TMYRA Chapter 8

Pretty

 

A man who appeared to be in his mid-to-late twenties stood next to Bo-kyung, exuding an air of elegance in his neatly tailored suit.  

 

“Oh my, you’re already here? Thank you for coming. I was nervous you wouldn’t show up.”  

 

Bo-kyung spoke in a sweet, lilting voice, her eyes crinkling in a smile.  

 

“I came because I have something to say. This time, I intend to make myself clear. That way, you’ll understand your place.”  

 

“Why do you have to say such scary things? Let’s go inside and talk.”  

 

Bo-kyung pushed Soo-ah behind her and forced a smile at the man.  

 

“But who is that kid?”  

 

The man’s gaze landed on Soo-ah. Soo-ah seized the opportunity, stepping forward to introduce herself. 

 

“I’m Moon Soo-ah.”  

 

“What nonsense are you spouting? Do you even know who this gentleman is? Stop meddling and go home!”  

 

Bo-kyung shouted, but Soo-ah didn’t budge.  

 

“Your name is Moon Soo-ah?”  

 

The man showed interest. He murmured her name under his breath, his gaze lingering on her lips with a peculiar look in his eyes.  

 

“Pretty.”  

 

His voice softened noticeably, causing Bo-kyung’s expression to change as she grinned slyly.  

 

“Our Soo-ah is pretty, isn’t she? Soo-ah, this is Min Ihan, Chairman Min’s son. He’s the team leader at JS Group. Hurry up and say hello.”  

 

Bo-kyung tugged at Soo-ah and whispered in her ear.  

 

“Behave yourself properly. If you do, I won’t sell the house. Got it?”  

 

***

 

From that day forward, Soo-ah’s life changed.  

 

Instead of selling the house where she had lived with her father, Bo-kyung took Soo-ah with her when she moved into Chairman Min’s mansion.  

 

From that moment, Min Ihan’s obsession and Bo-kyung’s confinement of Soo-ah continued into her adulthood. 

 

Soo-ah had made plenty of preparations in the meantime. She had saved up money and even had her passport ready. She would figure out a place to stay, and as long as she could find a part-time job, she could survive.  

 

She thought of an excuse for the gang members.  

 

She had already completed her graduation project long ago, but she had pretended to have more work to do, so there was nothing to worry about. She packed only the essentials in her bag.  

 

As Soo-ah stepped out of her room with her bag, the gang members immediately surrounded her.  

 

“Where are you going, Miss Moon Soo-ah?”  

 

Jang Ji-cheol asked.  

 

“I’m going to school to work on my project. I’ve taken a long enough break. If I go today, I’ll have to pull an all-nighter.”  

 

“Understood.”  

 

At Jang Ji-cheol’s signal, two of the members stepped outside to bring a car around to the front of the house.  

 

“We’ll escort you to the school entrance.”  

 

Soo-ah was reluctant, but she said nothing, choosing instead to comply in order to show that she wasn’t resisting.  

 

***

 

“Miss Moon Soo-ah, we’ve arrived.”  

 

Jang Ji-cheol dropped Soo-ah off in front of the fine arts building. Even though she hadn’t told them, they already knew where she attended school and where the fine arts building was.  

 

She was slightly taken aback, but she kept her composure.  

 

“It’ll take me a long time to work. I also need to meet with my friends. Don’t wait for me.”  

 

“Waiting is our job. Don’t worry about us, take all the time you need to work. Have your meeting as well.”  

 

At Jang Ji-cheol’s words, Soo-ah pressed her lips together and stepped inside the fine arts building without responding.  

 

Her workspace was in the basement.  

 

The space had originally been a storage room, but starting two years ago, fourth-year students had been using it to prepare their graduation projects.  

 

Despite being underground, it had a wide floor-to-ceiling glass window, with a stretch of grass outside, making it feel open rather than confined.  

 

A rain-soaked landscape spread out in front of her.  

 

Raindrops trickled down the glass, deepening the green of the grass. Only then did Soo-ah finally take a breath of relief.  

 

The first thing she did was check on her project.  

 

It was a tapestry taller than herself, which had taken her a year to complete from conception to execution.  

 

Soo-ah majored in crafts, with a specialization in textile arts.  

 

She had purchased and dyed the threads herself, twisting them into thick strands to create her own unique yarn.  

 

To depict trees, she added texture in certain areas, letting strands of thread dangle to represent leaves.  

 

It was nearly finished, requiring only some final touches.  

 

As she debated where to store the piece, the door opened, and someone entered.  

