219. Ghost Ship 3

Yoon Tae-ha held on, embracing him without a word. She was seen subtly clasping his hands, as if fearing he might shake off her arms. Cheon Geon-young closed his eyes completely, then slowly exhaled and opened them. It wasn’t an illusion. It wasn’t something he had concocted in his mind.

“Just hearing that woman’s voice gives me a headache.”

Yoon Tae-ha, her forehead pressed against his back, mumbled softly. Her voice sounded as if she was letting out suppressed feelings. All his nerves were on edge, focused on her. The desire to hold her hand and a warning voice that even a small touch could shatter his composure fiercely contended within him.

“She came to monitor us. Right?”

“That’s the only reason to bother moving.”

Yoon Tae-ha mumbled, tightening her embrace.

“Are we still ‘us’?”

Quickly and quietly, she stripped away his iron-like self-control.

Cheon Geon-young loosened the arms wrapped around his waist and turned around. Yoon Tae-ha then put distance between them, her face faintly agitated.

Instead of answering, Cheon Geon-young turned the basket Moon So-eun had brought upside down. There were no special devices hidden among the fruits that tumbled out.

Next, he took the empty basket out to the outdoor deck and used his ability to burn it. The remnants of the basket turned into gray dust and fluttered down onto the azure sea.

Soon, Cheon Geon-young, having removed the potential threat, stared at the woman who had followed him out with a rough gaze.

“As you said, we’re still on the same side. Is that what you wanted to hear?”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t come to you right away.”

Yoon Tae-ha stopped acting. Even without words, Cheon Geon-young could clearly distinguish the difference between the two of them.

“I don’t want an apology.”

“I know the information the Watchman told you was too little. I went through something personal that I didn’t want recorded, so I didn’t inform them of the details either. So you probably don’t know why I couldn’t return...”

“Stop it.”

The more Yoon Tae-ha tried to defend herself, the more Cheon Geon-young’s face contorted from deep self-reproach to something akin to angry shock. He strode closer, narrowing the distance between them.

“Was it your idea?”

He grabbed Yoon Tae-ha’s shoulders and pulled her towards him. When her moist, round eyes looked up at him, Cheon Geon-young got his answer to the question.

“The Watchman didn’t suggest it first. You volunteered.”

“I thought it was the best option.”

“That’s not how you use the word ‘best.’ How can it be the best when you’re in danger again?”

His breathing became unsteady. Yoon Tae-ha gripped his waist and persuaded him in a calm voice.

“The Director-General believes the chimera is under his control. I confirmed it on the cruise. If he finds out the situation is turning against him, he’ll mobilize his forces to protect himself, and Yoon Tae-ha will definitely be on his list.”

“You don’t understand what I’m afraid of at all.”

“I know, why do you think I don’t? You’re worried about being left alone...”

Now even Yoon Tae-ha’s voice began to tremble. Her face, looking up at him, was soaked with long-held sorrow.

“Do you really not understand why I made this choice? It’s because I want to be with you. Worrying about others overhearing our conversations, hiding... I hate that. If we don’t end this now, there’ll never be another chance.”

“So you embedded a chip in your body that Yoon Jung-hoon might have touched?”

As soon as she heard her grandfather’s name, Yoon Tae-ha’s face turned pale. She released Cheon Geon-young’s waist and gripped the edge of the desk behind her.

“You’re already struggling just dealing with Moon So-eun. And you plan to confront the Director-General, and then eventually face your grandfather directly? And I’m supposed to just stupidly watch from the sidelines. This is what you consider the best.”

“I have a responsibility to fix things. It’s my family, my business.”

“That sounds like you’re going to act recklessly again, like before.”

“If there’s a task entrusted to me, I’ll do it.”

“Even if I don’t want you to?”

Cheon Geon-young, who had spoken passionately, released her shoulders and stepped back. He roughly ran a hand through his hair, as if regretting showing his emotions. Yoon Tae-ha, gripping the edge of the desk, weakly lowered her head.

As time passed, the darkness and silence in the room deepened.

“I’ve received too much from you.”

