The Price of a Promise

“Which of you bastards—!”

“Ah. I thought you were Woojin. I was just so glad to see you. My mistake. Sorry.”

Jae-hwi had just struck the back of the head of the man who’d been bragging about wanting to lay Taerin down and make her whimper. After delivering the blow, he used the name of Woojin—who was standing perfectly fine right next to them—as an excuse, claiming it was an error. He then let out a sharp, predatory smile, his eyes glinting with mischief.

The men who recognized Jae-hwi began whispering among themselves, the crowd falling into a stir. Ever since the pre-opening party for the exhibition at Gallery <One>, Jae-hwi had made a point of attending every official event, aggressively asserting his presence. Unlike before, the number of people who knew exactly who he was had grown significantly.

It was a tedious task, but it was necessary to solidify his position as the rapidly rising successor of GH Group. It was also a calculated move to irritate Goo Jae-kyung, who still looked down on him as nothing more than ‘filthy, defective blood.’

“You should say you’re sorry, too.”

“You? I was in the same graduating class as Goo Jae-eun—”

“I told you to say you’re sorry.”

“Why should I—”

“The back of your head looks just like Woojin’s. Why is it shaped like that, making me get confused? Why make me hit an innocent man?”

“…”

“No apology?”

“…Sorry.”

Having forced the apology, Jae-hwi stood amidst the dispersing crowd, giving Jeong Se-hyun one last lingering glare before turning away. On his way home, he spotted Taerin standing beneath the wall of an alleyway.

It was impossible to miss her. In Goo Jae-hwi’s eyes, Won Taerin shone brighter than anything plated in gold.

He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of her. The moment he stepped out of the car, he approached her with every intention of flirting, but his expression hardened the second he saw her face. Even though it had only been a few days, she looked pale and gaunt.

He coaxed her with the promise of food, tempting her with her favorite menu. In the humble noodle shop where he took her, Taerin sat with her back perfectly straight, gesturing with her eyes toward the container of spoons and chopsticks.

“Ah.”

Jae-hwi, who had been momentarily dazed by the joy of sitting close enough for their knees to touch, hurriedly ordered kimbap to go with the noodles. Even while he poured water and set out the utensils, Taerin simply urged him on with a silent, expectant gaze.

A short while later, the same Won Taerin who notoriously never looked away from anyone, finished every last drop of the broth. As she set down the empty bowl, she lowered her eyes.

“…”

Jae-hwi was delighted that he had managed to feed her to her satisfaction. Seeing her cheeks flush—perhaps out of embarrassment for eating such a large portion after acting like someone with no appetite—he found himself falling for her all over again.

Watching her blow on the egg-drop broth and savoring the simple kimbap—the kind that didn’t even have common ham in it—he felt proud of himself for scouting the restaurant in advance. He was so preoccupied with thinking of what more he could do for her, and so captivated by the sight of her hair tied back as she slurped the noodles, that he barely touched his own food.

When the meal was finally over:

“I ate well. If you’re thinking of coffee or tea, go home and drink it alone.”

“I will.”

“…”

“Because we agreed to only have a meal today.”

Taerin narrowed her eyes, watching him for a moment as if surprised by his clean, brisk exit. Jae-hwi’s lips curved into a soft arc, enjoying even that brief moment of eye contact.

Before they parted, Jae-hwi parked the car in front of her house and gazed at her quietly.

“Let me say one thing.”

“Speak.”

“Don’t keep that guy who spreads filthy rumors close to you. He’s stinking and dirty. Throw things like that away.”

“…And are you clean?”

“I’m clean.”

He straightened his shoulders with supreme confidence and tilted his head like a child acting cute.

“I’ve never been touched by anyone’s hands. I’m a brand-new item, still in the packaging.”

“…How did you get to be so shameless?”

“Compared to how long I lived abroad, I’d say I’m practically modest. You already know I’m a bit bold. I was like this even back when I asked you for a kiss as a reward.”

“Goo Jae-hwi. I—”

“You said it’s no fun if someone is just innocent. Did you forget?”

“…”

“You aren’t married yet.”

“An engagement is a promise, too.”

“Did I say we should commit adultery? I’m just saying that guy is terrible, and you should dump him.”

“Even if I were to dump Se-hyun… and even if I met another man, it wouldn’t be you. I don’t see you as a man.”

“Well, let’s just say that for now.”

Taerin let out a sigh as he nodded obediently, as if he had expected that answer. Her face was a clear map of annoyance, as if a leech had attached itself to her.

