chapter 19

As Geonwoo stood in front of him, Go Joon reached out his hand with a still smiling face.

“I want to make an introduction now. I am Go Joon-young. It’s really nice to see you again.”

Go Joon introduced his name by adding ‘Young’ instead of his real name. The reason was that he didn’t want Yeonhwa to know his name just yet. He wanted to surprise Yeonhwa after getting closer. With his eyes down, Geonwoo looked at Go Joon’s hand who asked for a handshake. He didn’t want to shake hands but it was for Yeonhwa who was staring at his face.

“Hi, I’m Yoon Geonwoo.”

Geonwoo’s hand fell straight back as soon as it reached Go Joon’s hand. It was hardly a handshake, but Go Joon was satisfied with it.

“I met your wife here by chance.”

“That’s amazing.” Contrary to what he said, Geonwoo replied with a flat tone.

“Your wife says she doesn’t have dinner plans, so if you have time, let’s go to dinner together. It’s my treat.”

Geonwoo’s eyebrows flinched as he heard that his wife had already agreed to the dinner. He wanted to go to the Fine Dining where he booked a reservation for Yeonhwa, but to make matters worse, Yeonhwa already agreed to Go Joon’s invitation.

“If you don’t have an appointment for dinner, go with me,” Yeonhwa told Geonwoo.

The dinner appointment was with Yeonhwa and him. The reservation was made for two. However, his wife, who knew nothing, looked up at him with quiet eyes, waiting for Geonwoo’s answer. It was his fault that made her go to the museum today. No, at least if he had arrived earlier, his wife would never have encountered this man. It would have been nice if only Secretary Kim didn’t ask him to sign more documents. Should he get rid of Secretary Kim? Calmed down his surging irritation, Geonwoo told Yeon-Hwa.

“I was thinking of having dinner with you today.”

“Great. Then we can have dinner with him.”

That was not what he meant. Geonwoo, who breathed for a long time, turned to the sound of laughter that was heard in his ears. Ironically, Go Joon understood what Geonwoo meant and was spreading laughter. Go Joon left only a small smile on his lips at Geonwoo’s tingling gaze on his face.

“Then we can go together.” The words sounded to Geonwoo’s ears as if he had stepped in between Go Joon and Yeonhwa. He didn’t like Go Joon at the hospital then, and he still didn’t like him now. However, as it turned out like this, he wanted to finish the meal as soon as possible and went on separate ways. Geonwoo took the cell phone out of his pocket and sent Go Joon the restaurant’s address.

“I sent you a message with the location of the restaurant we are going to.”

Go Joon nodded after checking his phone, and Geonwoo turned to Yeonhwa.

“Come with me.”

“But I have my car.”

“Tomorrow, we can go to work together .”

There was no need to use two cars, so Yeonhwa got into the car with Geonwoo. Go Joon muttered to himself as he saw the car moving away.

“Was I too mean?” He didn’t mean to be mean. The laughter kept leaking through his lips as seeing Geonwoo wearing a tiger mask and revealing his teeth to himself, he wanted to touch his nose hair for no reason.

*****

Before entering the restaurant, Yeonhwa stopped and grabbed Geonwoo’s arm.

“Isn’t it too expensive here?”

Geonwoo immediately noticed what Yeonhwa was worried about. The dinner would cost 150,000 won per person, so it was an expensive celebration. Yeonhwa was worried about the cost of his meal because it was Go Joon who decided to buy dinner. But that’s none of Geonwoo’s business. It doesn’t matter if another man pays a high price.

“Let’s go somewhere else. There are many restaurants around here.”

“Do I have to?”

Why was his wife worried about the man’s pocket? At Geonwoo’s dry response, Yeonhwa pulled his arm.

“Come on.”

Yeonhwa tried to take Geonwoo out by dragging his arm, but Go Joon, who arrived afterward, came up with a wide smile.

“What are you doing not going in?”

“We were about to go in.”

Geonwoo stepped into the restaurant with Yeonhwa. After confirming the reservation name, the staff directed the three to a private room. Three people sat around a round table covered with a white tablecloth. As it was originally, Geonwoo would have been sitting face to face with Yeonhwa, but Go Joon was here at the table so they sat in a triangular formation. It might be awkward, but Go Joon spoke to Yeonhwa first in a friendly manner.

