Chapter 2

“So-hye.”

“…”

“So-hye. …Baek So-hye!”

“Y-yes?”

So-hye, who had been staring blankly with her mouth slightly open, flinched and lifted her head.

Kyung-rim was looking at her with eyes that seemed to ask what on earth she was doing.

Looking around, she saw that everyone else was busily moving about, preparing for the café’s evening business.

Only So-hye stood there, holding a long burlap sack in one hand, doing nothing.

“What are you doing? At the busiest time, no less.”

“Ah… I just… got lost in thought for a moment…”

Lately, So-hye had been like this all the time.

She would drift off at the drop of a hat, and even make little mistakes she had never made before.

Yesterday, she had even slipped up on stage.

And it was all because of Shin Woo-geon — that man.

Wherever she looked, his figure shimmered before her eyes, and whatever she heard, his voice echoed in her ears.

In her memory, his image replayed over and over with vivid clarity.

The casual, indifferent way he tossed out his words always seemed as free as if they could fly away at any moment.

Yet, when his butterfly-like gaze, never resting in one place, happened to land on her, it was as if she had been caught in a spider’s web, unable to move an inch.

Because of that man, who stole her soul at every turn, So-hye found herself in deep trouble.

“If you’ve got free hands, come help me put my hair up. I can’t trust the others — their hands are too clumsy.”

“Yes, unni.”

So-hye set the burlap sack aside and followed Kyung-rim.

Sitting before the dressing table, Kyung-rim handed her several hairpins, each adorned with flower-shaped ornaments.

Her wig was tied neatly into a single bundle.

“Roll it up into a bun, then pin these in between.”

“If it hurts, please tell me.”

“Don’t worry. Just stick them where you think they’ll look pretty.”

Kyung-rim trusted So-hye completely.

The other dancers had also helped with her hair and makeup before, but only So-hye had ever managed to satisfy the famously picky Kyung-rim.

So-hye had an instinctive sense for where to place things so they would look most beautiful and striking.

It was thanks to the art lessons she had taken as a child.

“Do you like it?”

When she was finished pinning the hairpieces, So-hye held up a small hand mirror so Kyung-rim could see the back of her head.

Inspecting her hair from side to side, Kyung-rim answered not with words, but by selecting a necklace and a ring.

Judging by her expression, it seemed she was pleased.

“Stop with the cleaning and get yourself ready. A dancer’s hands shouldn’t be sullied with rags, after all.”

“Yes, unni.”

Without a single word of thanks, Kyung-rim left the waiting room.

But perhaps because her hand had lightly brushed So-hye’s head as she passed…

Strangely, it didn’t feel unpleasant.

Even though Kyung-rim never said it outright, So-hye knew that she regarded her favorably.

The way she would bring her along under the pretext of helping with makeup during cleaning time, or arrange the dance formations so that So-hye ended up near her — those were the reasons.

It seemed that Kyung-rim thought of her as a younger sister, someone who had ended up here under the same circumstances.

She, too, had said she came to this place because of her father.

“I should get ready, too.”

So-hye sat down in front of the dressing table.

Thanks to Kyung-rim bringing her out early during cleaning time, she had finished preparing with time to spare.

If she went back out to help clean, her carefully done makeup and hair would be ruined.

After a moment’s thought, So-hye fetched some paper and a pencil from somewhere and sat again before the mirror.

Scritch, scratch— under her hand, the graphite made soft marks across the paper.

Curves without form slowly gathered, taking shape into someone’s face.

Hair slicked neatly back, thick brows drawn in sharp slanting lines. Eyes keen yet deep, holding a shadow of sorrow in their gaze. A straight nose.

A sharp jawline above slightly hollow cheeks. Lips drawn in graceful lines…

The face completed on the paper was Woo-geon’s.

The very man who had stirred emotions she had never known before.

It felt once again as though her shoulder, where Woo-geon’s hand had rested, was warm.

