Couldn't Help But Love You - Chapter 50

[Who is that person?]

Secretary Kim asked curiously.

Yoon Joo Young.

He was the man Winter loved, and also the father of her child.

Tae Wook now wondered why Winter had to break up with Joo Young, not even marrying him despite having his child.

No. He needed to know if Winter and the man named Yoon Joo Young were truly in love.

“No need to know who he is, just find out where he is now, what he’s doing, and if he’s married.”

[Understood, sir.]

The call ended.

However, Tae Wook did not put down the mobile phone in his hand. Rather, he gripped it tightly as if it might break.

[This is the timeline separator]

Winter was sitting in the rocking chair in front of the living room window, reading a book.

It had been raining since morning, so she couldn’t go out for a walk.

There wasn’t much to do inside the villa, so she had started reading this book.

Just as she was about to turn the page, sunlight seemed to shine on the book, and the surroundings brightened.

“Huh?”

Winter looked up at the sky outside the window.

The thick, black clouds had disappeared, and the sun appeared between white clouds.

As it was late afternoon, almost evening, the sun was tilted far to the west.

If she went out to walk on the beach now, she might see the sunset over the sea.

“I should be able to go out, right?”

The trees and lawn in the garden were moistened with rain.

But judging by the stillness of the tree branches, the wind blowing from the beach seemed calm too.

Winter looked towards the study.

Tae Wook, who had gone into the study, was holed up there with no intention of coming out.

“Yes, now’s my chance.”

It was the perfect opportunity to go for a beach walk that she couldn’t do yesterday due to Tae Wook’s interference.

Winter sprang up from the chair and put down the book.

Thinking she should wear a thick padded jacket today, she walked to the bedroom.

“Excuse me…”

At that moment, Mr. Choi approached Winter hesitantly.

Something seemed to be wrong, as Mr. Choi’s face looked noticeably darker than when she saw him at lunch.

“Do you have something to tell me?”

“I just received a call that my husband’s aunt passed away. My husband says we should go to the funeral home. So I think I need to leave now.”

“Oh my, of course. You should go.”

“But you said you’d have dinner late, so I haven’t prepared anything. What should I do?”

Mr. Choi’s face was overflowing with apology, as if that was what was bothering him.

“We’ll manage on our own, so don’t worry and go.”

“Thank you. I’ll come back early tomorrow morning instead.”

Mr. Choi came out of the kitchen with her bag.

But she hesitated for a moment and turned her head towards the study.

“I should tell the CEO too…”

“It’s okay. I’ll tell him later.”

Winter didn’t want to disturb him, thinking Tae Wook was still working.

Mr. Choi bowed her head to Winter and left the villa immediately.

“What should I do?”

Winter quickly fell into a dilemma.

Should she prepare dinner, or go for the walk she had been looking forward to?

“The winter sun is especially short…”

The sun had tilted far to the west, and the fading sunlight already seemed tinged with orange.

It felt like the sunset would soon come and the sun would completely disappear to the west.

“If I go out and come back, dinner preparation will be late, won’t it?”

Regrettably, it seemed the beach walk would have to wait until tomorrow.

Winter walked heavily to the kitchen.

“I wonder what’s available.”

She opened the refrigerator door and looked inside.

Various side dishes were in square glass containers, and the fresh drawer contained various vegetables and meat.

“What’s the use of having many ingredients? I need to know how to cook.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily, perhaps due to feeling overwhelmed.

Unlike Myung Sook, who was good at cooking, Winter had no interest in cooking and rarely had the opportunity to cook.

The only dish she could confidently make was kimchi fried rice.

Even that tasted different every time she made it.

“This is a problem. I said we’d manage on our own…”

Winter tapped her lips with her finger, pondering what to make.

“What are you doing?”

“Oh my goodness!”

Winter screamed in surprise at Tae Wook’s voice suddenly coming from behind.

“You scared me.”

She turned around, pressing her palm firmly on her pounding heart.

A mischievous smile played on Tae Wook’s lips.

“Seeing you so startled… Were you trying to sneak some food?”

“No, I wasn’t.”

She said, narrowing her eyes at his teasing question.

“Then why were you staring into the wide-open refrigerator?”

“I was looking at what to make for dinner.”

Tae Wook turned his head this way and that, looking for Mr. Choi in the kitchen and living room.

“Where did the housekeeper go, for Secretary Han to say she’ll make food?”

“She received a call that her husband’s aunt passed away and left.”

Tae Wook’s brow furrowed slightly at her words.

Is he angry that she left without saying anything?

“I told her I’d let you know when she was about to tell you, sir.”

