PIA 22

As he stepped outside, it felt like his breath was being cut off instantly. Despite not having eaten anything, his stomach churned and turned. His fingers tensely pressed the elevator’s shut button.

“Ah… Hurry up!”

Ji-an became so nervous that his chest began to feel tight at the speed of the elevator’s movement. It felt like big figures dressed in black clothes were going to attack him at any moment.

Even with the empty lobby, it was too early to feel safe. Ji-an pulled the hood over his ball cap and walked briskly to the building across the street. He thought it was risky to just walk along the main street because he didn’t know where the car would come from.

As soon as he hid in a dark spot inside the opposite building, he heard the sound of tires screeching and a car stopping abruptly from the direction of the road. Ji-an’s judgment was correct.

“The guys in the back car guard the front and back of the building. Sang-cheol and Hyeong-sik, come up with me.”

It was a voice that made him know who it was even without seeing their face. Ji-an quietly left the building through the opposite entrance. Then he ran blindly in the direction of the downtown area. It was a vague plan that if he sneaked into a place with a lot of people and blended in, they wouldn’t be able to find him.

This can’t be happening. Why?

Ji-an kept thinking and thinking while running. So far, events that have occurred in this world that were difficult to regard as coincidences have been dismissed as the forced intervention of the drama’s development. But not this time.

If a miscarriage was inevitable, it would have been right for it to happen in Seo Ji-hyuk’s presence. That would make sense as it would stimulate the main couple! 

Even if his grandmother kidnapped him to force a miscarriage, it wouldn’t help follow the predetermined plot. Instead, it would seriously disrupt the story.

“What does the grandmother gain by getting rid of the baby? Marry me off somewhere… then what?”

If she had suspected that it was Jeong Hee-seo’s baby, there was no way she would have tried to cause a miscarriage. If that’s the case, she’ll become extremely distant from JM. What could be the reason for Grandma’s behavior?

Ji-an ran until he was completely drenched and then he approached a crowded downtown area. Ji-an blended into the crowd, controlling his breathing and continuing to walk. His heart, which had been pounding loudly, gradually slowed down.

There were a few people going by who gave him meaningful glances. Ji-an fluttered the front of his hoodie, taking a sniff to catch his own scent. His pheromones were slowly emanating.

‘F*ck…’

The only thing in the cloth bag he hurriedly carried was his wallet and a medicine bag. There wasn’t even any cash in the wallet. If he used the card, let alone his location being discovered, he wouldn’t have been released from suspension.

Ji-an went to an empty bus stop and sat down. He hadn’t realized it when he hastily escaped, but his legs were trembling. Only when he sat down like collapsing did he become aware of his shaking body.

‘What should I do now?’

Contacting Woo-seok in the current situation wasn’t a good choice. Although he knew Woo-seok wouldn’t yield to Manager Jang easily, as long as Woo-seok was in his grandmother’s radar, it was better to keep a distance for a while.

‘She probably won’t track my location, will she?’

The thought occurred to him while he fiddled with his phone. If his grandmother’s abilities were that powerful, Manager Jang might be capable of it. In that case, it was better to turn off the phone quickly.

It was a dead end.

He had no money and nowhere to turn for help.

He felt a chill in his body as the sweat cooled. He realized his trembling was caused by exhausting energy too quickly without eating anything. Ji-an pleaded, touching his lower abdomen, asking for a little help.

It was then. A lightning-like realization passed through Ji-an’s mind.

There’s no rule saying people have to die. Ji-an quickly opened his phone and searched through his contacts. He called Jeong Hee-seo without a moment of hesitation.

– Hello.

Before two short beeps could be heard, a low voice came out.

“Well, I… ”

– What’s wrong?

“I’m now… um, outside.”

He made the call in the desperate situation, but now that he heard his voice, the words wouldn’t come out easily. He didn’t know where to start explaining, and a shudder ran down his spine as soon as he heard Hee-seo’s voice, leaving him speechless.

As Ji-an continued to hesitate, Jeong Hee-seo fell silent for a moment and then asked again.

– Where are you?

“I’m here… here… in Jongno. At a bus stop.”

– Do you see something like a cafe nearby?

