“Help out with the fitting, will you?”
The way he phrased it made it sound like he was asking her to try on clothes for someone else’s sake—as if he needed assistance picking something out for another woman.
Sohee recalled the employee’s words. Was he planning to give these expensive and elegant department store clothes to someone else? She hadn’t assumed she was the only woman in his life just because he said he would claim her body, but still, the thought left her strangely hollow.
“Would you come this way?”
Before she could think too much, Sohee was gently guided by the staff into the fitting room. Try all of this on? She stared blankly at the clothes hanging from the rack before moving. With the man and the staff waiting outside, she couldn’t delay forever, and if she was going to help, she might as well do it properly.
Worried she might tear the luxurious, soft fabrics, she handled everything with the utmost care. She slipped into an ivory tweed dress and even the loafers—shoes she’d never worn before.
The clothes didn’t feel like they belonged on her. They didn’t suit her at all, and the discomfort of being in someone else’s outfit made her tense.
“Would you like assistance, ma’am?”
“Ah, no. I’m finished.”
Sohee parted the curtain and stepped out awkwardly. As soon as she did, the staff waiting outside let out a string of admiring exclamations.
“Wow, it suits you beautifully. The color goes perfectly with your fair skin tone!”
“…Thank you.”
Surrounded by compliments and blushing, Sohee bowed politely. When she turned her head, she saw Gye Won-ho sitting on the sofa, legs crossed, staring straight at her. As their eyes met, he stood and walked toward the fitting room.
“Ahjussi…”
He stood in front of her like a wall, tilting his head slightly as he stared down at her without a word. Sohee pressed her toes into the insoles of the loafers.
Does he not like it…?
Just as she was about to rush back in and change into her original clothes, he reached out and gently pulled her by the back of her neck. Leaning in, he whispered something into her right ear.
But of all things, he chose the ear she couldn’t hear well. The words were completely lost on her.
Sohee blinked, unsure of how to respond. She couldn’t even ask him to repeat it—he might realize she couldn’t hear.
After pressing his thumb lightly to her soft earlobe, Gye Won-ho pulled away and gave the staff a flick of his fingers.
“The one she’s wearing suits her well. Bring a few more in similar tones.”
“Yes, right away, sir.”
Hearing that it did suit her made Sohee lower her head. So it hadn’t looked so bad after all. At least she’d been of some help.
As she moved on to try more outfits—well over a dozen—it became painfully clear just how lucky she’d been to eat all those desserts he had fed her earlier.
“This one too.”
“Ah…”
“And that one beside it. Try it on.”
Each time Sohee stepped out of the fitting room, Gye Won-ho gave her a quick glance and pointed toward another item. A whole rack of outfits still remained, waiting their turn.
It felt like the rack kept being replenished at the man’s command. The staff, always smiling politely, didn’t let Sohee rest for even a moment.
Trying on such fine clothes was a new and enjoyable experience—but at the same time, a faint bitterness welled up inside her, which she tried hard to suppress.
It seemed he intended to have her try on every outfit in the store until he found the perfect one for whoever the actual gift was for. Even if that was the case, she didn’t want to ruin the mood.
* * *
“You fucking bitch.”
Seo Ji-hoon, calling Sohee for the twentieth time without a response, kicked the rusted railing. Dust that had settled for years scattered into the night air in a pale cloud.
He was hiding on the rooftop of an abandoned building that had a clear view of Yoon Sohee’s rooftop apartment. From this rundown vantage point, her place was in full view.
“Pick up the damn phone, fuck…”
Gritting his teeth, he called again. Still no answer—just another missed call. He’d thought today would finally be his chance, but things were falling apart fast.
That morning, after finishing his external activities, he’d heard from his sister Da-young that Sohee had been sick for days. He rushed over with rice porridge, planning to use it as an excuse to get into her home.
He had even mixed in a mild sedative—once inside, everything would go according to plan. A convincing setup, if she’d only come home.
But hours had passed, and she still hadn’t returned. He couldn’t just loiter in front of her rooftop apartment either. Sohee didn’t know he even had her address.
The stalking had started quite some time ago. Seo Ji-hoon knew everything—how Sohee had taken a leave from university due to harassment from loan sharks, how she worked all day tutoring and in nightclubs to repay her debt.
He knew she always made excuses when he asked her to eat with him, saying she was too busy—though he knew she was lying, there was nothing he could do about it.
His patience was wearing thin. Because of his packed schedule this winter break, he hadn’t been able to follow her like before. He’d planned to reconnect naturally, act concerned, and bring her porridge—then ask for her address under the pretense of helping.
But she wouldn’t even answer his calls.
Maybe he’d been too soft lately. She was just a naïve, helpless girl—he’d thought she’d fall easily for a little kindness. But it was taking too damn long.
