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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: I've Got You
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“Come out.”
There was a secluded corner in the emergency stairwell.
After the police left, the man with the tied-back hair dragged A-jin out from that space.
“Keep quiet. Unless you want to die.”
The man pressed a finger to his lips and scowled menacingly.
A-jin’s face was covered in handprints, with dried tears smeared all over it.
She nodded in fear, pretending to obey.
But she had a feeling that if she didn’t act now, she’d never escape this place.
A-jin sank her teeth into the hand gripping her wrist with all the strength she could muster.
“Argh!!!”
He rubbed the bite mark in pain.
A-jin shoved him hard, knocking him over.
“Ugh.”
Caught off guard, the man tumbled down the stairs.
In the process, her cellphone—which he’d shoved into his back pocket to hide from the police—fell out.
A-jin leaped over him as she fled, snatching up the phone that had dropped at her feet.
She grabbed the railing and flew down the stairs two or three steps at a time.
“Damn... that little bitch.”
The fallen man clutched his waist and stood up, while the tattooed guy emerged into the stairwell to relay that the police were gone.
“Why are you alone?”
The tattooed guy asked, puzzled by A-jin’s absence.
“She ran. Hurry and chase her. If she reports us, we’re all screwed!”
He’d already taken the photos; now he needed to catch A-jin and explain his side.
“Damn, should’ve taken at least one picture.”
If he had, she wouldn’t have dared report them for fear of the photos spreading.
“You couldn’t hold onto her properly?”
The tattooed guy rushed down the stairs to catch A-jin.
‘What do I do! Please, someone help me. The door can’t be locked, right?’
It was only one flight down, but her mind raced with thoughts.
What if the first-floor door was locked and she got caught again? What would they do to her for fighting back?
Tears of fear blurred her vision.
‘Please, someone help.’
She just kept running straight ahead.
Fortunately, the first-floor door was wide open, letting in bright light.
It was like a light of salvation.
She stretched her foot toward the world outside that would save her.
But with a thud, A-jin collapsed to the floor.
“Ugh.”
She’d collided with someone.
Hard.
It should have hurt, but it didn’t.
All she could think was that she needed to get up and run again.
But the person she’d bumped into grabbed her.
“Let go.”
A-jin wailed, trying to pull her hand free.
“It’s me. Jun-woo.”
A familiar voice and a familiar name.
Just hearing “Jun-woo” cleared her tear-blurred vision.
He was looking at her with worry.
“Jun-woo.”
The tears she’d been holding back streamed down.
They poured out pitifully.
“Stop right there!”
But she didn’t have time to cry.
Men were coming down from above.
“Let’s go.”
A-jin grabbed Jun-woo’s hand and pulled him along.
He instantly realized the noisy sounds from the stairs above were pursuers after her.
He readjusted his grip on her hand for easier running.
“Run.”
* * *
They barely hid beside a yellow snow-melting bin in a narrow alley, holding their breath like they were dead.
A-jin even clamped both hands over her mouth, afraid she might make a sound.
Jun-woo had sensed her footsteps slowing as she followed him and decided running further was too risky, so he’d pulled her into the alley.
“These bastards are fast. They definitely came this way.”
One of the two men—Jun-woo didn’t know who—said.
A-jin pressed herself deeper against the wall at the sound of the voice searching for her.
Terrified of being spotted, her body trembled like an aspen leaf.
Jun-woo gripped her hand tighter.
He hoped his warmth would reassure her a little.
“You go that way.”
Fortunately, the men didn’t spot them and headed off in the wrong direction.
Even so, Jun-woo couldn’t let his guard down. He waited a moment before peeking out to check the surroundings.
“They’re gone.”
But A-jin was still shaking.
‘How scared must she have been?’
He pitied her.
He felt sorry too, like it was his fault for not keeping his promise, leading to this.
With his trembling hand clutching his like a lifeline, he wrapped his other hand around hers.
His eyes told her she didn’t need to be afraid anymore because he was here.
“Let’s go now.”
He said it gently.
Today, more than ever, he wanted to speak in the kindest tone he could muster.
He tugged her hand to help her up.
But she didn’t stand; she curled up tighter.
“Not going?”
“It’s just...”
She let go of his hand and tugged her T-shirt down.
Only then did he notice her clothes.
She was wearing shorts so short her thighs were fully exposed.
Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
Jun-woo averted his gaze, trying not to look.
“You go first.”
“What?”
“My clothes are like this, so I can’t stand up. Once you’re gone, I will.”
A-jin bowed her head in shame.
Who’d have thought the first clothes she bought shopping would end up used like this?
At least they were new.
He looked awkward as he started to take off his gray hoodie.
A-jin panicked at the sudden move to undress and reached out.
She’d heard “take it off” dozens of times in the changing room.
Even if he’d taken off his socks, she’d have been startled.
“W-what are you doing?”
She tried to grab his T-shirt to stop him, but her arms were too short.
In the meantime, he’d pulled it off and handed it to her.
