Chapter 9.2

Chapter 9.2

It was past midnight.

Heeju blinked at the ceiling. She had been doing this since early evening, and she was unable to sleep for hours.

Earlier, she had felt so drowsy it was as if someone had sprayed a sedative into the air, but now she was wide awake. How could her body be so fickle? She didn’t know what to do.

There was nothing more torturous than lying alone, endlessly waiting for sleep. That’s why she preferred to stay asleep as much as possible. What could she do to finally get it to sleep?

After tossing and turning for a long time, Heeju couldn’t take it anymore and got out of bed, heading to the window. Her shadow, cast by the lamp, flickered on the wall. She dragged her feet, her unsteady movements resembling a clumsy zombie.

There was a door leading to the balcony. She tried to open it, but the doorknob was stiff and difficult to turn. Clunk, clunk. Heeju gripped the doorknob with both hands, struggling for a while.

Finally, she noticed a small latch at the top of the door. Ha… She let out a small laugh. She felt ridiculous and pathetic for not being able to open a simple door.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Heeju leaned against the railing. The biting cold night wind slashed at her cheeks and burrowed deep into her neck. Only then did she realize she was wearing nothing but a thin robe.

If she didn’t want to catch a cold, it would be wise to go back inside and put on something warmer. But Heeju just slumped against the railing like gum stuck to the floor, muttering to herself.

“Winter is winter, after all…”

She knew that this level of cold wouldn’t kill her. There are hundreds, even thousands of ways for a person to die, but none of them are easy. Human life is surprisingly tenacious, and a failed attempt could leave one in a worse state, irreparably damaged.

But Ko Heejin managed to do it.

Her cynical murmur only made her mood plummet further. Heeju leaned on the railing and looked down at the garden. Following Sungang earlier, the headquarters had seemed very far away, but from above, it didn’t look so distant.

Should I go back?

What was that unsettling feeling earlier?

Heeju followed the path leading to the wall with her eyes and suddenly sensed a small movement, prompting her to look down. The night was as silent as if not even an ant was passing by.

In the deep, profound silence, she locked eyes with a man as if by some strange coincidence. It was Kwon Gukhyun. He stood at the bottom of the front steps, dressed the same as he had been in the morning.

Loosening the knot of his tie, he placed a cigarette between his lips. Looking up at Heeju with raised eyes, Gukhyun took a long drag on the cigarette.

Does he always smoke with that expression?

When Kwon Gukhyun smoked with that intense gaze, Heeju felt as if she were being stripped bare from head to toe. She wondered if this feeling was unique to her or if anyone would feel the same in front of him.

Gukhyun exhaled a cloud of smoke into the air and flicked the cigarette butt to the ground. The bright red ember traced a straight path before bouncing off the ground.

After the man went inside, Heeju remained on the balcony, gazing at the garden. The moon hanging over the wall was red. It wasn’t long before the door swung open without a knock.

The man walked in as if it were his own room. She wasn’t surprised; she had somewhat expected Kwon Gukhyun to come.

“You won’t die from falling there.”

At Gukhyun’s words, Heeju glanced down from the balcony. It wasn’t high enough to be fatal, unless she was lucky enough to break her neck.

“I know.”

“Then why are you shivering and standing there like a ghost?”