Chapter 108
108. Tag
2023.08.16.
So-eun stared blankly at one spot, as if she had lost consciousness with her eyes open.
In the transparent scenery, painted with watercolor paints, only that man was as vivid as oil paint.
In the world of Goblin Horns, like waterlogged flames, that man, Kim Tae-joon, stood like a real goblin.
In this journey to find his past, she faced an undeniable present.
It felt like she had hit the back of her head against a rock. The tears that had welled up with emotion had become a signal of shock.
"Huh..."
As she slumped down, letting out a groan-like breath, Agnes asked with a surprised expression.
"So-eun. What's wrong?"
So-eun's face was pale, as if she was on the verge of a panic attack.
"Do you need help?"
"I need it!"
So-eun lowered her body as much as possible so as not to be caught on Tae-joon's radar and desperately appealed.
"My ex-boyfriend came to catch me."
"He came here? To Bryce Canyon?"
"You mustn't look!"
So-eun urgently stopped Agnes from turning her head in the direction of Tae-joon.
"He came all the way here from Korea to catch you?"
"Please help me."
At Agnes's incredulous question, So-eun pleaded, on the verge of tears. Reading So-eun's desperate eyes, the Lyndon couple simultaneously wore determined expressions like generals heading to the battlefield.
"Then we must go. Let's go!"
Thus began the Lyndon couple and So-eun's escape operation from Bryce Canyon.
Paul carried So-eun's backpack. So-eun wore a padded jumper with the hood pulled down, a mask, and even borrowed Agnes's sunglasses. Her appearance as an East Asian woman had completely disappeared. With Agnes holding So-eun's hand, So-eun looked exactly like the Lyndon couple's daughter. A grumpy daughter who had been dragged out of bed to see the sunrise by her eager parents.
Even with such heavy armor, her heart pounded like it had a bomber installed instead when she passed right next to Kim Tae-joon.
When So-eun tightened her grip on Agnes's hand, Agnes pulled So-eun closer to her side and linked arms with her. Thanks to that, they were able to pass safely right next to Kim Tae-joon.
After passing Tae-joon, the three of them quickened their pace as if they had made a promise. By the time they arrived at the parking lot, they were almost running.
"Get in quickly!"
"Yes!"
So-eun got into the Lyndon couple's car.
"We're going straight to Las Vegas. Okay?"
"Yes!"
The three's operation was a success.
Paul Lyndon was the best driver, and the car easily retraced the road they had just come on. So-eun, who thought it was over and lifted her head, which had been deeply bowed, remembered that she was on a package tour at the entrance to Bryce Canyon.
If they confirmed that she was missing, the tour guide might report her missing, saying that an East Asian woman had disappeared.
"Could we stop by the hotel parking lot for a moment? I think I need to talk to the tour guide."
So-eun asked for understanding and got out of the car.
In front of the tour bus in the wide hotel parking lot, the bus driver and the guide were talking.
"Joy, good morning."
The guide, who recognized So-eun, greeted her first. So-eun said urgently.
"Hello. Unfortunately, I don't think I can continue the tour any longer. I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to take another car to Las Vegas first."
"Really? That's too bad."
"It's a shame, but I think it's best to go and rest quickly."
"Then do that. May God bless you."
As she turned around after saying goodbye to the guide, who had understood everything, Hadi ran from the hotel.
"Joy!"
Hadi's face was flushed, as if he had been looking for So-eun all along.
"I've been looking for you everywhere."
She took a step back from the troublesome situation, but she couldn't push away Hadi, who was relentlessly approaching.
With sparkling eyes, as if his heart was full, Hadi began to confess.
"Joy, I can't let today be our last day. I can't leave like this. I fell in love with you at first sight. I'm actually a member of the royal family of the Arab Emirates. Be my sixth wife. If you follow me, you can live a wealthy and happy life forever."
Ugh...
I wish I hadn't heard these words. Hadi proposed, carefully pronouncing each word, aware that So-eun didn't understand English well.
"Joy. Was my proposal that touching?"
"No! Thank you, but I refuse! Please don't come near me!"
So-eun waved her hand to reject him and quickly got into the Lyndon couple's car.
The end of Bryce Canyon, which was supposed to be filled with emotion and excitement, became a mess.
