Chapter 47: Awareness
Rrrr.
Maybe shifting the phone around in different directions had worked.
A signal came through.
“Hello?”
After calling Lee Jun’s name a few times, Yooa heard a child’s voice from the bushes.
“Mommy…”
She couldn’t hear it clearly in the rush of the moment, but her urgency pushed her to move with her phone in hand.
The signal was lost due to the movement, but finding the child came first. The voice had come from nearby, so he had to be close.
“Jungho! If you can hear me, try waving your hand!”
She called out the name the man had given her and headed down the slope, slipping repeatedly since it wasn’t a real path.
“Ugh!”
The darkening surroundings made visibility poor, and a jagged branch left a scratch across her face.
Still, Yooa pressed on.
Following the voice again, Yooa wished she could just faint on the spot.
“Mommy…? Daddy…?”
A man in a large black jumper was crouched in the bushes, leaning back and mimicking a child’s voice.
“Found me?”
His eyes, with too much white showing, met Yooa’s, and he grinned.
The eerie sight froze her in place.
“Oh dear… let’s get moving already.”
He stood, pressing both knees with his hands. His tall, bulky frame overwhelmed Yooa.
“…Where’s the child?”
The man, who had introduced himself as the boy’s father, curled his lips into a mocking smile and casually put both hands in his pockets.
“Who? Jungho?”
“Yes.”
“Heh, that’s my name.”
“So you lied to me.”
The man tilted his head with a loud crack, seemingly surprised by Yooa’s composed reaction.
“You’re quick on the uptake, huh?”
“……”
“Let’s not make this hard, okay?”
Only a handful of people came to mind. Kang Juhee, Lee Jun’s aunt—and Seong Ji-hye, the daughter of the CEO of Hanseo News, who had shown up as a participant. The latter seemed far more likely.
If she had to choose only one, Yooa instinctively leaned toward Ji-hye and furrowed her brows.
“Miss Yooa! Where are you? Yooa!”
It was Seong-han, who hadn’t been able to find the child, now calling out for Yooa from a distance. His voice echoed through the forest.
The man must’ve realized how far away he was, because he didn’t rush.
He stretched with loud cracks, perhaps uncomfortable from crouching so long.
“Make your choice. I only need you. But if you don’t want to go alone, that guy can come too.”
From his words, Yooa understood she was being taken somewhere. If it was Ji-hye, she’d likely drag Yooa to a quiet place and demand she break up with Lee Jun—maybe even threaten her.
But she wouldn’t kill her.
If her life wasn’t in danger, Yooa decided it was better to follow the man’s lead for now.
After all, provoking someone crazy enough to mimic a child’s voice wouldn’t help.
“Lead the way. …I’ll go alone.”
The man said he had a vehicle prepared not far from there and started walking with a swagger.
Since when had someone like Ji-hye associated with guys like this? If she planned to keep this quiet, they must’ve been close.
“Don’t try to stall. As long as you cooperate, I won’t hurt you.”
The man’s speech had grown increasingly casual. He stumbled along, checking his phone and sending messages even as he walked by flashlight, now that the sun had set.
He almost slipped on wet dirt or tripped over stones multiple times, but never took his eyes off his phone.
“Tch, small feet, small that—everything’s small but she sure nags like she’s someone important.”
After reading a message, he angrily unzipped his padded jacket.
Yooa, following closely behind, tried to see the name of the person he was texting, but failed each time. He was cautious.
“Would you consider changing your mind? If it’s about money, I can pay more than they’re offering.”
“Ohhh? You got money? I like having options.”
“If you tell me what you want, I’ll match it.”
Would this work?
He gave a mocking snort and scratched his side. Through the lifted edge of his black shirt, Yooa caught a glimpse of a tattoo.
He looked at her like he pitied her.
“No matter how much, a deal’s a deal. You’re pretty rotten, huh? Messing with someone’s feelings like that, huh?”
She didn’t know what made him so mad, but Yooa instinctively stepped back.
The man grumbled to himself, stomping his foot.
“If it was just about money, fine. But loyalty? Ha! Maybe I should just take more money…”
Yooa held her breath, hoping he might change his mind.
But then the man laughed, rocking back and forth like a clown. He suddenly stopped and faced her.
“Just kidding. For us, it’s all about promises and loyalty. Trust, you know? Integrity and stuff.”
He bragged about how much he loved seeing the disappointment on people’s faces when they lost hope.
Then he roughly pushed her back and jerked his head to gesture ahead.
“Quit the nonsense. Walk. Just get over there and the car’ll be waiting.”
The moment his attention returned to his phone, Yooa turned and shoved his shoulder with all her strength.
“Wahhh!”
It was a muddy slope covered in wet leaves. Yooa had the high ground, and her shove was enough to unbalance him.
“Shit.”
He looked down at his hiking boots, now caked in mud, and cursed while inspecting the injured arm he’d instinctively used to break his fall.
Red blood dripped from his hand, pierced by sharp stones and sticks.
Scowling in pain, he muttered.
“Just my luck, huh? Damn it.”
Yooa avoided his furious eyes and quickly scanned the terrain.
She recognized it from before. The pink ribbon tied to a tree branch and another marked with a mountain club name were still there.
“Hey! Where are you going?! You running?! Hey!”
Yooa didn’t look back as she ran.
She briefly lost her sense of direction, but didn’t panic. Instead, she searched for a hiding spot—just like the man had earlier—and crouched behind some bushes.
Clamping her hands over her mouth, she listened.
The man’s roar echoed through the forest.
“You! You—HEY!”
Yooa believed he hadn’t spotted her. If she stayed still, the darkness would hide her.
No more shouting. No more footsteps.
Even the rustle of tiny leaves in the wind made her body throb with tension, as if she’d been beaten.
“Please… Come find me quickly, Lee Jun…”
Alone in a pitch-dark forest, it took real courage to stay calm.
Yooa shut her eyes.
She imagined the cozy, warm glow of the camper van… Sejin giggling under the blankets… and Lee Jun bringing her a freshly brewed cup of coffee in a mug.
Sniffling, Yooa curled up, hugging her knees tight to her chest.
Then she suddenly grew anxious that the pink windbreaker might reflect the moonlight.
She carefully turned it inside out.
Clutching the thin jacket like a lifeline, Yooa began to count.
Let him come before I reach 100. Or 200. Or 300…
“I’m scared… Lee Jun…”
