F7

Soobin watched as Butler Choi’s car disappeared down the street before turning and walking towards her house.

She entered the dark corridor and walked into the living room. She dropped the shopping bag she was carrying when she saw a figure sitting on the sofa.

The figure slowly got up and walked towards her, picking up the dropped bag and pulling out its contents. The woman looked at the still damp underwear and crumpled dress. Then she dropped them back on the floor.

“Staying two nights wasn’t part of the plan, was it?”

Soobin clenched her jaw at the cold, emotionless voice.

When Soobin didn’t answer, the woman grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet her gaze. She then used her hand to pinch Soobin’s cheeks and force her mouth open.

“When I ask you a question, you answer. This mouth is meant to answer.”

Soobin flinched as sharp fingernails dug into her skin. She pulled her head back and broke free of the woman’s grip.

Soobin lifted her eyes, the corners slightly damp with tears, and touched her cheek, the hostility in her eyes plain to see. 

“Why are you here, Secretary Kwak?”

“I had to come as I haven’t received any updates.”

“Haven’t you been monitoring my every move?”

“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t report back.”

“If you had been watching, you would have known that I wasn’t able to contact you. And can’t you judge the situation yourself just by watching? I obviously made an impression on Jeong Woohyeok. That’s what you wanted in the first place.”

“That’s what I wanted, but I won’t tolerate my puppet acting on his own.”

Puppet. The perfect word to describe her situation.

Her father’s bad investments had brought their once successful business to the brink of collapse. He had taken out loans to avoid bankruptcy, but the debt had only grown.

It only took a moment for a stable life to crumble. In desperation, he had turned to gambling.

He had borrowed from loan sharks, and the threats and demands for repayment had become relentless. Then Secretary Kwak appeared, offering to wipe out all his debts if Soobin would do one thing for her.

Backed into a corner, she had no choice but to grasp this lifeline, however rotten it might be.

“Doing well isn’t enough. You have to deliver results.”

“Now that we’ve come this far, doesn’t Secretary Kwak have no choice but to trust me?”

“Since when have we had a relationship based on trust?”

Secretary Kwak stepped closer to Soobin and pressed a finger to her forehead.

“A and B. That’s our relationship. You know this isn’t just about your father’s debt anymore. I treat you with that much courtesy. Do you think loan sharks would be like that?”

Secretary Kwak’s eyes narrowed as she looked down at Soobin. She noticed the mark her fingernail had left on her forehead.

“You sacrificed yourself to save your father. So remember that. I hold your father’s leash. If I let go, he will fall straight to hell. Don’t provoke me. I’m very sensitive about that.”

Soobin’s eyes narrowed further as Secretary Kwak tapped her cheek. But she remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.

“Your next meeting will be this Saturday at the clay shooting range in Danyang. So practice until then.”

“A shooting range…?”

She had never seen a gun before. But to get Woohyeok’s attention, she had to play on his interests. She only had four days to learn.

“Don’t lose contact again. You might lose something else if you do.”

“……”

“Be careful with guns. You never know where the bullet will go.”

Secretary Kwak walked away, her threat hanging heavy in the air. Soobin stared blankly at her underwear and dress scattered on the floor, then sank to her knees.

Despite her best efforts, tears streamed down her face. She felt so humiliated and degraded that she wanted to bite her tongue and die, but even that took more courage than she possessed. The tears fell faster, dripping onto the floor.

 

***

 

Bang!

The sharp crack of the gunshot echoed through the foothills.

Woohyeok lowered his gun, satisfied with his shot, and whistled cheerfully.

“Ah!”

He turned his head at the familiar voice and watched as another clay pigeon exploded in the air, followed by another. He looked for the shooter.

A small smile touched his lips as he watched her lower her gun and remove her earplugs.

Soobin met his gaze. It was as if she’d been waiting for him to look at her, her eyes crinkled at the corners. 

“Fancy meeting you here.”

Woohyeok scoffed at her clear, ringing voice and approached her. He looked down at her with a mocking expression as she stared back at him with clear, bright eyes. 

Her light make-up gave her a delicate beauty. It was different from the other times he had seen her.

“Are you following me?”

“You think this is all my pride is worth?”

Her nonchalant tone and expression were completely convincing.

“This is a dangerous place for a young woman to be.”

“Are you bragging about your age? Or are you just proud of yourself for having fun with a younger woman?”

Her continued boldness amused him and he couldn’t help but smile.

Even if Woohyeok didn’t seem to care much about the Cheonil Group, he was still part of the owner’s family. And given his reputation for having a bad temper, it was unusual for someone to treat him with such casual disrespect.

That was why the additional information Butler Choi had uncovered was so worrying.

The loan shark from whom her father had borrowed money when he got into gambling did not seem to exist. It was as if they had vanished from the world in an instant.

The timing of the disappearance was recent. At first glance it seemed irrelevant, as her father had borrowed the money some time ago.

But it was also possible that the situation had been carefully orchestrated. He needed to press Soobin further to be sure.

“Why are you smiling?”

“Because you’re bold.”

“You’re talking about yourself?”

Her words, meant to provoke him, only amused him.

It all seemed too natural to be a deliberate act to get his attention.

“Did you enjoy yourself with me?”

“It wasn’t bad.”

“You said you enjoyed it before.”

“Now that I think about it, it didn’t seem to be anything special.”

Getting closer to her like this might not be a bad idea.

He had been told to keep his enemies close, and he was always looking for an opportunity. That was why he had created this persona, to hide his true self.

He gestured to the gun in her hand. Soobin followed his gaze, then smiled and handed it to him.

“Thank you.”

“It’s dangerous for a woman to carry this.”

Soobin followed him as he turned and walked away.

They sat down at a cafe and Woohyeok immediately added a generous amount of sugar to his coffee.

“Isn’t it too sweet?”

“I don’t like bitter things.”

Soobin’s eyes widened. He looked like the type who drank strong espresso, not sugary coffee.

“So you don’t drink alcohol either?”

Woohyeok sighed at her innocent question, a corner of his mouth twitching.

“Alcohol is sweet.”

“I don’t understand people who say alcohol is sweet. What’s wrong with their taste buds?”

Soobin wrinkled her nose as she picked up her coffee cup.

Woohyeok watched as she raised the steaming cup to her lips. He put down his own cup.

“Weren’t you right-handed?”

“What?”

Soobin followed his gaze and saw that she was holding the cup in her left hand. Her eyes twitched, but she quickly composed herself and took a sip of coffee.

“Does it matter? I can hold it however I want.”

Her right shoulder was completely bruised from several days of clay shooting, unable to withstand the recoil. She had barely gritted her teeth and fired a gun. She had used her left hand because even the slightest lift of her shoulder caused pain in her neck.

The fact that he had noticed and pointed it out sent a shiver down her spine.

Soobin sighed at the way Woohyeok instinctively shrugged and took another sip of her coffee, still using her left hand. 

“Did you come alone?”

“What if I did?”

“Let’s go together.”

“Together?”

Soobin’s voice cracked slightly, surprised at the unexpected offer.

“I can have my driver bring my car back. Are you a good driver?”

“Are you saying you want to get in my car? And I’ll be the driver?”

“If you’re driving your own car, what driver? But if that’s the way you feel, I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated. Whether it’s here or when we get there. Wherever you want.”

“……”

Soobin’s mouth went dry as she understood exactly what he meant by ‘compensate’.