When The Phone Rings

Chapter 26

While showering, Heeju glanced down at her own body and suddenly recalled the photo her husband had requested. The tips of her ears turned red for no reason.

‘Like I’d ever take something like that again!

She dried her wet hair with rough strokes.

Returning to her bedroom, Heeju sat down and practiced sign language for the first time in a while. She was checking the requirements for the position at the Blue House.

She probably put on one of Baek Sa-eon’s videos out of habit. A bad habit, at that.

『 “Regarding the allegations, the prosecution is conducting a thorough investigation…”』

‘Allegations… a strict investigation by the prosecution…’*

Her hands stumbled through the motions, it was neither smooth nor accurate. Due to the usage of unusual words, Heeju couldn’t keep up with his words. She couldn’t help furrowing her eyebrows.

Lately, things haven’t been going well.

Feeling frustrated, she flopped onto the bed, burying herself in its softness.

Before she realized it, she dozed off.

Heeju was feeling chilly, so she wanted to pull the blanket.

‘What’s.. this?’

But instead of a soft blanket, the thing she felt was hard.

‘Something hard…?’

Groggily fumbling at the unfamiliar texture, Heeju cracked open her eyes. A jolt of fear coursed through her as she violently cast the object aside.

“Ow.”
“…!”

The muted voice didn’t match the exaggerated reaction.

“You weren’t in your room, so I came to check.”

What she had been tugging on wasn’t a blanket but a large hand.

“No blanket, lights still on…”

The man standing over her tilted his head, looking down at her with a steady gaze. One hand rested casually in his pocket, his jacket was slung over the other wrist.

Sa-eon looked utterly exhausted. It was a far cry from the flawless image he projected in the media. Why did he always seem to let his guard down at home?

Heeju sat up, eyeing his tired expression.

“Since you got up, come with me.”
‘What?’

She blinked in confusion, and he added, “Come sleep in my room.”
“…!”
“Be glad I didn’t carry you like a sack of rice.”

His low and rough voice matched the narrowed gaze he threw at her. He sounded too weary to argue further.

“If you don’t like it, at least bring your favorite pillow or something.”

Baek Sa-eon turned and began walking off. His earlier remark about carrying her hadn’t felt like an empty threat, so Heeju hurriedly followed him.

The gallery-like hallway led them into a dimly lit bedroom filled with the scent of musk.

Sa-eon loosened his tie with a bored expression, glancing at her as though mildly irritated.

“Why are you standing there like an idiot?”

The sudden insult made Heeju flinch.

“Did you act like a pushover with others as well?”
“…”
“Were you this submissive and acquiescent?”

He tossed his tie aside with a flick of his wrist, his gaze was both arrogant and accusatory. Somehow, it managed to convey blame and self-reproach simultaneously.

His quietly simmering eyes felt unfamiliar to Heeju.

Sa-eon disappeared into the dressing room and reemerged moments later in only light pajama pants, his upper body bare.

Heeju’s eyes widened at the sight of his broader-than-expected shoulders, tapering waist, and sharply defined abdominal muscles. She quickly lowered her head.

“I never liked it, even when you were trailing after Hong In-ah all the time. Looks like you picked up all the wrong habits. What business does a grade-schooler have with middle schoolers?…”

He flipped back the sheets and motioned for her to get in.

“You should’ve been working on your homework instead of picking up bad influences.”

Even his nagging couldn’t distract her from her embarrassment.

As she settled in, the mattress seemed to envelop Heeju, but all she could feel was his scent surrounding her. Her heart pounded wildly.

“I wanted you to grow up slowly, to take your time.”
“…”
“To remain a child as long as you could. Childhood ends so quickly, it’s almost unfair.”
“…”
“You don’t have a voice. If your childhood gets stolen too, wouldn’t that be even crueler?”

With a click, he turned off the light.

The sharpness in his words seemed to burrow into her along with the darkness.

The mattress dipped heavily as he lay down beside her, and Heeju’s entire body turned stiff.

Might it have been wiser for her to maintain her distance, to observe from afar and feel her disappointment from a safe vantage point?

But now, after encountering him again and again, she felt a whirlwind of confusion. Heeju wanted to run away, but she just couldn’t.

Suddenly, his shadow loomed over her.

“…And yet, when you finally met someone. You choose a guy like that.”

His knee pressed between her thighs, and the heat of their brief contact made her breath hitch.

“You choose someone who’s sure to wreck you.”

The eyes staring down at her were filled with both anguish and calmness.

