𝐌𝐘 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀-𝐂𝐇𝐀

Ch.23

The following day, I awoke, my eyes fluttering open as I glanced around, only to find myself surrounded by unfamiliar surroundings. The room I was in didn't resemble my own home, causing a moment of confusion to wash over me.

Shifting my gaze to the side, my eyes landed on Chief Hong, who was sleeping soundly. Suppressing any urge to shout or exclaim my surprise, I carefully slipped out of his room, making sure not to disturb his peaceful slumber.

In the living room, I spotted my bag and swiftly retrieved it. Determination firmly set in my mind, I decided it was time to leave his house. Without uttering a single word, I navigated my way towards the exit, my eyes scanning the area meticulously to ensure that no one would catch sight of me.

Satisfied that the coast was clear, I quickened my pace and walked away briskly, completely oblivious to the fact that across the road, Namsook was observing my departure with widened eyes and a broad grin on her face. In a swift motion, she pulled out her phone and sent a message to everyone in the village.

"Guess what? I just saw Dr. Lee leaving Chief Hong's house," her text message read, prompting Chung Jae to accidentally spit out his coffee in astonishment.

"Engaging in early morning sneakiness, just like a sly cat. I used to think Dooshik was the innocent one, but it seems that innocence has become quite scarce in this world," Namsook's text continued, eliciting surprised glances among those who received the message.

Upon reaching my own home, a sigh of relief escaped my lips as I pushed the door open. To my unexpected surprise, Mina was already there, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips as she held out her phone, displaying a barrage of text messages.

"Did you spend the night with Chief Hong?" she queried, catching me off guard with her directness. For a moment, I faltered, thrown by the unexpected question. It appeared that my carefully orchestrated departure had not gone unnoticed.

As Mina persisted in showing me the onslaught of text messages, a torrent of self-cursing thoughts flooded my mind. Overwhelmed by frustration and resignation, I lowered myself to the floor and sprawled out, seeking a temporary refuge from the impending interrogation.

"So, it's true then?" she pressed once more, her determination evident in her questioning tone. In response, I tried to deflect, infusing my words with a hint of nonchalance. "Do we happen to have any hangover tea?" I interjected, my focus shifting towards escaping the barrage of questions that awaited me.