The Imperfect Flaw

But there had been times when he was angry. He simply never let the ugliness show.

When the creature he had so perfectly fashioned—something he never doubted was flawless—developed flaws that refused to be beaten back by heat, he had been filled with the desire to destroy it himself.

Why bother with anything imperfect? If it had never existed in the first place, then it did not exist.

The moon jar from moments ago was no different. The faint flaws on its surface, caught in the reflection of light, had disappointed him. Hidden in darkness, it might have managed to stay concealed, but under the light it would inevitably reveal itself.

So there was no need to yearn for anything cheap or defective.

Especially not broken ones.

“It looks like you should be heading back now. Mr. Kim Lawyer has been waiting since earlier.”

Heeon offered a casual greeting to Kim Ui-jae, who stood waiting outside the glass door. The lawyer bowed deeply, folding his eyes into crescent shapes.

Kim Ui-jae was the type of subordinate to Sa Jae-cheol that could not be clearly identified as either a thug or a lawyer—someone who served unconditionally, no matter the label.

“From now on, stop covering for me. Because you keep taking the fall for him, he can’t straighten out his mind.”

“It’s amusing. I kind of like it.”

“Amusing? You’re still young. Find a proper wife, have kids, live a proper life. Stop carrying dead people around— what use is that?”

“Then what is that woman? Why did you bring her here in the first place?”

“Bring her? She’s the one who will work in the pottery garden.”

“Why?”

Sa Jae-cheol, leaning on his cane to stand, raised his eyes above his glasses in question.

“Why, why else? I decided it, so that’s that.”

Heeon swept his lower lip with his tongue, his eyes crinkling into a narrow smile.

“I don’t like involving myself in things like that, Grandfather.”

“Think of it as helping a difficult person. Since it’s your decision, keep an eye on her. And make sure she’s scrubbed clean and presentable.”

“...You’ve caught a weakness against that woman?”

“A weakness?”

Sa Jae-cheol tapped the cool floor with his cane to steady himself and lightly drummed his fingers against Heeon’s suddenly frigid face. Not a slap, but a touch full of affection yet clipped with tension.

“If there was any weakness, I would have been alive until now.”

“Then why bring her here? There’s no need for anyone in the pottery garden.”

“Because she’s someone I need. If she won’t come down, at least share a meal with me. So she can sleep properly in a strange place.”

Sa Jae-cheol wore an expression that did not suit him—worry for a woman.

Heeon saw him out, watching the departing figure. In front of the workshop stood a golf cart-style buggy already running, its engine idling. Heeon helped Sa Jae-cheol aboard, and the old man raised his hand in farewell.

His head was white, yet his skin was smooth and his eyes sharp with intensity, making him look younger than his years. Heeon bowed with a gentle smile.

As the buggy vanished into the distance, the dry air once again clung to the tip of his nose.

His workshop was situated higher than the guest cottage where the woman stayed. A single glance downward revealed the sharply pointed roof in the classic Dutch gable style.

It was a place from long ago, the very location where he had been born. He had renovated the interior three times since, yet to him it still felt exactly as it had in his youth.

An incongruous, cheap luxury item wrapped around the woman’s body as she entered. The stench of money would certainly cling to her, just like the nauseating perfume left behind after a fleeting encounter on the street.

He found himself suddenly curious.

Hands in his pockets, he set off toward the villa.

She had believed Kim Ui-jae’s word that no one would come today. So the first thing she did was peel off her stockings, carefully folding them to avoid wrinkles before tucking them into the air dryer. Then she headed into the bathroom.

The emptiness of her bare body made it impossible to wait for the tub to fill completely. She slipped in the moment the water reached her ankles and curled up inside.

The house she had lived in before had no tub, and the water was always too cold, forcing quick showers. But here, the water was warm from the start.

Why did the bathroom floor here lead straight into a tub that stayed warm? She shouldn’t get used to this kind of comfort...

She waited for the water to rise, then picked up the phone Kim Ui-jae had left behind.

He had wrapped the monitoring duty so neatly. That bastard.

Drops of water slid from her wet hair down the glossy screen.

- Hey, bro, if anything happens, you better tell me right away.

- I’m really sorry. I feel like I sent you into the fire.

- Hey, answer me! Did they take your phone?

Dong-cheol had sent several messages full of the same worry. Yeon-jae looked at them and let out a small, bitter laugh before replying with a single smirking emoji.

Plop.

She flicked her palm against the water.

There was nothing difficult here.

She would earn money, observe Sa Hee-eon, and that was it. Honestly, the pillow-talk song Kim Ui-jae had mentioned was not even necessary.

Was this what it felt like to find an escape route through a complicated maze? At some point, she had begun to feel as if she had stepped into the one-frame slice from a melodramatic drama, a rotten movie, or a trashy novel.

It was Yoon Jun-mo who had turned her into a criminal, Kim Ui-jae who had used that situation, and she herself who had simply become a bleeding beast trapped in a snare, howling.

Irritating thoughts suddenly surfaced. She set the phone on the shelf and submerged herself deep into the water, holding her breath.

She would not hold anyone’s hand here. Nor would she share what she obtained with anyone.

She would take what they wanted, and this time she would push them into hell.

What kind of hell awaited them? Would it be the cannibalistic hell where they devoured each other, or a drowning hell formed from someone else’s tears, where the water never let them rise?

She had never believed in religion, but when she felt she was at a disadvantage, she would look for a god.

So she looked for one again this time.

God, if you are listening somewhere, please forgive this fickle creature.

After her long bath, she pulled the hood of her thick jumper over her head and stepped outside. It was time to feel the cold wind on her skin. At the same time, she called her aunt—the real informant and gatekeeper of the sauna operated by Echo.

Because of the age difference, Yeon-jae had always called her Aunt, even though she did not know her real name.

“I’m out a bit farther today. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

[Where did you go? It must have taken a long time to want to hear a voice.]

“To work. How’s business going for you, Aunt?”

[Ugh, same old, same old. My shoulders are aching from carrying the heavy bags of regular customers. Oh, by the way, there’s something hot going on around here lately.]

“What is it?”

[Ladies are bringing their pretty daughters around and buying all kinds of things. It looks like a private auction. They have so much money it’s ridiculous. They don’t seem satisfied with just real estate.]

“Art?”

[Not art, I think. Maybe handicrafts or pottery. My ladies are completely obsessed with it right now. I’ll tell you next time I see you. They invite only VIPs, feed them, ply them with drinks, and make donations. They’re so crazy about it lately that it’s loud.]

Hmm... I knew it.

That was why the gloomy building behind the persimmon tree had become a gathering place for people.

“I know a place there. Can I go in?”