As True as a Dream

“What?” “I can’t drive.” 

Hae-Joo narrowed her eyes and pointed to the three cars parked side by side in front of his house.

 “But you have three cars, right?” “Who says you have to know how to drive if you have a car?”

Yi Ho asked her as if she were a strange person.

 

After looking at him blankly, Hae-Joo was convinced.

 

It was true.

 

He didn’t need to drive.

 

There were plenty of people who could chauffeur him when he needed it, like today.

 

Aside from the hassle of starting the car, driving his last car required him to simultaneously operate the steering wheel, the gas pedal in the center of the steering wheel, and the gear shift, making his hands fly around like a dancer.

 

And Yi Ho’s dancing hands were out of control.

 “That’s right, just because you have a car doesn’t mean you have to drive it.” 

Hae-Joo put the idea of driving the car to the village out of her mind.

 

She could drive to the village herself if she had to, but it was a risky proposition because the roads in the countryside are often bad and cars break down or get broken into.

 

The longer the distance, the more common it is to have an assistant to fix the car in case of an accident, but Yi Ho’s cranky personality made it unlikely that he would agree to have someone else accompany them.

 “Then we’ll take the train as planned, and hopefully we’ll get some clues about Guishan Dao this time. I was a child, so I don’t remember much, but I’m sure the villagers do.” 

She finished with a quick thought and took a step back to bow.

 “Well then, you must be tired, so go back inside and get some rest. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.” 

Hae-Joo smiled, waved, and turned around.

 “Where are you going?” 

Hae-Joo turned back to Yi Ho.

 “Shouldn’t I go home?” “Come in. Take your medicine.” “What? What medicine?” 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho in confusion.

 

Then he pointed at her right wrist as if looking at an idiot.

 “Oh, this? I told you before, this is…” 

Hae-Joo smiled and waved her left hand across the room, but Yi Ho quickly walked over, grabbed her left hand and led her into the house.

 

Hae-Joo was surprised to see him pull her into the living room.

 

After telling her to wait, Yi Ho went upstairs and returned shortly after with the celadon bottle she saw last time.

 

Seeing it, Hae-Joo jumped and took a step back as if to flee.

 “This medicine is too expensive! Don’t you have anything else? I don’t want to use this! What a waste!” 

Her reaction was as if he had tried to hurt her with a celadon bottle.

 

Yi Ho, stunned by the absurdity of it all, raised an eyebrow and said warningly.

 “Come here. Don’t waste my time.” “I want other medicine!”

Hae-Joo shouted, using the couch in the middle of the room as a shield.

 

He waved her off with a grin, not blinking an eye.

 

A silence fell over the room.

 

Hae-Joo felt increasingly vulnerable in the face of this bizarre confrontation.

 

In truth, she was doing it for herself.

 

It was a burden to realize that the medicine was too good for her, but it was out of concern for her that Yi Ho took another of his precious pills.

 

Hae-Joo soon surrendered.

 

‘If her favorite person cares so much and is so good to her, why can’t she enjoy it?’

 

Well, she’ll take what she can get.

 

Hae-Joo sat down on the couch next to Yi Ho and obediently extended her wrist.

 

He grabbed her outstretched wrist and gave it a light squeeze.

 

It was the lightest of squeezes, but the pain shot through her instantly and she grimaced and winced.

 

Yi Ho looked at her as if to say,

“You see?”

 

Then he tilted the celadon jar, dabbed her hand with the thin liquid and took her right hand.

 “Why torture yourself when a cure will make it less painful for at least a day?” 

Hae-Joo, who had said the word

“wasteful”

over and over again, raised her eyes at the words, which for some reason sounded familiar.

 

She lowered her eyebrows as he applied the medicine to her wrist, and Yi Ho raised his eyebrows as if he didn’t understand.

 “That’s what you told me.”

Yi Ho added.

 

“Why are you torturing your body when it will hurt less for a day? If it were my body, I wouldn’t let you do this to it.”

 

She told him that.

 

When he injured his neck for putting Inspector Sasaki down.

 “I listened to you then, didn’t I?” 

Satisfied that Hae-Joo was a honeyed mute, Yi Ho gently rubbed the tips of his medicated index and middle fingers over her wrist.