“Have you been working at the museum for a long time?”

“It’s not that long. It’s been a little over 3 years.”

“I’ve been walking around and saw the museum, and I enjoyed all of the exhibits.”

Geonwoo held the brush in his studio all day, but he couldn’t paint anything on the canvas. After getting in the car to change his mood, he found the Rest Museum. Because of the curator who introduced herself as Song Yeonhwa at the Rest museum which was engraved in his head, he was curious.

“You must have a lot of interest in art.”

“I paint too.”

Geonwoo’s fingers intertwined and propped his elbows on the table. He felt as if only he was excluded from the conversation at this table. He didn’t want to intervene in the conversation, but there was already no chance to squeeze in between the two.

“Are you a painter?”

Yeonhwa’s face bloomed like a flower as she asked Go Joon. Wriggling, Geonwoo’s eyebrows moved like raging waves. It wasn’t him who took Yeonhwa’s gaze, but an outsider man sitting next to him. He tried to keep his composure, but his face was already showing his heart. However, Yeonhwa did not notice that Geonwoo had little patience left. Go Joon smiled as if he was embarrassed.

“It’s awkward every time I hear the word painter.”

“Did you work abroad as well?”

“Yes, I was active in France but I’m not that famous.”

The word France seemed more familiar than ever to Yeonhwa because France was the place where Go Joon, the painter who she had been looking for, lived.

Was it a coincidence? Artist Go Joon also came to Korea a while ago. Right before the fire came out of Geonwoo’s eyes, fortunately, food came out first. When the appetizer plates were placed on the table and the staff stepped back, Go Joon lifted the chopsticks first.

“This is my first time eating Korean food in Korea. I’ve only eaten Western food after I get here from France.”

“The food here is delicious.”

When Yeonhwa smiled at Go Joon, Geonwoo almost broke the chopsticks he was holding in half. He tried to suppress the unpleasant feeling, put the meat on a porcelain plate in his mouth. Then Go Joon ate a spoonful of pumpkin porridge, exclaimed with an excited expression.

“The pumpkin porridge is really soft and delicious.”

“I’m glad it suits your taste.”

Yeonhwa responded gently to Go Joon’s words. One of the reasons why Geonwoo refused when Go Joon offered to treat them to dinner the other day was because Yeonhwa was too nice. She would react to little things and listen to anything. Geonwoo didn’t want to see it with his own eyes. He just wanted this meal to end soon. As the last plate came upon the table, Go Joon’s question turned to Geonwoo for the first time.

“What does Mr.Geonwoo do?”

Geonwoo replied with his eyes fixed on the plate without any emotion.

“I work for an ordinary company.”

He could have said that he was the President of DS fashion company, but he did not want to leak his information to Go Joon in detail. At that time, Yeonhwa’s cell phone in her handbag rang, and Yeonhwa stepped out for a while. The air in the room where only Geonwoo and Go Joon were left was cooler than the Siberian field. The only thing that accumulated on the silence was the sound of the tableware crashing. Go Joon said, quietly putting down his chopsticks next to the empty bowl.

“I met your wife a long time ago.”

As soon as he heard that, there was no change in Geonwoo’s face. Instead, it seemed as if his body was being pushed down to the floor by someone. Go Joon then added straight words to avoid misunderstanding.

“I once sold paintings in France, and your wife bought one of mine.”

Geonwoo, who lost his appetite, grabbed the napkin and wiped his mouth then put it down on the table.

“What is your intention to tell me that?”

“At that time, she was like a benefactor. It was nice to see her again in Korea, so I really wanted to have this dinner.”

“My wife doesn’t seem to know you at all, does she?”

“Because 9 years ago, I looked very different from now.”

Go Joon said it to ease Geonwoo’s vigilance, but he seemed to have the only antipathy. It was then, Yeonhwa, who ended the call, opened the door of silence and came again. On the seat, Yeonhwa saw Geonwoo and Go Joon exchanging glances. The atmosphere seemed darker as she wondered what kind of conversation the two of them had while she was gone. Before she even asked Geonwoo what was going on, he stood up.

