episode_0038

It was after being moved by the unexpected sincerity of Hanyerwon that I returned to the hotel.

I left a long thank-you message on the business phone number written on Hanyerwon’s business card.

[I stopped by home to pick up my phone and read the letter you left. Thank you so much. While I was gone…]

But.

“…Not reading it.”

This time, unlike last time, he didn’t read the message for a long time.

Is he too busy to see it?

Or does he just not want to read my messages?

Certainly, when we contacted each other before, he would read it right away.

Did he completely disappoint me with what happened today?

I should have at least made up some excuse, saying that I had kept my promise no matter what.

At that time, my heart wavered at the small number ‘1’ in the messenger.

Ugh…

After a long time, I finally received a reply from Hanyerwon.

“Please refrain from personal contact.”

A dry message without any emotion.

Ironically, I felt slightly relieved by that stiff response.

It was severe enough.

“I’m here.”

Not long after, Mayeonseo returned to the hotel.

“…Oops.”

I was deeply immersed in thoughts about Hanyerwon, and hastily got up to hide my phone and wallet…

“No.”

I realized belatedly that there was no need to do that.

“Why am I hiding this?”

Looking back, I had nothing to be guilty about towards Mayeonseo.

I didn’t do anything wrong.

I was just unnecessarily sensitive to her.

“Let’s act confidently.”

I lay back on the bed again and shamelessly continued to fiddle with my phone.

“…Are you back?”

…Of course, I couldn’t concentrate at all while trying to read Mayeonseo’s mood.

“Were you bored alone?”

“…So-so.”

Finally entering the room, Mayeonseo put her bag on the table, then suddenly glanced at my wallet lying on the table.

And she briefly glanced at me lying on the bed.

Honestly, I was a little nervous.

“…Let’s go out confidently. Confidently.”

That way, Mayeonseo seemed to stare at me for a while, as if hesitating…

Swoosh. Swoosh. Before I knew it, she started changing her clothes nonchalantly.

Without any warning.

“…What’s this? Haven’t seen me? No, it’s impossible not to see me…?”

Confused by her inexplicable behavior, I furtively observed her while feeling restless alone.

She approached the bed in comfortable clothes and casually lay down.

“What are you doing?”

“Just, browsing the internet.”

“Hmm…”

She quietly caressed her stomach with her arms draped over her body and glanced at her phone.

But she showed no reaction at all.

“Why, why isn’t she talking?”

At that moment, unable to concentrate on looking at the phone or pretending to do so, she suddenly brought up the topic.

“Did you go to your place?”

Finally, she willingly initiated a conversation.

Thump thump. My heart began to beat with a strange tension as I tried to casually carry on the conversation.

“…On my way here.”

Then.

“…Really?”

After gently caressing herself for a while…

“Did you get an F grade today?”

As if she had no interest at all, she threw another topic.

“…Huh?”

I was slightly taken aback.

“Uh, uh! That’s right.”

Subtly putting away the phone, I glanced at Mayeonseo.

She was looking at me with a deep smile on her lips.

“…Did you think I would say something about the phone?”

Sure enough, she deliberately didn’t say anything.

“…You always do that.”

“I did. But now, I won’t do that anymore.”

“What…?”

Mayeonseo suddenly promised a change, leaning her head on my arm.

“I’ve thought about it, and I feel like I’ve been too restrictive with you all this time.”

“……”

“They say love is similar to sand, right?”

The sand held in the hand doesn’t fall.

But the moment you try to hold it tightly, it starts to slip through your fingers.

It seemed she realized how obsessive she had been.

It was too late, far too late.

“So… from now on, I’ve decided to trust and respect you.”

“……”

“Sounds good, right?”

As if asking for praise, Mayeonseo smiled brightly and lightly touched my hand to her face.

The sight of her loveliness made my heart uneasy.

‘Of all times…’

Her unexpected change felt like a final notice.

“Yeonseo, what if… what if I were to…”

“Yeah.”

I swallowed hard and looked straight into her eyes.

“If I were to disappoint you… would you still respect me then?”

She raised her eyebrows playfully in response.

“How much would you disappoint me?”

“What if, I mean.”

“Hmm. Well…”

Marianne rolled her eyes with a pensive expression.

Then she glanced at me and said with a sly smile,

“I don’t even know what I might do.”

It was a very abstract yet firm response.

When one loses their faith, they really don’t know what they might do.

It was essentially a warning.

‘Well, that’s true.’

Realizing that reasoning or training was futile, I firmly grasped her face.

“If I listen quietly, are you trying to intimidate me?”

“Did it sound like intimidation?”

It sounded blatantly like that. “If I were to cheat, would you really kill me?”

“Not kill. Maybe just break an arm or two?”

“What…?”

Marianne pretended to joke but subtly revealed her true feelings.

Daring to challenge the master. It was clear she was not fully trained yet.

“So, are you advertising that you want to be scolded right now?”

“Yeah. I want to be scolded.”

I commanded, releasing Marianne’s expectant face.

