episode_0023

“Yes?”

I was so surprised that I put down the plate I was holding.

You want Hye-yoon to take care of you?

But why does this kid speak informally to me when we first meet? Does he know me?

When I made a face that said I didn’t understand, that guy named Han Hyun-ho put his hands in his pockets and continued speaking confidently.

“Bin Hye-yoon is a rising star. Even if she’s a mafia, she’s attractive enough. She’s also pretty good-looking… and she’s also quite wealthy. Right?”

“Do you know it’s normal to get involved with the mafia? You get shot while you’re sleeping.”

When I stood in front of him and answered in a grumbling voice, that guy named Han Hyun-ho smiled and answered like a beer CF model.

“Actually, a special person like me doesn’t need an ordinary woman. I need a special woman who only I can control. In that sense, Bin Hye-yoon fits all the criteria. Are you close friends with Bin Hye-yoon?”

“…….Well. It’s still like that…….”

Han Hyun-ho swept back his long hair, which he had grown into a bob cut.

At first glance, he seems like the type who lives and dies for his own self-indulgence. He’s like some second-rate conglomerate idiot…….

Ugh. This is annoying. Let’s stop talking.

As I thought that and turned around, he came up to me and put his hand on my shoulder.

“If you build a bridge between me and Bin Hye-yoon, I will pay you a sufficient price. What do you think?”

“No. Do what you want. I’m not interested in that kind of thing.”

“Oh. Are you… secretly in love with Bin Hye-yoon?”

Ugh. You crazy bastard. Let’s stop talking.

What kind of guy is this? Is he overly self-conscious?

While we were having such an annoying conversation, Hye-yoon appeared on the other side.

Hyeyoon approached me very slowly and leisurely.

“How was the party? Where did the lady go?”

Then, Han Hyun-ho leisurely ran his hand through his hair again and opened his mouth with a feeling.

“Ah. Nice to meet you, Hye-yoon. My name is Han Hyeon-ho, the nephew of the chairman of the Laance Group. Do you like the party?”

Then, Hyeyoon, who was looking back and forth between me and Han Hyeonho, frowned slightly and answered.

“Who are you? Do we know you?”

As expected, it’s Hye-yoon… Damn. She’s so unstoppable.

Han Hyun-ho seemed slightly flustered by Hye-yoon’s reaction. He tried to respond in a polite voice.

“I’ve wanted to meet Hye-yoon for a long time. I’ve heard she’s a very attractive person. I’m so happy to meet you in person. She’s even more beautiful in person than rumors say.”

However, Hye-yoon didn’t seem to have even the slightest interest in the author named Han Hyeon-ho.

Hyeyoon quickly linked arms with me and whispered softly.

“I think it was worth coming to this party today. As expected, Yoo Seol-hee was just a long-term player.”

“What?”

“I’ll tell you more details when I get home.”

Hyeyoon covered her mouth and giggled.

Then, Han Hyeon-ho, who was standing behind us, seemed really excited.

His face turned bright red. If it had been cold, steam would have been pouring out of his ears.

“Excuse me. I’m not done talking yet!”

Han Hyun-ho’s voice grew louder.

Hyeyoon, who had been linking arms with me and then turned her head to glare at Han Hyeonho, opened her mouth.

“What are you?”

Oops. Hye-yoon is angry. Light is radiating from her eyes.

When Hye-yoon gets angry, the look in her eyes changes.

Oops. There was a commotion all around. People’s eyes were focused on it.

Seol-hee, who was talking to someone over there, smelled an ominous smell and quickly came over.

“What’s going on? What’s going on?”

Han Hyeon-ho, frightened by Hye-yoon’s gaze, took a step back.

Seeing the situation, Seol-hee seemed to immediately realize what had happened.

Seol-hee quickly grabbed Hye-yoon’s hand and comforted her in a very small voice.

“I’m the nephew of the chairman of the human Laance Group… I’m originally a womanizer. Hye-yoon? Just endure it for now. Don’t cause trouble here. Got it? ”

“…….”

Hyeyoon, who had been silent for a long time, shook Seolhee off and answered.

“Okay. I’m done. I’m going home. Seongwon. Should I go too?”

Huh? Already?

It hasn’t been that long since you arrived at the party?

Wouldn’t it be rude to go now?

I answered, scratching the back of my head.

