Chapter 33………………………..
Clutching the clothes and teacup she had received from Kim Mun-gyu, Chohee headed back toward the old district of Sinuiju.
She planned to take a rickshaw from the inn and return home. She had already made arrangements with Boki.
To Dowoon, she had said she was going to meet Boki. She couldn’t bring herself to say that she was looking for the clothes.
There was no guarantee she would find them, and above all, this was something Chohee wanted to handle on her own.
“Miss from Gyeongseong, have you found the clothes?”
Boki, who roughly understood the situation, greeted Chohee warmly. Chohee smiled and spread the clothes on the counter.
“Look at this, Boki. Doesn’t it seem like something a European noblewoman might have worn a hundred years ago?”
“Goodness, it’s truly beautiful! I’ve never seen clothes like this. Don’t you think it would make me look like a fairy if I wore it?”
“Boki, do you want to try it on?”
“This fairy dress?”
Boki’s eyes sparkled as she held the dress against her body. It was exactly the sort of behavior a girl in her late teens would do, and Chohee smiled at the sight.
That was when it happened.
“Put it down. Don’t you have any pride?”
A sharp, tense male voice came from behind Chohee.
The owner of the voice strode forward before Chohee could intervene, roughly grabbing the dress Boki was holding.
“Hey, Park Jin! What are you doing?”
“Why are you laughing at receiving charity like this?”
The man muttered with displeasure and glared at Chohee with a scowl.
The man called Park Jin looked to be around Boki’s age—maybe twenty at most.
His cat-like eyes and fairly handsome face suggested that many women might follow him just based on his appearance.
Park Jin spoke to Chohee sharply:
“Why are you giving such things to a woman and letting her get carried away? Are we beggars?”
“Beggar? So you’re saying I’m treating Boki like a beggar?”
“Miss, you said you came from Gyeongseong, right? Unlike you, we have to keep living here. We can’t let her get carried away. When I give good advice, you better leave quickly.”
Chohee was speechless. So now he misunderstood that she had given the clothes to Boki out of pity?
Chohee tried to explain, but Boki was faster. The usually gentle girl unleashed harsh words at Park Jin.
“Hey, Park Jin! Want to change the order of your ribs? You used to having bones attached lately? Messing around in someone else’s workplace? Get lost!”
Hearing Boki’s curse, Park Jin protested indignantly:
“Messing around? Can’t you see I’m trying to help you?”
“Help? Don’t make me laugh. When did you ever help me? Don’t whine and get lost!”
“Hey! I’m only saying this because I care about you!”
“Mind your tongue. Say that one more time, and I’ll pull it out and whip it until it rots.”
“Woman, don’t speak so harshly.”
Seeing Boki’s anger, Park Jin realized further discussion was futile and glared at Chohee. Then he tried to pull the dress again.
“Don’t pull it!”
Screeeech—!
But it was too late. The fabric tore loudly, and Chohee screamed.
“No!”
She shoved Park Jin back and grabbed the dress, but the damage was done.
The section connecting the sleeves to the chest had torn cleanly, and the embroidered parts were ripped away.
“I-I told you to let go—”
“Hey! Park Jin!”
Unlike the stunned Chohee, Boki lunged at Park Jin and grabbed him by the collar.
“How could you ruin someone’s clothes like this!”
“Don’t you have any pride?”
“Miss didn’t give them to me, I was only showing them for a moment!”
“Showing?”
At Boki’s words, Park Jin’s face revealed confusion.
Boki, exasperated, thumped her chest and explained the situation. Hearing her explanation, Park Jin’s cheeks flushed bright red.
“Y-You didn’t know? I-I didn’t know—”
“Go apologize to the miss, you blockhead.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
Chohee held her head at the man’s apology; he looked completely flushed, like a red radish.
Since he was Boki’s friend, she couldn’t be angry either.
It couldn’t be helped. Chohee sighed.
“It’s okay. You didn’t do it on purpose…”
The dress could be repaired. For someone not skilled with a needle, it might take several days. And since the fabric was torn, she’d need to get new material.
“We can repair it. It’s okay.”
“Miss! Park Jin, just let him do it. He made the mess, so he should clean it up.”
Boki handed the dress to Park Jin confidently. Unlike him, she looked triumphant.
“Repair it? Him?”
“Park Jin can’t do it, miss. But he does odd jobs at Obok’s store, so getting fabric should be easy.”
“Can we really get lace like this?”
“Park Jin, tell her. Don’t you have some at your workplace?”
Chohee looked at Park Jin expectantly. Hesitant, he nodded. Boki smacked his arm and laughed, satisfied.
