Chapter 22.2

Chapter 22.2

“Boss! It’s true! Look, over there!”

The thug, who had been skeptical moments earlier, stammered as he saw the woman running away.

Even Jang, who had dismissed Seok-kyung’s act as the ramblings of a madman, had to reconsider the moment he turned and saw her.

“What are you standing around for? Get her!”

At Jang’s command, the thugs took off in pursuit of the fake Ara.

Jang, about to follow them, suddenly paused, glaring back at Seok-kyung.

“You… If we meet again, you’re dead.”

“Sure, I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Seok-kyung smirked, the corners of his mouth twisting into a grin.

Clearly irritated, Jang spat on the ground before hurrying after his men.

As soon as they were gone, the crowd surrounding them began to move again, flowing like a river as if nothing had happened. The marketplace returned to its usual bustling rhythm as if the commotion had never occurred.

“The sun’s getting hot. Let’s head to the shade.”

Ara stood in the middle of the chaotic street, staring blankly at Seok-kyung as he casually picked up the bag of vegetables, acting as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

‘So, go with him. There are some things you can only understand by experiencing them yourself.’

Ara remembered Seol-do’s advice.

Well…

Ara couldn’t say that she now knew everything about Seok-kyung, the goblin. But maybe, just maybe, she had learned a little more about him, even if it was just a tiny sliver.

It left her with a strange feeling.

***

At the end of the day, Ara hadn’t been able to buy anything she needed.

Although the loan sharks had disappeared, chasing after the fake Ara, she felt too uneasy to stay at the market any longer. Seok-kyung had even offered to help her with “ghost shopping,” suggesting that he could wear the goblin cap and pick out items for her, paying on her behalf while remaining invisible.

But Ara had desperately refused his offer. No matter what, she couldn’t bear the thought of him paying for something as personal as her underwear.

Luckily, Seok-kyung respected her firm rejection.

The two of them began walking back along the path they had come down earlier, passing through the crowded streets and heading toward the mountain trail. The only sound that broke the silence was the rustling of the plastic bags Seok-kyung was carrying.

They had walked for a while and were nearing the quiet entrance to the mountain trail when Seok-kyung finally spoke up.

“Are you planning to wear that all the way home?”

Ara looked at him, puzzled, then realized he was referring to the sunglasses on her face.

“Oh.”

She quickly took them off and folded them. As soon as she removed the sunglasses, the magic of the goblin cap faded, and shadows reappeared under her feet.

Ara sped up her pace and stepped in front of Seok-kyung, as if to block his way. He stopped abruptly, forced to a halt by the unexpected human obstacle.

“Thank you for letting me use these.”

She quickly scanned his outfit. There were no visible pockets on his designer suit, which looked like something a fashion model would wear. After a brief hesitation, she opened his jacket slightly and slid the sunglasses into the inner pocket. Her slender fingers brushed lightly against his chest before pulling away.

Seok-kyung watched her, then sighed theatrically, almost as if he wanted her to notice.

For the first time, his breath, usually steady even under the weight of the bags, seemed slightly off.

“Na Ara.”

“Yes?”

“Have you developed a new hobby of racking up offenses?”

“Offenses?”

Is he really saying this because I put something in his pocket? Ara wondered naively, until his next words made her question her own hearing.

“If you want to touch someone else’s body, you should ask for permission first.”

This mischievous goblin is treating me like a pervert again.

“If I said I wanted to touch you, would you even give permission?” she retorted, her voice full of disbelief. Seok-kyung squinted slightly, as if her words confirmed some hidden intent.

Ara let out a breath, truly feeling wronged.

“Listen, I was just helping you out because your hands were full. I did it out of pure, 100% kindness.”

Despite her earnest explanation, Seok-kyung didn’t seem entirely convinced.

“And besides, if I really wanted to touch you, do you think I’d stop at just that? I would’ve gone all the way and put it in your pants pocket, deep inside.”

Irritated, she raised her chin defiantly, though she wasn’t actually confident she’d go through with such a thing.

“Is that so…”

Seok-kyung studied her with those same cryptic eyes.

“You don’t strike me as someone bold enough to pull off something like that.”

It was as if he could see right through her bluff.