Episode 5
About a 10-minute drive from the city, I arrived at the southern pier where a magnificent cruise ship was docked under the fluttering flags adorned with the pattern of a hundred birds.
On the luxurious cruise ship, a spectacular onboard party was in full swing. I couldn’t help but marvel at the grandeur of the event, a testament to the immense wealth of Bai Cheon.
Already positioned to be the first to arrive, Baek Ha-won stood at the entrance bridge leading to the cruise ship, ready and prepared for the festivities.
A well-dressed man with exquisite jewelry was conspicuously noticeable even from a distance.
His neatly combed black hair, a crisp shirt with a black tie peeking out from under the collar.
A glimpse of a blue cufflink emerged from the right sleeve, swept up as he adjusted his wristwatch.
The man’s gaze, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, paused on me.
Captivated by a dizzying illusion as if stepping into a movie, I walked towards him.
“…”
In the fleeting moment our dry gazes met, a hand extended towards me. Though not spoken aloud, the eyes seemed to convey a message, urging me to take it.
Wary of any potential unwanted advances, I reluctantly took the offered hand, which felt as cold as the scrutinizing gaze.
The cruise ship, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, shimmered like it was navigating above a blazing fire. As I crossed the transparent bridge hand in hand with Baek Ha-won, the vivid red waves visible beneath the clear floor seemed even more dizzying, possibly due to the high heels.
‘Wow.’
The entrance of the cruise ship was as grand and dazzling as a hotel lobby, with sparkling chandeliers and a red carpet laid beneath our feet—an awe-inspiring sight.
Truly extravagant and luxurious.
At this moment, walking on the red carpet while holding hands with the protagonist of a novel I once immersed myself in didn’t feel bad at all.
“Boss.”
At that moment, Ji-won, who had been walking behind us, whispered something to me unheard by Baek Ha-won. Seeing Baek Ha-won’s narrowed eyes, it seemed like the news wasn’t favorable.
“What’s going on?”
When I casually asked, Baek Ha-won seemed to hesitate for a moment. I hadn’t expected a straightforward answer, but his expression only piqued my curiosity even more about what could be happening.
“Don’t stray far from Ji-won.”
His words caught me off guard. I tilted my head in confusion.
“Ji-won always stays by the boss’s side.”
“Today, stick close to you.”
What kind of nonsense was this?
Though filled with curiosity about the cryptic words, I decided to keep my mouth shut, seeing their unyielding faces that showed no intention of explaining. There was no need to get upset over this.
I intended to safely conclude the party today and not get involved with Baek Cheon and Baek Ha-won again.
* * *
The fountain, pouring water in a beautiful pattern, sparkled as it caught the light.
Under the darkened night sky, as if someone had spilled black paint, the deck adorned with brilliance was now filled with people. Each one dressed splendidly, they raised their voices in excitement, making elegant gestures and indulging in wine.
“CEO, nice to meet you for the first time! I am…”
“CEO, do you happen to remember me? We met during the K Project.”
Around Baek Ha-won, addressed as the CEO instead of the boss, people kept approaching without end.
The desire to gain something was vividly evident on their faces. Baek Ha-won’s laughter while dealing with them was something I had never seen before.
Having positioned myself in a less crowded corner where people weren’t gathering, leaning against the railing, I deliberately ignored the subtle glances directed towards me.
Fortunately or unfortunately, no one approached me. It was a bit strange.
Thinking so, I took a sip of wine when the click-clack sound of high heels echoed in my ears.
“Long time no see, right?”
With hair cut short enough to brush against the ears, dyed in a deep crimson hue, and clad in a snug-fitting black miniskirt, the woman exuded an impression as intense as Cha Yeon-byeol. She twisted her red lips into a smirk.
Who is she? Her scorching gaze, threatening to turn me into ashes, suggested that she knew me very well from the other side. However, I couldn’t fathom who she might be.
“What’s with the ‘I don’t know’ expression?”
As if my thoughts were written on my face, the woman burst into a mocking laughter. Before I knew it, everyone’s attention had shifted towards us. Except for me, everyone seemed to understand the reason behind this woman’s behavior.
“Still seems like the head Cha Yeon-byeol chewed up last year is hurting.”
What?
No wonder people were avoiding me. Was there such a specific reason?
Desire to tear my hair out seemed evident in the way her eyes stared at me. Unintentionally taking a step back, I collided with Ji-won, who had been guarding my rear.
