Mudoo - Chapter 68

She wasn’t all that surprised, she’d already seen the familiar sedan parked in front of her house before coming in. Baek Seula narrowed her eyes at Kang Tae-shin.

“Why are you here? I said I’d be going down to Cheonghae-dong this weekend.”

“How could I wait until the weekend?”

As she finished climbing the stairs, her finger pressed each button of the door lock in turn. That was when Tae-shin’s low voice slid into her ear.

“I wanted to see you.”

His solid chest brushed her back. His arm stretched forward, taking the handle from her, and he swung the door open.

He stepped inside like it was his own place. Seula, incredulous, looked him up and down from behind.

“How did you even find this place?”

“The address was still in the navigation system.”

In the small space, his presence filled every corner. He glanced around with open curiosity.

“I noticed, most addresses I’d saved were by building names, but one of them was entered in full. Obvious, isn’t it? Had to be yours. So I followed it here.”

His grin was playful, mischief curling at his lips, an expression the old Kang Tae-shin never would’ve worn. Dropping her bag on a dining chair, Seula asked,

“What about Dong-gil?”

“He’s grown. Doesn’t need looking after.”

“Even grown, he’s still a dog.”

“I filled his bowl with plenty of food, enough to last the night.”

He was already moving about the kitchen like an inspector, opening upper cabinets one by one.

“Why are you rifling through that?”

“You know all about the cocoa powder stacked in my pantry. I’m just curious about yours.”

The T-shirt stretched across his chest hugged his muscles, showing every line. Seula’s cheeks flushed, but she couldn’t look away.

“Tae-shin wouldn’t have worn clothes like that.”

“If it’s in my closet, I must’ve worn it.”

“I’ve never seen you in it.”

“Probably when you weren’t around. For workouts, or cleaning maybe. Clothes like this don’t get in the way.”

He was still him, and yet… not him. A different shade of Kang Tae-shin, one she’d never known. Maybe this was what he would have been before life battered him down. Perhaps the man Yeo-ok once knew looked like this.

Every time he opened or closed a cabinet, the muscles of his arms and chest flexed, drawing her mind into dangerous places. Thoughts she shook off with effort.

“Did you find a way to get rid of this Mudoo?” she asked, trying to anchor herself.

“Not yet.”

He tapped the dining table with his fingertips as if to punctuate his answer. His thick knuckles drew her eyes, and with them came the vivid memory of how those fingers had explored her. Heat rose inside her, sharp and unsteady.

She despised herself for turning him into an object of desire, for staring, for remembering—but she couldn’t stop. He’s not well. You can’t treat him carelessly. His mind is still in pieces. She forced herself to breathe, to calm the want burning through her.

“You must’ve had dinner with that man earlier,” he said lightly, one brow raised.

“Yes. Pork stir-fry.”

“Pork stir-fry.”

He repeated her words with a slow nod. Then it struck her, maybe he hadn’t eaten yet, waiting on her instead. Quickly, she took out a pot and began filling it with water.

“There’s no rice left. Is ramen okay?”

***

Red broth bubbled, yellow noodles softening, an egg dropped in and cooking perfectly. She sprinkled in chopped scallions, then set the steaming pot down on the table.

“So… why did you really come here?”

Tae-shin picked up his chopsticks, scooped a mound of noodles, blew on them, then slurped them in. Tilting his head back, he cooled the steam in his throat, swallowing quickly.

“I told you already.”

She faltered. Did he mean, because he couldn’t wait until the weekend? The warmth flushed up her neck.

He kept eating, chest rising and falling deeply, lips reddening from the heat.

“Not sure if I should ask this…” He wiped his mouth with a tissue, eyes on her.

“Since when do you hesitate? The Tae-shin I knew always said whatever was on his mind.”

“That’s true.”

He winked, grinning wide. She still couldn’t get used to it, how different he seemed, just because his memories were gone.

“What’s your relationship with that man?”

“As you saw, just friends.”

The answer came without a blink, but Tae-shin tilted his head.

“Didn’t look like any conversation I’ve seen between friends.”

“Friendship deepens through all sorts of things. Call it… a process.”

“I nearly dropped a flowerpot on his head. Why do you think that was?”

Seula’s lips parted. She couldn’t understand how his mind leapt there.

“Ask yourself that.”

“He knew me, too.”

Yes, Shin Haejun had said he recognized Tae-shin when he saw him with her. His name had come up, but never in depth.

“You and he were nothing more than passing acquaintances. Not close enough to matter. Forget it.”

“I never wanted to regain my memories. Never even thought about it. But—”

His arms pressed against the table as he leaned closer to her, brows knit, voice low.

“Why is it that when it comes to you, nothing comes back at all? Just frustration.”

“……”

“Strange, isn’t it?”

She had no answer. He wanted her to be the key to something she couldn’t unlock.

When she stayed silent, only meeting his eyes, Tae-shin clicked his tongue and leaned back.

“Got a spare toothbrush?”

Soon, she heard him rustling through her bathroom shelves.

***

Is this what he felt when I had no memory of Yeo-ok? The thought pricked her chest. All the time she’d spent with him now felt like some distant past. Watching him, blank of their history, sometimes made her ache, sometimes made her heart twist in pain. His innocent eyes drew pity, stirred an urge to cradle him, protect him.

‘I’m not Yeo-ok.’

That’s what she had told him once, when he’d served her a meal.

But he had remembered Yeo-ok. He’d even swallowed the fruit of the replica tree to save her. And she denied being her. What must that have felt like for him? She was only realizing it now, far too late.

“What are you thinking?”

Fresh from the shower, Tae-shin dropped heavily onto the sofa beside her. The cushion dipped, tilting her body closer to his.

“Wondering why you’re not going home.”

He smirked. “I will. Just not yet.”

So far, he’d done nothing here except rummage through her cabinets, eat ramen, and shower. What was his real purpose?

“Tell me honestly. Why did you come?”

He lowered his voice, teasing, almost whispering,

“Because I wanted to hear you say it again, that you came because you missed me.”

Her throat tightened, heat rising fast. She pressed her palm against his chest, then slid into his lap, straddling his thighs. Even with him so close, he still felt far away.

“Then why didn’t you ever come looking for me? I left your house six months ago. Half a year, and you didn’t once?”

His navigation still had her address. His phone still had her number. He could have reached her, any time.

But she had forced herself to forget him. Day by day, clenching her teeth, pushing him from her heart. If I can survive today, tomorrow will be easier. Someday, he’ll mean nothing to me. And him? What had he endured? Did he suffer as she had?

His hand rose, thumb brushing her cheek.

“You’re right. I couldn’t even last a few days. That bastard really was cruel to us, wasn’t he?”

His large, warm hand cupped the back of her neck, tugging her gently toward him.