Chapter 1.4

She checked her phone constantly, and each time she confirmed the number of missed calls, she felt the same stress as before switching to silent mode—nothing had changed. 

If it was going to be like this, it seemed better to just answer his call and get it over with, but then she had no excuse for why she had been avoiding his calls all this time. 

The pressure that she might lose her mind at this rate weighed heavily on her entire being. And yet, what could this be about? 

Baek In-wook, who had been calling like a madman for a week, had suddenly gone silent for the past two days, as if it were all a lie. 

It was so abrupt that it bothered her in its own way, but at least it felt like she could breathe a little easier. However, that was all. Hae-soo’s insomnia showed no sign of improvement. 

‘Yoon Hae-soo, aren’t you going to have a provocative dream today? You like having provocative dreams, don’t you? Isn’t that right?’

Unlike before, the time it took for Hae-soo to fall asleep had certainly shortened, but even before she could sink into a deep slumber, Baek In-wook, lurking in her subconscious, appeared in her dreams and tormented her without fail. 

With a cheap sneer on his lips, Baek In-wook repeatedly brought up the humiliating words Hae-soo had uttered on that fateful day, mentioning ‘provocative dream’ over and over, harassing them all night long. 

“Ha, seriously, he must be completely out of his mind. To come and torment me even in my dreams, he’s got to be utterly insane. There’s no other explanation for this. At this rate, I’ll go crazy following him, and we’ll all lose our minds together……. Ha, what am I even saying right now?” 

Hae-soo muttered in a half-crazed voice, her face crumpling into a grimace. Then, clutching her temples, she thudded her forehead onto the table again, when suddenly, an unexpected presence was felt from the seat across from her. 

“What are you mumbling about? Who’s losing their mind?” 

“Ugh, aaah!!” 

Hae-soo jolted upright as if struck by lightning, letting out a scream. But she wasn’t the only one startled. 

“Ah, you scared me! Why are you suddenly yelling like that? Are you the one who’s lost it?” 

“You, you, you! W-when did you get here?” 

Hae-soo stammered with a pale face as she looked at In-ah. And understandably so. How could she not be shocked when the sibling of the person she had just been cursing appeared right in front of her? 

“When did I get here? I just arrived. But why are you so startled?” 

Unaware of her inner turmoil, In-ah casually took a seat across from Hae-soo. But that lasted only a moment. As if something had suddenly occurred to her, In-ah’s eyes widened, and she leaned forward, pulling herself closer to the table. 

“No way, did you run into that jerk here? Or did you encounter some obsessive fan or something?” 

“That jerk?” 

“……You know, the crazy guy who made you like this!” 

In-ah scanned the surroundings with wary eyes, unable to suppress the raw emotion spilling out of her. 

It was far from a welcome topic. As a result, Hae-soo’s brow furrowed noticeably. 

“It’s not like that, so don’t even bring up that crazy guy.” 

“Oh, it’s not? Well, I guess he’s not the type to show up in a place with so many eyes watching. So, who’s this person you’re saying has lost their mind?” 

In-ah relaxed her body as if she had never been tense, and in an innocently curious tone, she posed a dangerously probing question. 

Thanks to that, Hae-soo froze stiff, unable to relax for even a moment. She could feel cold sweat trickling down her spine. 

“Uh…… just. Just someone. Just a little…… crazy, person.” 

Her words stumbled out clumsily. Every time her eyes met In-ah’s, it felt as though her heart was sinking to the pit of her stomach. 

Images kept overlapping. Over In-ah’s face, she saw Baek In-wook’s face from that night. 

More precisely, it was Baek In-wook’s intense, burning gaze and the lips that had obsessively traced every inch of her body. 

Once the afterimage of him surfaced, it refused to fade easily. The more In-ah stared at them with a puzzled expression, the more vividly Baek In-wook’s face superimposed over hers, gazing at them with that same intensity. 

……This is bad. 

“Ha.” 