So-hye raised her own hand and gently placed it on that same shoulder.

Unlike hers, his had been large, warm, and carried a soft strength.

Her heart, which had been calm, fluttered once more like a bird’s wings.

That sweet smoke she had felt for the first time yesterday rose again within her chest, filling her slowly and deeply.

“Will he come today… He hasn’t shown up once since that day.”

If only he would come just once more.

Then she could truly dance with joy.

Even if she was only a background dancer, she could still dance for that one man alone…

Just then, with a burst of noise and laughter, the other dancers came in.

Hastily tucking away the drawing, So-hye stepped aside and slipped out of the room to give them space.

After the performance.

Once she had changed into a shirt and trousers, So-hye roamed the hall filled with customers, her gaze searching restlessly.

Before, she would have hurried out of this place the moment the stage ended. But these days, she lingered, scanning the hall before leaving.

It was because of the hope that Woo-geon might be there.

If I meet him, what should I even say?

She asked herself, but no answer came.

At most, she could only thank him for helping her that day.

The truth was, even if she did find him, she didn’t have the courage to approach.

All she wished for was to catch sight of him once more, even if only from a distance.

‘He’s not here…’

Woo-geon was nowhere to be seen today either.

Nor were the companions who had been with him.

Letting out a deep sigh, So-hye left the modern café with drooping shoulders.

As she emerged to street level, the sweltering night breeze of summer rushed against her.

She fanned herself repeatedly with her hand as she walked, then halted, glancing down at her right foot.

Her ankle had been giving a faint twinge each time she stepped since earlier.

It seemed she had strained it during the performance.

‘I’d better hurry back and press a hot towel against it.’

She was walking carefully again when suddenly a commotion broke out somewhere nearby.

“Stop right there!”

A shrill whistle blasted, followed by rough shouts.

Looking back, she saw several figures running under the glow of the distant street lamps.

Ahead of them, three men were fleeing — and chasing behind, unmistakably, were Japanese policemen.

At the upcoming intersection, the three men split in different directions.

And just as one man in a flat cap veered straight toward her—

“Kyaaah!”

He suddenly seized So-hye’s wrist and pulled her into a run.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

“Excuse me! Hey! Wait—!”

No matter how she cried out, the man didn’t release her.

“Run faster!”

Instead, he only urged her on.

What kind of outrageous fellow was this?

To grab her without warning and then demand she run faster?

But the whistles and footsteps closing in from behind were too frightening for her to resist.

If she let go now, she’d be caught by the police in an instant. Even if she tried to explain she had nothing to do with the man, they’d never believe her.

Dragged away, she would surely suffer terrible hardship.

Perhaps even torture!

Her legs moved faster of their own accord.

‘Ah, my ankle…’

But the more she ran, the sharper the pain in her ankle became.

The man ahead seemed to notice her limping. After a quick glance at her, he suddenly turned into a nearby alley.

He led her through a maze of winding passages, ducking into corner after corner, until at last he pulled her into the narrowest, most secluded spot.

There, he pressed them both behind a large wooden crate and crouched down with her.

“What the—mph…!”

Just as she began to protest, the man yanked her tightly into his arms and clamped a hand over her mouth.

Her small face was half swallowed by his large palm.

Fearing her body might be visible over the crate, he drew her even closer.

Thus the two of them ended up locked in an embrace in the darkness.

So-hye froze in shock.

Her fear had long since melted away into the heavy night air.

What she felt now was only the man’s rough breathing, the scent of his body filling her lungs, the strength of the arms that held her, and his wide chest.

And the wild pounding of her own heart.

From the hand covering her lips radiated a warmth — rough yet gentle.

In that moment, when it felt as though the world had vanished and only the two of them remained, So-hye felt as though she were trapped forever.

Her trembling eyes lifted faintly, and before her was the man’s chest.

With each shallow breath, the firm chest bound with muscle rose and fell roughly beneath his shirt.

