Ephphatha Chapter 8
by Ariana“……”
“Do you have soju?”
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“…There’s no alcohol here.”
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“I see. What was I expecting, asking for that in a sickhouse?”
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“……”
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“At least give me some water. My throat is dry from talking.”
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At Chi-gyeom’s urging, Seul-ah reluctantly moved. She pulled out a bottle of water from the fridge and filled a cup, letting out a deep sigh.
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In the end, she had no choice in the matter. She simply had to follow what her mother had prepared and do as Kwak Chi-gyeom ordered. Otherwise, she had no idea what that man might do.
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Half resigned, she brought the water over, and Chi-gyeom accepted the cup with one hand.
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“Don’t be so negative from the start.”
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“……”
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“Who knows? You might end up falling madly in love with Seo Han-seong.”
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Gulp. Gulp.
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As Chi-gyeom drank, his large Adam’s apple bobbed noticeably. It was more pronounced than most people’s, making its movement stand out, naturally drawing her gaze.
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His neck, seemingly twice the size of hers, exuded a savage aura. It wasn’t just his neck—his hands, though well-formed, were massive, and his exposed forearms were not only thick but also dark-skinned, with bulging veins, resembling the trunk of a tree.
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A person could probably hang onto him.
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He was a man whose every aspect was large. His height, of course, but also his overall build was unlike others. Broad shoulders, a thick torso, thighs so massive they seemed capable of filling a couch that could seat four people.
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That was probably why, even though Kwak Chi-gyeom had assured her he wouldn’t harm her, she couldn’t help but feel on edge. It was only natural for an animal to shrink in fear before an overwhelming difference in size.
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Tap.
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She was stealing glances at his tightly stretched pants over his thighs when an odd, abrasive sound made her look up. In that brief moment, Chi-gyeom had already lit a cigarette.
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Of course.
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The act of abstaining for her sake had been nothing more than empty words. Watching him blatantly take a deep drag, hollowing his cheek in the process, she shot him a glare and took a step back.
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“You told me I have the upper hand here.”
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“And?”
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“So… just follow a few rules.”
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Even though the sheer presence of the man pressed down on the air around her, Seul-ah steeled herself.
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Kwak Chi-gyeom had something to gain from this. As long as he had a purpose, he couldn’t act entirely on his whims. Her mother had said she could trust him, too.
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And above all, she had to survive.
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“Go ahead.”
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“Don’t smoke when you’re with me. It’s bad for me.”
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Chi-gyeom’s brow twitched slightly. Though she was scared, she clenched her fists and continued.
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“Also, don’t just punch in the passcode and barge in like today. Once you leave, I’ll be changing the code, so be aware of that.”
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“……”
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“And keep your promise not to do anything to me as long as I cooperate.”
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“……”
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“D-Don’t scare me.”
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Chi-gyeom’s lips puckered before he blew out a perfect smoke ring. Seul-ah’s gaze followed the floating ring in the air.
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She hated cigarettes, but the shape was oddly fascinating. Just how much had he smoked to be able to do something like that? As she was momentarily distracted, Chi-gyeom flicked his cigarette into the cup.
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“Alright. I can humor a precious client.”
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Only after the cigarette was extinguished did Seul-ah wave her hand to clear away the lingering smell.
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“Happy now?”
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“Well… I guess.”
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As she nodded begrudgingly, Chi-gyeom smirked and handed her the cup with the cigarette butt floating in it. She reluctantly took it and placed it on the table, then paused when she spotted Seo Han-seong’s photo, lying flat.
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The man who might become her future husband was smiling innocently, completely unaware of the contract surrounding her life.
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What crime had he committed to deserve this? A sigh escaped her lips.
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“What happens if Seo Han-seong says he doesn’t want me?”
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Marriage wasn’t something one could do alone. If the other party refused, there was nothing she could do about it.
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“Well, then we’ll just have to find someone else with similar qualifications.”
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“So, it doesn’t have to be him?”
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“The requirement is simple—someone wealthy and someone Chairman Han needs. Right now, Han Ji-seon has chosen Seo Han-seong, but if it doesn’t work out, I’ll make sure you get married somehow. So don’t worry too much.”
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“It’s not that I’m worried—”
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“Besides, you’re fucking gorgeous. It’ll be hard for most men to refuse you.”
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Cough. A cough burst out of her involuntarily. Hearing a man tell her, to her face, that she was beautiful was utterly flustering.
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Cough. Cough.
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As she coughed and looked up, Chi-gyeom was staring at her intently, amused.
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“What’s with the surprise? Don’t you look in the mirror?”
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“Huh…?”
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“You’re playing pretty coy.”
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His gaze swept down her figure. Feeling as though he was seeing right through her, she took a step back to escape his line of sight.
