My Bloody Valentine - 16

When moving from a bright place to a dark one, as time passes, your eyes adjust, and you begin to see what was initially hidden. This natural phenomenon is called dark adaptation—getting used to the darkness. Han didn’t want to become accustomed to it.

All the way back to the dormitory, Han’s resolve was hardening. He thought that if he failed, there would never be another chance, and this might be his first and last opportunity. He decided to escape from this prison.

Jang Taeshin was pushing the boundaries more each time they met. At first, he forced Han to put his mouth on his genitals, and then he attempted something akin to penetration. Han didn’t even want to imagine what would happen next.

Staying here was like putting his head in the jaws of a beast, waiting for the strong jaws and sharp teeth to crush his skull.

The weekend passed with no progress. Throughout it, Han carefully studied the layout of Tacenda, looking for an escape route.

The first thing that came to mind was the food supplies coming in and out of the restaurant. Han ate his meals in a spot where he could observe the kitchen staff’s movements.

The restaurant was large, as it had to prepare food for a two-story establishment, and the volume of incoming ingredients was massive.

Han wondered if there might be a chance to escape while the supplies were being brought in. But he soon dismissed this option.

The elevator dedicated to transporting supplies and snacks seemed impossible to use without a gymnast’s level of flexibility, and he didn’t want to risk hiding in a supply box only to end up freezing to death in a cold storage room.

Next, he noticed the large laundry collection bins that could easily fit his body.

The laundry from the establishment was sorted and processed together at the hotel’s laundry facilities. But when he saw staff carefully checking for foreign objects, especially any forgotten money in the pockets, Han had to rule out this option as well.

By Monday afternoon, the surroundings became somewhat noisy. Just as Yujung had said, the number of guards, typically two or three on each floor, had reduced to one.

The men in black suits who usually patrolled the hallways were nowhere to be seen. They had likely followed their master, leaving behind only the minimum number of personnel.

Taking advantage of the confusion as people were having dinner and preparing for business, Han hid his pre-packed bag in a cleaning supply closet in the basement corridor.

The final hurdle, like a boss appearing at the last stage, was the counter at the entrance.

The counter was almost never unattended. Most of the time, Gina was sitting there, and when she wasn’t, Chief Jo Kyeong-cheol or other managers were.

Even if Han managed to pass the counter, there were two guards at the entrance. They were familiar with his face.

The cruel passage of time had pushed past midnight. It wouldn’t be strange if Jang Taeshin returned at any moment. Nervous, Han bit his lip and wandered restlessly through the corridor.

Then, suddenly, a man stumbled out of a nearby door and grabbed Han around the waist as he lost his balance.

“Oh, I’m so sorry…”

The man, who seemed to be in his 40s and had come to unwind after work, reeked of alcohol and didn’t let go, burying his face in Han’s waist.

“Excuse me, but could you…”

Han carefully pushed the man’s shoulder, prompting him to snap out of it and, realizing he had grabbed a man, looked displeased.

“What the hell, it was a guy! Get out of my way!”

He spat, pretending to spit on the floor, and staggered down the corridor.

Did he think I was a woman? Han, staring dumbfounded at the man’s retreating figure, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. He recalled the women’s waiting room where he had been on his first day after being kidnapped and brought here.

In one corner of the waiting room, just like in the men’s room, there were rental outfits hung up for the women to wear. There were also an array of cosmetics on a lit-up dressing table, and he vaguely remembered seeing a long wig on a mannequin.

Just as department stores have no clocks, there were no clocks in the establishment. Han asked a passing waiter for the time.

“It’s just before 12:30.”

12:30 a.m., the darkest hour of the 24-hour cycle. Perhaps it was the perfect time to hide his presence in the shadows.

Determined, Han quietly but quickly walked down the corridor, retrieved his bag from its hiding spot, and headed for the women’s waiting room. Luckily, it was empty.

Han immediately began sifting through the clothes hanging on the rack, searching for something suitable. No matter how thin he was, if his body’s shape was visible, it would be clear he was a man. He needed something that could hide his figure.

Most of the clothes on the hangers were short, tight dresses, but reflecting the preferences of male customers, there were also oversized white shirts.

Han quickly stripped off his T-shirt and trousers, folded them as small as possible, and stuffed them into his bag. He then put on the black, sleeveless dress that seemed the most stretchy and stuffed crumpled tissues into the hollow chest area. Finally, he draped the white shirt over it.

The clothes fit Han’s thin frame without any trouble. With no time to worry about his pride, he turned his attention to the shoes. The row of high heels on the floor made him inwardly shrink. The idea of running in any of those was unthinkable.

He was wearing white sneakers that he had recently bought with Yujung. After a moment’s hesitation, he decided not to change them. The outfit looked somewhat coordinated with them, anyway.

As he finished adjusting the wig he had snatched off the mannequin and was looking at himself in the mirror, he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor.

Han quickly crouched behind the rack of clothes, hiding himself. He heard two sets of footsteps entering the waiting room.

“Ugh, I really don’t want to. He spilled the drink on purpose, I’m telling you! Just put it on the blacklist.”

The sharp, complaining voice was familiar—it was Jung’s. Chief Jo Kyeong-cheol’s voice followed, trying to soothe her.

