Chương 10: S.04 Memory of the Clock 02(06)

Scene 16_01. The face was not unfamiliar. A figure entered the bustling hotel of the entertainment district with an unhesitant stride — and a bellboy, unable to find the right words in time, hurried to follow. The woman, tall and imposing, stopped dead in her tracks and cast a glance at the trailing bellboy as though he were beneath notice. The face was not unfamiliar, but the aura she carried belonged to an entirely different person.

The silent hauteur, the cutting gaze — no matter how similar the features, no one could mistake her for the same woman. When the bellboy froze nearby and stammered, Jeong-hyeon — as if his fumbling tested her patience — turned her whole body toward him and briefly appraised his appearance. Reading something without a word, she pulled a car key from her pocket and tossed it to the bellboy. Jeong-hyeon: I'm here to have a good time. Keep it ready. The bellboy took the key with a hesitant hand and excused himself.

Jeong-hyeon folded the raised collar of her tailored coat back to its proper crease. She adjusted the now-lowered collar, then headed for the hotel front desk. She drew a strand of long hair free with a casual touch and planted herself at the counter. Jeong-hyeon: I hear you have a... premium floor. Here. The desk attendant studied Jeong-hyeon's appearance for a moment, weighing options. The face was clearly familiar — but certainly not the same person. Unsure what answer to give, the attendant hesitated.

Jeong-hyeon produced an envelope from her pocket and placed it on the counter. Jeong-hyeon: That's the money your boss always tributed. Think of it as a small return on investment. Take it and answer my question. How do I get there. After hearing the attendant's directions, Jeong-hyeon received a single ornate key. She carried her long stride to the indicated elevator, and the key in her hand slid into a small keyhole.

The elevator must have already been waiting on the ground floor — the doors opened the instant she turned the key. Just as Jeong-hyeon stepped inside, someone sprinted up and slipped through the doors before they could close. Scene 16_02. She was not short by any means, but Jeong-hyeon was exceptionally tall. The presence that had dashed in on high heels was now crouched, nursing her shoe-battered feet, trying to thaw them in a hurry. The elevator doors had sealed shut, yet the car did not move.

Jeong-hyeon, who had stepped in first, looked nothing like the blade-eyed woman from moments ago — her cutting gaze had vanished without a trace, replaced by blank pupils staring up at the ceiling. After tending to her frozen feet and straightening up late, the smaller figure leaned close to Jeong-hyeon and whispered. You were the only one who could ride Si-yeon's motorcycle. Your younger sister is too kind-hearted for a job like this. So don't hold it entirely against me that I used you for this errand.

But in return, today.... A pale finger pressed the elevator button gently. The car finally lurched into motion, but Jeong-hyeon's gaze did not come down from the ceiling. When the soft arrival chime lingered inside the elevator, Jeong-hyeon lowered her head at last — as though snapping out of a trance. The cutting eyes that had been sighing at the ceiling met Yeon-jin, who stood outside the open doors, waiting with a formal posture as if she had been expecting her.

Yeon-jin: I had no idea someone from 본청 (Bon-cheong_Headquarters) would be visiting. I was notified from the lobby. Please, come in. Jeong-hyeon cleared her throat lightly, stepped inside with a long stride, and asked — blunt, without preamble. Jeong-hyeon: My younger sister — she's here, isn't she. Yeon-jin paused mid-step. Yeon-jin: I'm afraid I don't know who you — Jeong-hyeon: Hah.... Forget it. It's not like I'm here to lay my own sister down. I'll be lucky if I don't vomit from the disgust.

Yeon-jin resumed the escort. The side-slit of Jeong-hyeon's knee-length tailored skirt flapped with each stride. Tall as she was, she showed no discomfort in her sensibly heeled shoes — her gait was natural. The continuing silence from Yeon-jin seemed to grate on Jeong-hyeon. Just as she was about to toss out an idle question, Yeon-jin's steps halted before a door. Yeon-jin: As it happens, our newest ace is off-duty. Please enjoy yourself, and afterward do stop by my office.

Yeon-jin delivered her courteous words, then opened the closed door. Jeong-hyeon stepped through, received a light bow from Yeon-jin as the door shut behind her, and glanced back once — then surveyed the room beyond. Jeong-hyeon: Ah, SSi. They told me coming here would tell me where she is, and all I find is some hip-grinding pit where I'm supposed to — The words died mid-sentence the instant a figure emerged from the bathroom.

