Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 26

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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26.
As Noel nodded to herself, Lucas exhaled. He’d realized he’d slipped from her thoughts entirely.
It was always like this. Her mind teemed with a thousand preoccupations, but he’d wager not a single one involved him.
“This.”
Lucas withdrew a book from his bag as though it were a trump card. Noel, whose gaze had been wandering listlessly, suddenly snapped to attention.
“That’s the History of Poison. I couldn’t get it anywhere—it’s out of print!”
Noel lunged forward with her hand outstretched, but Lucas was faster. He swept the book up with a flourish.
Noel grasped at empty air, her eyes hungry as they followed the book upward.
“How did you even find it? I’ve searched everywhere. There wasn’t a single copy on the internet auctions.”
“Before that—where’s my greeting?”
“Oh.”
For the first time, Noel’s gaze found his face. Their eyes met.
“Hello, Lucas. It’s been a while. Have you been well? I’ve been fine. Thank you.”
She rattled off the greeting like she was reading from a script, her eyes gleaming as she stared at him. That’s enough, right?
Lucas surrendered. He handed over the book.
“You can borrow it.”
He didn’t mention how hard he’d worked to find it. He didn’t offer to let her keep it. He knew that would be the end of it if he did.
Noel stroked the faded cover and opened her mouth.
“Wow, it’s even a hardback edition.”
“I’ll come pick it up the day after tomorrow. The Store is fine, right?”
“Yeah.”
Noel turned to leave with barely a goodbye, desperate to get home and start reading. The Russian Mafia had completely slipped her mind.
As she rounded the corner ahead of the Store.
“Hey, jerk!”
Someone had called her. By a nickname just as familiar as her real name.
She was popular today, apparently. Noel addressed the four girls standing in front of the Store with exaggerated politeness.
“Who?”
“You don’t know me?”
“Natalie?”
“No!”
A girl with her arms crossed shrieked and threw her eyes wide open.
Noel adopted an even more cautious tone.
“Megan?”
“I said no!”
“Masha?”
“Yeah, I’m Masha.”
Ah, one of the people going around saying they’d kill her.
Noel’s expression finally shifted to discomfort. She really wanted to get home and read.
“Didn’t I tell you not to hang around Lucas anymore?”
Did you? Noel tilted her head, watching Masha. Honestly, she didn’t even remember what Masha looked like.
“Words won’t work. I need to beat some sense into you. Come on, girls.”
At Masha’s signal, all four stepped forward in unison. Noel curved her small body into a ball, clutching the book to her chest.
Fists and kicks rained down as though they’d been waiting for permission. Noel endured the familiar violence, compressed into herself.
It hurt more than usual. Maybe it was just the first time in a while.
The book mustn’t get creased.
“If I catch you playing the victim with Lucas one more time, I’ll really kill you.”
Masha left the chilling threat hanging in the air and turned to go. Only then did Noel’s body go limp, and she sank to the ground. Her eyes swelled shut, making the sky above seem impossibly narrow.
She wanted to go home.
But her legs wouldn’t obey. Each breath stabbed through her chest.
With effort, Noel fumbled for her phone and dialed a saved number. It didn’t take long for someone to answer.
—Noel? What’s wrong?
Her voice was gentle. Noel had sensed her kindness even through email, but meeting Sahara in person revealed something far warmer.
That’s what broke her. An unfamiliar tenderness struck without warning, and tears spilled over.
***
Hee-ju’s expression vanished from her face. She didn’t rage or grimace. She simply looked down at Noel, perfectly composed.
“Hi. We meet again, Sahara.”
Noel was greeting her when she suddenly winced, a sharp “Ow” escaping between her split lips.
Her temples bloomed with livid bruises, her eyes swollen like a goldfish’s, and her small frame curled as tight as a pill bug.
Hee-ju held her breath for a moment, then exhaled slowly, her fists clenching hard. Her chest heaved once, then stilled.
Noel watched her carefully, then asked.
“Was my greeting wrong?”
“…No. It was right.”
Liam’s eyes never left Hee-ju. It was like watching a volcano simmering beneath its crust, ready to erupt at any moment.
Yes, she was angry. Terribly, perfectly quiet in her rage.
Liam had seen Hee-ju furious before. He’d even deliberately provoked her, trying to crack her composure.
But that was never true anger.
Now, though she said nothing, a tempest of wrath churned just beneath the surface.
