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TPLTW Chapter 1

Chapter 1

(Taegeon’s Pov*)

My eyes are red.

No matter how many times I wiped them, the bloodstains that seeped into the corners of my eyes continued to obscure my vision. My hands and legs, unable to control their strength, turned the steering wheel and pressed the accelerator on their own.

Squeak—!

The moment I got into the left-turn lane and made a sharp curve, the sound of tires cutting through the cold winter night was piercing. The car, which had been swaying unsteadily, slid for a few meters before barely coming to a stop.

“Ugh…!”

I gritted my teeth against the gravity pressing down on my entire body. As I strained to hold on, blood gushed from the wounds scattered across my body.

“Ha… F*ck, this sucks…”

Groans escaped my lips, barely stifled. Every inch of my body ached. It was a miracle I had managed to escape Yangpyeong in this condition.

Would I be able to make it to Anjin like this?

I don’t know. Shit. If I’m going to die anyway, I might as well just go and try it myself.

I barely managed to shake off my pursuers when I got onto the highway, but I couldn’t let my guard down. Gritting my teeth, I pressed the accelerator, desperate to survive. I had no idea what was running through my mind as I sped along the asphalt for over two hours.

Songdae Village, Songdae-eup, Anjin-gun, Jeolla-do.
(*Above mentioned are the names of the villages)

By the time I passed through the darkness and reached the familiar scenery, it was nearing midnight. The crashing waves surged as if they would swallow the sedan speeding along the shore. A lone hanok on a high cliff loomed in the distance, flickering in my blood-soaked vision.

“…Ha.”

All of a sudden, my tension released. My vision spun, and I felt like all the blood had drained from my body. My legs trembled, and I felt like I could lose consciousness at any moment.

But with the destination right in front of me, I couldn’t collapse here.

Summoning the last of my strength, I slammed down on the accelerator. Blood gushed again from the torn, burst wounds on my legs.

“…Damn.”

Hot, sticky blood pooled inside my shoes. My black shirt, soaked in blood, clung to my skin as if drenched in water.

Somehow, I managed to climb the hill and reach the gravel lot. I stomped on the brakes. My blood-soaked, trembling hands opened the car door. The fierce sea breeze rushed in, carrying the metallic scent of blood that had filled the car.

“Ugh….”

I tumbled out of the car and began walking with an unsteady gait. Stumbling multiple times, slamming my knees into the dirt road, I kept crawling forward.

The moment I pushed through the green gate that was always open,

“Ugh… uh, Le….”

I collapsed through the cracks of the door and lost consciousness.

* * *

It was a rough night.

The winter sea was always cold, but tonight, it was especially frigid. On nights like this, I often had eerie thoughts, like a timid child afraid of the dark.

I had gone to bed around nine, listening to soft pop music. It was best to fall asleep early before the night grew even gloomier.

But time passed steadily, and my mind refused to cloud.

“Ah… Why can’t I sleep?”

I had tossed and turned so many times, yet sleep eluded me. I didn’t realize how much time had passed until all 30 songs on my USB had played through.

Haein, having spent two hours in vain, finally got up and washed her face.

“This is bad.”

Maybe it was because I had a big lunch and took an hour-long nap. Afternoon naps were always sweet, but the price for that indulgence was steep.

Sitting in the dark room, I looked outside the window. The round full moon illuminated the sky, making the night not so dark after all.

But sometimes, when clouds passed by, the pitch-black darkness swallowed every bit of moonlight.

Clouds rolled in again. The moonlight that had brightened the room was completely consumed by darkness. The waves, waiting for their moment, crashed violently against the cliffs, making eerie, wailing sounds.

Why did a sound I heard every night suddenly feel so close today? It was as if the sea was climbing over the cliff, ready to pounce on me.

“Ugh….”

Shivering at the vague sense of fear, I turned on the lamp on my desk.

“I’m screwed.”

My mind was even clearer now. Sleep felt even further away.

I ran my fingertips over the pile of scripts on the corner of my desk, pulling out the one in the middle. I wanted to read it again after a long time—while also reviewing the words for my next lesson with the writers.

Beautiful Voice.

It was the debut drama of my favorite writer. The first project where I, who was still a rookie back then, played a significant supporting role.

I had always longed to be a part of the worlds that she painted. I dreamed of shining as a leading actress in it.

And my dream had almost come true.

—I started off by putting the name Lee Haein right on the first page. There’s no alternative but you. You’ll do it, right?

The day after receiving a casting call for the writer’s new work, Pine Tree, my world suddenly crumbled.

The dream that had been within reach was suddenly shattered by a typhoon.

Half a year later, I heard that my role had been given to another actress and that the production team had moved overseas for filming.

“The script was really good….”

I thought of the Pine Tree scenario I had left behind in Seoul while flipping through my old script. I sometimes regretted leaving it behind—especially on nights like this.

Maybe I should ask them to send it to me….

I opened the worn-out script of Beautiful Voice to distract myself from my regrets. Though I had read it dozens of times over the past two years, it still felt fresh and interesting every time.

I lost track of time. Sitting still, engrossed in the script, I pressed hard on the pages, engraving the words into my eyes. I was just about to turn the last page when—

“…Huh?”

Suddenly, the sound of a car reached my ears. The wind had died down, making the noise even clearer.

At this late hour? Who would be driving up the hill where only my house stood?

I blinked and stared outside the window facing the hill.

The sound of wheels crunching gravel grew closer. It seemed to stop in the vacant lot nearby, but the braking sound was harsh.

Bam. Bang.

Even the sound of the car door opening and closing was rough, as if someone were being chased.

“What….”

I didn’t have the courage to look straight ahead. Instead, I clenched the edge of my script. My heart pounded for no reason, even though I had done nothing wrong.