Cheon Geon-young, who had been silent, mumbled in a choked voice. At his tired and desolate tone, Yoon Tae-ha raised her head.

“That tormented me. Because I couldn’t give anything back. You just disappeared without giving me a chance. The memories of you keep growing, but you just keep drifting further away.”

The sharp profile of the man, looking precarious, imprinted itself on her eyes. The strong bond that had tied them together had, with the change in circumstances, become a double-edged sword. Yoon Tae-ha endured her painfully tightening heart and barely managed to open her mouth.

“I told you to come back no matter what. Aren’t you happy at all that I’m back?”

He didn’t answer. The silence was painful. Finally, Yoon Tae-ha left the bedroom.

________________________________________

The next morning, Yoon Tae-ha, having spent a sleepless night, rose at the sound of her phone alarm. There was a message on the chimera’s phone.

Instructions had arrived from the Director-General to appear at the exhibition with Cheon Geon-young and to monitor him throughout the event. It was no different from the demands made on the cruise.

She gazed blankly at the sea, still colored in dark purplish hues as the sun hadn’t risen, then washed herself with cold water. Even splashing cold water on her parched soul didn’t shake off the dazed feeling. Cheon Geon-young’s words from yesterday swirled in her head like crows circling a carcass.

The gap she thought needed to be filled didn’t exist in the first place. He wasn’t angry because he was curious about the reason. He was afraid that if she acted recklessly, the same thing would happen again.

How should she resolve this emotional rift? She found the current conflict difficult. Isn’t this a conflict with no solution other than enduring their respective pains until everything is over?

For Cheon Geon-young to feel better, she would have to retreat to a safe rear. But that was almost the only thing Yoon Tae-ha couldn’t do.

‘How do I make amends?’

She still didn’t want to appear indifferent to his suffering. Yet, she also didn’t want to hand over her work to someone else and step back. Her insides burned with these incompatible conditions.

Thus, the second day in the aquatic city began with a gloomy mood. Yoon Tae-ha changed clothes and went to the living room, finding Cheon Geon-young slumped on the sofa with a face no different from hers.

“I called for a car. It’s waiting outside.”

They rode in a buggy car driven by the cheerful butler since morning, heading to a restaurant with a circular roof. The restaurant, where calm music played, was surrounded by an artificial beach with soft, white sand.

Cheon Geon-young didn’t say a word throughout the meal. In fact, he barely ate anything himself, only pushing food towards Yoon Tae-ha. Yoon Tae-ha frowned worriedly.

“I heard you have a lot of appointments starting today.”

“I’m full.”

She pouted at his blunt reply. She wasn’t a bird; how could she be full after just a piece of toast? The atmosphere of the cafeteria, where they used to cut pork cutlets without knowing each other’s true intentions, felt more comfortable in comparison.

The meal ended in an uncomfortable silence, and they boarded the butler’s buggy car, the same one they had arrived in. The butler, unfazed by the tense atmosphere between the guests in the back seat, explained how to get from there to the main island’s center.

“The small yacht is faster. Using the waterways, you’ll be at the Central Hub, where the exhibition hall is located, in no time. If you prefer to travel steadily while enjoying the surrounding scenery, I recommend the electric car.”

“The electric car will be faster than this, right?”

“Of course. Much faster. Which would you like to use? I’ll have it ready for your preferred time.”

Should I decide alone? Yoon Tae-ha subtly glanced at Cheon Geon-young. He seemed to indicate that she should choose what she wanted.

“Can we go by car and come back by yacht?”

“Of course. If you adjust your schedule, you could return with a beautiful sunset view.”

This decision was made because even though they were surrounded by the sea, it was essential to understand the land’s road conditions firsthand. The next moment, Cheon Geon-young asked the butler,

“Do you drive the yacht as well?”

“No, another staff member does. Though I do have a dream of driving one myself someday.”

The butler smiled broadly, meeting Cheon Geon-young’s eyes in the mirror. It was only for a moment, but Yoon Tae-ha thought the butler and Cheon Geon-young seemed to know each other.