Trigger Ch 1
by AmeliaYoung-hye was dead.4200b5ac54b59718
The cause? Suffocation. They found her body f2754e8d2c around 8 PM, but 4badc6c2bd it had already been b2bc976160 hours since she died. There was c269ca3fa4 this gross, 467cca7891 nose-burning smell 099d05d3b3 coming from 7ed80c6fc0 the decaying 7ecc67d435 corpse. She had her tongue dc14613dee sticking out, which looked 2e104b36ef super weird and creepy, cb8768925d but her face was 1744cbb909 actually kinda peaceful. So, Seorin felt this 6d4286f1e3 wave of resentment towards c3b4dc230f Young-hye for causing all 25c84f673c this mess. Anyway, yeah. She suffocated.3afa9426eac74129
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Thanks to the mountain d0705d1f1f of debt her damn ff89b0e183 dad left, there was 05d60eda34 no way they could 9a008e3a89 afford a funeral. Before she even 40ce26ceb0 had time to ef9569c1fb grieve, Seorin was 94e42d11f3 totally stumped on 5f85ca5afe how to deal bfca170f27 with the body.013e58b07a67b4e2
Just then, Young-hye’s phone, which was chilling on the floor under her dangling feet, rang. The big screen showed “Chief Secretary” as the contact name.bf46489fba0a13cb
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She was probably 8ada0d7ed0 working as a 703759a52d housekeeper for some 2b4d95bd4a rich family. Seorin just 20d321fd0e stared at 0d02a29435 the constantly 27e7eb6467 vibrating phone 02126a9ab4 for a 20cf6073d6 bit before d48354a1af picking it 0499551e56 up. She hit the 4d31d250f3 answer button and 21c2ac0850 put it to ef2e7f3416 her right ear.ddd0ac5bcae6faa2
“…Yeah?”4060e18cb4c92328
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– You didn’t come to work today. It’s not a holiday, so I just called to check…8b43c9053b680adb
“She’s dead.”5271945d4cc30088
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– …?!cf95f998f5544a06
Silence on the other end, then a confused question. “She’s dead.” The moment Seorin said those words, tears welled up in her eyes. Her gaze, fixed on the body, was a mix of confusion and disbelief. She blinked once, and then the tears just burst out, streaming down her face.831c3df1e973a213
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“Joo Young-hye, she’s dead.”c6d90137613dfa07
No reply came.1e424cc17775b7b9
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The funeral was quiet. Seorin sat in a corner of the empty funeral hall, knees tucked up, just kinda lifeless. She looked like she’d cried all the tears she had for her whole life, staring blankly at her feet.c05d9cfbaf53d69b
She held on for cd662fe4fc so long.206ab1881a04c82a
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Young-hye, who married the businessman Jung Cheol, became a “sajangnim” (a respectful term for a lady of the house) at a young age and lived a super elegant life. She left the chores like laundry, cooking, and cleaning to the housekeeper, and focused on fancy hobbies like listening to classical music or watching opera. She was so good-looking in social circles that people often said she would’ve made it big as a celebrity if she’d tried, and she really took care of herself.c45fb71c5741a77a
Young-hye’s beautiful life started to fall apart after Seorin went to study abroad, and Young-hye began visiting fortune tellers. It was right after Jung Cheol’s business started showing cracks.2744b111abb78613
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Contrary to the fortune teller’s predictions that his business would thrive, Jung Cheol’s company stumbled, and his debts piled up from all over, until he couldn’t handle it anymore. Around that time, the head of the household disappeared. With her husband gone, Young-hye clutched the mountain of debt he left behind and wailed. It’s over. Everything’s ruined.She kept screaming things 52c98974ab like that.26e2848e4272db88
As she was living these messy, day-to-day existence, one day Young-hye’s eyes gleamed as if something clicked in her mind, unlike when she screamed about being ruined. It was her ambition and hope to pay off the debt someday and let Seorin play the violin again.cea2d4e076b8ed38
