When The Phone Rings Temp 1

Chapter 33

“Did you… like Hong In-ah?”
― “Your way of thinking is way more childish than I thought.”

Sa-eon had jabbed Heeju’s sensitive spot.

― “I didn’t like her, although she always weighed on my mind.”

The reply came quickly but was, as usual, ambiguous. She already knew Sa-eon didn’t pay attention to women; not even as a hormonal teenager.

Yet, there had always been an indescribable tension between Baek Sa-eon and her sister. Back then, Heeju had assumed it was romantic interest or the excitement of being engaged.

But what if it wasn’t?

Then where had her sister’s occasional unease come from? If it wasn’t the fluttering of a sixteen-year-old girl’s first love, then what?

While she was lost in thought, his voice broke through.

― “Did you know that Heeju is selective about people?”
“What?”
― “She never spoke to you while dating. That means she didn’t consider you as her own.”
“…”

― “You were someone worth playing around with, but not significant enough to engage further.”
“So… did Hong Heeju talk to you?”
― “…”
“It’s my turn now, isn’t it?”

After swiftly wrapping up his turn, Heeju pressed him further.

“What was the last thing you said to Hong In-ah?”

Heeju felt like she was being pushy, but this lingering question had stayed with her for years. She had grown up sandwiched between Baek Sa-eon and her sister, who most likely shared a secret. Neither of them were the type to share personal thoughts with a child.

He paused, as though trying to recall something, contemplated for a moment, and then responded. His tone was entirely monotonous.

― “I asked her to marry me.”
“…!”

Heeju’s thoughts began to whirl. The more she learned about him, the more lost she felt in the labyrinth of his intentions.

 

***

 

“Does that guy not drink water either…?”
“Is he a fairy or something…?”

It was a memory from the times she accompanied her sister to gatherings. Children would gather at weekends.

The aloof boy-next-door used to come teach the Hong Sisters three times a week. Among his acne-ridden peers, he stood out like a polished gem.

But an eighteen-year-old and a grade-schooler rarely mingled. A chasm wider than the Amnok River¹ separated their worlds.

Still, Heeju often sneaked glances at him while trailing behind her sister.

Once she discovered his strange habit purely by chance. Sa-eon held a plate of finger foods but never ate.

Whenever people began chatting and nibbling on snacks, he would quietly set the plate aside or switch to a new one. Yet, the food never made it to his mouth— a behavior as baffling as it was consistent.

‘Maybe he has a sensitive stomach,’ is what she thought. But as the monthly gatherings continued, Baek Sa-eon’s actions never fluctuated.

Eventually, he even went as far as pretending to bite into a dessert, only to spit it out in secret.

But his peers, busy giggling, didn’t notice that he wasn’t actually eating anything. Yet somehow, Heeju noticed.

‘How come I was the only one who noticed this?’

Sa-eon’s weaknesses seem to be visible at every turn. Even if he had a mature and expressionless face, Heeju’s eyes only reflected his distress.

When Sa-eon stared blankly at his plate, he looked as helpless as the boy, Heeju tried to coax by singing a song from a cartoon.

His calm, emotionless facade clashed with the unease she sensed beneath. One day, fed up with just watching, she picked up a plate and walked straight over to him.

“…!”

Heeju’s sudden appearance startled him. Rarely did his expression change, but now his eyebrows arched in surprise.

“What are you doing alone?”
“…”

Like that matters— I can’t reply even if I want to.

Silently, she snatched the plate from his hand and offered her own.

“What are you doing?” he asked coldly.

Without a word, she grabbed a shrimp canapé from his plate and popped it into her mouth. He let out a hollow laugh at the sight of her puffed-out cheeks.

Though he frowned slightly at her hurried chewing and gulping, he suddenly leaned closer, speaking just above a whisper.

“Do you even know what you’re doing?”
“…!”

His face was so close that Heeju couldn’t help but think, ‘He is really handsome…’

“Nobody else noticed… but you seem interesting.”

Despite the words, his gaze remained cold and detached. He wasn’t looking at her like a fellow human, but more like a prey.

“I could tell you anything, and it would stay between us, wouldn’t it?”

Heeju simply blinked, feeling lost and unsure. Sa-eon kept patting her back like she might choke, but even the gesture felt oddly unsettling.

“How did something like this appear in front of me?”
“…”
“Even the timing is perfect.”

