It’s the second night

Episode 9

“Listen carefully. I’m not marrying you.”

With cold eyes, Seo Taejo glared at her as if he wanted to tear her apart.

“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but nothing will change just because of this.”

His voice was sharp, each word filled with thorns.

No one knew how the dead Yoo Haein felt, but it was clear that Seo Taejo despised his fiancée.

“You remember now, right? Your eyesight is back, and now that you’re about to be dumped, you’re acting pitiful.”

Still, how could there be such a misunderstanding?

It felt so unfair, but not a single word could be said in response.

Yoo Haein was already dead, so the engagement meant nothing. That truth wanted to be spoken, but it couldn’t be.

“If your eyes hadn’t been injured, this engagement wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

He had said this before too. The engagement only happened because of the injury. Now that the eyes were fine, there was no reason to stay engaged.

So in the end, Yoo Haein lost her sight because of Seo Taejo, and that led to this forced engagement.

“Right.”

Seo Taejo, who had been throwing out sharp words like daggers, suddenly pressed his lips together.

It seemed like there was something more he wanted to say but couldn’t. His clenched teeth made him look a little pitiful.

The burning anger suddenly disappeared. His face, void of emotion, was filled with coldness.

His dark eyes, filled with contempt, gleamed under the streetlight.

“What could I possibly say to you? You don’t even listen to words.”

“I know that too.”

Yoo Haein didn’t listen to others?

Agreed.

Reckless, arrogant, selfish, and only cared about herself.

For three years, Juhung chased after Yoo Haein, and she was exactly that kind of person.

So, even after being treated this way by her fiancé, there was no need to defend her. Instead, Seo Taejo’s decision to break the engagement was fully supported.

“Fine. Do whatever you want.”

‘There’s no way you have no feelings for her, senior.’

Seo Taejo was cold and sharp, like a blade, but juhung thought he was still a good man.

“After eating together today, I finally realized something. I don’t belong in a home like this.”

Yoo Haein didn’t belong here.

“I didn’t hear you clearly earlier.”

So things needed to be settled properly.

“If I wanted to stay, I wouldn’t have said that.”

It was the truth.

“Next time, if I get the chance, I’ll tell your mother personally.”

This was the end of Yoo Haein and Seo Taejo’s connection. A clean break.

“I will not marry you.”

To be honest, even as Juhung, this felt cruel.

All the harsh words Yoo Haein had thrown at this man unexpectedly hurt more than imagined.

They were too different, completely different. There was nothing similar except for height and scent.

And yet, for some reason, a certain someone kept appearing in her mind. A dull ache spread through her chest.

But that was over now.

“It has to stop.”

Feeling the cold night air, Juhung pulled her coat tighter.

“I’m sorry about today.”

It was a frustrating thing to say.

Still, with her duty completed, Juhung bowed her head slightly in farewell and turned away.

***

A strange feeling lingered.

It felt like being dumped, like something inside her chest was stinging.

Maybe because the first person seen after opening these eyes was Seo Taejo.

Or maybe because Seo Taejo reminded her of someone.

To be honest, when they met earlier while feeding the cat, there was a slight sense of joy. A bit of excitement.

Forgetting that she was inside Yoo Haein’s body, her heart had reacted uselessly.

A dangerous signal.

The mission had to be completed within 49 days. It was dangerous to get distracted.

Seo Taejo had to be avoided.

Turning her back to Seo Taejo, Juhung quickened her pace to increase the distance.

Even though their houses were right next to each other, they were big, so the gates were far apart.

After parting ways, Juhung rushed home, trying to calm her racing heart.

Everything felt too complicated.

But just as she opened the door—

“Where have you been?”

The strong smell of cigarette smoke filled the air as a voice called out, making Juhung flinch in shock.

It was Yoo Haein’s older brother, Yoo Donghyuk.

“You scared me.”

The dimly lit front yard, the sound of a cigarette burning with a soft crackle. Smoke spread into the air.

Yoo Donghyuk’s sharp eyes gleamed as he stared at Juhung.

“You’re speaking formally again?”

His eyebrows lifted slightly, showing suspicion.

“I told you. I don’t remember anything, so even if you’re my brother, I can’t feel comfortable. You feel like a stranger.”

“A stranger, huh?”

Yoo Donghyuk repeated the words, then smirked lazily.

“Fine. I don’t mind if you treat me like a stranger. Do whatever you want. But at this hour, where have you been?”

Juhung met his gaze and answered.

“Next door.”

“Seo Taejo’s place?”

Yoo Donghyuk was 28 years old, four years older than Yoo Haein.

Three years ago, the year Juhung lost his family, Yoo Haein lost her parents too. Since then, her older brother, Yoo Donghyuk, had taken care of her.

At 28, he was legally an adult. But since Yoo Haein was blind, she was treated almost like someone who couldn’t make her own decisions.

Did Yoo Donghyuk truly care about his sister?

No, it didn’t seem that way.

After observing him for a week, it was clear—his feelings toward Yoo Haein weren’t affection. It was closer to resentment.

Or maybe something like a twisted master-servant relationship?

“You’re my sister, so you have to obey me.”

That kind of dynamic.

And now, it is happening again.

“Why did you go there?”

One eyebrow rose in suspicion.

“His mother invited me for dinner.”

“His mother?”

Yoo Donghyuk crushed his burning cigarette with his fingers and stepped closer.

“You mean Lee Soogyung? Seo Taejo’s mother?”

“Yes. But still, I should call her ‘Mother,’ right?”

Like a strict parent, he corrected her way of speaking.

“It doesn’t matter. Seo Taejo already said—”

“Said what?”

“That he will never marry me.”

For a moment, Yoo Donghyuk’s eyebrows twitched.

“That bastard. Who does he think he is?”

His voice was filled with pure hatred. He tossed the cigarette butt carelessly and immediately pulled out another one.

“Don’t listen to that guy. The marriage decision isn’t up to him. It’s between his father and me. It’s just business.”

“I don’t want to marry him either.”

Not only was Seo Taejo practically a stranger, but marrying someone who despised her?

“Let’s just cancel the engagement.”

“Haein.”

Click.

The lighter’s flame flickered as he lit another cigarette. His voice was low.

“Just do as I say. It’s all for your sake.”

“For my sake? No, for yours.”

Sizzle.

The cigarette burned slowly.

Juhung stared at Yoo Donghyuk and finally spoke.

“Can I ask something?”

It felt awkward asking him, but there was no one else to ask.

“Since I lost my memory… Did I ever like Seo Taejo?”

At that, Yoo Donghyuk’s expression shifted slightly. His eyes held both discomfort and amusement.

His thin lips moved as if choosing his words carefully.

“I don’t know if you liked him. But you definitely wanted him.”

“Wanted him?”

“Yeah. Ever since you were young. You always said Seo Taejo sparkled, so you wanted to have him.”

“Sparkled?”

It was oddly accurate. Even today, Seo Taejo radiated an aura that made him stand out.

Juhung hesitated before asking another question.

“Then do you know why he got engaged to me? He doesn’t seem to have even the slightest bit of affection for me.”

“That’s because of the lift accident.”

“Lift accident?”

Yoo Donghyuk looked at her carefully before slowly asking:

“You really don’t remember anything?”