Chapter 129
“Anything to ask? About me?”
The natural reply surprised even myself, and I mentally praised my quick thinking. But the real challenge came next.
Why say something like that? Does he know something?
My thoughts raced, tumbling around like they had legs, scattering everywhere in my mind.
“There was something like that?”
I feigned thinking hard, turning my eyes as if to recall, and avoided Doshiyu’s gaze.
But no matter how much I tried, only one thing came to mind.
Damn it. What is the intention behind that?
“I know you’ve got something to ask. Just spit it out already.”
Doshiyu’s cheerful voice urged me on.
I felt like crying.
I didn’t know how much Doshiyu knew, but in this tense atmosphere, I couldn’t just suddenly ask about Ivy.
“Hmm…”
I drew out my words, thinking of a suitable question. That’s when my eyes fell on the bandage becoming increasingly crimson as if the wound beneath was still fresh and spreading.
“Oh, right.”
Finally, I found a question to throw at Doshiyu. I smiled brightly and asked,
“When did you start nurturing such tearful loyalty?”
Doshiyu’s expression didn’t change. His flawless demeanor felt unsettling—like staring at a mannequin wearing human skin.
Had he always been like this? It was likely my mood playing tricks on me.
On nights after watching a horror movie, even the thought of something as harmless as the bed underneath could make my skin crawl.
“I didn’t know you’d go so far for Boss.”
Doshiyu’s lips tugged into a sly smile.
“I was drunk. I wasn’t myself.”
I recalled the Doshiyu I had met at the club.
He was definitely flushed, his demeanor peculiar—not like someone who’d had just a few drinks.
“Is that so?”
Back then, I was too distracted to notice many things. But there was one thing I was certain about.
“I tend to spill my true feelings when I’m drunk.”
In that brief moment, hesitation was a luxury. When it came to pulling a trigger, no hesitation was allowed. Not even a moment of doubt when someone was facing death.
“Thought you’d be like that too.”
When it came to loyalty, it seemed like a blind, unstoppable emotion—perhaps even more so than love.
Growing up differently, I couldn’t possibly understand the depth of Doshiyu’s feelings for Baekcheon.
“If not, you’ve got a pretty dangerous injection there.”
I reached toward a wine glass left on the table as if someone had been drinking here.
“Want a drink with me? You and I drinking, it’s good to know I won’t end up shot to death.”
I raised the wine glass towards Doshiyu, smiling, and Doshiyu threw his head back, laughing audibly.
“Remember?”
After a long laugh, Doshiyu still wore an unyielding smile as he reached into his shirt pocket.
I silently watched his actions.
“This is yours, right?”
Without a word, Doshiyu placed a hairpin with dried blood stains onto his palm.
The faint memory surfaced—Angel had given it to me as a tracking device during a party, which Doshiyu had taken.
“I’ve been keeping it to return, but only now am I giving it back.”
“I completely forgot about it.”
The casino trip had been for that very reason—the hairpin. Yet, amidst everything, it slipped my mind.
“You’re an idiot.”
“It’s because you gave it back so late.”
Doshiyu got closer, his tone grumbling playfully. He stretched out his arm and pulled my hand toward his.
Though I wanted to push away his touch, I held back.
“Since I didn’t leave out a single gem, you can overlook that much.”
The hairpin was as unchanged as Doshiyu said—nothing had been taken.
Perhaps the tracking function still worked.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
After returning the hairpin to me, Doshiyu carefully inspected my face.
“Why go to a club right after leaving the orphanage? Were you trying to pick up guys?”
His voice was almost teasing, but his deep red eyes carried genuine concern.
Looking into those eyes, my head throbbed. It was exhausting to constantly weigh whether he was being sincere or not.
I couldn’t easily deny that, part of me didn’t want to lose Doshiyu. He was the first person who showed kindness to me since entering this body.
“But how did you know I went to the orphanage?”
