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“I didn't lie, did I? Though I didn't know the two of you had... slept together already.”
Having rushed out because she could hear Go Seok-hyun's voice even from the restroom, Hong Yuna felt as if her heart were tearing apart at the mention of them sleeping together. She couldn't believe that Go Seok-hyun, who had coldly pushed her away even when she had intentionally tried to seduce him, had mixed bodies with that woman in just a few days.
Realizing that speaking further would only be to her own detriment, Yuna walked past the two of them without hesitation. She puffed out her chest and took wide strides, determined to appear confident.
Seok-hyun gazed blankly at her figure, armed with pride, before shifting his gaze back to Hee-jin. Fortunately, her breathing had returned to normal, as if she had calmed down in the meantime. Seok-hyun reached out to straighten her disheveled scarf. Hee-jin flinched for a moment, but she did not avoid his touch.
“I let her act out like that because I knew it would help the business. It was also very effective for clearing away people who cling to me unnecessarily. Since I've already made my intentions clear, I figured it didn't matter what she rambled about.”
His touch was meticulous, adjusting the scarf to a perfect angle without a single error. Hee-jin stared blankly at Seok-hyun and then leaned her back against the wall. It was absurd that he spoke so nonchalantly about using Hong Yuna, but her legs had given out now that she knew there was no special relationship between them. The auditory hallucinations of her mother, which had been ringing in her ears until now, seemed to fade slightly.
“Want a piggyback ride?”
“I'm fine.”
Pushing away Seok-hyun's hand as he spoke playfully, Hee-jin let out a long sigh. Now that she realized she had reacted oversensitively because of her father's situation, all her energy drained away. She felt pathetic for continuing to be swayed by the past.
“Let's go. I'll buy you a delicious meal as an apology.”
“I want to go back to the hotel.”
Seeing that Hee-jin's face still looked bloodless as she shook her head, Seok-hyun didn't insist and agreed. As he watched Hee-jin move with precarious steps, refusing even his support, Seok-hyun's gaze soon turned cold.
Now that she had attempted to ruin his plan, Hong Yuna no longer had any utility.
✾ ✾ ✾
“Haa….”
Upon returning to the hotel, Hee-jin reached for aspirin out of habit. She knew that taking aspirin every time she had a mild headache was a bad habit, but it wasn't easy to quit. Moreover, her headache was exceptionally severe right now.
The fiancée incident had turned out to be a mere happening, but in truth, that wasn't the only bomb Hong Yuna had dropped.
“Do you really think you're being sponsored because of your own skill?”
When synthesizing what Hong Yuna had said in the restroom, it ultimately boiled down to this. It wasn't that Hee-jin was unaware, but it was a doubt that had been gradually pushed aside by the fantastic blueprint Go Seok-hyun had drawn for her. Hong Yuna seemed certain that it was absolutely not a pure sponsorship. The fact that he had passed over renowned international competition winners specifically to sponsor Yoo Hee-jin was an undeniable piece of evidence.
“…….”
Entering the bathroom, Hee-jin unwrapped the scarf still wound around her neck and looked in the mirror. Vivid hickeys still adorned her neck and chest.
When she was hearing the specific details in the meeting room, it felt as if a flower-strewn path were unfolding before her eyes. Immersed in the sweet dream of becoming a world-class soloist, she had overlooked the most important issue.
“He didn't answer the question of why it had to be me….”
If he intended to sponsor her out of romantic attraction, as Hong Yuna suspected…. Of course, the scale of the investment was excessively huge, but come to think of it, Go Seok-hyun was a third-generation chaebol. Ten billion won would not hold the same value for him as it did for her.
When no answer came despite her pondering, Hee-jin took her phone out of her pocket. Checking the local time, she figured he likely hadn't fallen asleep yet and made a call. Fortunately, Andy answered quickly.
- Yes, Hee-jin.
“I didn't wake you up while you were sleeping, did I?”
- I was just about to lie down. What's going on?
