episode_0021

There was silence for a moment.

What? You want me to become a mafia member?

Hye-yoon’s eyes sparkled with anticipation.

I think this is the first time in my life I’ve seen Hye-yoon’s eyes sparkle like this.

I looked into Hye-yoon’s eyes and shook my head.

“No way. That’s out of the question. Why would I do the mafia?”

“Oh, no. I’m not telling you to go to a field job where you shoot guns and bury people. Our organization also has office workers… and white-collar workers who work in front of computers. What do you think?”

Hmm. If I were a person who was swayed by money, it would have been a pretty attractive offer.

However, I am a person who believes that I will not get involved in crime or illegal activities.

I looked into Hye-yoon’s eyes, smiled in vain, and answered.

“I’ll take it as a joke. Hye-yoon. Listen to me. If I join this organization, I’ll become your subordinate. Right?”

“Huh? That’s not it. Why are you my subordinate? I just want to work together.”

“No. That’s how things are supposed to work out. After all, there is a hierarchy in an organization.”

Hyeyoon kept her mouth shut and remained silent, as if she couldn’t think of anything to say in rebuttal.

I continued talking to try to persuade Hye-yoon.

“If I join this organization, our relationship will be ruined. I appreciate your willingness to help me, but I will only accept your willingness.”

Hyeyoon bit her lips and glared at me. Then, as if she couldn’t think of anything to say in rebuttal, she got up and strode over to sit in her chair.

“Okay. Then do whatever you want. I’m a living Buddha just by helping you so far.”

It seems crooked.

This won’t work. I have to appease Hye-yoon.

I approached Hye-yoon and started tickling her.

“Are you upset? Are you upset? Huh?”

“Not broken.”

Hyeyoon answered gloomily, avoiding my gaze.

You keep avoiding my gaze…. That’s why you’re cute.

When I felt like it wasn’t working and tickled her more, only then did Hye-yoon’s mouth break into a smile.

Eventually, Hye-yoon, unable to overcome the ticklishness, shook me off and whined.

“Why are you like this? Seriously. Are you a pervert?”

“No. That’s not it. I’m just joking. I used to do this a lot when I was little.”

“Don’t tickle me. Are you a kid? How long have you been playing pranks?”

Just then there was a knock.

-Knock. Knock. Knock.

I quickly stepped back while tickling Hye-yoon’s nape.

Someone came into the office without Hye-yoon even asking them to come in.

There is only one person who can enter Hye-yoon’s office so openly. It’s Alex.

Alex cleared his throat and opened his mouth politely.

“I’m sorry the boss is having a good time. I have an important report to report to you…….”

The atmosphere feels awkward when Alex suddenly comes in after just a moment of chatting.

We weren’t kissing or doing anything rude… Hmm.

I quickly moved away from Hye-yoon and sat down on the sofa.

Alex, who had been staring at me with hostile eyes, tried to be polite and opened his mouth again.

“I have an important report to give to the boss. It’s something that would be embarrassing for Seongwon to hear…. Could you please leave?”

Ah. So you want me to leave?

I jumped up and tried to leave the office.

Then Hyeyoon, who was resting her chin on her hand and staring at me, spoke in a grumbling voice.

“When I get home, I want to eat chicken.”

Then Alex lifted his glasses and glared at me with even more hostility.

This won’t work. If I stay here any longer, that bespectacled Bin Hye-yoon fanboy will glare at me even more.

I didn’t even answer and quickly left the office.

***

That moment.

Yeonlim was lying in her room, blankly staring up at the ceiling.

There was a faint bruise on my cheek, but… in the end, it was over with Seokjong.

Through this experience, I have clearly realized that meeting good people comes first, whether it be money or anything else.

Was I really that bad at judging people?

Yeonlim closed her eyes tightly and reflected on her choices.

Seokjong didn’t treat Yeonrim like that from the beginning. Before they started dating, when they were just flirting, he was kind and considerate to Yeonrim. At that time, he was the coolest guy anyone could think of.

So I was able to choose Seokjong without any hesitation, ignoring Sungwon. Even if I got cursed at for being a cheater or a transfer, I had no regrets at the time. Moreover, Seokjong had a lot of money in his family.

