POSSESSED 17

The child, who nodded twice, scurried over to my side. She then waved her fern-like little hand toward Baek Joomyeong.

“Uncle, bye-bye.”

Baek Joomyeong, who had lowered himself to Yeonji’s eye level, smiled broadly but intentionally put on a look of disappointment.

“Are you sending uncle away already? Is uncle leaving?”

“Uh-huh…. Bye-byeee!”

There was no winning against a child who answered so purely, without a hint of push and pull. Baek Joomyeong acknowledged this, gave Yeonji’s cheek a gentle, painless pinch, and then straightened his legs to meet my eyes. Actually, his eye level was quite a bit higher than mine.

His blue eyes gazed at me steadily. His stare made my heart anxious and caused every single spot where I’d been kicked yesterday to flare up in pain simultaneously. It made it difficult for me to hold on as I struggled to hide the fact that I was hurting.

I’m already exhausted enough as it is while pretending I’m not—why is he looking at me like this?

Baek Joomyeong watched me in silence for quite a while. Then, as Yeonji began to fret for us to go inside, he finally spoke.

“There is something I wish to ask Teacher.”

“What is it?”

“I would like you to make some time for me today as well. It’s a bit difficult to discuss here, so I’d like to meet separately and ask you.”

“Pardon? Today too?”

What on earth could it be that he’s asking for more time today? Just as I was about to ask why, an alarm bell rang in my head. It was a signal not to forget the task I had to complete today. I had to take a half-day off to go to the bank. I had to hand over the bag of money to Lee Sunghwan.

I’m going through all this trouble for the sake of my own peaceful life, but it’s for you as well. For the sake of our Yeonji, I can’t let her uncle be handed over to those villains.

I’ll be the primary line of defense against Kim Gitak for now, so once Lee Kangseoo appears, you handle things on your own. My job ends here.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think today will work.”

I politely declined while harboring my grand, solitary ambition in my heart. I assumed Baek Joomyeong would simply say “I understand” if it wasn’t an urgent matter. However, he asked back with a lukewarm expression.

“Why won’t it work?”

“I have something else to take care of…. Is it that difficult to ask me here?”

Flustered because I hadn’t expected him to ask why, Baek Joomyeong closed the distance by about half a step. In that state, his gaze shot toward me once again. Unintentionally, I tightened my grip on the hand I was holding with Yeonji.

My body is already killing me—why is he being like this?

“I’m honestly not sure… if it’s appropriate to ask Mr. Yeonji’s Teacher such a personal question.”

A personal question?

“The man who was in front of the officetel yesterday…”

Unable to grasp Baek Joomyeong’s intention, I put strength into my eyes, which had been squinting. Even though I’d only heard as far as “the man who was in front of the officetel yesterday,” I knew exactly what story Baek Joomyeong was trying to bring up. It’s Lee Sunghwan.

There’s nothing I can’t say about him. But now was not the time.

“Ye-Yeonji-ya!”

Forgetting my own physical pain, I scooped Yeonji up into my arms. Because Yeonji’s leg pressed right against my bruised ribs, I nearly let out a scream, but I endured it tenaciously.

“The pork cutlet Teacher and Uncle ate together yesterday was delicious, wasn’t it?”

“Yees. I want to eat it again!”

“I am talking about the man in front of the officetel.”

This man again. Not yet, I said.

“You want to eat it again? Then let’s eat it again later.”

“Really…? Can I really eat with Teacher again?”

When I said yes, Yeonji gave a clear smile in my arms. Then she inadvertently moved her legs and hit my side. For a split second, I nearly let my expression crumble. It really hurt so much.

Baek Joomyeong, who had been ignored twice, now had his face strangely hardened. His blue eyes had also darkened slightly. The fact that I could notice such minute changes was because I was walking on eggshells around this man that much.

Baek Joomyeong needs to read the room a bit, too. By now, he should realize something is weird and conclude on his own that I don’t want to talk about it.

“You said today wouldn’t work. Then we can just eat again tomorrow.”

Huh? Having reached an unexpected conclusion, Baek Joomyeong took Yeonji from my arms and set her down.

“Let’s have another meal tomorrow evening.”

“Yay! Let’s do it again…!”

Yeonji hopped up and down while holding Baek Joomyeong’s hand. And this was before I’d even answered that I would do so. Since she was so happy, it was awkward for me to dampen her spirits.

Sharing a meal twice in a row is a bit much….

“Teacher. Excuse me for a moment before I go.”

Baek Joomyeong suddenly reached out toward me.

By the time I tried to see where his hand was headed, it had already touched my side. He poked exactly the bruised area.

“Aaah…!”

I let out a groan because the unannounced touch of another person was ticklish—and extremely painful. My body also gave a jolting shiver. Blushing at the embarrassing sound I made, I quickly brushed Baek Joomyeong’s hand away.

“What do you think you’re doing right now?”

If you know it’s rude, you shouldn’t do it!

I snapped sharply at him on purpose to hide my condition. Regardless, Baek Joomyeong stared quietly at the hand that had fallen from my side and spoke in a voice that was somewhat subdued.

“I will ask just one thing before I leave.”

“……”

“Were you hit yesterday?”

Was I hit yesterday?

I bit my lip and blinked. It was shocking that Baek Joomyeong realized it just from touching my side once. My mind felt dazed.

How did he know I was hit yesterday? I stole a glance downward to check my side. The bruise wasn’t visible, hidden by my clothes.

Then he realized it just by touching? It’s hard to conclude that someone was hit just by touching them. Even if my reaction was a bit much.

Could it be that he saw me getting hit yesterday? Or, since he’s a person who has fought more battles than one could be sick of, does he just know when someone has been hit just by looking? The latter was more realistic.

“Teacher.”

I blinked rapidly at the voice calling me. Baek Joomyeong asked once more.

“Is it true that you were hit?”

“O-Oh, no. Whatever made you think that…”

I set aside my sharp reaction and acted as incredulous as possible. That’s how I denied it.

Since it’s too early to talk about Lee Sunghwan, I have no intention of revealing to Baek Joomyeong that I was hit. Because the story of me being hit yesterday could lead from Lee Sunghwan and the Jeoksang Guild to the fact that I received money as a condition for handing over Baek Joomyeong.

Above all, it was embarrassing to admit I’d been beaten. I have my pride and my reputation to consider. We’d just shared a nice meal and parted ways yesterday—how could I admit I’d suddenly been beaten a few times?

“Compared to yesterday, Teacher’s movements are sluggish. I can see you’re being careful not to show that you’re in pain, and there are areas you’re avoiding moving altogether. Especially your side.”

“……”

“I saw that you were in pain just from Yeonji’s legs touching your side. It seems Teacher tried to hide it, but it’s not easy to mask instantaneous pain.”

Baek Joomyeong pointed out my brow and my breathing, which had reacted subconsciously. He said my brow furrowed then smoothed out, and my breath stopped for a moment before starting again. I just stood there blankly.

I don’t even know. I did that? I guess he really does know just because he’s been in some battles.

“So please, tell me honestly. Were you hit by that man yesterday?”