An Unannounced Guest (4)

**

“I was pretty surprised at first. I never expected you to bring back a guest like this.”

Joo Bada crossed her arms.
Her long, slender figure stood out, looking firm and toned.

“You two were on pretty bad terms until just a few days ago. Seeing you together now really left an impression.”

She glanced curiously between Gyeong-ah and me.

“I completely understand…”
“And I was even more shocked after hearing the story! Kim Yohan, of all people, changed?!”

Joo Bada looked genuinely astonished.

“I came to see for myself whether that was actually true.”

I’d guessed right.
She was suspicious of Kim Yohan suddenly reappearing. After all, Chapter 1 had happened only a few days ago.
Now that same complete piece of trash was supposedly remorseful.
Of course no one would believe it.

“It’s obviously a lie! Do you know what kind of bastard he is?! That’s Kim Yohan we’re talking about!”

Shin Nam-jae raised his voice, fuming. He had already decided from the start that I was the bad guy.

‘But this guy never even fought with Kim Yohan in Chapter 1. Why is he so pissed off?’

Even while openly displaying his hostility toward me, he pleaded with Gyeong-ah.

“He’s obviously pretending to be sorry because he’s plotting something. Gyeong-ah, you can’t let that bastard manipulate you!”

There was a hint of personal interest in his voice. Joo Bada nodded as though she agreed.

“Honestly, I feel the same way. It’s only been a few days. Even if you say Kim Yohan regrets what he did… it’s hard to just believe that.”

It felt like I’d been summoned to a hearing.
Han Gyeong-ah listened seriously to what they had to say.

“So, Gyeong-ah… I want to ask you one thing. Don’t hide anything. Answer me honestly.”
“Of course. I’ll tell you whatever I know.”

A heavy atmosphere settled over the room. Joo Bada slowly opened her mouth.

“…Did you fall for Kim Yohan?”
“What?”

What?
Even I went blank for a moment.
What kind of question was that?

It was so absurd that I wondered if I’d misheard her. Kang Se-rim’s eyes widened too, apparently thinking the same thing.
But Joo Bada was more serious than anyone. All trace of playfulness gone, she asked with a resolute expression.

“Or does he have something on you…?”
“Of course not!!”

Gyeong-ah nearly jumped out of her seat in outrage. The tension shattered as though someone had dumped cold water over the room.

“Your unni’s just worried about you! That’s all! Don’t tell me you secretly have a thing for bad boys?!”
“W-Why did the conversation suddenly go in that direction?!”
“Gyeong-ah, you’ve never dated anyone before, right? Your unni knows these things. That’s exactly why you need to be careful!”
“…”
“You’re exactly the type who’d fall for a guy once and give him absolutely everything!”

I couldn’t follow the conversation anymore. Joo Bada had seriously misunderstood something.
Was she starting from the assumption that Kim Yohan was trash and concluding that Gyeong-ah was being taken advantage of?

‘Well, a dumb cop getting fooled by a piece of trash probably does sound more believable than a Third-Rate Villain suddenly turning over a new leaf.’

But it was true.
Gyeong-ah frantically waved her hands and denied it.

“Unni…! It’s absolutely nothing like what you’re imagining, so could you please stop getting the wrong idea?!”
“Okay, okay… I was just joking.”

Joo Bada gave an awkward laugh and claimed it had only been a joke. Was it just me, or had it not sounded like one?

“Sorry… Are you mad? Come on, don’t be mad~ You’ll ruin that pretty face of yours.”

She playfully poked Gyeong-ah’s flushed cheek.

“I’m not angry… I was just a little caught off guard.”

Gyeong-ah finally calmed down and let out a breath.

“I completely understand how both of you feel. Even so, I made my decision as objectively and rationally as I could.”
“I see… Now that you’re insisting so strongly, I’m getting curious. Just how much has Kim Yohan changed?”

Joo Bada suddenly leaned her face close to mine.

‘Whoa…’

Her face filled my entire field of vision. She was so beautiful I nearly gasped without meaning to.
I wondered what she was doing, then realized she was studying my eyes.

“Hmm… Your eyes do seem a little different somehow?”

She probably didn’t mean it that way, but at this distance her beauty was practically an assault.
I forced myself to calm down. I had nothing to hide, no matter how suspicious they were.

“I want to hear it directly from you. Kim Yohan… do you really regret what you did?”
“…”
“Hello?”

When I kept my mouth firmly shut, Joo Bada tilted her head.

“What’s wrong? Cat got your tongue? Did you turn mute while I wasn’t looking?”
“Ah! That’s because…”

Gyeong-ah explained for me.

“One of the conditions we gave him was that he isn’t allowed to talk to anyone else while he’s under surveillance.”

Technically, I wasn’t allowed to approach anyone either.
But they had come to me, not the other way around, so that should be fine.
Either way, I continued keeping silent according to the condition. Joo Bada’s eyes widened.

“What?! Kim Yohan actually listens to you? I can’t even imagine that!”

Just how little did she think of me if this was what shocked her?

“Bada, don’t fall for it! It’s all part of his scheme!”

Shin Nam-jae remained as hostile as ever. His voice full of resentment, he abruptly demanded,

“You bastard! Tell us what you’re really plotting.”

What was I supposed to say?
I couldn’t keep my mouth shut forever. Gyeong-ah gestured for me to handle it myself.
My speaking restriction had been lifted. After a moment’s thought, I shrugged.

“…I’m not plotting anything.”

I answered calmly.

“I regret what happened back then. I’m going to behave myself from now on.”

Of course, there was no way they would believe me.
Shin Nam-jae looked appalled.

