The Witch Stirs
After breakfast—which doubled as lunch—we each called our parents to check in. Since the wedding, Changhee had grown much closer to her parents, especially her mother, and they spoke often. I, on the other hand, rarely initiated calls because Mom usually reached out to me first. That day, however, I picked up the phone as if we had planned it. After mentioning we would visit during the holidays, there was little left to say.
"How's the interior work coming along?"
"It's almost finished. Should be done before Chuseok."
Thanks to Suyeon, we had secured the contract with Zaya and immediately spoke with the fifth-floor tenant. Coincidentally, the fourth-floor tenant was closing due to financial trouble, so we arranged to move them down and planned to take over the entire fifth floor for our company, beginning the necessary renovations.
Changhee was still on the phone when I finished with Mom. Before stepping out onto the veranda, I caught enough to realize she was talking to her younger sister, Mira. Changhee mouthed an apology. I waved it off and stepped outside to light a cigarette. The weather had turned quite chilly. After a few drags I decided I would catch a cold without a cardigan, so I went back in.
Changhee had already hung up and sat at the dining table with a glum expression. I grabbed the ashtray from the living-room table, carried it into the kitchen, and sat across from her.
"What happened?"
"Oppa—well, my brother—apparently texted Mira. He said they won't be able to meet during the holidays..."
The sulky tone that came out of Changhee surprised me; after staying up all night she had slipped back into formal speech. Habits really were terrifying. Still, that was not the real issue.
"He might just be busy. We don't even know what kind of work he's doing..."
I played along, pretending to take Changguk's side.
"More importantly, if he contacted Mira, he must have contacted his wife too. There's no way he wouldn't call his own wife."
"Probably. But he hasn't called Sister-in-law yet..."
"I'll try her now. And please stop making that face. I'd rather you showed a little strength—bright and cheerful like yesterday. And since we agreed you'd speak casually... I'd like you to keep that promise."
Changhee gave a weak smile and nodded. I smiled back and quickly dialed Jo Sujeong. I had assumed she would be home resting on a Saturday at this hour, but she did not answer. I remembered Suyeon mentioning that her company sometimes worked Saturdays depending on the workload, so I sent a text asking her to call me back.
At that moment an odd thought struck me. What if Jo Sujeong already knew her husband Changguk's secret? If "Gukhwa" had not suddenly appeared out of nowhere—if he had been cross-dressing and working part-time even after marriage—then no matter how careful he was, his wife would surely have noticed something strange. The memory of meeting Jo Sujeong flashed through my mind and the suspicion followed. Even in difficult financial circumstances, her calm, almost indifferent attitude toward a husband who rarely contacted her felt off. For a mother with a young child to be that detached was strange, no matter how positive her personality.
I stepped back out onto the veranda and called the direct line of the private investigator I had used before. I asked if they could tail a woman for the rest of the day. The director made the usual excuses—weekend, short-staffed—and raised the price, but I agreed to everything. While I was already outside, I smoked another cigarette and tried to organize my thoughts. If my suspicion was correct, what would that mean? I ran through several possible courses of action depending on how far I decided to take it. As I did, I felt the witch inside me begin to dance.
Changhee finished a quick clean of the house and got ready to head over to Jeongsook and Yeojeong's place. Lately they preferred to start the games early, then enjoy dinner served by Lucy and Penny afterward. Sometimes, exhausted yet still excited and lightly buzzed, they would continue playing well into the night. It was not the kind of game that left you drained, though; it felt more like dessert—candy and jade receiving attentive service.
I decided to skip the first half. Changhee looked worried, asking if I was feeling unwell. I told her I needed to wait for a business call and would join them for "dessert time." She understood what that meant and did not press further. Once she left with the car, I thought for a moment, then sent a text to Kim Minjun. As usual, he called back immediately.
"Are you alone?"
"Yeah, for now. My partner went shopping, heh... What's up? We just met yesterday and you're calling again today."
Assuming nothing unusual had happened, I figured he had probably spent the night with Gukhwa, who was in the middle of her passionate new romance. I had hoped they were still together; if they were, my theory would have been wrong. Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case.
"It might be a little early to say this, but I wanted to mention it before reservations fill up."
"Reservations? What reservations? You want me to book something for you?"
His ever-confident tone came through the phone.
"No, I was thinking of reserving your time."
"Oh! What are you saying? Why make it so complicated when you just want to see me? Hahaha... So I finally get to meet Kim Soyoung's partner—wait, wife? Hahaha..."
"Like I said, nothing is confirmed yet, but if things look certain today or tomorrow, we'll set a date. And..."
"And? Is there more?"
"I can really trust you, right?"
"Hahaha, is that all? Of course you can trust me. You know roughly what kind of person Kim Minjun is. That's why I'm going out of my way to help you—so you'll see I'm even better than the rumors say. Hahaha..."
Everything he had said and done so far seemed reliable. Still, I needed to be absolutely certain about what would happen next. I did not want any fallout reaching my wife.
"All right. I can't exactly make you sign a promissory note or swear a blood oath, so I'll trust your golden word. I'll call you tomorrow or the day after."
After hanging up, I wondered for a moment whether what I was planning was truly the right move. There were other options—some roundabout, some direct. But the witch inside me wanted this path. I had no idea what the outcome would be, yet the thought of a bold, thrilling result sent a strange excitement through me. It was the orgasm the witch desired.
Two hours later the investigator called. The woman had gone out and returned home. I glanced at the clock reflexively—it was not yet six. Because GPS tracking was unavailable, he had waited outside her building and reported that she had just parted ways with another woman and gone inside.
"You took photos, right? Can you send them to me now?"
From previous experience I knew photos were essential. He sent them immediately. As expected, it was Gukhwa. The picture had been taken at the moment they separated. The woman holding the baby was clearly Jo Sujeong.
"If it's not too late, could you follow the woman she was with?"
"I already started tailing her just in case, haha..."
The veteran was clearly earning his fee.
"Find out where she gets dropped off, and if possible, which house she enters."
"Understood. I'll do everything I can until midnight, so don't worry."
His confidence was reassuring. I briefly considered whether I needed to find out where Gukhwa worked, then changed my mind and asked him to do that as well. I did not know whether she was heading to Minjun's hideout or her own home, nor did I know where his hideout even was. The surest way to confirm her identity was to follow her all the way to her workplace.