Chapter 70
The commotion quickly faded as if nothing had happened. People murmured at first, but soon lost interest.
No one cared about the man who lost his hand cheating at the gambling table.
I stared blankly at the clean central hall. Remembering the gun aimed at me, my heart still pounded.
“There must be a lot of angry people. The ugly duckling ate the casino.”
It didn’t make sense. How could Yugyeom be standing there?
Doshiyu said Yugyeom probably received information when he entered the White Thousand, but… I wasn’t so sure. If that were true, then Baek Hawon would’ve already killed him.
It was Yugyeom, not Yuhwa, the successor who stood against the Utopia.
Yugyeom had risen to Yuhwa’s level in one fell swoop.
If the hand Yuhwa grabbed was Taejun’s as in the original story…
“I’m going up to rest. Which way is the room?”
I stood up from the table without touching my drink. Angel, who was sipping soda, stood up too.
“Why so soon? The game hasn’t even started yet.”
Doshiyu looked disappointedly at me.
“I’m not really interested.”
I never really had any interest in places like casinos. I didn’t like thinking too hard, and I detested games of chance.
“And you, didn’t you forget the condition for coming here with me?”
Doshiyu, rolling colorful chips in his hand, raised an eyebrow. After rolling his violet eyes once, he seemed to understand what I meant and grinned broadly.
“Of course. Why are you so obsessed with that hairpin…”
“Let’s not talk about that.”
“…”
“I’ll tell you something I’m curious about.”
Doshiyu tilted his chin and lazily met my eyes.
“What are you curious about?”
“I have one.”
“What is it? Just say it. Maybe I’ll tell you even if you say it straight.”
After seeing his cheerful face, I hesitated for a moment.
“Um… I’ll tell you on the last day.”
“Okay then.”
Doshiyu laughed lightly as if surprised. Instead of giving me the hotel room key, he reached out his hand.
“Let’s go up together. I’ll take you there.”
“It’s fine. Angel is here.”
But before he could follow, a casino staff member stopped him. After exchanging a few words with Doshiyu, his expression subtly hardened.
When he returned from the short conversation, he raised an eyebrow.
“Sorry, I can’t take you. I might as well go alone?”
I folded my arms and pouted. Doshiyu handed two keys to Angel.
“I’ll call you later. Let’s have dinner together.”
***
“Then rest well. Call if you feel unwell.”
Angel, who had escorted me to the door, said. There was no sincerity in his tired voice.
“No need to call. Feel free to do what you want. It’s okay to skip the doctor’s appointment even if you earn some money at the casino.”
I turned around playfully.
Although I had the penthouse in Hong Kong, I mostly stayed alone there because Baek Hawon usually came in late at night.
“I’m already tired.”
If I knew it would be like this, I would have never come to the casino. I never imagined Yugyeom would show up there.
Will I be safe for the next three days…?
Is that why he said he would meet me that day?
“Ugh, why did Cha Yeonbyeol do that.”
The words I said to Yugyeom last time floated in the air.
I slapped my cheeks with my hands. It had only been a few months since I became Cha Yeonbyeol. If it had been according to the original story, we would be heading towards the climax.
I closed my eyes, my face buried in both palms.
***
I left the hotel room in the evening darkness. I headed to the restaurant Doshiyu had mentioned in his message.
Although I hadn’t said anything, the staff seemed to have informed my appearance in advance, as they guided me to a private room.
The room was too spacious for just the two of us to dine. There were about six people sitting at the long table. Without even apologizing, I closed the door with a thud.
“What’s this?”
It felt like I had mistakenly entered the wrong classroom at school. Calming my racing heart, I called Doshiyu.
But before the connection went through, the door opened again.
“Why are you leaving again?”
Doshiyu laughed, holding a ringing phone. I asked with a puzzled expression.
“Why did you come out of there?”
Doshiyu sighed, seeming to understand my reaction belatedly.
“I didn’t tell you.”
“….”
“VIPs are gathering to have a meal. I suggested we go together to network.”