‘Too close…’

The embarrassment of being held like this was unbearable.

When she gave a small squirm, the man only tightened the arm around her.

At his touch, a sharp jolt ran through her, as though lightning spread through her body.

“Damn it, where did they go?!”

The policemen cursed in Japanese as they rushed past the alley where the two were hiding.

The man didn’t move until the footsteps had completely faded into the distance. Only then, after quite a while, did he release So-hye.

“Ha…!”

The moment she broke free of his arms, her breath burst out all at once, as though the air trapped in her chest had been released.

A little longer, and she might really have suffocated.

Having been held against him, she hadn’t seen his face before—so now, facing him directly, she snapped in a sharp, biting voice.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing?!”

“Shh! …Hm?”

The man, who had been pressing a finger to his lips, suddenly lowered his hand.

And as she finally recognized his face, So-hye herself could only gasp.

Shin Woo-geon.

The very man who had haunted her thoughts these past few days, for whom she stirred up the café night after night, now stood right before her.

Woo-geon too seemed to realize his mistake, and his expression shifted.

“I was mistaken. I was supposed to meet my comrades here, so I naturally assumed you were one of them.”

Though he said it was a mistake, his tone suggested she had somehow ruined his plans.

That only made her bristle more.

Adjusting her disheveled cloche hat, So-hye retorted curtly:

“You must have seen someone who looked like me.”

“From a glance, there is some resemblance. Of course, that person was unmistakably a man.”

“Unmistakably a man?”

Before she could even process the words, Woo-geon lowered his head, bringing his gaze level with hers.

His black eyes pierced beneath the brim of her hat, locking her in an instant.

So-hye’s breath hitched tight again.

With the corners of his red lips curving smoothly upward, Woo-geon said in a leisurely tone:

“To meet the butterfly of the modern café here once more…”

So-hye’s face turned crimson.

In that fleeting encounter, he had realized she was a dancer?

More than that—he remembered her face, even though she was nothing more than a background performer?

She swallowed hard, pressing her pounding chest as if to steady it.

Had it been any other man, she would have dismissed it lightly.

But those few, casual words sent waves through her heart.

‘What does it matter if he remembers my face… it’s nothing…’

Even as she forced herself to think so, her heart thudded faster and louder than when she had been running.

“Or was I mistaken after all.”

His voice, softened and low, carried the air of someone who was already certain.

There was laughter hidden within it—he seemed to have grown relaxed now.

So-hye struggled to empty her mind, which had become a whirl of tangled thoughts.

She didn’t want to give unnecessary meaning to something trivial.

But even so, since So-hye had no natural greeting or words to offer, silence was the only answer she could give.

When she remained completely quiet, Woo-geon seemed to think it was out of embarrassment, and he changed the subject.

“In any case, I apologize for earlier. If you had something important to do and I—urk!”

But this time, Woo-geon couldn’t even finish his sentence.

So-hye had suddenly shoved him down.

“What are you doing?”

“Shh! Be quiet.”

As Woo-geon tried to rise from where he had been toppled, So-hye grabbed a wide straw mat lying nearby and threw it over them both.

In the next tense instant, a policeman’s voice rang out.

“Strange. I’m sure I heard something from this way…”

The chilling sound of military boots drew closer and closer.

Please don’t come this way.

Go over there!

Clinging tightly to Woo-geon, So-hye squeezed her eyes shut and even held her breath.

Finally, when the policeman’s steps came right beside them—

“Over here!”

Another voice called out from farther down the alley.

“Tch, so it was that way.”

At his comrade’s shout, the policeman turned away and left the alley.

So-hye cautiously lifted the edge of the straw mat and peeked outside.

Thankfully, no policemen were in sight.

“Haah…”

At last, she could breathe again.

Letting out a long sigh, she straightened up and looked down at Woo-geon with worried eyes.

“I’m sorry I pushed you so suddenly. Are you alright?”