Luckily, he had a short-sleeved shirt underneath.
“Put this on.”
“What?”
“I said put it on.”
A-jin stared at him, bewildered.
Jun-woo made a frustrated face, like why couldn’t she understand such a simple thing, then stuffed the T-shirt over her head.
A-jin fumbled to thread her arms through and pulled down the rolled-up hem past her waist.
The T-shirt hung long enough to cover her thighs.
It looked like she had no bottoms, which was a bit embarrassing, but way better than the tiny shorts.
* * *
They arrived in front of A-jin’s house.
Jun-woo hoped she’d rest after the shocking day.
“Go on in.”
“Okay.”
“And don’t think about anything.”
“Uh...”
She nodded like she understood, but it seemed she had more to say.
She didn’t go inside, just stood there hesitating.
“Not going in?”
He finally asked.
“Um... are you busy by any chance?”
He tilted his head at her question.
“Busy?”
“Yeah. Don’t you have to study?”
“Why?”
“Well... if you’re not busy, could you stay with me at my place for a bit?”
Come into her house?
Her request flustered him so much he started stuttering, which he never did.
“C-come into the house?”
“No. I need to give your clothes back too...”
“You can give them back later.”
“Actually... I’m a little scared. Mom’s coming home early today, in an hour or two? Just until then... No, never mind. That’s taking too much of your time.”
A-jin shook her head, saying to pretend she hadn’t asked.
Her face was full of fear.
* * *
Her house had a lot of wood tones.
Unlike his modern place, it exuded a classic vibe.
Brown sofa, brown shelves, brown table, brown floor—everything was brown.
The furniture looked old but spotlessly clean, without a speck of dust.
It suited her warm, innocent nature perfectly.
It was his first time in a girlfriend’s house, and he felt incredibly awkward.
Jun-woo pretended to be busy looking around the place.
Meanwhile, A-jin came out of the bathroom after washing her hands and headed to her room.
“Wait a sec. I’ll change out of these clothes.”
The phrasing sounded off.
He wasn’t deliberately thinking impure thoughts.
Being alone with her in the house already had him tense, and now her words made it worse.
He hurriedly erased what he’d heard from his mind, sat on the sofa, and picked up the remote.
Just then, A-jin came out of her room in fresh clothes.
“What do you want to drink?”
Jun-woo kept his eyes fixed on the TV.
“I’m good.”
“We have juice and coffee.”
“I’m fine. Just water.”
A-jin boiled water in the coffee pot and put a teabag in a cup.
“But what happened?”
“Dad had a minor car accident.”
She jumped at the word “accident,” asking worriedly.
“Really? Then shouldn’t you be there instead of here?”
“It’s fine. He’s not badly hurt.”
“That’s a relief... but I feel bad.”
His mind must’ve been on his dad’s accident, yet he’d come to save her.
She was grateful but also sorry for being a burden.
With an apologetic expression, she poured the now-boiling water into the cup.
The dry teabag swelled like it was coming alive when it touched the hot water.
“Here. It’s hot.”
A-jin set the cup on the table and sat beside him.
Too close.
She sat with barely a finger’s width between them, so he shifted away a bit to give her space.
“You watching this?”
“No.”
He’d just turned it on because being alone in the house felt awkward.
“Oh? Can I change it then?”
“Yeah.”
He nodded indifferently.
A-jin said okay and looked for the remote.
It was on the right side of the sofa where he sat.
From his left, she leaned over his lap.
He would’ve handed it over if she’d asked.
Her approaching torso made his head spin.
“Hyah.”
He didn’t want to have those thoughts about a girl who’d been through hell today.
More than anything rational, he wanted to be here as a friend.
He worried she’d hear his pounding heart.
He wanted to push her away.
“I haven’t had lunch.”
“Oh! Right. What do you like?”
Fortunately, his plan worked.
She headed straight to the kitchen.
“Anything.”
“Anything’s the hardest. Any foods you don’t eat?”
A-jin rummaged through the fridge for side dishes.
Inside were neatly arranged bowls of banchan, rows of sauces, and vegetables in zip bags with labels, all prepped cleanly.
All things A-jin had made in place of her busy mom.
“Nope.”
He really didn’t care.
Just then, Jong-min called.
Jun-woo stepped away as far as possible so A-jin wouldn’t hear and answered.
-Did you meet A-jin?
“Yeah. We’re together now.”
-She okay?
“Yeah. But how did you know?”
-Huh?
“That something happened to Kang A-jin.”
-Well...
Jong-min hesitated, and Jun-woo’s eyebrows sharpened.
“Just tell me. What is it?”
“Hey, bored? I’ll put something on.”
A-jin came back to the living room then.
Jun-woo quickly ended the call with Jong-min.
“It’s fine.”
“Dad bought this movie yesterday, and it was fun. You should watch.”
“Uh, sure.”
“Wait a bit. I’ll make something quick.”
“Okay.”
A-jin turned on the movie and went back to the kitchen.
