A Cat in the Bedroom
Jaehyuk's house.
At that moment, Jaehyuk was lying on his bed, scrolling through his phone.
'The ruling Seonmin Party's leader, Cha Jinyong. So this is the man trying to kill my father?'
Jaehyuk stared at a photo of Cha Jinyong he'd found online, lost in thought.
The Seonmin Party, South Korea's ruling party. Cha Jinyong was its current leader.
'According to that man Jeong Seung-gyu, the information on the USB I received is something Cha Jinyong could bury anytime he wanted. Does that mean his influence is that massive? Well, for someone of his caliber as the leader of the ruling party, it'd be strange if he didn't have that kind of power.'
Jaehyuk continued skimming through the various controversies surrounding Cha Jinyong that were recorded on the internet.
'Even during his time as a prosecutor, there were suspicions of him meeting with corrupt assemblymen and taking bribes in exchange for dropping charges. He supposedly cleaned it up later, but there are also quite a few overly sympathetic statements about North Korea...'
After reviewing everything he could find on Cha Jinyong, Jaehyuk turned off his phone, set it down beside his pillow, and sank into thought.
'If someone like that is backing the Gangryonghoe, any future operations are going to be extremely difficult. But if I report this to my superiors, the same thing that happened to my father could happen to me. There's no guarantee the police aren't already compromised by Cha Jinyong's people.'
Jaehyuk let out a heavy sigh.
'Even if the people connected to my father provide information... it still feels insufficient. Going up against a heavyweight like the leader of the ruling party... something's missing.'
Just then, the phone he'd placed by his pillow began to vibrate. The caller was his girlfriend, Alina Kim.
"Hey, babe."
"Oppa. What were you doing?"
"I was just... resting."
"Must be nice. I just finished my training and I'm finally on my way home..."
Alina's voice sounded drained over the phone. As Jaehyuk sat up, she continued.
"Then... do you want to have a date at my place?"
"At your place...??"
"Yeah."
'A sudden home date request, huh...'
Jaehyuk was feeling a bit troubled and didn't answer right away. Alina's voice grew smaller, almost timid.
"Do you... not want to...?"
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Not wanting to make Alina feel even worse, Jaehyuk quickly replied.
"No, I'd love to. What time should I come over?"
"Um... hold on a second."
Alina turned to Amelia, who was driving, and asked in English.
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After Amelia's reply, Alina spoke to Jaehyuk again.
"I'll send a car for you later. When it arrives in front of your house, the driver will call your number. Just come down and get in when you get the call."
"Uh... okay. Got it."
"Yeah. See you later."
"Alright. See you."
Alina ended the call. Amelia glanced at the beautiful, adorable smile on her face and asked in English.
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With that, Alina let out a small sigh as the Rolls-Royce continued speeding down the road.
A short while later, Jaehyuk, having received the call, stepped outside and saw a Rolls-Royce Phantom parked in front of his house.
The driver's window rolled down, and Amelia spoke to him in Korean.
"Park Jaehyuk?"
"Yes."
"Get in the back. I'll take you to the young lady's residence."
Jaehyuk climbed into the rear seat, and the Rolls-Royce Amelia was driving headed straight for Alina's home.
'She gives off the vibe of a spy heroine from an action movie. I bet she's good in a fight too.'
Amelia noticed Jaehyuk's gaze while driving but paid it no mind and kept her eyes on the road.
"Um... what's your name?"
Jaehyuk asked to break the awkward silence. Amelia remained quiet for a moment before answering.
"Amelia Chase. You can call me Chase."
"Uh... okay."
Her somewhat cold response left Jaehyuk silent for the rest of the ride. The two didn't exchange another word until they arrived at Alina's house.
When they finally reached Alina's mansion, Jaehyuk was momentarily stunned by its sheer size.
'Whoa... this place is huge. Did she rent it temporarily? Or did she... actually buy it?'
"Please go inside first. I'll park the car and join you shortly."
Amelia drove the Rolls-Royce to the large garage beside the mansion. Jaehyuk walked up to the front door and pressed the doorbell.
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'What? There's another bodyguard?'
A deep male voice came from beyond the door. Jaehyuk spoke into the intercom in English.
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After a brief silence, the door opened. A massive Asian man stood before him, and Jaehyuk instinctively flinched at the overwhelming pressure the man's size and appearance radiated.
'Wow... that's one hell of an intimidating face...'
Robert Han stood roughly 190 centimeters tall with broad shoulders, a short military-style haircut, and a fierce expression that reminded one of a wild beast. He stared directly at Jaehyuk.
His expression seemed to ask, 'How dare you lay your hands on our young lady?'
'That face makes me feel like I should apologize even if I haven't done anything wrong.'
