s heart dropped.
“What day?”
* The day you signed the divorce papers.
The phone nearly slipped from Seoyoon’s hand.
That day.
She remembered it perfectly.
The day she had asked Taejun to meet her one last time.
The day she’d planned to tell him they couldn’t go on living like that and needed to end things.
But Taejun hadn’t come.
He hadn’t contacted her either.
And the next morning, before dawn.
Seoyoon had signed the divorce papers alone.
“How do you know that?”
The woman let out a short breath.
* Because Taejun was with me that day.
Seoyoon’s eyes wavered.
It was something she already knew.
But hearing it directly made her chest tighten all over again.
“So what?”
She forced her voice to stay steady.
“Why are you bringing that up now?”
* Because I think you still have the wrong idea.
“The wrong idea?”
* Yes.
The woman paused.
Then, at her next words, Seoyoon went completely still.
* The reason Kang Taejun came to me that day…
Her low voice pierced Seoyoon’s ear.
* Was because of you.
“……What?”
* He came looking for me because of you, Han Seoyoon.
Seoyoon couldn’t say anything.
At that moment, the sound of the door lock came from the entryway.
Beep.
Seoyoon slowly turned her head.
The door opened.
And Taejun, back much earlier than expected, stepped inside.
His gaze went straight to Seoyoon.
More precisely.
To the phone pressed against her ear.
“Who are you talking to?”
The color drained from Seoyoon’s face.
The woman’s voice came through the phone again.
* Looks like Kang Taejun is there.
Taejun stopped walking.
Perhaps because the voice was familiar.
His expression changed very slowly.
“That phone.”
Taejun held out his hand to Seoyoon.
“Give it to me.”