As expected, when Yeon-rim broke up with Seong-won and started dating Seok-jong in earnest, Seok-jong started to show his true colors. Handcuffs, cheating, unwanted sex, ignoring, etc…

Yeonlim, who was lying down and sobbing, regretting her choice, took out her phone and started surfing the web.

News about Bin Hye-yoon and Yoo Seol-hee caught my eye.

The friendship between the two women seems to have attracted quite a bit of attention from the media.

It was a meeting between the most successful mafia boss and the daughter of a wealthy family who attracts everyone’s attention…

Bin Hye-yoon rarely gets in the media.

The mafia profession itself was not a profession that was friendly to the media. But seeing Bin Hye-yoon on the news like this, it was clear that she had allowed the media to report on her friendship with Yoo Seol-hee.

Yeonlim didn’t know what was going on. She didn’t know why Seongwon was between those two women.

Seongwon, who is stuck between two successful women, looks happy in the photo.

How much did Seongwon get from this connection?

What will Seongwon do for a living in the future? Will those talented women introduce him to a good job?

How close is Seongwon with those girls? Can I become that close?

Why did I insult Seongwon like that and dump him?

Yeonlim hated herself for thinking about money even in that situation.

Yeah. Even so… I hate this miserable life right now. I want to live like Sungwon, surrounded by people like that.

Thinking so, Yeonlim got up from her seat and headed to the bathroom.

I wanted to wash my face and come to my senses.

Yeonlim, who was holding the bathroom doorknob, heard something inside and carefully put her ear to the door.

It seems like my father is talking to someone in the bathroom.

And I noticed that my father has been acting strangely lately.

When the phone rings, he’ll rush out and talk… When I asked him what was going on, he’d often react strangely and sensitively. He’d often come home late at night without even saying what he was doing outside.

Fortunately, the bathroom door was thin and old, so I could hear what was coming from inside if I put my ear to it.

“……Huh? You don’t have time? I mean, it hasn’t even been a week since I started working there.”

“Hwarang Group got involved? I saw that news too. Ah. No way. No matter what, I don’t think they noticed yet.”

“Yes. Bin Hye-yoon hasn’t been to the restaurant yet. Hmm… It seems like we should move a little faster. But we shouldn’t move too quickly. The more we rush, the more we should go back.”

?

Bin Hye-yoon? Hwarang Group?

Has your father lost his mind? Who is he talking to?

Yeon-rim, who had been thinking about Bin Hye-yoon and Yoo Seol-hee just a moment ago, was quite surprised when the same topic came out of her father’s mouth.

Moreover, my father was secretly talking on the phone with the bathroom door locked, as if he was plotting some kind of treason.

Yeonlim hesitated and stepped back.

What are you doing these days, Dad?

***

That night.

I made dinner while waiting for Hye-yoon.

Hyeyoon said she wanted to eat chicken… So tonight’s dinner is chicken stew.

While humming a song while slicing green onions and mincing garlic.

The phone rang. It was a notification that a message had arrived.

-Please give me a call. Do you know a public phone?

A message from Seolhee.

She’s unnecessarily sensitive. But even so, there’s no way Hye-yoon would tap my phone, right?

I scratched the back of my head and frowned, then put on a windbreaker and went outside.

Anyway, if I call Seol-hee right away on this phone, I don’t think she’ll pick up.

It was very fortunate that there was a public phone near Hye-yoon’s house.

I put a coin into the public phone and called Seol-hee.

“Huh? What’s going on? I was making dinner, you’re annoying me. ”

Then Seol-hee answered the phone with a happy voice.

“Oh my. Really? What were you making?”

“Chicken stew. Because Hyeyoon wanted to eat chicken.”

“Mr. Seongwon is a kind man. He even cooks for his girlfriend.”

Seol-hee whispered that and giggled.

You call her your girlfriend?

I answered bluntly.

“Not my girlfriend yet.”

“Not yet? So you’re saying we’ll date someday?”

“You called to make a pun?”

“No. Of course not.”

Seol-hee stopped laughing and remained silent for a moment before carefully opening her mouth.

“This Saturday is my birthday. I’m planning a small, simple birthday party with only a few people I know. Can you come?”

“New, birthday party?”

Um… It’s the birthday party of a rich girl. I don’t think it’s a place I should be attending.

I have to refuse.

I hesitated for a moment about how to refuse, then tried to open my mouth leisurely.

“I’ll just accept your heart. I don’t think this is a place for me.”

