Ephphatha Chapter 2
by ArianaSeul-ah pinched her nose and backed away to avoid the man who was speaking entirely on his own terms. As much as she moved her legs to push her body backward, his pupils followed her.
“I think you have the wrong person. I don’t know you.”
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“Of course. We’re meeting for the first time today. But did you really think I, of all people, would have expected Han Ji-seon’s daughter to wait on me?”
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“What…? You… know my mom?”
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“Would I be here if I didn’t?”
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“How do you know—”
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Suddenly, her eyes caught sight of a large man standing in front of the funeral hall. Dressed in a pitch-black suit with his hands clasped behind his back, he seemed to be blocking the entrance.
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Why…?
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Sensing unease in an instant, she turned back to Kwak Chi-gyeom. The air around him, as he sat slouched in his seat, was rough and dangerous—something entirely removed from her everyday life. Especially the sharp, mocking gaze sweeping over her, which felt distinctly menacing.
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No. There’s no way my mother would have had any sort of relationship with people like this.
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It must have been for some other reason. No matter how generously she tried to view it, the man before her was nothing but a thug—perhaps even someone more terrifying. The thought sent a jolt of fear through her, and Seul-ah sprang to her feet.
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“Ugh.”
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She stumbled as she stepped on the hem of her skirt but barely managed to regain her balance, inching away from Chi-gyeom. He merely watched her without a word.
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A thug. A gangster.
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…A loan shark?
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But why?
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There was no reason for a loan shark to seek them out. Neither she nor her mother had any debt. On the contrary, she had grown up in a relatively affluent environment.
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They say wealth lasts for three generations, and even a castaway from wealth fared similarly. Although her mother had been disowned by her family, she had enough personal assets to raise a frail daughter without any issues.
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Then… is he after an inheritance?
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A lawyer acquainted with her mother had visited just yesterday to settle the matter of the inheritance.
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But it wasn’t as if her mother had left behind a fortune significant enough for a stranger to suddenly show up like this. Wealth depletes over time—at some point, even their home had downsized, and all of her mother’s paintings, which had been her primary source of income, had been sold off last year. According to the lawyer, the only property left was the apartment they currently lived in.
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“How much farther do you think you can run?”
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Her train of thought was abruptly cut off when Chi-gyeom, who had been sitting idly, suddenly stood up. Now standing, he loomed over her, and he began to follow her with a slow, deliberate gait. Seul-ah gasped and pressed herself against the opposite wall. Over his shoulder, her mother’s portrait flickered in and out of view.
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“D-Don’t come any closer.”
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“Why not? I do what I want.”
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He took another step forward. With nowhere left to retreat, Seul-ah curled her arms in and tried to shrink her body back as much as possible.
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“Why… why are you here? I—I have nothing…”
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“Come on. Even if you’re only half-blood, you’re still technically royalty.”
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“……”
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“You’re not as empty-handed as you think.”
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So he really is after the inheritance. But why? Who is he? Why…?
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“Why would you even know about that…?”
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The moment she lifted her head, trembling, a damp hand brushed against her cheek. Kwak Chi-gyeom’s large hand wiped the corner of her lips.
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“Why are you scared before you’ve even heard anything? I haven’t even done anything.”
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Clicking his tongue, Chi-gyeom flicked away the saliva that had unknowingly gathered at the corners of her mouth. Looking down at the tearful Seul-ah, his face carried an expression of slight irritation and mild annoyance.
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“You seem to think I’m some kind of debt collector, but don’t you know you have no debts?”
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“Huh…?”
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“I’m not one of those bastards who rip people off with sky-high interest rates.”
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“……”
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“I mean, really, do you have any idea how upstanding and trustworthy I am? Huh? Why are you so scared? That’s hurtful.”
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“……”
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“Honestly, I don’t even have a scary face, do I?”
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She had no idea what he was saying. Terrified, Seul-ah cautiously lifted her eyes to look at him. The moment their eyes met, his left eyebrow twitched slightly.
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“Then… who are you?”
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“Well, what I want to say is that I’m not here to rob you.”
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“……”
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Sniffling as she waited for a clearer answer, she was startled when he suddenly planted a hand beside her head and leaned in. Startled at being trapped between the wall and Chi-gyeom, Seul-ah tried to twist away, but he brought his lips close to her ear.
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“Ah, Han Ji-seon was a complete lunatic.”
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“…Hey.”
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No matter how frightening this stranger was, she couldn’t tolerate him insulting her mother outright. Now that she thought about it, he had called her mother by name earlier as well. Addressing someone informally upon first meeting them was a clear sign of disrespect, but even so, she was an elder. Clenching her fists, she was about to speak when he cut her off.
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“She was so desperate to die, even with her weak daughter left behind. Damn it.”
