I’ve had hundreds of dreams since fleeing that house at dawn that day.

What if I had rebelled?

What if I had gotten angry at the people attacking me?

I imagined countless times what it would have been like if I had done the same to her who ignored me when I cried out in pain.

In my dreams, I blocked Park Ga Yeon’s hands that were tormenting me, and even met her eyes.

And now.

That dream has become reality and Park Ga Yeon is standing before me.

There’s no reason for her to hit me anymore.

There’s no need to bow my head to Park Ga Yeon anymore.

They are no longer my family.

“…Ms. Park Ga Yeon. I have no reason to listen to that anymore.”

“Ha, look at this. Your head must really be messed up.”

Ga Yeon started pushing Jae Yi’s shoulder with her finger. Jae Yi’s body was pushed back weakly.

“You think you’ve changed?”

“…”

“No. You’re just the same Han Jae Yi. The Han Jae Yi that never changes even as time passes.”

“Stop… it.”

“Stop? I told you. That I would find you wherever you go and torment you until you die.”

“…”

“Where did the Han Jae Yi who used to wail under me go, where’s the Han Jae Yi who used to whimper and say it hurts!”

“…”

“Hey. Wake up. Your mom is still in our house.”

Jae Yi’s eyes began to waver aimlessly.

She hadn’t thought her mother would still be in that house, having lost contact since then.

“Still clinging on like a parasite.”

Jae Yi’s tightly clenched fists trembled.

Park Ga Yeon began to laugh out loud at the sight of Han Jae Yi still unable to do anything at the mere mention of her mother.

“You’re really pitiful. What’s so good about that kind of mother that you’re still worried about her, when your mother is doing just fine whether you live or die.”

“…I’ll be going first.”

“Where do you think you’re going!”

“I don’t want to be with Ms. Park Ga Yeon anymore…”

Slap! Park Ga Yeon raised her hand and struck Jae Yi’s cheek.

As Jae Yi’s head turned weakly, Park Ga Yeon’s raised hand trembled slightly.

Ah, shit. I shouldn’t have hit her.

She roughly mussed her hair and said,

“Damn it, why did you have to act up! You made me raise my hand again. This is your fault. That’s what you get for provoking people by calling me ‘Ms. Park Ga Yeon’ so fearlessly.”

She saw her reflection in the mirror. Her reddened cheek.

She saw her pathetic face, struck again by Park Ga Yeon.

Even after 6 years, nothing had changed.

The sight of herself being slapped in front of her was so pitiful.

Why…

Why do I always have to be hit for no reason?

Just because someone’s in a bad mood?

As a target for venting anger?

Jae Yi’s fist with one reddened cheek trembled.

Jae Yi lifted her head and slapped Park Ga Yeon’s cheek with all her might.

Slap!

“Ha…”

A single groan escaped Ga Yeon’s mouth, seemingly shocked.

She had a bewildered look on her face at Jae Yi’s sudden counterattack.

She clutched her cheek and looked at Jae Yi.

“You, you… just hit me?”

Her eyes instantly glazed over and she grabbed Jae Yi’s collar.

“Ugh…”

“Hey! You little! Do you really want to die!”

“I… told you. I have no reason to be hit by Ms. Park Ga Yeon anymore. So don’t hit me recklessly. Don’t hurt me anymore!”

Jae Yi’s enraged voice echoed through the bathroom.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She didn’t know how much she had wanted to say these words. How much she had wanted to spit them out all this time.

Park Ga Yeon’s grip loosened at the sight of Jae Yi shouting back with a loud voice.

Jae Yi pushed her body away with all her might.

“Don’t… ever act like you know me again.”

“Hey. You, stop right there!”

Ignoring Park Ga Yeon’s voice, Jae Yi hurriedly left the bathroom.

Jae Yi’s footsteps quickened as she moved.

She was afraid Park Ga Yeon might come out of the bathroom and grab her hair again.

Though she had acted tough in front of her, her heart felt like it was about to burst.

Thud!

Jae Yi’s steps halted as she bumped into someone in front of her.

“Han Jae…”

Park Ga Yeon, who had followed her out, was about to grab Jae Yi but turned in the opposite direction after recognizing the person.

Click, click.

Just from the irritated sound of her heels, one could tell how angry Park Ga Yeon was right now.

As the sound of her heels faded away, Jae Yi’s body began to tremble severely. It was her first time hitting someone, and her first time shouting like that.

Jae Yi’s legs naturally staggered.

“Oh, oh. Han team leader.”

Surprised, Seung Woo quickly grabbed Jae Yi’s arm.

“…Thank you.”

Jae Yi replied in a small voice and put strength in her legs.

Then she looked at Seung Woo in front of her.

Seung Woo’s eyes wavered as he looked at Jae Yi.

One of her cheeks was severely swollen. It looked like she had been hit by someone.

What was even more pitiful was the sight of her clenching her fist, trying to hold back tears.

“Did something happen?”

“No. Nothing happened.”

“But why is your face so red? I saw earlier, I think it was the team leader from Wooyeon Entertainment. Did something happen with that person?”

Jae Yi bit the inside of her mouth and shook her head at Seung Woo’s careful questioning.

“Thank you for your concern, but nothing…”

As Jae Yi was speaking while looking at Seung Woo, her gaze shifted to the man standing behind him. Her eyes met with Geon Hak, who was looking this way with his hands in his pants pockets.

“Yes, Han team leader?”

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Geon Hak raised his eyebrow and began to look Jae Yi up and down.

