Chapter 51
Chapter 51
But even if we were to meet again someday—or if we were never able to meet again—I would be okay. Because I would never forget this moment we shared, this moment when we exchanged warmth. I hoped our final memory of each other could remain a good one.
So I made up my mind not to regret the choice I made today.
First, I needed to wash up.
I got down from the bed and went straight to the bathroom. Before anything else, I needed to wash my face and clean myself properly down there. At the very least, I had to change into a fresh pair of underwear.
Standing under the shower, I washed as thoroughly and quickly as I could. I didn’t have time to wash my hair again, so I just cleaned my face and body. Maybe it was a habit I picked up on the island, but I really finished fast.
Ah… What do I do about this.
No matter how well I cleaned the bed where Shin Chi-woo had been lying, there were limits. When I straightened up, the semen pooled inside me started to trickle out. I aimed the showerhead between my legs and rinsed the area, and every time someone else’s fluid came out, my mind grew heavier with thoughts.
The idea that I might be pregnant left a bitter taste in my mouth, but for now, I decided to believe what he said—that he’d had a vasectomy. At the moment, I was more preoccupied with the stinging pain from the friction that made me scrunch up my face without even realizing it.
Knock knock—
Earlier, when I showered, I noticed there were several pairs of underwear. I dried off my wet body in a flash and reached for a fresh pair of panties, slipping one foot in—when someone knocked on the door.
Could it be… No, probably not.
Was he coming back to persuade me again? Or was he really trying to tie me down so I couldn’t leave… No way, it couldn’t be that.
I quickly pulled on my panties and shoved my legs into my pants. I practically threw the bathroom door open and rushed to stand in front of the room door. I took a deep breath and grabbed the handle, pulling it open.
“Seo Wan-yi, we’re almost out of time to leave—”
Funny thing is, during the one or two seconds after hearing that knock, I had this fleeting thought: if it were Shin Chi-woo behind the door, if he came back and told me to abandon my father and stay here with him, would I have done it?
But there was no dramatic twist waiting for me. The woman with the bobbed hair stood at the door, swallowing the rest of her sentence: “So please get ready to leave quickly.”
I must’ve looked pretty disappointed. I’d opened the door with such high expectations, only to look visibly let down. She noticed, and hesitated at the end of her sentence, clearly watching my reaction.
“Yes, I just need to put on my socks… Ah, and check the mirror quickly before I come out.”
“I’ll wait right here, so take your time.”
“Oh… no, it’s fine. I’ll be right out. Five minutes. No… three, two…!”
Through the half-open door, I could see the woman’s gaze drift behind me. From the messy bed to the towel under the sink in the bathroom stained with body fluids—I wondered if I was the only one who couldn’t smell it. Maybe there was even a lingering scent of semen in the room.
She probably already knew exactly what Shin Chi-woo and I had just done, but I still didn’t want to leave the scene so blatantly obvious. Thankfully, maybe because she was a woman too, she seemed to understand how mortifying that would be.
“Then please get ready as quickly as possible. I’ll let the director know and wait outside the door with him.”
“Yes, I promise. I’ll be out in two minutes.”
“Five minutes is totally fine.”
Once the door closed, I placed my right hand over my chest and let out a deep sigh. Then I quickly picked up the socks that had fallen on the floor and sat down on the bed. But as I pulled them on, I realized I couldn’t even remember when I’d taken them off. God… I must’ve really lost my mind back there.
Wearing my socks, I hurried into the bathroom and practically swept all the toiletries Shin Chi-woo had prepared into the paper bag. Since it was winter, I figured my outerwear would be fine—as long as I packed enough spare underwear, I’d be able to get by for a few days. Just as that thought crossed my mind, I heard noise coming from the next room.
It seemed the woman with the bobbed hair had told my dad that I was ready, because he sounded like he was getting ready to head out too. I heard the soft click of a door opening, followed by my dad’s voice in the hallway asking someone, “So when is Wan-yi coming out?”
I gave myself a final once-over in the mirror, smoothed my messy hair, put on my padded jacket, and stood at the door. I checked my passport and plane ticket in the inner pocket, then suddenly remembered the scarf. I turned back toward the bed, grabbed the muffler from atop the mattress, and finally stepped outside.
“Wan-yi, let’s go. We’re going to be late at this rate.”
Dad, wearing a small backpack, beamed at me when he saw me. I felt a pang of guilt in my chest.
