BTL Ch 10

Hayeon pulled back, asking a bit awkwardly, “…You two both look at me like I’m incredibly pathetic. Why is that?”

It was Kangmin who reacted to Hayeon’s question. He shivered exaggeratedly and said, “Did you see her glaring just now? She was smiling while throwing a big middle finger. ‘Respected person,’ my foot. You really shouldn’t believe everything you hear. Right?”

He grinned, and Hayeon let out a small, deflated laugh. Of course. There was no way quick-witted Shin Kangmin wouldn’t have seen what she noticed. Hayeon looked up at Chaeheon.

And then, with a bright smile, she asked, “Oppa, were you worried about me too? That I might have been hurt because of Han Haein?”

Chaeheon sighed, looking at her perfectly fine, no, more than fine, bright face filled with anticipation. In a way, he had practically led Haein to Hayeon. If he hadn’t unnecessarily acted like he knew her, Hayeon wouldn’t have run into Haein at all. Chaeheon thought back to how Hayeon’s expression had stiffened as soon as she heard Haein’s voice, and then he spoke.

 

“She’s not exactly a welcome sight, is she?”

 

Hayeon blinked at the unexpected answer. She then rubbed her cheek with an embarrassed expression and said, “Well, yeah, I guess. But it’s not something to worry about that much.” She really didn’t think much of it. She was a little tense, but if anything, it made her more determined to make that fake-as-can-be face crack. It was even more embarrassing to be worried about like this.

“Still, it’s nice to be worried about, I guess.” She smiled as she said this. Kangmin, seeing her, shook his head as if she was incorrigible, then finally relaxed and smiled along. Chaeheon just quietly watched her. Just as she said, Hayeon seemed fine. Not like she was just used to that kind of treatment, but genuinely unaffected. Should he call her positive, or resilient? This side of her reminded him of Juwon, and Chaeheon eventually smiled with a sigh.

 

Amusement Park Shenanigans

At that moment, for some reason, Hayeon’s head snapped up, and she looked at Chaeheon with sparkling eyes. “No, wait.”

“…?”

Chaeheon slowly blinked, his eyes reflecting her expectation, showing his confusion. Hayeon grabbed his arm. Chaeheon’s eyes quickly dropped down. Long, straight, pure white fingers rested on his dark gray coat. Unlike Han Haein’s fingers, which were somewhat cluttered, these were perfectly smooth. Chaeheon slowly blinked, having a silly thought that she’d be good at playing an instrument.

“You can worry about me a lot. No, please do.”

“What?”

“So, about that. Let’s have lunch together, oppa.”

After having lunch at the Deus Hotel, Hayeon dragged them to none other than the amusement park attached to the hotel. Although small, the amusement park had everything and was one of the Deus Hotel’s unique features.

“WAAAHHHHH!”

Hayeon sat on the plummeting roller coaster, fearlessly throwing her arms up and enjoying the thrill. Meanwhile, Kangmin next to her couldn’t even scream, just clutched the safety bar, trembling violently. After repeating rotations and drops at a speed that felt like their cheeks would fly off, the ride finally stopped, and Kangmin jumped out, retching. The wolf ears on his head dangled wildly.

In contrast, Hayeon calmly got off the ride, clicked her tongue, and scolded him. “I told you to ride it alone.”

“…Then there’d be no point in coming together, would there?” Straightening his bent back, Kangmin glanced at Chaeheon. While he was suffering like this, Chaeheon sat calmly on a bench, watching them. Even just sitting with his legs crossed, his presence was distinct. Was his daily life a photoshoot? Kangmin clicked his tongue in disapproval, wiping his mouth, from which nothing came out, with a pale face.

“What are we riding next?”

“You’re going to ride something in that state?” Hayeon, taking off the fox ear headband she was wearing, snorted and poked Kangmin’s back. “Forget it. Let’s go rest over there.” With that, Hayeon quickly walked towards where Chaeheon was. Hayeon’s wide-open eyes were burning.

The Deus Hotel was fully booked on Saturday, and the amusement park was consequently crowded with guests. And… Kang Chaeheon was handsome. These two facts combined were unsettling Hayeon.

“Oppa.”

At Hayeon’s call, Chaeheon’s head turned to the side. At the same time, the woman who had been trying to get his number also looked at Hayeon. Hayeon smiled sweetly as their eyes met, then confidently stepped in front of Chaeheon. The woman’s face showed a flicker of annoyance, then quickly smoothed over.

“Who’s this?” The woman scanned Hayeon, then gasped. “Little sister?”

“What?!”