His gaze soon settled on Jae Yi’s cheek.

As he stared intently, Jae Yi hurriedly covered her cheek.

I can’t let him find out.

Jae Yi looked at Seung Woo in front of her and said,

“Then, I’ll be going first.”

She quickly turned her body and began to walk.

However, after a while, Jae Yi’s steps stopped again.

Unlike before, the hand that grabbed Jae Yi’s wrist was quite familiar. She didn’t want to show this side of herself to Cha Geon Hak, even if she could show it to others.

“Han Jae Yi.”

“…”

She could feel the gazes of people passing by.

Everyone was looking strangely, as Director Cha Geon Hak was holding her arm in the central lobby.

Jae Yi quickly spoke, conscious of her surroundings.

“Director. This hand…”

“Look at me.”

At his words, Jae Yi’s lips closed and she hurriedly looked up at Geon Hak.

He stared intently at Jae Yi’s reddened cheek. His brown eyes darkened further.

Ha.

“He-hello, Director.”

Jae Yi put on a nonchalant face and gave a faint smile.

How could she say hello with that kind of appearance? Geon Hak looked at Jae Yi, seemingly displeased with her behavior.

“Follow me.”

He grabbed Jae Yi’s wrist and moved. He didn’t say a single word as he dragged Jae Yi along.

“Director…”

Jae Yi just stared at his back until they reached the executive office.

Why is he so angry?

Do Yoon, who was sitting in the secretary’s office, was momentarily flustered by Jae Yi’s sudden appearance and said,

“I’ll postpone the executive meeting scheduled for 1:30 by two hours.”

“Secretary Kim. Bring the first aid kit to my room.”

Geon Hak closed the door with a thud and entered the executive office.

An eerie silence enveloped the room.

He took off his jacket and placed it on the sofa. Then he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his angry muscles.

His face was full of an irritated expression.

“Your cheek that was fine just this morning has quickly turned red. And only on one side.”

When Jae Yi didn’t say anything, he let out a deep sigh.

Knock knock.

Just then, the door opened and Secretary Kim placed the first aid kit and an ice pack on the table. Then he bowed his head and left the executive office.

As Jae Yi stood still at the edge of the sofa, Geon Hak patted the spot next to him.

“Come closer.”

“I’m fine, Director.”

“How can you be fine when your face is all red like you’ve been hit by someone?”

“…”

Well. It’s bound to show.

As Jae Yi still didn’t move, Geon Hak grabbed her arm and sat her on his lap.

Surprised, Jae Yi looked at Geon Hak with wide eyes, and he looked back at her with an expressionless face.

“It looks even worse up close.”

A vein seemed to bulge on his forehead. A face that seemed to be getting angry.

Is he angry because I got hurt?

“Who dared to throw a punch at the company? Is it someone from your team?”

“No.”

Jae Yi shook her head.

“Then, did Team Leader Kang do it? He’s always annoyingly sticking by Han Jae Yi’s side, did he hit you when no one was looking?”

Geon Hak was making an absurd joke.

He still looked at Jae Yi with a serious expression.

His eyes that were solely focused on her were so good.

“No. Why would Team Leader Kang hit me? It’s not like that.”

“Then, how should I deal with Park Ga Yeon?”

Jae Yi’s eyes wavered at the familiar name that came out of his mouth.

“You… you saw?”

Geon Hak let out a low laugh and grabbed Jae Yi’s chin. Then he pressed the ice pack against her cheek.

“I saw everything. Park Ga Yeon following Han Jae Yi into the bathroom.”

“…”

It was something she never expected.

The sight of her with Park Ga Yeon.

The sight of her being foolishly victimized, which she least wanted to show, was seen by him.

Geon Hak met her eyes.

“I was going to follow and hit her back the same way, but Han Jae Yi hit her back, so I held back this time. Just this once.”

Geon Hak’s gentle gaze rested on Jae Yi.

“…Director.”

“Does it hurt a lot?”

“No, this much is fine.”

Geon Hak sighed repeatedly and put down the ice pack he had pressed against Jae Yi’s cheek on the table. Then he opened the first aid kit and took out some ointment.

“Director, why the ointment? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Jae Yi, sitting on his lap, looked at Geon Hak’s face from side to side.

Jae Yi blinked her eyes at his perfectly fine appearance without a single injury, and Geon Hak chuckled.

“I’m not sure who’s worrying about whom right now.”

“What? What do you mean… Ah…”

Jae Yi’s brow furrowed involuntarily as Geon Hak applied ointment to her lips.

“I thought you said you were fine, but it seems to hurt here.”

She thought Park Ga Yeon’s hand was quite hot, but she didn’t think her lip would be split too.

He started gently applying ointment to Jae Yi’s lower lip.

Jae Yi looked at Geon Hak at his gentle touch.

“I’ll let it slide just this once.”

He continued speaking.

“So don’t ever get hit by Park Ga Yeon again. Don’t let anyone mistreat you. This is a warning.”

Jae Yi nodded with a smile.

“I won’t.”

Although her lip was split and painful, Geon Hak’s gaze was so warm.

His touch was so gentle that a smile slowly spread across Jae Yi’s face.

“What are you smiling about? My heart is breaking.”

“Are you upset because I’m hurt?”

“Yes. I’m upset. I’m annoyed that Han Jae Yi got hurt.”

Jae Yi put her arms around Geon Hak’s neck in front of her and gently leaned on his shoulder.

Geon Hak chuckled at her action and stroked Jae Yi’s hair.