“Good heavens, what on earth happened?”
Sam, who had hurriedly opened the door, was startled and shouted loudly upon seeing Yujin and Angela standing there. She quickly let them inside, then hurriedly warmed some coffee and milk for them. She turned up the heater, started running a bath, and busied herself with various tasks.
“How is it possible that your cheeks are this cold?”
Sam touched Yujin’s and Angela’s cheeks alternately, speaking with a voice full of concern. Instead of answering, Yujin managed a faint smile. Sam continued kindly.
“Don’t worry and get some rest. For now, you can borrow my clothes. Is this all the luggage you have?”
Her voice rose in surprise at the end. And understandably so — Yujin and Angela had almost nothing with them. Except for the large teddy bear Angela was holding. That, too, Yujin had prepared beforehand, telling Angela to bring the one doll she really wanted. Angela hugged it tightly as if it would protect her. Sam patted the child’s head with pity and said,
“You’re cold, right? Go wash up quickly. The meal is almost ready. If you come out and drink some warm soup, you’ll feel much better.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
Yujin expressed his gratitude, then took Angela toward the bathroom. It was the first time they had visited Sam’s house, where she lived alone. Yujin looked around the quaintly decorated home as they headed to the bathroom. After undressing, he entered the bath with Angela. As soon as he got in, the tension melted away. With an automatic sigh, he closed his eyes, and Winston’s face naturally came to mind.
By now, he must be furious.
Yujin imagined Winston pacing the room in rage, shouting loudly, but it did not bring him any satisfaction. Rather, the thought that the anger might be directed at himself sent a chilling shiver down his spine.
It’s okay.
Trying to calm himself, Yujin murmured inwardly. Winston can’t possibly find me.
Since Winston knew about Sam, he would probably come here soon enough. Of course, Yujin did not intend to stay long either. He just needed a place to catch his breath. He still had money left from the publishing advance, so he planned to stay temporarily at a cheap hotel. But upon hearing this, Sam immediately opposed it.
“It’s too dangerous to stay in a place like that with a child.”
She scolded him with a serious expression, then promised to find a cheap rental for them.
“Thank you, Sam.”
Encouraged, Sam contacted a real estate agent she knew and immediately arranged an appointment. They planned to meet the agent first thing in the morning, and for now, the topic was settled.
“I’ll take care of the cleaning, Sam.”
Yujin offered to help, but Sam shook her head to stop him.
“It’s okay. Just sit down. You can read Angela a storybook.”
“A storybook?”
Sam only read romance novels. Knowing that well, Yujin asked, and Sam smiled in reply.
“Angie said she was coming over, so I went to the bookstore this morning. The owner recommended that book. He said it was very interesting.”
Yujin glanced in the direction Sam pointed and stopped, seeing the title on the bookshelf.
“The bookstore owner recommended this book?”
Unable to take his eyes off it, he asked, and Sam nodded.
“They said it’s going to be a huge hit soon. That person’s taste is impeccable, so you can trust them. Angie will enjoy it too.”
His heart, which had momentarily stopped, began to beat wildly. Feeling the pounding as if it might burst through his ribs, Yujin nervously reached out and grabbed the book’s spine.
The publishing president had said he would give him whatever publications he wanted, but Yujin refused. He didn’t want the people at the mansion to know what he had done, and he hated the idea of Winston finding out even more. So this was the first time he had seen the physical book.
My book.
Yujin was so moved he could barely breathe. He never imagined a day would come when he could see his own book with his own eyes. So much had happened between signing the contract and delivering the manuscript that it still felt unreal. He was prepared for the call saying, “Actually, this won’t work.” His life had never gone smoothly. But.
It really came out.
His nose tingled, and his vision blurred. Sniffling quickly, he looked up at the ceiling and tried to swallow back his tears. From below, Angela tugged at his pants, looking puzzled.
“Daddy, Daddy? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Yujin forced a smile and held the book in his hand. After checking the very first page, he took a deep breath and turned around.
“Shall I read a book for you, Angie?”
“Yeah, I’d like that!”
The child brightened and nodded. Yujin sat side by side with Angela on the sofa, pulling her close with one arm, and turned the pages.
“There was a cute girl with long brown hair walking down the street.......”
Bang! The loud sound startled the secretary, who took a startled step back. The hand that had slammed the desk was white and trembling with tense joints. His bloodshot eyes, clenched teeth, and furious glare made the secretary uneasy and cautious. Soon, silence settled in the office. Winston stared blankly into the air without saying a word.
Where did he go?
Of course, Winston had checked with Sam. After confirming that Yujin had taken the train the day before, Winston was able to guess his whereabouts immediately. It was fortunate that Yujin had no one to rely on except Sam, but the problem was that if it weren’t for Sam, there was no clue where he had gone. The pursuit soon hit a dead end.
“He left.”
Sam greeted the security guards Winston sent with a calm face.
“I don’t know where. I told him I’d find a cheap rental, but °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° he left at dawn with the child.”
Then she crossed her arms and added with a sarcastic tone,
“Looks like he figured you’d come looking for him like this.”
Hearing the report, Winston couldn’t hold back and cursed. He had to find him no matter what. He was sure Yujin would contact Sam. After ordering her to be watched, Winston continued tracking where Yujin might have gone. But there was no trace of him buying or renting a car.
Daddy can’t drive.
Yujin recalled something Angela had said once. Then he couldn’t have gone far. It had to be somewhere near where Sam lived.
Where the hell is it?
To make matters worse, heavy snow began to fall from dawn. Imagining Yujin wandering alone with the child in the streets made Winston feel like he was going mad. He couldn’t stand it and got up from his seat.
“Mr. Campbell? You have a meeting soon......”
The secretary spoke urgently, but Winston tried to leave without answering. Just as he was about to grab the door handle, a sudden pain pierced his whole body, and he gasped, collapsing forward.
“Mr. Campbell!”
The secretary rushed over, checking his face. Haah, haah. His ragged breath came out continuously. The pain from his back wound spread throughout his body, squeezing him like a vise. With trembling hands, he took out a medicine bottle and poured pills into his mouth. The secretary quickly ran to fetch a glass filled with whiskey and returned. Winston shoved the pills down his throat with the alcohol.
“Are you okay, Mr. Campbell? Should I call your doctor?”
The secretary had seen him take medicine before, but this was the first time he had witnessed such agony, as if he was having a seizure. Worried, he asked, and Winston spat between harsh breaths.
“F-fine.”
His voice trembled, probably due to disrupted breathing. Winston took a deep breath and remained still for a moment before slowly rising. The secretary watched anxiously as he staggered back to his seat.
“......The meeting?”
“Yes, Mr. Campbell.”
The secretary quickly replied to Winston’s strained voice. Winston continued in a hoarse tone.
“Tell them to postpone it by an hour. And report the progress of the search every thirty minutes.”
“Understood.”
The secretary left the office immediately. Left alone, Winston closed his eyes and sank into his chair, waiting for the medicine to take effect. Strong painkillers tended to cloud the mind. The visions he had seen countless times came to him again.
Winnie.
Yujin’s image, leaning against him, was imprinted on his retina. Unfortunately, the hallucination was not as strong as reality. Winston knew very well that it was a mirage created by his own desire.
Why.
Unable to hide his miserable feelings, he covered his eyes with one hand.
Why on earth did he leave me?
He could not understand it at all. He thought things were going well.