The Lyndon couple told her not to worry now that they had left Bryce Canyon and to rest comfortably until they arrived in Las Vegas, but So-eun couldn't.
What do I do now?
Seeing that he had come all the way to Bryce Canyon, Kim Tae-joon might be searching the United States like a fine-tooth comb to find her. He would eventually barge into Palo Alto, where she was staying. Maybe he already knew that she was living with Hyun-ji.
Then, do I have to run away again?
I don't know anyone, where should I go now.
Agnes felt sorry for the frightened So-eun and often offered words of comfort and bought her food to replace breakfast. So-eun was grateful for the Lyndon couple's kindness, but she couldn't relax even with their advice.
Before she knew it, the car led by the Lyndon couple arrived in Las Vegas. Paul dropped So-eun off in front of the hotel.
"Thank you."
They may not meet again, but she would never forget their kindness to a stranger. So-eun said her thanks.
"Actually, I don't have parents. It was only for a short time, but I was really grateful to be your daughter."
"We were happy to have a pretty daughter like So-eun, even if it was only for a short time. Goodbye. And good luck."
"Yes. Thank you."
After exchanging warm greetings with the generous people, So-eun ran into the hotel building, afraid of being caught by someone. She immediately caught the elevator, opened the door to the 30th-floor room, and Hyun-ji, who was rolling around on the bed, perked up her head.
"Oh? So-eun! You came earlier than I thought?"
The original tour end time was 5 o'clock. She was surprised to arrive four hours early.
"Yes. It ended early."
"But why do you look like that? Was it not fun?"
"It was fun. But..."
So-eun was about to tell her that she had seen Tae-joon, but she swallowed it down because she thought it would ruin Hyun-ji's vacation.
"I guess it was because I was alone. Everyone came as a couple."
"Oh, right. I told you to come with me later."
Hyun-ji gave So-eun a light glare and quickly smiled again.
"Anyway, that's good. Let's go shopping, shopping! You remember we decided to go out wearing the clothes I pick out, right?"
Hyun-ji jumped off the bed and bounced into the bathroom. She seemed excited at the thought of dressing up So-eun.
The two went out together. There was a shopping center next to the hotel, so the way there was easy. The problem was Hyun-ji's enthusiasm. As if taking revenge for So-eun going on a package tour without her, Hyun-ji dragged So-eun all over the shopping center.
After seeing too many clothes, So-eun felt tired, as if all the clothes were the same. Every time So-eun said they were all the same, Hyun-ji would explain that the fabric of this dress was different, the stitching of this dress was different, and that all the dresses were different.
"How about this?"
"This is too low-cut."
"Then this?"
"My belly button is showing. I'll get a stomachache."
So-eun repeated what she had said several times and insisted that she had to wear clothes that weren't too flashy. While wandering through the dress shop, the sun was setting. Hyun-ji and So-eun now had to make a decision.
"Hmm. Then this. Hurry up and put it on."
The last dress Hyun-ji picked out was a light gray halterneck dress with sequins all over it. It looked plain when it was hanging on the hanger, but when she took it out and held it under the light, it was so flashy that she felt like she could be the main character of the world. In Hyun-ji's other hand was a dress with a coolly exposed back. It was clear that she would make her wear that if she refused this one. So-eun reluctantly took the gray dress and went into the dressing room.
"Ooh!"
When So-eun came out after changing, Hyun-ji's mouth widened like a flower. The clerk next to her also shouted, "Fantastic!"
Yes. This dress is a bit like a female warrior in a fantasy novel.
"It's sexy but neat!"
"How is this dress neat?"
"It completely covers your chest and you can't see your belly button."
"It's a dress that will sparkle under the lights, though?"
"Everyone will be sparkling. You're being prejudiced against the color."
"Sparkling isn't a color, it's a stimulus."
"Oh, an engineering student. Don't try to teach me. I don't know those technical terms."
"Is stimulus a technical term?"
While So-eun was vehemently arguing, Hyun-ji was nonchalantly handing her card to the clerk.
"Stop the calculation!"
The clerk paused at So-eun's shout. Hyun-ji grumbled.
"Why? I like it."
"It's too short."
