When The Phone Rings

Chapter 48

“……!”

Something was buried in the guts. What Baek Sa-eon pulled out was a tiny USB.

Returning immediately to his office, Baek Sa-eon inserted the USB into his computer. Inside was a single video file.

When he put on his earphones and pressed play—

『 Hey, sis! How’ve you been? 』
“…!”
The vibrant, cheerful voice of a young man rang out vividly. An unfamiliar face was pressed close to the camera.
『Long time no see!』
“…”
『Oh, right.. How’s my phone? Are you still using it?』

A dazzlingly blue sky filled the screen as the man beamed brightly, as though it were a summer’s day.

His curly hair slightly obscured his eyes, but his sharp features were unmistakable. Mischievous smiles, playful tone, and sparkling eyes brimming with mischief.

『Sis, keep calling him. Keep doing it.』
『You’re going to keep being my voice.』
『You’ll be my messenger.』
『Just like how you want to hear someone say the word ‘divorce,’ I want to hear something too』

Swinging back and forth, the man’s face alternated between close and distant from the camera.

The moment Baek Sa-eon locked eyes with him through the screen, his face turned ashen.

If he had survived, he would have grown up to look just like this young man.

『There’s something I’ve been dying to hear.』

The video’s sounds brought back a cascade of memories: The chirping of summer crickets, the buzz of mosquitoes on a humid riverbank, the rustic cabin by the fishing pond…

Then the rush of water slapped against the surface. The desperate thrashing of limbs. And the chilling stillness as the struggle gradually faded.

Every sensation from that time—a moment that marked both the end and the beginning—came crashing down like a torrential storm.

It left him gasping for air, suffocating under the weight of it all.

At last, everything clicked into place.

“You… survived.”

And with it, he finally understood what—or who—Heeju had become entangled with.

 

***

 

“Miss Interpreter, this way!”

“Sorry, I’m a bit late. My mind’s all over the place today… whew…”

The employee exhaled deeply, pressing her hand to her chest over her knit sweater.
“Something really unsettling happened earlier.”
“…?”

Heeju blinked in confusion, her gaze calm but inquisitive. The sincerity in her eyes seemed to disarm the employee.

“Well…”

Lowering her voice, the employee leaned in.

“Something really creepy was delivered to our office today.”

Thinking about it seemed to give the colleague goosebumps as she rubbed her arms uncomfortably.

“A bunch of severed goldfish heads was sent by someone”
“…!”

Goldfish…?

Heeju’s movement faltered, but the employee swiftly changed the subject.

“We’ll wait here for now. The President’s speech just wrapped up, and the spokesperson will be down shortly.”

The briefing room was packed with reporters covering the Blue House.

They sat with their laptops open, talking on the phone, or tying their hair back, their expressions sharp and focused.

Suddenly, the quiet murmur among the journalists stopped as they all turned their heads in unison.

“…!”

Wh-What’s happening?

The red lights on the broadcasting cameras switched on, and a wave of attention seemed to pierce through the air.

Heeju, standing near the wall with other aides, broke into a cold sweat.

She was looking around in curiosity. Behind her, standing tall and composed, was Baek Sa-eon.

‘Ah…’

Suddenly noticing him she let out an unintelligible gasp.

Sa-eon straightened his tie without lowering his gaze.

“I told you not to call for you, yet here you are.”
“…!”

The clicking sound of his tongue was audible only to Heeju. Startled, she flinched slightly, but his chilly command fell over her shoulders.

“Don’t just stand there. Take a seat.”

He began walking alone toward the podium.

The room tensed as camera flashes erupted, and the air grew taut. Standing before the blue lectern, his sharp eyes swept the room before he spoke.

“The President’s special address has provided a candid reflection on the administration’s governance during the past term and key issues. Those with questions, please raise your hand.”

His voice was strict yet remarkably authoritative.

The atmosphere, charged with unspoken tension, caused Heeju to become nervous.

As expected, several hands went up. Questions and answers followed like a rapid round of ping-pong.

Impressed by Baek Sa-eon’s immediate response, she instinctively began taking notes.

‘If I stood next to him—’

Heeju thought she needed to practice keeping up with his pace.

Lost in thought and immersed in focus, she didn’t notice a female journalist rise from her seat. When she did, her eyes naturally followed the motion.

“Hello, I’m Hong In-ah from Myeongji Daily.”
“…!”

What…?

“It’s been over two months since the government’s task force began investigating real estate speculation.”

Heeju couldn’t breathe.

‘Sister…?’

It was the first time in three years she had seen her sister. The last time she saw her was before her wedding when she disappeared without a word.

Her upward-slanting eyes, the loosely tied long hair, and her delicate features remained just as flawless as ever.

