Chapter : 30
It was so inconspicuous that if you didn’t look carefully, you wouldn’t even know it was there.
Half-asleep, she shifted in bed, and the moment she sensed movement from the black shadow she caught a glimpse of, her heart dropped into her stomach.
Had the danger Taesin warned her about already arrived?
Or could it be the thief her grandmother had mentioned…?
Just as she was about to scream, a large hand covered her mouth, and a low voice whispered,
“Shh. Calm down. It’s me.”
That was unmistakably Lee Taesin’s voice.
Even in her terror, she could recognize it.
“Do you recognize me?”
When Iseol nodded, Taesin slowly removed his hand.
So it wasn’t a dream.
Why was this man here?
As her wildly pounding heart began to settle, she finally took in the sight of Taesin, dressed head to toe in black.
“How did you get in here?”
Iseol sat up in bed and asked in a hushed voice.
Her grandmother’s room was across the living room, and Ganghun’s room was farther away, so sound wouldn’t carry easily—but still, just in case.
“If I really wanted to, anyone could come and go.”
Taesin answered as he perched on the edge of the bed.
In truth, the door hadn’t properly locked in ages, and the window was so fragile it looked like it would shatter if you tapped it.
“Actually, there was a break-in a few days ago. I think we need to call a company and strengthen security.”
“I’ll take care of calling them. Leave it to me.”
“Okay.”
As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, Taesin’s face came into focus.
She hadn’t expected to see him over the weekend, yet now that he was here, she realized just how glad she felt.
Even though he’d snuck in like a thief.
“How long have you been here?”
“I’ve been here for a while.”
“How long is ‘a while’?”
“About an hour.”
“An hour? You’ve been here for an hour?”
And I had no idea at all.
Had she been muttering in her sleep? Tossing and turning too much?
Even now, that was what worried her.
“You could’ve woken me up.”
“You were sleeping too soundly.”
“……”
She didn’t have the courage to ask what he’d been doing for an entire hour.
“What time is it now?”
“A little past two.”
“When did you leave the island? Were there any suspicious people at the terminal?”
“I borrowed a fishing boat. Since it can come and go freely without passing through the terminal, there’s nothing to worry about.”
“You borrowed a fishing boat?”
“Traveling by passenger ferry carries too much risk, so I signed a one-year contract for a fishing boat.”
“You know how to operate a boat?”
“Jaehyuk does. Tonight, the captain handled it.”
“Ah… Then you can go back and forth to the island without attracting attention.”
Taesin nodded.
“There’s somewhere I want to take you for a bit.”
At this hour of the night?
“Where…?”
“It’s close. You can go just like that, in your pajamas.”
“Wait a moment.”
Iseol got out of bed and pulled a cardigan from the closet to slip on.
Taesin held out his hand.
Probably because it was dark and she might trip.
She carefully took his hand and left the room.
Like a cat burglar, they tiptoed outside.
Around her grandmother’s house, the old two-story homes were packed so closely together that you could move from railing to railing.
Only distant streetlights illuminated the dark neighborhood.
Taesin lightly stepped over to the neighboring house’s railing and held his hand out again.
“Why over there…?”
“Come over.”
Why was he asking her to sneak into the neighbor’s place like a thief?
“Watch your step.”
As Iseol jumped while holding his hand, Taesin wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her land.
“Well done.”
Iseol quickly stepped back, putting distance between them.
The neighboring house was one of the few remodeled homes in the area.
To her surprise, Taesin unlocked the second-floor door with a keypad and went inside.
Don’t tell me he rented this place too?
Two houses, plus a one-year fishing boat contract.
Just how much money did this man have?
And if he had that much money, why was he on the run?
“Come in.”
LED lights softly illuminated the interior.
All the doors had been removed, and every possible wall had been opened up to create a sense of space. The only furniture inside was two single beds, a refrigerator, and a small dining table.
“What is this place?”
“Let’s call it a weekend house.”
“Mr. Lee Taesin…”
Taesin turned to look at her.
“You really had everything planned.”
A boat, and a second hideout.
Right next door to her grandmother’s house.
She’d never imagined he’d prepared things this thoroughly.
But Iseol didn’t yet know this wasn’t the end.
It wouldn’t take long for her to realize just how meticulous and airtight this man truly was.
“Are you a perfectionist by nature?”
“You could call it an unavoidable choice for surviving in a world strictly ruled by the law of the strong. Sit down. Would you like some tea?”
“Yes.”
As Iseol sat at the table, Taesin filled an electric kettle with water.
Despite herself, the memory of that early-morning honey-water kiss—or rather, contact—came to mind, and she subtly turned her head away.
“Did you come alone? What about Yushin and Jaehyuk?”
“Moving alone is more convenient.”
He spoke as he placed a tea bag into a mug and poured in hot water.
“You don’t seem good with hot drinks.”
“Yes.”
Taesin added cold bottled water to adjust the temperature before handing her the cup.
He even remembered that I couldn’t handle hot drinks.
“Thank you.”
After waiting for the tea to steep, she took a sip, warmth spreading through her body.
“So on weekends, you’ll take the boat and live here?”
“That’s about right.”
“Won’t it be tiring?”
“I’ll suffer from seasickness at first, but I’ll get used to it.”
“I used to get really bad seasickness as a kid. My dad would take me night fishing, and I’d throw up—it was chaos.”
Iseol smiled as she recalled her childhood.
“But for some reason, once I ate the ramen my dad cooked, I’d feel better. Ramen loaded with seafood—it was so good I still think about it sometimes.”
Her father, who’d spent his childhood by the sea, always longed for it even after moving to Seoul.
So whenever he had time, he’d take Iseol out for night fishing.
As a child, she loved simply being with him, so she’d fight off sleep and tag along. Looking back now, those times felt especially precious.
Sitting on seaside rocks, listening to the waves while eating the ramen her father cooked—it felt like she had the whole world.
Taesin’s gaze lingered on her.
Sensing the air grow thick, Iseol changed the subject.
“Oh, my grandmother hired a new part-timer.”
“A part-timer? How is he?”
He asked, leaning against the sink.
“He seems okay, but…”
“Is there something suspicious about him?”
“I’m not sure if it’s okay to let someone we don’t really know stay in the house. Would it be rude to look into his background?”
Given how sensitive Taesin was about her safety, she figured he’d do it without being asked.
“He’s trustworthy. It’s fine to keep him close.”
Iseol lifted her head.
“You already finished the background check?”
“……”
Just how much did this man know—and from where to where?
Did he know everything about her too?
About her grandmother and her father?
Where she was born, why she’d taken out loan sharks’ money, why her family had fallen apart?
Did he know her father had had an affair, and that the shock had led to her mother’s death?
Did he even know that the woman he’d had the affair with had deceived her father and siphoned off an enormous amount of money?
The thought made her afraid.
She didn’t want to bare such shameful secrets to Taesin.
Iseol set down her mug and stood up.
“How much do you know, exactly?”
He stepped closer, tilting his head down slightly as if peering into her eyes.
“Is there something you want to hide?”
Under a gaze that felt like it could dig up even the most deeply buried, humiliating memories, Iseol lowered her eyes.
“Doesn’t everyone have things like that?”
“I’ll only remember the things I absolutely need to know, so there’s no need to worry.”
So he really did know everything.
Ha.
“That’s not fair. You know everything about me, but I hardly know anything about you.”
Taesin lowered his head a little more, meeting her eyes as he spoke.
“What do you want to know?”
“……”
“If there’s something you’re curious about, ask. I’ll answer anything I’m able to.”