“What? So you’re eating with other people?”
“Yeah. You were the latest one. Let’s go in.”
“No, wait a minute!”
I urgently stopped Doshiyu from opening the door and entering. I spread my arms to block the doorway.
I didn’t feel comfortable in this kind of situation. I didn’t want to build unnecessary connections with potential enemies.
“Who are the people inside?”
I wasn’t particularly curious, but I asked out of courtesy.
“Well, there are some White Thousand executives you probably don’t know, and someone you might know… Yugyeom?”
I immediately stepped back from the door.
Yugyeom? Eating a meal with Yugyeom?
“I’ll just order room service and eat here.”
I quickly turned around and started walking away. But I was immediately caught.
“Why? Let’s just eat together here.”
“There are plenty of good options here.”
Doshiyu said with a face that seemed to know nothing. I made up a plausible lie, pushing away the hand that grabbed my shoulder.
“I’m not good with strangers.”
“You? ”
He looked completely incredulous.
“Just for a moment, Cha Yeonbyeol.”
As I took another step forward, Doshiyu blocked me from behind.
“Think about it positively. You’ll only have me as a friend. You seem kind of scary to me, like a sudden drop from the sky. Now that the time written in the will is over, you should prepare to live.”
His firm words hit the mark quite accurately. It was somewhat similar to falling from the sky. That’s why I didn’t really need friends.
And when the time written in the will was over and I had to leave the White Thousand, I would prepare a life unrelated to the organization.
But among them, there was nothing I could say to him directly.
“I’m saying this because I want to see you for a long time.”
When I looked into his sincere eyes, it felt like he was genuinely worried about his friend. It stabbed my heart.
“Sigh.”
I let out a long sigh with my face in my hands. A half-hearted excuse probably wouldn’t easily get me out of this situation.
I approached Doshiyu and gestured for him to lean closer, moving my fingers.
“This is something I’m only telling you, so listen carefully.”
Should I say it? That my relationship with Yugyeom is twisted beyond repair.
“I’m with Yugyeom…”
Playing love and respect and then fleeing after hurting him with hurtful words and being shot. Even after that, many things happened, but nothing got better. So even if he kills me today, it wouldn’t be strange.
“No.”
I hesitated several times, but in the end, I couldn’t say it. How should I say it? When I tried to organize my thoughts, it seemed like an even more hopeless situation.
“Anyway, I don’t need friends, so I’ll go.”
I turned toward the opposite corridor where Doshiyu wasn’t blocking. But as soon as I took a step, the door opened with a creak.
Before I could turn my head, Doshiyu hugged me from behind and pushed me into the room.
“Hey! This isn’t…”
“Excuse me. My girlfriend is shy.”
The youthful voice came from behind.
As the door closed behind me, I couldn’t help but keep my mouth shut, conscious of the eyes fixed on me.
“That jerk.”
The best thing to do was probably to silently curse him while secretly stepping on Doshiyu’s foot where it wouldn’t be noticeable.
“Are you hungry? Sit down quickly.”
Doshiyu showed good manners by pulling out the chair without any hesitation, as if he couldn’t feel his feet.
To avoid making eye contact with anyone, I sat down, staring at the stained plates on the table.
“Miss Cha Yeonbyeol?”
But I couldn’t help but look towards the voice that clearly called my name.
The voice was familiar yet unfamiliar.
“I’m sorry if you were startled earlier. On behalf of the hotel, I apologize.”
The attitude of treating me as if they were seeing me for the first time seemed natural. I looked at the man sitting with impeccable attire, his face devoid of any traces like bloodstains.
A polite smile and courteous tone. It almost felt like seeing a dream of the person I knew.
“Are you injured anywhere?”
I felt a twist in my stomach at the polite question.
His affectionate gaze scrutinized me.
I wanted to complain and express my dissatisfaction with why I was sitting there like that, without any qualifications, but I swallowed the impulse along with the wine and spoke casually.
“…Who are you?”
Pretending not to know seemed like the best option, and I was confident in my acting.
