12. Who Exactly Are You?
Se-ah, having switched outfits with Enya, stepped onto the stage. She chose the fastest and most difficult piece from the Tinikling repertoire. It wasn’t to deliver an impressive performance but rather to end it as quickly as possible.
She also warned the team holding the bamboo poles not to make any mistakes today. There was no way she could afford to make a fool of herself in front of him.
As soon as she stood at the center of the small stage, she noticed the owner looking bewildered and her ex-husband, Do Junhyuk, bowing over with laughter. His massive shoulders shook with small, rapid movements that were clearly visible from the stage.
She had never seen him laugh like that before.
If she were in his shoes and saw Do Junhyuk dancing a traditional dance on stage, she would probably laugh for days too.
But still, did he have to laugh that openly and so loudly?
Se-ah twitched her lips at the sight of him, who she had always thought wore a poker face or a grumpy expression as his trademark.
His long eyes, now more elongated from laughing, and his lips curved into a broad smile revealed a kind of handsomeness she thought had long since sold out.
No matter what he did, his charm seemed unshakable. But for some reason, today, his face looked especially radiant.
Sitting next to him was Moon Sohee, who was staring at Do Junhyuk with a completely dazed look, as if she had never seen him laugh before.
After giving them a brief glance, Se-ah signaled the pole holders with her eyes to begin. She braced herself, as if walking a tightrope between cliffs.
'Do it in one go without any mistakes.'
The lights in the audience dimmed, and all the illumination poured onto Se-ah.
Her footsteps as she leapt between the poles were as light and lively as a bird sneaking through a fence, evading a farmer’s eyes.
Her lowered lashes cast long shadows on her small face as she focused. Her tightly pursed lips gave her a serious, sharp look, causing the audience to momentarily hold their breath.
Faster songs meant the performance would end sooner, but they also had the added benefit of leaving no room for wandering thoughts. As the music flowed on, even her awareness of her ex-husband’s gaze began to blur.
With movements as swift as tap dancing, she navigated deftly between the poles, earning continuous cheers from the crowd.
Unlike dances that require artistic flair or creative expression, this one demanded agility and precision — making it perfect for Se-ah, who was exceptional at calculations.
As she moved gracefully, like a bird that would never be caught, Do Junhyuk's companions watched, mouths agape. Her every move looked as if she could take flight at any moment, and Junhyuk’s gaze, locked on her ankles, grew as intense as a hunter clutching a snare.
Even his relaxed posture, previously leaning back, gradually inclined toward the stage.
The shift in his focus was so clear that Moon Sohee, seated next to him, kept glancing nervously between him and the stage.
The smile that had lingered on Do Junhyuk’s lips vanished the moment the performance ended.
Although it was a short period of time, Se-ah was so engrossed that her back was soaked in sweat. As soon as the music ended, she quickly got off the stage without even a greeting.
Enya, limping behind her, repeatedly expressed her gratitude.
“[It's okay. If you feel that bad, just buy me something delicious next time.]”
Despite her heavy heart, Se-ah responded lightly to the apologetic Enya and cooled her flushed face with a cold towel.
Her red face soon returned to normal, but her insides still felt heated.
Just as she wondered how much time was left before their arrival, a vibrating buzz rang out.
She picked up her phone, which had been lying face down before the performance, and saw a message from Marino.
[Coco, are you all set? I just arrived in Korea. Before I left, I contacted a friend who lives in Mindanao. Turns out, the situation in Zamboanga has gotten worse, so don’t go there. Just stop at Davao. It’s dangerous there too, so be careful. Once your schedule is done, I’ll head down there to help you search.]
Se-ah, who had also heard from others about the dangers of this schedule, reluctantly agreed. She decided to limit her visit to the central part of the main island and also prepare to wrap up her stay in the Philippines. She had a feeling that even the journey to Mindanao would not be an easy one.
Safety always comes first.
Se-ah, recalling the balance in her bank account after sending some money to her younger sibling in Korea, revised her travel plan.
Since security worsened the further south one went in the Philippines, she figured it would be better to push herself a little and fly there quickly instead of taking a boat. A short itinerary would be the safest option.
Although it would be tight financially, she could manage to afford a domestic flight if she treated this as the last trip. Besides, her salary would be coming in soon, so she wouldn’t starve.
