Chapter 58
The stiffened face of the butterfly-necktie turned red. His clenched fist was trembling.
Just before he lunged at me, he took one step closer.
“Give it a try.”
Staring intensely into his cloudy eyes, I whispered softly.
“I’m curious if the rumors are true. After all, isn’t that why you approached me in the first place?”
Finding Baek Hawon among the crowd wasn’t difficult. His conspicuous physique and handsome face stood out as if illuminated by lights.
Moreover, his gaze always seemed particularly intense, immediately locking onto me without hesitation.
I turned my head back to face Butterfly-necktie and chuckled.
“Do you have the guts to handle it?”
I grabbed his tie and pulled him closer, gesturing towards Baek Hawon with a nod.
“You’ve probably heard the rumors, but our boss cherishes his people so much.”
I smirked and whispered softly.
I didn’t know I could use Baek Hawon as a pawn, but seeing his trembling eyes made me feel better regardless.
I squeezed the tie once and then let go. Butterfly-necktie hesitated, looking back at Baek Hawon, then took a step back.
“Wow.”
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Applause echoed through the silence.
“Are you okay?”
In shades of orange and green gradient. A color that always surpassed expectations. Amidst it all, the strange color seemed to fit naturally.
Doshiyu walked up to me from behind and smiled.
“Be careful.”
His long fingers approached my lips, but stopped in mid-air.
“I might bite if you touch me.”
For a moment, I felt an urge to actually bite that finger.
***
When the party started, the sky was already dark.
“Aren’t you too fearless?”
A bright voice sounded over the faint classical music. Leaning against the terrace railing, I turned my head.
“That guy is famous for having bad habits.”
No wonder. His hand went up too quickly.
Doshiyu stood beside me, pushing back his brightly colored hair.
“Who is he?”
“He made some money through real estate investments. Now he owns a casino hotel.”
“A casino?”
“There’s a rumor that he’s just a puppet, but…”
Casinos always felt like a regrettable backdrop to a noir. Even though there wasn’t… much important episode related to the casino in the original.
“Why worry about it if it doesn’t suit you?”
Doshiyu pressed his fingertip against my forehead.
Seems like he misunderstood when he saw my expression, thinking I was worried about something related to the original plot involving a casino.
“I’ve never worried about that kind of thing.”
“Don’t.”
“Sweetheart.”
His sunset eyes smiled and lowered downwards. Doshiyu messed up my hair.
“Call me oppa.”
A chill ran down my spine at the sight of Doshiyu’s smiling face. When his gaze met mine, I felt another shiver, and I struck Doshiyu’s nape with my fist.
He let out a weak groan, gripping his nape and bending over.
“Ouch. That’s too much.”
“You crazy bastard.”
I shook my hand.
Doshiyu leaned against the railing of the terrace, supporting himself with one arm, his face resting on it with a sad expression.
“I came here to give you this.”
Only then did I notice the glass in Doshiyu’s other hand. The transparent liquid inside swayed gently.
“Is that… water?”
I asked indifferently.
I sniffed it, but there was no smell.
“You’re drunk. Stop drinking.”
“Why? Worried I’ll get drunk?”
As he swallowed the water, my mind cooled down. The cool breeze felt refreshing.
I didn’t feel drunk. What was my usual tolerance again?
I couldn’t remember.
“I didn’t expect to see you here. When did you arrive?”
Although I didn’t need any help earlier, seeing a familiar face did bring some relief.
I realized I might be in a state of hunger for affection more than I thought. I was actually glad to see Doshiyu, who was always joking around.
“A while ago. Can’t miss a festive occasion in the household.”
“If someone hears you, they might think you’re family.”
I spat out a retort for no reason. Doshiyu’s eyes curved mischievously.
“In a way, we’re closer than family.”
I chuckled lightly and looked away.
The relationship between the Baek, and the five households was strictly hierarchical, unlike a typical family.
Each household managed their territory, collected money through various means, and paid tribute to Baek. In return, they received protection and affiliation.
Among them, Doshiyu’s household was known to specialize in art-related industries, including galleries.
“I never expected to meet you in a place like this.”
“Because I’m always stuck on the island.”
