Ephphatha Chapter 27

Mom sat in a steel-backed chair, flipping through the documents placed on the white desk one by one. Then, along with the man sitting across from her—the same man who was now sitting across from Seul-ah—she set the conditions, wrote up the contract, and personally handed the item to the man.  

 

Watching this unfamiliar version of her mother, rather than the recorded videos of Kwak Chi-gyeom she used to play whenever she missed her, made her eyes well up with tears. But she held them back and pointed at the object covered in black cloth on the screen.  

 

“What’s the stored item…?”  

 

As soon as the man flipped the screen to show a photo, Seul-ah let out a sigh.  

 

It was just as she had expected.  

 

On the rectangular screen was a painting.  

 

A landscape painting depicting a sports field in vibrant colors.  

 

It was a bird’s-eye view, with a soccer field surrounded by red maple trees. A man was kicking a soccer ball in the middle of it. He wore a black jacket that resembled a school uniform, and beyond the school gate, it indeed looked like a school field. Though aged and faded, the intense color palette and prominent curved lines of the artwork left a strong impression.  

 

“……”  

 

Unconsciously, Seul-ah’s gaze shifted to the wall.  

 

Just like the room she had entered with Seo Han-seong last time, there was another painting of a similar style hanging here. The artwork depicted a house with a red-tiled roof nestled within a lush forest, and it seemed to be by the same artist whom Kwak Chi-gyeom was sponsoring.  

 

No, it was almost certainly the same artist. Her eyes lingered on the bright red tiles.  

 

As Seul-ah faintly grasped why Kwak Chi-gyeom was supporting the artist, she exhaled a long sigh, her face filled with mixed emotions.  

 

***  

 

“So? Are you satisfied now?”  

 

Not long after the vault manager left, Kwak Chi-gyeom burst through the door. Outside the door, Kang Jin-ah and the restaurant owner were still present. When Chi-gyeom gestured, the woman smiled and nodded.  

 

Seul-ah watched as Chi-gyeom casually walked in and slumped into the seat across from her. More precisely, she stared at his red shirt. Once the door closed, she quietly asked,  

 

“When did you learn sign language?”  

 

Instead of answering, he leaned back against the chair and gazed down at her.  

 

“I asked if you’re satisfied now.”  

 

“……”  

 

Seul-ah nodded quietly and picked up the bag she had set beside her. Then, she began pulling out the things she had been carrying around like baggage.  

 

A torn handkerchief. Aunt Chae-young’s condolence money. Laundry costs for the sheets.  

 

Chi-gyeom clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a look of disbelief. Seeing how she had meticulously labeled the condolence money and the laundry costs separately on the envelopes, he gave a half-hearted clap.  

 

“You’ve been carrying all that around?”  

 

“It belongs to you, Mr. Kwak Chi-gyeom.”  

 

“Well, whatever. I guess I should take it, or else our dear client won’t be able to sleep soundly.”  

 

Resting his arm on the back of the chair, he suddenly reached out toward the table. The abrupt movement made her flinch. Seeing her reaction, Chi-gyeom simply stared at her before picking up the handkerchief and the condolence money envelope.  

 

“Why aren’t you taking the laundry cost?”  

 

“Because I still have some conscience left.”  

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”  

 

“If I tell you, you’ll probably kick me out again.”  

 

She stared at him blankly, not understanding. Then, a sudden realization dawned on her, and her face twisted. It seemed to be related to the time he had seen her body. The way he spoke hinted that something similar had happened when she fell asleep in his car that day. Recalling how her jaw had ached unusually the next morning, she pressed her fingers against her jawline and glared at Chi-gyeom.  

 

“What did you do to me back then?”  

 

“Nothing.”  

 

“Don’t lie. Did you do something weird?”  

 

“If I had, you would’ve noticed right away.”  

 

“……”  

 

“You’re looking at me like I’m a monster. I might just wet myself from fear.”  

 

He smirked and rested his chin on his hand, then kicked the table leg to draw her attention.  

 

“Your food’s here. Eat before you leave.”  

 

“……”  

 

“You should eat more. You need it.”  

 

His sharp eyes swept over Seul-ah’s entire body. She couldn’t pretend not to understand what he meant. Clenching her clothes in her fists, she seethed, but he merely scoffed and shrugged.  

 

She wanted to storm out right then and there.  

 

Ephphatha, her mother, Aunt Chae-young, and Seo Han-seong—her mind was already a mess. And now, sitting face-to-face with a man who had seen her entire body and even wiped it clean made her insides burn. She had firmly resolved to use Kwak Chi-gyeom to her advantage before coming here, but now that he was right in front of her, she couldn’t control her emotions.  

 

As she hesitated, rubbing her itchy eyelids, Chi-gyeom kicked the table again. The loud *bang* made her flinch and shrink back. She kept rubbing her eyes and studied Chi-gyeom.  

 

He seemed especially irritable today. But then again, he was never the type to be gentle, so she wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination.  

