Mine, Again Chapter 3

On the way back home, her mind was hazy. She barely remembered how she had left the hotel and gotten into a taxi. That was how tense she had been.  

  

“Now, I just have to wait for a response?”  

  

By next weekend. Ryu Sung-woon had said he would contact her.  

  

“I did my best. If he needs me… he’ll accept my proposal.”  

  

As soon as their conversation ended, Sung-woon had left. They hadn’t even exchanged contact information.  

  

“That means… he doesn’t consider me valuable enough yet.”  

  

Kim Ji-hoon, the chief secretary. What she held in her hand was the business card of the secretary who had been waiting outside.  

  

“If you have any questions in the meantime, feel free to reach out to me.”  

  

Ryu Sung-woon.  

 

Ryu Sung-woon.  

 

Sung-woon…  

 

She rolled his name on her tongue. The image of him from years ago overlapped with the man she had seen today. He seemed a little taller now. His aura had grown sharper, like a honed blade.  

 

Since when had he started wearing glasses? Had his eyesight worsened? And his expression…  

 

“I couldn’t tell what he was thinking at all.”  

  

Back then, at least, he had shown emotions. But five years had passed. Time had changed him, just as it had changed her. Lost in thought, Su-hwa barely noticed the taxi arriving in front of her house. She stood before the two-story detached house, surrounded by a high fence.  

 

Creak.

 

The grating sound of the metal gate dragging against the ground made her shudder. Just grabbing the cold handle sent a chill to her bones. That sound always gave her goosebumps.  

 

Ever since five years ago, when the loan sharks had burst through this gate, dragging her mother and her along. Because back then, the one who had wanted to scream the most… was her.  

  

“Where the hell have you been hiding until now, huh?”  

 

Smack!

 

As soon as she stepped through the front door, Song Won-sik’s thick palm came flying toward her.

 

A closely cropped head and a sturdy physique. With a body twice her size striking her cheek, Su-hwa couldn’t withstand the force and collapsed to the floor.

 

No matter how angry he got, he had never hit her face before. This time, he must have been absolutely furious.

 

“Turning off your phone and disappearing? Why? Were you planning to run away again? Just like last time, leaving your mother behind to save yourself?”

 

“……No.”

 

Song Won-sik shook her by her weakness once again. Even though he knew full well she couldn’t attempt it a second time.

 

Once, she had run away. Her mother had pushed her forward, telling her to live, at the very least. But when she was caught and brought back, the price she had to pay was horrifying.

 

“Do you even know what kind of event that was? How angry President Park was, the one who had offered the highest price for you? He said he didn’t care about investments or anything else anymore.”

 

Song Won-sik grabbed Su-hwa’s hair, shaking it violently. The nausea rose in her throat from the rough treatment. The metallic taste of blood spread in her mouth—her lips must have split open.

 

“……Ugh.”

 

“Look at you. Gagging? Did you secretly meet some man behind my back and get pregnant? Do you think this body belongs to you?”

 

Su-hwa shuddered violently. If Song Won-sik completely lost his temper, things wouldn’t end with just this.

 

On a normal day, she would have endured getting beaten within an inch of her life. But now, she held a card in her hand—Ryu Sung-woon. She had to hold out for a week until his call came.

 

“N-no. I would never meet a man in secret. That never happened.”

 

“Are you really telling the truth?”

 

“Yes. I… I haven’t been feeling well since the evening……”

 

It was infuriating that one retch led to accusations of pregnancy, but for now, she had to get through this moment. Su-hwa looked up at Song Won-sik with submissive eyes.

 

“President Park seemed really disappointed that I had to leave the girl group debut team due to my illness.”

 

“So?”

 

“He asked if I was feeling better… My stomach was upset, and I felt dizzy. I stepped out for a moment, saying I was going to the restroom, but my condition worsened, so I left.”

 

Song Won-sik narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Su-hwa.

