Chapter 7.2
Chapter 7.2
“How did my sister even find you? Did she just go around borrowing from random people?”
Gukhyun lazily looked at Heeju; his eyes half-lidded as he took another long drag from his cigarette, exhaling slowly. He turned to Sungang and asked, almost like it was an afterthought.
“Gang-ah, you remember her sister?”
“Yes, a little,” Sungang replied nonchalantly.
Heeju shot a surprised glance at him. Sungang lowered his head slightly, speaking in a quiet tone.
“She was the kid’s’ physical therapist. Came by every week, I think, for over a year.”
“Well, that works out then. Tell her what’s up. I’ve been dying to see her sister again,” Gukhyun said, flicking his cigarette into the ashtray, its tip still burning. He didn’t even flinch as the ashes scattered across the table like it meant nothing.
If anyone else had done that, it would’ve been shocking. But after everything she’d seen, Heeju didn’t even flinch. Still, it didn’t make it normal.
He was rude, and harsh, and didn’t care about stepping on anyone to get what he wanted. Under that chill demeanor was someone who’d crush you without hesitation. A smooth, calculating predator.
Was she scared of him? Maybe she should’ve been…
Heeju rubbed her forehead, her head spinning. She didn’t even have the energy to be scared anymore.
Gukhyun buttoned his jacket and walked toward the door. As expected, Sungang bent at a perfect 90-degree angle, saluting him as he left.
“Take care, hyung.”
“Yes,” Gukhyun replied, then paused at the door like he’d just remembered something.
“Oh, and feed her. She’s way too skinny. It’s annoying me.”
Why did it cross her mind?
The thought that she might end up filling the empty tank.
***
“Hey, did you sleep with our hyung?”
Sungang asked, resting his chin on the dining table. He had been staring at her intently, seemingly deep in thought, and that was the question he finally came up with.
Heeju recalled everything that had happened from last night to this morning. Did she sleep with Kwon Gukhyun?
“If by ‘sleep’ you mean s2~x, then no.”
“…Really?”
Sungang looked even more puzzled as he straightened up. Just then, the housekeeper came in from the kitchen with a dish and placed it on the table.
“I made this with the ingredients we had. It’s abalone porridge. I left out the guts since I wasn’t sure if you liked them.”
Steam rose from the glossy brass bowl, and the savory smell of sesame oil wafted to her nose, but she felt no appetite. Instead, her throat felt like it was closing up.
“You haven’t touched the food we’ve been sending up to the second floor, so I prepared something light for your stomach.”
“Oh… Thank you.”
“I hope you find it to your liking today.”
The housekeeper smiled kindly, but her gaze seemed to avoid Heeju. Sungang took off his suit jacket and draped it over the chair next to him. He unbuttoned his sleeves and rolled them up, looking relieved.
“You’ve been making everyone work hard with your hunger strike, locked up in your room all this time.
A long snake tattoo coiled around Sungang’s exposed forearm, adding to his menacing appearance, along with various scars from cuts and stabs.
“Since the housekeeper can’t see well, make sure you behave.”
He didn’t need to say it; she had already figured it out. How considerate of him.
Sungang draped his arm over the back of the chair where he had placed his jacket and leaned back slightly. He stared directly at Heeju, who showed no intention of picking up the spoon.
“Eat. Unless you want to die.”
“….”
Had she forgotten that she had tried to end her life by crawling into the cold sea, only to be forcibly saved and brought here? The threat to eat if she didn’t want to die didn’t sound very intimidating to Heeju. If anything, the opposite might be true.