Chapter 26.2

Chapter 26.2

André left the hotel and headed towards Itaewon. He wanted a peaceful dinner in a place where he wouldn’t have to witness such scenes.

That was his plan.

But the moment he saw a bus heading to Poidong in the bustling center of Itaewon, he started running without realizing it. Just before the doors closed, he boarded the bus.

Once on the bus, André stood awkwardly in front of the fare box, shocked by his impulsive action and wearing a dazed expression. The driver, who had been about to close the door, was startled by the large foreigner and gaped at him. The driver, about to say something, eventually gave up and gestured for him to move inside quickly.

[…No, thank you.]

As André shook his head and turned around, the door closed and the bus started moving.

With a look of frustration, he paid the fare and slumped into the nearest seat, muttering a curse under his breath like a deep sigh.

[Fu!ck.]

Was he going crazy?

André let out a bitter laugh as he watched the streets of Itaewon recede through the window. The fact that he couldn’t predict or control his own actions filled him with a sudden sense of crisis. Impulsive behavior was highly addictive.

He began to think it might be better to reschedule his flight and return to New York earlier. He wasn’t in his right mind. He was no different from those foolish men who let their lower half, driven by lu!st, control their brains.

The memories of the previous night seemed to dominate his subconscious; the more he tried to erase them, the clearer they became. Each time, he had to exert all his strength to suppress the insistent response of his lower half, which shamelessly and honestly reacted with a heavy presence.

André desperately searched for reasons to rationalize his absurd behavior.

‘A healthy man has s3xual desires. That’s an undeniable fact.’

‘It’s been too long since I’ve been with a woman.’

‘It’s because of the pent-up desires that haven’t been released.’

He took a deep breath, slowly calming himself. There was no need to overthink it. If it was merely a matter of physiological needs… it was actually simpler.

‘30 minutes.’

André decided to wait in front of Miran’s house for exactly 30 minutes. He didn’t know what time she would come home, nor had they made any plans to meet. Therefore, the chance of running into her by coincidence was extremely slim.

If he didn’t see her within 30 minutes, he planned to return to the hotel. And with that, the only deviation in André de Lafayette’s life would be neatly concluded.

But if by some miracle he did meet Miran within those 30 minutes… he decided he would allow himself to stray from his path just once more.

‘Of course, only if she wants to.’

Recalling the way Miran had looked at him, André finally allowed himself a faint smile. The possibility of her rejecting him seemed slim.

Stepping off the bus in Poidong, André navigated the familiar alleyways. The sun had set, and it was dark, with the streetlights feeling unusually far apart in this neighborhood.

‘Is it safe for a woman to walk alone in such dark alleys?’

André took a careful look around. It was a sparsely populated alley.

Having never felt physically threatened while walking through Manhattan’s impoverished areas or the slums near his station, this was a rather unfamiliar concern for him. He had never deeply considered how those physically weaker than him dealt with threats.

Lost in thought, André’s gaze fell upon the small market where Miran had bought soju last time. The old green sign that read “Yeonji Mart” cast a light that brightened the surrounding area. Yeonji Mart was strategically located right in the middle between the attic room and the main road.

For civilians, it was wiser to quickly evacuate rather than confront danger head-on. So, he thought, this place could serve as a bunker, or rather, a refuge. André opened the low sliding door, ducking his head to avoid hitting the doorframe that barely reached his chest, and stepped inside the mart.

“Oh my goodness!”

The middle-aged woman with short, curly hair sitting behind the counter was startled at the sight of him. She clutched her chest and her eyes darted around nervously.