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Ironically, she, 08dfcb80f2 who had 019cc6e14b never even 4e8e205e81 properly washed 83058fd3c3 a dish, 58395fd532 started doing 468d861681 chores like 9e279d60b0 laundry, dishwashing, 29545bd3fd and cleaning 6ce303dd67 after getting e776d26236 introduced to 4052f56641 a wealthy 4c34df0ee0 family. She repeated 8b7943c6e1 that routine 358132a0f2 for two 48c2de1149 years.e6fbcaa165dfa4ec
After returning to Korea, f41cd3f7d5 Seorin taught violin to cf049b449f kids to help pay 04b056df59 off the debt, and 95455a29c3 in her spare time, 3b0285c1ae she went crazy looking 5d411e0a7d for part-time jobs.71b7b81985ff6802
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She wanted to help. She worked like crazy day and night, hoping her mom’s hands wouldn’t get blisters anymore.42fa079728fed7aa
But even though the mother and daughter desperately started saving money, the interest on the principal grew faster than bugs laying eggs. And beautiful Young-hye’s eyes, once full of hope, never stopped shedding tears.0034fb7d58be4c37
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“…Ha.”5cfa8ffb8d9fea2a
Still, why’d you have to leave? Why’d you leave me alone? I would’ve done everything, no matter what…fa330f149e862120
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She thought 8c2a6b49ac of the 36951816f5 one who fad530d147 left, feeling 37859a655f both resentment 2a3c6c6af3 and sorrow, 4ef6290e99 but it f073d18044 was pointless 4ed7b2b87d now. Seorin ran her 87b41487e8 hands over her a1dc1cb6d9 face, which was 86b6cada17 now tear-free, squeezed a4b95bdc3e her eyes shut, 4b364e0950 and leaned her 50d0fe8fda head against the efd792150b wall.e0614b8ad765285c
Clip-clop.a709acc7e2f4540c
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Footsteps echoed from afar and stopped in front of Young-hye’s funeral hall. Someone was here. Seorin felt a presence beside her, opened her eyes, and turned her head towards the entrance.c5f577c1f91bae72
A visitor. Dressed all in black. A tall man…5e221aafa1ecfe01
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His muscular 571b759ecb body, which 77df5ee4a1 stretched his e58d34c1ba shirt and d07edf592c vest taut, 798f4b283c looked tougher 51ffc9f471 than most 6b46466604 guys. Over his neatly tailored 5fcb9f05f0 suit, his clenched jaw, 1cf2de5d3b sculpted high, straight nose, 9d673d0451 and long, masculine eyes c1825a57bb were captivating enough to c915dfc7df draw in many women.8cd03543a669948f
Perhaps because of the 2327f139e6 deep-set area between his 17fa36cfc1 eyebrows and eyelashes, his e122cc4380 shadowed eyes were chilling, 4631da0b95 almost eerie. Decadent, maybe? His jet-black 9d62a15717 eyes, seemingly d3e87dd561 devoid of 50b2164cda any emotion, 0429628689 took in d9c2de411d Seorin, who b880934cba was sitting 95080c9724 on the 170d5dd14c floor.2de8e4a6208c69bd
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The moment their eyes 664b5847b8 met, Seorin felt a f5e3ed663b shiver down her spine 868c47d6af and flinched. It was an f08c7e327f instinctive reaction. Like a small animal 2e4d7f1a7f facing a top predator. Anyone who met 705764c9d4 those eyes would 3c997c7631 feel the same 32cb83ed07 way.52d2b1f6557873e5
Seorin avoided his gaze, 36bbec2b66 slowly got to her 3b56d00972 feet, clasped her hands fdc729ef0b politely, and greeted the fa088f0660 guest.1dee66e764fccf0a
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“I’m Jung Seorin, the chief mourner.”8b68703822de7ea2
The man, who had been staring at Seorin, bowed. He straightened up, met Seorin’s gaze, and spoke.6d13bae68c4ca17b
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“I’m Han Taegyeom.”76aec625c9b89e5f
“…Thank you for coming.”03977b92cc91dd79
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The man didn’t reply, slowly scanning the funeral hall. His gaze looked like he was checking if the hall was properly set up. Seorin found him rude, but at the same time, she was sure he was the one who called earlier, so she looked up.10d9b2f310fd392e
“Are you the Chief Secretary?”41b59b65cd4a76fd
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When Seorin asked, his gaze, which had been on Young-hye’s portrait, slowly returned to Seorin. The corner of Taegyeom’s mouth twisted upwards.02d142871aa6a301
“Me?”889d871ea938cd7e
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“…No?”4c2f1290aba64da1
