“Hyungnim. I knew it felt strange. I was sure you’d show up sooner or later, and I thought I might have been wrong about the timing.”
Cha Yoonseok met with Hong-seop, a thug who had been hanging around Moksan-Gun for several days.
Upon hearing from Cha Yoonseok that Ji Yeonwoo had been hiding at Domyeongjae, Hong-seop went ballistic, his face twisted in utter frustration.
“Man, I was wondering where she’d hidden herself. She hid so craftily. There’s no way I wouldn’t have found her. Of course I couldn’t find her if she was in a place like that.”
Hong-seop tried to make excuses, implying that his failure to find Ji Yeonwoo wasn’t his fault.
“Hyungnim. But was I right or what? I told you she would definitely have come back to her hometown. My intuition has never been wrong, Hyungnim.”
Hong-seop felt quite aggrieved that it happened to be Cha Yoonseok who discovered Ji Yeonwoo. Not a single trace was to be found when he had been scouring the place for days on end, barely washing or eating.
What a cruel joke of fate this was. Cha Yoonseok had discovered Ji Yeonwoo within a mere ten minutes of arriving in Moksan-Gun.
“If I’d just had a little more time, I would have found her. I’d actually heard her mother worked at Domyeongjae, so I was about to look into that. I’d practically found her. I was almost there.”
Anxious that Cha Yoonseok might not pay his fee, Hong-seop exaggerated his own contributions. He stole glances at Cha Yoonseok, pretending he didn’t, and kept repeating that he was the one who *could* have found Ji Yeonwoo.
*Don’t tell me he’s not going to pay me a cent.*
It had been a whole week. He hadn’t been doing this legwork just to earn enough for gas and rice soup. He had searched every corner—the cosmetics shop, the cell phone shop, the post office, even the bank—and hadn’t he even had to talk to that crazy old lady who kept telling him to buy her underwear?
It had been a difficult week. Hong-seop puffed out his chest, ready to change his attitude immediately if Cha Yoonseok said he wouldn’t pay. His bulky, 190-centimeter frame was quite intimidating just by standing there.
“You seem to be in a good mood, Hyungnim.”
Hong-seop spoke up as Cha Yoonseok, sitting in a metal chair and swinging his feet, began to hum a tune. Cha Yoonseok looked at him with a smirk.
“Mood? My mood is fine. I found her, didn’t I?”
“Congratulations, Hyungnim!”
Hong-seop stood up and bowed his head deeply, offering his congratulations. He then waited cautiously, clinging to the hope of getting paid.
“Hyungnim. So, what are you planning to do now?”
“About what?”
“Ji Yeonwoo. What do you intend to do with her now?”
Cha Yoonseok pondered for a moment before smirking again. He spoke in a languid tone, as if the answer had already been decided.
“What else? I’m going to take her back to Seoul.”
“How? I heard they don’t allow outsiders into Domyeongjae. Won’t you be unable to take her if she doesn’t come out on her own?”
“Hong-seop.”
“Yes, Hyungnim.”
“If I can’t go in, I’ll just make her come out.”
“Ah… Ji Yeonwoo will come out on her own….”
But, how would he do that…?
Hong-seop stared blankly, unable to fully grasp Cha Yoonseok’s words, leading Cha Yoonseok to click his tongue in disdain.
“But will she come out? She clearly knows you’re here, Hyungnim. If I were her, I wouldn’t.”
“She’ll come out. Because I’m going to make sure of it.”
“…….”
“She has no choice but to come out of Domyeongjae.”
*Phew.* Cha Yoonseok blew on his fingertips and muttered. Then, he pulled an envelope from his inner jacket pocket and tossed it to Hong-seop.
“Listen, you bastard. I wasn’t going to give you a cent, but I’m taking care of you for old times’ sake. You understand?”
“Thank you, Hyungnim! I’ll serve you until the day I die!”
“While you’re at it, get some intel on Managing Director Nam Seongheon.”
