CH 54.1

After getting in the elevator of an eight-story building in the heart of the entertainment district, he pressed the button on the topmost floor and put the keycard underneath it. With the sound of the card being accepted, the elevator quickly ascended to the eighth floor.

As soon as the door opened and they walked inside, the guys that were talking while sitting on the sofa in the middle of the lobby stopped what they were doing and reflexively got up.

After greeting Woo-nam, the men cast their curious gaze on Yoo-hwa. She had a pretty face, but she was not the type to be in the world of prostitution.

The face without a touch of makeup, the plain outfit, and the neatly tied hairstyle did not suit this place at all.

“Where is hyung-nim?”

Woo-nam asked.

“He’s inside.”

“Go back to what you were doing.”

After telling them not to pay them any more attention, Woo-nam took Yoo-hwa and headed to the innermost side. After knocking on the door, an answer could be heard coming from the inside.

“You can go in.”

Woo-nam took a step back after saying that.

Yoo-hwa grabbed the shiny doorknob. Unlike the glow it gave off, the silver doorknob was cold. Thinking that even such a small thing resembled its owner, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

A bright light poured in through the glass window, from the rainy sky that had at some point cleared up. He was standing in the middle of a large space that had only a large desk and an office sofa. Whether he had been contacted in advance that she was coming, there was no hint of surprise on his face.

Yoo-hwa’s cold gaze turned to Woo-hyun. The light pouring from the window was so strong that she couldn’t see his face properly, but everything else was roughly visible.

A pomade hairstyle that exposed his forehead, a neat suit, and even a luxurious watch and shoes.

Yoo-hwa stood at the entrance, looking at the appearance that she still hadn’t gotten used to.

“I got fired.”

Yoo-hwa stared at Woo-hyun and spoke in a monotonous voice.

“Thanks to having those scary people near the company.”

“…”

“It’s amazing that I lasted this much.”

“…”

“It was a routine I had just found. I worked adequately, and I also received my salary…”

Yoo-hwa’s voice distorted little by little.

“You must have even received a confession.”

Woo-hyun, who was standing with his hands in the pockets of his pants, interrupted her with a low voice. It wasn’t difficult to know who he was talking about. There was no way Woo-hyun didn’t understand the subtle energy that flowed between her and Dong-min.

“… Yeah. I also got something like a confession.”

Yoo-hwa admitted obediently. Although it didn’t lead to anything.

“That’s how I was slowly getting ready to live a normal life. Like I had been eagerly hoping for a long time. Kim Yi-woon is gone, so there’s no one to torment me anymore. But it’s a bit difficult because of your people. How much more do you want to torment me? Kim Yi-woon is dead. What more can I…”

Whether she was choking up on emotions, Yoo-hwa shut her mouth while she was speaking.

“It’s not that. I’m not tormenting you.”

“So you’re telling me to have fun? No, you’re not. So take away the people you put around me. Take those people and take care of the people who are trying to trouble me.”

“…”

“Don’t cast your shadow on my life anymore.”

“…”

“I really want to live like a normal person now.”

Even though she finished speaking, she didn’t get an answer from Woo-hyun. Woo-hyun’s face was still not properly visible, and there was no movement coming from him. Time passed meaninglessly. The air sank slightly heavily. It was time for her to say that she was leaving.

“… Did you accept it?”

His abated voice came first.

“That man’s confession.”

Yoo-hwa clenched her fists tightly at Woo-hyun’s sudden question.

“Why are you curious about that?”

“I asked if you accepted it.”

“Why? Is there any reason why I shouldn’t accept it?”

“…”

“Can’t you tolerate me being happy yet? Or do you feel sorry for that person for being involved with a woman like me?”

Yoo-hwa asked with a smile of self-scorn.

However, Woo-hyun did not have an answer this time either. He seemed like he wasn’t listening properly to what she was saying.

He was still selfish. Doing what he wanted, saying what he wanted, as he wanted. Leaving a mess like this.

Yoo-hwa, who was on the verge of tears, clenched her fists. Her emotions, which did not fluctuate no matter what, became restless as if they had been pricked as soon as she faced Woo-hyun, and a sense of misery rushed in.

Although she thought she was okay now, it seemed like proof that she wasn’t okay at all.

It seemed that she still hadn’t freed herself from Sin Woo-hyun.

“Aah.”

Yoo-hwa, who let out a long sigh as if to clear her thoughts, turned her gaze out of the window. As the bright afternoon light pierced her eyes, strangely enough, her heart calmed down a little. She closed her squinting eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, Yoo-hwa’s calm expression returned, as it was at the beginning.

“What are we talking about right now… Forget what I just said. And just remember what I said earlier. Take care of it. And also.”

“…”

“Let’s really go back to the time when we didn’t know each other.”

“…”

“I came here because I thought I really had to speak to you about this face-to-face. If this happens again next time, I don’t know what I will do. It was enough that I suffered with Kim Yi-woon. I’ll get going.”

Yoo-hwa, who was trying to get herself together, turned around and approached the door, grabbing the doorknob. The door wasn’t half-opened when it closed in an instant, with a thud. A dark shadow fell behind her back. Her heart thumped with an eerie feeling. She saw the large hand that had closed the door again.