Chapter : 39
Choi Mugwang’s house was perched alone on a hill overlooking the sea.
A high wall surrounded the property, and a thick iron gate was firmly closed, guarded by a security officer.
The swimming pool was lit up, emitting a blue glow.
While Kang Hoon blocked the CCTV feed by showing a recording from 20 minutes ago instead of the live footage, Tae-shin would enter the house to inspect the interior and install eavesdropping devices.
“There are currently two guards. One is at the entrance, and the other is on the first floor. I’ll lure the internal guard by triggering the alarm, so enter at that moment.”
As soon as the alarm sounded, the guard hurried outside.
Tae-shin seized the opportunity, leaping lightly over the wall into the yard.
He entered through the back door on the first floor, checked the living room, kitchen, and three rooms, installed the eavesdropping device, and then went upstairs.
It took less than ten minutes to reach that point.
While searching Choi Mugwang’s bedroom on the second floor, Tae-shin found a photo of Yoon I-seol on the table.
I-seol wearing an apron working at a tteokbokki shop, I-seol boarding a boat at the terminal, I-seol getting into Jun-pil’s car.
He had known that Choi Mugwang was surveilling her grandmother’s shop, but he had no idea he also had photos of I-seol.
At this point, it was practically stalking.
In the dressing room, he found women’s clothing—designer dresses and shoes.
Curious, he sniffed one of the dresses.
Faintly, he could detect I-seol’s scent.
That wasn’t all.
There were also small items that seemed to belong to I-seol: a hairpin, a crystal pen, one earring, and a half-used lipstick.
This was insane.
How had he even gotten these things?
“Choi Mugwang is moving toward the house. He’ll arrive in fifteen minutes. Hurry.”
Tae-shin carefully put the photo back in its place, finished his work quickly, and left the house.
Afterward, he moved to the Mirae Credit office.
They were using an old motel converted into both an office and living quarters.
It was said that illegal gambling operated in the basement of the office.
The area around the motel was lined with bars, rundown restaurants, karaoke rooms, cafes, massage parlors, convenience stores, and inns.
Most of the establishments catered to members of the Mirae faction or day laborers.
Even past midnight, neon signs flashed as the businesses remained open.
Tae-shin climbed the wall of the two-story building and moved from rooftop to rooftop, observing the surroundings.
Like Choi Mugwang’s residence, the office had CCTV installed, and two burly gang members guarded the entrance to the gambling den.
Comparing the pre-obtained blueprints with the actual building, he analyzed the movements and reported them to Kang Hoon.
“Start.”
“I’ll cut off the power supply.”
When the electricity went out, the area plunged into darkness.
Shouts, screams, and crashing sounds echoed everywhere.
Tae-shin put on infrared heat-sensing glasses and avoided people while entering the office.
After installing the eavesdropping devices, someone entered, shining a phone flashlight.
Tae-shin hid behind the open door.
“What’s going on? Check the safe. Make sure nothing’s missing.”
It was Deputy Director Gu, Choi Mugwang’s right-hand man.
Tae-shin slipped the phone out of Gu’s jacket pocket, installed spyware, and dropped it on the floor before slipping outside.
The next morning.
I-seol had a restless night after the incident with Tae-shin. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her head felt heavy.
Her lips were chapped, her mouth dry, and the fever from last night had yet to fade.
She lay there, groaning, recalling the kiss with Tae-shin.
He had even tormented her in her dreams—a dream where he seduced her with those hypnotic eyes, ultimately drawing her into his bed.
By morning, cold sweat had broken out on her body.
It was the result of her resisting going to his bed.
“Haah…”
She pondered all night.
What had that kiss meant?
If it was just desire, just an impulse that could be satisfied with any other woman, then she was nothing more than an easy target.
But Lee Tae-shin didn’t seem like a man who used women to satisfy his desires.
There was no need for him to do so.
Moreover, it was absurd to think he would use someone who had saved his life.
There was only one possible conclusion.
Did he really like me?
Had she mistaken gratitude and affection for romantic feelings?
After all, he had said he would do anything to protect her, so it wasn’t unreasonable for her to wonder.
Reaching this conclusion gave her a headache.
She looked into the bathroom mirror and froze.
The marks of Tae-shin’s bite were clearly visible on her neck.
The location was awkward and not easily covered by clothing.
She had no choice but to wrap a scarf around it.
She stepped outside and looked at the second floor of the neighboring house.
The door was firmly shut.
Had Tae-shin left?
He had probably moved last night or early morning, careful not to be seen.
“Oh, what a pretty scarf. Where did you get it?”
The hair salon lady, passing by to buy some snacks, asked I-seol.
“I wanted one like that too.”
Fearing she might ask to borrow it, I-seol pretended to focus on her work.
In the afternoon, Jun-pil and Na-eun came to pick up I-seol.
Na-eun wore a feminine lace blouse and a short pink skirt, topped with a flowing trench coat, all brand-new outfits.
Her hair was freshly done, and her eye makeup was darker than before.
“Who are you trying to impress? Do you have a boyfriend?”
Her grandmother asked, eyeing Na-eun.
“You never know. Maybe some handsome guy is following me.”
“See, I-seol? You should dress up too, not just wear T-shirts and jeans every day.”
“I-seol looks beautiful even in T-shirts and jeans.”
Jun-pil’s words brought a satisfied smile to her grandmother.
“Right? My I-seol takes after me, so she’s really pretty.”
“Grandmother, really…”
“Is that a new employee?”
Jun-pil asked Kang Hoon.
“She’s a new part-timer.”
“That’s good. I was worried about grandmother working alone.”
They ate dinner together and prepared to take the boat.
“What’s with that random scarf?”
While ordering at a sushi restaurant they sometimes visited, Na-eun asked.
“My neck hurts a little.”
“Wait, do you have a cold? Be careful not to give it to me.”
Na-eun kept her distance.
“It’s sushi, how could it spread?”
Jun-pil scolded her playfully.
“Yeah, lucky it’s just sushi.”
“Have you taken medicine?”
Jun-pil asked, being the only one showing concern.
I-seol felt guilty for lying.
“If it keeps hurting, I’ll take it at night.”
Jun-pil poured her some warm water.
After dinner, they boarded the last boat.
Most teachers returned on the first boat Monday morning, so the last boat on Sunday was quiet.
Director Jang was already there.
The four sat in a small second-floor cabin, snacking on treats Director Jang had brought, chatting as they ate.
“The floor is warm, so it feels just like a sauna. It’s nice.”
Jun-pil bit into a roasted egg and drank some sikhye.
Despite having eaten so much sushi earlier, he still had room for more.
“I-seol, why are you so quiet? Something wrong?”
Director Jang asked, offering a peeled roasted egg.
“I guess I just didn’t sleep well.”
“What about your lips? Is that from lack of sleep too?”
Jun-pil and Na-eun focused their gaze on I-seol’s lips.
Embarrassed, she fiddled with them.
Thinking of the kiss still made her heart race and pulse quicken.
She desperately wanted to stop thinking about it.
She wanted to forget completely.
“Oh, by the way, I heard Grandpa Lim was in critical condition? What happened?”
I-seol deliberately changed the topic.
There was no use worrying over something that was already decided and unchangeable.
When she arrived at the health center, the first thing she noticed was the light on in the neighboring house.
