Seoryeong occasionally suppressed her unease and put on a gentle and kind face.
She wanted to live an ordinary life, so she had to become an ordinary woman.
"What time do you finish work today? No office events, right?"
In an instant, the man took a thin blanket and silently draped it over Seoryeong's body. As if to kiss her, he lowered his head, but only a slight movement was felt as he pulled away.
"You'll catch a cold later. Even if a delivery person comes, don't open the door."
"You say that every day. Oh yeah, it seems like someone is moving out."
"Why?"
"It's a bit messy. Sometimes there's a thumping sound—maybe they're packing up."
"But it's not too noisy, is it?"
He gently stroked Seoryeong's ear. His touch was soft, but for some reason, this time it quickly broke away.
"I'm just curious. Because in this villa, the neighbors are quite close."
"It will be quiet soon."
"What?"
"I'm leaving now."
He simply turned away and twisted the doorknob.
At that moment—
"Honey!"
Seoryeong called out, reaching out her hand.
A dry sound accompanied the swallowed saliva, and the longing call escaped her lips. But the man only paused briefly, without answering. He didn't smile gently and call back, nor did he kiss her happily.
"..."
"..."
A strange, inexplicable silence enveloped them.
Suddenly, Seoryeong felt like they were staring at each other. But the man wasn't smiling. Usually, when her husband smiled, there was a distinct sound and vibration that could be felt even without seeing it directly. They were husband and wife, having lived together and shared many things.
_You've seemed strange since last night. What exactly is going on?_
But she was afraid to ask.
Finally, she shook her head and lowered her hand.
"It's nothing…"
Her voice only sounded like the wind, as her vocal cords were still hoarse from sobbing all night.
_Click._
_Beep._
Finally, the door locked.
Her husband usually always said goodbye with "I'm leaving now" when he went out. He still seemed as warm as usual, but something felt unusual.
_No…! Don't worry._
Seoryeong shook her head vigorously.
Her teacher had once warned her that suspecting and analyzing too much could be a bad sign. She moved her feet, as if trying to break the chain of her constantly nagging thoughts.
_"…Coming home from work… Front… Cheolsu… all…"_
At that moment, from behind the thick iron door, the man's leisurely footsteps faintly mixed with his voice.
_Did I mishear?_
Instead of coming home from work, wasn't he just about to leave?
Seoryeong frowned, then blamed herself.
_I must have misheard._
She deliberately let out a long sigh.
When things got like this, it truly felt like an illness.
---
> _"The phone is currently off. After the beep, you will be connected to voicemail. Additional charges will apply."_
It felt like she was going crazy.
It was now **four in the morning**.
Her husband wasn't answering his phone. Nine hours had passed since they last communicated. Usually, her husband always came home on time like clockwork at seven in the evening.
Her fingernails were ruined from constant biting. Among the small fragments, blood began to pool. The metallic smell of blood entered her nose.
Without feeling, Seoryeong began to bite the nails of her other hand.
_How could things have gotten like this?_
At first, she thought, _'There must be something.'_
Then, _'Maybe there's urgent business at the office.'_
Then again, _'He suddenly had to go out and ended up having dinner with them.'_
She tried to think positively, weaving together plausible reasons. Because if she didn't, her mind would surely jump to _'See, he must have another woman,'_ and end with _'He doesn't love you anymore.'_
It was to avoid getting trapped in such futile thoughts that she had needed her teacher's help all this time.
Seoryeong took a deep breath, continuing to wait.
Waiting for the man to open the door first.
To drive away this deep darkness.
---
> _"The number you have dialed is not in service or has been blocked. Please check the number again…"_
When her husband's office number came up as inactive, Seoryeong immediately panicked.
"Sh—shit, what the **hell** is this?"
A fleeting cold smile crossed her face.
Her husband worked at a small company that manufactured medical devices, and that number was the one he himself had given her.
_Could it be… the company went bankrupt?_
_So… ah, so that's how it is…_
Seoryeong took another deep breath.
But her hands couldn't stop tapping on the table. She tried to imagine her husband busily pacing around the office. He must not have had time to eat, busy finishing everything.
_Yes, that must be it._
_So I shouldn't bother him._
_Other wives must also trust their husbands. That's how it should be…_
_Just think positive thoughts._
As if possessed by something, Seoryeong headed to the kitchen.
She wanted to do something, **anything**.