Heeju could only stare at her with wide, bewildered eyes.

What surprised her even more was that her sister was no longer with Sangyeong Daily but working for a rival newspaper.

‘Is it really sister…?’

“Illegal speculation is rampant, yet the investigations seem insufficient. Some are concerned that the task force has yet to yield tangible results.”

Her sister, who had avoided speaking since her injury, now stood there speaking fluently and confidently. Heeju remembered how much she practised to learn sign language. So much that her hands were bruised.

Yet now, In-ah’s voice was clear and commanding, filling the room.

Heeju’s heart ached with a mix of awe, pride, and loneliness.

Her sister no longer needed her help. She was complete on her own. It was Heeju who felt left behind— and incomplete.

“What is the government’s stance on this matter?”
“…”

Baek Sa-eon and Hong In-ah locked eyes. Even the brief silence that followed seemed laden with meaning.

“Spokesperson Baek Sa-eon, please respond.”

His eyebrow twitched slightly in response.

“Ms. Hong In-ah, Myeongji Daily.”

His fingers tapped rhythmically on the edge of the podium, and his nails looked strangely bluish.
For a fleeting moment, Heeju thought he glanced her way, but she was too shaken to process it.

Instead, she felt herself pushed further to the periphery.

“The task force has investigated over a thousand individuals to date. Among them, 113 have been referred to the prosecution, with 27 under arrest.”
“Out of those thousand, how many are high-ranking officials?”
“Twenty are high-ranking officials.”
“Only twenty?”
“It’s not that investigations involving high-ranking officials are slower. Adherence to stricter legal procedures than in the past makes rapid progress more challenging.”

His response remained professional.

“The investigations are ongoing. We ask for your continued patience. The government is committed to uncovering the truth by the end of its term.”
“Of course.”

Her hand dropped the microphone abruptly, and the sound was harsh.

As soon as Hong In-ah sat down, someone beside her mouthed, “Why did you question him like that?” before harshly tugging at her arm.

Her sister, however, simply looked annoyed.

Phew…

Heeju realized her palms had gone pale from tension. As she rubbed her hands together and looked up again—
“…!”
She locked eyes with Hong In-ah, who had been staring straight at her.

‘How long had she been watching?’

Her sister’s gaze seemed calm, as though she had known Heeju’s exact location from the start.

The sudden eye contact left Heeju frozen. She didn’t know what expression to make or what to say.
Then, her sister moved her hands to sign first.

“…!”

During the brief pause when the microphone passed to another reporter, in a language only they understood: “Sorry for being late.”

Heeju didn’t understand what she meant.

***

Before the briefing ended, Heeju fled the room as if chased.

Outside, rain was falling steadily, unlike when she arrived. Without caring about getting soaked, she ran toward the parking lot.

She didn’t know what she feared or why her thoughts were such a tangled mess. Her breath caught in her throat.

“Did you even check the weather today?”
“…!”

A hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to a stop. An umbrella tilted over her head.

“Why are you getting yourself soaked?”

The voice sounded so natural, yet so unfamiliar. It was her sister’s voice—a voice she had almost forgotten.
‘Sister…’

It was time to stop avoiding her questions. Hesitating, Heeju finally broke the silence with sign language.

“Where have you been all this time…?”

Heeju still signed, but In-ah replied aloud, “I was in Germany. You see, my hearing…”

She tapped her ear lightly and shrugged.

“I had surgery and took a gamble.”
“…”
“It was a clinical trial. Illegal, of course.”
‘Are you okay now?’

Her hands moved quickly, worried at the mention of illegality. She searched her sister’s face anxiously. Now that she saw her up close, In-ah looked thinner, and dark circles shadowed her eyes.

“I’m fine now. But you…” In-ah frowned slightly.
“Why are you still not talking?”
“…!”
“I thought you’d start speaking again after I disappeared.”

Heeju’s face turned pale.

“Don’t tell me you thought I wouldn’t know? You faked selective mutism because of me, didn’t you?”

Her fingers trembled.

This was the second time someone had uncovered her secret—after Baek Sa-eon. Heeju felt exposed, as if stripped bare, and a chill ran through her.

“I knew all along. I just pretended not to.”

Turning her head out of the umbrella’s cover, In-ah’s profile seemed dangerously sharp.

“I didn’t want to be the only patient.”
“…!”
“I was scared.”
“…”
“But even so, I needed you desperately.”

When their eyes met again, In-ah let out a bitter laugh.

 

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TL/N:

The update was delayed due to technical maintenance. I’m sure a lot of the readers faced outages at certain times throughout the day. I couldn’t even reply to your lovely comments. I’ll check them in a bit. Sorry for the inconvenience.