Chapter 3.4

Even in such distress, her breath came out heavy with sorrow. That apartment was more precious than life to Yoon-jae.

She had saved diligently, from the adult support grant she received upon leaving the orphanage, without spending or eating much, to buy that house. Just looking at it made her happy.

Did she really have to give it up?

It was even more urgent now. To raise a child, it was absolutely necessary. The house was not a luxury but a desperate foundation for her life.

What happened to my brother?

Yoon-jae suddenly thought of Yoon-ryeol. Whether he was still safe, and if so, how she could retrieve him. Not because she wanted to see him, but because she wanted to recover the money somehow.

She had already severed all ties. Perhaps it was since the day Yoon-ryeol injected himself with numerous syringes.

When he urged her to seduce Baek-geon, intending to use her, the familial bond had already flown far away.

He must have set aside some money. If she could find it.

She knew her brother’s habits well, just as Yoon-ryeol had exploited her nature to steal her money, she believed he would have stashed away something somewhere.

After the compassion and sympathy disappeared, only venom remained. Yoon-jae, with eyes sharp as blades, searched her mind.

If he were still alive, she would confront him.

At the end of her unintentional thoughts was the presence of that man. Yoon-jae frowned as she recalled the man who pierced her heart like a thorn.

If she approached him under the pretext of pregnancy, she might learn of Yoon-ryeol’s fate. If he were alive, she could recover the money and reclaim the apartment.

Though she thought it was absurd, she couldn’t help but be drawn to the idea. Somehow, she felt she could coax money out of Yoon-ryeol.

If only he were alive.

Whenever she pondered her brother’s fate, that man appeared like a stumbling block. Her heart ached with every thought.

Yoon-jae suddenly stopped and looked around. She found herself standing on a bustling street. Across the intersection, her gaze landed on a large billboard atop a building.

A movie trailer was rapidly playing on the billboard. It seemed to be an action movie. Yoon-jae watched the actors’ movements blankly, then widened her eyes at the subtitle below.

<We do not negotiate with terrorists>. Seeing that sentence, her mind cleared. She shook her head, realizing she had been standing idly.

She had managed to escape a hellish life. Yet, driven by urgency for money, she considered crawling back to her brother.

Get a grip.

Yoon-jae bit her lip. The cost of indulging in thoughts uncharacteristic of her was high. Suddenly, her entire body felt weak. She grabbed a tree trunk and took deep breaths.

She sensed glances but no one offered help. Yoon-jae smirked. This was the reality she faced.

Even if she closed her eyes and opened them, reality remained a mess. Her attempt to rely on Yoon-ryeol was due to the overwhelming darkness ahead.

She didn’t want to fall back into that nightmare again. Yoon-jae unknowingly placed a hand on her stomach and then quickly withdrew it.

Her heart was heavy and weary. However, she couldn’t break her promise to Cheong-o. She felt she had to inquire about Yoon-ryeol’s safety.

She checked the time on her phone and began walking slowly again. She considered taking a taxi with the fifty thousand won the agent gave her, but she didn’t want to use that money.

Meanwhile, her legs became increasingly stiff. The injury felt swollen again, causing her pace to slow.

As she walked leisurely, time passed slowly. It was only just before the appointed time to meet Cheong-o that Yoon-jae managed to arrive at the restaurant.

*

“Oh, welcome. Geez, is it that hard to have a meal with you?”

Cheong-o greeted her with a smile as they sat across from each other. Yoon-jae fidgeted with the hands she clasped, feeling uncomfortable.

Without much thought, she had agreed to the meeting, only to find the restaurant more upscale than expected. In contrast to Cheong-o’s smart attire, she wore a loose-knit sweater and a skirt reaching her ankles, feeling embarrassed.

Her legs were uncomfortable, so she had worn whatever she could grab. She regretted not buying a new outfit.

However, Cheong-o handed her the menu naturally, unconcerned.

“What do you want to eat? Meat? Fish? Just say the word. I’ll pick something delicious.”

“…Meat, I guess.”

Yoon-jae replied briefly with an awkward expression and watched as Cheong-o placed the order with the server. Cheong-o, who had confidently chosen the dinner course, grinned at her.

“Since I’ve been accompanying the boss, I’ve developed a taste. I can at least tell what’s good wherever I go.”

Yoon-jae nodded silently. Considering Baek-geon, it made sense. Despite being a gang leader, he was so refined and strict.

