WAK 08

Chapter 8

Like a slime toy children play with, **Hana’s** body slowly melted down.

She swayed and collapsed into the chair, and **Junghan** jumped up in shock.

> “Kang Hana, what’s wrong?”

“Damn… I feel dizzy…”

She muttered the curse cutely, trying hard to stay awake with unfocused eyes.

Junghan’s gaze moved to the champagne she had just drunk.

> “Don’t tell me…”

There was barely any missing. Surely this wasn’t from just that?

> “What do I do, sunbae…”

She was trying to speak clearly, but her words were already slurring.

Junghan realized something was going very wrong.

> “I can’t drink alcohol at all.”

Only now did she confess.

> “Even if you’re bad at it…”

He stopped mid-sentence.

No matter how weak someone was, could they really fall apart from just one or two sips?

Junghan didn’t know, but Hana had almost no resistance to alcohol.

“I’ll get you some water.”

Junghan hurried to the mini fridge.

Hana followed him with strained eyes and slowly fanned her hot face.

Her eyelids kept drooping.

*I need to stay awake…*

Her body slowly collapsed onto the table. Why were her eyes closing? Why did her head feel so heavy?

*This is why I hate alcohol…*

Maybe it wasn’t just the alcohol, but the constant overtime work too.

From far away, she heard Junghan urgently calling her name as she drifted into sleep.

Junghan stared down at Hana, who had completely fallen asleep, with a stunned expression.

> “Unbelievable…”

He didn’t even know what to do.

He knelt beside her and looked at her sleeping face.

In her hand, she was still holding his photo.

Seeing that, he let out a dry laugh.

> “I was gone for just a few seconds…”

Frowning, he continued,

> “How can you already be asleep?”

Junghan gently took the photo from her hand and slipped it into her jacket pocket.

> “Kang Hana, wake up.”

No response, of course.

> “Where do you live?”

Even if he knew, it was a problem. He had been drinking, so he couldn’t drive. He didn’t want to call someone either.

He gently shook her shoulder, but she didn’t move at all.

He looked around. He couldn’t leave her sleeping uncomfortably on the table.

She needed somewhere to lie down, even for a bit.

> “Where should I put her…”

The suite was large, but there was only one place suitable.

The bed.

> “Kang Hana, open your eyes.”

After several failed attempts, he finally gave up.

In the end, after hesitating, he picked her up and carried her into the bedroom.

She was slim, but completely limp, making her surprisingly heavy.

After laying her down, he exhaled deeply and tried to stand up—

Then she suddenly turned and grabbed his collar.

Startled, Junghan looked down at her with shaking eyes.

She half-opened her eyes.

Just as he was about to ask if she was okay, she closed them again and suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

> “Hey—wait…”

Junghan froze. His heart started pounding wildly.

Meanwhile, Hana’s breathing was calm and peaceful.

“Mm…”

She was sleeping soundly.

> “Kang Hana?”

No answer. She was already deep asleep again.

He let out a helpless laugh and carefully tried to remove her arms.

But for someone asleep, she was incredibly strong, clinging to him like a teddy bear.

Barely freeing himself, Junghan loosened his tie and ran both hands through his hair. Sweat had formed on his forehead.

Hana turned onto her side, frowning as if her stiff jacket was uncomfortable.

Junghan sighed and reached out. He unbuttoned her jacket and carefully slipped it off, starting with her right arm.

Once the tight clothing was gone, she smiled faintly in her sleep.

That made him smile too—half in disbelief.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he quietly watched her sleep.

When awake, she always kept her guard up. But asleep, she looked completely gentle.

It reminded him of the day her name first stayed in his mind.

—

It was when Junghan returned to school as a second-year after the military.

At the time, his mother, **Madam Jung**, had been diagnosed with cancer.

His father, **Chairman Ryu**, failed her completely. While his wife was sick, he brought his mistress, **Nam Mihee**, into the house.

Junghan would never forget the humiliation and hatred he felt then.

Nam Mihee acted as if Madam Jung was already dead and openly showed hostility toward Junghan.

Looking back, it was a miracle that his mother survived surgery and chemotherapy.

Even after being told she had only a year to live, she endured—though the cancer had now spread to her bones.

That was when Junghan first decided he would never marry.

And that decision only grew stronger with time.

During that dark period, he found a quiet place on campus—a small clearing past a path behind the library.

That day too, he was staring blankly at the sky when he heard a voice.

> “Mom, are you crazy? Why are you doing this?”

A trembling, tearful voice echoed down the path.

Though he couldn’t see her face, he saw old green sneakers standing still on the path.

> “Don’t you hate Dad? I hate him so much it makes me sick.”

Her voice shook with hatred.

> “You sold the house and gave him the money—what about us?”

Junghan felt awkward overhearing something so personal.

> “Just get a divorce!”

She shouted, then burst into tears.

> “I’ll never get married. I won’t live depending on a man.”

After the call ended, she crouched down and cried quietly, then disappeared.

At the time, he didn’t know she was his junior, **Hana**.

He realized it later in the library, when they almost bumped into each other.

Both moved the same way, then she stepped aside again.

That’s when he saw the green sneakers.

Her bangs were wet, and her nose was red from crying.

> “She’s from my department…”

She glanced at him, bowed briefly, and walked away.

That was when **Kang Hana** stayed in his memory.

—

Coming back to the present, Junghan smiled bitterly.

Both of them had reasons, because of family, not to marry.

He gently brushed her messy hair back. When his fingers touched her forehead, a strange sensation ran through him.

He looked at his stiff hand and clenched, then released it.

—

**Morning**

Hana groaned as she woke up. She was lying right at the edge of the bed, almost falling off.

Her head felt like it was splitting open.

Just one or two sips of champagne—but for her, it was almost lethal.

As she searched her memory, she suddenly remembered passing out in Junghan’s room.

*How did I get home last night?*

She forced her eyes open.

> “……”

The bedroom she saw was painfully familiar.

> “……!”

It was Junghan’s suite bedroom.

Her eyes shook. Countless thoughts rushed in.

She carefully looked across the huge king-size bed.

Junghan was sleeping neatly on the opposite edge, facing the ceiling.

> “Gasp!”

She jumped up—and then nearly fainted.

Her clothes were gone. Everything except her underwear and slip was on the floor.

Holding her breath, she quietly got off the bed, grabbed her clothes, and tiptoed out.

Only after leaving the room did she hurriedly dress and rush out of the suite.

She caught a taxi right away.

Her phone battery had died. It was already almost 8 a.m.

> “Driver, not Sangam-dong. Please go to Jeongdong-gil.”

She needed to go straight to work. There was an important meeting at nine and a client meeting at ten.

She messaged her sister **Jua**, asking her to bring a suit and underwear to the office after dropping off **Ara**.

Only then did she relax.

Her stomach churned and her temples throbbed.

Reaching into her jacket pocket, her fingers touched something.

It was Junghan’s childhood photo.

> “This is all because of you…”

She muttered, and the driver glanced at her in the mirror.

*I’ve added another embarrassing memory…*

Still—why was he so cute?

She carefully put the photo back.

Junghan’s face came to mind.

*He must be completely turned off. He probably won’t contact me again.*

The mixed feeling was strange.

Traffic jammed up badly.

Just like her heart.