The woman chuckled, her eyes crinkling, seeing Hayeon’s face distort without a chance to hide it. “You have a kind older brother. I’m jealous.” The woman’s gaze lingered on Kangmin, who had followed Hayeon, then naturally settled back on Chaeheon. She then seemed to decide that it was impossible to get his number in this situation, so she pulled out a business card from her bag and offered it.

“Call me if you’re interested.” The woman deliberately lowered her voice as she tucked the business card into Chaeheon’s pocket, even though he didn’t seem interested in taking it. “I’m staying at this hotel until tomorrow.”

“Lee Hayeon…” Chaeheon called Hayeon, standing up even before the woman finished her sentence. The woman’s eyes lit up at his suddenly increased height, but he didn’t even glance at her and asked, “Are you done with all the rides?”

“Yes.”

There were more rides she wanted to go on, but they had completely vanished from Hayeon’s mind. She just wanted to get out of this place quickly. Chaeheon nodded. “Okay. Let’s go then.”

The woman’s face remained unfazed even as Chaeheon turned away without a word. She even looked triumphant, as if she firmly believed he would contact her.

“Ha.” Hayeon exhaled in annoyance at the woman’s confidence. Han Haein and this woman. It angered her that they didn’t even see her as competition, let alone a threat.

Little sister? Hayeon bit her lip, looking up at the back of Chaeheon’s head as he walked ahead. Her excited mood instantly deflated. Passing by a photo zone, Hayeon saw her reflection in the mirror. Since the amusement park was indoors, she had taken off her coat, and in jeans and a beige knit sweater, she didn’t look like a high school student at all. In fact, she often heard people say she looked mature rather than young. Jieun even said that if she hadn’t been in her school uniform when they first met, she would have mistaken her for a college student or even Taegeon’s fiancée.

 

But… Hayeon felt glumly as she looked at her and Chaeheon’s reflection in the elevator heading to the parking lot. “Do I look a bit young after all?” She couldn’t help but feel that her outfit, which had seemed fine just a moment ago, was somehow lacking.

 

She rubbed her cheek, feeling her soft skin, free of wrinkles or blemishes. “My cheeks look a bit full too.” She should have put on more makeup. Her confidence vanished, replaced by a troubled look. It was only natural that Chaeheon didn’t see her as anything more than a little sister.

Hayeon sighed deeply, then her head snapped up with an “Ah, right.”

“Oppa.”

Chaeheon, who had just unlocked the car, looked at Hayeon. Hayeon held out her right hand, palm open. “Give it to me.”

“What?”

“The business card that woman just gave you.”

Kangmin, who was about to open the back seat door, looked at Hayeon with a bewildered expression at her bold demand. Ignoring Kangmin’s gaze from beside her, Hayeon waved her hand, urging him. “Hurry up.” Chaeheon chuckled at her bold attitude and rummaged through his pocket.

The pieces of paper he pulled out weren’t just one. There were well over ten pieces of paper, not just business cards, but also notes that looked like they were hastily torn off and handed over.

“Huh.” She was astonished that he had received so many contact numbers in just a few minutes of being left alone at the amusement park. Vowing never to come to a place like an amusement park with Kang Chaeheon again, no, vowing never to leave him alone, Hayeon stuffed them into her pocket. She wanted to tear them to shreds, but she didn’t want to seem even more childish than she already looked.

Hayeon just smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Let’s go. Now.”

 

A Dark Discovery

That evening.

“Chaeheon.”

Chaeheon, who was about to enter his room with a glass of water, looked back at Taegeon’s room across the hall at his call. At Taegeon’s nod, gesturing him to come in for a moment, Chaeheon changed his direction. Taegeon’s bedroom, which at first glance looked like an office with just a bed installed, was familiar to Chaeheon. Taegeonhad always preferred this style of arrangement.

When Chaeheon sat down, Taegeon handed him a piece of paper. Without any explanation, he immediately got to the point, and Chaeheon put down the glass he was holding and picked up the paper. Attached to the paper was a kit with traces of something being tested. Chaeheon scanned the attached ingredient list.

“…Drugs?” Chaeheon’s face visibly crumpled as he identified the familiar ingredients.

At his distorted expression, Taegeon sighed and began to speak. “It was detected in the hair of one of the Deus Hotel VIPs.”

“What?!” He thought Taegeon would ask about his meeting with Han Haein, but this was a far more serious matter.

“My request for you to take over the hotel. I wasn’t just saying it. Chaeheon.” Taegeon groaned, rubbing his face.

“It seems my uncle might have gotten involved with drugs again.”

Chaeheon’s face turned stone cold.