Hee-ju drew a measured breath, then slowly lowered herself onto her knees. She reached out and gently touched Noel’s bruised cheek where she lay beside the trash bin.
“Let’s go.”
Noel’s eyes closed as though in agreement. Hee-ju turned her gaze to Liam.
Normally Liam would have cracked a joke, but this time he simply extended his arms, a show of competence when it mattered.
As Liam lifted Noel, she flinched. Hee-ju picked up the fallen glasses from the ground and squeezed Noel’s shoulder gently before releasing it.
“You’re okay.”
Noel nodded. The tension drained from her body.
“Should we head to the Store?”
“My home is upstairs on the second floor.”
“Alright.”
With that, Hee-ju walked forward quietly, and Liam followed, still carrying Noel in his arms.
Hee-ju glanced back at Noel occasionally, her face absorbed in thought.
Behind the Store was a staircase leading up to the second floor. Hee-ju took Noel’s key and opened the front door.
Once inside, she asked, “Where’s your grandfather?”
“Actually, he’s in a nursing home. Since early this year. That’s why I took over the Store.”
“I didn’t know. I thought you were just helping out while he was away.”
“I never said anything about it.”
“No—I should have asked first, even if you didn’t say anything.”
Liam carried Noel into her bedroom and set her gently on the bed. Hee-ju turned on the radiator first, then walked over to her.
“Shouldn’t we go to the hospital?”
“This isn’t worth a hospital trip. Oh—”
As though she’d just remembered, Noel pulled a book from her chest and let out a relieved sigh. Thank goodness the book was intact—not creased or torn.
Noel opened it. Her eyes darted across the pages with intense speed. Already lost in the text, she turned to the next page.
At that moment.
“Who?”
“Huh?”
Hee-ju pulled the book from Noel’s hands, her voice sharp and flat.
“Who did this to you?”
“Masha.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. She said I was being too familiar with Lucas?”
As she spoke, she glanced down at her own backside.
“What tail are you talking about.”
Liam smothered a laugh, and Hee-ju’s cold gaze shot toward him. He quickly arranged his face into blankness.
“Rest. If you won’t go to the hospital, at least let me pick up some medicine.”
“If I read—”
“No.”
Her tone brooked no argument, and Noel pouted.
“Try to sleep.”
As Hee-ju turned to leave the room, Noel called out.
“Oh, Sahara.”
“Yeah? Tell me. Do you want anything to eat?”
Noel gave her a very strange look before shaking her head. Then she flinched, grimacing. “Ow.”
“Let me know if you need anything.”
“I don’t. But I did hear some things about the Russian Mafia.”
…
Hee-ju’s expression vanished again. Noel flinched without meaning to.
Liam noted that Noel wasn’t entirely thoughtless—she at least grasped that some things were dangerous.
Noel hesitated, then opened her mouth.
“There are several Mafia organizations active in this area, but there’s only one Russian Mafia. Their boss apparently owns a restaurant downtown.”
So much for sense. If Liam had been in her position, he’d have stayed silent.
Liam glanced sideways at Hee-ju’s face, then asked casually.
“A restaurant? A Russian restaurant?”
“Liam.”
Hee-ju warned him with his name, but Noel’s answer came faster.
“No. An Italian restaurant. It’s called Ottimo. It’s a high-end place in Union Square.”
“Hmm.”
Liam raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue. Noel added more.
“He doesn’t just run the restaurant—he also operates the Marriott Hotel and dozens of bars. And this is kind of an open secret, but—”
Noel spoke as though it were hardly a secret at all.
“He runs several illegal operations too. Human trafficking, drug distribution, that sort of thing.”
“And about the boss himself?”
“He apparently shows up at Ottimo frequently. He must like the food there. Peeping Tom’s advice was: if you see a gray-haired Russian man eating at Ottimo, run immediately.”
“I see.”
So the Marriott Hotel was where Hee-ju had first stayed. While Liam pondered this, Hee-ju pressed gently on Noel’s shoulder.
“Thank you. That was really helpful. So get some rest now, okay?”
“Sahara.”
“Yeah?”
“Are we friends?”
Hee-ju’s eyes widened at the unexpected question. Noel, studying her face intently, dropped her gaze, uncertain.
I was wrong. I got excited thinking I had a friend.
Then Hee-ju spoke, her voice softly tender.
“If we’re not friends, what did you think we were?”
“Well… coworkers?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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