“I should’ve taught you more than just math, huh?”

His voice was low, rough, and grazed against her senses like sandpaper.

“I wasn’t aware you had eyes for decoration. You just went all in for some perverted piece of tr*sh who, at best, has anger issues and, at worst, is a criminal.”

His jaw tightened as he turned his head sharply, his frustration palpable.

In the faint light, the angles of his furrowed brows, sharp nose, and clenched jaw seemed to flicker and tense.

“Did you enjoy it?”
“…”
“You had your share of fun too, right?”

A muffled noise escaped her throat.

Even as the blackmailer relentlessly picked on Baek Sa-eon, he never demanded explanations from her.

Though visibly angered, he didn’t disclose the fact that the blackmailer had her photos.

Heeju gazed at him blankly.

‘Was he trying to protect my past?’

Amid the ensuing silence, he was the first to shift, breaking eye contact.

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he rubbed his forehead against her shoulder.

“…smells like lotion..”

His muttered words were too faint to catch entirely.

Finally, he moved away, retreating to his side of the bed. With his back to her, he appeared determined, almost obstinate.

“Don’t cross over.”
‘…What?’

Blinking at the lingering tension, Heeju barely processed his warning.

“I’ve never slept with anyone next to me.”
“…!”
“If I end up rolling over and squashing you, don’t hold back…just hit me.”

Heeju stared at his back, which was firmly turned toward her. His vertebrae and taut muscles subtly shifted with each breath.

Though it felt like he was rejecting her, for some reason…

‘Why is he acting so strange…lately?’

His indifference had turned into something completely different. It seeped into her like an unfamiliar, tender gesture.

“…Goodnight.”

It was a night unlike any other.

 

***

 

‘If we had a wedding, would it look something like this?’

If they hadn’t just signed the papers but had actually held a ceremony—

Heeju found herself seated on a velvet chair, wearing a peach-toned evening gown.

As a sign language interpreter, she had always worn neutral colors to ensure her hands were clearly visible.

But today was the 70th-anniversary event of ‘Sangyeong Daily’, a gathering for prominent figures from politics and business.

“This feels so strange…”

The radiant, peach-colored gown shimmered as it draped elegantly over her frame, yet it felt foreign and awkward. She fidgeted, lightly brushing her neck as last night flashed through her mind.

The man who had sternly warned her not to cross over ended up tossing and turning all night before leaving for work before dawn.

She, too, had been unable to sleep. Her senses were on edge at his every subtle movement.

‘I feel so tired.’

Suddenly, a wave of murmurs swept through the room from the direction of the entrance.

Wearing a premium black tuxedo with a pleated shirt paired with a formal and sophisticated bow tie Baek Sa-eon walked in, unfazed by the discreet phone cameras snapping his photo as if he were a celebrity attending an awards ceremony— or a groom entering a wedding hall.

“Heeju Hong.”
“…!”

The soft call of her name jolted her upright. She stood so abruptly that the man, with his slicked-back hair, arched a brow at her.

Her short, voluminous bob, earrings snug against her earlobes, and the gown that naturally hugged her waist and hips—all of it was surveyed in an unhurried, downward glance. His gaze stopped on the clutch bag she clutched tightly in her hands.

‘Did..he notice something?’

Her heart pounded as though she were hiding a weapon.

‘I brought carrying the negotiation phone in my clutch…!’

Her mouth went dry at the faint displeasure flickering in his eyes.

“In this chilly weather, your neck and shoulders are completely exposed. Who came up with this flimsy scrap of fabric…?”

His icy eyes swept around the room, and the shop staff froze in place.

“Bring something to cover her up.”
“Pardon?”

The owner of the boutique adjusted their glasses nervously.

“It’s cold outside.”
“Oh…!”
“Whose brilliant idea was it to send her out like this?”
“Th-That is…!”

He gestured hastily to the staff, and soon, someone returned with a soft, white fur cape. They carefully draped it over Heeju’s shoulders.

“Will this suffice?”

The designer asked cautiously, and Baek Sa-eon tilted his head slightly.

“…”
“…”

Feeling stifled by the tense atmosphere, Heeju instinctively dropped her gaze.

Her eyes landed on the neat bow tie and the space just below it— his throat. She couldn’t tell how expressionless he looked now, but she could see his Adam’s apple moving slowly.

“You look like a quail egg..”

…What? Again with the comparisons…

‘Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?’

He was known for his blunt remarks, but this one left her utterly baffled.

 

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