13. Come to the Hotel
“You can't say you don't remember now, can you?”
Like being scanned at an airport security checkpoint, every aspect of Se-ah's life was exposed by Do Junhyuk's scanner-like perception — her home, her workplace, even the lie about having a husband supposedly in Africa.
With nothing left to hide from someone who knew everything about her, Se-ah eventually decided to let it all go and exhaled a deep sigh.
"Long time no see, Mr. Do Junhyuk."
She tried to keep a calm expression with a slight curl of her lips, but inside, she was burning with unease.
“Indeed, it’s been a while, Jin Se-ah. Or should I call you Coco now?”
He looked down at her, barely suppressing a grin. The situation seemed quite amusing to him, and his eyes sparkled with curiosity, like a traveler boarding a cruise ship for the first time.
What's with this attitude? It's unsettling.
It felt as if her ex-husband knew even more about her now than he had during their marriage — or perhaps he just wanted to know more.
The more she thought about it, the more she had to admit that he was undeniably a man of remarkable ability.
It had only been two days since they arrived in the Philippines, but somehow, he had managed to learn everything about her in that short span of time.
Watching him, she had a sudden thought: If he stays here for a few more days, he might even figure out how many spoons I have at home.
Faced with that unsettling possibility, Se-ah concluded that either he was incredibly skilled, or she was extremely unlucky. Neither option was a comforting thought.
Huuuu...
Letting out a sigh so long it felt like her shoulders might drop to the ground, Se-ah tilted her head slightly toward the man standing within arm's reach.
“I don't know how you found out, but I pretended to have a husband for... personal reasons. I’m sorry if that made you uncomfortable.”
No matter how she looked at it, she realized it wasn’t right to walk around letting people think her ex-husband was still her husband. From his perspective, it would be understandable if he took issue with it. At the very least, she thought it was only proper to apologize.
She didn't expect Do Junhyuk to explicitly say that he was upset. She figured he would just brush it off casually. But...
“Yeah, I am upset.”
Her assumption was completely off.
“What?”
Se-ah blinked slowly, her wide eyes filled with confusion. She wondered if she had misheard, but he drove his point home.
“I said, I’m not happy about it.”
“... I see.”
Noticing how assertive Junhyuk had become compared to three years ago, Se-ah opened and closed her mouth, struggling to find the right words. Then, his next words left her mind blank.
“If you’re really sorry, come to the hotel tonight and apologize properly.”
“Ho-hotel?”
“Yeah, the GK Grand Hotel.”
“You’re joking, right? That's not funny at all, Mr. Do Junhyuk.”
“Do I seem like someone who tells pointless jokes to you, Jin Se-ah?”
He glared at her with an unamused look, his eyes sharp as he stared at her blinking face.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes.”
With a nod of his head, he didn’t seem to be joking this time.
What is this? Is he seriously telling me to come to the hotel?
Why would I need to go to a hotel to apologize? Isn't that a bit too much for two grown adults?
Her mind was flooded with thoughts, but she managed to sort them out and immediately rejected his suggestion. It wasn’t something that required much deliberation.
“Why should I? I just apologized a moment ago. Let that be enough.”
“Who said you could decide that on your own?”
“This isn’t something to make a big deal about.”
“And it's definitely not something you can just walk away from after using someone else's name like that.”
Her ex-husband, whom she hadn’t seen for years, had not only become more persistent but also more sharp-tongued. However, there was no way she was going to follow his demands.
“Who said I was using your name?”
“If you don’t come, I’ll report you for identity fraud, so keep that in mind.”
“Identity fraud? Seriously? Can’t I just call my ex-husband my husband? Isn’t that taking it too far?”
Se-ah's eyes sparked with fire.
Did I take out a loan using Do Junhyuk’s name? Or did I commit fraud or something?
All she did was make a small lie to avoid unnecessary hassle, but his reaction was so extreme that she felt dumbfounded.
“Well, whether you benefited from pretending I was your husband or not, that’s for the law to decide.”
“Sure. Fine. Let the law decide, then…”
She tried to sound bold, but the reality of her situation hit her like a splash of cold water. If she ended up getting involved with the local police, it could seriously mess up her plans to leave the day after tomorrow.
Guilt or no guilt, she recalled something Marino had said, once you get detained, there’s no telling when you’ll be released.
It was also a place where even the most absurd situations could be resolved with money.
Junhyuk didn’t miss her moment of hesitation. Leaning close to her ear, he whispered in a low, secretive voice.
“Come to the lobby by midnight. I’ll inform the staff, so head straight up to my room.”
