Chapter 23.1

Chapter 23.1

“Do you know Jeong Pil-gyu, who’s in the special reconnaissance team?”

“Of course…!”

However, contrary to the answer, Channa awkwardly scratched her lips.

“My brother-in-law left the National Intelligence Service and joined this company with me. But, you know, my skills aren’t just average, right? So I insisted on joining the team that pays the most.”

“Do you often go on business trips like this?”

Channa nodded her head.

“Usually, I work remotely from the office, but this time, I had to break through security devices myself, so I had no choice.”

Now the two of them turned into an alley lined with all sorts of souvenirs.

“Channa, I really like this company.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, there are more annoying people than I thought, and they do a lot of bad things.”

“….”

“I find that hopeful.”

Channa looked at her with a displeased expression.

“How much do you think my husband, who used to be a National Intelligence Service agent, would hate this?”

“….”

“And how much do you think Kim Hyun would tremble?”

When Seoryeong let out a joyful sound as if truly enjoying herself, Channa turned her head in annoyance.

“Unnie, you should smile prettily. If you smile like that, it’s scary,” she muttered with a sound that meant she didn’t understand. Seoryeong shivered, shaking her shoulders. Seoryeong suppressed her laughter and looked away.

Just then, a young child holding an old basket was chasing tourists. The child grinned, pushing bracelets of various colors towards them and engaging in street performances.

He must have been around ten years old. He had clear eyes and wearing worn-out clothes, but the patched parts were neatly sewn, and there wasn’t a single dirty spot.

Seoryeong thought that he was a child who received proper care even in poverty. His parents must be doing the best they could.

“Where did you go for your honeymoon, Unnie?”

“Ah….”

Seoryeong’s mind returned from drifting off while staring at Channa’s question.

“We went to Jeju Island.”

“…Was it nice?”

Seoryeong let out a fleeting smile in response to the cautiously asked question, as if adjusting her collar.

“To be honest, I’ve never had a bad time, especially when I was with my husband.”

“….”

“I don’t know where he disappears to sometimes, but it feels like he’s always by my side. It sounds absurd, but there are times when it just feels like that…. Am I crazy?”

Laughter burst out as Seoryeong glanced briefly at Channa’s face. It was because she seemed too perplexed.

“Just don’t trust anything blindly, Unnie. Not feelings, not instincts, not affections, not even men…. Keep doubting everything. Doubt contracts, doubt consequences, especially if someone compliments you—”

“Maam, you’re pretty!”

“…!”

Then, amidst Channa’s words, a cheerful voice interjected.

“You’re pretty!”

Though hsi Korean was broken, surprisingly, the pronunciation was clear enough for them to understand. The child, who had momentarily caught their attention, was now right in front of  them.

It was when Seoryeong picked one of the bracelets, admiring the simple patterns carved into it.

“…!”

Instantly, her expression stiffened. The faces around her quickly scanned her face, becoming notably worried.

“What’s wrong?”

“Well….”

An inexplicable sense of discomfort enveloped her entire being.

How do I explain this?… Seoryeong felt a gaze that cuts through her skin. But the unsettling feeling vanished into the crowd without a trace.

Instead of explaining, she roughly pulled Channa’s arm.

“Let’s go back.”

“What?”

“Sorry, let’s just… go back.”

“Are you okay?”

“….”

“Unnie, your expression looks terrifying. You look pale…”

“It’s just that I have a bad feeling.”

A lie.

Seoryeong was breaking into cold sweat, feeling prickles on her skin for no apparent reason, which only made her more flustered.

Seoryeong tightly held onto Channa and pushed through the crowd to return.

From behind, a voice calling her out, “Pretty maam!” but she couldn’t hear him at all. Overwhelmed by a flood of sensations, her vision became dizzy, and her breath caught in her throat.

The roar of motorcycle engines, incomprehensible foreign languages, and the shouts of vendors intertwined, blocking her ears. Due to the sudden sharp sensations, her stomach churned.

“….”

In the chaotic alleyways she hurried through, occasional figures resembling prostitutes wandered about. With glittering tops held by thin straps and hot pants, Seoryeong stole a gulp of air, her neck damp with sweat.

* * *