Ephphatha Chapter 22

As soon as Seul-ah entered the house, she took a shower. She neither had the mood nor the energy for it, but it was a habitual action she followed to relieve fatigue after going out.

 

The rushing stream of water poured down from the top of her head, flowing over her forehead, face, and neck, soaking her chest before cascading down her legs. She stood blankly under the water until she felt an unfamiliar dampness. When she looked down, she realized she had forgotten to take off her underwear.

 

She quietly stared at the completely soaked fabric before belatedly moving to remove everything. Once she was finally bare, she let the water hit her body again.

 

 

– “I am personally keeping an eye on Kwak Chi-gyeom.”

 

 

Her wet hair, heavy with lukewarm water, clung to her face, neck, and shoulders.

 

 

– “I can’t share the details, but I received a report related to Gimon Market and am currently investigating it.”

 

– “Why… why are you telling me this?”

 

– “I was hoping you could help me.”

 

– “What…?”

 

– “If you learn anything about Kwak Chi-gyeom in the future, could you let me know?”

 

– “…….”

 

– “Anything is fine. Even the smallest detail—his hometown, school, relationships… anything.”

 

 

Seul-ah leaned her exhausted body against the shower booth wall.

 

Haa… A sigh slipped from her half-parted lips.

 

 

– “I’m not sure what you’re trying to say… Why are you asking me? Isn’t that something you should find out yourself as a prosecutor?”

 

– “Of course, I’ve already investigated everything I can on my end. But there was nothing unusual.”

 

– “Then why ask me…?”

 

– “I can’t find any record of his past.”

 

– “What do you… mean?”

 

– “It’s highly likely that he erased his identity.”

 

– “What?”

 

– “He’s hiding a lot of things.”

 

 

Suddenly, a chill ran down her spine. Seul-ah, trembling, stared down at the faucet. She knew she should turn up the temperature, but she couldn’t move.

 

 

– “You can tell only me. And if anything unfortunate happens, I will take responsibility and protect you.”

 

– “…….”

 

– “At the moment, apart from his close associates, you seem to be the person closest to Kwak Chi-gyeom. That’s why, unfortunately, I had to bring this up.”

 

– “If you think I’m close to the CEO… shouldn’t you be more cautious instead?”

 

– “Because there’s a chance you might tell him everything?”

 

– “…Yes.”

 

– “Seul-ah, you shouldn’t trust Kwak Chi-gyeom.”

 

 

Her legs gave out, unable to hold her up any longer. Seul-ah collapsed onto the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees, curling herself up tightly. By now, the chill had spread through her entire body.

 

 

– “Why…?”

 

– “Because we suspect that Kwak Chi-gyeom is involved in the deaths of Han Ji-seon and Jung Chae-young.”

 

 

Her heart pounded uncomfortably. Her breath grew short, and her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

 

Haa, hff, ngh…

 

Struggling to regulate her breathing, Seul-ah stumbled out of the shower booth, leaving her wet body exposed to the cold air as she left the bathroom. Tiny puddles formed along her path as she searched for her inhaler.

 

 

– “The causes of death were different, but we found one common factor in both cases.”

 

 

“Haa, ha…”

 

 

– “The same vehicle was at both crime scenes.”

 

 

Before she could bring the inhaler to her lips, her fingers lost their grip. Thud. The inhaler rolled across the floor. Staring at it blankly, she slumped down again and picked it up, placing it in her mouth. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she pressed the canister to release the medication.

 

 

– “That’s right. Kwak Chi-gyeom’s car.”

 

 

– “(Seul-ah.)”

 

 

Her mother’s voice came to mind.

 

 

– “That alone isn’t enough to conclude that Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom was directly involved, but it’s too much of a coincidence to ignore. And now, he’s near you. I don’t think he’s someone you should trust so easily.”

 

 

– “(Kwak Chi-gyeom is someone you can trust.)”

 

Her mother, who told her to trust Kwak Chi-gyeom, and Seo Han-seong, who told her not to. Their conflicting words overlapped in her mind, drowning her in confusion.

 

Seul-ah’s eyelids fluttered shut.

 

***

 

“The sun must be rising today.”

 

Chi-gyeom, who was lounging on the office sofa while browsing an auction site, remarked indifferently. Every day at precisely 3 p.m., he would receive a report from Tae-ju about Han Seul-ah’s walk, but today, for some reason, the report stated that she hadn’t left her house.

 

“I doubt she skipped it just because it’s raining. Could she be sick?”

 

Chi-gyeom glanced past Kang Jin-ah’s shoulder at the rain-streaked window. Given that even right after a funeral, she had gone out with unwavering determination, a few raindrops wouldn’t have been an obstacle for her.

 

 

– “If she doesn’t go out for her walk, that means she’s sick, so check in on her. She has a routine, so it should be easy to figure out.”

 

 

“She really is easy to figure out.”

 

“What?”

