Hidden Motives || Chae Hyungwon

[ twenty-two ]

Chae Hyungwon

i started driving my way home, thinking about eun gyeol and i. for some reason, i felt pity for her. because i pitied her, it might be one of the reasons why i'm pushing myself to stay with her.

if not, it's actually the main reason.

and i know that it shouldn't be that way. everything's just so wrong but then i really can't change the way i feel for eun gyeol in a snap.

maybe i could if i wanted to. but if i would be honest to myself, someone else has already been catching my attention these days.

i had my right hand on the steering wheel this time as i rested my left elbow on the car's window. i gently bit on my finger as i thought about everything that freely ran in my mind.

just how i couldn't wait to go home and relax to some more wine after enjoying a warm shower.

i sat still and stared at the cars right in front of me. it was already 10 pm but there was still some traffic left in the highway.

all of a sudden, i felt someone knock on my car's window.

i flinched a bit and retreated my elbow away to straighten up and see for myself. there, i saw a little boy with garlands of flowers attached around his neck while some were being held in his right hand.

he raised that said hand up to show me the rest of the flowers, wondering if i wanted to buy.

i quickly lowered my window and grabbed 10,000 won for the kid.

"i'm not buying any of those, but here." i carefully handed out the bill.

"take it as if i bought those already." i said.

the boy simply looked at my hand astonished. he stood frozen and hesitant to take the money.

"what are you waiting for? are you gonna keep my hand stretched out like this?" i smirked.

"t-thank you, sir." he bowed and humbly accepted the bill.

"i was just surprised and touched because this is too much." he stared at the bill in his hands.

"yeah, but that's all i have here. i don't have some change for you."

suddenly, he started taking off the garlands from his neck.

"y-you can take all the flowers, sir-"

"no need. i wouldn't know what to do with them. it seems to me that your conscience is sound, so i'm glad enough. use that conscience of yours to spend my money wisely considering that it's not a small amount for someone who didn't buy." i advised.

the boy nodded his head eagerly and carefully kept the bill in his pocket.

"thank you, sir! bless you!" he flashed a bright and genuine smile.

"and you, make sure to stay safe as you sell your goods. please don't do this anymore. stay away from the highway because you might get into an accident once the cars start moving here." i warned.

"ahh... alright. thank you for your concern, sir!" he smiled once again upon listening to me and did a bow as he left.

i rolled up the window and smiled to myself as i started moving the car once again as traffic was eased.

suddenly, eun gyeol's words began to resonate in my mind once again.

"but i knew you were also a warm man. what's there for me not to like?"

the smile from my face slowly fell as i got reminded of eun gyeol's feelings for me.

i quickly cleared my throat and tried to ease the tension in my mind. i just can't believe how much burden her words actually had on me.