Hae-soo let out a small sigh and squeezed her eyes shut. She was utterly flustered. To think she’d recall something like this in a public place. 

Her mind wasn’t just filled with Baek In-wook from that night. The intoxicating sensations he had given her that night also resurfaced with startling clarity. 

Everything about that day, which could only be described as perfect, came back to her vividly. 

“Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?” 

“……Huh?” 

“Are you hot? Why are you sweating so much?” 

In-ah’s voice suddenly broke through. Startled, Hae-soo jerked her head up. 

She knew she had to say something, but no words came out. Her body, having recalled that night with In-wook, was already burning up, to the point where even her undergarments felt damp. 

Heat surged to the top of her head. The more In-ah’s curious gaze lingered on her, the more her sense of shame intensified. 

Finally, she sprang up from her seat. She couldn’t face In-ah any longer like this. 

“I-I need to use the restroom.” 

For now, she figured she’d use the emergency sanitary pad she carried and calm her flustered mind first. 

“Is the coffee ready?”

It took quite a while for Hae-soo to calm her mind. In the meantime, it seemed the coffee had arrived, as a beverage cup now sat on the previously empty table. 

Hae-soo awkwardly took her seat. As soon as she did, In-ah’s gaze latched onto her as if she had been waiting. 

“What’s up? What is it?” 

“What, what do you mean?” 

Hae-soo couldn’t shake off the awkwardness, but she tried to brush it off nonchalantly. However, she couldn’t fool the eyes of a friend of fifteen years. 

“You’re really acting strange today. What’s going on? What are you hiding, seriously?” 

“H-Hiding? What am I hiding, huh?” 

Hae-soo raised her voice unnecessarily. It was a habit that surfaced whenever she lied, a quirk In-ah was well aware of. 

A sigh rose to the tip of her throat. Even in her own opinion, she was engaging in all sorts of suspicious behavior. But this time, she couldn’t be honest with In-ah. 

That she had rolled around in bed with her brother under the influence of alcohol. And in such a wild and reckless manner, no less. How could she possibly say that? 

She couldn’t. Even if a knife were held to her throat, even if she was reborn, it would be impossible. 

No matter how much people say there are no secrets in the world, at least not today. 

For a long while, Hae-soo only watched In-ah’s expressions, pondering what words could divert her attention. Then, suddenly, the purpose of today’s meeting flashed through her mind. 

“So, about that thing you mentioned last time? How did that turn out?” 

Hae-soo asked shamelessly, as if nothing had happened just moments before. It seemed to work to some extent, as In-ah quickly erased her suspicious look and tilted her head. 

“That thing I mentioned last time? What?” 

“You know, that thing. The favor I asked of you.” 

“A favor? What favor did you ask me for…… Oh! That?” 

In-ah tilted her head as if she had no idea, then suddenly clapped her hands with a look of realization. 

“Who do you think this girl is! I told you it’s definitely happening, so don’t worry and just wait.” 

“Really? Really, for real??” 

“Of course, it’s real. What, you think I’m lying?” 

In-ah crossed her arms with a rather smug expression, the corners of her mouth curling up. It was unmistakably a cocky demeanor. Yet, it wasn’t annoying. Far from it, it was utterly endearing. 

“I actually had it ready to give you when I saw you at the bar last time, but I forgot because we got caught up talking about that crazy jerk. Where is it? I’m sure I put it in this bag.” 

In-ah quickly rummaged through her bag with an innocent expression. Watching her, Hae-soo’s heart fluttered just as much. 

She hadn’t held high expectations, but the outcome was far better than anticipated, coming back with such cheerful agreement. 

Hae-soo wondered if there could be another dark period in her life like the past month, but perhaps this stroke of luck amidst it all was why. 

All the embarrassment and discomfort she had felt moments ago were completely forgotten as Hae-soo felt her heart swell with excitement. 

Come to think of it, it was already just a week away. 

A reward and a rest, the first she had given herself after running forward without a single break, looking only ahead like a mad person. 