“So you were going to make dinner?”

“Don’t expect much from my skills.”

Winter felt embarrassed but thought she should be honest so he wouldn’t be disappointed after eating her food.

But Tae Wook’s reaction was not what she expected.

He came to her side and closed the wide-open refrigerator door.

“Secretary Han, don’t do anything.”

Suddenly he grabbed Winter’s arm and pulled her outside.

“Come take a walk on the beach with me.”

“A walk?”

Winter’s ears perked up at the word ‘walk’.

“We can think about dinner after we come back from the walk.”

“Are we really going for a walk?”

Winter asked Tae Wook again, her eyes sparkling.

“Wear thick clothes and come out. Preferably clothes that won’t let the wind in.”

“Okay.”

Winter’s face brightened so much it seemed to glow as she answered and went into her room.

She quickly came out wearing a thick padded jacket.

Even though she had hurried to change and come out, Tae Wook had also changed his clothes and was waiting for her.

He was wearing a padded jacket and even a scarf.

“Didn’t the housekeeper give you a scarf?”

“I didn’t bring one up from Jeju.”

“Then…”

Tae Wook unwrapped the scarf he was wearing.

“It’s okay. I can just zip up to my neck.”

Winter took a step back, not wanting to take his scarf.

“No. What if you catch a cold?”

“It’s really okay.”

Tae Wook wrapped the scarf tightly around Winter’s neck.

He wrapped it so well that Winter’s mouth and nose were buried in the scarf, with only her eyes visible.

She tried to pull the scarf down, feeling stuffy.

“Leave it. That’s how you avoid catching a cold.”

He pulled her hand down and said sternly.

“Let’s go now. If we’re later, the sun will set.”

Tae Wook walked towards the door, still holding Winter’s hand.

She also quickened her steps, feeling urgent at the mention of the setting sun.

[This is the timeline separator]

The two walked silently along the curved, circular beach.

Strangely, even though they hadn’t spoken for a while, it didn’t feel awkward.

Moreover, they were still holding hands.

Winter had been conscious of Tae Wook’s hand until they came down the steep stairs leading from the garden to the beach.

But now.

She liked the warmth of Tae Wook’s body temperature transmitted to her palm, and the feeling of comfort it brought.

Winter’s beautiful face was shining brightly as a smile involuntarily formed on her lips.

However, she didn’t realize how pretty her face was now, or that Tae Wook’s gaze, which had been directed towards the sea, kept returning to her.

“It’s nice. The sea is really so beautiful.”

Winter broke the long silence first.

“I was so worried I might not be able to see such a beautiful sea before leaving.”

“Isn’t Jeju Island surrounded by sea wherever you look?”

Tae Wook spoke as if he didn’t understand her words.

“Come to think of it, there was also a sea behind Secretary Han’s house when I visited. I wonder if the feeling fades when you see it every day. Am I strange?”

“No, you’re not. Other people react the same way. They say I’m making a fuss.”

Winter wrinkled her nose as she spoke and slowed her pace.

“I like the sea… probably because I have many memories with my father.”

“Memories?”

Tae Wook stopped walking. Winter naturally stopped as well.

“My father especially loved the sea. There were always a tent and fishing rods in his car.”

Winter’s eyes became misty with memories.

“Even while driving, if we saw a beautiful sea, he would say ‘Let’s play for a day’ and set up a tent.”

“Your father must have been very romantic.”

“I didn’t know when I was young. I used to grumble about why we had to sleep in a tent instead of a nice hotel when we weren’t short on money.”

Tae Wook nodded, seeming to understand, with a slight smile.

“Only after my father passed away…”

Winter cut off her words and took a deep breath.

The tip of her nose stung and tears welled up in her eyes.

But strangely, she didn’t want to stop talking.

“I realized that I couldn’t bravely pitch a tent by the sea or light a bonfire saying I wanted to stare at the fire.”

Even though she tried to speak calmly, a tear rolled down from the corner of her eye.

“Your father left you with very good memories.”

“I used to complain, but I guess that wasn’t true. Since only good memories remain.”

After finishing speaking, Tae Wook brought his free hand to Winter’s face.

Then, wiping away the tear that had rolled down her cheek with his finger, he said,

“They say you only realize how precious something was after you’ve lost it.”

Tae Wook gently gazed at Winter’s tear-filled eyes with his deep, intense eyes as he spoke.

“I wonder if the moments you spent here with me will remain as good memories you want to remember after time has passed?”

Tae Wook asked the question and remained silent for a while, as if waiting for Winter’s answer.

“…”

She should answer…

But for some reason, Winter couldn’t open her mouth.