“Don’t lie! How dare a bastard like you shamelessly…”
“Hold on, Nam-jae.”
“Y-Yes.”

The moment Joo Bada intervened, he immediately backed down.

“This really isn’t helping… This isn’t the time for us to be fighting among ourselves.”

She glanced at me.

“Did you mean what you just said? Do you really regret what you did and want to make it up to everyone?”

She gave off a strange kind of charisma. I answered without hesitation.

“Of course.”
“Your eyes look pretty serious… Not bad.”

Joo Bada smiled.

“Then I’ve got a proposal for you. Want to hear it?”
“A proposal?”
“Think of it as a kind of test… Show us through your actions that you mean it.”

She suddenly made the suggestion in a meaningful tone. This was probably the real reason they’d come.

“…And how am I supposed to do that?”
“Well, it’s simple~”

She waved one slender finger and whispered alluringly.

“Go to Floor 3 alone.”

Floor 3?
The Floor 3 that had just opened?

“You’ve probably already heard from Gyeong-ah, but Floor 3 is open.”
“I heard you were going to decide later whether to go.”
“That’s right. We don’t know what’s waiting there, and it’s too dangerous to rush in, so nobody can agree on what to do.”

Then why send me?

“But what if Kim Yohan went to Floor 3 for everyone?”

Would that prove I really had changed?

“I think it’d be the perfect chance to show everyone how much you’ve changed~”

Joo Bada smiled brightly.
Despite her gentle tone, the proposal itself was absurd.

“U-Unni…?! Floor 3? What are you talking about?”
“Why? I think this much should be perfectly doable.”
“No! That’s too dangerous!”

Gyeong-ah recoiled and immediately objected. Kang Se-rim, who had been silently watching beside her, looked equally displeased.

“Calm down, calm down. I’m not forcing him, of course.”

Joo Bada answered casually.

“The choice is entirely his.”

Her expression said she was already certain I’d refuse. A guy who had been trash only a few days ago volunteering to put himself in danger?

Impossible.
Maybe that was precisely why she’d made the proposal…

‘Is she testing my reaction?’

When I hesitated briefly, she seemed to take it as a refusal.

“What? Can’t do it?”
“…”
“It’s okay! I understand. Anyone would answer the same way. Honestly, Floor 3 is far too dangerous.”
“I’ll go.”
“You almost died on Floor 2 already, and I’m asking you to go to Floor 3 alone. I know I’m asking too mu… Huh?”
“I said I’ll go.”

I shrugged.

“All I have to do is go to Floor 3 alone, right? Then you’ll acknowledge that I’ve changed?”

I accepted without hesitation. Joo Bada’s eyes filled with surprise at the unexpected answer.

“Oh my… You’ve turned into quite the man while I wasn’t looking.”

She said it lightly, but her bewilderment was obvious.
She must have been certain I’d refuse.
After all, Kim Yohan had been the kind of rotten bastard who cared only about himself.

“Are you serious?”

Gyeong-ah immediately protested.

“You’re going to Floor 3 alone? That’s reckless and dangerous! Are you seriously trying to get yourself killed?!”
“Well, there isn’t much else I can do. If nobody can bring themselves to trust me, I’ll have to prove it through my actions.”
“Even so…!”

Her voice trailed off.
Her sense of responsibility as a police officer was strong. She couldn’t stand by and watch someone put themselves in danger.
But right now, I had little choice. Silencing everyone’s doubts and earning their trust came first.

‘Including Gyeong-ah and Kang Se-rim.’

Even if it meant taking a risk, accepting the proposal was the better choice.
This actually worked out well. It was the perfect chance to earn everyone’s confidence.
Once I returned from Floor 3, they’d finally have to admit that pathetic bastard had completely changed.

“Impressive, very impressive… Then can you go to Floor 3 right now?”
“Right now?”
“Yep, right now! Strike while the iron’s hot, right?”
“Wait, unni! This whole decision is way too rushed! We should at least talk it through first…”
“Shh.”

Joo Bada firmly placed a finger against Gyeong-ah’s lips.

“Let Yohan answer.”

Leave right now…
Things were moving fast.

“Sure. Why not?”
“I’m liking you more and more. All right, then. Shall we leave right away?”

With that, we left the Private Room and headed to the lobby.
We stopped in front of the elevator.
It was the same elevator we’d ridden down only a few hours earlier.

Ding-!

The elevator arrived.
The doors slowly opened.
I stepped inside completely alone. Everyone watching reacted differently.
Han Gyeong-ah looked restless, while Kang Se-rim looked displeased.
Shin Nam-jae was still openly hostile, while Joo Bada wore an unreadable smile.

“Unni, do we really have to do this? Maybe we should think it over one more time…”
“I told you, don’t worry~”

I checked the elevator panel. The 3F button, which hadn’t been available before, was now lit.
Floor 3 really had opened.

‘Wait…’

What about Floor 2?

The 2F button was dark. Looking closer, I saw the words ‘Under Maintenance.’

‘Figures…’

I’d expected as much, but it still left me feeling strangely bitter. I pushed the feeling aside and focused on the present.

“Ready?”
“…More or less.”
“If you’re scared, say so now. It’s okay to back out.”
“Forget it. Just keep your promise.”

I firmly pressed the button for Floor 3. The elevator doors slowly began to close.

Clunk-!

Just before they shut completely, something suddenly caught between them.

A shoe?
It belonged to none other than Joo Bada. She had quickly slipped her foot between the doors, stopping the elevator.

Slide-

The doors began opening again.
Beyond them, Joo Bada was chuckling in admiration.

“Pass!”
“What?”
“I said you pass! You pass!”

The declaration came completely out of nowhere.