Chapter 34………………………………………………………..
“What—what is this all of a sudden?”
Dowoon suddenly grabbed Chohee’s hands and examined them closely.
Had he found what he was looking for? He let out the breath he’d been holding, as if in relief.
“How about anywhere else?”
“Hurt? You think I was hurt? Who said that?”
“I heard you hit someone at the gisaeng house.”
A gisaeng house?
Did I mishear him?
She slowly went over his out-of-context words.
So… he’d heard that at the place she’d worked a few weeks ago—worked at for barely a week, at that—that she had hit someone, and he came to see if she was okay?
Once she understood the situation, her strength drained away.
When he suddenly grabbed her hand, she thought something serious had happened.
“I got fired before anything could even happen. For neglecting my duties.”
“Ah…”
“And that was weeks ago. Would there still be any injuries?”
“That’s true.”
“But are you mad because of that? Because you thought I might’ve gotten hit? I’m not the type to go around getting beaten up.”
At her words, Dowoon finally let out a small laugh. Perhaps embarrassed by his own fussing, he cleared his throat.
“More importantly, find me a way to meet Madam Minamoto.”
“Madam Minamoto? Things have already fallen apart with her. It won’t be easy to mend that relationship.”
“I know. But I have to try as much as I can. You’ll help me, right?”
His displeasure was clear, but he eventually nodded.
“Very well. I’ll look into it.”
Several days flew by after Chohee made her request.
Dowoon had nearly given up on meeting Madam Minamoto. Truthfully, he hadn’t been keen on it from the start.
He believed the relationship was already beyond repair.
But he couldn’t refuse Chohee’s request either. He’d seen how she’d been agonizing over something these past few days.
And it was the first favor she had ever asked of him. So he wanted to grant it.
“Good day, sir. Please, have a seat.”
Dowoon sat on a shoeshine chair in the middle of the old district. He returned the familiar greeting and unfolded a newspaper. Though his hands held it open, his eyes remained fixed rather than following the print.
The boy polishing his shoes looked no older than fifteen. In a low voice, Dowoon asked him,
“Did you find out who the lady I met yesterday was?”
The boy glanced around before answering quietly as he brushed the shoes.
“Her name’s Hiranishi Satsuko. The lady of Hiranishi Construction.”
“Time and place?”
“The day after tomorrow. At the Hiranishi residence.”
“Good work.”
Pretending to turn the page, Dowoon slipped the boy fifty jeon.
The boy, who roamed around Sinuiju as a shoeshine boy, was also a spy who knew everything that happened in the city. He was one of Dowoon’s ears.
After flipping through the rest of the paper, Dowoon brushed off his suit and headed deeper into the old district.
At the same time.
Chohee headed back to the inn. She had told Dowoon she was going to see Bok-i again, and he had absentmindedly agreed, seemingly preoccupied with other matters. He appeared to have forgotten that she had already visited three days ago.
“Welcome, miss!”
As soon as she entered, Bok-i greeted her warmly. Park Jin, who had been leaning over the counter talking to Bok-i, turned toward her.
Chohee waved at them.
“Bok-i, Jin, have you been well?”
“Yeah, well enough.”
Park Jin gave a brief nod and pulled a chair beside him for her.
Bok-i clicked her tongue in disapproval at the sight and yanked the beret off his head.
“Hey, Park Jin. Can’t you greet her properly?”
“Alright, you nag.”
Grumbling, Park Jin snatched back his beret and bowed more deeply toward Chohee without meeting her eyes.
“Good day, Miss from Gyeongseong. Has your household been well?”
Watching his overly formal greeting, Chohee barely suppressed her laughter. There was no middle ground with him.
“Yes, we’ve been well. What about the dress?”
“It’s here.”
He pointed to a box on the counter.
Chohee opened it and carefully lifted out the dress, examining it front and back.
You wouldn’t have guessed it had been torn just days ago—the new fabric had been patched in perfectly.
“Bok-i was right. It’s flawless!”
“Glad that Jin’s good for something, miss.”
“More than good—it’s amazing. It looks brand new. How did you find lace that matches exactly?”
At her admiration, Park Jin looked away, touching his ear shyly.
“Our shop supplies fabric to the gisaeng houses. We’ve got plenty like that.”
His gaze lingered briefly on Bok-i before meeting Chohee’s—and when she caught him sneaking glances, his face turned red.
Seeing the sweet awkwardness of youthful infatuation made Chohee smile without thinking.
She looked at the two newly minted adults with a playful grin.
“Jin, who are you staring at like that?”
“I’m not staring at anyone.”
“Hmm. Really?”
As she shifted in her seat to tease him further, there was a sudden thud beneath her.
Thud—
“Ah—!”
The leg of her chair collapsed. It was old.
“Gasp!”
“Miss!”
Before she could fall, Park Jin swiftly caught her in his arms.
