Chapter 39
Tonight, I didn’t leave the shooting range until late at night when the moon had already tilted considerably.
After spending only a few hours indoors, my chest felt suffocated. So, instead of taking the route that directly led to the square, I headed towards the way out, which was unfamiliar to me.
This side street was new to me, but the surroundings were quite picturesque. The white buildings sparkled under the moonlight, and red flower buds bloomed among the scattered leaves. It felt like the setting of a mythical temple.
I sat down on a fountain for a moment and gazed at the black sea visible beyond the buildings.
“Miss.”
At that moment, I turned my head at the sound of a voice.
“Jiwoon?”
Jiwoon, who had walked slowly, lightly nodded towards me. How did he know I would take this route?
The two henchmen who had been standing beside me looked at Jiwoon, then silently left their positions, and he took their place.
“Did you stop by the shooting range on your way back?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
The wind tousled Jiwoon’s black hair. The breeze that reached me was quite warm.
I suddenly recalled the first time I woke up in this place. Jiwoon was the first person I encountered.
“I thought you should know the schedule in advance.”
“Oh.”
Baek Ha-won’s words about going to Hong Kong with me were indeed sincere.
I was already worried. If we went to Hong Kong, there was a high chance of incidents suitable for a noir setting, and if someone were to shed blood, it would likely be me.
But despite that, I decided to go because my gut feeling told me that staying in Baekcheon without Baek Ha-won would be more dangerous.
“Are you really asking me to attend an executive meeting?”
I sighed as I spoke, standing up from the fountain.
“That’s what he said.”
Jiwoon walked and recited the main schedule, but his voice didn’t quite register in my ears.
“But why did you move the room to the 4th floor? It’s annoying to go up and down.”
It was quite cumbersome to go up and down the stairs every time. Why didn’t they install an elevator when they had everything else?
Moreover, from the 3rd floor onwards, the entrance to the corridor was completely blocked, so you had to scan your fingerprint or card to enter.
It was quite nice that no one could come and go recklessly, but the constant silence every day was getting tiresome.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Me?”
I shook my head with a wry smile.
It seemed more plausible to accept it as a warning not to wander around.
“Shall I call the doctor?”
At the sudden question, I turned to Jiwoon. His gaze was slightly lowered. I followed his gaze and saw my hand with blisters.
Right. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to call Angel.
“I’ll call her tomorrow. She probably won’t be awake before midnight. She always cuddles with a cute teddy bear.”
While imagining trivial things and laughing foolishly, I realized that we had arrived in front of the room.
“I’ll contact the doctor to visit you tomorrow.”
“It’s okay, I’ll call her if I need to. And there’s nothing to show the doctor anyway.”
“Boss will worry about you.”
It seemed that in Jiwoon’s eyes, his boss appeared as a very caring person.
I smiled faintly without giving any response.
“Thank you for taking me.”
Loyalty was indeed a dangerous thing. Seeing him continue to spout nonsense made me realize that.
I gave him a casual nod and turned away.
“You’re hardworking.”
I was about to open the door when a composed voice caught my ankle.
I stopped my hand from opening the door and turned my head.
Unlike his emotionless voice, there was a faint curiosity in Jiwoon’s night-colored eyes as he looked at me.
I twisted my lips as I met his gaze.
“Boss told me to try taking your place.”
As I laughed vividly enough to make my eyes close, Jiwoon’s face subtly stiffened.
Surely, he wouldn’t take it seriously. With that thought, I entered the room.
“Work hard. Even I feel like I’ve been working hard since becoming a ‘unique.'”
What kind of transformation is Baek Ha-won undergoing?
The moonlight streaming through the large window in the dark room shimmered softly.
While this place shared many similarities with where I used to live, one clear difference existed: the people.
Among the celebrities and famous figures here, I didn’t know anyone. I meticulously searched for anyone mentioned in the novel but couldn’t find a single person.
So, while Korea existed in this world, there were no people with the same names or appearances as those I knew before I was possessed.
And then there was history.
Based on Korean history, the course of events in this world diverged around the 1900s, unlike what I knew.
However, despite the different characters, the overall flow of events seemed similar.
Being fluent in both Chinese and English in this world filled with various languages was truly fortunate.
From the outside, my room looked like a mess with books and papers scattered everywhere.
Although it was difficult to find a single piece of paper at first, now books and papers were rolling around the floor.
While lying on the bed, I pushed the books aside with my feet.
During the week I stayed awake, I held a gun as much as my body could bear, and in my spare time, I gathered information.
I skimmed through internet news articles and sneaked into Baek Ha-won’s study to steal necessary books.
I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t do anything.
Out of Baekcheon.
“Darn it.”
Or to Yugyeom.
I hadn’t encountered Yugyeom for over ten days since I only stayed in the square.
But even without encountering him, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I wanted to think it was nothing special, but his words and gaze towards me were too shocking.
I regretted the words I said to him so much it was driving me insane.
“Sigh…”
I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. Even though the blanket was soft, it felt uncomfortable against the hard floor.
I brushed my dry face and sighed again.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a sound from an unknown source broke the silence, and I jolted up, startled.
