Trigger Ch 2

Seeing her 843fab5a48 totally obvious 02ab0944b8 avoidance, Taegyeom faf5b25681 looked down eea8a85678 at her e39af2c5ba small head, 15abc90196 let out 08d66e4f54 a dry 18f4653c07 laugh, and f39ef94845 totally returned 18953c9149 her bow.c5165617fc142e27

After a quick nod, fe64861a78 Seorin kept her head 70310ad991 down and rubbed her b92174cc03 arm.eb1755a9f79ad6d6

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“Thank you so much. My mom owed you a lot, and for you to even pay for the funeral…”dcb95f292b2c17c1

“It’s like a welfare thing. She was working here, doing odd jobs, after all.”8dbf3a4de70ad4fd

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Seorin’s neat eyebrows furrowed for a second at his subtle arrogance. Her pride was totally crushed, but like he said, her mom’s work was pretty random stuff, and without Taegyeom, they wouldn’t have been able to have a funeral anyway, so she just shut up.b17d112110a44426

“…It’s all thanks to you, Director. If you have time, maybe some food…?”22af414886a10216

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Not knowing what else he’d say, Seorin quickly turned towards the empty seats, planning to feed him and get him out of there. Taegyeom watched her for a bit, then, playing along, followed her and sat down at the table piled with food.5aa9e5cbcd30b67d

There was Yukgaejang (spicy beef soup), Pyeonyuk (sliced boiled beef), assorted jeon (pancakes), stir-fried anchovies, honey rice cakes, cherry tomatoes… a ton of food, but Taegyeom didn’t pick up his chopsticks. His gaze, as he looked at each dish, was more like surveillance than interest. Like, “Is the food being served properly?” kind of vibe.0fa866c88d38b02a

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Taegyeom’s controlling attitude made Seorin wonder if he always treated her mom like that. A surge of impulse hit her—she needed to get away from this guy, ASAP.6079a2c8eae7baac

“Did you already eat?”89a514a66091d1f6

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“No. I was just remembering Joo Young-hye’s cooking.”8705793c48a19774

“…Huh?”b5811423373d7bc7

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“She was a great cook, Ms. Joo. At first, seeing hands that had never gotten a blister, I wondered if I could really entrust my home and life to her.”8cc1b425f4425a16

Taegyeom let 83502f5e38 out a be7d85e92e light, cynical 6bdfab4d64 laugh and 3b390776b2 picked up 33412db1d4 a cherry 569f526b20 tomato, popping 7fdca30b3c it into fe02b12cfe his mouth. A plain 4b96866f7b taste filled 30257b5ebd his mouth bdb9c54207 with every 0614fe6f2e bite. His sharp eyes were 04253ca5d7 still fixed on Seorin.e443d21e3b01518e

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“She struggled for months, but she eventually pulled it off. How tenacious she was… Her pathetic voice, begging me not to kick her out because she’d adapt soon, is still so clear in my mind.”525b84030af11a3a

It was clearly a sneer. As he insulted her mother, Seorin’s haggard face slowly contorted. Her clenched fists gradually tightened.a2dbe2906e12c356

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In a funeral hall with the deceased, talking smack about her mother right in front of her daughter—Seorin couldn’t possibly understand his intentions, and she didn’t want to. He had been unwelcomed the moment he stepped in. But her patience, which had been treating him as a guest despite his consistently rude gaze and attitude, finally ran out. Even if he was the one who paid for the funeral.ba942e3712500655

Seorin, raising her head ab3004db74 stiffly towards the man 720711ac52 who had utterly disgraced 7c0d1580b8 her, spoke politely.1cc36a082f3d3b63

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“It was probably out of responsibility to support the family as the head of the household. Thank you for your condolences. But it’s very late, and if you’re not going to eat, I’d appreciate it if you could leave now.”7813dee205e69fca

She was polite, but her tone was so cold, not at all like someone who’d received help from him. A subtle sneer spread across Taegyeom’s lips. He didn’t move from his chair despite Seorin’s request. Instead, he tilted his head, seemingly amused, and shot back:496dbbd5c1f48788

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“I don’t understand why Joo Young-hye, who tried so hard to support her family, left her daughter with debt.”755c069cb8b2919f

“Huh?”830442e0c8a33b82

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Seorin, who was about to leave her spot whether he left the funeral hall or not, froze at Taegyeom’s words. Debt? How did this guy know?ca782934663f79a9

Seorin nervously met Taegyeom’s eyes, wondering if her mom had carelessly let something slip to her employer about having debt. Then, unlike before, he gave a charming smile and put his hand back into the inner pocket of his suit.83095be4623c6af8

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“I heard she had a lot of debt… but besides that, Ms. Joo left me with a debt.”50b5210e60446dd1

Taegyeom took 15b63b3a31 something out d76aef7d5c of his d2000f6ab8 inner pocket aaa1cc3590 and placed a60bfa3486 it on d1ee945673 the table. It was a 70b6f2c0ca watch, with its aee102d157 right edge chipped, a9ca859a28 sitting on the fc24f8e9eb edge of the 1b95d8207e table full of 74a6c879a6 food.46f685649e8a120f

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Even though she could roughly guess the situation by now, Seorin’s face hardened, as if she absolutely couldn’t accept the truth. A broken sound escaped her lips.579a4e055fe34046

“…”428f5ed2b4a147dc

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“There were always housekeepers who stole watches and stuff while cleaning the dressing room. She probably thought I wouldn’t notice one missing among so many.”dcfb4c6eacc50296