Thinking of the man made her mouth water unpleasantly. How much money would this meal cost? She felt bitter. Seeing her displeased expression, Cheong-o offered her a drink to change the mood.

“Would you like some wine? They have pretty good selections here.”

“No, thank you.”

Being pregnant, she had no desire for alcohol. Ever since that day, she couldn’t even stand grape juice, let alone wine.

Cheong-o didn’t press further. Instead, he began drinking the wine brought to the table himself.

“You know I’m good with alcohol, right? Don’t worry and just eat.”

Despite Cheong-o’s words, Yoon-jae picked up her fork with a doubtful face. As she took a bite of the appetizer, Cheong-o whispered softly.

“I thought about having some soup, but it felt wrong to take someone I haven’t seen in a while to a place like that. Besides, I had some business here today, so I thought we could eat and talk.”

Yoon-jae just nodded. After being out in the cold all day, she thought soup might have been better.

It had been a pointless outing. If she had just stayed in her room under a blanket, her body would have been less tired. She felt like she was endlessly falling.

Perhaps interpreting her silence as displeasure, Cheong-o scratched his head awkwardly.

“There was supposed to be nothing today, but things happened. I can’t go into detail… Anyway, eat up. It’s a good place.”

“It seems so.”

The food looked beautiful and delicious to Yoon-jae. She tore her eyes away from the plate and looked at Cheong-o.

“Aren’t you eating?”

“Huh? Me?”

Cheong-o laughed awkwardly.

“I actually ate earlier. Something came up suddenly, so I couldn’t skip it. Just eat. We can talk after you eat.”

Yoon-jae frowned slightly. It seemed suspicious that he had made plans but then had to eat early due to an unexpected event.

As suspicion grew, so did her unease. The food that had looked appetizing now seemed unappealing.

Without an appetite, the smell of the food made her stomach churn. That wasn’t all. Suddenly, her back ached intensely.

Feeling a strange sensation in her lower abdomen, Yoon-jae finally put down her fork and knife and stood up.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

“Oh? Oh, sure.”

Before she even heard his reply, Yoon-jae headed to the restroom. Her legs felt heavy as if weighed down, but she moved urgently, sensing something was wrong.

As soon as she entered the restroom, she gagged. Bending over and grabbing onto anything she could, she bumped into a woman coming out just as she was trying to open the door.

“Oh my, what’s this?”

There was no time to apologize. Overwhelmed by nausea, Yoon-jae clung to the toilet.

“Ugh.”

“Ugh, gross.”

She heard the annoyed voice of the woman she had bumped into. Unable to close the door, all she could do was retch dryly.

“Are you hurt?”

Hearing a voice from behind, Yoon-jae barely lifted her head. The woman who had been annoyed now looked down at her with curious eyes.

“You’re bleeding down there.”

Yoon-jae instinctively looked down and froze. Red droplets were trickling onto the floor.

Even now, she felt something surging from below. With a pale face, she realized she had left her phone at the table.

“Can you call… an ambulance, please?”

Her voice came out pleadingly without her realizing it. The woman looking at her widened her eyes.

“Me? You’re asking me?”

The woman’s eyes sparkled at the request. As Yoon-jae was about to ask again, she saw the woman’s lips curl into a smile.

Yoon-jae closed her mouth. Somehow, she felt this was wrong. She tried to stand, but the woman’s hand gently pressed her shoulder.

“How lucky. What are the chances it was me you ran into.”

The woman spoke cheerfully and pulled out her phone. After a few taps, she pointed the phone at Yoon-jae’s face.

“Oh dear, the angle’s not right. Ah, this is better.”

Adjusting the phone’s angle, the woman shrugged off her coat. The label inside clearly showed it was a luxury brand.

“You seem to be bleeding a lot, so cover up first. If blood shows on camera, I’ll have to edit it all later.”

The woman casually draped her cashmere cardigan over Yoon-jae and smiled brightly. Yoon-jae suddenly felt her hair stand on end.

Her mouth went dry, and her spine stiffened. Being exposed under someone’s phone or a camcorder was something she had experienced countless times in her past.

The persistent filming brought back deeply buried fears. She waved her hand, offering back the cardigan.

“It’s expensive. You shouldn’t waste it. Just call an ambulance, please…”

“Just stay still. How much could it be? You’re making a fuss when I’m helping.”

Rui snapped irritably and exaggeratedly turned the phone to film Yoon-jae’s face.