"You're here?"
Alina appeared from behind Robert to greet Jaehyuk. At the sound of her voice, Robert silently stepped aside to let Jaehyuk through.
"Come in. Don't be too nervous."
She was wearing an ivory long-sleeve t-shirt, black cotton pants, and white indoor slippers. She greeted him with a bright smile.
"Yeah..."
Jaehyuk stepped inside. Alina asked him gently.
"How have you been?"
"Um... I went on a business trip overseas and... I've been pretty busy."
"You must have been tired..."
As she spoke, Alina softly took his hand. A warm, gentle touch enveloped his palm completely.
A little later, after changing his clothes, Jaehyuk entered Alina's room.
'This is the first time I've been in a girl's room besides Dahyun or Suyeon's.'
Alina's room was slightly smaller than a typical apartment but contained just about everything imaginable.
'It's actually much bigger than most rooms...?'
While looking around, Jaehyuk asked her.
"So, did you rent this mansion while you're staying in Korea?"
"No. I bought it outright."
"You bought it?"
"Yeah. The owner was moving overseas and put it on the market, so I purchased it."
"I see."
Jaehyuk and Alina sat on the sofa and talked. During their conversation, Alina suddenly tilted her head as if sensing something was off.
"Oppa. Do you have something on your mind?"
"Something on my mind? No, not really. Why?"
"Your expression looks different than usual. It's like... you're carrying a heavy burden or something."
"Is it that obvious?"
Alina nodded with a worried look. Jaehyuk felt a pang of guilt, afraid that his troubled mood was affecting her too.
''
With that thought, Jaehyuk relaxed his expression.
Though it still looked a bit forced.
"I'm fine. It's just that work has been a little tough lately. So don't worry about me."
"Really...?"
"Of course. Besides, spending time with you on a date today will probably cheer me up in no time."
Alina smiled at his words. Jaehyuk stood up and asked her.
"Can I use the bathroom for a moment?"
"Sure, go ahead."
Jaehyuk headed into the bathroom attached to Alina's room. While he was gone, Alina stepped out and spoke to Robert in English.
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Robert sighed and replied.
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Robert fell silent at Alina's argument. She continued.
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Alina turned to head up the stairs but paused and asked Robert one more question.
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After hearing Robert's answer, Alina returned to her room. Jaehyuk, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up at her.
"Hm? What were you doing outside?"
"I had a quick call to make."
Alina sat down beside him with a bright smile. She gently took his hand and said softly.
"Oppa."
"Yeah?"
"If you're ever having a hard time... don't hesitate to tell me everything. No matter what happens, I'm always on your side."
Jaehyuk gave her a gentle smile full of gratitude.
"Thank you for saying that, Alina."
Before they knew it, the sky outside had grown dark.
After finishing dinner, Jaehyuk and Alina were enjoying dessert.
"Oppa. Do you want to sleep in my room tonight?"
"In your room?"
"Yeah. Is that... too much?"
"No, it's just..."
Jaehyuk glanced toward the bodyguards around them. Alina reassured him.
"Don't worry. Most of the bodyguards and staff sleep on the first floor. Only two special security personnel stay on the second floor."
With that, Alina took a sip of her black tea.
A little later, Jaehyuk decided to wash up in the first-floor bathroom while Alina used the one in her own room.
After showering, Jaehyuk put on the pajamas Alina had given him and headed up to her room.
The moment he opened her bedroom door, the sight before him was something he had never expected.
"Uh... babe...? What are you wearing?"
"Does it look weird...?"
Alina sat on the bed in a sexy black cat costume, her face blushing with shyness.
Jaehyuk simply stared at the incredibly sexy yet adorable sight, blinking in stunned silence.
"No, it doesn't look weird at all... But why are you suddenly wearing something like that...?"
"You seemed really down earlier, so I wanted to cheer you up... I asked one of the bodyguards, and he said most boyfriends really like it when their girlfriends do this..."
"Who the hell told you that??"
"If it's weird... should I change into normal pajamas...?"
Alina's voice grew smaller and smaller, her gaze dropping to the floor.
But Jaehyuk didn't find her outfit strange at all.
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The more he thought about it, the more Alina looked incredibly lovable in his eyes.
The way she had overcome her own embarrassment and put on something so revealing, all for his sake.
Jaehyuk walked over to her, gently cupped her chin with his hand, and looked into her eyes.
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Blushing furiously, Alina shifted her eyes away from his gaze.
But Jaehyuk simply looked at her with eyes overflowing with affection.
'She's so cute... Too cute and lovable...'
Then Jaehyuk closed his eyes and softly pressed his lips against hers. Alina seemed startled for a moment, but soon closed her eyes as well, sharing a deep, passionate kiss with him.