Chapter 108 – GOY 108
#108
When I was imprisoned alone in the basement, I missed Joo Seung-hyuk.
I was shocked to learn that he had been obsessed with me for seven years, and I felt sorry for him. Realizing that I had hurt him, much like how my aunt had hurt me in my previous life, filled me with guilt. Moreover, because he was the only person I could rely on in that confined space, I clung to him even more.
It seems the aftermath of that lingers to this day. That is why I had such thoughts.
Yes, that’s it…
Lee Yeon-soo, get a grip. Feeling sorry for him and staying by his side are two completely different things.
Besides, thinking about it coldly, nothing had actually changed.
Joo Seung-hyuk is hiding something from me. I thought it might be a wedding with the only daughter of Lexington Pharmaceuticals, but it wasn’t. Then what on earth is it? What was Park Geon-woo trying to tell me?
And who was the person who orchestrated [Read on Read BL Novels]Read on Read BL NovelsPark Geon-woo’s car accident?
The questions I had before fleeing remained unresolved. Furthermore, I was still in a state of confinement.
I couldn’t let my guard down just because the violence or abuse-like behavior from the original story wasn’t happening.
Unlike Kim Joon in the original, I didn’t provoke Joo Seung-hyuk. He was simply indulging me because I hadn’t made a single attempt to escape since being imprisoned; it couldn’t be said that he was being particularly generous toward me.
Even when he imprisoned Kim Joon in The Swamp of the Guide, he had treated him reasonably well until Kim Joon started flipping tables, swearing, and trying to run away.
I had moved from a basement where not a single speck of sunlight entered to a beautiful room overlooking the sea. At a glance, the situation seemed to have improved, but upon closer reflection, it was the opposite.
I had no idea where I was. I didn’t know which country it was, whether it was an island, a seaside village, or a deserted island; I couldn’t even tell how many floors the building had or which floor I was on.
If Joo Seung-hyuk set his mind to it, he could socially erase my existence right now. He seemed to have informed my parents that we were together, but that wasn’t enough to feel secure.
He could simply say I went missing abroad or drowned, and then keep me imprisoned in a place where no one knows.
And Joo Seung-hyuk was a man capable of doing exactly that.
To think that I felt okay even in this situation. To think that I felt content to stay here…
I need to wake up.
I sat at the desk without thinking. Between being imprisoned and spending the last five days entwined with Joo Seung-hyuk, my brain seemed to have been temporarily paralyzed.
I’ll feel a bit better if I read books, move my body, and maintain a daily routine.
‘I have to leave him. Nothing will change.’
If it’s Joo Seung-hyuk, he might keep me imprisoned here for the rest of my life. Even if he rejected an arranged marriage unlike in the original and had been obsessed with me for seven years, that isn’t a reason to stay. Rather, it’s a reason to leave. He is not someone I can handle. I must not forget this fact, intoxicated by the comfort Joo Seung-hyuk provides.
‘Let’s leave. Leaving is the right thing to do.’
As I firmly resolved this, repeating the same words internally, a familiar voice sounded from behind.
“Hyung.”
There was only one person who would enter this room and call me ‘Hyung.’
“Seung-hyuk-ah…”
I naturally curled the corners of my lips as I looked at him. This was to ensure he wouldn’t catch the thoughts I had just been having.
“What were you doing?”
“Ah, I was going to read a book for the first time in a while. Ah, no, no. That’s not it. I was looking for you.”
But as soon as I decided I had to leave him, I made a slip of the tongue. Hiding my startled heart, I gauged Joo Seung-hyuk’s reaction.
Contrary to my worries, Joo Seung-hyuk gave a faint smile and stroked my hair.
“You were looking for me, and you were going to read a book?”
“Yes! Yes. I was.”
“Eat first, then read.”
“Okay. I will.”
Ever since I arrived here, Joo Seung-hyuk had always [stolen content]stolen contentbrought the meals himself. Far from starving me, he made sure I had every snack.
And today, too, it was a feast. Soybean paste stew, braised short ribs, zucchini pancakes, simmered radish, salad, kimchi, and even grilled king prawns. At least one meal a day was always a full Korean course.
Across both my previous and current lives, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten three meals a day this well. It wasn’t just the variety of the menu. The plating and the dishes were so beautiful; they were almost too pretty to eat, given the amount of effort put into them.
“Looks delicious.”
“Eat a lot.”
“Yeah. But isn’t it hard to prepare Korean food every day?”
“It’s fine. As long as Hyung enjoys it.”
“Still, it must be hard to find ingredients abroad, and the cooking tools are a bit different, so it seems like it would be difficult to make…”
“Don’t worry about that. All the necessary tools are provided. There’s even a cauldron.”
“A cauldron?”
Although I had never left this place, I could [stolen content]roughly deduce the exterior from the room’s interior. And a European-style villa, so ornate it evoked the Baroque era, visit our sitedid not match with a Korean cauldron at all.
“Yes. Because there are many Koreans here.”
“Many Koreans?”
“Yes. Most of the employees were from Korea.”