Hong-seop, who had snatched the envelope, looked up. *I knew it,* he thought. *There’s no way he’d just give this money away.*
“Who?”
“Managing Director Nam Seongheon. Seoryang Construction.”
“What about him?”
“My family’s old man used his money to block him from eating prison food over the trouble with Yeonwoo this time. I need to show some filial piety by doing well on this project. Get the scoop on Nam Seongheon. What bars he frequents, who he meets, stuff like that, you idiot. I need to know something before I can push him.”
“Ah, yes. Hyungnim. I understand.”
Hong-seop nodded. It was absurd that he was now being asked to dig up dirt on a corporate golden spoon.
“How much time do you need?”
“About… a fortnight? Digging into someone isn’t easy, Hyungnim. It’s not something that happens quickly. We have to hire people, it’s complicated.”
“A fortnight, my ass.”
“Then… ten days? Ah, that’s going to be tight too.”
“I’ll give you a week. If you think it’ll take longer, put the envelope back down.”
“……Yes, Hyungnim. A week. Understood. Only I can pull this off, you know?”
Hong-seop hurried to secure the envelope. He shoved it into his inner pocket and left the spot.
Cha Yoonseok had found lodging not far from Domyeongjae and sent Hong-seop off, telling him to keep a firm watch on the entrance to Domyeongjae just in case.
Cha Yoonseok chuckled, recalling the terror-stricken face of Yeonwoo he had seen in Seongheon’s office.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find you if you hid like a rat? Yeonwoo. You’re in big trouble now that I’ve found you.”
It wasn’t love. Nor was it longing.
It was a realm of meticulously accumulated rage, the pinnacle of indignation. He was consumed by thoughts of how to retaliate for this betrayal once he got his hands on Ji Yeonwoo.
That was all Cha Yoonseok could think about.
*
After confessing everything to Manager Moon, Yeonwoo let out a long breath. She didn’t feel relieved, nor did she feel at ease.
It felt as though the things she had endured were becoming trivial as they passed her lips. The look in Cha Yoonseok’s eyes, filled with madness as if he were about to cause a disaster; the fear and terror of being surrounded by thugs who looked like they could end a life in an instant.
No matter how she explained it, it was impossible to convey the air and emotions of those moments. Of course, she hadn’t expected Manager Moon to understand everything anyway, so Yeonwoo simply bowed her head, finishing her story calmly.
She had been scared. She had run away in terror. That was how she had ended up back with her mother, and why, when her mother’s accident happened, she had sought refuge in Domyeongjae.
More than any other reason, the desire to hide had been the strongest. That was why she had gotten rid of her phone and had no intention of leaving Domyeongjae.
“But how did you know? That I was being chased?”
After a long while, Yeonwoo asked. Manager Moon, who had been silent the whole time, rubbed his knee and opened his mouth.
“I was coming back from visiting your mother at the hospital, and some thug-looking guy was walking around with your picture, looking for you.”
“Ah….”
Her head spun. So, her instinct that it was dangerous outside of Domyeongjae had been right.
As Yeonwoo let out a sigh mixed with weary grief, Manager Moon tapped his knee and continued.
“He looked terrifying enough to scare a bear away if he were put in a zoo. It’s no small matter if someone like that is hunting for you.”
Yeonwoo kept her head bowed and pressed her lips together.
The police hadn’t been able to protect her, and her office colleagues had turned a blind eye. She hadn’t expected Manager Moon, who hadn’t known her for long and who lived and died for the honor of Domyeongjae, to have any answers.
“I’m sorry….”
Feeling as though she had invited trouble into the peaceful Domyeongjae, Yeonwoo lowered her head further.
“Aye. You’re right to be sorry. In my seventy-plus years, this is the first time such a thing has happened at our Domyeongjae. This is why I don’t like taking in young people. So much talk and so much trouble—it’s too much to deal with.”
“I’m sorry….”
“Anyway, I found you suspicious from the start. I should have asked for the details when you said you’d gotten rid of a perfectly good phone; that was my mistake.”