“…Yes. There is a Green Coffee Shop right behind it.”

– Then go in there.

“…”

– I’m at the office right now. It’ll take me a bit to get to Jongno. Wait for me inside.

“…”

Jeong Hee-seo quickly understood the situation and came up with a solution without even exchanging any words with him. Thanks to this, Ji-an suddenly relaxed and the inside of his throat became warm. It was difficult to answer.

– Seo Ji-an. Are you listening?

“… Yes.”

– Don’t cry.

Darn. How could he know it. Ji-an pulled his sleeve and wiped his face.

“I didn’t cry.”

– Okay. Good boy.

Still, Ji-an came to his senses thanks to Jeong Hee-seo’s teasing remarks.

As Ji-an was hesitantly getting up from his seat, he heard Jeong Hee-seo quietly saying something to someone who probably was his secretary or someone else. Come to think of it, he said he was at the company. Ji-an felt he was wasting Hee-seo’s time while he worked,, but he didn’t think of withdrawing his request for help.

– Do you have any money?

Jeong Hee-seo asked.

– I’m asking because it seems like your situation is urgent enough for you to call me. I’ll send you a cafe voucher through a message, so buy something warm and wait patiently.

He had noticed it since the last time, but Jeong Hee-seo was sharp, perceptive, and quick in assessing situations and making decisions. Ji-an felt a profound sense of relief that he willingly offered to help.

“All right.”

Jeong Hee-seo laughed softly, hung up the phone, and disappeared. Ji-an felt like he could still hear a sound beyond the receiver, making it difficult to put it down easily, but then a notification sound came, and a message arrived.

[Green Cafe Gift eCard 100,000 won Exchange Voucher ❤ Message Accompanying the Gift: “Expressing gratitude.”]

Why? He busted out laughing when he saw the default message with no content. He laughed with a face covered in tears and snot, then wiped it away hastily with his sleeve. He didn’t even have to look in the mirror to know that he looked terrible right now.

Was it because someone came forward willingly to help him in this strange world where he couldn’t even trust his family? He even felt strangely warm because the voucher was sent without any additional comment. It didn’t matter if he was being kind because of his role as the villain couple.

Ji-an received the voucher in the message, saved the image, and pulled out the SIM card. It was because he was afraid of being tracked down by Manager Jang. Even if he waited without the SIM card in the phone, Jeong Hee-seo seemed to be able to find him easily, so there was no need to be worried.

The cafe had few people, probably because it was a weekday afternoon. Ji-an looked around for a place where he could blend in with people and headed towards the counter.

Although the morning sickness had not gone away yet, he ordered warm tea and scones out of consideration for Jeong Hee-seo’s sincerity. He somehow felt like he could eat it, so he added chocolate pudding.

He went into the cafe’s restroom, wiped his messy face, and returned to sit beside the window with a nice view of the street. He pulled the hat lower and gazed out the window with anxious eyes.

Then he bravely stared out the window and began waiting for Jeong Hee-seo.

At that time, Ji-an had no inkling that his life would take a drastic turn within the next 30 minutes.

Ji-an raised his arm on the table and leaned his head against it. The future was uncertain. With complicated feelings, he scooped the chocolate pudding in the cup.

He sat by the window to see if people chasing him would appear… Despite focusing his eyes and scanning the street, the people he was expecting didn’t appear, which relieved the tension within him.

“Huh…”

Ji-an contacted Jeong Hee-seo out of urgency, but how could he ask Hee-seo to take him in? He’s neither a cat, nor is he a big and adorable human being.

He should have left some way out when he spoke on the phone in the early morning.

Ji-an was stubborn and said that would never happen, but he now felt embarrassed when he changed his mind in just a few hours.

“But still, marriage is out of the question…”

Jeong Hee-seo dismissed the idea of marriage as something important, and suggested to take the easy way. It might not be an unfounded statement given his status as the heir to a chaebol, but… As Ji-an, he couldn’t imagine an emotionless marriage. Furthermore, with a one-year time limit imposed on him, it was an uncomfortable offer.

What kind of person would give birth to a child and then run away?

… I’m not even the one who created it, I’m also a victim.

This is why life is about timing. Even the possession happened with crappy timing…