“Do you think I didn’t hear anything with you leaving your card so proudly?”
It must have been the woman from the orphanage who informed Doshiyu of my visit.
The thought of Doshiyu knowing who Ivy was made my heart sink, but I masked it with a forced smile.
“Wasn’t it for that reason?”
I tilted my head, boldly stating. Doshiyu, watching me, gave a gentle smile before delivering a sharp slap on my forehead.
“Ouch!”
“I don’t remember giving that to you.”
His strength was surprisingly forceful, even in his current state.
Holding my forehead with both hands, I glared at Doshiyu. My head throbbed fiercely.
“Now isn’t the time for you to worry about me. Call Angel instead.”
Doshiyu’s bandaged waist was so vividly red that it couldn’t be ignored.
The sight of him standing and laughing despite that state was unnerving.
“Isn’t the wound reopening?”
“I’ve got my personal doctor. Just call for him in my room.”
Doshiyu spoke with a calm, almost serene voice. He then wrapped his arms around my shoulders, forcefully turning me around.
“I’ll need to go to my room after you. Why did you leave the door open again?”
With a gentle push, my door was swiftly brought closer. In a blink, we were right in front of it.
Doshiyu extended his arm to open the door even wider.
“Go in. Staying up all night really stunted your height.”
I struggled against his grasp, flailing my limbs as I tried to distance myself, shaking my head back in defiance.
“I’m tall enough, thank you.”
I had to lift my chin high to meet Doshiyu’s face, but even then, my height exceeded 160 centimeters, making me relatively tall.
Doshiyu laughed as if I were insignificant, ruffling my hair roughly.
“You said you’re going to the amusement park tomorrow. At this rate, you won’t be able to enjoy yourself properly.”
Before I could respond, I was shoved into my room.
Doshiyu met my piercing gaze with a nonchalant shrug. Then, motioning toward the room, he turned away.
I watched his retreating figure until I decided against closing the door and instead called out to him.
“Hey.”
“…”
“Doshiyu.”
Doshiyu paused in his steps.
“I have one more thing I want to ask.”
The certainty hit me—if I didn’t ask now, I might never have the chance again. I couldn’t let him walk away like this.
“You said you’d give me the hairpin and whatever information I wanted if I went with you to the casino.”
For a moment, Doshiyu stood motionless, as if time had frozen. Then, he slowly turned towards me.
The hallway was dark, and while his face was hard to see from a distance, I could feel his gaze firmly fixed on me.
“What do you want to know?”
His voice echoed softly, melodious as if singing.
I stepped out of my room, slowly walking toward Doshiyu.
The urge to step back was strong, but the desire to see his face and confirm my thoughts was stronger.
No matter how much I tried to ignore it, the thorn in my chest, the inexplicable unease that surfaced every time we were together, couldn’t be dismissed. Once it started, it wouldn’t be ignored.
As I got closer, Doshiyu’s face emerged from the shadows more clearly.
Finally, I came to a stop, just within reach of him.
“What are you curious about?”
Doshiyu’s voice was playful, childlike even, as if inviting me to a game. His calm, serene expression was almost angelic in its tranquility.
I kept my gaze fixed on the crimson bandages, then spoke in a dry, controlled voice.
“You.”
A soft laugh echoed above me.
I raised my head to meet his gaze. Our eyes locked, tightly woven together. His gaze, unreadable yet unyielding, remained steady.
“The person you like.”
There were moments when I struggled to decipher what was reflected in those eyes.
Even though I knew better, the certainty of his affection was elusive, while the opposite emotion was unmistakably clear once noticed.
The direction his feelings pointed toward, the subtle shift when his gaze just barely brushed past me, always left me unsettled.
Sometimes, those eyes flickered with a crimson glow—brief, like a fleeting flame, then disappearing like a mirage.
Love could remain ambiguous, but disdain and disinterest were easy to detect—and once known, they never changed.
“Honestly, you don’t like me, do you?”