“I tend to figure things out, even if it’s late. After that, I caught the thieves and made them take responsibility.”a4d6be0849d961f7

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Seorin heard nothing. She just stared at the broken watch, hoping the situation in front of her wasn’t the worst-case scenario she was imagining. But Taegyeom cruelly shattered her hope.47c43139f0dd1f1f

“Ms. Joo must have been really hounded by debt collectors. Of all the watches to steal, she just had to pick the most expensive one I owned…”705770a89ece0a32

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“The moment I saw it happen, she startled herself, fumbled around, and then smashed the watch against the edge of the display case.”f596aa6a77dfc593

True to its expensive price tag, even with one corner crushed and cracked, the undamaged part of the watch was still stylish and elegant. The way it gleamed in the light only added to Seorin’s unease.ff1d9c7c00ed055d

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“…My mom wouldn’t have done that. No matter how strapped for cash she was… How can I believe my mom did this? She’s already dead, how can I even confirm it?”783816337a1cd3fe

She retorted, full a5ba7ee53e of caution but 477242e9ce clearly trembling with 90b4d353f9 fear, flailing like 59fdf210e5 a cornered kitten.cfa9d4a73c603c48

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Despite being scared stiff, Seorin’s angry hiss was no threat, just amusing to Taegyeom, who let out a hollow laugh.822beae75bc3c3bf

“This kid’s got guts.”6ffaf94ea98945f0

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“What did you say?”9d066da197efffeb

“If I show you proof, are you confident you can accept the truth?”d57e5235c31582a6

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Taegyeom took a USB out of his suit’s inner pocket and placed it on the table. The USB, clearly showing signs of heavy use, crushed Seorin’s defiance.b7c73b3ea9bff4d4

Ah… The sheer existence of clear evidence left Seorin speechless, her mouth just opening and closing. Lately, her mother’s face had grown darker as the loan sharks’ demands intensified. Every time something in the house broke, her mother’s spirit seemed to break too. Was that why? Unable to bear the anxiety, she finally chose to steal.c27e4294d428ac3c

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Taegyeom, who had dragged ec8c8157b4 her into the mud, 01fd4a8171 propped his chin on 5db903961b his hand and smiled 14421aa3f3 elegantly.bb7f3b7237c81fb3

“Anyway, you won’t be able to see your mother now, but luckily, there’s a video left.”72b78d3a89a6918a

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“I’ll lend it to you. Watch it if you want.”2c82f73da1ced89a

Despair hung heavy in the air. Her mother’s last living moments, caught stealing a watch? More than anything, that devastating truth endlessly frustrated the daughter.5060958982034ce1

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Seorin squeezed her eyes shut, then slowly opened them. With evidence right in front of her, she couldn’t pretend not to know. Instead, she had to do what he wanted without upsetting him. If only to somehow navigate the reality she was now burdened with.03dfafdf10e62d77

“What do you want from me? Money?”1792fa2f215c4f34

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Her voice, even 92cd0e10a2 heavier, trembled weakly. Her earlier 324ed593f5 feisty demeanor e3e4e37bd2 was gone, 055724dd08 leaving only 2857df1b14 an abandoned c95da48f45 kitten.b0a108cebcd93d57

“I’m sorry, but I have nothing right now. No money, no skills… The money, I’ll pay it back somehow.”bf5901b064b4eaf4

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Even if it takes her whole life… Her mumbled words were unfocused and blurred. She was clearly in shock; even what she was repeating wasn’t clear, her pronunciation off.485762cb7d040fab

His gaze, fixed on b07296d1f1 Seorin, grew intense. It was 1f96cf392f as if 628c630344 they could d5e7866b01 finally communicate 0aeed45df6 now; his 0941575a39 relaxed eyes f325485378 freely scrutinized 9a63ec746b Seorin.9fe27f215cc0c0b4

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“Money… Right. The watch is broken, so I should get money.”555a7d4ecd125003

“But it’d be pretty pathetic to hold onto a young girl just for a few bucks.”9ba93bd1ff1651e3

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Taegyeom, deep in thought as if calculating in his head, enjoyed the sight of Seorin’s pale, thoughtful face. When their eyes met, the corner of his mouth tilted upwards.85c7ddffe1a3c309

“I want something else.”87eef4f7fddebf7e

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“What?”ce775f529f42157f

As tension spread across Seorin’s face, Taegyeom offered a neat smile.d6d4cd3d834df3f1

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“Right now, with Joo Young-hye gone, there’s no one to manage the house. It’s tricky to just bring in random people, and the ones agencies send just aren’t a good fit…”3ed6eba448c15692

“So, I want Jung Seorin to take her place.”acd6afc0fc76af57

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At Taegyeom’s words, she frowned, as if wondering if she’d heard him right.a6c263e5309f2429

“You want me… to do what my mother did?”bfb5598d9cf63557

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“It’s convenient when you catch on quickly this time.”310501b36db08839

His eyes, which had been hunting for prey, curved into a satisfied smile. The man’s smile was cool enough to make any woman’s heart flutter, but Seorin’s mind only wavered for a moment before she quickly took his suggestion as a taunt and opened her mouth.e8e878f772b34be0

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“I refuse.”dc55c36ec0670fe5

“Refuse?”c9444acaaff8a664

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“I don’t want to think of my mother while doing that… And I’m not good at housework.”c1bc707d40d24da6