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“Do you like art?”
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He suddenly gestured toward the empty living room wall with his chin and asked.
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Caught off guard, Seul-ah hesitated before turning to look where he was pointing. Several purposeless nails were still embedded in the wall. Chi-gyeom stretched out his long legs, resting both feet on the table.
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“Your mother must’ve sold everything. What a waste.”
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“…How do you know that?”
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“The cost of Ephphatha isn’t cheap. To cover that, she probably sold anything worth money.”
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Collecting artwork had been her mother’s hobby as well as a financial investment. Their house had been filled with paintings, though they had all been sold last year, leaving the walls bare.
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She had assumed her mother had auctioned them off as an investment, but it had been for Ephphatha? Just how much did this man know? Did her mother tell him all this too?
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“Talk about bad luck.”
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Muttering to himself, Chi-gyeom sank deeper into the couch. Shameless, considering it wasn’t his house. Seul-ah shot him a glare before sitting down on the floor. Standing for so long was getting exhausting.
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She placed her hand on the floor for support and let out a deep sigh. Her eyes met Chi-gyeom’s. He was observing her with his arms crossed, making her uneasy. She scooted back a bit more.
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Chi-gyeom sneered at her blatant attempt to avoid him.
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“What a shitty job.”
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“Why are you cursing…?”
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“Anyway, we’re going to an exhibition.”
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“An exhibition? Out of nowhere?”
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“There’s an event on Saturday. Seo Han-seong will be there.”
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As she looked up expectantly for an explanation, he grinned.
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“I’ll set the stage for you. Do your best.”
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At some point, a photograph of Seo Han-seong had ended up beneath Kwak Chi-gyeom’s feet, which swayed like a pendulum from side to side.
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“What… what am I supposed to do?”
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“You need to get that prosecutor cock of his standing up.”
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“……”
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How could he say something so filthy so naturally? Even under her scornful gaze, he casually added,
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“Men aren’t that complicated. If they get aroused, they take another look, then another, and another—until suddenly, oh my, is this love?”
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“Stop saying such disgusting things. That might be how you think.”
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“Aww, I don’t go that far. I’m too busy just getting turned on.”
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“…Just leave now.”
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If this conversation went on any longer, her ears might rot. When she gestured toward the entrance, Chi-gyeom, who had been shaking his leg, straightened up.
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He picked up a cherry tomato that had rolled under the sofa, plucked off the stem, and tossed it into his mouth. The way he chewed, gnawing voraciously, made him seem like a beast tearing into meat.
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“Saturday, 7 PM. I’ll come pick you up, so be out front.”
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“You’re coming too?”
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Instead of answering, he stood up and strode toward her. With a single step, he closed the distance from the sofa to where she sat, leaving Seul-ah no time to evade him. She could only look up at him.
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Chi-gyeom lowered his gaze, clicking his tongue at her wary expression before brushing past her. Since there was no need to see him off, Seul-ah simply watched his retreating figure.
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Soon, he disappeared around the corner, and she heard the sound of the door lock disengaging.
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“Thanks for the send-off.”
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With a teasing voice, the door opened and shut.
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Beep. The lock engaged again. Left alone, Seul-ah blinked vacantly before letting out a sigh of disbelief.
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“He’s insane…”
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She shot a narrow glare toward the entrance before pushing herself up. Picking up the cherry tomato that had fallen to the floor, she wiped off the juice-stained linoleum with a tissue, then threw open the living room window to clear out the lingering cigarette smoke. The air purifier was also turned to its highest setting, and only then did she feel like she could breathe properly.
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Then she hurried to the entrance to change the door lock password. After a brief moment of thought, she entered her mother’s death anniversary.
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After checking twice to ensure the door opened correctly, Seul-ah returned to the living room to clean up the cup floating with cigarette butts. Pinching them between her thumb and forefinger, she tossed them into the trash before washing the cup. Since she was at it, she rinsed the tomato she had dropped as well.
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Only after diligently erasing all traces of the uninvited guest did she finally sit on the sofa.
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Then, as if noticing something, she looked down.
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The leather where Kwak Chi-gyeom had sat was still creased. Even after several minutes, it hadn’t returned to its original state, suggesting just how heavy he was. When her mother and she had used this sofa, it had never been like this.
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Seul-ah traced the lingering presence of the man from the backrest to the seat cushion with clear displeasure before pulling her legs up onto the sofa. The leather would eventually return to normal with time, so there was no point in dwelling on it. Convincing herself of that, she popped a tomato into her mouth.
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Yet, despite her reasoning, her gaze drifted back to the sofa.
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“……”
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Finding the faint warmth left behind unsettling, she shifted slightly to the side. But even as she finished eating the tomatoes, she never moved from that corner of the large sofa.
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