episode_0091

“Was Jin Saeyuk… a pianist?”

So that’s why Mr. Yoon brought her. Jin Saeyuk.

“Yeah.”

He wanted to create a duet, one not playing the piano, and the other unable to follow the lead.

If it were Professor Baek Joong-eon, he would have taken responsibility for one of them to make them the best…

Mr. Yoon probably decided to straighten out his disobedient son, Jin Saeyuk, even if it meant sending her back home without any prospects.

It must have cost a lot of money, but was money important to him? The person who will support Yoon Jiyu for her dreams is more important.

Listening to the circumstances, Jin Saeyuk becomes even more pitiful. In a way, she was like the unfortunate parallel world’s Jung Siwoo who couldn’t meet Professor Baek Joong-eon.

“What are you doing now?”

“Right now… I’m not sure either. I sneak out to have meals with my dad sometimes. He doesn’t want to tell me. It seems like he’s doing something… ”

Yoon Jiyu tightly closed her eyes.

“She looked really mentally exhausted. She didn’t seem like that before… She looks tired and stressed… ”

Of course, she would. How could she feel good after being abandoned just because she couldn’t play the piano?

But in the process of being abandoned, he must have taken a lot of money, right? If Mr. Yoon used a lawyer to cover that up, I would really be angry.

“I’ve offered to help multiple times. But I keep getting rejected.”

It’s probably because she’s scared that Mr. Yoon will come and tell her not to interfere with their daughter. It’s usually a mother’s role, but since Mr. Yoon has been separated from his wife for a long time…

If the stories I heard today are all true, then Mr. Yoon is confirmed as the most dangerous person. Yoon Jiyu’s danger level will also escalate from a bad woman to a woman with a story.

“When I was young, my father was good to me. Even though my mother wasn’t there, he took care of us really well. But behind that kindness… there’s a devil hiding… It’s an ongoing war.”

“A war… you say?”

“Yeah.”

Yoon Jiyu, who pretends to be a good daughter on the outside, is actually full of thoughts of revenge against her father at any time.

I was utterly dumbfounded by her words.

The story of her being torn apart from Jin Saeyuk is heartbreaking, but how can she plan revenge while doing the same actions as her father, whom she hates so much?

Even if she pretends to be a good daughter at home, shouldn’t she act differently outside?

Her danger level, which was about to fall, was about to rise again to a dangerous woman.

“Sorry. I’ll tell you more when some time has passed.”

In the end, she probably wanted to arouse curiosity, use me happily, and then discard me.

Let’s not be fooled. She mocked me. She wasted my time. She shook me, who was already standing on the edge of a cliff, dangerously close to falling.

Even if it was all just a 50:50 chance, Yoon Jiyu was right to provide a pretext. I shouldn’t weaken my heart.

I pretended to be tired and closed my eyes.

Yoon Jiyu gently messed up my bangs.

“If you’re sleepy, go to sleep first. I’ll drink a little more and then sleep.”

“Okay….”

Go away, demon.

Don’t try to deceive me.

***

In the morning, when I opened my eyes, there was no one in the room.

There was only Yoon Jiyu’s short note left on the memo paper on the bedside table.

“Be careful when you come in. I have an early lesson in the morning, so I’ll go first.”

I tore up the memo paper. And crumpled it up and threw it in the trash can.

I silently shouted ‘I won’t be fooled. I won’t be deceived again.’

In the highest tower in Seoul, there stood a high-rise observation hotel. The view of the wide sky and the Han River spread out beautifully, and as I absentmindedly gazed out the window, I slowly got up.

“…I should go home.”

Sitting in front of the mirror, my hair was a mess beyond words.

Thinking of the times when Kang Hwi used to run his fingers through my hair, I gently combed my long hair from the ends with a brush.

Just as my puffy hair was neatly arranged, my phone rang.

It was Siwoo.

“Hey. What’s up?”

— Where are you?

“Oh. I’m outside.”

— Signiel Hotel?

How did he know? Did he follow me or something?

“How did you know?”

— Yoon Jichang told me.

“…How did Yoon Jichang know that?”

— He said he followed you because he was worried about what the witch might do to you.

Seems like he was worried that his favorite might get eaten by the witch.

— Everything okay?

If he followed me, he must have seen us walking into the same hotel room. Even after hearing the story from Yoon Jichang, Siwoo didn’t bother to ask what happened.

If there was an incident, it must be because he trusted that I would tell him first.

“Yeah, it’s nothing. Yoon Jiyu was drunk, so I brought her up. After putting her to bed, I left first.”