“Park Jin, you’re finally useful!”
“Don’t hit me, woman.”
Grumbling, Park Jin glanced at Boki, his cheeks red.
Hmm?
Watching Boki and Park Jin, Chohee narrowed her eyes.
Something’s going on between these two.
Despite his rough behavior protecting Boki, he still watched her carefully. Clearly, it was behavior stemming from feelings for her.
“Park Jin.”
Park Jin froze at Chohee’s call.
“Park Jin?”
“Yes, Park Jin. From what Boki said, you seem capable of helping me. Can you repair this dress? It’s important to me.”
Park Jin’s neck reddened as he nodded.
“Well, if it’s okay… I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“Can you just call me Park Jin? Don’t just say my name—it gives me goosebumps.”
“Okay, Park Jin.”
Chohee breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. Fortunately, there was a way to save the dress.
She set a date to get the dress back from Park Jin and left the inn. It was time to return home.
Having secured a gun, Dowoon headed to Hongwongak.
Getting information from Mrs. Minamoto was now impossible, so he would have to probe Minamoto’s side again.
He thought that since Minamoto frequently came to this gisaeng house, he might run into him again.
Upon arriving at Hongwongak, a gisaeng recognized Dowoon and greeted him with a coquettish smile.
“Oh my, sir! It’s been so long. Why didn’t you let us know you were coming?”
The gisaeng grabbed Dowoon’s arm, fully adorned, clinging to him, but Dowoon remained expressionless.
Who is this?
“Do you know me?”
“Oh, you must be joking. I’m Yeonhong. I’ve served you every time you came.”
Yeonhong? A name he had never heard. He searched his memory but drew a blank.
“Oh… that’s fortunate.”
“Please come inside.”
Dowoon pulled away from her hand, showing an expression as if she had touched something dirty.
“If you’ve seen me, you must also know President Minamoto, who’s always with me.”
“Yes? Ah… of course.”
“Is Mr. Minamoto inside?”
“No, recently he hasn’t been here.”
As expected. Dowoon looked disappointed. Since the incident at City Hall, Minamoto Sakura must have noticed. She must have been embarrassed to have that scene witnessed by others.
To meet Minamoto, he had two options: the gisaeng house or the company. He had come here since he couldn’t visit the company.
But she wasn’t here either…
Dowoon sighed deeply.
“Sir, why such a long sigh? Please come in—”
“Enough.”
He said shortly and stopped without looking back.
“I actually worked here at Hongwongak.”
“Until I saw the flyer about hiring a private tutor, I did odd jobs here—laundry, cleaning, things like that.”
“I didn’t have money.”
Ah, so Chohee had worked here.
Dowoon asked the gisaeng, who looked up at him expectantly:
“Do you know a woman who worked here a few weeks ago? Her name is Seongga Chohee.”
“Oh, sir. How could I remember someone who does odd jobs? She probably got hit by the manager and was chased out quickly.”
Hit?
Dowoon felt a chill as Yeonhong spoke casually.
“…Hit? Wasn’t she just doing odd jobs?”
“Lots of people try to escape from work. Why do you ask?”
“So they hit people too?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Dowoon pressed his anger down with difficulty. He knew he had to smile calmly for later, but his face muscles wouldn’t move.
He couldn’t fake a smile.
Yeonhong seemed both unsettled and frightened by his expression and let go of his arm.
Without greeting her, Dowoon strode toward the exit.
A young man entered as the door opened. He stepped aside for Dowoon, who pushed past and went outside.
He called a rickshaw and headed home.
He felt that hearing Chohee’s side of the story would calm the unexplained anger gnawing at him.
Back at Gwangan, Chohee looked once more at the file containing information about Mrs. Minamoto.
The bribe for her was ready.
Now all that remained was to meet her…
The problem was how Chohee, who had clearly fallen out of favor, could meet Mrs. Minamoto.
The ideal way was to encounter her by chance—but “by chance” was surprisingly difficult.
Where could she “accidentally” meet Minamoto Sakura? The gabishop she saw last time? The new opera house? Or maybe at another wife’s residence?
“Huh. I decided to handle this alone, but it’s not easy. Maybe I need Dowoon’s help after all?”
Yes. Rather than struggle alone, it might be okay to get a little help from him.
The rest, however, would be up to Chohee to prepare.
While deep in thought, she heard a commotion outside the study. Soon, the door opened, and Dowoon entered.
The usually relaxed man appeared somewhat uneasy.
Locking eyes with Chohee, he took a few long steps closer to her.
“Dowoon—”
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“Huh?”
“Your hand. Give it here.”
Without explanation, he grabbed Chohee’s hand.