“Isn’t it too early to go? It hasn’t even been thirty minutes since I got here.”

Then Seol-hee quickly came to me and whispered.

“Yeah. It’s my birthday party… Let’s play a little longer and then go. Okay?”

Seol-hee’s voice is slightly coquettish.

It seems Hyeyoon didn’t like Seolhee’s voice, which sounded like she was trying to show off.

Hyeyoon left the room alone, without making a sound, just making a clicking sound.

It’s crooked. That’s for sure.

As Hyeyoon quickly walked forward, the crowd split in half. Everyone was avoiding Hyeyoon.

Hyeyoon, who gives off such a scary aura, is burdensome to even be around.

Ah. This is annoying.

It’s really tiring to please Hye-yoon.

Because I have a really moody personality. I had signs of that when I was young, but it’s gotten worse now.

Seol-hee opened her mouth as she watched Hye-yoon’s back quickly moving away.

“Bin Hye-yoon looks like she’s in a bad mood.”

I wanted to answer, “It’s because of you…….,” but I kept my mouth shut.

Because it was Seol-hee’s birthday. I didn’t want to say anything rude. She even invited me to the party.

Then, Han Hyeon-ho, who had retreated to the other side, approached us again.

He held out the glass to Seol-hee and opened his mouth in his characteristically sentimental tone.

“Seolhee, happy birthday. Thank you for throwing such a great party today. You are still beautiful. When you have time, have dinner with me separately……….”

What the heck? This guy? Is he going to do something to Seol-hee too?

But Seol-hee also completely ignored the guy’s existence.

Seol-hee whispered in my ear in a small voice.

“Seongwon-ah. I have something to say. Let’s go to the terrace in the hallway over there.”

Seol-hee grabbed my wrist and walked quickly.

What? Where are you taking me?

Then, Han Hyun-ho, who was ignored by women twice in a row, screamed with his face turned red.

“Fuck! Damn it! Ah. I’m pissed.”

Fortunately, everyone’s eyes were on Han Hyeon-ho, so Seol-hee and I were able to go outside without being noticed.

Ego…… poor guy.

It would be better to openly disagree. To be treated like an invisible person so blatantly… tsk.

***

That moment.

Yeonrim’s house.

Yeonlim’s family was eating a late dinner.

The dining table was quiet.

Finally, as if unable to bear the silence, Yeonlim spoke first.

“Dad. What are you doing these days?”

“Huh? Didn’t I tell you that I got a job as a facility manager at a restaurant?”

“That’s not it.”

Yeonlim put down her spoon and glared at her father.

Yeonrim’s mother asked with a hollow laugh.

“Yeonlim-ah. What’s going on? Is your dad cheating on you? Huh?”

Yeonlim’s mother doesn’t know anything.

Yeonrim continued to glare at her father before continuing.

“I know that Dad has a lot of debt. I also know that our family is in a terrible situation right now. But……. Dad. Don’t do anything dangerous. Okay?”

Shin Man-sik felt sincerity in his daughter’s voice and tried to answer in a playful manner.

“What, what are you talking about? Yeonlim? Where did you hear that strange thing? What dangerous thing am I doing?”

Yeonlim stood up with her eyes burning brightly.

Then Shin Man-sik asked his daughter in a sarcastic voice.

“You said you’d get a rich man and sell him, but what’s going on with that guy Seokjong these days?”

“……..”

“What happened?”

“We broke up.”

Yeonlim’s mother was surprised and asked Yeonlim.

“What? Really? No. Why?”

“What good is having a lot of money? He’s not even human…….”

Then Shin Man-sik muttered in a more sarcastic voice.

“If you have time to meddle in Dad’s business, why don’t you go find a rich man again? Yeah. Let’s say I do something dangerous. I’m doing it to make a living, so who can I blame now? Yeon-rim, if you find a rich man, I don’t have to do something dangerous, right? Huh?”

“Dad!”

“It’s either all or nothing. Unless a miracle happens here, it’s all over. The house is going to fall over too.”

As soon as Shin Man-sik declared that, Yeon-rim’s mother covered her face with both hands and began to cry.

It seemed like an official declaration had been made.

It is now official that this family has no more successors.

Yeonlim glared at her father with tears welling up in her eyes, then covered her mouth and ran into her room.

