episode_0010

………sigh.

I was wondering where I had seen this woman…

She was the daughter of Hwarang Group Chairman Yoo Seon-ho.

Yes. I saw it on TV news. They said she was Chairman Yoo’s favorite daughter. And she was an influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers on Starstar…

As expected, it wasn’t an ordinary interview.

I felt a sense of disappointment inside me.

Well then, there’s no way such a great and big company would hire me.

Damn… I came here because they asked me to do an interview… As expected.

By the way… Her name was Yoo Seol-hee. She happened to be the same age as me.

As soon as I found out Yoo Seol-hee’s age, I felt a little upset again.

While some people worry about how to make a living from day to day, others are born with a silver spoon in their mouths and don’t have to worry about food and shelter… Wow. They say money is the best thing in the world, but when I actually met the fourth generation of a chaebol, I was a little shocked.

“My offer still stands.”

Yoo Seol-hee opened her mouth like that.

“What do you suggest?”

“I don’t know about you, but… Bin Hye-yoon is a very dangerous person. Bin Hye-yoon is trying to dominate everyone. In this situation, information is very urgent. And we really need someone to help us. Please cooperate with me.”

“Is the price of cooperation just a job at a Hwarang Group affiliate?”

“That’s it for now. If you cooperate more here, I can give you money.”

under-

How dare you try to tempt me with money.

……Honestly, if it were like before, I might have been shaken.

But I have something I got from Hye-yoon right now. Honestly, if I just change my mind a little, I’m not in a situation where I have to worry about money.

I thought it wouldn’t work, so I decided to show the card.

“Miss. You come from a wealthy family, so you know what this is, right?”

I waved the golden card I had received from Hye-yoon in front of her eyes.

Yoo Seol-hee seemed a little surprised when she saw the card.

“Oh my……. That card…….”

“Do I look like someone who would sell out their close friend for money? Yes?”

“That’s not the card that Seongwon has. Did Bin Hye-yoon give it to you?”

Damn. I was trying to bluff like my card, but it didn’t work.

Of course, Yoo Seol-hee must have investigated how much wealth I have.

Both Hye-yoon and this woman are really good at talking behind other people’s backs.

I stood up abruptly and answered coldly.

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the story so far. Hyeyoon may be a dangerous mafia. But I can’t betray her.”

“I’m not asking you to betray me. I’m asking you to keep a minimum level of morality.”

“Dori? I’m just an ordinary citizen. You guys figure that out-”

“How long do you think Bin Hye-yoon will protect you?”

Suddenly, Yoo Seol-hee opened her eyes and asked.

Hmm? What does this mean?

When I couldn’t answer and just opened and closed my mouth, Yoo Seol-hee continued speaking proudly.

“I don’t know what happened to you and Bin Hye-yoon at Saehui Hope Orphanage. There might have been something special. Mr. Woo Sung-won. You said you were an ordinary citizen, right? Yes. That’s right. But do you think you could handle Bin Hye-yoon?”

“…….”

“If you feel like it can’t be helped, Bin Hye-yoon can kill you too. Bin Hye-yoon is that kind of person.”

Ugh… What does this woman know…

For a moment, I became very angry.

But I tried to keep my composure and answered.

“You don’t know anything. Seol-hee, who grew up in a wealthy family and was always well-off? Have you seen a child under the age of ten who couldn’t even cry because he didn’t have food to eat? Have you seen a small child enduring the cold winter with summer clothes? Hye-yoon and I are people who have lived through those times. You don’t know anything. What kind of past we endured.”

When I finally got excited and started talking, Yoo Seol-hee opened her eyes like a cat and looked at me silently.

I guess I need to make my intentions clear.

“Even though Hye-yoon is a mafia boss now, she hasn’t changed one bit since then. So you have no reason to interfere with Hye-yoon and I. And I have no intention of betraying Hye-yoon. Can I go now?”

Yoo Seol-hee bit her lip at my sarcastic answer.

The daughter of a wealthy family seemed to be a little jealous.

I read the emotions in Yoo Seol-hee’s eyes.

Yes. You must have grown up preciously as the daughter of a wealthy family. You must have never experienced your request being rejected so coldly.

But in the end, because this woman was the one who betrayed Hye-yoon… I had no choice but to go out hard.

No matter what, Hye-yoon was one of my few close friends. It was unimaginable for me to betray a friend.