“I’ve been way too nice to you…”
Seo Ji-hoon bit his thumbnail and glared at the darkened rooftop apartment.
That’s when he saw it—a black sedan driving up the alley. It was the kind of luxury car you wouldn’t expect to see in a slum like this.
It stopped right in front of Sohee’s building.
He pressed closer to the railing, peering down. A tall man stepped out, and then—Sohee climbed out from the backseat.
“…Yoon Sohee?”
The man’s imposing frame was dressed in a sharp, dark suit. Even under the dim streetlight, Seo Ji-hoon could see the tattoo winding around his neck.
Startled by the threatening air the man exuded, Ji-hoon crouched lower and watched through a webbed, rusting railing.
The dangerous-looking man casually reached out and caressed Sohee’s cheek. She looked flustered and shrank back.
Her eyes, wide and alive with emotion, shimmered under her lowered lashes. Her pale skin was flushed with color. Expressions and reactions Ji-hoon had never seen on her face before.
That wasn’t all. She was dressed in clothes far too extravagant for someone supposedly scraping by with part-time jobs. Her beauty, which cheap clothes could never hide, was now fully revealed beside this stranger.
Seo Ji-hoon’s eyes landed on the shopping bag in her hand—it bore the logo of a luxury brand known for items worth tens of thousands of won.
The pieces slowly began to fall into place.
It explained her flawless skin—no more bruises. It explained why the loan shark who used to wait outside her building had vanished.
Wasn’t it obvious now what kind of relationship this was?
“You act so pitiful and innocent around me…”
He dropped the plastic container of porridge to the ground. The cold soup spilled out across the rooftop.
“…You’re just a fcking slut, huh?”
* * *
“Are you Ms. Yoon Sohee?”
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw the mountain of packages delivered to her rooftop room early in the morning. The place was so small, she had no room left to even stand as shopping bags poured in nonstop.
There were two delivery staff because of the sheer volume. The parcels were from the department store she’d gone to with him the day before.
“Um, that is my name, but I think there’s been a mistake with the delivery.”
Startled, Sohee hurried to stop them, but one of the staff double-checked the order form.
“It’s definitely addressed to Ms. Yoon Sohee.”
“May I… check the order form myself?”
“Of course, ma’am.”
She quickly scanned the order form the employee handed her. Name, address, phone number—everything matched hers. The buyer listed was Gye Won-ho. His name was right there.
Where had things gone wrong? Her head filled with questions.
“This doesn’t make sense…”
“If it’s confirmed, we’ll move the rest in.”
While Sohee hesitated, the staff resumed bringing in the packages. She quickly pulled out her phone to find his number.
Since she hadn’t transferred any other contacts yet, his was the only number saved in her new phone. It was the first one she’d stored the night before after experimenting with the new device.
After a brief hesitation, she tapped his number. Her heart pounded as the dial tone rang.
— How flattering. You’re calling me now?
His low voice filled her left ear, and a strange flutter rose in her chest.
“…Um. Ahjussi.”
Her mouth felt dry from nerves. As she paused, she could hear his steady breathing on the other end.
— Hm?
His deep voice hummed through the speaker. Her hand gripped the phone so tightly it turned pale.
“There was a delivery from the department store… I think there’s been some kind of mix-up.”
— What mix-up?
“The items I helped you try on yesterday… I think they were sent to me by mistake.”
— They’re yours.
“…What?”
Her mind went blank for a second. While she blinked in confusion, the delivery staff approached and asked her to sign.
Since the sender himself had confirmed the items were for her, she had no reason to refuse.
After they left, Sohee stood there for a moment before slowly opening the shopping bags.
Most of the items were the same dresses, shoes, and loafers she had tried on yesterday—flashy and eye-catching. But there were also everyday pieces: knits, cardigans, sneakers. Comfortable clothes she could actually wear on a daily basis.
The price tags had been removed, but judging by the quality, she could guess it had cost a fortune.
“Why… Why are you giving me clothes?”
— To wear, obviously.
“…I don’t need things like this.”
— Tsk. So rude.
She had assumed they were for someone else. She couldn’t believe these expensive, elegant clothes were meant for her. And it’s not like she had anywhere to wear them—any time she went out, it was only to work and earn money.
— If I give you a gift, I want it to feel worth the money. Wear it on Saturday.
“Saturday?”
— We’ve got somewhere to go.
Where could they possibly be going? She thought about asking, but then heard the creak of a chair reclining.
She imagined him leaning back deeply into an office chair. If he was seated, was he working in his office right now?
That shallow thought added to the image in her mind—he was probably dressed in one of his usual three-piece suits, just like always
To be continued….