As she blankly stared on the hand, she noticed one other hand reached out in her peripheral imaginative and prescient to put a enterprise card on the desk. Solely then did Na-Yool absolutely look behind her.

Si-Jin, and a complete stranger. Her eyes flickered with confusion.

“Ms. Kim Na-Yool strongly needs for felony prosecution, so you might proceed as such. We are going to proceed on our aspect with the civil lawsuit in opposition to Mr. Lee Sang-Hoon. Ah, and likewise…”

The lawyer’s voice flowed in Na-Yool’s ears like a dream. In the meantime, Si-Jin’s fingers got here near the burst nook of her lips, nearly grazing it earlier than retracting.

“You don’t want to remain right here any longer.”

Then, his low and heat voice fell over her head.

Earlier than Na-Yool realized it, the lawyer was sitting in her place. After stepping apart Na-Yool briefly noticed the state of affairs from afar, then walked away with Si-Jin’s arm wrapped round her shoulders. Sang-Hoon, nonetheless placing on his good-natured act, checked out them with hateful eyes.

He was sitting a lot nearer to the doorway door. Once they handed subsequent to him, Si-Jin took just a few steps in his route and, leaning over Sang-Hoon’s shoulder, whispered one thing. After all, it lasted solely an on the spot.

Placing apart her disgust for him, Na-Yool appeared with perplexity at Sang-Hoon’s face turning blue in a flash. However Si-Jin wrapped his arm again round her shoulders, they usually left the workplace of the Girls & Juvenile Affairs Division.

Na-Yool was nonetheless taking a look at him with puzzled eyes. He shrugged one shoulder as he gave her a solution.

“I believe you’ll be able to look ahead to it.”

It might’t be all. Na-Yool narrowed her eyes as if asking for the entire reality, and Si-Jin elaborated with a sigh.

“I stated I’ll lower his dick off.”

“……”

She knew he was stuffed with nonsense, however to that extent?! Sang-Hoon’s choked-up response got here to reminiscence, and Na-Yool was satisfied.

“You imply… figuratively, proper?”

A fast affirmation, simply in case. Si-Jin briefly glanced at her like asking if it mattered, then nodded with a softened perspective.

“Positive. Figuratively.”

It turned clearer that, opposite to his reply, it was greater than an analogy.

However slightly than blindly speculate, Na-Yool quietly noticed him. She certainly realized that, earlier than cozily debating whether or not he meant to socially or bodily lower Sang-Hoon off, there have been just a few missed factors they have to correctly focus on first.

Not one, however 2 or 3.

“…How a lot did you hear about…? No,…” Na-Yool shook her head with out letting Si-Jin the time to reply and continued. “Why are you… How come you’re right here?”

The ‘why’ was instantly corrected with a ‘how’, however the truth is, each had been no totally different. Not to mention how her state of affairs had reached his ears, she actually couldn’t work out for what purpose he was right here.

She was stupefied.

Si-Jin stared at her for a second like studying by way of her ideas, earlier than talking up.

“Not a lot. I’ve solely been instructed just a few issues.” He calmly dodged her second query and answered the primary. “So it is best to inform me extra about it. If it’s comfortable with you.”

“……”

“You’re most likely not within the temper for it, do it later once you really feel higher. No rush. We’ve received on a regular basis.”

“No, I’m superb now. I’m. I don’t have a lot to let you know, however…”

“You’re ‘superb’?”

In his questioning tone, the earlier heat had unmistakably grown colder. Feeling his gaze mounted on the burst nook of her mouth, Na-Yool muddle-headedly mumbled.

“You have no idea the state of affairs, that’s why… I do know it appears unhealthy, however it’s not. That isn’t what you suppose.”

“What do you suppose I’m considering of?”

“Like, the terrible issues that you just at all times talked about earlier than, Mr. President. These scary tales we hear on the information…”

“Ah, so that you imply, your state of affairs was not unhealthy sufficient to develop into information materials?”

“…Actual.”

