In Search of Our Destiny - Chapter 229

“You see…” Su-Jin began to speak slowly, then paused.

Noticing the young woman’s hesitation, Ji-Won thought she was embarrassed about something. So, he gently patted her head reassuringly.

“It’s alright. Take your time and tell me.” he said with a small smile.

“That day, when we met at the funeral house, I found something else apart from the handkerchief. I think this might be yours as well.”

“Oh, what is it?”

“It’s a pho…”

But just as she was about to say the word ‘photograph’, they heard a loud knock coming from Ji-Won’s side.

With a start, both their heads whipped in that direction.

Indeed, someone was knocking on the window, making quite a ruckus.

Instantly forgetting all about their conversation, Ji-Won sucked in a deep breath and rolled down the window.

“Are you Mister Kang Ji-Won?” the man outside asked the moment he saw Ji-Won’s face appearing in front of him.

“Yes.” Ji-Won gave a curt reply, then questioned the man with his eyes.

The man was clearly either a professional, or someone who was used to Ji-Won’s silent communication skills, because he immediately understood the meaning behind that inquiring gaze.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” the man said quickly, giving Ji-Won a small bow. “I am from the service company. You called a while ago saying something was wrong with the car.”

“Ah, yes.” Ji-Won cleared his throat and pointed at a certain spot outside. “You see that branch over there almost broke through the windshield during the storm. I tried to avoid it, but ended up getting the car stuck. I went outside to check and noticed something odd about one of the tires.”

“Understood. We’ll take a quick look now. You may stay inside if you want, sir. We’ll let you know as soon as we finish the assessment.”

With that, the man from the service company stepped away from the car and went to work.

In actuality, the team sent by the company was comprised of three men. Two workers and a driver. Normally, two people would have been enough for the job. But, since Ji-Won was considered a VIP client, the company always sent an extra pair of hands.

During the time they were waiting, both Su-Jin and Ji-Won remained quiet.

After getting interrupted like that, Su-Jin felt even more hesitant to continue the previous conversation. Thinking she could always bring up the matter later, she ultimately closed the box.

Ji-Won, on the other hand, was plagued by other thoughts.

Though he didn’t show it, the revelation that Su-Jin was the little girl whom he gave his handkerchief to had truly shocked him.

All these years, Ji-Won rarely stopped to think about that episode. Yet, whenever he did, the little girl’s crying face would always bring him pain.

At that time, he never understood why the sight of someone shedding tears could bring such strong feelings, but now he knew. Back then, and even now, he was meant to meet this person.

Maybe there really were such wonderful coincidences in the world, or perhaps it was something closer to fate.

Either way, looking at the grown up Su-Jin next to him, Ji-Won could say for certain that nothing has changed. For him, the sight of her eyes shedding tears was still one of the most painful things he experienced.

Just a few minutes before the men from the service company arrived he had been on the verge of hugging Su-Jin to his chest. He wanted to hold her close and not let go until she was feeling better. His fingers were itching to brush through her soft hair one more time. Furthermore, he wanted to see her bright smile, to have Su-Jin dazzling him with her light.

In the end, though, Ji-Won had to employ all his willpower in limiting his actions to a half hug and merely brushing off her tears with a finger.

But, in spite of the self-control he had manifested, Ji-Won was aware of his own weakness. He knew it wouldn’t be possible to hold back for long. Now that he had an inkling of what kind of fate bound him and Su-Jin, it was even more difficult to stay away from her.

The silence slowly stretched inside the car, growing heavier by the minute.

Luckily, they didn’t have to wait for long. Right before they both found it unbearable to stay quiet next to each other, the man from earlier knocked on the window again.

“Mister Kang, there is indeed something wrong with one of the tires, but I suspect that’s not the only issue. Unfortunately, it’s not something we can deal with here, especially not during this crappy weather. I advise we take the car back to the company and have the engineers do an overhaul.”

“I understand.” Ji-Won nodded. He grasped the steering wheel tightly, his expression dark.

“Sir, I will stay here and wait until the other team comes to tow your car. Meanwhile, my colleagues can drop you off at home if you wish.”

“That won’t be necessary.” Ji-Won shook his head. “Just have them take us to the nearest subway station. I believe there is one next to the hanok village.”

“Director Kang, are you sure?” Su-Jin interjected, then glancing outside she added in a whisper. “The rain seems to have let up, so why don’t we just walk to the village?”

Beoire Ji-Won could say something, the man outside instantly shot down her idea.

“You can’t walk there, Miss. This entire dirt road is a mess. By the time you reach the main road, you’ll be knee-deep in mud.”

“He’s right, Miss Park.” Ji-Won said, then seeing Su-Jin about to argue, he quickly added in a reassuring tone. “It’s alright. The village is not that far, probably around half an hour considering the conditions. So, don’t worry. I will be able to hold on for that long.”

Ji-Won reached out a hand to pat Su-Jin’s head. For a moment, their eyes met and they simultaneously smiled at each other.

In that short instant, they both understood the other’s thoughts.