Manager Moon stood up. Not having the confidence to follow suit, Yeonwoo closed her hot eyelids and opened them again.
Dusting off her skirt, Manager Moon looked at Yeonwoo. It was hard to read anything from his expression alone.
“Well, if you say so, then it must be so. But I don’t believe your whole story, not yet.”
“…….”
“I can’t just believe you because you’re crying your eyes out, and I don’t know you that well yet, either. There are many terrifying men in the world, but aren’t there just as many terrifying women? I can’t judge based on only one side of the story. You’ll have to understand that.”
“Yes….”
“I’ll decide what to do with you in a few days, so go do your work. Where do you find the time to be sitting around like this?”
Yeonwoo stood up as he immediately brought up work. Without a single word of comfort, Manager Moon gave her instructions in his usual, emotionless voice.
“Even if your hands are shaking, I can’t take you off your shift today. That’s your job. Whether you’re leaving or being chased, do your work properly. You understand?”
“Yes, Manager.”
Yeonwoo replied in a waterlogged voice, not answering with much spirit, which made Manager Moon narrow his eyes.
“Straighten your shoulders. This is Domyeongjae. Even if there are terrifying men prowling outside, they won’t get an inch inside our Domyeongjae. Breathe properly, keep your eyes open. Now work.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“And watch your mouth. You said you and Young Master Hyun-wook are friends. Make sure word doesn’t reach the Young Master’s ears. Do you understand? Same goes for the Managing Director. Nothing good will come of them knowing. Don’t go bothering them.”
“Yes.”
“And watch your mouth around Eun-ja, too. Anyway, if it reaches her ears, it’s only a matter of time before your mother finds out, so use your head.”
Manager Moon scanned Yeonwoo from head to toe before walking away. Only after letting out several long, shuddering breaths did Yeonwoo begin to take slow steps.
It was already the time of day when a pale purple sunset began to fall. It would soon be time for Seongheon to get off work, and Yeonwoo turned her direction toward Unseondang to air it out.
*
Seongheon had decided to leave work earlier than usual. He hadn’t been able to focus on his work, and he was letting out heavy breaths for no reason.
It felt as though heat were pooling in his frail internal organs; he felt that if he didn’t push it out, he wouldn’t be able to sit there peacefully.
Only after making a few mistakes he had never made before did Seongheon put his work away. There was no way he could get any work done with his mind entirely occupied by Yeonwoo. Pushing the remaining headquarters video conference to the next day, Seongheon headed straight to Domyeongjae, passing the main building and heading toward Unseondang.
The main building, rising elegantly in the distance beyond the lake, receded behind him. The pale orange sunset had already deepened, and his long, steady strides moved only toward his destination.
When had it started? At this time of day, on this path toward Unseondang, his heart would race. The closer he got to Unseondang, the more a fiery, forbidden emotion spread like watercolor.
The sound of soil shifting. The *swish-swish* friction of the broom against the floor.
…Proof that you are here.
As the sun began to set, the red glow seeming to swallow her whole, Seongheon stopped. Yeonwoo, who had been focused on her sweeping as usual, stopped at the sound of his dress shoes and offered a greeting with her head bowed low.
He watched her offer a greeting without even checking who it was, and then Seongheon moved. He wanted to know why she was intentionally avoiding his gaze.
As Seongheon approached, Yeonwoo awkwardly turned her shoulder and stepped aside. He watched her behavior intently, then tilted his head back, exhaling the heat-laden breath from his lungs.
“You’ve arrived, Managing Director.”
*Huu….*
“I’ll finish sweeping soon. I can air out the room immediately….”
“You’ve been crying.”
“…….”
“Quite a bit, at that.”
Noticing her hoarse voice and the redness around her eyes, Seongheon muttered in a low voice. Yeonwoo’s words trailed off. She gripped the innocent broom tightly, her gaze fixed to the floor, not knowing what to do.