When The Phone Rings

Side Story 06

“Excuse me?”

Her heart pounded so intensely that it left her on the brink of breaking into a cold sweat. Frozen under the weight of past traumas, Heeju found herself utterly unable to move.

For a brief moment, the acrid scent of thinner associated with the blackmailer seemed to sting her nose.

But it couldn’t be him. The real Baek Sa-eon was said to have been thrown into the Argan and not survived.

― “We haven’t spoken like this in months.”
“…..!”
― “Didn’t you recall our memories? Even for a moment. I’ve been missing you like crazy.”

Heeju’s hands trembled. But then her brow twitched in a strange way upon realisation.

― “Have you changed your mind 406?”
“….”
― “Did you also forget our steamy phone calls?”

Heeju’s eyes widened in surprise, and the tension that had gripped her instantly vanished.

“Gyo-eon… is that you?”
― “Where did all that fierceness go?”
“What?”
― “Where did the lioness that threatened me disappear to? Did she lose her fangs?”

Is this Baek Gyo-eon’s way of teasing her…?

“T- That’s…”

Heeju rubbed her flushed face, glancing around aimlessly.

“Did you come up with this to make me swear?”
― “…!”

A gasp escaped from the receiver, followed by a short laugh.

― “Do you have more words in your dictionary?”
“Well…”
― “Dirty. Perverted. I was also labeled as a bastard, a disloyal and a jerk. Do I need to add more?
“T- That’s enough…”

Heeju’s complexion turned white as he pointed out each and every word she called him. She ran to her bedroom and wanted to hide under the covers.

― “You even accused me of playing with two sisters.”

Heeju curled her lips inward.

― “I guess you still don’t know there’s only one for me.”
“…..!”

Heeju turned red with shame.

― “She’s got a great voice and also knows how to get my pants off.”
“Ahhh… Are you getting revenge now?”

Heeju frowned.

His words triggered a memory of her own desperate outburst. For a brief, terrifying moment, she felt truly unhinged.

― “No, I’m savoring it because I truly enjoyed that experience.”
“……?”
― “I chuckled, recalling the brave barks of our tiny puppy.”

A blunt but affectionate laugh tickled my ears.

― “I hope my pooch can bark without restraint in the future.”
“……”
― “I want you to voice your thoughts in case I lose out on something.”

Exhaustion washed over Heeju, leaving her feeling as limp as a wilted flower. An overwhelming need to see him caused her toes to twitch uncontrollably.

He was still the same, but part of him was tinged with Heeju’s color.

― “This time, I’m not going to let your comfortable silence fool me into thinking everything is okay.”

Just then, the door lock beeped and opened.

In the past, when they had been cordial, the mere opening of the front door would have made her shoulders stiffen, but today, Heeju’s heart jumped with joy. Gyo-eon’s voice was still coming from the mobile phone in her ear.

― “Of course, I won’t say no if you want to communicate with me physically.”

Heeju lunged at the man who was smiling weakly. A surge of childish emotions – love, hate, and regret – overwhelmed her, and she instinctively hugged him tightly around the waist.

A laugh rippled through his hard chest.

“How did you fake the voice changer?”
“There’s an app for that kind of thing now.”

Gyo-eon’s voice remained calm, but I pressed my cold cheek against his. He sometimes seemed uncomfortable with displays of strong emotion.

“Weren’t you bored?”
“I was just tidying up around the house. Did your work… go well?”

She tried to gauge his expression for clues, but his face remained unreadable, the usual mask of calm giving nothing away. The only hint was a faint flicker of amusement in his gaze as he slowly took her in.

“This face of yours… it’s so distracting.”

His voice carried a tinge of frustration, soft but undeniably sultry.

“What…?” she began to ask, but the question was swallowed as his lips claimed hers in a sudden, fervent kiss.
“Mmm…”

His hands tangled in her hair, his cool fingers running along her scalp, sending shivers through her entire body.

As their tongues entwined, his other hand slipped under her shirt, lifting her slightly to rest on his feet. With steady steps, Baek Gyo-eon carried her to the sofa, gently lowering her onto it.

Pop!

At that moment, the TV turned on, likely triggered by the remote under her hip.

『Former Blue House spokesperson appeared in court today as a witness, revealing his candidacy under the Daehan Party’s nomination. Garnering overwhelming support from the younger generation in their 20s and 30s, Baek Gyo-eon’s new political path draws significant attention―』

Wait, what? Amid her hazy thoughts, Heeju’s ears perked up.

Even as his lips wandered along her ear, earlobe, neck, and collarbone with deliberate leisure, her gaze remained glued to the TV screen.

『However, some critics have labeled Baek Gyo-eon’s candidacy as unnatural, expressing strong resistance to strategic nominations within the party. This internal discord could―』

“Nomination?”

Heeju repeated the word, her voice hesitant, as if she were navigating a foreign tongue.

“Were you chosen as a candidate?!”

Her eyes flew open, wide with astonishment. Shoving the man aside with surprising force, she sprang to her feet.

“What’s all this about?”

Her neck, marked with faint, reddish traces, she turned to face Baek Gyo-eon. The man ran a hand through his disheveled hair, letting out a raspy breath still tinged with lingering heat.

As Heeju refused to tear her eyes from the TV, he stepped on the remote, switching it off.

“I was going to tell you in time.”

His voice was firm, but there was a tremor beneath it. He pressed his forehead against hers, his breath on her scalp hot and ragged, betraying the intensity of his emotions.

“Are you quitting as an intel?”

He let out a low hum, neither confirming nor denying her words.

“At first, I thought about resuming my spokesperson role. But I want to return to the Blue House. I left a playground I cherished hidden down there.”

His glinting eyes confirmed it—this was the same man Heeju had always known. Ambitious. Hungry for power.

They say everyone plays in their own league, but… It felt like invisible forces kept pulling him further, far beyond her reach.

“But I’m not part of the government anymore, so I have to strategize.”

Her mind quickly clouded with a thick fog of unease.

“I… I just…”

‘Are you leaving again? Planning to go so far away, leaving me behind?’

Familiar resignation drained the strength from her body. A faint inferiority complex stirred within Heeju, sparked by the idea of drifting away from Baek Gyo-eon, whether physically or socially.

Her pale lips opened slightly, yet no sound emerged. Untangling the chaos within her heart seemed an insurmountable task.

‘I enjoyed having you around when you were out of work. I’d love it if you could stay home and spend more time with me.’

How utterly pathetic and unsophisticated the words were. Swallowing her words recklessly as before wouldn’t work, but neither could she cling to him with unreasonable demands.

Then, a sudden idea lit up her eyes.

“Then let me be your sign language interpreter!”
“What?”

He pulled back, forehead no longer resting against hers.

“The Blue House was the last to have a sign language interpreter. The National Assembly was the first, and when I saw the political party spokespeople at the briefing, they all had sign language interpreters.”
“…”
“Let’s go to the National Assembly together. We can even commute side by side.”

She sparkled with innocence, convinced she had found a solution. But Baek Gyo-eon’s reaction was anything but warm.

“No.”
“What?”
“There’s no need to follow me.”

His furrowed brows and tense expression made his refusal crystal clear.

“I’m the only one who’s going to be on camera from now on. Or have you forgotten how close you came to danger during that briefing?”
“But—”
“Don’t argue, Hong Heeju.”
“…!”

That simple word, a line drawn colder than her body that had lost all its warmth, pierced Heeju’s anxiety.