If it was as much as her, she would even pay to get the media’s headlines to destroy Sang-Hoon, however the actuality was totally different. Since even the police stored saying it was a trivial subject, she now felt that talking up about how traumatic an expertise she had was shameful.

And perhaps, she was afraid. Afraid that individuals would react just like the detective, a ‘what’s the large deal anyway?’ look on their faces. Way more so if this particular person was nobody else however Si-Jin…

The truth that he had been suspicious and repeatedly warned her, that he had rushed to the station for her sake no matter how he heard about her state of affairs, and that he even introduced an lawyer alongside on this brief interval — in the long run, it didn’t stop Na-Yool from shaking from apprehension.

A wretched feeling twinged her guts as she nodded, pretending it was nothing, like she did when she referred to as Hyung-Wook just a few hours in the past. However regardless of how bitter she felt, it was not as devastating as Si-Jin going to nice lengths to return right here, solely to see her on this state.

She had dedicated no crime, but why ought to she really feel shameful? She recalled how Sang-Hoon nodded in the course of the interrogation, interesting to his sincerity and uprightness with a straight-backed bearing that fellow males favorably authorized. Like somebody with completely nothing to be ashamed of. It was ironic.

After all, even when it was somebody apart from Si-Jin, Na-Yool didn’t want to be seen by any acquaintance. Such a depressing state, she couldn’t bear for anybody she knew to witness it. As if the severity of bodily assault and tried rape was not sufficient, she received rebuffed by the police, who ought to have assist her very first thing. It was as if she was making tales up or was overreacting over a ‘trivial subject’.

To those that knew her and the way she had lived a peaceable, regular life…

“How the hell do you set your requirements?”

Standing in the course of the hallway, going through one another, Si-Jin was the primary to interrupt the extended silence. And within the harshest tone he had ever used round her, no much less.

“…What?”

“I’m asking if, to you, to get crushed by a person until your lips burst is not any large deal?”

“……”

“Bodily assault, sexual harassment.  You spat all of it out your self. To that freaking lunatic, you stated so confidently that you’d slightly die than signal an settlement, so how come…”

…Sure, to those that knew her peculiar way of life, she refused to get uncovered. Much more so in entrance of Si-Jin. If she uncovered her weak self to the only real individual that she wished she would by no means, she could be struck numb with humiliation. Like proper now. Now that her lips injured by one other man’s fist had been seen by him, Na-Yool was at a complete loss at how one can clarify herself…

Within the midst of her interior battle, the tears burst out abruptly, and he or she had no time to cover them. As a result of the truth is, Si-Jin had seen them even earlier than she cried. His lips moved as if about to swear, however no sound got here out. His helpless hand froze in area for a second, wavering to the touch her cheek, and in the end landed on her face.

“…I’m sorry.”

Whereas apologizing out of the blue, Si-Jin was unskillfully wiping her tears with clumsy arms. This man, Kwon Si-Jin, was flustered. If Na-Yool had a notepad at hand, it was a second to file for posterity. After all, she would make certain to depart out the trigger.

“What, what do it’s a must to be sorry for, Mr. President.”

“It’s my fault. I did you flawed. So don’t cry like this.”

“…I’m sorry…It received’t cease…”

As Na-Yool slurred out an apology by way of sorrowful sobs, Si-Jin’s expression tensed up a bit extra. His hand that was cupping her face held the again of her neck and pulled her into his embrace.

“Then preserve crying. Till you need to cease.”

“……”

“It’s okay.”

“……”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

It was a wierd factor. Ever since arriving on the police station she had not cried a single tear. However right here she was, weeping. How was it attainable? Utterly dry when she had wanted to cry, her now tearing eyes had been most likely faulty. Na-Yool even doubted herself, questioning if she had wished to play the pitiful card on this stonelike man to impress his protecting intuition. However she was not a well-versed actress sufficient to dare management her tear ducts intentionally.

Every thing was actual. The form of realness that may by no means be hid.