“You said you left Baek completely last winter? You went through a big ordeal and had a change of heart?”
I still felt the need to leave, whether it was difficult now or later. Especially since the deadline for the will was coming up this year, I might be kicked out then.
“What if I die living alone?”
I had no intention of keeping a gun under my pillow every night, waiting for a killer.
When I first entered this body, the plan was to leave first and then think about it later. But now things were different. I had to pave the way before leaving.
“It’s not necessarily the case. Didn’t I tell you before?”
Doshiyu’s orange hair fluttered in the night breeze. I wondered why he had to dye the roots green like that.
“Come to me.”
Doshiyu laughed heartily with a big mouth. It was a naïve laughter, like that of a innocent boy.
As I looked at his face, I reached out towards him.
“Why?”
I grabbed the earring hanging from Doshiyu’s ear. I had been curious for a long time whether it was really shaped like a carrot. My fingertips felt a hot heat.
“Did you happen to like me?”
Thunk!
At that moment, my hand recoiled. I had hit Doshiyu’s face so hard that the back of my hand stung. I hadn’t even confirmed the shape yet.
“Hey!”
Doshiyu suddenly shouted, covering his mouth with his hand and taking a step back. His round eyes shook from side to side.
“He has no sense of shame…”
His ear, which my hand had touched, was flushed red. I was momentarily speechless.
Why was he reacting like this?
“If you liked me, you liked me. What’s with asking in the past tense?”
Doshiyu fanned himself while humming. As he did, he chuckled like a fool. He looked a bit crazy, to be honest.
No, he looked very crazy.
Avoiding a crazy person was the best course of action.
“Never mind.”
As I handed him the half-empty glass, Doshiyu took it and emptied it in one gulp.
I rolled my eyes and scrutinized Doshiyu’s face. He wasn’t completely clueless about this kind of thing, but still, I couldn’t quite figure it out.
Even when I saw his flushed cheek, I didn’t think he seemed to like me.
“But hey, you know. Did you by any chance…”
“Why?”
There was still warmth in his face as I faced him. I grabbed an empty glass and filled it with alcohol again, feeling a strange sensation.
“No, never mind.”
Before it could be snatched away, I gulped down the alcohol forcefully. By the time it was snatched away, it was already more than halfway empty.
Doshiyu tilted the light glass and frowned. I leaned against the railing, feeling better, and chuckled.
“…When did we first meet?”
Doshiyu was never mentioned in the original work.
The only person who showed any kindness to Cha Yeonbyeol.
But he was someone I didn’t know.
I was curious and a little scared about how his presence would affect me. Should I get closer, or should I remain guarded until the end?
“Surely you remember?”
Doshiyu smiled without a care. His light touch fell between his fluttering hair in the wind.
“It hurts. I won’t say.”
He pouted, sticking out his lips, and removed the hairpin from my tangled hair.
“Confiscated until you remember.”
Doshiyu stuck the hairpin in my suit pocket. The jewel at the tip of the hairpin sparkled against the black suit background.
Although Angel had given it to me in the car… it was nothing special.
“Take it and throw it away.”
When I flicked it away, Doshiyu looked at me with an incredulous expression.
“You stubborn woman. Why won’t you accept it?”
“Why should I?”
After finishing the remaining alcohol, Doshiyu slammed the empty glass down on the table.
“Bad… bad. Bad.”
Doshiyu started whining as if he were already drunk. His orange eyes glared at me.
I touched my forehead, suddenly feeling exhausted.
“Why? What would you like me to do?”
For a moment, Doshiyu’s face brightened with a mischievous glint in his lazy eyes. It seemed like the state from a moment ago was just an act.
“I hope you’ll come out of Baek.”
Bang. The sound of gunfire erupted from his pursed lips.
My fingertips trembled reflexively at the sound.
This wasn’t the time for this.
But I knew it was just a meaningless sigh. There was no way to erase what my body and mind remembered.
“What are you doing tomorrow?”
Doshiyu gazed at me lazily with half-open eyes.
Under the lights, his lensed pupils glowed closer to red.
“Don’t you want to come see my gallery, Oppa?”
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Editor : Red
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is Sid. I hope you liked it<3
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