 

“Moon Soo-ah!”  

 

Soo-ah’s closest friend was Ji-eun.

 

“When did you get here! I’ve been waiting for you to come to school.”

 

Ji-eun ran up to Soo-ah, grabbing her hand excitedly.

 

However, noticing that Soo-ah’s expression was not quite right, she lowered her voice and asked,

 

“Soo-ah, is something wrong? Did your mother… again?”

 

Ji-eun had been Soo-ah’s best friend since middle school, and they were in the same art class.

 

Their personalities matched well, and they became close enough to share personal matters, so Ji-eun knew about Soo-ah’s family situation to some extent.

 

“A lot has happened.”

 

Soo-ah briefly explained what had been going on with her.

 

“So, those gangsters are waiting outside right now?”

 

“Yeah, so I’m planning to run away today.”

 

“Run away? What about school?”

 

“I’ve already prepared my graduation project, so the exhibition won’t be a problem. I can take a leave of absence for the second semester.”

 

“Then where will you stay?”

 

“I’ll hide out in the countryside, do some part-time work, and paint in my spare time. If the opportunity arises, I might even go abroad. There are plenty of options.”

 

Ji-eun looked at Soo-ah seriously for a moment, then suddenly widened her eyes as if she had a great idea.

 

“Let’s switch clothes.”

 

“Clothes?”

 

“Yeah. I’ll wear your clothes and pretend to be you. You wear mine and leave through the door that connects the storage room to the main building.”

 

That door was supposed to remain locked, but students had secretly left it open for convenient access to the main building.

 

No matter how much the gangsters knew about the school’s layout, they wouldn’t be aware of that passage. It was a good idea.

 

“You didn’t bring your phone, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Good. Once you get a new number, contact me. Promise, okay?”

 

“Yeah, I will, Ji-eun. Thank you so much.”

 

Soo-ah hugged Ji-eun tightly, expressing her gratitude sincerely.

 

“I wore my favorite outfit today, but I’m glad I can give it to you.”

 

Seeing how happy Ji-eun was just to lend her clothes, Soo-ah felt her eyes sting with emotion. The two of them quickly swapped clothes.

 

Ji-eun put on the cap, t-shirt, and sneakers that Soo-ah had been wearing, while Soo-ah donned Ji-eun’s dress and a bucket hat.

 

Since their shoe sizes were the same and their body types similar, the clothes fit well.

 

“Oh, we should switch bags too.”

 

Ji-eun readily handed over her bag and even transferred the contents herself.

 

“I’ll leave first. You take the back door. See you soon, Soo-ah. Take care until then. Bye!”

 

Waving, Ji-eun headed toward the first floor while Soo-ah ran down to the basement storage room.

 

Upon reaching the main building, she saw a school shuttle bus just pulling up and quickly boarded.

 

After taking the shuttle as far as possible, she found a bus stop and hopped onto the first bus that arrived without checking the route.

 

The bus crossed the Han River and passed through Oksu-dong.

 

Seeing an empty seat in the back, she sat down.

 

Only then did the tension in her body start to ease, and she began to take in her surroundings.

 

Looking out the window, she saw the sun setting. The rain had stopped, and the clouds had cleared, revealing a sky tinged with a deep red glow.

 

She realized she needed to find a place to stay and checked the bus route.

 

The bus she had boarded was headed from Gangnam to Gwacheon.

 

She decided to get off in Gangnam.

 

In a crowded area, it would be harder for people to track her down. Plus, she was hungry.

 

Planning to grab a quick meal in the city and then decide on her next destination, she got off near Gangnam.

 

Spotting a hamburger restaurant near the bus stop, she went inside.

 

She ordered a chicken burger set and took a bite. The crispy chicken patty and crunchy lettuce blended perfectly, melting in her mouth.

 

After moving into Ihan Min’s house, Soo-ah had not been able to eat whatever she wanted.

 

Ihan even controlled what she ate.

 

Despite being an adult, she wasn’t allowed to drink alcohol.

 

Bo-kyung was even stricter.

 

She constantly reminded Soo-ah that she had to stay beautiful for Ihan and forbade her from eating anything other than salads and specific meals.

 

Because of that, it had been a long time since she’d last had a burger.

 

Enjoying her newfound freedom, Soo-ah ate to her heart’s content.

 

When she stepped out of the restaurant, night had completely fallen. Neon signs illuminated the city, and streetlights glowed brightly on every corner.

 

Still unsure of where to go next, Soo-ah wandered into the alleys behind the buildings, considering whether to stay here for a few days.