But to her urgent question, Woo-geon only gave her a rather awkward expression.

Why? Could it be I pushed too hard and he hit his head?

Just as she leaned down in concern, his unexpected words came out:

“Well… sitting on top of me, that’s not really something you should be asking, is it?”

Sitting on top of…?

What was he talking about?

And then, belatedly, So-hye realized exactly what she was pressing down on.

Between her legs, pressed firmly—

It was Woo-geon’s body that her thighs had been pushing against all this time.

Her face instantly turned as red as a beet.

“Ah! I—I’m sorry!”

So-hye sprang up in a panic and turned her back toward the wall.

She was so mortified and embarrassed that she couldn’t bring herself to look at his face.

It felt as if her whole body were curling inward, folding up like a ball.

If only there had been a mouse hole nearby, she would have shoved herself into it just to escape.

You’re crazy, Baek So-hye. Completely crazy, insane…!

She barely managed to stifle the scream that almost tore from her throat.

Pressing her forehead firmly against the wall as if she might smash it, she stood there, until a short chuckle came from behind her.

Hearing that laugh only made it harder to turn her head.

“You can turn around now.”

“N-no… I’ll just stay like this.”

“Will you spend the whole night that way?”

“If you leave first, then I’ll go.”

“It’s late at night. Letting a lady walk alone doesn’t sit right with me.”

At the word lady, her heart gave a faint flutter, though it wasn’t enough to smother her burning shame.

“I usually go home alone at this hour anyway. So really, just go on ahead.”

“Well, judging by the strength you shoved me with, maybe I don’t need to worry after all.”

A low sigh followed by a voice full of laughter.

He was clearly teasing her.

Frowning, So-hye retorted irritably:

“Don’t make fun of me. I’m seriously this embarrassed, that’s all.”

“What’s there to be embarrassed about? It’s night, it’s just the two of us, and… the situation was what it was.”

“Wh-what are you saying?!”

To anyone else, his words could easily be taken the wrong way.

Outraged, she whipped around, shouting.

And there he was, one corner of his mouth curled up in a sly grin, chuckling again.

That smile—so easy, so at ease.

“Now I finally see your face.”

That smile transformed his once cold expression into something disarmingly soft.

Woo-geon stepped closer to her.

Then, noticing the dirt smeared on her shoulder from the straw mat, he gently brushed it off.

It was a careful, almost tender touch.

He was merely dusting off her shoulder, and yet, strangely, each time his hand brushed against her, something sharp and tingling pricked right at the center of her chest.

A pleasant, electric prickling she had never once felt before.

“I owe you. I didn’t expect you’d end up helping me as well.”

His low voice settled quietly over the still alley.

After brushing off her shoulder, Woo-geon stepped back slightly, still wearing that easy smile.

So-hye gazed at him silently for a moment.

Why was this man getting chased by the Japanese policemen?

Could he… be part of the independence movement?

She wanted to ask, but she couldn’t. No—she didn’t want to. The truth was, getting mixed up in something like that terrified her.

So she looked away first.

“It was nothing. And it wasn’t even intentional.”

People said the nation had fallen.

But for those who had lived poor from the start, whether this land was called Joseon or stolen and renamed by Japan, a ruined life was still a ruined life.

For So-hye, independence was nothing more than a dreamlike story, floating far out of reach.

She had fallen for him at first sight, yes—but beyond his name, she knew nothing about him. She didn’t want complicated matters like that.

“So really, you can just go.”

“It’s my way of repaying your kindness.”

Picking up his hat, Woo-geon began walking first.

When So-hye hesitated to follow, he stopped, turning back to her.

“There’s nothing to worry about.”

His hand reached out toward her.

And in that moment, a sudden intuition flashed across her mind—

The instant she took that hand, she would become deeply, inescapably entangled with this man.

“This time, I’ll protect you to the very end.”

And it would hurt. Terribly.