For a while, I just stood frozen, staring outside the window like a statue.

Squeak—BOOM!

“Whoa! That scared me.”

The script in my hands twitched. My shoulders jumped, then stiffened. I turned my stiff neck with difficulty and looked towards the door.

Did I misheard? I thought I heard a dull sound from the yard, but the sudden silence that followed was even more unsettling.

“What is this… This is scary….”

Fidgeting with the script for Beautiful Voice, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling. In movies, the curious ones always end up dying first….

The thought sent a shiver down my spine. But my legs were already moving towards the door on their own.

After a while, my gaze wandered around and stopped at the main gate.

“…Huh?”

For some reason, the front door was open about three inches. It wasn’t always locked, but it wasn’t the kind of door that would open by itself unless someone turned the knob. It wasn’t even likely to stay open in this harsh sea breeze.

That meant something was blocking the door.

“What is that…?”

As expected, something large and black was wedged in the crack of the door, stretching out. As I tried to examine the blurry shape, clouds happened to block the moonlight.

* * *

Haein, who had been staring at the mysterious figure with narrowed eyes, finally put on her slippers and went down to the yard. She stepped carefully. For no particular reason, her mouth felt dry.

A few steps forward, steadily moving, even if her feet hesitated slightly.

“…Hick…!”

Her feet stopped in surprise. Standing a few meters away from the black shaped figure, Haein lost her strength and sat down abruptly, her mouth clamped shut.

“Huh, a man…!”

Thump, thump, thump. Her heartbeat pounded like crazy. Her already pale face turned even paler in an instant.

The moonlight, breaking through the drifting clouds, illuminated the dark shape like a spotlight. The blood-red face of the man, covered in black, became even more vivid.

“Ugh, Gyaaaaak—!”

Sitting and gasping for breath, Haein scrambled backward before bolting into the house.

“Ha—Grandpa! Grandpa—!”

What the heck is this?

Dawn was blue.

Haein, who had spent the night wide awake, had been unable to leave the front of the living room for hours, anxiously glancing at the door.

The man was extraordinarily tall and broad, so much so that even Grandpa and the owner of the house struggled to support him. They had no choice but to wake up Soo-cheol, who lived down the hill, and barely managed to lay him in the master bedroom. But despite all the chaos, the man had yet to open his eyes.

Who on earth could he be? How did he end up here…?

How did a man, dressed in expensive clothes and wearing a luxurious watch, end up in such a state?

Thinking of his face—so bloodied that she couldn’t even make out his features—Haein rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the goosebumps.

Hours had passed. She felt uneasy because she hadn’t heard anything from the master bedroom. Even though Soo-cheol was with Grandpa, she doubted he could handle much of it on his own.

“Grandpa, is there anything I can do to help you?”

She asked casually, hoping to be useful somehow, but only a vague answer came from beyond the firmly closed door.

“No. It’s okay.”

As soon as he spoke, the door opened. Soo-cheol stepped out, carrying a bucket of water, and quickly shut the door behind him.

“You’d be surprised if you saw him, noona. I stripped him down completely.”

“Ah….”

Feeling the unnecessary embarrassment, Haein rubbed the back of her neck and stepped aside. Soo-cheol, still grumbling, headed towards the outdoor water faucet.

Despite being just eighteen, the boy acted as if he had seen everything in life. He was indifferent to most things—even seeing a man covered in blood didn’t seem to faze him. He had steadily supported the man without a word.

He must have seen all the wounds on his bare skin, yet there was no reaction. He was an unusual guy— who was just squatting by the faucet, yawning.

Haein watched the red blood swirling down the drain, her vision was blurring, before she squeezed her eyes shut.

She had spent the night pacing restlessly, unable to do anything. Only when the blood had completely washed away did she crouch down next to Soo-cheol.

“Is he hurt badly?”

Soo-cheol answered indifferently while refilling his bucket with fresh water.

“There’s nothing actually wrong with him. But he might still die soon.”

“Hey! What are you saying?!”

Haein bit her lower lip and pinched his arm. Then, while glancing towards the living room, she changed her question.

“Do you know him?”

“I don’t. It’s my first time seeing him. I thought Grandpa might know, but when I wiped the blood off his face and got a good look…”

Soo-cheol suddenly opened his mouth wide, looked up at the dusky sky, and let out an awed whistle.

“Wow… damn, he’s really handsome.”

“… … .”

Over the past two years, Haein had come to know that Soo-cheol was a laid-back, mild-mannered guy. He wasn’t one to swear lightly like other kids his age.

For someone like him to react this way—uttering profanity in genuine awe—meant that the man was truly super handsome.

Curiosity about his face was a completely natural phenomenon for a healthy twenty-eight-year-old woman like her. There was no reason to feel guilty about it.

Just as she turned toward the master bedroom door, her curiosity growing, Dae-gil—the owner of the house and a retired veteran doctor from Songdae Hospital—stepped out.

Haein immediately rushed over.

“What happened?”

Dae-gil sat on the porch, while roughly wiping his bloody hands with a towel. He looked exhausted, but as always, his expression remained indifferent.

“Don’t worry. He’ll survive. He should be able to eat a bowl of porridge as soon as he wakes up.”

“Oh… I see.”

It was a relief. Yet, the way everyone else remained calm made her feel slightly embarrassed.

A man had appeared in the middle of the night, drenched in blood, and yet it seemed like she was the only one who had been frightened.

Feeling self-conscious, she sat down beside Dae-gil and asked in a quiet voice,

“Do you know him? Soo-cheol said Grandpa might know that guy.”

Dae-gil wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied in a flat tone.

“Yeah. I know him. You don’t know him maybe, but it’s Taegeon.”

* * *

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