She intended to make warm bean sprout soup for her husband, who would surely be tired when he came home. Although she rarely cooked because her husband was always worried about the danger, Seoryeong's cooking skills were actually quite good. She also usually finished most of the housework before her husband came home.
_Okay, wash the bean sprouts first and chop the chili peppers…_
But the longer she went on, instead of calming down, her breathing became more rapid, and her hands became restless.
Finally—
"Ah…!"
She groaned as she chopped the chili pepper.
The tip of her finger felt a sharp pain—as if a small piece of flesh had been cut off.
Seoryeong didn't even have time to put on a jacket. She immediately grabbed her cane and hastily put on her slippers.
Outside, it was drizzling.
The sound of her cane hitting the ground sounded hurried.
_Losing her husband._
Only those two words kept filling her mind.
---
"...It seems my husband has disappeared—"
Her body, soaked from the rain, shivered with cold.
Her voice trembled embarrassingly in an unfamiliar fear, small like an ant's whisper. However, as soon as the police station door opened, several police officers who appeared as if propelled by springs immediately shouted loudly, almost **barking**.
"Put down the knife!"
"…What?"
"Whose blood is that?!"
Their voices were almost deafening. To the left, the sound of the police radio crackled, and to the right, hurried footsteps made the atmosphere even more chaotic.
As the police got closer, Seoryeong actually took a step forward.
"No, my husband has disap—"
"Aaahhh! Put down the knife! Officer, secure her!"
As someone approached, Seoryeong reflexively swung her cane and hit the person.
_Thwack!_
The sound was quite clear; it seemed her blow landed squarely on the shoulder.
_Ugh…!_
As the man groaned, Seoryeong shouted again.
"My husband has disappeared, I said my husband has **disappeared**!"
"Yes, we understand. So… please, put down the knife first!"
"…!"
It was only then that she realized she was still clutching the kitchen knife she had used to chop the chili peppers, and had brought it all the way here in a panic.
Feeling ashamed, she immediately surrendered the knife.
Simultaneously, the male officers shouted in unison like a wave.
After safely handing over the knife, Seoryeong sighed as if regretting her actions. She was indeed not in her right mind. She swept back the long hair that had been sticking to her face. As she wiped the water from her face, the atmosphere suddenly became very **quiet**.
_What is this?_
Even though it was past four in the morning, the sudden cold air felt so unusual.
"There's… blood…"
"What?"
"Excuse me, Miss. You said your husband disappeared, right?"
"Yes…! I want to report a missing person. Please process it immediately!"
"..."
However, despite her urgent tone, there was no significant response from the police officers. Only small whispers could be heard among them.
"Please have a seat first."
The iron chair scraped against the floor, making an unpleasant sound.
"Let's start with the report. What is your full name, Miss?"
The police officer didn't look panicked, but he wasn't indifferent either. His voice indicated that his drowsiness had vanished instantly.
However, after a long journey filled with bad thoughts, once she arrived at the police station, all the shadows that had only been fear began to feel **real**. It only took a few seconds for her spirit to crumble.
"...Han Seoryeong."
"Okay, Miss Han Seoryeong. Your age?"
"Twenty-seven…"
"What are your husband's physical characteristics?"
"Ah, Officer…"
A young voice interrupted the conversation and seemed to nudge the police officer—a small "ah!" sound could be heard.
But Seoryeong answered without hesitation.
"It's okay. As you can see, I can't see. So my husband usually wears the same clothes according to the day. Today he was wearing a white shirt, a gray suit, and a blue tie. And…"
Seoryeong gripped her cane tightly and lowered her head.
She suppressed the sudden nausea that rose up and bit her teeth hard.
"I don't know his face. But… there's a picture at home, our wedding photo."
"Since when have you lost contact with him?"
"It's been about nine hours."
"Hmm…"
The police officer's voice sounded slightly hesitant. Like he was scratching his head, a crackling sound could be heard.
"It seems we can't take immediate action yet. Usually, a search can only be conducted if it's been more than 24 hours since contact was lost."
"..."
"That's because most missing person cases return within a day. But… if there's a possibility of criminal involvement, we can act faster."
"Criminal involvement?"
Now Seoryeong's whole body began to tremble violently.
Whether it was because her wet clothes were sucking away her body heat, or because she was starting to truly hear the sound of her husband's life disappearing from her days.
"For example, if there is suspicion that a case of violence is being disguised as a missing person report."
"…!"