While sketching out her itinerary in her mind, she realized they had only 10 minutes left until they arrived at the dock.
'Still, I should say a proper goodbye, right?'
It was a matter of professionalism.
After cooling off in front of a fan, she changed back into her nearly dry uniform as they approached their destination. She then went up to the guest cabin to see off the passengers.
She had already resolved not to let herself be shaken, no matter who she encountered.
'Jin Se-ah’s self-esteem will not be broken over something like this.'
Muttering the same words of self-encouragement she had repeated to herself during tough times, she opened the door connected to the hall.
“Let’s have a quick talk.”
A figure suddenly appeared in front of her, blocking her path. The presence alone was enough to make anyone feel intimidated. As expected, it was Do Junhyuk.
He was only wearing the same kind of pants and shirt as everyone else, but his presence was overwhelming. If he had been an enemy met on the battlefield, his sheer weighty presence would have been enough to make someone wave a white flag.
Even though Se-ah's self-esteem wasn’t broken, she had to tilt her head back because of the height difference between them.
“Who the hell are you?”
He wasn’t laughing as heartily as he had during the performance, but there was still a faint smile lingering on his face. His eyes, like a mirror reflecting her own face, glimmered with a curiosity that had never been there before.
As he lowered his head, narrowing the distance between them, Se-ah did not avoid his gaze and glared straight back at him.
“Who are you?”
“By day, you're a foreigner; by night, you're a dancer. And now you're pretending to have amnesia?”
Junhyuk asked, his tone devoid of irritation.
“Why would not recognizing someone be considered amnesia? Please stop blocking me and step aside.”
If she says she doesn’t know him, what can he do about it?
With a scoff, Se-ah clicked her tongue and reached for the door handle again to leave.
She should have acted like this from the start.
Looking back, she wondered why she had been so on edge, afraid of being found out.
There was no doubt that she had been thrown off balance for the past two days because of Junhyuk’s sudden appearance.
The more she thought about it, the more she felt like she had made a fool of herself all on her own, while he had done nothing.
From beginning to end, she could have just acted like she didn’t know him.
“So that’s how you want to play it, huh?”
Upon hearing her response, he let out a slow, amused laugh, his well-shaped lips curling into a smirk. The sound of his breath tickled her face, sending a subtle warning of impending danger.
Without warning, his large hand covered hers on the door handle. The door, which had been slightly ajar, closed shut with no gap remaining, just like their hands, which fit together tightly without any space.
At the same time, she was spun around in an instant. Se-ah found herself sandwiched between the door and Junhyuk. Stretching out his long arms, he locked her in as though creating prison bars around her, then lowered his head right next to her ear.
“Even if Jin Se-ah claims she doesn’t know me, Coco should remember me. Right?”
His low voice carried an unpredictable mix of mischief, interest, and obsession, causing the fine hairs on the back of her neck to rise. Se-ah swore she had never been this physically close to Do Junhyuk before.
Startled by the unexpected contact, she flinched and tried to turn her face away, but his hand firmly gripped her chin, forcing her to meet his eyes.
“W-What are you doing?! And why on earth should I remember you?”
Se-ah, watching for the right moment, was prepared to either kick him in the knee or bite his hand if necessary.
Junhyuk, noticing her tense posture, reached into his pocket with one hand.
“Why, you ask? Thanks to someone, everyone here seems to know who I am.”
What is he talking about?
With an uneasy look, she glanced up at him just as he pulled out his phone. When his finger tapped the screen, the dark display lit up brightly.
“…........!”
Se-ah's eyes widened so much that they looked like they might pop out of her head.
Why… why is that here?
Her stunned gaze fixated on the phone’s home screen, where a wedding photo was clearly displayed. It was the exact same photo that had been on her phone until recently.
Why on earth does he have it on his phone too?!
Her mind plunged into chaos, even more disorganized than the messiest kind of disorder. Junhyuk, watching her face twist with disbelief, struggled to hold back a grin before finally speaking.
“What are you going to do if you can’t even recognize your husband? The husband who was deployed to Africa. That’s me, isn't it, Coco?”
Se-ah felt her heart sink.
Her ex-husband, Do Junhyuk — who had it all: looks, wealth, and intelligence — had now proven that his deductive skills were also infuriatingly sharp.
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