Chapter 43

Chapter 43

“Wan-yi, go get some rest. Close your eyes for a bit. You’ve got that sleepy face right now.”

“Even coffee isn’t helping.”

“I think I’ll try to get a little sleep too. We can’t move until after sunset anyway, so we might as well save our energy.”

After the meal and the coffee, it was already afternoon. With two watchers in the motel room, there wasn’t much Dad and I could do.

I spent a while watching TV with the volume turned almost all the way down, sitting beside Dad. But even that was starting to get boring. I was full, and a little more emotionally settled, so sleepiness began to wash over me.

“Should I? I guess I should rest a bit. It’s a long drive down to Busan, after all.”

“Everyone here is exhausted. The better we rest now, the better our chances of making a clean escape later.”

“You’re right, Dad.”

“Yeah. And since you’re not alone… Deputy Cha, please keep an eye on my daughter.”

“Don’t worry, sir. I’ll take good care of her.”

Shin Chi-woo had told me earlier to get some rest, and now I could feel that my body was reaching its limit. Even the watchers seemed to agree with Dad, and we all decided to rest where we were.

“I’m just going to brush my teeth.”

“Sure, take your time.”

Back in the adjacent room, I headed straight to the bathroom. After eating and drinking coffee, my mouth felt sticky. No matter how tired I was, I needed to brush my teeth before trying to nap.

Seeing the neatly arranged toothbrush and toothpaste on the sink made me smile. Just like everything else, they’d clearly brought them from home—but I couldn’t help but laugh at the toothbrush.

To pay attention to things this meticulous, Shin Chi-woo must really have a hard time keeping up.

I picked up the toothbrush and immediately recognized it was brand-new. The one I used at home had frayed bristles from use—I remembered that clearly. So he must’ve noticed and gone through the bathroom cabinet to pack a fresh one. Even if he didn’t do it himself, he clearly instructed someone to bring it.

Ssshhh…

The toothpaste was a flavor I liked. Brushing my teeth and sensing Shin Chi-woo’s quiet attentiveness made me feel warm. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I saw the woman with the bob cut sitting on a small chair placed far away from the bed.

“If you’re okay with it, you can lie down next to me.”

“No, I’m comfortable like this.”

“You’re really going through a lot because of me.”

“Please don’t worry and just rest. If you relax, I can catch a break too.”

“Alright, I will.”

Even though it had only been a few hours, being in close proximity like this softened the air between us. Maybe it was because we were both women, but I also started to realize that this woman I thought was a robot was, in fact, human.

I took off my shoes, climbed into bed, and lay on my side with my back to her. I didn’t want her to see the smile I couldn’t hold back—because the mattress pad, the blanket I was under, and even the pillow I was using… they were all mine.

Earlier, when I’d sat on the bed in Dad’s room, I noticed the bedding was different. That must be why I couldn’t stop smiling now.

At this point, it’s safe to say Shin Chi-woo likes me, right? Or at least, he’s conscious of me? You don’t go to these lengths for someone if you’re not trying to leave a good impression.

But the silly smile didn’t last long. Once night falls and the sun sets, we’ll be parting ways. What’s the use in getting fluttery over his thoughtfulness when we won’t be seeing each other again?

I hated how all over the place I was—grinning one second, then suddenly feeling sad the next. If I could just stay detached, I might hurt less. But somehow, that man had carved out a space inside me.

Even though I felt drowsy before, lying down now made my eyes wide open. With someone so close by, I didn’t want to toss and turn too much, so I just lay there until my shoulders started to ache before quietly turning to the other side.

Hmm… asleep, maybe?

The woman with the bob cut sat perfectly still, her legs propped up on the round table. Her eyes were closed, and she looked asleep. Even if she was faking it, I figured it was harmless enough. I wasn’t doing anything wrong anyway.

……

I carefully slipped out of bed, trying not to make a sound. Without putting on my shoes, I walked over to the wall where my factory work clothes were hanging. I left the clothes but picked up the black scarf, then returned to bed.

Again, I lay down with my back to her. Holding the cashmere scarf close to my face, I sniffed it gently.

