VSSSP 07

Chapter 7

What would happen if she just went home like this?

What if she pretended she didn’t know anything?

Could she forget what she had overheard at the emergency stairwell?

Could she still go on and get married as if nothing had happened?

Ihyun had no answers to the countless questions piling up inside her.

She stood in place, unable to move forward or turn back.

Her unfocused gaze gradually sharpened. And one by one, she answered.

She had learned too much to pretend she didn’t know. The naïve illusion that had once made her see only kindness and warmth in him had vanished without a trace after witnessing his true, vile intentions. It wasn’t that she had been oblivious—it was that she had chosen to look away.

She could not marry Minsung.

Therefore, she couldn’t just go home and do nothing.

Once she found her answers, it became clear what she had to do.

Ihyun turned around and headed toward the elevator. Her phone vibrated briefly in her pocket.

When she took it out, a number she didn’t recognize appeared on the screen. She almost ignored it and put the phone back, but then she remembered that the man from earlier had taken her phone.

“…Ah. Did that crazy man send something?”

Ihyun quickly opened the message, worried he might have sent insults to Minsung.

Good night ㅗ

It wasn’t an insult, but the single middle finger at the end of the message made it feel like one.

It definitely felt more like a “go to hell” night than a “good night.”

Ihyun stepped into the open elevator.

The high-performance elevator reached the 21st floor in the blink of an eye.

As she walked down the hallway, she forced herself to think calmly.

What if everything turned out to be true?

Had she really not noticed anything?

When she asked herself that, the answer was no. She had harbored small suspicions.

When she saw the cufflink in Sua’s SNS post on Minsung’s sleeve, she had told herself it must have been a coincidence.

But too many repeated coincidences had slowly shaken her faith.

The foolishness of Minsung and Sua, who had underestimated her, had finally awakened her.

A rotten bulb would never sprout, no matter how good the soil was. Even with quality fertilizer, a bulb that had once decayed could never bloom again.

Kim Minsung was that rotten bulb.

Now she would rip the rot out of her life completely.

Standing in front of room 2103 on the 21st floor hallway, Ihyun took a deep breath.

With each step forward, her heart beat erratically, dreading what she was about to witness.

Room 2103.

When she reached the door, her breathing had already returned to normal. Whatever she saw inside, the truth would be revealed.

Ihyun pressed the doorbell with cold hands.

A familiar voice came from inside.

“Su-a, did you order room service?”

Ihyun closed her eyes and opened them again.

“Apparently there’s service. Must be that.”

A high-pitched voice answered from inside. Before she could prepare herself, the door swung open.

Ihyun’s eyes fell upon a man and a woman standing side by side.

Sua and Minsung—her stepsister and her fiancé.

Startled by Ihyun’s sudden appearance, Minsung’s mouth opened slightly.

“I, Ihyun… How did you get here…?”

Ihyun looked back and forth between Minsung and Sua. Their hair was damp, as if they had just showered.

The suspicion had become reality.

Ihyun met Sua’s eyes. She showed no sign of guilt or embarrassment. That shamelessness was a face Ihyun had seen far too many times.

She let out a hollow laugh.

“…How… you don’t even try to make excuses?”

“Are you stupid? If I said it was a misunderstanding, who would believe it?”

Sua snapped back, unapologetic. Minsung pulled his arm from around Sua’s waist and stepped toward Ihyun.

“Ihyun, I’ll explain. Let’s talk.”

He reached out his hand. As he approached, Ihyun stepped back.

“What explanation?”

“Ihyun, don’t be like this. Just listen.”

“Do you really think I need an explanation after seeing my fiancé hugging my sister in a hotel room?”

“Ihyun!”

Minsung stepped into the hallway. Then a tall figure interposed itself between them.

A low, heavy voice cut through the air.

“Are you going to come out dressed like that?”

Minsung looked down at himself.

“Ah…”

His naturally submissive reaction to the man’s commanding tone made him hurry back into the room.

But Sua remained, arms crossed, standing defiantly.

Ihyun’s face burned with humiliation at her arrogance.

She spoke firmly.

“I will not let this slide. I will tell Father.”

Sua laughed.

“Tell Father? You think that scares me?”

“After doing something like this… how can you be so shameless? Aren’t you ashamed?”

“Why should I be ashamed? I didn’t commit a crime.”

Ihyun was speechless.

She had known Sua never cared about others’ opinions, but she hadn’t expected this level of brazenness. It felt like everything Ihyun had experienced from her was just the tip of the iceberg.

“We didn’t have an affair. We just enjoyed ourselves a little before marriage. What’s the big deal?”

“Are you seriously saying that?”

“We’re not blood-related sisters. We’re strangers. So what’s the problem?”

Ihyun blinked, stunned. Her trembling lips finally formed words.

“Even if we aren’t blood-related, we’re family.”

“Just living in the same house doesn’t make people family. That’s nonsense.”

Sua scoffed.

“I guarantee you, Father won’t take your side.”

“What?”

“You have no one on your side. Nothing will change.”

Ihyun was too stunned to respond.

“Go away. I’m tired.”

Sua uncrossed her arms and touched her neck, twisting it from side to side so that the robe loosened. Red marks on her skin were exposed.

No explanation was needed—anyone could guess who had left those marks.

Park Sua was truly beyond decency.

“You’re acting so high and mighty, but you’re here in a hotel with a man yourself.”

Sua glanced toward Mungyeong.

“Why would a decent man waste time with someone like her? He should go somewhere better. I can recommend places.”

Mungyeong let out a short, dismissive breath.

He ignored Sua completely and made a phone call.

“Bellboy, do your job.”

“….”

“When did the 21st-floor suite become this dirty?”

“What did you say?”

Sua bristled.

“Remove the rule-breakers. I should file charges for fraud. Even in the service industry, you have to uphold standards to maintain the hotel’s reputation.”

The man ended the call and looked at Ihyun.

“Let’s go.”

From start to finish, he treated Sua as if she didn’t exist, which made her erupt in rage.

“Hey!”

“Just ignore barking dogs.”

Mungyeong grabbed Ihyun’s wrist and strode forward.

“Hey! What did you just say? You crazy bastard!”

Sua screamed behind them, but the man remained unfazed and continued forward.

Ihyun’s gaze rested on the broad shoulder of the man leading her away.

Amid the commotion, Minsung’s voice rang out.

“Ihyun! Hey, why are you holding hands with that man?”

“How would I know!”

Sua shouted.

“Ihyun! Talk to me. Ihyun, Seo Ihyun! Stop right there.”

Minsung’s voice grew louder, and the man holding Ihyun’s wrist tightened his grip.

“Hey, Kim Minsung! If Ihyun goes with him, it’s all over.”

“If we want to avoid everything falling apart, stopping the marriage is the priority.”

“Do you think that depends on Ihyun?”

“Ha, right now the important thing is to clear up her misunderstanding.”

From behind, the man muttered:

“Pathetic.”

Mungyeong stepped into the elevator that had just arrived. He placed Ihyun at the back and turned around. At that moment, the opposite elevator doors opened.

Junyoung was there. His eyes met Mungyeong’s, then tilted slightly.

“Huh?”

Mungyeong pressed the close button. As the doors narrowed, Junyoung’s brief exclamation slipped through.

“Seo I—”

The door shut completely before he could finish, but the word he had spoken was “Seo Ihyun.”

The noise in her ears vanished. Ihyun, who had been staring at the floor with a devastated expression, spoke softly.

“Hey.”

“….”

“You said you would buy me a drink, right?”

Mungyeong half-turned to look at her. She looked as if she might collapse at any moment.

So he couldn’t let go of her hand.