 

“Not you. Just keep doing what you’re doing.”

 

Flipping through pages repeatedly without finding anything satisfying, Chi-gyeom kept his eyes on the screen while Kang Jin-ah, who had been managing the financial records in the boss’s seat on his behalf, glanced at him again, seemingly unable to ignore the situation. Sensing the stare from beyond the screen, Chi-gyeom clicked his tongue and shut the laptop.

 

“Kang Jin-ah, no matter what you think, Han Seul-ah is going to end up doing ‘da-da-da’ with Seo Han-seong. You should give up in advance, for your own peace of mind.”

 

“…You know I’m weak against girls like Su-bin.”

 

“And?”

 

“Shouldn’t you check on her condition at least once?”

 

Chi-gyeom practically threw his laptop onto the table and grabbed his pack of cigarettes.

 

“Leave it. If Seo Han-seong has any sense, he’ll go to her.”

 

“…….”

 

“They seem to be getting along well.”

 

As Chi-gyeom bit down on his cigarette, his brows furrowed ever so slightly.

 

“If he ends up taking care of her, maybe he’ll even get lucky. But those two are so dense, who knows if anything will actually happen?”

 

Click. Click. Click.

 

As he flicked his lighter, he belatedly realized it was out of fuel, deepening the crease between his brows.

 

Annoyed, he tossed the lighter aside, and Kang Jin-ah, quick on the uptake, immediately stepped in to light it for him. Lifting his chin slightly, Chi-gyeom inhaled the flame, savoring the smoke as it spread through his body before he sprawled out on the sofa.

 

“…….”

 

Seeing that he had no intention of moving, Kang Jin-ah also dropped his interest in Han Seul-ah and returned to his seat. Just then—knock, knock—someone rapped on the office door.

 

Seeing the silhouette through the frosted glass, Kang Jin-ah scowled, saved his file, and turned off the monitor.

 

Chi-gyeom simply tilted his head to glance at the visitor, then continued smoking indifferently.

 

“Hey, guys, I’m here.”

 

“We know.”

 

“Ah, come on, at least act happy to see me. Why do you always treat me like an uninvited guest?”

 

Go Dae-seok entered with a grin, carrying a box of drinks in one hand and a wet umbrella in the other. He plopped down on the sofa across from Chi-gyeom.

 

“It’s suddenly pouring like crazy out there. Feels like a tropical downpour. If you don’t have an umbrella, should I leave this one here? I’ve got a few more in my car.”

 

“I’m good.”

 

“Days like this call for makgeolli. Want to go grab a drink?”

 

“Get to the point.”

 

“Aww, do I need a reason to visit? I just wanted to see you guys. Did you get home safe the other day? I saw you bought <Moving>. Thanks, by the way.”

 

“…….”

 

“Oh, right! Looks like Madam Lee Kyung-sook liked my work. She even recommended me to some acquaintances, so I sold a few more pieces. That’s why I got you something fancy this time.”

 

“Great. Congrats. Now, the point?”

 

Go Dae-seok, who had been gesturing at the drink box, pouted at Chi-gyeom’s disinterested response before leaning forward.

 

“Bro.”

 

“What?”

 

“Introduce me to that woman. The one who came to the exhibition with you.”

 

“…….”

 

Chi-gyeom, resting his hands behind his head, turned his head lazily. Go Dae-seok, like an overexcited dog, was practically bouncing.

 

“Damn, I can’t stop thinking about her.”

 

“…….”

 

“She’s so insanely pretty. And so cute. And… there’s just something about her. She really, like, ignites this thing inside me… I think it was love at first sight.”

 

“…….”

 

“Since you’re supporting her, she must be in this field too, right? I bet we’d have great conversations. Man, I can feel it—this is fate.”

 

“Didn’t you just recently obsess over Subin, showering her with artwork?”

 

At those words, Dae-seok flinched, stiffly turning to look at Kang Jin-ah, only to shrink under the older man’s disapproving glare.

 

“I figured if I kept going, Jin would actually beat me to death, so I gave up. Besides, Subin noona likes you, bro. I spent four years offering her paintings, and she didn’t even glance my way. Anyway, what’s that insanely gorgeous woman’s name? I bet even her name is beautiful…”

 

“Dae-seok.”

 

“Yes, bro?”

 

Chi-gyeom flicked his cigarette ashes off with a lazy motion.

 

“Stop running your mouth and just focus on your paintings.”

 

“I’m working hard. If I find a girlfriend, I’ll be even more—”

 

“If you touch her, I will beat you to death.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Dae-seok’s face briefly went blank before his shoulders sagged.

 

“What? She’s… really your woman? You said she wasn’t back then.”

 

 

“I have no intention of explaining everything to you. Just go channel that energy elsewhere.”

 

“Damn, I was really looking forward to this…”

 

“…….”

 

“Well, if she’s your woman, then I have no choice. Bros before hoes, after all.”