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Chapter 12
Why did you do that
The atmosphere wasn’t bad.
The only problem was this:
The pocket was too small to press the call button while sitting.
The moment Kim Do-jung lifted the USB, how was she supposed to take it out and press it?
“Yelim.”
Brian’s voice suddenly cut through the air. Dasol flinched.
“Yes, yes?”
“Did I startle you? Sorry about that. But… why are you so surprised?”
His brown eyes flashed with suspicion.
“I-I was just thinking about something else…”
“Something else? I’m right next to you, and you’re thinking about something else? That hurts my feelings.”
He smiled gently and even winked.
Then he shifted his gaze to his men, but something felt off.
What is it? Did I mess up?
She knew this feeling better than anyone.
A tense, alert dog.
Exactly that feeling.
It was a look she often saw at work.
Dogs on the grooming table—
they become cautious.
Some even bare their teeth, but most don’t show it openly.
It’s not about attacking—it’s about judging.
Whether the other side is dangerous or not.
Whether Dasol—or “Yelim”—was an enemy or not.
Most dogs eventually figure it out, but they don’t always relax.
And if they decide it’s dangerous?
They bite.
And Brian… he felt exactly like that.
Like he would bite at any moment.
Dasol rubbed her hands nervously.
“Should we bring up Jo Man-deok during the deal? Say we’ll help get him out.”
“Am I a prosecutor? How am I supposed to ‘get him out’? You people who like movies really can’t tell reality apart. Stop talking nonsense and quit watching films.”
“Yes, sir!” the bulky man replied.
Dasol was annoyed at the dismissal of movies, but she didn’t dwell on it.
Information. Information was what mattered.
She had to memorize everything and report it to Prosecutor Jang Ji-hyuk.
Then maybe Director Seo Chang-sik would come back to interview her again.
And make it into a film.
Let’s do this.
She carefully closed the distance while watching them. Brian noticed and looked at her.
“W-we… cheers?”
Dasol awkwardly smiled and raised her beer bottle. Brian smiled softly and tapped his whiskey glass against it.
Huh?
For a moment, another strange light flashed in his eyes. The moment their eyes met, the hand that had been bitten countless times by dogs began to ache.
Yelim. This isn’t a game. This isn’t some field trip.
Ji-hyuk’s voice echoed in her head, and her heart pounded like it would burst.
“If you want to maintain a deal, you either scratch where it itches or give them what they like.”
Dasol narrowed her eyes at Brian.
“You’re glaring at her,” one of the men said.
Brian leaned in suddenly. Dasol flinched but didn’t show it, instead smiling brightly and shaking her head.
At times like this, facial expressions worked better than words.
Five years of dealing with difficult customers were finally paying off.
“Damn. Yelim’s eyes are really pretty.”
His tone was soft. He was smiling.
But the atmosphere froze.
“Sorry for cursing, Yelim. Don’t be offended.”
“Huh? No, it’s fine. I’m not offended at all.”
“Really? Not just your face—your heart’s pretty too.”
Smirk.
A smile sweet like whipped cream—but his eyes were cold.
Real dangerous dogs don’t growl.
They make that kind of look.
A warning sign.
Dasol’s hands trembled slightly.
“I have a good instinct. I’ve dealt with all kinds of people.”
Brian took Dasol’s hand like a prince and slowly stroked the back of it with his thumb.
It looked gentle.
But it felt nauseating.
“I can see it all—eyes, gestures, habits. Looking around like you’re searching for something. I notice everything.”
“A-amazing…”
“Right?”
He smiled and let go of her hand, leaning back.
“Yelim, what do you do for work?”
“I, I…”
“Don’t lie. It’ll make me sad.”
He grabbed the tip of her long hair and toyed with it. His curved lips looked like a joker’s smile. It was chilling.
Her hand holding the beer bottle trembled.
So I wasn’t the protagonist.
I was just an extra who dies early.
A scene from a crime movie was unfolding right in front of her eyes.
Right now.
She wanted to press the call device immediately.
But Kim Do-jung would arrive soon.
What should she do?
“People always betray my kindness eventually. I try to be good to them, but they always stab me in the back.”
A subordinate suddenly rolled up his sleeve and extended his arm.
It was covered in scars, like it had been plowed by a blade.
Before anyone could react, he pulled out a large knife.
Swoosh.
He sliced his own arm.
Without even blinking.
Blood gushed out like water.
He smiled at Dasol while licking the blood off the blade.
Dasol was on the verge of fainting. She couldn’t breathe.
It felt like the knife would be next at her throat.
The other women were shaking too.
“What the hell? Why would you cut your own arm? You’re scaring Yelim!”
“I’m sorry, boss.”
Even as he said it, Brian was smiling.
No—he looked satisfied.
“I’m sorry, Yelim. You got scared, didn’t you?”
His voice was sweet again, but it no longer felt gentle.
“Now, let’s go back to our conversation. We need to know each other better to get closer. So—what’s your job?”
“I-I… I…”
“Don’t even think about lying. It’ll make me sad.”
Brian brought his face close to her neck and sniffed.
His scent hit her—strong cologne layered over something cruel.
“Hm. Why would they send this woman? She doesn’t smell like a professional at all.”
“Boss, Kim Do-jung will arrive soon. Let’s finish this later.”
“Wow. You’re lucky, Yelim.”
“Haa…”
A small breath escaped her.
Brian slowly stroked her cheek.
“You have baby skin, Yelim. Babies should sleep a lot. Hey, get her something. Let her sleep well and improve her beauty.”
No.
She had to survive.
How?
The device. The device.
It was supposed to be pressed in danger.
But how could she even reach it?
The skirt pocket was so tight her fingers barely fit.
Meanwhile, the man with the self-inflicted cut pulled out a packet of medicine with bloodied hands.
“Don’t worry. This is good stuff, Yelim.”
A choice had to be made.
Be taken here—or fight back.
No movie ever chose the former.
So Dasol chose the latter.
She grabbed the beer bottle and swung it at him.
But reality was different from movies.
The bottle slipped from her hand and shattered on the floor with a crash.
Beer splashed onto Brian’s white pants.
His face twisted.
His men froze, watching their boss instead of attacking her.
“Ha… damn it.”
He took out a handkerchief and wiped his pants slowly, like a gentleman.
Then he grabbed Dasol’s hair.
“Ugh!”
Her head snapped backward.
“This is an expensive suit. Why did you do that, Yelim?”