Perhaps because it was strange for her to call again so soon after their last conversation, he immediately poured out his concern. He seemed to have keenly noticed that this contact was unlike her and that her voice sounded a bit sunken.
“I just have something on my mind, and I had nowhere else to ask.”
- If that's the case, I'll listen to as much as you want.
“Thank you.”
Hee-jin cautiously confided in him about the sponsorship offer. She didn't mention the identity of the violin, but simply stating it was a Guarneri del Gesù was enough. Furthermore, after she explained the management company, he gave an immediate answer.
- He's a scammer.
Since he treated the man as a scammer so abruptly, Hee-jin was momentarily speechless. As she stammered, “No… um…,” he brought up another possibility.
- Or is he some old guy around eighty? I've seen quite a few old men with overflowing money do things like that.
He chuckled, mentioning the story of a beautiful woman who marries a grandfather, nurses him for about ten years, and inherits a massive fortune. As he laughed, Hee-jin let out a hollow laugh as well. For some reason, she couldn't imagine an eighty-year-old Go Seok-hyun.
“He's younger than me.”
- Then pack your bags and get on a plane right now.
“…….”
Hee-jin laughed, thinking it was a joke again, but then she stiffened her lips as she noticed his tone had changed.
“You really think it's a scam? But what could a ‘super-rich’ person possibly gain from scamming me?”
Usually, the reason for scamming was to obtain financial gain. However, it was safe to assume that there was no financial gain a third-generation chaebol like Go Seok-hyun could get from an ordinary citizen like Yoo Hee-jin.
- He's probably not after money.
“If it's not money….”
Recalling Hong Yuna's words, Hee-jin unconsciously looked down. Doing so didn't let her see the marks on her neck, but it was enough to trigger the memory. Had he really mentioned sponsorship for impure purposes, just as Hong Yuna said?
- You said he chose you over prestigious competition winners.
At that moment, his voice cut through Hee-jin's thoughts. As he pointed out the part she was most curious about, she nodded instinctively.
“Ah, yes. That was so puzzling. It makes more sense to sponsor a winner, right?”
- Because that's boring.
“Boring?”
The words were so out of left field that Hee-jin couldn't immediately grasp the meaning. She could hear a low sigh through the receiver. After pausing to choose his words, he explained in a way that was easy to understand.
- Sponsoring a winner? Sure. It's not bad for feeling the satisfaction of showcasing a prized possession on the world's top stage. But that's all. Where's the fun in that?
Hee-jin felt as if she had been hit in the head. The moment the word 'fun' was paired with Go Seok-hyun, all her doubts were resolved and became clear.
“In my case… since bringing me to the top is a challenge in itself, he would find it more attractive?”
- Exactly. The more difficult the challenge, the greater the thrill upon success, right? No one believed Yoo Hee-jin would become a world-class violinist, but only I saw that possibility and invested. He's a person addicted to that kind of achievement.
“…….”
- To that man, other people's lives are probably like pieces on a game board. He has nothing to lose even if he loses them.
Hee-jin's legs trembled at how terrifying the idea of playing a game with someone else's life sounded. Perhaps it was because she was the owner of the 'life' staked as the wager. She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, speaking as if making an excuse.
“It's not like there's no loss. The violin alone is worth well over ten billion… would he pursue 'fun' to the extent of spending that kind of money?”
- Hee-jin. I think you're gravely mistaken, but that Guarneri del Gesù is not yours.
Cutting her off, he spoke firmly as if to wake her up. Though she didn't want to admit it, the words telling her to recognize reality were painful.
- He lent it to you, and if he decides it's not working out, he'll reclaim it at any time and lend it to another prospect. He's truly malicious. Using a desperate heart to place someone on a game board.
“…….”
As if drenched in cold water while dreaming a sweet dream, her entire body trembled like an aspen leaf. In her blurred and shaking vision, she imagined Go Seok-hyun smashing her precious violin to pieces.
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