Yoo Seol-hee, who was glaring at me with slightly bloodshot eyes, let out a deep sigh.

“I guess I was too naive. Yes. I’m sorry. I thought you were too funny.”

huh?

What kind of strategy is this?

When I was looking at him with a dumbfounded expression.

I could hear the sound of high heels clicking louder outside the door.

Huh? Who else is coming?

-bang!!

Someone came in noisily, kicking the door open.

It was Bin Hye-yoon.

***

Hot.

It’s really hot.

How did Hye-yoon know about this place?

I sat up in surprise. So did Yoo Seol-hee, who was sitting across from me.

It was the first time I saw Hye-yoon look like that.

The energy of a mafia boss was radiating from her eyes very strongly. Hye-yoon glared at Yoo Seol-hee, who was sitting across from me, as if she was going to eat her.

It won’t work.

First of all, I have to somehow appease Hye-yoon.

I quickly approached Hye-yoon and tried to speak to her casually.

“What are you doing here? I told you I had an interview. How did you get here?…… Huh?”

I approached Hye-yoon without thinking and was startled when I saw the people standing behind her.

A group of mafiosi dressed in dark suits and carrying rifles and pistols were gathered there.

Aww. Shit. The atmosphere is no joke.

What should I do with this?

When I made an embarrassed expression, Hye-yoon opened her mouth.

“I heard there’s a strange and unique interview going on. I came to check it out.”

“Huh?”

“Nothing happened, right?”

Hyeyoon reached out and touched my cheek, whispering.

“Nothing happened.”

Phew… Thankfully, it doesn’t seem like Hye-yoon is angry at me or anything.

Strangely, I felt like I had committed a sin.

Hye-yoon and I aren’t dating and I didn’t cheat on her… Why do I feel so hurt?

Anyway, I wanted to prevent things from getting out of hand here, so I added something in a fluster.

“Okay. Okay. The interview is over now. You can go home. Why did you bring the mafia members here? Let’s go back. Okay?”

As Hye-yoon reached behind her, the mafia member standing behind her quickly took out a thin, long cigarette and handed it to her.

Hye-yoon, who had a cigarette in her mouth, lit it with a lighter and approached Yoo Seol-hee.

Oops. What kind of accident are you trying to do here?

Hye-yoon stood in front of Yoo Seol-hee.

There was a tense, suffocating silence.

Hyeyoon, who was standing alone with her arms crossed and her face tilted, stared at Yoo Seolhee’s face without saying anything.

Yoo Seol-hee, who was very scared, looked like she was about to cry.

A minute passed like that, which felt like an hour.

Hyeyoon didn’t say anything.

“Hoo-”

Hyeyoon blew cigarette smoke into Yoo Seolhee’s face and turned around.

“Let’s go back. Tell everyone to go back. I’ll go out separately.”

When Hye-yoon gave that cold order, the mafia members bowed their heads and quickly dispersed.

It’s not like the mafia, it’s like the military. They move in unison at Hye-yoon’s orders.

Phew… Anyway, it looks like nothing major will happen.

Of course, Hye-yoon also knows who Yoo Seol-hee is.

Even if it’s Hye-yoon, she can’t openly harm a girl from Hwarang Group.

Hye-yoon, who was moving further away from Yoo Seol-hee, held my hand and opened her mouth again.

“It’s a little early, but let’s have dinner together. I have something to ask you. What do you think?”

“Yeah. I don’t want to eat something that’s too expensive?”

“I know you have a taste for elementary schoolers. How was the interview?”

A meaningful question in many ways.

I glanced at the face of Yoo Seol-hee, who was standing over there, and answered cleverly.

“It wasn’t good. I think I lost my job.”

“Yeah. Well… I’ll do better next time. Wait… Oh my. My shoelaces are untied again?”

Huh? Was that so?

Hyeyoon crouched down in front of me and slowly tied my shoelaces.

It’s a slow but delicate movement.

I didn’t know that Yoo Seol-hee was staring at the sight.

Before leaving the room, Hye-yoon suddenly spoke to Yoo Seol-hee.

“The girl from Hwarang Group there.”

“Yes?”

Hyeyoon, who was staring at Yoo Seolhee, smiled as if she found the lyrics funny and added.

“Please give my regards to Chairman Yoo of Hwarang Group. He may he live long and prosper.”

“Huh? Oh. Yes…….”

This is not a request to say hello.