Before the startled figure could register what was happening, white sheets of paper shot from both of Jeong-hyeon's hands. The figure had no chance to prepare — the paper lashed around her like bandages, wrapping her from head to toe, rigid as a mummy. The body inside the cocoon of white paper, stiff as a statue, toppled to the floor like a felled column. Jeong-hyeon refused to let the opening slip. She drew a brush from her pocket and began inking calligraphy across the white paper binding.

Relief mixed with a taunting grin climbed the corner of her mouth. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Jeong-hyeon: Talented as you are — why are you here selling your body? The frantic struggle inside the white paper died in an instant. Jeong-hyeon: What are you trying to hide? Ah — wait. No? She tucked the brush away, then rose at her own leisurely pace. With one contemptuous nudge of her foot, she prodded the mummy-wrapped figure on the floor.

Jeong-hyeon: What are you trying to... protect? Scene 16_03. Well past noon. Business hours appeared to have ended — or rather, they were about to begin again soon. The hotel corridor, which had been bustling, was free of every gaudy footstep, holding nothing but a quiet lull. Jeong-hyeon stepped out, fully composed. She walked as though nothing had happened — ordinary poise, ordinary appearance. A few strides brought her to Yeon-jin, who had been waiting with a hint of tension.

Jeong-hyeon pulled a small bokjumeoni from inside her coat and tossed it to Yeon-jin without ceremony. Jeong-hyeon: I didn't kill her. If you go in now and treat her, she'll probably be ready for business tonight. At Jeong-hyeon's flat voice, Yeon-jin snatched the pouch and hurried off without so much as a bow. Jeong-hyeon's expression soured for a beat at the slight, but she decided this was not a place she would be returning to and chose to wait for the elevator instead. Scene 16_04.

Yeon-jin pushed open a hotel room door with quick steps — and found it clean. No blood, no wounded person as Jeong-hyeon's warning had implied. Only the back of someone seated at the vanity, having already finished preparing to leave, silent and still. At the sight, Yeon-jin felt a tangle of helplessness, disbelief, and the faintest thread of indignation. Yeon-jin: Do you have any idea what I've been doing — losing sleep over you. Scene 17. Early evening.

The winter sun hung sharp and cold, visible through the wide glass window. Frost clung to the pane. The living room was old and spacious, but not neglected to the point of chill. So-hui sat gazing past the afternoon light — and from behind, Si-yeon shuffled over and dropped herself beside So-hui's blank stare. Si-yeon: Aren't you scared? So-hui smiled lightly at Si-yeon's jab and nodded. So-hui: Yesterday — I was kind of pathetic, wasn't I? Si-yeon shook her head at So-hui's small self-reproach.

Si-yeon: What scares me now is myself. So-hui: Why? Si-yeon: Because now I actually have to do this right. Scene 18_01. Si-yeon sat with her head buried, curled tight. Rolled up like a ball, the clang of the cell door reached her ears. She had clearly not slept a wink — she lifted her head at once and looked toward the sound. Officer: You're free to go. The uniformed officer's flat announcement. Si-yeon's mouth was loaded with enough curses to fill a magazine, but she swallowed them and rose without a word.

She grumbled as she stood, but quietly. Standing in front of the open cell, Si-yeon looked once more at the officer, who had shut the door and was planted there, vacant-faced. The officer scowled at her and sighed. Officer: I said you can go?? Si-yeon: Ah-ni, SSibal — go WHERE?! Officer: No charges. You're free to go. Si-yeon: What? Officer: Just go. Home. Rattled inside but aware this was the planned release, Si-yeon smoothed her face into nonchalance. Si-yeon: SSibal, seriously.

Jerking a busy person around like this. Si-yeon strode out with her composure locked in place. Her grumbling steps carried her from the basement to the front desk on the ground floor. Heading for the main entrance across the lobby, a familiar officer called out to her. Ju-hyeon: Excuse me, Si-yeon. Si-yeon saw Ban Ju-hyeon — the detective who had ridden beside her in the patrol car — and halted mid-stride. Ju-hyeon's face said she had plenty to say. Si-yeon's face said she had plenty to ask.