His lips, parted 0ddf061003 in the middle, 92e7ff6481 opened seductively, and 603c23cefb a light laugh 0437ad7c1f escaped. It sounded almost like 54f844e16e a sneer, and Seorin d075c6dfff almost made a face, 30a176b989 forgetting he was a 4df0f8c76d mourner, but she managed 04456466b8 to hold it in. Taegyeom, who had been 989dbb3656 watching her, stayed silent b88c70ea73 for a moment before 305e671a95 speaking.57c55eddd332951d
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“I’m the one who paid for the funeral.”aeff302876af4c3a
Ah.8a87849194e39935
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The moment he said aa95f6fa99 that, Seorin realized he 3f50ebf8bf was the owner of 1934cc573f the wealthy family Young-hye 8b2de384f6 had worked for, and ca96767c7d she bowed her head.9112a4506593c8a9
When she told his secretary about Young-hye’s death, he said the Director would handle the funeral, so she shouldn’t worry, and then hung up. She had a hunch then. The person paying for the funeral would be someone with more responsibility and significant wealth than she imagined.146aade0152ac8ec
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The man she met was unexpectedly quite young. If he was a director, wasn’t that an executive? She couldn’t even imagine a man who looked in his early to mid-thirties holding such power and wealth.c19ba36141f171b1
“You’re even prettier in real life.”04142ab90ce5b6dd
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His low voice 497dd7451e sent chills, making 5e6710b5a6 her wary. Seorin looked 087c5c53b9 up questioningly 5eb5b3528f at the 3f9489f4eb unexpected remark, a8aeae196d and Taegyeom 9317157d89 chuckled, slowly 343331b38a tilting his 64db431df1 head. He watched her like d3be396b2d he was observing a 2604f26939 cat with its fur e53c5f20db bristling, and then mumbled:ea3d20b75537b578
“Crying is more exciting than smiling.”dafb9ef6e079611f
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“Huh?”8dad9cd26b26c421
Seorin frowned and questioned him, wondering if she’d heard him right, but he just responded with silence. He simply looked at her sideways, still wary of him.124ebdabb4e5b37b
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After staring 20f2414650 at her 0a8681c35e face for 3a7565b1d0 a long e31d15fdb8 time, Taegyeom 93b98e4f6d seemed to 486674ca10 lose interest, 7379686955 took off 5716caab38 his shoes, ee8db046d2 and stepped 07486bd218 inside.ffd94ceba9d8eeb7
“First, I’ll pay my respects to Joo Young-hye.”897adcf187152645
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Without waiting for Seorin’s reply, the man wrote his name in the guestbook, put the condolence money from his suit’s inner pocket into the box, and walked past her into the room.2eaaf636ba5f590c
His gaze 644b31ad76 sharpened on 6c1950829e the golden 86911e27e2 incense burner 796878ccde with a 26fd2312d2 couple of 351698f786 incense sticks 7f09ed76f9 in it. He waved his hand d053dc8fdd to put out the ba6cf3b0f5 small flame, then placed be6b672e9c an incense stick among 35b05914e1 the others, which were d1ee761292 rooted in the censer, 776dc8d302 a symbol of mourning.27af6baa55025d95
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After Jung Cheol’s business started to collapse, the ladies who had been close with Young-hye completely cut off contact. It was the scorn and humiliation from the wealthy, who somehow sniffed out the smell of poverty.51828815e49b16c6
In the heavy, silent air of the funeral hall, with no other visitors, Young-hye’s bright smile in the photo was just clear and pure, truly like a lady from when times were good. After paying his respects to the radiant face, Taegyeom stood in front of Seorin.f1e7bf9659b2b83f
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She closely resembled the beauty in the portrait… and even more so, there was a sorrowful, somehow empty vibe that subtly stirred a raw desire. Taegyeom’s mouth twisted smoothly as he slowly scanned her features.533734edb0d00532
Goosebumps popped up on Seorin’s skin. The man’s razor-sharp gaze felt directly on her skin, making her squirm. His eyes traced her face, then her earlobes, then her neck, trying to peel back what was hidden by her mourning clothes. As if to escape his gaze, Seorin quickly bowed first to return his greeting.5206db971722d364
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