“If you’re done, then we are leaving.”

Yeonhwa, who had finished her meal, pulled out her chair and stood up. Go Joon left the room first and walked to the cashier at the entrance. As he tried to take his card out of his wallet, the employee standing in front of the cashier smiled kindly.

“The meal was already paid for.”

As Go Joon looked back, Yeonhwa looked at Geonwoo with a confused expression.

“Did you pay already?”

Before Geonwoo stepped into the restaurant, he didn’t care how much Go Joon would have to pay. However, Geonwoo, who did not want to eat uncomfortable food from an uncomfortable person, paid the fee in advance. Go Joon put the card back and smiled at Geonwoo.

“Thank you for the dinner. I will buy it next time.”

“Next time then.”

He said that but his inside was roaring his unpleasantness. Then Yeonhwa said her last greeting.

“It was nice to meet you today.”

“It’s meant to be, and I hope you’ll be comfortable thinking of me as a friend.”

Destiny? Friend? Geonwoo’s eyes burned like a fireball. Yeonhwa shook her head as she left Geonwoo burning inside.

“Whenever you have time, please come to the museum and see us.”

“Aren’t you busy because it hasn’t been long since you went to work again?”

Geonwoo intervened before Go Joon could even accept Yeonhwa’s offer. However, Go Joon ignored Geonwoo’s bloody glances and asked Yeonhwa what he had forgotten.

“I forgot to ask for your name.”

Yeonhwa, who had never got his phone number, pulled out a square business card from her handbag. It contained her mobile phone number. Geonwoo’s arm was raised to block Yeonhwa’s hand which was handing over the business card, but it was already too late.

“My name is Song Yeonhwa. Because you say you are a painter, so I want to talk about what kind of pictures you paint.”

Go Joon, who raised his eyes and looked over the white business card, saw the name Song Yeonhwa, and burst into laughter.

“Song Yeon-Hwa.”

It was her, the person who kept in touch with him restlessly all this time. Now he found her first. Go Joon, who was touching the name on the business card with his thumb, put the business card deep into his wallet.

“I will contact you.”

He would be able to meet Yeonhwa again soon. He thought he had to go to the museum on purpose to meet Yeonhwa, but there was no need. It was destined to meet her again somehow. Then Go Joon left the restaurant with a slight smile at Geonwoo.

“Shall we go too?” Yeonhwa stood tall and asked Geonwoo, who was looking down at her resentfully. Geonwoo went ahead without answering. Yeonhwa slowly followed him as she looked at his back. The business card she handed to the man was not a selfish act. She just wanted to see the man at the museum because it would be beneficial to know about him for her work. It wasn’t that she didn’t see Geonwoo’s stinging glare. Should she be grateful that her indifferent husband regards Go Joon as the object of vigilance? It was impossible to guess his mood because he always kept to himself, but today his feelings were clearly revealed. He was angry. Very much so. Was he really jealous? Her husband? The man who was so blunt? Yeonhwa on the passenger seat pretended to know nothing.

“You seem to be in a bad mood all of a sudden?”

Yeonhwa hoped Geonwoo would put out all the jealousy because jealousy would mean being interested. Geonwoo pressed the start button and turned to Yeonhwa. Her heart tickled just as her gaze came in contact with him in an enclosed space. She thought to herself ‘Are we going to kiss again?’

Then Yeonhwa was curious how Geonwoo would be when he was jealous. Would he blush, or would he nag something that doesn’t suit him? Had she known what this curiosity would bring, Yeonhwa would have stopped here. As Geonwoo was close enough as their nose almost touched, Yeonhwa stopped thinking. Like a still screen, Yeonhwa couldn’t exhale once and couldn’t move a finger. It seemed like she would narrow the distance even further if she moved her lips.

“You can’t be friends with him.”

Geonwoo’s subdued voice was firm. Yeonhwa wanted to avoid his eyes, but Geonwoo’s gaze tightly grabbed hers. Then he spoke his will to Yeonhwa, whose lips were tightly closed.

“Because my wife only needs me as a man.”

Out of curiosity, Yeonhwa’s heart burst.