“….?”
… Did I hear it wrong?
Knock, knock.
“Crazy. What the…!”
As the sound, unmistakably from the terrace, came again, I descended from the bed.
To my disappointment, there was no gun in sight. If I could see the sunrise tomorrow, I’d have to steal a gun immediately.
With that determination in mind, I looked around the room to find something useful.
My gaze fell on a vase placed on the desk. Carefully, I took out the roses from the vase and emptied the water.
Then, I firmly gripped the vase.
Knock, knock.
This time, I could recognize it. The sound came from the terrace.
I hesitated for a moment.
Should I call the guards to stand by the door?
It wasn’t even a dilemma. My life was precious.
Holding the vase tightly, I lifted my chin and walked towards the door.
‘Huh…?’
However, there was no one at the door.
Looking at the clock indicating 1 AM, I recalled the fact I had remembered for later use. 1 AM was the shift change time.
‘How frustrating.’
Closing the door again, I found myself immersed in deep contemplation.
I couldn’t just sit around and wait to be silenced. Being proactive was better in this situation.
With determined steps, I reached the terrace. Just as I was about to grab the handle of the terrace door, something unexpected happened.
“….!”
The terrace door creaked open.
I hadn’t even grabbed the handle yet?
I thought a scream would come out first, but my mouth remained tightly shut, not even considering opening.
Clutching the vase tighter, I hesitated for a moment. Then, I swung the vase downward, intending to strike.
Thud!
My wrist was suddenly grabbed weakly.
A cold grip tightened around it as a black shadow leaned in towards me.
I stumbled backward a few steps, but the shadow approached me with large strides, leaning in as if to touch me.
The sweet scent turned out to be a strong aroma of wine.
“…You weren’t sleeping.”
Warm breath brushed against my neck, and the sweet scent clouded my mind.
“Miss…”
A softly murmured voice called me. It was slow and indistinct.
His body leaned heavily against mine, and the weight on my shoulders made it hard to breathe.
In the silent stillness, only the sound of his breath against my shoulder could be heard.
“….Yeonbyeol.”
As soon as my name was called, my foggy mind cleared. Pushing his body away from me with all my strength, he retreated surprisingly easily.
As he stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, I instinctively reached out, but my hand didn’t touch him.
His shirt was untucked, his eyes unfocused, and his cheeks flushed.
Despite the disarray, his silvery hair sparkled more brightly than the moonlight.
“…Yugyeom?”
As I called his name, he looked up at me with a hazy smile.
Chapter 39
Tonight, I didn’t leave the shooting range until late at night when the moon had already tilted considerably.
After spending only a few hours indoors, my chest felt suffocated. So, instead of taking the route that directly led to the square, I headed towards the way out, which was unfamiliar to me.
This side street was new to me, but the surroundings were quite picturesque. The white buildings sparkled under the moonlight, and red flower buds bloomed among the scattered leaves. It felt like the setting of a mythical temple.
I sat down on a fountain for a moment and gazed at the black sea visible beyond the buildings.
“Miss.”
At that moment, I turned my head at the sound of a voice.
“Jiwoon?”
Jiwoon, who had walked slowly, lightly nodded towards me. How did he know I would take this route?
The two henchmen who had been standing beside me looked at Jiwoon, then silently left their positions, and he took their place.
“Did you stop by the shooting range on your way back?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
The wind tousled Jiwoon’s black hair. The breeze that reached me was quite warm.
I suddenly recalled the first time I woke up in this place. Jiwoon was the first person I encountered.
“I thought you should know the schedule in advance.”
“Oh.”
Baek Ha-won’s words about going to Hong Kong with me were indeed sincere.
I was already worried. If we went to Hong Kong, there was a high chance of incidents suitable for a noir setting, and if someone were to shed blood, it would likely be me.
But despite that, I decided to go because my gut feeling told me that staying in Baekcheon without Baek Ha-won would be more dangerous.
“Are you really asking me to attend an executive meeting?”
I sighed as I spoke, standing up from the fountain.
“That’s what he said.”
Jiwoon walked and recited the main schedule, but his voice didn’t quite register in my ears.
“But why did you move the room to the 4th floor? It’s annoying to go up and down.”
It was quite cumbersome to go up and down the stairs every time. Why didn’t they install an elevator when they had everything else?
Moreover, from the 3rd floor onwards, the entrance to the corridor was completely blocked, so you had to scan your fingerprint or card to enter.
It was quite nice that no one could come and go recklessly, but the constant silence every day was getting tiresome.
“Are you worried about me?”
“Me?”
I shook my head with a wry smile.
It seemed more plausible to accept it as a warning not to wander around.
“Shall I call the doctor?”
At the sudden question, I turned to Jiwoon. His gaze was slightly lowered. I followed his gaze and saw my hand with blisters.
Right. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to call Angel.
“I’ll call her tomorrow. She probably won’t be awake before midnight. She always cuddles with a cute teddy bear.”
While imagining trivial things and laughing foolishly, I realized that we had arrived in front of the room.
“I’ll contact the doctor to visit you tomorrow.”
“It’s okay, I’ll call her if I need to. And there’s nothing to show the doctor anyway.”
