Flowers Are Bait

Chapter 24:

“Lee-yeon… Lee-yeon…”

Lee-yeon felt an odd mix of emotions when she heard her name being called. The way Kwon Chae-woo called her name sounded so different from the way Hwang Jo-yoon did. Kwon Chae-woo pressed his fingers to his temple as though this was giving him a headache.

“Stop calling my wife’s name before I kill you.” His cold gaze was sharp as a blade. Kwon Chae-woo, at that moment, looked a man possessed. A beast in a human mask.

It could have been an illusion, but she felt the temperature drop. The tension in the air was palpable. Hwang Jo-yoon froze, holding his breath. It wasn’t only him who held his breath, Lee-yeon didn’t dare move. She recalled the murderer she had seen two years ago.

What if his headache leads him to recalling his past? Lee-yeon felt restless. Her heart pounded.

Kwon Chae-woo turned to look at the glass on the table. He let go of her hand he was holding. What is he thinking? What is he going to do? Is he going to… No!

Lee-yeon hurriedly grabbed his arm and and placed it on her waist. Kwon Chae-woo paused for a moment and turned to look at her. His eyes were cold and flat like a calm sea. “Do I really have to stay still?” he asked.

Lee-yeon didn’t respond. “About what I asked earlier… eyes and the mouth. I really want you to choose this time.” His face was gentle and calm, as though he had never been angry before. “Or maybe the right ball or the left?” Lee-yeon blinked in confusion. “Are those options better than before?” he asked.

* * *

To diffuse the situation and to prevent Kwon Chae-woo acting out, Lee-yeon hurriedly left the cafe with him. Her heart pounded so hard that she thought it might explode.

To protect Kwon Chae-woo from harm, shehurriedly left the cafe with him. In the meantime, her heart started beating so fast that it felt like it was going to explode.

“…before I kill you.” The doctor had said that his memories might return at any time. Her blood ran cold at the thought. She felt scared and helpless. She was terrified that the events of the day had triggered him in some way. No… it’s too early to jump into any conclusions. She tried to calm herself. Her face darkened.

Nothing stimulated Kwon Chae-woo. He observed and reacted to her mood constantly. When Lee-yeon felt the slightest discomfort, the man quickly took a stance. It was like she had his leash, and she was doing a very bad job of keeping him under control. Lee-yeon clenched her fist.

I shouldn’t ruin my own plans…. She decided to be more careful and try to not display her anxiety in front of Kwon Chae-woo. She had to remain calm and resolute in front of him. Every time she lost her composure, he would get triggered, so she had to be careful.

“I will bring this matter to a close with Hwang Jo-yoon!” she declared after returning home. Kwon Chae-woo turned to her with a cold expression.

“Lee-yeon…,” he began.

“There is nothing to worry about,” she said hurriedly, “I will solve it publicly and legally. So don’t dwell on whatever happened today, alright? What if your head starts hurting again?” She studied his face.

Kwon Chae-woo let out a short sigh and ran his fingers through his hair. “Are you telling me you intend to meet him again?”

“I mean…,” Lee-yeon stopped and jumped up. “The Open Contest! I want to win against D Hospital and bring them down a peg! That will show them.” She made a fist to display her unwavering resolve.

Kwon Chae-woo took off her straw hat and her sweater. “What did that bastard do to you?”

“Um….” Lee-yeon didn’t know how to answer that. She didn’t want to go into the details. “He is just annoying. He always was. Every time I talked to him back then, it’s like talking to a wall.”

“Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked.

“Help me by being happy,” she said, “I want you to only see good things from now.”

He frowned slightly, then smiled. “Well, that’s not very difficult.” He looked at her fondly.

Lee-yeon scratched the nape of her neck and turned away from his gaze awkwardly. “By the way, Kwon Chae-woo…”

“Yes?”

“Why did you say you would kill him?” She looked up at him.

“I am sorry,” he said, lowering his head.

“No… don’t apologize. I was just curious. I have never seen saying something like that.”

Kwon Chae-woo looked at her. “I don’t know. Every time he called you by your name so rudely, I nearly went out of my mind. I felt angry.”

“Were you really going to…”

“I was trying to restrain myself from ripping out his mouth.” Kwon Chae-woo clenched his jaw. “You looked so uncomfortable. It seemed to me that you would burst into tears. I wanted him to shut up.”

Lee-yeon slowly raised her head. Their eyes met. A flicker of relief flashed across his face as though he could finally breathe again.

“That man was already dead in my mind, Lee-yeon,” Kwon Chae-woo said, touching her eyes. “I can’t be gently and friendly towards people like him even if I tried to.” He smiled sheepishly.