She nearly would have hit the floor. Chohee let out a relieved breath.
“Are you alright?”
Still holding her, Park Jin asked with wide eyes. His body was firmer than it looked, securely supporting her.
“I’m fine. That startled me. Thank you, Jin.”
“You’re not hurt?”
“Luckily you caught me—ah!”
She couldn’t finish her sentence.
Someone suddenly shoved Park Jin hard in the chest and pulled Chohee into his own arms. A familiar citrus scent filled her senses.
“Take your hands off her.”
The sharp voice pierced Park Jin like a blade.
It was Dowoon.
After gathering more information from several shoeshine boys, Dowoon headed into the old district.
This morning, Chohee had said she would visit an inn there.
It had been one of the contract terms—that she be allowed to visit the old district inn once a week. She had said she could hear news about her older brother there.
Unlike the new district, the old district was undeveloped, dark, and dangerous.
He would’ve preferred she didn’t go, but a contract was a contract.
Still, hadn’t she visited just three days ago? Had news about her brother come so suddenly?
Yet she had been far too calm for someone who’d received news about her brother.
Could she be in trouble?
Before he knew it, his steps were already heading toward the old district. He didn’t know which inn, but the streets there were familiar. After circling a few blocks, he saw it.
Chohee.
And a strange man holding her.
Thud.
The moment he saw that sight, his heart dropped—and his hand was already pushing open the inn’s door.
There was no time to think.
Normally, even in shocking situations, he would think before acting.
Strangely, this time, his body moved first.
By the time he came to his senses, he had already shoved the man aside.
“You. Who are you?”
“…Mr. Dowoon?”
Chohee’s startled voice rang in his ears from within his arms. But without looking down, he pulled her closer.
“I asked who you are.”
“…Mr. Dowoon?”
Those were the eyes of a predator again.
Dowoon glared at poor Park Jin like a beast ready to devour him.
Even the usually brash Park Jin seemed overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of this dominant male, his eyes darting as if asking Chohee for help.
“Mr. Dowoon—”
“You’d better answer properly.”
Chohee tried to wriggle out of his arms, but his firm grip didn’t budge.
“Mr. Dowoon!”
Only when she nearly shouted did he slowly turn his gaze toward her.
In that moment, she pushed against his chest. The arms that had seemed immovable loosened at her single shove.
“Calm down. Jin just caught me when I was about to fall.”
Dowoon’s gaze moved from Chohee to the broken chair leg on the floor.
The misunderstanding should’ve cleared.
“…Jin?”
Yet his expression didn’t soften.
Instead, he repeated Park Jin’s name, his eyes traveling back and forth between them with clear displeasure.
Chohee quickly reassured the startled Park Jin and Bok-i.
“Jin, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, miss.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll apologize on his behalf. Thank you for helping me.”
“But…”
Now calmer, Park Jin frowned at Dowoon.
“Miss, who is this man? Does he know you?”
“Ah, well…”
This was awkward. She was about to introduce Dowoon, but her mind went blank.
How should she introduce him?
Just an acquaintance? Someone who teaches her English? Or… her husband?
Bok-i watched with wide, excited eyes.
Swallowing, Chohee chose the safest answer.
“He’s the young master of the house where I work as a tutor. My student, Lee Dowoon. Mr. Dowoon, this is Bok-i, who works at the inn I mentioned, and her friend, Park Jin.”
At the word student, Bok-i’s eyes widened even more, while Park Jin smiled with satisfaction.
“Oh, so this is the ‘that’ student you mentioned?”
Park Jin pointed triumphantly at Dowoon.
He hadn’t said much to Park Jin before… Perhaps Bok-i had told him something. Park Jin acted as if Chohee had shared some secret.
“Student…?”
One side of Dowoon’s cheek twitched, his lips thinning into a straight line as though he were clenching his teeth.
“You’re my student, right, Mr. Dowoon?”
Chohee shot him a look, urging him to agree.
This was the best answer.
If she brought up marriage here, it would only complicate things. What if Bok-i later told her brother?
“…Indeed. A student.”
Now wearing a smile, Dowoon extended his hand toward Park Jin.
Chohee recognized that smile. It was the fake one he used when hiding his true feelings.
“I am Lee Dowoon. It seems you’re quite close with my teacher, yet we’ve never been properly introduced.”
He deliberately emphasized the word teacher while maintaining his picture-perfect smile.
Oh dear. Chohee sighed inwardly.
Dowoon was clearly furious. Whenever he smiled like that, it meant he was concealing his real thoughts.
“Closer with her than I am? That’d be this nag right here.”
Park Jin scowled at Dowoon.
“But… your face looks familiar. Haven’t we met somewhere?”
“Hard to say. I don’t recall.”
“I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere… Ah! Didn’t I see you a few days ago at Hongwongak?”
Park Jin spoke as something clicked in his memory.