“Should I take care of it?”
Our eyes met, and I momentarily forgot what I was about to say at the casually thrown remark.
It wasn’t a joke. The desire to do so was evident in the dry gaze.
“That’s why you shouldn’t mess with those whose backgrounds you don’t know.”
Just as I was about to respond to Ji-won, the woman’s loud voice cut through the air, creating ripples along with laughter and causing people to murmur.
When I turned to meet her malicious gaze, I felt nothing.
I am not Cha Yeon-byeol. There was no reason for me to be angry as there was no emotional involvement with Cha Yeon-byeol. Similarly, there was no reason to present a wounded face and express anger just to fulfill the woman’s desires.
I simply smiled faintly.
So, this is why she had her hair torn by Cha Yeon-byeol last year?
“Just stick close to my back.”
I turned towards Ji-won, lifting the corner of my mouth and squinting my eyes into a half-smile. Ji-won’s face stiffened.
It seemed like Ji-won was about to say something, but I had already turned away, smiling at the woman. As I gazed piercingly at her, slowly emptying the wine glass in my hand, the surroundings quieted down.
“Oh, seeing the wine-colored hair reminded me.”
“…”
“I forgot for a moment. My memory isn’t good these days; I tend to forget common things.”
As I painted an innocent and cheerful smile on my face, the woman, who had been laughing mockingly all along, suddenly went cold.
“Even if your background were unique like mine, it probably wouldn’t have stayed in my memory… right?”
“What are you saying?”
The woman shouted with a sharp voice, contorting her face.
I stepped closer to her. She shrunk back, startled.
Her eyes, now widened in surprise, shook nervously. In response to her state, I smirked and whispered softly in her ear.
“Don’t worry, I won’t tear you apart this time.”
The woman with a foolish expression trembled. I lowered my gaze towards her and tilted my head.
“But this isn’t our brother’s taste, sister.”
Lifting the corner of my mouth and lightly flicking the woman’s hair, her face suddenly became quite presentable.
As expected. It was probably because Baek Ha-won’s interest was piqued, scratching Cha Yeon-byeol’s nerves.
If that was the case, I could play along. How pathetic and weak the desire to covet something one couldn’t have was.
With her red lips pursed, the woman shivered. Among the expected scenarios, this was the most boring.
There’s no need to intervene further. Now, I could quietly enjoy the party again. I turned back towards Ji-won with a satisfied smile.
However, I realized that the attention of those who had been engrossed in the fight was now all focused on me.
I rolled my eyes awkwardly. Such attention was burdensome.
Just as I was wondering how to gracefully escape from this situation…
Crash!
Suddenly, a waiter who had popped out from nowhere passed between me and the woman, staggering and forcefully pushing me.
If Ji-won hadn’t grabbed me, preventing me from stumbling due to the high heels losing balance, it would have been an embarrassing sight. It seemed overly forceful to consider it a mere accident.
The wine glass I had in my hand fell to the floor, shattering into pieces. The wine bottle the waiter was carrying also broke, causing a red stain to spread on the dress.
“Miss, are you okay?”
Ji-won stood me up straight and asked, “Are you okay?” Holding onto Ji-won for balance, I brushed back my flowing hair and lifted my head.
All the waiters were wearing white masks covering about half of their faces.
“Oh, I’m sorry. What should we do about this?”
The voice that came from behind the mask was mixed with a soft laughter, devoid of any apologetic tone.
Through the gap in the mask, eyes that were playfully folded could be seen.
The hand that gently touched the ear, filled with quite expensive sparkling earrings, felt as white as snow.
An inexplicable uneasiness sent shivers down my spine.
In the slow flow of time, hair that seemed to have melted moonlight in the breeze swayed vividly.
“Yugyeom…?”
The instinctive and intuitive words that popped out of my mouth startled me, and I quickly turned my head.
Fortunately, due to the classical music filling the party venue, the voice was not audible to others.
Without an invitation, one couldn’t even step inside. It was a confined space, limited to those with invitations. In this sealed-off place, the only escape route seemed to be the dark and cold sea below?
That couldn’t be true.
“Miss, you might want to clean your hands. Shall I guide you?”
A hand in a white glove was extended towards me.
Seeing my sticky hands due to the dress, it seemed like I might need to wipe them. Instead of taking the extended hand, I received a handkerchief from Ji-won and wiped my wet hands.
“Then, please lead the way.”