But neither could gauge where to begin, and so neither spoke. The silence and the awkwardness between them were broken by Ju-hyeon. She pulled out a business card and stepped close — close enough that only Si-yeon could hear — delivering the card with a warning. Ju-hyeon: If anything happens, call me. Please. You're in danger right now, Si-yeon. Si-yeon took the card and paused. She had never expected this kind of treatment, nor had she ever received it.

Gripping the card, Si-yeon could not leave Ju-hyeon any parting words. She wanted to ask — but still did not know what. Ju-hyeon was the first to walk away, quickly. There was no reason Si-yeon would ever need help from the police. Something was clearly being misunderstood. Following Ju-hyeon's departure, Si-yeon shuffled toward the exit. The moment she stepped outside, the reality that greeted her was the lack of any way to get back to work. But standing in front of a police station was the last thing she wanted.

She let out a small sigh of resignation, and just as she moved to clear the station entrance, a taxi screeched to a halt in front of her. Si-yeon eyed the car with suspicion — and from the back seat, Ye-eun called out to her in a rush of worry, though the sentence came apart at the seam. Ye-eun: Si-yeon —! Ah! Scene 18_02. Si-yeon climbed into the taxi Ye-eun had brought and sat with a sour expression, staring out the window. Early evening. The shift was about to start again. The sun was sinking hard and fast.

She had no idea how many clients she had missed — but the vague irritation she felt was not about that alone. Ye-eun sat beside Si-yeon in the back seat, reading her mood. Si-yeon, making no effort to mask her discomfort, still had not said a word. Ye-eun: Um, are you... hurt any... where? Si-yeon: No. A curt answer. Ye-eun — her question hovering somewhere between formal and casual — could not continue. Si-yeon: How did you even get here.

Ye-eun: Oh, the boss said you'd probably be released by now and told me to go check. Si-yeon answered with a light sigh, eyes on the passing street. After a short silence, she asked Ye-eun. Si-yeon: Have you ever felt something like that. Ye-eun: Like what. Si-yeon: Just — like the world flipped overnight. Like I'm the only one who's off. I wake up and it's like... everyone else already knows something, and I'm the only one getting iced out. That kind of feeling. Ye-eun: Hmm.

Si-yeon: I'm sure of it — around winter? — I got hurt in the most ridiculous way. No, I'm almost certain I died. I don't know if it was a setup or what, but I definitely died. Then suddenly I open my eyes and I'm fine. What happened in between — well, they told me I was unconscious in a hospital and then got moved here, but I know that bitch boss better than anyone. She's not the type to nurse someone back to health. Especially not spending her own money. Never in a million years.

Ye-eun: I actually haven't been here long, so I wouldn't really know about — Si-yeon: Right. You came in the meantime and made ace. That's funny too. Thirty-three and she's the ace. Oh — I'm not saying you're ugly or anything. Don't take it the wrong way. You're gorgeous, I know that. You don't even look that age. What I mean is, the boss would never have put a thirty-three-year-old as her ace. Ah, SSibal. That's weird too, now that I think about it. Sorry. I'll shut up if this is pissing you off. Ye-eun: Oh, no.

It's not that. I just... Si-yeon buried her head low, as though walling off her own words. She closed her eyes, face tilted down, and went still. Ye-eun: I just thought... it must be hard for you. Si-yeon said nothing more. The ride was still long, so she tried — even if only briefly — to push the noise aside and catch some sleep. Scene 18_03. The corridor had just reopened for business. Si-yeon slipped through the bustle and vanished without a long goodbye to Ye-eun. Not a single word.

Si-yeon left Ye-eun behind and headed for her own room. Ye-eun could not have said much even if she wanted to. Once she confirmed Si-yeon had made it inside safely, Ye-eun stepped back into the elevator she had been holding. She pressed the button for one floor down and let the doors close. Behind her, the wide floor-to-ceiling glass no longer showed the fading red of the setting sun — in its place, red lanterns had taken over, casting a washed-out glow across the entertainment district below.

Further out, the sleek towers of the upscale high-rises stood their ground. The underbelly of a city. A city whose face was nothing but progress — its underbelly hung there in the dim. The lights outside, reflected in the gilded elevator doors, were closer to distortion rimmed in gold. After a pause, the sealed doors opened. Ye-eun stepped out and began to walk.