Without waiting for a response, he turned her around and nudged her forward. The door, which had seemed firmly shut, suddenly swung open just enough for her to pass through.
Just like that, Do Junhyuk, who had appeared out of nowhere, vanished just as quickly.
“Coco, I heard from Enya. You filled in for her performance when she hurt her leg, right? Since when did you learn to dance like that?”
The compliments from the boss as they disembarked the ship didn’t register in Se-ah's mind at all.
What on earth is he planning now?
Her mind was filled with thoughts of him.
Even as Do Junhyuk got into his car and drove away, he didn’t glance in her direction, as if he had never spoken those words to her.
***
Click. Click.
The sharp sound of 10cm stiletto heels echoed as they crossed the marble lobby.
The crisscrossing crystal embellishments on the straps of her shoes and the silver clutch bag she carried reflected light in all directions with every step.
It was a little past midnight, but the people moving around the lobby paid more attention to her striking face than to her figure-hugging black mini dress or her flashy accessories.
Even her bob-cut hair, neatly trimmed just above her neck, added to her sophisticated, urban look, perfectly complemented by her bold red lips.
A hotel employee, who had been loitering near the lobby, approached her with a hesitant expression.
“[Are you... Ms. Coco, by any chance?]”
“[Yes, I am.]”
“[Please follow me.]”
Her striking appearance, combined with the VIP treatment she was receiving, drew the gazes of onlookers throughout the hotel.
But Se-ah didn’t have the luxury to care about being watched. Wearing clothes and makeup she hadn’t touched in years made her feel uncomfortable, and she was preoccupied with her own thoughts.
She had dressed with purpose. After all, there was no way she could face Do Junhyuk in the disheveled look she’d been sporting for the past two days. She had to make her stand.
She had debated with herself several times as she rummaged through her wardrobe, wondering if she really needed to go to such lengths. But as soon as she set foot in the opulent hotel, she realized she had made the right call.
When the hotel staff member scanned the keycard on the elevator, the button for the top floor lit up with a soft blue glow.
The top floor — that meant the penthouse.
She remembered hearing that he had bought out this hotel two years ago. It was no surprise he was staying in the best room.
As the elevator climbed higher and higher, the view from the glass window grew more breathtaking, almost enough to elicit a gasp of admiration.
Looking out, Se-ah couldn’t help but feel a pang of discomfort. The glaring difference between this place, where a single night's stay would cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of won, and her own dilapidated apartment with rent under 100,000 won a month, was enough to make her chest tighten.
It was a feeling she had forgotten after moving abroad and trying to build a new life.
Her life abroad had started with misfortune. She had been pickpocketed on her first day, losing all her cash. If it hadn’t been for Marino, she might not have even managed to recover her passport and luggage.
Her bank cards were immediately canceled to prevent any misuse, which only added to her difficulties.
Her early days were rough. Without a stable job, she battled pests in her crumbling, run-down apartment, all while resisting the urge to return to Korea. It was only her firm resolve to track down Director Kim that kept her going.
Rather than spending her limited funds on better accommodations, she poured her money into tracking down Director Kim.
Every time she managed to scrape together some cash, she moved from one place to another, chasing leads. She started her search in Manila, where most Koreans resided, but she didn’t stop there. She traveled all across the central Philippines.
It wasn’t a large region, but with all the islands scattered about, it seemed like the perfect place to hide. It was then she realized that Director Kim might have come here not to stay long-term but to lie low for a while.
From time to time, she saw women living in luxury, staying in fine accommodations and surrounded by attendants. Seeing them made her wonder if she should have just stayed in Do Junhyuk’s house and endured it all.
But she knew herself too well. Her personality wouldn’t have allowed her to endure it for long, no matter how comfortable life might have been.
When she left him, she had thought that even if she couldn’t revive her failed company, she could still live comfortably with her savings.
Had I underestimated life too much?
Nothing had been resolved, and time had already marched toward the three-year mark.
Ding.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, Se-ah wiped away her gloomy expression.
For now, her priority was to deal with the issue right in front of her.
With her chin raised confidently, she strode across the plush carpet and stopped in front of a massive, heavy-looking door that seemed burdensome just by its appearance.
It appeared that it was her responsibility to open it. The hotel staff gave her a slight bow and walked away without a word.
Now standing before the small doorbell, she suddenly felt her mouth go dry.
Taking a deep breath, she reached out her index finger, about to press the bell—
Clatter.
The door suddenly swung open.
“I was wondering when you’d show up.”
The fresh, clean scent of someone who had just showered wafted from inside, drifting down the hallway and enveloping her senses.
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