Me After You | Choi Seungcheol

13. Only You

Seungcheol scanned the crowd, his gaze eventually settling on Ria, who was laughing with a group of friends.

"Ria," he called as he made his way to her. She turned, her features morphing into a playful smile when she saw him.

"Seungcheol! To what do I owe this honor?"

"We need to talk," he said, the lightness in her voice falling away as he cut through her playful facade. Her friends exchanged curious glances, sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere.

"Talk?" Ria feigned innocence, a teasing smile on her lips. "About what?"

Seungcheol said nothing in return, simply gesturing for her to follow him. With a smirk to her friends, Ria sauntered to his side.

"What's up?" she asked casually.

"Playing innocent doesn't suit you, Ria. You know exactly why I'm here," Seungcheol replied impatiently.

"Oh, come on. I just wanted to get acquainted with the Mrs. If she misunderstood my words, that's her problem," she shot back in a taunting manner.

"Unbelievable," he muttered incredulously.

"Be real, Seungcheol," Ria challenged while rolling her eyes. "You've never been one to settle down for long. Right now, that pretty little wife of yours is a shiny new toy. But sooner or later, you'll get bored of her, and when that happens, I'll be right here waiting," she said matter-of-factly.

"Haeun is not a toy; she's my wife, and I care about her. In any case, this doesn't concern you, so you can keep your opinions about our relationship to yourself," he replied, his voice cold.

For a moment, Ria looked taken aback, but she quickly recovered. "Suit yourself. Just remember, the heart can be fickle. You might find yourself back in my arms sooner than you think."

"Is that all this is to you? A game?" Seungcheol pressed, his patience wearing thin.

Ria stepped closer to him, whispering in his ear. "You were mine first. I'm not letting go without a fight."

"I was never yours. Don't flatter yourself," he retorted sharply, putting a good distance between them. "If you bother me or Haeun again, I will make sure you regret it."

Ria's expression faltered, stunned into momentary silence.

"Thanks for the talk," Seungcheol said before walking away, refusing to engage with her any further.

Shaking off this unsavory interaction, his mind went back to Haeun and how to make amends with her. She was the only one who really mattered to him at the moment; he just had to make her see that.

***

As the party wound down, Seungcheol and Haeun retreated to their room, but half an hour later, they had yet to say a word to each other.

"So you're not going to talk to me at all?" Seungcheol finally broke the silence, unable to hide his frustration.

He sat at the edge of the bed while Haeun, who was quietly removing her makeup, remained stoic, her gaze fixed on the mirror. "I don't have anything to say."

"Nothing happened," he stressed, hoping she would be able to catch the sincerity in his tone.

"Maybe it didn't," she snapped at him, turning slightly to meet his eyes. "But that doesn't change the fact that we—"

Seungcheol raised an eyebrow when she stopped mid-sentence. "We what?"

"Never mind," she replied, getting up from the vanity and walking to the bathroom. "I'm going to take a shower before bed."