 “Don’t hurt it again if you can.” 

Her heart began to race again at the sound of his calm, gentle tone.

 

Hae-Joo was nervous, excited, and overwhelmed by a wave of confusion.

 

She knew she liked this guy.

 

‘So what now? What should I do now? Do I just keep saying yes to him and that’s it? Or…’

 

Hae-Joo looked at Yi Ho’s long, elongated hand clasping hers.

 

Through their clasped hands, a slightly cold body temperature and dry texture were transmitted.

 

She could also see his red lips pressed together without a smile.

 

She remembered the long, strong arm wrapped around her shoulder.

 

The fingers that had wiped away her tears, the lips that had playfully pinched her earlobe…

 

Hae-Joo pursed her lips.

 

She didn’t want to end up screaming yes to herself.

 

She wanted to hold his hand without making excuses and she wanted to kiss him more passionately.

 

She wanted to be with him without having to find a reason to be with him.

 

She didn’t just want to like him, she wanted to make him like her.

 

‘Is this what it’s like when you realize you’ve always been in love with someone? And what does he think of me?’

 

He must like her a little to give her such a precious drug, right?

 

Hae-joo’s heart sank because she knew only too well that Yi Ho was neither good nor ripe.

 

While Hae-joo was mesmerized, Yi Ho, who had finished applying the medicine, released her hand.

 “Aren’t you being too nice?” 

Hae-Joo looked down at her carefully medicated wrist and asked Yi Ho.

 “What’s wrong with being nice? Isn’t it nice?” “It’s… it’s good, it’s good, it’s good…” “Good for what?” 

Yi Ho closed the celadon bottle and set it on the table, leaning back loosely on the couch.

 “Don’t get me wrong, I like it.”

Hae-Joo said playfully, with a hint of anticipation and nervousness in her eyes.

 

Despite her smiling face, her heart was pounding like a car engine.

 

He looked at her and gave her a subtle, indescribable smile.

 “I really like you and you’re my fiancée.” “Yes, I’m your fiancée, yes, I like you too, I’m your fiancée.” 

Hae-Joo, who had just steamed up, couldn’t contain her expression and jumped up from her seat.

 “Thank you for the medicine. I have to go now. I’ll see you the day after tomorrow… at Gyeongseong Station.” 

Shaking her head, Hae-Joo turned toward the entrance of the living room.

 

As she passed the sofa where Yi Ho was sitting, her left hand was suddenly grabbed.

 

It was Yi Ho.

 

‘Did he still have something to say?’

She wondered why he grabbed her.

 

Yi Ho slipped his hand into her palm and wrapped it tightly around his.

 

He ran his long thumb lightly across the flesh of her palm and around her wrist.

 

She was stunned by the intimate, erotic gesture.

 

For some reason, Yi Ho, who had been staring at her hands and concentrating as if trying to figure something out, suddenly raised his eyes and smiled at her.

 “Since you and I are engaged, you shouldn’t be so bold as to hold hands with others. What’s that look on your face?” 

‘Is that it?’

 

She thought it was strange logic, but she didn’t want to argue with him.

 

As she stared at their intertwined hands in disbelief, Yi Ho stood up from his seat.

 “It’s late, how are you going to get home?” “There are still buses and trams, don’t you think I can find my way home?” “I heard you’ve been in a bad mood lately, and this happened today.” 

Suddenly, a small object appeared in front of her eyes and shook slightly.

 “I’m worried, get in.” 

‘Get in? What?’

 

Hae-Joo pulled her face back slightly to see what it was.

 

And her distracted mood, swept away by Yi Ho’s actions, flew up in an instant.

 “Is that…?” 

Hae-Joo’s mood, which had been somewhat subdued, suddenly soared.

 “It’s the key to the car. I need it to work for a while. It’s for transportation.” “Boss!” 

Hae-joo screamed, snatching the keys out of Yi Ho’s hand and jumping up and down.

 

All the disappointment that had lingered in her heart when she stopped looking at cars was washed away.

 

She smiled at him, then suddenly, without warning, lunged at him.

 

She reached out and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight embrace before quickly releasing him.

 

It happened in the blink of an eye.

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