“Why?”

“No. You’re a chaebol girl and I’m…just a guy living a miserable life. I don’t fit in as a guest. And I don’t think I’m close enough to you to be invited to your birthday party.”

“…….You think so? That’s disappointing.”

“Yeah.”

“I thought I was close to you? Was I mistaken?”

The feeling of disappointment seemed genuine. Seol-hee’s voice calmed down a little.

When I was too embarrassed to say anything, Seol-hee continued speaking.

“I don’t have many friends. That’s the life of a chaebol family. No one approaches me because they genuinely want me. Most people approach me because of my family’s money or reputation.”

“…….”

“So I’m disillusioned with humans. How many people really care about me and want me?”

After hesitating for a moment, I answered.

“Me going alone? What about Hyeyoon?”

“Bin Hye-yoon?”

“Yeah. Hyeyoon is…….”

How should I explain it? How can I make Seol-hee understand the relationship between me and Hye-yoon?

I tapped my fingers nervously on the wall of the public telephone box and continued speaking.

“If I go alone, Hye-yoon will really hate it. She can’t stand feeling upset with me.”

Then Seol-hee’s voice became cold.

“No matter what, I don’t want to invite the mafia to my birthday party.”

“Then I can’t go either, right?”

“Can’t you keep it a secret from Bin Hye-yoon and come alone?”

After thinking for a moment, I came up with a realistic answer.

“Impossible.”

“Why?”

“If I leave the house at night, Hyeyoon will find out where I went.”

“Are you living like that, being held captive by Bin Hye-yoon? Why are you living like that? Bin Hye-yoon treats you so well? Huh? Can’t you think and act on your own?”

Seol-hee kept nagging me.

To be honest, what Seol-hee said is true. But honestly, I still have a hard time controlling Hye-yoon.

These days, I’ve been able to honestly express my feelings to Hye-yoon and tell her things I don’t like.

That’s why it’s still too early to lie to Hye-yoon and go to Seol-hee’s birthday party alone.

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

“People’s emotions aren’t something I can control. Hyeyoon still has a lot of childish aspects.”

“She’s the same now as she was in the Saehui Hope Orphanage. She thinks that the only decent person in the world is Seongwon. In some ways, she’s even more pessimistic than I am.”

There was silence for a moment.

Finally, Seol-hee opened her mouth in an uncomfortable voice.

“……Okay. Then I’ll invite Bin Hye-yoon too. I’ll send an official invitation, so just know that.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Anyway, I have to become close with Bin Hye-yoon now.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

“Huh. Idiot.”

And so the call ended.

Before we knew it, darkness had settled over the world.

***

An hour later.

As soon as Hye-yoon got off work and sat down on the sofa, she took off her socks and fell asleep.

“Ah- I’m tired. The kids below me really don’t listen.”

“Should I rub your shoulders?”

“It’s done.”

As I placed the pot of chicken stew on the table, Hyeyoon took off her pants and came over to me, sniffing around.

“Oh my. It smells delicious.”

“You change your clothes properly. If you go around in your underwear again, I won’t give you food.”

“No. I want to eat it right now.”

“Listen to me quickly.”

After a long time, I went back to my Saehui Hope Orphanage days and gave her a serious nagging.

When I straightened my face, Hye-yoon blew air into her mouth and went into her room to change her clothes.

So we sat down at the table.

“Yuseolhee’s birthday party?”

When I brought up the story that Yoo Seol-hee had invited us, Hye-yoon tilted her head.

Of course, I didn’t say that Seol-hee had only intended to invite me at first. I just lied from the beginning and said that Seol-hee had invited both of us.

Hyeyoon put down her chopsticks, smiled faintly, and muttered as if it was funny.

“The daughter of a wealthy family seems to want to become friends with us. But it’s a bit unexpected.”

“What?”

“I thought the Yoo Seol-hee I know would secretly invite only you.”

……sharp.

So she’s Black Emily’s boss after all.

I was surprised and my face turned pale. Fortunately, however, Hye-yoon didn’t seem to sense anything suspicious when she saw my face.

“I have to go since Miss invited me. I think I’ll have a lot of fun if I get a hold of her connections.”

“I guess so?”

Hyeyoon nodded, smiled, and whispered.

“The chicken is well cooked. It’s delicious.”