“Alright, alright. Next time, we’ll blacklist him, but you have to finish it for now. Okay? Jung… It’s an important guest. You know he’s the director of Yongseong Industry.”

“Fine… I’ll change and go. Tell him to wait.”

“Got it. Thanks, Jung. I won’t take any commission off this table for you.”

“……Please keep your promise.”

As the door closed with a sound, Jung sighed in frustration and entered the waiting room.

Han, unsure whether to reveal himself to her, was crouched behind a coat rack, unable to move.

She had no idea about his plan to escape from this place. It wasn’t that he suspected Jung might inform someone about his plan. He simply couldn’t bring himself to tell her, feeling guilty because she had recently found more reasons to smile because of him.

Just then, Jung approached the coat rack to change out of her alcohol-soaked clothes. Without hesitation, she briskly pushed aside the densely packed hangers, splitting them in half. And there, she came face to face with Han, who was sitting behind them.

“……!”

“……Han?”

Jung’s black pupils scanned Han from top to bottom—he was crouched, wearing a long-haired wig and women’s clothing. A moment of silence passed between them.

“Um, Jung…… It’s just…….”

Han bit his lip, troubled. He was worried about what kind of misunderstanding she might have, but Jung seemed to instantly grasp his intentions.

“……No.”

Han’s gaze wavered. “No”? What did she mean by that? Was she planning to call someone? He was suddenly filled with fear.

But Jung glanced around and, pointing to a chair in front of a mirror cluttered with cosmetics, extended her hand to him.

“Not like this. You’ll be caught right away. Makeup…… Come here. I’ll do your makeup.”

“Jung……”

“Hurry. I don’t have much time either.”

Han took Jung’s outstretched hand and stood up. After seating him in front of the dressing table, Jung first picked up an eyeshadow. There wasn’t time to do a full skin makeup, nor was there a need.

Jung applied a smoky makeup with deep shading using a lot of bronze and brown tones to make Han look as different as possible. She also attached false eyelashes, tilting them toward the outer corners of his eyes to obscure his natural eye shape.

Lastly, she muted his red lips with a coral nude lipstick. Han disappeared, and in the mirror sat a tall, slender woman.

In a tone seeking confirmation, Jung spoke.

“That Jang Taeshin is a scary person. You know that, right?”

“……Yes.”

“If you get caught, you might die. There are even rumors about people who escaped, only to have their organs harvested and sent to an island. Are you aware of that?”

“…….”

As she firmly pinned his wig in place, Jung asked once more. Han nodded silently. It was a frightening story, but knowing Jang Taeshin, it didn’t seem far-fetched.

He wasn’t unafraid. But if there was even a 1% chance of escaping from that man, it was worth trying.

After finishing the makeup and hair, Jung asked Han as he stood up.

“Do you have money?”

It hadn’t been long since he gave all the money he earned to pay off his debt to Jina.

If only I had known, I would have kept some.

Han shook his head, regretting it too late.

Jung reached into her bra and pulled out a bundle of 100,000 won notes she had received as tips earlier. She placed it in Han’s hand.

“Do you have a place to go?”

“……I don’t know.”

I’ve only thought about getting out of here.

Seeing Han shake his head again, Jung, lost in thought for a moment, picked up the eyebrow pencil she had set down. Then, she took one of the bills she had handed to Han and began writing an address on the back.

“It’s my grandmother’s address. She lives alone, helping with farm work in the village.”

“Uh…… Why your grandmother’s house……?”

“You said you didn’t have anywhere to go. Tell her you’re my friend and stay there.”

“…….”

“My grandmother thinks I’m studying abroad. Please…… make up a good story for me.”

Han stared at the bill Jung handed him for a moment, then nodded.

“Jina’s sharp-eyed, so you probably won’t fool her. I’ll keep her in the room. Come out in five minutes. Got it?”

“…….”

Suddenly, the image of Jung’s shy smile, when she had said, “I’m glad you came,” came to Han’s mind.

“……Jung, I’m sorry…….”

Jung’s eyes slowly filled with tears as she looked at Han. Their connection had come suddenly, and now the farewell had arrived just as quickly.

Ignoring whether Han was watching or not, Jung swiftly took off the dress she was wearing and hurriedly put on a new one. Then she walked urgently towards the door. Before opening the waiting room door, she said her final goodbye.

“……Goodbye, Han.”

“Jung…….”

“Never come back. When I’ve paid off my debt and gotten out…… let’s meet outside.”

Han’s eyes, staring at the closed door, began to well up with tears. But he quickly realized that his face was heavily made up and he shouldn’t cry.

There would be plenty of time to grieve over parting with Jung after he successfully escaped from here.

Unlike the customers who couldn’t see the clock, there was a clock in the waiting room. Han nervously watched the black hands quietly ticking by. When five minutes had passed, as Jung instructed, he stepped outside.

To exit the waiting room, he had to navigate a complicated and long corridor, and finally pass by a counter where someone was always stationed.

Han lowered his head slightly and walked down the corridor. As he safely passed through the corridor, the counter came into view at the edge of his vision. As Jung had mentioned, the counter was empty. Han quickened his pace.

“Hey, wait a moment.”

“……!”

A voice called out from behind him. The obstacle had appeared too quickly.