이 포스팅은 쿠팡 파트너스 활동의 일환으로, 이에 따른 일정액의 수수료를 제공받습니다.
# Chapter 16: A Perilous Bargain
Seo-jun had to answer Han-su’s question, yet his mind had already wandered elsewhere. His thoughts refused to leave the faces in that room—Park Yeon-woo’s smile had captivated his heart, while Han-su’s gaze pierced straight through it. All he wanted was to escape the interrogation chamber of the Podae-cheong and stand with Yeon-woo in the courtyard before her home, admiring the silver moonlight together. Just then, Han-su repeated his question. “You said you came from the provinces. Tell me—which region are you from?” Seo-jun tried to formulate an answer, but his mind had already fled to another place entirely.
He gathered his thoughts, attempting to respond to the Podae-cheong official’s question. Yet his heart remained elsewhere. The interrogation chamber felt like a prison—he longed to escape, to stand beside Yeon-woo beneath the silver glow of the moon. Through the window drifted the night air of Seoul, mingled with the distant sounds of Gangnam’s streets. Inside the room, the heavy scent of aged books stacked in dusty shelves assailed his nostrils. His vision blurred; the officials and bookshelves seemed to fade into obscurity. Wooden ornaments on the walls gleamed darkly in the shadows, and between the volumes, he could almost feel the texture of aged paper.
“I… I come from Jeolla Province,” Seo-jun answered, though his mind was already somewhere else. His heart began to race, his chest trembling in rhythm with her imagined voice. His hands quivered slightly, his eyes drawn to her phantom smile. He wanted nothing more than to flee this place, to share that moonlit moment with Yeon-woo. Her smile had captured him entirely, and Han-su’s penetrating gaze seemed to see through to his very soul.
Then Yeon-woo began to speak of her mother’s final days. Seo-jun listened intently, curious about how she had endured since her mother’s passing. Her voice caressed his heart gently, her eyes piercing deep within him. His chest trembled with each word she spoke, his heart quickening. His fingers trembled subtly as his hand reached toward hers. Through her family’s story, he came to understand the love and conflict that bound them together more deeply than ever before.
As he listened to her speak of her family, Seo-jun began to grasp the texture of their daily lives and the significance of her mother’s last moments. His hand found hers, and her smile captured his heart completely. Beneath the moonlight, their shadows merged into one, and Seo-jun found himself wishing this moment would stretch into eternity. Yet even as they stood together, his mind remained divided—caught between two places, unable to fully escape the interrogation room’s grip. Yeon-woo’s smile held him captive, while Han-su’s eyes seemed to pierce his very core.
He wanted to escape the interrogation chamber and stand with Yeon-woo beneath the moon. But his thoughts would not release him from the faces in that room. Her smile captivated him, yet Han-su’s gaze penetrated deeper still. His chest tightened, his fingers trembling. Then Han-su’s voice cut through once more. “Who is your guarantor?” Seo-jun found himself unable to answer. His mind had already fled elsewhere, his thoughts bound to the faces before him. Yeon-woo’s smile held his heart, Han-su’s eyes seemed to see through to his soul.
He attempted to respond, but his mind was already elsewhere. His heart raced, his chest quivering as if she herself were speaking. His hands trembled visibly, his eyes lost in her imagined smile. He longed to escape this place, to share the moonlit night with her. “I… I have no guarantor yet,” he said, his voice wavering. His heart pounded, his chest trembling as though responding to her presence. His fingers quivered, his eyes drawn to her phantom smile. All he wanted was to escape and stand with her beneath the silver moon.
Seo-jun yearned to leave the interrogation chamber behind. Yet his thoughts remained tethered to the room, unable to escape the faces before him. Yeon-woo’s smile held him captive while Han-su’s penetrating gaze seemed to reach into his very soul. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, his fingers trembling slightly. He wanted nothing more than to flee this place and share the moonlight with her.
Then Han-su posed his question again. “Which province did you say you were from?” Seo-jun struggled to answer, his mind scattered. His heart raced, his chest quivering as though responding to distant words. His hands shook slightly, his eyes lost in her imagined smile. He longed to escape and stand beneath the moon with her.