I had suspected there were other people besides Joo Seung-hyuk. At the very least, there was definitely a chef. That’s how the delicious meals and desserts were made every day. Still, given Joo Seung-hyuk’s personality, I thought he wouldn’t have many employees, but it seemed I was wrong.
“Did you bring the employees from the main house?”
“No. I believe they were hired here.”
He believes they were hired? Does that mean Joo Seung-hyuk didn’t hire them personally? Then again, looking at the interior, this wasn’t Joo Seung-hyuk’s taste.
Perhaps it’s a villa managed by Chairman Joo or the Seong Han Group.
And seeing as they were hired here, there was a high possibility it was an area where many Koreans reside. Or it could be a tourist spot. In any case, it didn’t seem to be a deserted island.
For now, I felt a sense of relief. If it [Read on Read BL Novels]were a deserted island, there would [unauthorized copy]be no way out regardless of my determination.
“Is there a Koreatown nearby?”
“Is that what you’re curious about?”
Contrary to his soft voice, his gaze sank coldly. The suspicion switch had been flipped again.
I was too hasty. I should have stopped after confirming it wasn’t a deserted island, but I tried to find out too much at once.
“Yeah… I was wondering if there are Korean shops. I’m craving some snacks.”
I improvised a plausible excuse. Joo Seung-hyuk shouldn’t suspect anything at this level.
“Which ones?”
“‘Shrimp Roll-Roll’ and ‘Choco Rings’.”
When I answered with snacks I usually liked, Joo Seung-hyuk’s lips curled into a gentle smile.
“I understand. But let’s eat first. You can have the snacks later.”
He peeled a king prawn and put it in my mouth. The well-cooked prawn melted away in my mouth.
“Thanks. It’s delicious.”
“Eat a lot.”
He peeled another prawn.
“I’ll do it.”
“No. The shells are hard, so it’s dangerous.”
It’s not a crab; how hard could a shrimp shell possibly be?
“I’m fine.”
“No. You’ll hurt your hand.”
Joo Seung-hyuk insisted on peeling the shrimp and feeding them to me. This was visit our siteoverprotection at its peak.
“Seung-hyuk-ah, you eat too.”
“Okay.”
He said so, but he showed no sign of eating. Yesterday, too, he gave all the delicious food to me and only ate greens…
I couldn’t let that happen today.
“I’ll peel one for you. Ah…!”
Reaching out hastily, I accidentally bumped into the cup beside me. In that instant, the transparent crystal cup fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
It was a cup that looked expensive at a glance. Startled, I tried to clear the broken shards, but Joo Seung-hyuk grabbed my hand with a grim face.
“What are you doing!”
“Sorry. This is expensive, right? How much is it? I’ll…”
I was about to say I’d pay for it, but before I [Read on Read BL Novels]could, Joo Seung-hyuk scooped me [unauthorized copy]up unauthorized copyin his arms. Then, he placed me carefully on the bed.
“Are you okay? You’re not hurt?”
“Yeah…”
“Why would you touch broken glass? It’s dangerous.”
“I’m the one who broke it, so…”
“Don’t do that from now on. Leave dangerous things like this to me.”
“Okay…”
I could have cleaned up a broken cup on my own. However, since Joo Seung-hyuk seemed genuinely startled, I gave a small nod.
“Wait a moment.”
Joo Seung-hyuk cleaned up the broken pieces of the cup himself. Then he went into the bathroom and brought back a damp towel.
“You’re really okay, right?”
He examined my hand again.
“Yeah. I’m fine. I didn’t even touch the shards.”
Because Joo Seung-hyuk had stopped me so quickly, there was no chance of touching the pieces. He checked my hand thoroughly and then wiped it with the wet towel.
Perhaps he was bothered by the fact that he had touched my body with the hand he used to peel shrimp, as he meticulously wiped every part his hand had touched, including my shoulders and legs.
“I’m fine, though…”
“What if you run away because you got something dirty on you?”
“…”
For a moment, my heart sank. Why would he suddenly say something like that? Did he notice that I had decided to leave?
No, that’s impossible. No matter how much of an S-Class Esper Joo Seung-hyuk is, he’s not a mind reader; there’s no way he could know the thoughts I had just a moment ago.
I’m just getting worked up for no reason.
“…You’re the one who touched me, so what’s dirty? Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
“You’re bleeding!”
Contrary to his words, a thin streak of blood was visible on his right index finger. Startled, I tried to check it, but Joo Seung-hyuk slid his right hand into his trouser pocket.
“It’s nothing.”
“What do you mean nothing? You need to treat it.”
“Yes. I will.”
He spoke nonchalantly while carefully examining my hand. He seemed completely indifferent to his own wound. Joo Seung-hyuk held my hand with his left and traced the small scar that had formed while trying to stop his Rampage.
“I’m sorry.”
Joo Seung-hyuk’s voice was full of guilt.
“It’s okay. This is nothing. You can barely even see it.”
“I will never let Hyung get hurt again.”
As if making a vow, he gripped my hand firmly. And then, he apologized once more.
“I’m truly sorry.”
Enjoying the story?Support me on Ko-fi
Comments 0
You must be logged in to comment.
No comments yet. Be the first!