episode_0043

The Angelic Hand had ended.

When I woke up, the first thing I saw was not Anna.

She was still perched above me, staring intently down at me.

But Anna’s face was different from what I had seen before.

It was a face so unfamiliar that it would be unforgettable for a lifetime.

Warm tears welled up in her hazy eyes as if they had been torn apart by a bond.

Soon, those tears fell and moistened my lips.

Warm.

And painful in the heart.

Her usually expressionless face had become tender like that of a young girl.

Thanks to that, I forgot that we had been entwined naked against each other.

Soon, she slowly rose from me.

And staggered, leaning against the wall of the bed.

I watched her crouch with her legs drawn up.

Anna, who was trembling pitifully, wrapped her forehead with her hand.

“Anna…”

I murmured at her emotions that I had never seen before.

Anna spoke softly.

“Why can’t your sisters just leave me alone?”

At her words, I couldn’t react immediately.

I just lay there, halfway up, staring blankly at her.

“My older sister deceived me, and my younger sister barely recalls the memories we shared.”

“I didn’t know. I thought your sister was Seonye.”

“…”

I said to her as if appealing to her.

Because this was sincere.

Her wriggling hair.

Between them, her sharp pupils flickered.

“It’s so comfortable. If you say you didn’t know, that’s enough.”

“…”

I was speechless at her tangled emotions in two words.

“I wanted to believe.”

Her once indifferent eyes turned red.

She mimicked a wounded woman as she choked back tears.

“You were the first person to treat me kindly.”

“After your sister…”

“But in the end, you were just the same.”

“Do you feel good manipulating memories and using them to have people around you?”

Anna spoke as if releasing emotions that had been expressionless until now.

“Being kind to me, cooking for me, even playing doll grab together, they were all calculated actions, right?”

She asked me with resentment.

I shook my head as if out of my mind.

“Like your damn sister.”

“No… I really just…”

I wanted to continue speaking immediately.

But for a moment, I was at a loss for words.

Did I really help Anna out of coincidence, out of pure kindness?

No.

Anna was a killer, and I deliberately read her memories to gain favor from her.

My pupils shook.

Reading that movement, Anna made a confident expression.

I knew that expression.

An unjust and resentful expression as if the whole world had collapsed.

The expression she had on the day Jisoo noona died, directed at me.

When I saw that, my heart began to ache.

I wanted to say something.

But maybe it was because of Anna’s expression, similar to Jisoo noona’s.

I stood there with my mouth agape, unable to say anything.

“Get out… now. Before I kill you.”

“Don’t ever. Rely on me again.”

Anna began speaking as if her emotions had disappeared once more.

In response, I got up.

Since I couldn’t think of anything to say to her right away, I thought it best to leave according to her wishes.

I pulled up the pajamas that had slipped down to my lower chest.

It felt like Anna’s scent was deeply ingrained on my body.

I struggled to get up from the bed and looked around.

Where did I put my clothes?

I glanced at Anna briefly.

She was still hunched over, bowing her head.

As if dead.

It didn’t seem appropriate to casually ask, “Um… where are my clothes?” here.

I reluctantly went to the hallway in my pajamas.

My clothes weren’t there either.

Only a single crossbody bag lay there.

Well, at least my belongings are all intact.

I secured the bag tightly around me in my pajamas.

Thanks to Anna, I could somewhat secure my loose-fitting chest with a cross bag.

It felt like wearing a matching high school uniform.

I pulled the front door.

When I tried to escape, the handle, which had not budged at all, easily opened when turned in the opposite direction.

“—.”

The thick door closed tightly.

I stood blankly in front of the closed officetel for a long time.

Thanks to Anna, I used my abilities to the fullest.

Not only because of Anna, but I also saw Seonye’s memories and learned all her secrets.

The fact that she was an artificially created human.

Betrayal by the only companion I trusted.

And… regret.

At first, Anna just seemed scary to me.

A psychopathic killer who kills humans as he pleases.

I thought it was just that.

But now that I know the truth, all her actions feel pitifully calculated.

In a way, she was a victim.

“Regret.”

Even Jisoo noona, who had been kind to me all my life and smiled at me, regretted the time we spent together.

Of course, she didn’t deceive me like Seonye did.

It was just my misconception.

But…

Did she have to say that to me until the very end?

My heart aches.

I repeated the two letters of “regret” in my mind and went down the elevator.

The lobby on the first floor was very dark.

I headed in that direction just because bright light poured out from the front door.

But I soon had to stop abruptly.

“…”

Because what unfolded as I left the officetel was a street I had never seen before.

All sorts of Chinese signs and unfamiliar people.

Was there such a place in Korea?

I hastily looked for a sign.

Fortunately, the lamppost had the name of this place written in blue.

And I realized why this place felt unfamiliar even though I was Korean.

“Daelim 2-dong”

It was a neighborhood where many Chinese people lived even before the gate opened.

It was famous for its poor public safety even in the past.

After the era of lawlessness, Chinese immigrants gathered to create their own kingdom.

Undoubtedly the best hiding place beyond the reach of the association in Seoul.

That place is Daelim 2-dong.

I stood in the middle of this dangerous area in my pajamas.

“I’m screwed.”

A perfect place for fugitives to hide.

And a perfect place for weaklings like me to be exploited.

The loud honking of cars pounded my chest.

Perhaps due to this intimidation, I quickly took out my phone.

There were no contacts worth mentioning on the phone I acquired after possession.

There are only three people in my contacts.

Senior Jiwook.

No, that incompetent brother won’t be of any help here.

Jaei?

She must be busy with her schedule even now.

Then, the remaining one…

I hesitated for a long time before dialing that number.