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“Excuse me. Who do you think you are to say something like that—”
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“And yet, even as a mother, she tried to save her daughter. Can you believe that crap? Even I find it repulsive.”
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“Hey.”
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As she turned sharply in frustration, their noses nearly brushed. She quickly pulled back her head. He was so close that if she had turned just a little more, their lips would have touched. Unlike her, who was flustered, Chi-gyeom simply chuckled as if it was nothing.
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“Listen up.”
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“……”
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“You’ll be seeing a lot more of my face from now on.”
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Seul-ah pulled her head back as far as she could and raised her gaze. Even so, the scent of cigarettes lingered around Chi-gyeom, who was still far too close. Coughing lightly, she asked back,
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“Seeing you often…?”
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“I’ve become a matchmaker, of all things.”
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“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
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“Why are you getting irritated?”
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He straightened his posture with a smirk and withdrew his hand from the wall, stuffing it into his pocket. The increased distance made it a little easier to breathe. Taking a deep breath, Seul-ah looked up at him.
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Fortunately, he wasn’t a loan shark, but that didn’t make it any easier to guess who he was.
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“How do you know my mom?”
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“Yeah. You must have a lot of questions. But let’s take it slow and find out over time. I have to go now.”
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His gaze shifted to the clock hanging on the wall.
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“Don’t even think about running off in the meantime. I’m leaving Kang Jin here, so keep that in mind.”
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“What….”
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“Well then, have a nice goodbye with Han Ji-seon.”
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With that, he walked away in long strides. Seul-ah pressed herself against the wall and followed Kwak Chi-gyeom with her eyes. He approached the man standing at the entrance, said something, and gestured toward Seul-ah before stepping out of the funeral hall. Before long, the entrance was blocked again by the burly man.
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“Ugh….”
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Only after Kwak Chi-gyeom completely disappeared did Seul-ah collapse onto the floor as if her legs had given out.
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She had no idea what was going on. That strange man had appeared out of nowhere, and now he was saying that her mother wanted to save her. What did that even mean?
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Cough, cough. The confusion Kwak Chi-gyeom left behind triggered a fit of coughing. Or maybe it was just the lingering smell of cigarettes in the air.
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***
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“Mom, where are you? Where are you right now…! I’ll come to you. I’ll go to you, so just stay right there!”
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The memory of that night two years ago was still vivid.
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“Seul-ah, Mom is tired now.”
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No matter how much she pleaded, her mother had stubbornly waded into the Han River. Seul-ah, who couldn’t even swim, had jumped in after her in a desperate attempt to stop her—only to nearly drown herself.
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When she opened her eyes again, she was in pain. But she was relieved that her mother was still alive.
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“You should have never given birth to me in the first place!”
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But her words came out harsh, betraying her true feelings. It was a cruel outburst, filled with sorrow, resentment, fear, and heartache.
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“How could you not even feel guilty after bringing me into the world like this? How could you think of leaving me all alone? How could you, Mom? You, of all people, who know what it’s like to be abandoned—how could you abandon me?”
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“She was so desperate to die, even with her weak daughter left behind. Damn it.”
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As Kwak Chi-gyeom’s voice overlapped with the memory, her hazy mind became startlingly clear.
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She found herself seated on firm leather seats, clutching a white urn in her arms. Her mother, now reduced to ashes.
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She blankly stared at the urn before lifting her head. Through the rearview mirror, she met the eyes of Kang Jin, who was driving.
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He had a short, cropped haircut and a massive, bear-like physique. Unlike Kwak Chi-gyeom’s menacing aura, his presence exuded a different kind of intimidation.
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Seul-ah shrank back slightly and spoke in a small voice.
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“…Please give me back my phone.”
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“……”
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Kang Jin didn’t respond, simply shifting his gaze back to the road. She asked several more times, but the result was the same.
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Ever since Kwak Chi-gyeom had shown up yesterday, Seul-ah had been under constant surveillance. She had tried to secretly call the police late at night, only to get caught and have her phone confiscated.
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Kwak Chi-gyeom’s warning not to run away and Kang Jin’s watchful presence—none of this seemed to bode well.
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“What… are you planning to do with me?”
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“……”
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“If you’re not a loan shark, then….”
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“Just keep quiet.”
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“……”
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“Your voice is really grating on my nerves.”
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At his rough tone, she immediately shut her mouth. The only thing she could rely on now was her deceased mother, so she clung tightly to the urn.
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She wasn’t sure how long she sat there trembling.
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Then, suddenly, the car came to a stop.
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“Get out.”
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“……”
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“You wanted to be miserable, didn’t you?”
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Only then did she turn to look out the window.
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It was a familiar sight—the riverbank where she had struggled with her mother two years ago. The same place where her mother’s body had been found this time.
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