 

Was she telling the truth or lying? He didn’t believe her, but he was pressuring her to come up with a convincing excuse.

 

“It’s the truth. I thought it would be better to reschedule rather than appear unwell in front of an important person.”

 

“You avoided the situation rather than expose a weakness?”

 

“Yes. Because that’s what my father taught me.”

 

Su-hwa smiled sweetly, curving her eyes. Just as she had been trained.

 

She had practiced so that no matter where or when reporters shoved cameras in her face, she could feign shyness instead of shock. Even now, despite being slapped and having her hair pulled, Su-hwa smiled brightly.

 

That was the result of five years of training.

 

“Fine. I’ll say your handling wasn’t too bad.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“But don’t let it happen again. I’ve rescheduled with President Park for next Saturday at the same location. Don’t screw it up this time.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Song Won-sik dusted off his hands and turned away. His heavy footsteps echoed through the floor, his weight making the ground quake.

 

Was it over now?

 

As she ran her fingers through her disheveled hair, strands came loose in her grasp. Su-hwa braced herself against the wall and stood up. Her weak legs wobbled like those of a paper doll.

 

“Hey. Where do you think you’re going?”

 

Shff, shff. The sound of slippers dragging closer.

 

Su-hwa’s feet froze in place. It wasn’t over yet. A smaller monster still lurked in this house.

 

“Sister Ye-rin……”

 

Song Ye-rin, who had been watching the violence from afar with her arms crossed, now approached. Su-hwa’s breath caught in her throat again.

 

“If you’re home, you should check your weight first. Get on.”

 

“……Okay.”

 

Ye-rin nudged the scale in the hallway with her toe. No one else in this house ever stepped on it—only her. Su-hwa obediently climbed onto the scale.

 

“Let’s see. 45.3 kilograms. You’ve lost weight again?”

 

“My stomach wasn’t feeling well today… I must have skipped a meal.”

 

“Some people gain weight just by drinking water… But you lose this much after skipping just one meal?”

 

Ye-rin’s lips twisted in displeasure. Su-hwa was at least half a palm taller than her, yet she weighed significantly less.

 

Even the active girl group members under Soul Entertainment, whom Ye-rin managed, struggled the most with weight control. But for Su-hwa, it seemed effortless.

 

“You’re not secretly taking diet pills, are you?”

 

“No. I’ve been sticking to my meal plan. I think that’s what’s helping.”

 

“Maintaining your weight isn’t easy, you know. Be grateful that I’m managing you.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I do this at my company and get paid for it. But for you, I’m doing it for free.”

 

Ye-rin glared at Su-hwa and shared her weight in their family group chat. Song Won-sik’s reply came immediately.

 

– Don’t let her go outside until the bruises on her face fade.

 

Ye-rin’s lips curled upward.

 

“Dad says you’re not allowed to leave your room until the matchmaking meeting.”

 

“Yes. I understand.”

 

Su-hwa responded meekly. But Ye-rin wasn’t fooled—she knew this docile act wasn’t sincere.

 

“Be honest. You think I’m a joke, don’t you?”

 

“Why would I think that, sister?”

 

Su-hwa shook her head. Even that small movement sent pain shooting through her skull.

 

Had she triggered another one of Ye-rin’s outbursts? If her weight dropped by even a single gram, Ye-rin lashed out at her like a predator.

 

“Ever since you came to our house, my stress levels skyrocketed, and my size doubled!”

 

There was no reasoning with Ye-rin when she got like this. Whether she laughed or cried, she would still be scolded, so silence was her only option.

 

“You’re shameless. Your mother had her organs harvested, and you were about to be sold to a brothel—our family paid that debt for you. The least you could do is be grateful and live your life with your head down.”

 

“……Yes.”

 

Her entire body felt heavy, like it had been soaked in water. Ye-rin’s tirade continued until her throat grew sore and she finally left.

 

Much later.

 

Su-hwa entered her tiny room on the second floor and lost consciousness immediately.