 

After pressing down on her eyes one last time, she lowered her hands. Chi-gyeom tilted his head further and looked at her intently.  

 

“Seo Han-seong was at your place?”  

 

“…What?”  

 

Her heart plummeted.  

 

“H-how do you know that?”  

 

“How do you think? The guy I planted on you reported it right away.”  

 

“What?”  

 

“Yeah.”  

 

“You… planted someone? On me?”  

 

“Of course. If you run off, that’s a huge problem.”  

 

He accepted it so shamelessly that she almost thought it was a given. But Seul-ah did not overlook the discomfort of having her privacy invaded and twisted her expression. Or perhaps it was the anxiety that their dealings with Seo Han-seong might be discovered.  

 

If he knew, he wouldn’t be shaking his leg like that, so it was certain he didn’t know.  

 

She decided she needed to be more cautious in the future and focused on the first concern for now.  

 

“Surveillance? That’s so weird.”  

 

“You think I’m enjoying this or something?”  

 

“…….”  

 

“As you’ve probably heard, Han Ji-seon kicked the bucket, and I’m running around like crazy because of it, my friend. Your little inconvenience is something you’ll have to bear.”  

 

“…….”  

 

Seul-ah sighed, glaring at Chi-gyeom as she remained aware of the shadows falling within her field of vision. Since he wasn’t the type to stop just because she told him to, all she could do was resolve to be careful with her actions. Asking Seo Han-seong to keep meeting her had, in hindsight, been the right decision.  

 

Chi-gyeom’s gaze clung persistently to Seul-ah’s gaunt face as she let the matter slide without much resistance.  

 

“So? Tell me what you did after taking him home.”  

 

“Why do you care?”  

 

“You used to tell me just fine without me asking.”  

 

“I told you I’d handle it myself.”  

 

Every time he shook his leg, the table vibrated along with it. The trembling grew more intense until—knock, knock—a knock sounded at the door. Over Chi-gyeom’s shoulder, which was tilted slightly to the side, the restaurant owner and Kang Jin-ah entered, pushing a cart.  

 

Even as dishes were stacked onto the table, Chi-gyeom continued bouncing his leg. The woman beside him frowned, smacked his shoulder, and signed something to him. Still undeterred, Chi-gyeom kept going, and Seul-ah, watching him in exasperation, straightened a plate that had been shaken askew before scolding him.  

 

“She is telling you it’s disruptive. Stay still.”  

 

“…….”  

 

Seul-ah, though clumsy, used the sign language she knew to thank the owner. The woman’s eyes widened as she asked if Seul-ah could sign.  

 

After a brief moment of recalling her memories, Seul-ah answered that she had learned from her mother. At this, Chi-gyeom’s expression became subtle, and Kang Jin-ah, also surprised, glanced at Seul-ah’s hands for a moment before finishing placing the dishes and leaving with her sibling.  

 

Now alone in the room, the air was thick with the mouthwatering scent of food. Recognizing her hunger belatedly, Seul-ah picked up her chopsticks.  

 

Sharing a meal face-to-face with Kwak Chi-gyeom was uncomfortable, but she needed to eat. She had lost a lot of weight after being sick for days, and regaining it was now an urgent task. Right now, what she needed most was energy.  

 

His incessantly shaking leg was irritating, but she ignored it and scooped up a spoonful of glistening white rice, pushing it into her mouth.  

 

Each chew brought out a pleasant sweetness, enhancing the flavor. After swallowing the slowly mashed grains, she picked up a bit of bracken fern and ate it. As expected, it was rich and delicious. She hadn’t been able to appreciate the flavors last time due to the situation, but now she realized that this restaurant truly served good food.  

 

As she was about to take another bite of rice, she looked up and found Chi-gyeom staring at her in the same posture. The table’s vibrations had stopped.  

 

“Aren’t you eating?”  

 

“Watching you eat is making me lose my appetite.”  

 

“What?”  

 

“At that pace, by the time you finish the bowl, the sun will have set.”  

 

“…….”  

 

How annoying. She pouted and stuffed her mouth with rice, then picked up a piece of carrot that had come with the short ribs.  

 

“Seo Han-seong eats at my pace just fine.”  

 

“Just focus on eating meat. It’s the best way to get some curves on you.”  

 

When she glared at him, he smirked and tilted his chin. Fuming with embarrassment, Seul-ah defiantly picked up another piece of carrot instead. She never really favored meat anyway, as it didn’t digest well for her.  

 

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t really matter if you stay the way you are.”  

 

“Shut up. If you keep saying things like that, I’ll call that guy back and terminate the contract.”  

 

“Ooh, scary.”  

 

“So annoying. Seriously.”  

 

“So? What did you do with Seo Han-seong?”  

 

“Why do you keep asking?”  

 

“I have a thing for dirty stories.”  

 

She had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next.  

 

“I got my early education from erotic novels.”