Flowers Are Bait

Chapter 186:

– “Did you arrive safely? How’s your body?”

Lee-yeon sat in the rocking chair, stretching her body.

“I’m okay.” She replied to Choo-ja on the phone.

In reality, she seemed completely exhausted. It had only been a few minutes since she met Kwon Chae-woo, and a series of intense disturbances unfolded. Her ears continued to ring from the overwhelming noise.

Despite that, as she entrusted her body to the smoothly moving chair, drowsiness gently washed over her. Lee-yeon quietly looked around the room where Gyu-baek had been in such a frenzy.

The room had a nostalgic and elegant interior, fitting the autumn season. There was a plush carpet spread out, a bed that seemed too spacious for one person, and sunlight streaming through the generous glass window adorned with lace curtains.

The dark green wallpaper and the deep-toned wooden furniture added to the atmosphere. It was a charming and refined space.

“Did the bird fly away?” Gyu-baek said in the background.

“He made some strange noises, but thankfully he seemed healthy.”

She let out a sigh.

“Don’t pay too much attention to what Gyu-baek says.”

“Gyu-baek’s specialty has always been reciting encyclopedic knowledge.”

“That child is truly a prodigy!”

“Pardon?”

“Even insects have their ways of survival, you know. Gyu-baek, being someone like him, will have a hard time living in this world. But even though he’s not the most capable utensil, he was born with something to hold onto.”

She smiled mischievously and nodded her head, swinging her foot. The rocking chair moved noticeably.

“I hope the baby and Gyu-baek will get along well when the baby is born.”

As soon as those thoughts crossed her mind, her frozen body seemed to melt under the warmth of the spring sun.

“Except for me, my cousins were really close. Even though I didn’t talk about it, I was secretly envious. Whenever someone picked a fight with them, they would stand up for each other without hesitation. And then, they return home covered in dirt…”

Lee-yeon abruptly stopped rocking the chair.

“Um… what if that happens to Gyu-baek and this baby coming? What should I do, Choo-ja? Should I scold them right away or feed them first?”

In response, hearty laughter resonated from the other end of the receiver.

It was strange to think that an elementary school child would go to middle school for the sake of their older sibling…

Was it because she had just experienced a tumultuous situation and witnessed Kwon Chae-woo’s intimidating nature? Lee-yeon rubbed her arms, feeling a chilling sensation.

“…We need prenatal education, Choo-ja. It seems like we should focus on education.”

“Take care of yourself first! Don’t overwork yourself, understood?”

Choo-ja wanted to stay close to Lee-yeon and offer her support, but with things turning out this way, she couldn’t help but feel worried. Lee-yeon reached out to touch her throbbing forehead but quickly withdrew her hand with a start.

– “…Are you feeling unsteady?”

The smile that had been on her face faded in an instant. It was an ambiguous remark, but it seemed like she understood the meaning behind those words.

Lee-yeon thought of the man who had become even sharper in her mind. He seemed surprisingly fine despite being more precarious now, filled with far more things than when she had lost her memory and felt empty.

“Surprisingly, I was okay.”

– Really?

“Yes, I didn’t even have time to be uncomfortable.”

Lee-yeon pressed down on her still fearfully pounding heart. Thinking back to the incident where she could only enter the house after the car had been crushed, her tongue involuntarily swirled around her mouth, and a cold sweat broke out.

“But I’m actually a bit scared. Kwon Chae-woo, whom I will come to know in the future-”

The man she loved was like a brief summer heatwave. It had made her suffer intensely, but it didn’t disappear without a trace, even when a cool breeze blew.

.

However, the more she regretted the absence of that intangible illusion, the more she grew to hate the present Kwon Chae-woo. It was a serious matter.

“I’m afraid he’ll damage my memories of him.”

Lee-yeon listened to leaned back against the soft chair as she listed to Choo-ja say,

– “Fortunately, you have no gossip for me yet. Not yet.”

* * *

As Lee-yeon looked at the wriggling fish on the plate, she struggled to suppress the rising nausea.

“Now that we’re all gathered here, it brings back memories.”

It already felt like something was building up inside her.

More than Kwon Ki-seok, who had created this uncomfortable situation, or even Kwon Chae-woo, who could walk in with an air of arrogance, the large fish still twitching and gasping for breath shocked her.

“Miss So Lee-yeon, don’t you think our connection is quite deep by now?”

“…Rather than deep, I think it’s resilient, actually.”

It would have been better if she hadn’t chewed on her last words. Unfortunately, she was solely focused on the dining table.

There were dozens of large and small candles in long candlesticks. On the elongated, pure white marble table were individual table mats folded like flowers, neatly arranged napkins, and a set of knives, but strangely, their tidiness seemed out of place.

It was because the lively flopping fishes were commanding attention in front of each of the three individuals.

“Is this a boat? What is this…! Are you telling me to eat raw fish myself?”

When Lee-yeon saw the fish with blinking eyes, she lost her appetite. This kind of dinner was completely new to her in a highly developed, civilized society.

Furthermore, Kwon Chae-woo, seated across from her, was staring at her as if peeling off layers, making it impossible for her to find a place to divert her gaze.

“Brother, don’t casually bring it up whether it’s Lee-yeon or our connection. It was all coercion.”

Kwon Chae-woo, very naturally, gripped the knife and pressed down on the fish’s head as if subduing it.

“Chae-woo, at least contracts should be documented.” Kwon Ki-seok said meaningfully.

“Memories may fade, but records will last forever. Moreover, over the past two years, I’ve had dozens of conversations with Miss So Lee-yeon, and when we first met, I had her handcuffed all night and saw her crying face-”

-Puff!

Kwon Chae-woo, gripping the knife tightly enough to cut into his palm, popped the fish’s eyeball.