I could faintly hear the little noises from his room earlier. Could the sounds Shin Chi-woo and I had made really not have carried through the walls? I could only hope it was just my imagination—that my dad actually knew everything but was pretending not to.
I wanted to believe he wasn’t the kind of person who would go that far. It would be better to think I was the immature, foolish one, rather than believe my father had sold his daughter to a man. That would be too heartbreaking.
“Sorry, Dad. I must’ve been sleeping really deeply…”
“You were probably tired. It’s fine.”
“Did you get some rest too?”
“Yeah, I got a bit of shut-eye. You know how these quick naps are the best kind of sleep, right?”
“They are, yeah.”
I glanced over at the woman with the bobbed hair. I was lying to my dad, and the guilt made me glance at her—almost like we were accomplices. I looked away quickly. It felt awful having to deceive him.
…Not here.
I stepped into the elevator with the paper bag still in hand. I wondered for a moment if Shin Chi-woo might be waiting inside, but there were only two men and two women, no one else.
This was the same elevator that had felt cramped when just Shin Chi-woo and I rode it up earlier, and yet now, even with four adults including some bulky ones, it somehow felt just a little tight. Strange, how perception worked.
“This way, please.”
When the elevator arrived on the first floor, the woman with the bobbed hair and the burly man got out first. I moved to follow, but my dad gently took hold of my arm and leaned in close.
“No matter what happens from now on, trust Chief Shin.”
“…Oh, uh… okay.”
“Remember this, Wan-yi. You must trust him, no matter what.”
“Okay.”
“No matter how shocking things get, just do as I say—trust Shin Chi-woo.”
“…Why are you being so ominous?”
“Because I love you, my daughter.”
It sounded so sudden and out of the blue that I stood there dazed for a second, but at the same time, I felt strangely reassured. If those words came from Dad’s mouth—that I should trust Shin Chi-woo—then he really must be on our side. I just hoped that whatever “something” was about to happen wouldn’t be too frightening.
“Executive Director. I look forward to seeing you again someday.”
“Thank you for your help this time. I won’t forget this kindness.”
“Stay healthy. And take care of your daughter.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Another man standing guard at the entrance gave a slight bow to my father while pointing in the direction we needed to go. Moments like this made me wonder—this middle-aged man named Seo Kyoyong, whom I know only as my dad—what kind of position did he hold within this organization that clearly dabbled in illegal business?
Maybe because I’m family and familiar with his softer side, I’ve been underestimating him. I shook my head slightly, remembering the image of my dad from long ago, scrubbing a dress shirt stained with blood.
My dad couldn’t be a truly vicious person. Even giving him the benefit of the doubt a hundred times over, at worst, he’d be someone who cleans up messes. I wanted to believe he wasn’t the kind of person who could kill someone or do anything that terrifying.
Outside the motel, a large black sedan was waiting for us. The engine was already running, its low purr accompanied by headlights that lit up the darkness in all directions.
The chill of the winter night air helped cool my overheated mind. I stretched my neck out as far as I could and scanned my surroundings carefully. But it really did seem like he’d left already, just as he’d promised Dad.
“Director, please get in.”
“Thank you.”
The burly man strode ahead with heavy steps and opened the rear door behind the driver’s seat. Dad handed his backpack over to the woman with the bobbed hair and got into the car. The burly man then closed the door and moved to sit in the driver’s seat.
I figured I’d get in next to Dad too, but the woman with the bobbed hair gently tugged at the paper bag in my hand. She glanced at the trunk, suggesting she wanted to load both my bag and Dad’s backpack in the back.
“I’ll do it.”
“Please, let me.”
“It’s not that hard.”
“Still, hand it over. I’m putting both in the trunk.”
There wasn’t time to go back and forth over something so minor. As I handed her the bag, the trunk opened—and then:
“Cover your neck.”
“Ah… okay.”
She leaned in close and whispered in a low voice, like a ventriloquist. As soon as she spoke, I understood what she meant. Honestly, it would’ve been weirder if no marks were left—he really had bitten and sucked on my neck quite a bit.
My face turned red in an instant, but it was better than letting Dad see. I nodded quickly and wrapped the scarf around my neck, then climbed into the rear passenger seat on the opposite side.
I was covering it now with the scarf, but I couldn’t keep it on once we boarded the plane. If Dad happened to see the kiss mark on the back of my neck, what excuse would I even give him? There was no way I could blame it on a mosquito—not in the middle of winter, and definitely not on Christmas.