Maybe that’s why sister In-ah seemed drawn to him, too. Perhaps there was some hidden connection between them. She became withdrawn upon reaching the conclusion.

“All bad things originate from the mouth,” he said with a strange, twisted smile.
“So it’s better to keep it shut.”

I- I feel like I’m about to burp…!

Heeju pressed her lips together tightly and suddenly grabbed his icy palm. Quickly, she used her fingertip to scribble a few words on his hand before running off.

‘Eat whatever you want.’

Sa-eon’s face was overtaken by surprise. He just kept staring at her retreating figure.

 

***

 

It had been a while since Heeju had such a bizarre dream.

It started in a banquet hall, morphed into being chased by monsters… then ended with her falling into a swamp. It was like a fever dream.

Heeju sat up in bed, rubbing her swollen eyes.

Last night, after Sa-eon returned with fried chicken, he went straight to his room. He looked irritated and Heeju had a strong feeling it was because of her.

‘It feels like he didn’t sleep at all…’

While tidying the bed, she glanced at his side of the bed.

Sa-eon continued lying there with his back toward her. But his labored, restless breathing betrayed his lack of peace.

“In the end, he left the bed, either pacing on the balcony or going to the gym to work out, unable to calm down all night.”

But Heeju hadn’t slept well either. Even though she had resolved some of her internal doubts, a sense of familiar helplessness and gloom had re-emerged.

The last conversation gave rise to more doubts.

‘Divorce—’

Why did that word suddenly come to my mind?

The banquet scene from her childhood left some remnants. Even as an adult, Sa-eon strictly controlled what he ate. She had never seen him overeat or drink excessively. The only indulgence he seemed to allow himself was smoking.

Ring! Ring!

“…!”
As her personal phone rarely buzzed, she instinctively knew who it was from. With the task completed, the kidnapper had something to convey.

She answered hesitantly “Hello?”

 

***

“Sir..!”

Assistant Park came running, his face ashen.

They were in the underground level of the Blue House.

The National Crisis Management Center, often referred to as the Blue House bunker, was a publicly known facility designed for systematic crisis management. Equipped with all manner of communication tools, it served as the nerve center for national emergencies.

Beneath this official setup lay an unofficial organization— a unit overseen by Baek Sa-eon himself- The Task Force Planning Team (TF Team).

A top-secret group born from the philosophy that “Monitored crime rates amplify state power.”

They orchestrated disasters and devised schemes. They managed the E-Secret database for monitoring high-ranking officials and served as a hidden power behind the scenes, gathering rumors and intel from the dark web.

This was the true nature of the presidential spokesperson.

Having inherited his grandfather’s legacy, Baek Sa-eon had systematically expanded it, and became a cornerstone of the Blue House’s shadowy network.

He monopolized and traded information and scandals about high-ranking officials, cementing his connections with the upper echelons of public institutions like the Civil Affairs Secretary’s Office and the National Security Agency.

Everyone tread carefully around him, a man who could destroy reputations with his words and his pen.

Which is why the hostage-taker’s audacity to sling mud at someone like him was almost amusing.

Assistant Park opened his laptop.

“The analysis on the recording is done, sir…!”

Baek Sa-eon’s brow furrowed as he gestured for Park to continue.

“This guy— or rather, this person— is seriously irritating. They planted malicious code in the file. Every time we tried to remove the voice modulation, the computer would crash. We lost most of the original file….”
“…”
“This is the best fragment we could recover. The audio quality isn’t great…”

Park Do-jae clicked on the file.

“And now, suddenly one of them is missing? People will love this story. Their darling Baek Sa-eon, the articulate spokesperson, turns out to be so filthy, perverted, and trashy. I’m sure the public will enjoy this with relish.”

The voice that played through the speakers was completely different.

Baek Sa-eon’s grip tightened around his jaw, his expression growing darker.

The previously low, grating, and distorted voice now revealed something else. It was a soft, trembling sound, much like that of a frightened bird.

“…so 406 was a woman?”

The voice undeniably belonged to a woman.

---

TL/N:

[1] Amnok/ Yalu river- the wide river separating divides China and Korea. The countries don’t have a harmonious relationship. Perhaps indicating Sa-eon and Heeju’s lives could never overlap.

 

Sorry, Today’s update is small. I’ll make it up in the future. Thank you!