"My school uniform was shorter than this when I was in school. Haven't you ever altered your school uniform?"
"This is my first time wearing clothes like this."
"That's how it is for everyone. There's nothing that isn't a first time."
There was no way to win an argument with Choi Hyun-ji. So-eun's shoulders slumped as if she had given up, and Hyun-ji stretched her lips out long like a witch.
"Let's go now. Let's go conquer the nightclub!"
*
Should I tell her that it's actually my first time at a nightclub too?
So-eun was led by Hyun-ji's hand and stepped into another unfamiliar space. The sound of the speakers booming so loudly that she couldn't hear the conversation of the person next to her and the dazzling lights were dizzying. Still, it was fortunate that Hyun-ji didn't force her to take off her padded jacket.
I don't know how to dance and I can't drink. I came in, but it wasn't easy to enjoy it together. It was nice to see Hyun-ji's happy face. But somehow, she also felt that Hyun-ji wasn't having as much fun because she was taking care of her.
Maybe it was because she had been up since dawn and was nervous, but she was tired and her feet hurt.
Seeing people laughing and talking made her feel inexplicably depressed.
It was positive in that she was able to properly understand her tendencies. So-eun realized that she wasn't a nightclub person. It was a time when she realized that people who used to play were the ones who played.
Time passed while she was hesitating whether to speak or not, and an hour had already passed since she had entered the club.
So-eun approached Hyun-ji, who was enjoying herself a step away, and spoke to her.
"Hyun-ji."
"So-eun. Here's a non-alcoholic cocktail!"
As soon as she approached, Hyun-ji held out a cocktail glass.
"And, do you want to say hello? These two people are also engineers working in Silicon Valley."
Hyun-ji seemed to have already exchanged conversations with the people who had settled nearby. So-eun smiled at the unfamiliar men and women in front of her and said to Hyun-ji again.
"Hyun-ji. I'm going in first."
"Why? Are you not feeling well?"
"I'm a little tired after finishing the tour."
"Wait a minute. Then I'll go with you."
"No. Hyun-ji, you play some more. You said you can't play tomorrow."
Hyun-ji pouted as if she was sorry to send So-eun away first, then nodded.
"Can you go alone?"
"Of course. I'll take a taxi."
So-eun reassured Hyun-ji and left the nightclub.
Perhaps because she had been in a louder place, the city's noise seemed relatively quiet.
She felt sorry for Hyun-ji because she thought she would have enjoyed it a little if her mind wasn't so confused.
As night fell, the lights, which were brighter than in the daytime, surrounded the city. It felt like the sunrise in her memory from dawn was covered by this dazzling light. Just like you can't see the stars above a brightly lit city.
So the thought of Kim Tae-joon also felt distant.
She thought that she would have to part ways with Hyun-ji at the airport after the Las Vegas trip was over. She didn't know where to go, but it seemed best to evacuate to a place where Tae-joon couldn't find her. Hyun-ji was someone Tae-joon knew, so she wasn't the answer.
I missed you, but that doesn't mean I want to see you. I'm just going to live my life missing you.
So-eun took a taxi and arrived safely at the hotel, greeted the reception desk with a nod, and got on the elevator. The air was hot, so she took off her padded jacket as soon as she was alone in the elevator. The dress shone brilliantly even in the elevator's lighting.
What a spectacular day.
After letting out a few sighs in the elevator, she reached the 30th floor.
30th floor. Come to think of it, that man's house was also on the 30th floor.
So-eun smiled weakly, thinking strange thoughts, and trudged down the hallway to the front of the room. She took out the access card that she had put inside her phone case and held it up to the door of the room.
It rarely opened in one go, so she tried it several times on the reader when suddenly, a gust of wind blew from behind her.
A large hand overlapped So-eun's hand and recognized the card. It unlocked with a click.
It felt like she couldn't breathe. Her heart had dropped and she couldn't tell where it was.
Behind her, a large man cast a mountain-like shadow.
"Did you have a good time?"
The familiar voice that she seemed to hear all the time, even when she was far away.
But a voice that she should never hear again.
That gentle voice flowed into her ear.
"Let's stop. Tag."
The arm that wrapped around her shoulder from behind was as stubborn as if it would never fall off.
