Chapter : 32
Choi Mu-gwang poured wine from a small refrigerator into a glass and offered it to her.
“Wine?”
As if she’d known what was inside.
“I’m fine.”
Fortunately, he didn’t push it and drank alone.
“Looks like you went somewhere nice.”
Instead of answering, he gazed steadily at Lee Seol and smiled faintly.
“What did you want to talk about?”
“Talks go better when you eat first, nice and slow.”
Eat together?
“I left my nephew in your care, and I don’t think I ever properly greeted you.”
He shrugged as he spoke.
He had barged in rudely and dragged her away without warning—so why was he suddenly saying things like this?
Even drinking a sip of water in front of Choi Mu-gwang made her nervous, and now he wanted her to eat a meal with him.
“Don’t be scared. You think I’d hurt you? I may be doing this kind of work now, but I keep my promises.”
Just then, her phone vibrated inside the pocket of her cardigan.
For some reason, she was afraid it might be Tae-shin calling.
She was scared Mu-gwang would notice with those hawk-like eyes of his.
“Sounds like your phone’s ringing.”
“I don’t need to answer it.”
“So I’m someone who shouldn’t hear your calls, huh.”
“……”
“Do whatever you like.”
Had something good happened to him?
He looked unusually pleased. The luxury limousine, the expensive-looking gift—maybe he’d found some blind sucker and squeezed an enormous amount of money out of them.
The place Choi Mu-gwang took her to was a seaside restaurant that had opened just last year.
Perched on a hill overlooking the blue ocean, it had appeared in dramas and foreign singers’ music videos, gaining fame to the point where reservations were nearly impossible.
The car stopped in the parking lot.
It was a weekend, yet strangely, not a single other car was parked there.
The limousine door opened, and Mu-gwang stepped out first, extending his hand.
Lee Seol ignored it and got out on her own.
“Looks like they’re closed today.”
Since it also operated as a café, even if lunchtime had passed, it shouldn’t be completely empty.
Don’t tell me he rented out the entire restaurant?
Mu-gwang walked ahead, with the manager following behind carrying a box taken from the car.
Men who had gotten out of the cars trailing the limousine took up positions around the restaurant as guards.
As they entered, the owner himself came out to greet them.
“Welcome. We’ve been expecting you. Please come up to the second floor.”
“Ah, before that.”
Mu-gwang took the ribboned box from the manager and handed it to Lee Seol.
“Go change into this.”
This was a gift for her?
Why would he give her something like this?
A bad feeling crept up on her, and she pushed the box away.
“I’ll appreciate the thought.”
Mu-gwang’s sharp eyes glinted as he grinned.
“That’s unexpected. I thought you’d say you’d take the gift, but not the sentiment.”
“Don’t you know that public servants aren’t allowed to accept gifts worth more than 30,000 won?”
“Our teacher’s more rigid than she looks. Then just wear it today and give it back when you leave.”
It didn’t seem like he’d back down until she wore it, so she decided to compromise.
“I’ll need somewhere to change.”
At his words, a female employee led Lee Seol to the staff changing room.
She locked the door and opened the box.
Inside were a designer-brand dress and high heels.
The white dress was far flashier than her usual taste, but Mu-gwang’s eye for these things wasn’t bad.
She took off her T-shirt and jeans, put on the dress, and slipped into the heels.
They fit as if they’d been custom-made.
Thinking about how he used to come to her shop and leer at her made her skin crawl even more.
Now he wanted her to wear this and eat a meal with him?
A sigh escaped her.
What on earth was he thinking?
She couldn’t read his intentions at all, and with his men everywhere, she couldn’t even escape. That made her even more anxious.
When she came out, the employee guided her upstairs.
At the entrance to the hall stood the intimidating-looking manager, staring at her with open displeasure.
Why was it that her bad premonitions were never wrong?
The hall overlooked a dazzling blue ocean, and aside from Choi Mu-gwang and a waiter, it was completely empty.
The waiter guided her to a window seat.
Mu-gwang’s eyes gleamed as he looked her up and down.
“As I thought, it suits you well.”
She sat across from him and drank water to moisten her dry throat.
Without needing to order, soup and dishes began to arrive one after another.
The food looked delicious.
She was hungry.
But she felt like she couldn’t swallow a single bite.
What if something had been drugged into it?
She shouldn’t have come.
Seeing Mu-gwang’s fierce gaze, the words “I can’t eat” got stuck in her throat.
“Do I need to feed you myself?”
When he looked like he was about to stand up, Lee Seol panicked and grabbed her spoon.
“I’ll eat.”
“There’s no medicine in it, so don’t worry.”
It felt like he’d read her thoughts, and her heart skipped.
Mu-gwang swapped his soup and salad plates with hers.
In the end, she ate the soup and chewed the salad.
Watching her quietly, Mu-gwang spoke.
“I won’t do anything to hurt you, teacher, so don’t worry.”
His gaze softened for a moment, his manner almost sickeningly gentle.
She couldn’t understand why he’d suddenly brought her here, dressed her in expensive clothes, and was feeding her.
Mu-gwang poured her wine, watching her eat with satisfaction.
“Has that bastard not come back since that day?”
Not wanting to show her agitation, she lowered her eyes as she answered.
“Wouldn’t your people know better than I do?”
They’d been watching her all along.
Since he didn’t deny it, it seemed they really had been monitoring her.
“How’s In-woo doing at school?”
“That’s something you should ask his homeroom teacher, isn’t it?”
“I’m asking for your opinion, Lee Seol.”
“Have you heard anything unusual from In-woo?”
She studied Mu-gwang’s expression.
“Like what?”
It was clear he hadn’t yet heard anything about Lee Tae-shin.
That was a relief.
“So far, he seems to be doing fine without any major incidents…”
“But?”
“There’s one thing that worries me.”
Should she really tell Choi Mu-gwang this?
Since he wanted his nephew to graduate safely and go to college, it might actually be better to rein things in through him.
Lee Seol briefly explained the betting fights that had occurred at school and cautiously suggested that Hwang In-woo might be behind them.
“Do you have proof?”
“No. There’s no evidence or witnesses. I called in the students involved, but none of them would talk.”
“To suspect In-woo without solid evidence… I don’t find that very pleasant.”
The low, chilling tone sent a shiver down her spine.
But considering In-woo’s usual behavior, it was a reasonable assumption.
Neither students nor teachers dared touch him. If it was let go like this, the betting fights might continue, just as Tae-shin said, and someone could get seriously hurt.
“Honestly, who else at school would be bold enough to pull something like this?”
“……”
“If, even by chance, it turns out In-woo did this and it’s exposed, he won’t be able to go to college. Would you be okay with that?”
“I’ll handle that issue myself, so just know that. But if it turns out In-woo didn’t do it, you’ll owe me an apology.”
Setting down his fork and wiping his mouth with a napkin, Mu-gwang spoke again.
“I was thinking of making you a proposal.”
“A proposal…?”
“I’ll cut the interest rate. In half.”
Why would he suddenly cut the interest in half? What was he plotting?
“You don’t like it?”
“I do. Of course I do, but…”
“Hell, let’s even extend the repayment period. You know better than anyone that interest is our lifeblood as loan sharks.”
Then why was he so willing to cut something that was his lifeline?
“What’s the condition?”
“Just meet me once a month and eat a meal like this together.”
Lee Seol nearly spat out the water she was drinking.
Water spilled down to her chin.
As she coughed, Mu-gwang kindly handed her a napkin.
Looking immensely amused.
