CH 12.1

Chapter 12 Stranger’s World (1)

There seemed to be a vibration of a phone, and I seemed to hear a voice as well. I couldn’t hear it well as if I was submerged underwater.

I finally opened my eyes when I heard the sound of something like a door being closed. Yeon Woojeong was not in my arms. There was only a paper crane on his pillow.

I immediately woke up since Yeon Woojeong wasn’t by my side. I checked the time. It was 11 o’clock. I slept really well, with no dreams, as if I had compensated for all the sleeplessness. I raised my body and opened the paper crane.

[Going out for a moment. Wait a minute.]

I stared at the cursive writing, then I got out of bed and wore my clothes. I went to the living room and opened the window. I stuck my head out. It seemed like Yeon Woojeong hadn’t left the building yet. I cast my gaze away, and then I staggered.

A man in familiar attire was in front of the entrance to the officetel. It was that man. My heart suddenly ran out of control.

I looked away. Yeon Woojeong, who had just come out, looked around as if looking for the man, then I saw him walk to the entrance.

My heart felt like dropping as he and the man got closer. Yeon Woojeong said that he had met the man once, but there was a big difference between getting told and seeing it directly. I didn’t like it. I terrifically hated it.

Yeon Woojeong and the man stayed at the entrance for a moment. They seemed to talk, but then they went to the café across the road.

I spun around the moment I saw they opened the café door. I ran to the front door, wore my shoes, and went out.

It was hard to stay still while waiting for the elevator. It was stopping on an awkward floor for me to go down using stairs, so I waited impatiently.

I stomped my foot, and I rushed in as soon as the elevator arrived. Fortunately, the elevator didn’t stop and went straight to the first floor.

I immediately ran when the doors opened. The cold wind engulfed me because I didn’t wear any outer clothes, but it felt like my body permeated out the heat.

Yeon Woojeong didn’t say that he would meet the man again today. Then what is it? I couldn’t think of anything else except the man came to him unilaterally.

The red light blocked my steps. I thought of just crossing the road, but I was aware that I was too worked up, so I let out a long breath. I looked at the traffic light for vehicles. I walked forward the moment the yellow light flashed off and changed to red light. The crosswalk traffic light soon turned green.

I crossed the road. Yeon Woojeong could ’t be seen through the glass window. As soon as I opened the door and walked inside, I saw Yeon Woojeong and the man who were in the middle of the café.

Amidst the buzz of the café and the whirring of the blender, everything seemed to slow down, and only where the two of them sat was running normally. Yeon Woojeong said something with an expressionless face and handed out an envelope from his arms. 

Is that money? My heart seemed to pound in my chest. The man took the envelope and opened it. The thing he took out from inside was some paper, and the man said something after reading it. Yeon Woojeong replied briefly.

The man’s eyes turned fierce at that moment. I gasped. I knew of that moment. The moment I was about to take a step closer, the man raised his hand as if he was ready to hit Yeon Woojeong.

I felt numb and dizzy, like the air had been sucked out of my body. I didn’t want Yeon Woojeong to taste even a piece, a drop, of the hell I had lived in.

Everything disappeared as my head turned blank. Today is the time to cut off all this damned tie.

I noticed a silver knife on a nearby table. I strode forward, and I took it as if possessed. As I got closer, the man’s head turned to me. The sunken eyes widened. The face I want to tear into pieces. I raised my hand. 

“Kim Jiho!”

It happened in an instant.

Someone screamed, and I heard a murmur around me as if the water in my ears had drained away in an instant. The man was slumped on the floor, gasping for air, and unharmed. 

I slowly looked away. A white hand was holding the knife blade, and the droplets of blood formed a thin line, wetting the knife. 

Ah. 

I let go of my hand. The bloody knife fell to the floor with a loud clatter. 

It seemed like a strange sound flowed out of my ears. I was out of breath as if I had run for a very long time. I stared blankly at the wounded palm. He clenched his fist.

“There’s no need to report.”

Yeon Woojeong took out his ID card and showed it. He took the bloody knife, approached the owner, and said something. Those sequences ran fast. My fingers trembled, and I felt like sinking down.

“… Mr. Yeon.”

Yeon Woojeong looked back at me at the words I barely managed to let out. He ended the conversation and approached me. He took off the coat he was wearing, wrapped it around my shoulders, then led me outside.

“Mr. Yeon, sorry… I’m sorry…”

I reached for Yeon Woojeong’s hand, which was clenched into a fist. 

“Kim Jiho! Get a grip.”

He dodged my hand and put his arm around my back.

“Calm down and let’s go back for now. It’s okay.”

Yeon Woojeong kept soothing me. I had no idea how I walked. By the time I was able to look around a bit, I was already in front of the house. 

Cold air kicked in as I entered. Yeon Woojeong closed the window and sat me down on the sofa. My body trembled. I only chased after him, who moved busily, with my eyes.

Yeon Woojeong washed his hands, took the first-aid kit, and sat next to me. He showed me his hand.

“It’s nothing. It’s just a little cut.”

As the blood disappeared, I could see a line cutting across his palm. The blood slowly seeped out of that line. Yeon Woojeong put a large band-aid over it. 

I grabbed Yeon Woojeong’s fingers, and I put my forehead on his hand as I saw his palm covered with a band-aid. 

Eventually, I hurt Yeon Woojeong with my own hands.

“Jiho.”

A warm voice rang above my head. I couldn’t stop trembling, and the thing I did made it hard for me to breathe.

Yeon Woojeong stroked my head. The reality was far more terrifying than imagination and dreams. I can’t believe there was a time I imagined choking his neck. It was only an imagination. But this moment, which wasn’t an imagination…

“It’s not your fault.”

Yeon Woojeong penetrated into the messily tangled thoughts. I looked up. He looked down at me with serene eyes that neither feared nor pitied or condemned me.