“I… I come from Jeolla Province,” he replied, though his mind had already wandered. His heart pounded, his chest trembling in response to her phantom voice. His fingers quivered, his eyes captivated by her smile. He wanted only to flee this interrogation and share the moonlit courtyard with her.
As he listened to her speak of her family—their love, their conflicts, their bonds—Seo-jun felt his heart quicken with understanding. Their shadows merged beneath the moonlight, and he found himself wishing this moment would never end. Yet even as they stood together, his mind remained divided. Yeon-woo’s smile held his heart, while Han-su’s eyes seemed to pierce straight through him.
He longed to escape the interrogation chamber. Yet his thoughts remained bound to the room, unable to break free from the faces before him. Her smile captivated him, his gaze piercing deep within. His chest heaved, his fingers trembling. Then Han-su’s voice returned. “Who is your guarantor?” Seo-jun found himself unable to answer. His mind had fled elsewhere, his thoughts still bound to the faces in the room. Her smile held him, his gaze penetrating deeper still. His chest tightened, his fingers quivering. He wanted only to escape and stand beneath the moon with her.
He tried to respond, but his mind was elsewhere. His heart raced, his chest quivering with each imagined word. His hands trembled, his eyes lost in her smile. He longed to escape this place. “I… I have no guarantor yet,” he whispered, his voice unsteady. His heart pounded, his chest trembling as though she herself were near. His fingers quivered, his eyes drawn to her imagined face. All he wanted was to escape and share the moonlit night with her.
Seo-jun yearned to leave the interrogation chamber behind and stand with Yeon-woo beneath the silver moon. Yet his thoughts remained bound to the room, unable to escape the faces before him. Her smile captivated him, his gaze piercing deep within. His chest heaved rapidly, his fingers trembling slightly. He wanted only to flee this place and share the moonlight with her.
Then Han-su’s voice returned once more. “Which province did you say you came from?” Seo-jun struggled to answer, his mind scattered and distant. His heart raced, his chest quivering as though responding to her presence. His hands shook slightly, his eyes lost in her phantom smile. He longed to escape and stand beneath the moon with her.
“I… I come from Jeolla Province,” he answered, though his mind had already wandered far away. His heart pounded, his chest trembling in response to her imagined voice. His fingers quivered subtly, his eyes captivated by her smile. He wanted nothing more than to flee and share the moonlit courtyard with her.
Through her family’s story, Seo-jun came to understand their love and conflict more deeply. His heart quickened with each revelation, his mind responding to every word she spoke. Beneath the moonlight, their shadows intertwined, and he found himself hoping this moment would never end. Yet even as they stood together, his mind remained divided—his thoughts unable to fully escape the interrogation room. Her smile held his heart, while Han-su’s gaze seemed to pierce through to his very soul.
He longed to escape the interrogation chamber and stand with Yeon-woo beneath the moon. Yet his thoughts remained bound to the room, unable to break free from the faces before him. Her smile captivated him entirely, his gaze penetrating deep within. His chest heaved with rapid breaths, his fingers trembling slightly. He wanted only to flee and share the moonlight with her.
Then Han-su’s question returned. “Who is your guarantor?” Seo-jun found himself unable to respond. His mind had fled elsewhere, his thoughts still tethered to the faces in the room. Her smile held him captive, his gaze piercing deep within. His chest tightened, his fingers quivering with tension. He wanted nothing more than to escape and stand beneath the moon with her.
He tried to answer, but his mind was already elsewhere—his thoughts unable to escape the room. His heart raced, his chest quivering as though responding to her voice. His hands trembled visibly, his eyes lost in her imagined smile. He longed to flee this place and share the moonlit night with her. “I… I still have no guarantor,” he said quietly, his voice wavering. His heart pounded, his chest trembling as though she were near. His fingers quivered, his eyes drawn to her phantom face. All he wanted was to escape and stand beneath the silver moon with her.