Flowers Are Bait

Chapter 140:

Chapter 140:

She knew he didn’t mean it. Ignoring the growing sense of annoyance in her chest, she took a deep breath and sat on top of a large rock. Choo-ja noticed that she was getting pale so she went down the mountain to get medicine. Lee-yeon thought about the long day ahead of them and wiped the sweat from her forehead.

It all looked like a mess. The ground had been dug up and there was so much trash that a small mountain had started to form. The place was crying for help. As Lee-yeon looked around, she was somehow reminded of Kwon Chae-woo. But she tried to ignore her thoughts.

Then, as if something had read her mind, she heard footsteps getting closer. She saw a big silhouette approaching her and she stood up.

He was holding a scythe and, when he saw her, he pretended to be looking at the forest instead. He looked neat, in his jersey that went all the way up to his chin and his hair combed back. There was a look of dissatisfaction on his face and, even though they had sex the night before, it made Lee-yeon anxious to approach him.

She played with the hem of her top as she spoke. “Did you sleep well last night?” she asked, then couldn’t help but add, “Did you sleep beside me?”

“Yes, I slept well.”

She was shocked by how soft his voice was, but she couldn’t help but think that it sounded forced.

“Anyway, we’re in a good spot.”

“Sorry?”

“There’s no one here.”

Lee-yeon’s breath hitched in her throat. Here?Everything was filthy. It was all a mess.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“We didn’t have much time to talk,” he said. “The judging happened as soon as you woke up.” He adjusted his grip on the scythe and stepped closer. “What’s the reward?”

Lee-yeon could feel her palms begin to grow sweaty.

“I’m curious to know what the story was. Can you tell me?”

“Well...” she trailed off, looking away from him. “It’s just an old story. It’s nothing.” Her voice was quiet now and she tried her best to show him how uncomfortable she was, but all he did was stare at her calmly. With his eyes, clear and bright, pointed right at her, she knew she couldn’t keep quiet.

“I called them.” She blurted out.

Kwon Chae-woo clutched the scythe. He had been the one that told his mother to go to the girl’s house, to Lee-yeon’s house.

Lee-yeon looked at him seriously. “I had my priorities,” she said. “I don’t regret choosing my uncle.”

“You don’t regret it?”

Before she could answer, Kwon Chae-woo began to chuckle. He thought of the mother he had missed, the mother that had died in the basement beneath his room. She was right there and yet she had died. As he looked around the forest, there was no hint of life in his eyes.

“Aren’t you curious to know what happened to that woman?” he asked. “Don’t you want to know what happened to the woman you sold to extend your uncle’s life?”

Lee-yeon looked away. “They told me that she went home. I like to think that she’s doing well.”

“It’s nice that you think that,” he said, his words cutting her when he knew it hurt. “Usually preys don’t survive,” he added in a whisper.

She frowned at him as he began to back away. She realized that this conversation was something else, she didn’t understand its entirety. Everything was strange, everything made her uneasy. She stared ahead at the man that was already moving away from her.

“We met on the wrong terms,” he said.

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say, Chae-woo.”

“It’s okay if you don’t.” He started to laugh. “I was always a bit messed up here,” he said, pointing at his head. “Anyway, thanks for your answer.” He swung the scythe against a tree and left it jammed into the trunk.

“Chae-woo!” Lee-yeon called, but there was no use. As he turned away from her, the last thing she did was the look on his face: halfway between smiling and crying.

Then, boom!

She covered her head at the unexpected explosion. There was fire spread across the area. Soon, there was smoke everywhere. She tried to get away, but the fire was already so strong that it felt like her skin was melting.

Lee-yeon looked back at the place where Kwon Chae-woo had been. He was gone.

And then, boom! There was another huge explosion.