Hae-soo was set to embark on a restful trip in a week. 

* * * 

Early in the morning, In-wook enjoyed a jog in light attire. Normally, he would have exercised at the gym, but not for the time being. 

This wasn’t Korea but Austria, and this jog was not only for exercise but also part of a strategy to catch someone’s attention. 

In-wook gazed at the terrace of a white country house not far away. As expected, the person he was looking for was there today as well. 

The man who had been making Baek In-wook jog at this hour for several days now—Henry Price. 

If it were up to him, In-wook would have stopped right in front of the terrace and greeted Henry, but he held back and passed by calmly. 

What kind of man was Henry Price? He was someone who had repeatedly declined meeting requests from Taeseon Department Store, an affiliate of Taeseon Group, which extended its reach not only in South Korea but globally.  

The reason for such stubborn refusal was unknown, but there was no harm in being cautious. 

Since this was a hard-earned opportunity, In-wook knew he had to be careful. 

With that single thought, he suppressed the strong urge pushing at him. 

After passing Henry’s pristine white house, a blue lake soon came into view. Familiarly adjusting his direction, In-wook picked up speed along the lakeside. 

A cool breeze brushed through his hair. If one disregarded the slow progress with Henry-related matters, Hallstatt was dazzlingly beautiful enough to lift In-wook’s spirits even today. 

The blue lake and the quaint houses nestled around it. And behind them, the towering Dachstein Mountain. 

The harmonious blend of it all was so fantastical that it could truly be called a paradise on earth. 

In-wook took in the stunning scenery with both eyes, pushing his heart rate even higher. 

His legs, which had been moving ceaselessly, began to slow down only when he reached a house in Hallstatt village owned by Taeseon Group. 

In-wook entered the house familiarly while making a call somewhere. Soon, the voice of the person on the other end came through the phone. 

－Yes, CEO. 

“You’re up early.”

－Perhaps because the air in this neighborhood is so fresh, my eyes opened at dawn, so I went for a light workout and am on my way back. 

“I just came back from jogging myself, so starting tomorrow, Chief Kim, you and I can exercise together.” 

In-wook chuckled with a rather cheerful tone. Even as he spoke, he diligently headed toward the bathroom. Perhaps because he had sweated more than usual, he felt particularly sticky. 

He intended to take a shower as soon as he finished the call with Chief Kim. 

“Today again, Henry was drinking coffee and reading the newspaper at the same time and place. Seeing him do that even on vacation, he must be an incredibly diligent person. Or perhaps he has some kind of obsession.” 

In-wook shared his observations of Henry over the past few days while peeling off his sweat-soaked workout clothes one by one. 

He recalled every detail of Henry’s behavior that he had observed during those days. He needed to gather as much information about him as possible. Information was a weapon, and the more weapons he had to achieve his goals, the better. 

Collaboration with Henry Price, and the first Asian entry of ‘Arno.’ 

These two things were what In-wook had long anticipated and desired. That’s why he desperately wanted to seize this opportunity. 

“For now, let’s have breakfast at the same place as yesterday. Based on what I’ve gathered so far, he’ll definitely show up at the same time and place as yesterday.” 

－Understood. Then I’ll see you in an hour. 

“Oh, by the way, has there been any contact from Korea?” 

－From Korea, you mean? There hasn’t been anything in particular…… Is there a call you’re expecting? 

In-wook swallowed a sigh as he stepped into the shower booth and turned on the faucet. Unlike what he had hoped for, the response he received felt disappointingly cold. But there was nothing he could do. 

“No, it’s nothing. Then let’s meet at the restaurant in an hour……” 

In-wook was just about to neatly wrap up the call with Chief Kim. As he hurriedly planned to wash up and head out, his mind reflexively started calculating the time. At that very moment, the bathroom door suddenly flung open. 

Instinctively, his head turned. And there, clearly reflected in his eyes, was the face of someone he had been anxiously waiting for over the past two weeks.