Yeonlim, who had been crying for a long time with her face buried in the bed, held the blanket tightly and thought earnestly.

Help me.

Anyone can help me, please.

***

The full moon rose large.

Perhaps because the floor where the party was held was a party hall, there was a terrace that jutted out into the outside, which had quite a nice atmosphere.

We stood there.

Seol-hee closed the terrace door and opened her mouth with a smile.

“The moon is pretty, isn’t it?”

A pure and beautiful smile.

I nodded without realizing it.

But I said I had something to say.

“What do you want to say?”

When I asked, Seol-hee took a deep breath as if she was a little nervous and asked in a clear voice.

“What do you think about Bin Hye-yoon?”

“Huh?”

“Do you like it?”

That’s a blunt question.

Should I answer honestly?

I hesitated for a while and then answered.

“I like it.”

“As a woman?”

That’s a really difficult question.

How should I explain my feelings for Hye-yoon?

I just licked my lips and after a while opened my mouth again.

“You don’t know what happened between me and Hye-yoon. You don’t know what happened between us in the past-”

“No. Don’t tell me about the New Hope Orphanage. I know you guys made some really great memories there.”

This time, Seol-hee seems angry.

Hyeyoon too… Why is Seolhee like this today?

Seol-hee shrugged her shoulders and whispered in a cold voice.

“Yeah. I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so I didn’t have to go through the same hardships as you and Bin Hye-yoon. You guys are really close friends……. Am I just an outsider passing by?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“I don’t know about you, but I have my own set of struggles. How many people do you think really like and care for me among the people at the party today?”

“……”

“It’s all just money, money, money. Miss Yoo Seol-hee is the daughter of Chairman Yoo Seon-ho, so she must have a lot of money. Miss Yoo Seol-hee is loved by the rich, so if she acts friendly, she’ll get a piece of cake. That’s how they all come to me. Do you know how I feel? Everyone at that party looks like a monster to me right now.”

Seolhee must have accumulated quite a lot too.

I never thought I’d explode with emotion like this…

When I looked at Seol-hee in surprise, Seol-hee immediately lowered her head and whispered.

“…….I’m sorry.”

“No.”

There was silence for a moment.

Seol-hee, who had been standing there with her eyes covered with both hands as if she was tired, opened her mouth again.

“I feel comfortable with you. If I were in front of someone else, I wouldn’t have said the same thing.”

“I’m a dirt spoon who looks down on those born with a golden spoon.”

“Yeah. That’s right.”

Seol-hee smiled brightly with slightly teary eyes.

Seol-hee leaned against the terrace railing and asked me.

“So…… Do you think you’ll continue this weird relationship with Bin Hye-yoon like this?”

“I don’t know.”

I really don’t know.

What will happen in the future… How will Hye-yoon’s emotions change?

I also wonder if Hye-yoon and I can maintain our current relationship.

Hyeyoon is a mafia. In the worst case scenario, I could lose my life.

Seol-hee cleared her throat and whispered in a grave voice.

“If you can clear up your relationship with Bin Hye-yoon. If you can do that…. can you be closer to me?”

“What?”

Seol-hee added hurriedly, waving both hands with a red face.

“It’s not like I want to date you or anything. Like I said before, I’m comfortable with you. It’s just that when I see you… I want to take care of you and help you. I want to get closer to you. I want to eat meals with you sometimes, watch movies with you, and chat with you until late at night…. What do you think?”

What are you talking about? Are you drunk? Why are you talking nonsense like this?

I scratched the back of my head, thought about it, and then answered.

“Even if something like that happens, that’s for later. I don’t think I can give you a definite answer right now. Did you call me aside to say that?”

“Huh? Yeah. That’s an important question.”

Seol-hee, whose face turned bright red with pleasure, smiled bashfully.

But will that ever happen?

I don’t think Hye-yoon will… leave me alone.

***

Hye-yoon returned home alone.

Hyeyoon, lying on the sofa without even changing her dress, took out her phone and looked through the photos.

A photo I took with Seongwon at Saehui Hope Orphanage when I was young appeared on my phone screen.

This is a really old picture.

This is a picture of Hye-yoon, who is only nine years old, crying in an unknown place, and Seong-won, who is nine years old, wiping Hye-yoon’s face with his hand.

“Stupid bear.”

Hye-yoon, who was mumbling to herself like that, threw the phone over there.