It’s a very subtle threat. A mafia-style subtle threat.

I wanted to get out of there quickly.

Hyeyoon giggled behind my back and said to me.

“You still have a thick back. You were like that when you were young.”

***

As Woo Sung-won and Bin Hye-yoon left, Seol-hee’s legs gave out and she collapsed on the spot.

I underestimated Bin Hye-yoon so much.

He is truly an unimaginable human being.

Seol-hee couldn’t escape Bin Hye-yoon’s gaze, the gaze that seemed like it was going to devour her.

For the first time in my life, I felt the fear of dying.

Yes……Bin Hye-yoon is a person who staged a coup at the young age of 23, took over an organization, and unified that world. You should never think of her as an ordinary 23-year-old woman.

Seol-hee, who had lost all strength in her legs and sat down for a while with her shoulders shaking, took out her phone and called the security guards via text message.

She held her trembling little hands tightly.

Seol-hee smiled brightly, looking at her small fist with blue veins protruding from it.

Yeah. I’m not the kind of woman to back down here.

I have an interesting opponent.

***

A small pork belly restaurant.

Hyeyoon rented out the entire restaurant. So, aside from Hyeyoon and me sitting at the table, there were no other customers.

“Do you rent a restaurant every time you eat out?”

When I asked, Hye-yoon answered while wiping her hands with a towel.

“There are safety reasons too……. I really hate bumping into strangers in restaurants. I have enough memories of gathering in restaurants and eating with others when I was young.”

Ah. That’s a story from the days at Saehui Hope Orphanage.

I smiled without realizing it and tried to open my mouth leisurely. I wanted to change the mood.

“Why is it a pork belly restaurant?”

“I thought you didn’t like expensive restaurants. So I made it for you.”

“Why me honey?”

“Think of it as a nickname. Do you want to call me honey too?”

“…….No. Okay.”

Samgyeopsal and makchang were placed on a clean stone plate. The meat was cooked deliciously, making a sizzling sound.

While I was grilling meat with tongs, Hyeyoon opened her mouth.

“How far did that woman ask?”

“I wasn’t asking anything special…. I think I was just trying to get some information?”

“So you answered?”

“No. I didn’t answer a single one. I’m not that disloyal.”

Hyeyoon, who was resting her chin on her hand, smiled brightly.

It was a clear smile that showed no emotion for the first time in a while.

“You wouldn’t kill that girl or anything, would you?”

When I asked, Hye-yoon blinked her eyes and stared at me. Then she sighed and answered.

“Hwarang Group is not such an easy opponent. The current Speaker of the National Assembly is Yoo Seol-hee’s maternal grandfather. Yoo Seol-hee’s family is a perfect family that combines the power of the conglomerate and the power of politics. Of course, I can’t do whatever I want with Yoo Seol-hee.”

Hyeyoon said that and then paused for a moment before adding:

“……If it wasn’t Yoo Seol-hee but some other ordinary woman in that room earlier, a bullet hole would have appeared in her forehead right away.”

As expected, that girl came from a very wealthy family.

I thought as I turned the meat over.

I wonder if I treated that girl too harshly. If I turned that girl into an enemy for no reason…

Um… No. Anyway, Yoo Seol-hee is a tree I can’t climb. It’s a relationship that I can’t become close with or continue with, so it’s strange to care about that.

Hyeyoon said as she wrapped the lettuce in lettuce and handed it to me.

“Okay. I’ll give you some. Eat it.”

Hmm. Okay.

I quickly took it and put it in my mouth.

The ssam is delicious. The meat is cooked chewy and tender. Hmm… Huh? What, what does this taste like?

I felt a spicy taste spreading inside my mouth.

Ah. Fuck. This is fucking spicy.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer, so I coughed and gulped down the water.

The green chili peppers in the wrap were so spicy. It felt like my tongue was on fire.

“Oh my gosh……. Why is it so spicy? What is this? Ah. This is driving me crazy.”

As I was stamping my feet, unable to stand the spiciness, Hyeyoon, who had been staring at me with one hand on her chin, opened her mouth.

“I put in a lot of spicy green chili peppers.”

“What the? Huh……..”

Hyeyoon stretched out her hand and stroked my head, muttering in an emotionless voice.

“I feel resentful when I see you sitting across from that girl in a small room. Is it spicy?”

“Ah….. Spicy…….”

Hyeyoon smiled and muttered.

“You don’t need any other women, right?”