“Boss will worry about you.”
It seemed that in Jiwoon’s eyes, his boss appeared as a very caring person.
I smiled faintly without giving any response.
“Thank you for taking me.”
Loyalty was indeed a dangerous thing. Seeing him continue to spout nonsense made me realize that.
I gave him a casual nod and turned away.
“You’re hardworking.”
I was about to open the door when a composed voice caught my ankle.
I stopped my hand from opening the door and turned my head.
Unlike his emotionless voice, there was a faint curiosity in Jiwoon’s night-colored eyes as he looked at me.
I twisted my lips as I met his gaze.
“Boss told me to try taking your place.”
As I laughed vividly enough to make my eyes close, Jiwoon’s face subtly stiffened.
Surely, he wouldn’t take it seriously. With that thought, I entered the room.
“Work hard. Even I feel like I’ve been working hard since becoming a ‘unique.'”
What kind of transformation is Baek Ha-won undergoing?
The moonlight streaming through the large window in the dark room shimmered softly.
While this place shared many similarities with where I used to live, one clear difference existed: the people.
Among the celebrities and famous figures here, I didn’t know anyone. I meticulously searched for anyone mentioned in the novel but couldn’t find a single person.
So, while Korea existed in this world, there were no people with the same names or appearances as those I knew before I was possessed.
And then there was history.
Based on Korean history, the course of events in this world diverged around the 1900s, unlike what I knew.
However, despite the different characters, the overall flow of events seemed similar.
Being fluent in both Chinese and English in this world filled with various languages was truly fortunate.
From the outside, my room looked like a mess with books and papers scattered everywhere.
Although it was difficult to find a single piece of paper at first, now books and papers were rolling around the floor.
While lying on the bed, I pushed the books aside with my feet.
During the week I stayed awake, I held a gun as much as my body could bear, and in my spare time, I gathered information.
I skimmed through internet news articles and sneaked into Baek Ha-won’s study to steal necessary books.
I felt like I would go crazy if I didn’t do anything.
Out of Baekcheon.
“Darn it.”
Or to Yugyeom.
I hadn’t encountered Yugyeom for over ten days since I only stayed in the square.
But even without encountering him, I couldn’t stop thinking about him.
I wanted to think it was nothing special, but his words and gaze towards me were too shocking.
I regretted the words I said to him so much it was driving me insane.
“Sigh…”
I sighed deeply and closed my eyes. Even though the blanket was soft, it felt uncomfortable against the hard floor.
I brushed my dry face and sighed again.
Knock, knock.
At that moment, a sound from an unknown source broke the silence, and I jolted up, startled.
“….?”
… Did I hear it wrong?
Knock, knock.
“Crazy. What the…!”
As the sound, unmistakably from the terrace, came again, I descended from the bed.
To my disappointment, there was no gun in sight. If I could see the sunrise tomorrow, I’d have to steal a gun immediately.
With that determination in mind, I looked around the room to find something useful.
My gaze fell on a vase placed on the desk. Carefully, I took out the roses from the vase and emptied the water.
Then, I firmly gripped the vase.
Knock, knock.
This time, I could recognize it. The sound came from the terrace.
I hesitated for a moment.
Should I call the guards to stand by the door?
It wasn’t even a dilemma. My life was precious.
Holding the vase tightly, I lifted my chin and walked towards the door.
‘Huh…?’
However, there was no one at the door.
Looking at the clock indicating 1 AM, I recalled the fact I had remembered for later use. 1 AM was the shift change time.
‘How frustrating.’
Closing the door again, I found myself immersed in deep contemplation.
I couldn’t just sit around and wait to be silenced. Being proactive was better in this situation.
With determined steps, I reached the terrace. Just as I was about to grab the handle of the terrace door, something unexpected happened.
“….!”
The terrace door creaked open.
I hadn’t even grabbed the handle yet?
I thought a scream would come out first, but my mouth remained tightly shut, not even considering opening.
Clutching the vase tighter, I hesitated for a moment. Then, I swung the vase downward, intending to strike.
Thud!
My wrist was suddenly grabbed weakly.
A cold grip tightened around it as a black shadow leaned in towards me.
I stumbled backward a few steps, but the shadow approached me with large strides, leaning in as if to touch me.
The sweet scent turned out to be a strong aroma of wine.
“…You weren’t sleeping.”
Warm breath brushed against my neck, and the sweet scent clouded my mind.
“Miss…”
A softly murmured voice called me. It was slow and indistinct.
His body leaned heavily against mine, and the weight on my shoulders made it hard to breathe.
In the silent stillness, only the sound of his breath against my shoulder could be heard.
“….Yeonbyeol.”
As soon as my name was called, my foggy mind cleared. Pushing his body away from me with all my strength, he retreated surprisingly easily.
As he stumbled and fell to the ground with a thud, I instinctively reached out, but my hand didn’t touch him.
His shirt was untucked, his eyes unfocused, and his cheeks flushed.
Despite the disarray, his silvery hair sparkled more brightly than the moonlight.
“…Yugyeom?”
As I called his name, he looked up at me with a hazy smile.