“You smiled for me.”

“…What?”

“Won Taerin, who never smiles for anyone, smiled for me.”

“…”

“You said I was cute. You said I’d grow up to be cool. You said that once I became cool, you’d teach me the difference between a peck and a kiss. You even egged me on to eat well and grow up fast if I was curious.”

“…”

“It’s not an easy thing to be adored by Won Taerin, is it? So, I think I have a chance.”

“…Stop talking nonsense and go. And I told you to stop calling. Don’t make me say it again.”

Seeing her cold gaze dismiss his hopeful eyes only confirmed that he truly was a madman—because he loved even that. Jae-hwi leaned his arms against the steering wheel. As Taerin opened the passenger door to leave, he added a slow, spell-like remark.

“You’ll think of me before you go to sleep. Maybe every time you see noodles or eat kimbap, you’ll think of me.”

The door slammed shut, cutting off his words, and Taerin walked away with her characteristically straight posture. Jae-hwi remained leaning over the wheel, moving only his head to follow her until she disappeared into her house. Thanks to that, even now, he could sit back and savor her image and the scent she left behind.

It was a scent that both drove him mad and brought him peace.

To the boy who had spent his life stifling his presence and walking on eggshells around his family, Won Taerin was the one who beckoned him into the light. Her smile had given a goal and the strength to achieve it to a boy who had no hope and no idea what to do with his life.

To the boy mocked as a weakling and a useless fake, her whispers had urged him to take it all—to trample those who laughed at him beneath his feet.

Every memory was sweet. The way her eyes would widen when he showed her his stock returns, the bright smile that followed, and the soft touch of her hand on his head.

“Haa…”

Jae-hwi was in ecstasy. It was the first tenderness he had ever experienced in his life.

“Don’t rely on this kind of medicine. Overcome it. I like strong men. Weak men have no charm.”

“…”

“Do you think it’s easy to get a compliment from me? You’re the first. When I say you did well, I’m not lying. I say it because you did. No need for modesty. Straighten your shoulders. You can be more confident.”

“I understand.”

“Don’t forget me when you’re successful later. Come back to repay the favor to the person who gave you advice.”

“I will.”

He remembered every word Taerin had said on the day she caught him with the medication he took for anxiety and insomnia. Using her words as a compass, Jae-hwi endured one day, then two. For over ten years, he had gritted his teeth and labored.

“So, let’s finally repay that favor.”

Jae-hwi whispered to himself. He thought he had become someone Won Taerin could finally covet—was it still not enough? His grandfather was still healthy and powerful, and his uncle, Goo Yoon-mo—the Executive Vice President of GH Electronics—was siding with Goo Jae-kyung to keep him in check, but…

Thinking of the two people who would undoubtedly marry after the general election, he couldn’t help but feel rushed. That was why he had hurried his return to Korea and appeared before Taerin.

If you put ideas into the head of a boy who knew nothing, you have to take responsibility. How could he just stand by and watch her get engaged and married to some other guy?

‘Take off your glasses and come find me,’ she had said. ‘I’ll give you a compliment.’

The day she changed in his mind from his scary older sister’s pretty friend to the three syllables of her name, ‘Won Taerin’—that hot summer day surfaced in his mind, and the corners of Jae-hwi’s mouth curled into a gentle smile.

From the age of nine, Jae-hwi used to eat alone at a massive 16-person dining table. He would receive his meal only after the others with the surname ‘Goo’ had finished eating together. He put unfamiliar food into his mouth using unfamiliar tools.

He couldn’t understand Korean, but that was almost a relief. No one spoke to him anyway. Contempt and loathing were transmitted through gazes, not words.

Actually, to be precise, he wasn’t nine. He was seven back then.

The fact—known only to a select few—that the eldest daughter-in-law of the GH Group family, suffering from depression, had killed her young son Goo Jae-hwi and committed suicide, had nothing to do with him. Not until the day people speaking a strange language suddenly came for him.

Abandoned in a Russian orphanage without ever knowing his parents, he boarded a plane to Korea in the summer of his seventh year. From then on, he lived under the name Goo Jae-hwi.

“Dad, his eye color is different from ours.”

“Why do we have to call him Jae-hwi? He’s not Jae-hwi.”

“Shh. From now on, we have a secret between us. Secretary Yoon, find out at what age one can start wearing contact lenses.”

He lived on, hiding those eyes that glowed a bluish-grey, inherited from the mother he never knew.