Doesn’t smell like cigarettes. I guess he really doesn’t smoke. Come to think of it, I’ve never seen him smoke. The faint citrus scent lingering on the fabric somehow suited him perfectly.

Not overpowering enough to give you a headache, not too heavy for winter—just cool and refreshing with a slightly sweet finish. Still, the scent gave off a chill that made it perfect for this season. It was very much a Shin Chi-woo kind of fragrance.

With a small smile, I loosely wrapped the scarf around my neck. Would he smell the same if I got closer? Unless he’d just sprayed cologne, I’d probably have to hug him to catch the scent. But just having the scarf around my neck made it feel like I was in his arms.

Then I unwrapped the scarf from my neck and hugged it tightly instead. Since I’d handed over my phone, this scarf was the only thing I had left to remember him by.

If he took even this away, I’d be left with nothing. So just for a while, I clung to the memories of the past hundred days and closed my eyes. There were far more bad times than good, but maybe just during this nap, I could allow myself to dream of something impossible.

10. Without anyone knowing

Seo Wan-yi.

…Ms. Seo Wan-yi! Please wake up.

It’s probably time to get up… Ms. Seo Wan-yi?

I must’ve drifted off at some point, but it seemed I’d been stuck in a sweet dream longer than I realized. The voice that had been calling my name over and over must have given up, because I felt someone lightly shaking me.

It was only when that physical touch roused me that my consciousness returned to reality. I shot my eyes open and sat up straight, startled, looking at the person who had woken me. The woman with the bob cut gestured gently for me to relax and spoke in a quiet voice.

“Chief Shin is waiting in the next room.”

“Ah… I must’ve overslept.”

“It’s not that. Just in case, they’ve decided to move the departure time up a bit. So we’ll need to get going earlier than planned.”

“Right… okay.”

“When you feel more awake, please come over to the Director’s room. Everyone’s waiting on you, Ms. Seo.”

Once she saw I was awake, she handed me a bottle of water and calmly explained the current situation. After wetting my dry throat and regaining my senses, I headed to the bathroom first.

They said we were leaving early, so I needed to get ready quickly… First, a look in the mirror. Wait—did she say Shin Chi-woo came back?

I splashed some cold water on my face and looked in the mirror, only to realize—damn. I had a mark on my left cheek from sleeping. I rubbed it with my palm for no real reason, then gave up with a resigned look and stepped out of the bathroom.

Pull it together. Now wasn’t the time to worry about appearances—I needed to be ready to run. My life and Dad’s were on the line; what did a pillow mark matter?

Refocused, I left the bathroom and moved into the room where my dad was. Familiar faces were already waiting for me.

The woman with the bob cut stood behind me. Dad was sitting on the edge of the bed. The large man stood near the door, and the owner of the scarf—Shin Chi-woo—was sitting in a chair. Finally, everyone was here.

“Wan-yi, did you sleep well?”

“I think I slept too long because I was so tired. Kind of embarrassing, Dad.”

“Well, it’s better that you got some rest. Look—Chief Shin says we need to move the schedule up.”

“I see… Ah, you’re here. Sorry for the late greeting.”

“Did you rest well?”

“…Yes. Thanks to you.”

Dad patted the bed mattress next to him, motioning for me to sit. After giving Shin Chi-woo a somewhat awkward nod, I quietly sat down beside Dad.

“Now that Ms. Seo is here, I’ll give a brief rundown. We were originally going to leave at midnight, but we’re pushing the departure up by about two hours.”

“Did the chairman’s side catch on or something?”

“…No, I don’t think so. He’s in critical condition right now… drifting in and out of consciousness. That’s the only reason I’m able to move at all.”

“I don’t know if I should be relieved or what… It feels strange.”

“When we extracted Ms. Seo, we needed a plausible excuse that the factory workers would accept, so we had to stir up a little… provocative gossip. I apologize for that, Director.”

“If Wan-yi’s okay with it, then so am I.”

Right… now it all made sense. The chaos I caused while leaving the island wasn’t just about Chairman Pyeon. They needed a flashy reason to avoid suspicion from the island residents—and that’s why they fabricated the whole pregnancy rumor.