Cold sweat trickled down my back with every precarious step.

Just a few minutes ago, when I was struggling under the water of the bathtub, I’d thought that I was the one in the most dangerous position in this mansion.

Who could have imagined that things would change so drastically in such a short time?

Between the two of us, I was the one in relatively better shape right now.

I could not believe what was happening.

“This is crazy.”

“What?”

“Those moldy green moans… someone needs to get rid of them…”

“What did you say?”

“What did you say?”

Maybe it was because I’d been in this twisted place for too long, but now even my ears seemed to be playing tricks on me.

I leaned forward, trying to steady myself and hear his voice more clearly.

“This whole place is covered in water moss. It’s so dirty I can’t even step on it.”

Instinctively, I looked down at the floor beneath our feet.

Although there were personal items scattered here and there, the floor itself was relatively clean and well maintained.

However, he was staring at the floor with a deeply furrowed brow, as if disgusted by it.

“What are you talking about, Lee Seol-won? Come on, snap out of it.”

Was he hallucinating from the drugs mixing with his system?

“This place is not dirty. There’s nothing on the floor. Can you hear me? You’re listening to me, right?”

I raised my voice on purpose so it wouldn’t be drowned out by all the noise.

Then he spoke.

“Show me again.”

“What?”

“A little longer.”

“Show you what? What are you talking about? What is it? I don’t understand a word you’re saying…”

“The sea.”

With that short answer, Lee Seol-won put his hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath.

“Yes… I feel a little better now that I can see the sea.”

“The sea?”

“There’s a tide in your voice.”

The sea – where did that come from?

Did he mean that my voice sounded clear?

Well, sure, it was better than the moaning and groaning drenched in drug-induced delirium all around us… but still…

But there was no time to catch my breath.

Another wave of skin-on-skin sounded, louder and more violent.

His expression changed again.

With each repulsive sound, I could see his condition worsening – as if the sound waves themselves were attacking him.

For me, the sights and sounds of this mansion were mentally disturbing, but for him, it seemed as if he was experiencing physical pain.

“Go ahead.”

Finally, he pushed away from my support and staggered over to lean against the wall.

“What’s wrong?”

“It feels like I’m walking in sewage. I have a foul taste in my mouth.”

“You mean you feel like throwing up?”

Since I hadn’t taken any Purple Lean, there was no way for me to understand what kind of world he was experiencing right now.

But the clenched eyebrows, the ragged, heavy breathing, and the way he’d frozen in mid-step, unable to move forward – it was clear he was going through something far from ordinary.

“Lower your head for a moment.”

I slipped my shoes back on.

If I wasn’t going to support him, there was no point in going barefoot.

Standing face to face with Lee Seol-won, I covered both of his ears with my hands.

There was a considerable height difference between us, but fortunately the high heels I was wearing gave me just enough support to make it easy.

“This way you’ll hear the other people less and my voice will be louder. I don’t really understand what you’re saying, Lee Seol-won, but I’ll sing from now on.”

I had never thought of myself as someone who was good with words.

In fact, I was usually more on the quiet side.

But with Lee Seol-won clearly not in a normal state, and a growing sense of urgency telling me that if I lost my composure, things could go very wrong, the words started pouring out of me without hesitation.

“You said my voice is like seawater, right? Then concentrate and listen. Whatever you see in front of you, the blue sea will wash it away. That’s what the ocean does. Oh, and I can’t support you anymore, so lean against the wall and walk carefully.”

I didn’t have the luxury of choosing a subject that wouldn’t sound suspicious while talking to a man alone in that state.

It seemed safer to sing-a song has fixed words and a melody.

I searched my memory, trying to think of one quickly.

But since I was more familiar with traditional Korean music, the only songs I could think of were pansori or folk songs.

I regretted that I hadn’t watched music programs once in a while, thinking that it might have helped at a moment like this, but it was too late now.

“Riding a boat over the deep and clear waters of the Han River, Let’s go, oh let’s go, out for a boat ride…”

Before I knew it, I was singing Hangangsu Taryeong.

Even I couldn’t believe what I was doing.

I was dragged to a party I knew nothing about, I saw someone die, my companion was sick from taking drugs-and here I was singing a folk song.

How could a day feel this unreal?

Maybe it was because everyone else here seemed to be losing their minds that I felt like I was losing mine.

Still, it seemed that my voice itself had an effect on this man, so regardless of lyrics or melody, it was probably better to sing something – anything – to keep his focus on me.

Slowly, I began to walk backwards down the hallway.

As I covered his ears, our faces came closer and his cast a shadow across my forehead in the dim light.

Since his mind wasn’t completely intact, I kept looking around, scanning the surroundings with quick, sideways glances.

I couldn’t trust Lee Seol-won’s perception, so I had to see for myself.

Then, just as I accidentally lifted my head, our eyes met.

“Han River, if only you could speak…”

He looked at me.

Only at me.

His face was closer than I expected, and I jumped in surprise.

His dark eyes mirrored my face.

“…held back tears. Tears…”

I could feel the weight of his gaze.

Wherever his eyes touched, my skin grew hot.

My mind suddenly went blank, as if it had been bleached white.

I told him to listen to my voice – not to stare at my face like that.

“What were the words again? Han River, if I could speak…”

I lowered my eyes and stumbled through the song.

Lee Seol-won followed close behind, still looking only at me, his gaze unwavering.

“…speak…”

A thud.

My heel hit the first step of the stairs.

I hadn’t realized how close we had become.

I must have lost my composure without realizing it.

At that moment, my balance shifted.

“Be careful.”

It was Lee Seol-won who caught me just as I was about to fall.

I looked at his forearm that was partially wrapped around my back.

“I’m okay.”

It was definitely a matter of distance – I kept flinching because I didn’t know where to put my eyes.

I quickly steadied myself.

We climbed the stairs one step at a time, carefully and in sync.

Keeping the same pace, matching every breath.

Even when I sang, I didn’t let go of his ears, and he stayed close, never putting any distance between us.

As we stepped onto the last stairs leading to the third floor, the sickening noise faded into the distance.

I breathed a sigh of relief and removed my hands from his ears.

“It’s okay now, right? It’s quiet up here.”

My tone remained vague and uncertain.

I couldn’t completely shake the fear that something might happen to him – but because it was Lee Seol-won, I continued to speak in a brusque, clipped manner.

It felt strangely ironic that the person who had seen the rawest, most unfiltered side of me – someone I hadn’t even known for long – was this man.

“Just a little longer.”

As I stepped back, ready to move away from him, a larger, warmer hand rested on the back of mine.

I could hear my heartbeat in my ears – fast and steady.

Was it possible that the shock had put too much strain on my heart and caused an arrhythmia?

I tried to calm my jumbled thoughts with a deliberately silly idea.

“Just stay with me a little longer.”

It was a quiet request.

Did he still see a world I couldn’t?

I clenched my fingers again.

With my palm, I felt the smooth, firm contour of his face; with the back of my hand, his warmth.

And so the two of us crossed the empty hallway, our footsteps echoing softly.

What had felt strange at first – walking backwards – was now beginning to feel familiar.

“We’re here.”

As soon as we reached the room, I pushed him inside first and immediately locked the door behind us.

Even after I heard the lock click, I couldn’t relax – so I jiggled the doorknob two or three more times to make sure it was securely locked.

A room with a lock and no CCTV – what a relief.

Ordinary and expected conditions, sure, but in this mansion they were anything but ordinary.

“Now rest and sleep off the effects of the drug.”

I led him to the bed and gently pushed him onto it.