Lingering Whispers of Resentment
She had stirred awake at intervals.
When she first opened her eyes, she was lying in bed. Buried beneath a thick white blanket, her entire body felt heavy and chilled to the bone. Her head throbbed relentlessly, and her limbs refused to obey her commands.
Far away, a faint voice sounded like Woo Je-hyeok’s, yet she could not be sure. Before clarity could settle, her eyes closed again.
At the second awakening, Sun Woo-hee saw Woo Je-hyeok standing beside the bed, rummaging through his black shoulder bag. Her mind clouded; she blinked slowly and only later realized the bag was hers.
“Do not touch….”
His gaze locked onto her. The eyes lowered at an angle felt especially sharp, as though the skin beneath them would tear. Still, she managed the words.
“Do not touch me.”
There had been nothing in the bag that could hint at her real identity. When wearing the Shin Woo-yeon alias, she had switched phones and kept the ID prepared by Seok-ju tucked safely inside her wallet.
Yet the thought of him touching her things without permission sickened her. Woo-hee murmured the warning again.
“Do not touch my things….”
Thunk. Je-hyeok tossed the bag onto the bed. If he was going to give it back, he could have done so neatly; instead, he hurled it aside as though it were something to be discarded far away.
Forcing her heavy body upright, Woo-hee gathered the spilled contents from the floor and the bag at her feet.
When she finally zipped the bag shut and placed it beneath the pillow before lying down once more, his voice came again.
“The medicine I gave you.”
“….”
“Where is the medicine?”
“…I threw it away.”
His eyebrows rose sharply, the gaze like a frozen lake. Woo-hee turned her face away.
“Why would you throw it away?”
No answer came. It felt as though she were being scolded like a child who had done something wrong. The severity in Je-hyeok’s reprimanding eyes left her with that exact impression.
Je-hyeok asked irritably, “Isn’t this what it means to like me now?”
“…Yes.”
“Even when you’re stubborn about it.”
It sounded as though he were mocking her clinginess, yet when she stole a glance, there was not even the faintest trace of a smile on his lips.
“You said the cold had already cleared up.”
“….”
“That was your own words.”
He was scolding her once more. The gaze that pinned her down was stern. Woo-hee found the look absurd.
Yet she lacked the strength to scold back. She had no desire to hear his pointless nagging. Before his words could lengthen further, she closed her eyes and turned her head toward the opposite side. Je-hyeok let out a cold laugh.
“What is this? Some sort of superior being.”
She thought he would simply let it go, but a large hand suddenly seized her chin.
Before she could open her eyes, a thick tongue pushed its way into her mouth. The kiss was rough and sticky. Even as her own eyes opened, he kept his open, staring at her.
Woo-hee glared at Je-hyeok and tried to push him away, striking his chest with her fists while also biting down on his tongue. The bitter taste spread, but he did not relent. Je-hyeok, meeting her eyes, rubbed his tongue against hers in return.
Only after thoroughly exploring her mouth did he finally release her without hesitation. The gesture was the same as when he had tossed her bag onto the bed. Her exhausted body collapsed limply onto the mattress.
Je-hyeok wiped the tiny bead of blood from the tip of his tongue with his thumb and spoke.
“The woman I brought in for treatment listens to me far better than you.”
“Then… go ahead and bring her in. I’m leaving.”
“How long do you intend to keep up this stubborn act? I’m curious.”
He made no attempt to hide his exhaustion. His face showed clear irritation. Still, he forced her back down when she tried to rise again, spreading both arms to pin her wrists.
The ice-like gaze returned, and at the same time a smile curved his lips.
“Why are you staring?”
“Let me go. I’m leaving.”
“You won’t be able to. Where are you even supposed to go?”
“….”
“Just heal quickly.”
“…Why? Were you planning to have sex with me?”
“Yes. I was planning to have sex with you.”
A bad bastard. She thought, Wrong person to have fallen for. Why did Jang Ha-rin have to fall for this particular man?
Anyway, it was over now. She had not even reached the point of intercourse with Je-hyeok, yet she had already done far dirtier things. She no longer needed to be entangled with that man. That was why she wanted to leave like this… but her body refused to move. She had no energy to sit up.
Instead, she forced strength into her heavy eyelids. Je-hyeok looked at her fierce glare with an indifferent expression. With a face that showed he was in no way afraid, he whispered, “Be afraid.”