“Lie down immediately.”

As she obediently lay down on the bed, her tempting hips swayed gently beneath her short shorts.

‘I’m going crazy…’

I quietly sighed with a bewildered heart.

*

Some time later.

Headquarters of the Awakening Association.

Chairman Im Mi-yoon, emphasizing the three visible images, was reading a report that had appeared on the tablet with an intriguing expression.

It was filled with content about Kang Yoo-chan.

“Who is this guy, really?”

Not long ago.

The association that blamed Kang Yoo-chan for breaking the magic stone conducted an investigation based on the revealed data.

In the process, it was possible to reveal that he possessed tremendous magic and had unprecedented abilities.

Convinced that Kang Yoo-chan was an extraordinary being, the association secretly established the “Kang Yoo-chan Project.”

They meticulously uncovered the history of the figure known as “Kang Yoo-chan,” even finding someone who was more closely connected to him than anyone else in the country.

“Welcome. It’s Ryeowon.”

It was Han Ryeowon.

“Would you like to sit down and talk? The story might be a bit long.”

“…I understand.”

Lim Mi-yoon opened up to Han Ryeowon with a friendly expression as they sat facing each other.

“Do you happen to know why I called you here?”

“I’m not sure.”

“Well… I wanted to ask you something.”

“To me?”

Han Ryeowon looked slightly suspicious.

As the person who was even the chairman of the association, it was hard not to be suspicious.

“Do you know anything about Mr. Kang Yoo-chan?”

Suddenly, at the unexpected mention of his name, her eyes widened.

“We are dealing with some matters related to Mr. Kang Yoo-chan internally.”

Lim Mi-yoon spoke with a sly smile and a subtle voice.

“We found out that the two of you were originally engaged. Is that true?”

“Yes.”

“And then suddenly, Yoo-chan went missing?”

“That’s correct.”

“Oh… how heartbreaking it must have been.”

With a stiff and unyielding appearance, Han Ryeowon did not respond, and Lim Mi-yoon, inwardly smiling, asked one more thing.

“So… it’s true that the government pressured Yoo-chan to break up with you, right?”

“….”

Han Ryeowon simply pursed her lips without giving any response.

It was all true.

As time passed, it was revealed that Ma Yeon-seo would return to the country.

The government sent someone to press a single proposal on Han Ryeowon’s family.

If you promise to break up with Kang Yoochan without causing a fuss, we will provide compensation so that you won’t feel upset.

In essence, it meant “Shut your mouth and we’ll compensate you.”

On the other hand, it was also a threat that they wouldn’t stay quiet if she made fun of them.

“Ryeowon, I’m fine with anything, do as you wish. Go ahead and bother him!”

“Yeah, Ryeowon. Don’t worry about us, do as you please.”

Her parents, who didn’t yield to the threat, naturally respected her love.

However, Ryeowon wasn’t one to sit back and watch as the government tried to control her.

“I’m going to break up with Yoochan.”

In the end, under the condition of breaking up with Kang Yoochan, Ryeowon secured a substantial additional budget for her father’s hospital.

It was the best choice she could make at that time.

At that time.

“They are truly heartless… The world is too cruel to Ryeowon.”

Lim Mi-yoon showed genuine sympathy and comforted Ryeowon.

In fact, she was the one who emphasized the importance of Ma Yeon-seo to the government more than anyone else.

She sided with Ryeowon, despite the situation.

“Miss Ryeowon, you haven’t completely given up on Mr. Yoochan over such a trivial matter, have you?”

“What are you trying to say…”

“I just want to help you a bit, Miss Ryeowon.”

Like an old fox, Lim Mi-yoon subtly pressed her proposal.

“Would you like to work together with me?”

*

It was a day before the official announcement of Ma Yeon-seo’s return.

They must have signed the final contract. It was the time when they were about to leave the hotel and settle down in earnest.

Suddenly, a call came from the association.

“Han Ryeowon, do you have a moment?”

It wasn’t Ma Yeon-seo, but it was me she wanted to talk to.

Han Ryeowon, who contacted me on the business phone, called me to the café inside the hotel, saying there was something to discuss based on the last examination results.

There was no reason not to go out.

“Long time no see.”

Han Ryeowon, who appeared in a business-like manner, as if she had come for business purposes, still maintained a professional attitude.

It hurt a little.

“What can I help you with?”

Nevertheless, I asked her about the matter with a heart full of sincerity to help.

She briefly explained while pushing the tablet.

“I want to conduct an additional examination on Kang Yoo-chan.”

“… Additional examination?”

“Due to difficulties at headquarters due to the aftermath of the accident. We are planning to conduct a detailed examination at the Busan research center for a few days.”

“Oh…. There’s a research center in Busan too.”

At that moment, without much thought, as I was about to glance through the contents of the tablet.

“By the way.”

Han Rye-won added a brief explanation in an indifferent tone.

“I am scheduled to personally accompany the examination.”

“…… Huh?”

It was an unexpected business trip between the two.