Amidst the noisy Chinese shouts, I accidentally pressed the call button, startled by the sound.

“—.”

“—.”

The owner of the contact did not answer the call immediately.

My heart pounded with each repeated dial tone.

As the dial tone continued, I felt melancholic.

It’s ridiculous how anxious I am without anyone to call.

Even after being possessed, I’ve always been alone.

Pathetic, my own self…

After 10 seconds passed without the call connecting, I almost pressed the end button.

But at that moment, the phone displayed ’00:01′.

“Siho…?”

A voice that has become somewhat familiar now.

A voice that I found very intimidating yet charming when we first met.

I called her directly to find her.

But as I was about to speak to her.

I choked up as if something was stuck in my throat.

So many things had pierced through me.

And my penetrated body felt cold and shivering.

“…”

“Why, what’s wrong. What’s going on.”

She asked me, puzzled, as I remained silent even after making the call.

“Help me a little…”

I barely managed to say through the lump in my throat.

Then she asked me in a very serious voice.

“Where are you now? Tell me calmly without crying.”

“Daelim 2-dong.”

“In that dangerous place? Why are you there?”

“I don’t know… I don’t know why I’m here…”

Unconsciously, my throat tightened.

I didn’t want to be caught in that state, but this young body soon began to fumble for words.

“Wait. I’ll be there soon.”

Through the phone, I heard the rough sound of a chair toppling over.

With that sound, the call abruptly ended.

I wiped away a tear from my reddened eyes.

Why… am I suddenly acting like this?

Even after enduring numerous raids and insults, I never shed a single tear…

I sniffled.

I feel like something is changing within me.

It’s scary, as if I’m transforming into someone else, not myself.

Is it because of fear?

I felt the urge to hide somewhere.

That feeling hurried me back towards the direction of the officetel.

I gasped for breath, hiding my body under the shade.

Perhaps I’ve been thinking too much lately.

I feel really unwell.

Maybe it’s because I’m only wearing pajamas, but I feel extremely cold, shivering all over.

It’s only May now.

Since summer is still far away, it’s natural to feel cold in these worn-out clothes.

I blankly stared at the road.

There were many Chinese people walking somewhere on the street.

From a child hitting a wall with an iron pipe picked up from a construction site to a lady selling nameless vegetables leaning against a utility pole.

But the most striking figure would be the man smoking a cigarette under a shady spot.

The man in a black shirt had tattoos on both arms.

Spitting out saliva, he glanced around.

Avoid eye contact.

You might end up being mistaken for a foreigner if you accidentally make eye contact.

I quickly averted my gaze sideways.

“…?”

However, when I turned my head, I met the eyes of a Chinese man I had never seen before.

Thick, bushy hair like a hamster.

And a tight T-shirt accentuating his chest and belly.

Even chest hair peeked through intermittently.

Just looking at him made it hard to breathe, this uncle.

Dragging his slippers, he approached me.

As the man got closer, a scent of spices I had never smelled before started emanating.

“You’re a new face.”

He asked me fluently in Korean.

“Which store are you from?”

“A store? Oh, I work in Sindorim.”

At the mention of a store, I immediately thought of ‘Moment Inn.’

“Sindorim? Was there a business there too?”

He scratched his stomach, staring intently at my face.

His black pupils quickly scanned me up and down.

“Not bad.”

“Huh…?”

“Your volume is subtle compared to your height. Your face also seems to have some character.”

Pointing below my eyes, he flicked his own eyes with his finger.

Like a chef evaluating food.

I shrunk under his uncomfortable gaze.

Clutching my crossbody bag firmly, I asked, “What are you talking about?”

“Sorry. I operate several businesses in this area as well. So, what is a Sindorim person doing here?”

“Waiting for someone.”

“A customer?”

The uncle kept making strange remarks.

Feeling frustrated, I sighed deeply and replied, “Not a customer, but…”

I hesitated on how to describe the person.

Then, the words blurted out.

“She’s an acquaintance.”

“Acquaintance…?”

At the word ‘acquaintance,’ he cocked his head.

Soon, he seemed to understand and chuckled.

“Oh, I see. Certainly. With your pajamas and short hair, it seems like the customer has that preference.”

At his words, I furrowed my brow.

Preference?

“Let’s do this then. How about spending the day with me instead of that ‘sister’?”

“What? Why would I hang out with you instead?”

“Just for fun. I’ll pay you ten times what that person does. Besides, if you want to work in this area, you have to go through me anyway.”

He laughed heartily.

While I gave him a displeased look, he waved to someone else.

He knew the person he waved to.

It was none other than the thug man I feared I might accidentally make eye contact with.

The thug, upon seeing the man, respectfully bowed at a 90-degree angle even from a distance.

Then, he began to stride across the road where cars were passing by.

Soon, some of his subordinates appeared from the alley following the thug.

There were four burly Chinese men.

The cars had no choice but to stop in unison at their imposing procession.

However, not a single car honked its horn.

It seemed like the men knew their place well in this area.

As they approached, I sensed that something was amiss.

Soon, my body instinctively pleaded.

I needed to escape from this place.

I slowly started to back away.

But soon, I collided with something thick from behind.

When I raised my head, I saw the rugged chin of the Chinese man.

What I bumped into was his round belly.

He then grabbed both my shoulders.

And as if presenting a product, he pushed me towards the smelly old man.

“Don’t worry. I’m very kind. Am I just going to snoop around this place for no reason?”

His mouth curled up into a smirk.

Saliva dripped from his yellowed teeth.

“I’ll teach you various techniques. Unbelievably ‘exquisite skills’ you can’t even imagine in Sindorim.”

The man’s enormous shadow loomed over me gradually.