His dimples deepened as though mocking her. “You begged for sex with me.”
“….”
“You said you would give it to me on my terms, yet you wear that look.”
His cold words suddenly hurt.
What is Woo Je-hyeok saying? Woo-hee did not like him. She was only pretending to like him. No matter how coldly he looked at her or how vile his words became, there was no point in caring. Yet with her body like this, every little thing felt unbearable.
“Say it nicely….”
“What?”
“Say it nicely.”
Her eyelids burned with sudden heat. She did not want to feel pain; this pain was not the kind she sought. Do not behave so arrogantly. If it were not for Jang Ha-rin’s fiancé, you would have been out long ago. It was frustrating that she could not say such things.
The sight of herself beneath this trash disgusted her. Heat rose to her face, and tears gathered in her eyes. Tears. She had no memory of ever crying.
Just because of this trash. Just because of this level of pain, she might even shed tears in front of Je-hyeok. It was truly pathetic, even to herself.
Je-hyeok wore a face unlike his usual self, surprised by the tears glistening in her eyes.
She no longer wanted to look at him. Woo-hee harshly slapped the hand that held her wrist, then closed her eyes stubbornly once more. He exhaled in obvious astonishment.
“It’s obvious you don’t like me, yet you still don’t leave my side.”
Even with her eyes closed, the penetrating gaze remained. Woo-hee desperately kept them shut.
She had only pretended to fall asleep while avoiding him. She had meant to close her eyes for a moment, then rise and leave this place, but…
Sleep claimed her.
When she opened her eyes the third time, a woman was inserting an injection into her arm. The needle was neatly taped in place, and an IV line was attached. A thin, transparent tube dangled behind the woman’s back. Drawn to it, Woo-hee looked, and an older man standing beside her spoke.
He slid his glasses up and asked when she had started hurting. He inquired about symptoms, whether she had any chronic illnesses, and what medicines she usually took.
As she answered, Woo-hee scanned the room with her eyes, searching for Je-hyeok. The feeling of being surrounded by strangers in a medical facility felt unpleasant.
“Is Mr. Woo Je-hyeok…?”
She had almost asked where he was, but the doctor, who had been collecting medical supplies, guessed her next words and answered.
“The representative is sitting over there; no need to worry.”
No, I wasn’t even going to ask where he was. She had not been curious at all. The doctor had simply been kind for no reason.
Je-hyeok must have heard their conversation. Still, Woo-hee thanked him for the information. The doctor smiled.
“The IV fluid contains a sleeping-medicine component, so you’ll fall asleep. When you wake up fully, you’ll feel much better.”
Woo-hee obediently nodded. The consultation fee would be steep. She wondered how she would pay it back to Je-hyeok, but the man and woman were already exchanging farewells and walking away. Soon afterward, a voice called out to her as well.
It was not far away—just the space between the bedroom and living room. After they left, she heard their footsteps fade. Je-hyeok did not seem to be seeing them off.
Woo-hee blinked slowly. Listening carefully, she heard the rustle of papers at her feet and the scratch of a pen against paper.
Je-hyeok did work, it seemed. She had her own tasks, and there was no time for this, yet the suffocating presence pressed closer. Sleep overtook her.
When she opened her eyes the fourth time, it was because of Je-hyeok’s voice.
His figure was still invisible, but his voice came from somewhere. He sounded as though on the phone. Intermittently, the name Shin Woo-yeon drifted into her ears.
The voice drew nearer. The sound of slippers being kicked off followed.
And suddenly his face filled her vision.
A man holding a phone in one hand and a pocket in the other stared at her. Beyond his phone, Myeong Eun-ju’s voice came through.
Je-hyeok told Eun-ju that he was bringing Woo-hee in. He said she would not be able to go to work. That he had her with him. That the cold was severe.
Listening to those words, Woo-hee felt relieved. Good. Seok-ju must be worried; Eun-ju would surely inform him of her location.
Before she could fully relax, Je-hyeok leaned over without warning. He parted her lips and slipped his tongue inside. Unlike the first kiss, the tongue entered shallowly and gently brushed the soft flesh of her mouth.
“Yes, I know.”
Then, as if nothing had happened, he answered Eun-ju and withdrew. His expression was almost professional.