— That’s a relief.

“I’m on my way out now too. I should go home and take a bath….”

Just as I was about to end the call.

— I’ve arranged a stroll at Strelka, and my classes end in the morning, so I don’t have much to do….

It seemed like Jungsio was suggesting to meet up and hang out.

I had showered before going to bed at the hotel, but I might have sweated while sleeping. And with my hair roughly combed and….

The most important thing was not the skirt. It was quite far from Siwoo’s favorite 4th outfit, looking rather sloppy.

When meeting Jungsio, Minchaewon must always look the prettiest and fluffiest, so even if we were to go on a date, it wouldn’t do for now.

This was an absolute promise and rule that could not be broken.

“Shall we meet in 2 hours?”

As soon as I mentioned the exact time, Jungsio was speechless.

Thinking that something was wrong, I called his name a few times, and he stammered in surprise.

— Oh. Oh! Let’s do that. Uh, can I go home in 2 hours?

Thinking that he had come all the way to the hotel lobby to meet me right away, I jokingly threw a casual remark.

“Why are you so surprised? Are you in the hotel lobby right now?”

No response.

Was it real?

Since he didn’t answer, I finished combing my hair and opened the door to the room.

“Hello? I’m going to take the elevator now, so the call might get cut off.”

— Oh. Yeah! See you in 2 hours.

“No! Wait for me there. Just a moment.”

I ended the call and ran to the elevator.

It would be a bit awkward to send back someone who had come all the way here unprepared.

There was a promise that I must always show a perfect appearance in front of Siwoo. What harm would it do to break it just for today?

‘What am I doing right now?’

It’s hard to understand why I’m feeling so anxious.

I look around as if I’m handling explosives. I try to justify it by saying that I need to protect the explosive warehouse from exploding if I stay still.

No need to be surprised. No need to think it’s strange.

Just think of it as doing a job. It’s just a natural thing.

— The door is closing.

It’s a high-speed elevator in a super high-rise building, but today it feels unusually slow.

Siwoo is waiting downstairs. Hurry, hurry and go down. What if the one who took the long steps turns back?

— Lobby floor. The door is opening.

As the elevator door opened, I rushed out, looking around.

‘He’s not here.’

Did he already leave? No, that can’t be. Is he really the type to leave when I tell him to? He must be hiding somewhere, waiting to surprise me.

I immediately closed my eyes. Just like when I was looking for that guy in the lobby of the Hanra Hotel. I equipped myself with Jung Siwoo’s mindset and thought about where he might have gone.

The place where people were most crowded. He must be waiting for Chaewon there. After searching for her in the lobby for a while and eventually giving up, I waited for her to come out through the main entrance…

He’ll attack me from behind. Asking if I was surprised.

If it’s the evolving Jung Siwoo, he’ll definitely do that.

‘In that case.’

Turn the tables on me. I won’t be the one getting the upper hand this time either.

“Excuse me, is there another entrance to the hotel?”

“The way to the parking lot is on the other side.”

“Thank you.”

After asking the bellboy and finding another way out, I passed by the department store attached to the hotel and returned to the hotel entrance.

I cautiously approached closer, lowering my body and constantly scanning the surroundings from a certain distance.

‘There he is.’

Black tousled hair. The guy in the jacket and jeans that I had paid attention to before. He was definitely the one hiding next to the entrance, staring at the revolving door.

I chuckled and slowly approached him from behind.

Raised my hand swiftly.

Slap!

“Surprised?!”

However, the man who turned his head was someone completely different.

The man with a bewildered expression stammered, “W-who are you?”

What, he was the same height and build. Did I mistake him for someone else?

“Oh, I-I’m sorry! I thought you were someone I knew…!”

The man, who was about to get angry, coughed awkwardly and left after looking at my face. He even had a strange smile. Min Chaewon lived because she was pretty.

‘What… It was definitely Jung Siwoo.’

It felt like I was being played by a ghost. How could this happen? It was definitely Jung Siwoo.

I scanned the surroundings, wondering if Siwoo was hiding somewhere and watching this scene, but then I saw something.

I spotted a man looking at me from among the trees, then running away. I couldn’t see his face, but he was dressed similarly. It was undoubtedly Jung Siwoo.

I started running towards him. This time, I’ll catch him and ask—.

“Hey, hey. Where are you rushing off to?”

A large hand gently grabbed my wrist as I was running. I stopped in my tracks and turned my head to see Jung Siwoo there.

He was wearing a hoodie and jeans as usual, not a jacket and jeans.