Dopamine Addiction - Chapter 35

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

35.
“Hmm.”
Noel, lost in thought, finally spoke.
“I’ll forgive you. As long as you compensate properly for the broken door and damaged things. Truthfully, I don’t even know who you are.”
At those words, Marsha’s mouth twisted. Her pride wounded, she glared at Noel with sharp eyes.
Heejoo whispered softly.
“Eyes.”
Marsha slowly lowered her gaze. Heejoo, nodding, issued a warning.
“Count yourself lucky. If Noel hadn’t forgiven you, you wouldn’t have walked away from here. Even if Noel doesn’t care about you, I’m very interested in you, Marsha Bailey.”
Just then, the men crawled out of the shop, limping badly. Heejoo turned the camera toward them, recording their appearance as well.
After one more glare at Heejoo, Marsha headed toward the car. Her friends had fled long ago, and the men looked like they’d been through a war.
As Marsha was about to get in, she realized a tire was punctured and let out a quiet curse.
Bang. She slammed the door roughly and got out, walking around to the other side.
“Come on, Marsha.”
Rugby called out as he struggled to his feet, but Marsha didn’t even look back. The men, supporting each other, moved slowly, watching Liam’s lead.
Heejoo called out loudly after them.
“Marsha! I’ve got footage of you apologizing to Noel and those guys stumbling out—all on my Mobile Phone. One more time I catch you loitering in front of Noel, and I’m posting it all over Social Media! You’d better listen carefully if you don’t want to look like a fool!”
At Heejoo’s words, Marsha glared at her once more, then whipped her head around. A faint curse drifted back through the air.
Liam slowly swept his eyes from Heejoo’s head to her feet. He nodded, then turned his gaze to Noel. Then to Lucas.
Heejoo looked at Lucas with a complicated expression. So it was all because of him? Her grip on the Baseball Bat tightened.
Lucas looked at Noel with a worried expression.
“You okay, Noel?”
“Yeah.”
Lucas sighed and walked toward the Pawn Shop.
“I need to clean up the store first. I’ll tidy things up and head upstairs, so you rest.”
The strength drained from her grip on the bat. She wanted nothing more than to smack Lucas on the back of the head, but Heejoo decided to show some adult restraint.
“True. It’s not his fault.”
Heejoo sighed and extended her hand to Noel.
“Let’s go.”
“But the store—”
“He said he’d do it. Let’s head upstairs.”
“It’ll be hard for him alone.”
“That much he can handle by himself. If he doesn’t, I really might crack.”
“Huh?”
Noel tilted his head, not quite following.
“Never mind.”
Heejoo glared at the root of all this commotion before climbing the stairs. Yet she couldn’t blame him for it. His concern for Noel was genuine.
“When you think about it, it’s not really his fault.”
“Sorry? Did you just curse?”
Liam, stepping into the living room, hadn’t heard properly and tilted his torso forward slightly. Heejoo bristled.
“I didn’t curse—”
Just then, Noel, who had been staring at Liam, murmured in a detached tone.
“Liam only bows his back when listening to you, Heejoo.”
“Huh?”
“When talking to me, he doesn’t bow. That’s why he often doesn’t hear me properly. There’s quite a height difference. But whenever you speak, he always bows his back.”
“A height difference of maybe thirty centimeters—”
Heejoo stopped mid-sentence and closed her mouth again.
Now that she thought about it, it was true. Every time she spoke, Liam bent his tall frame to listen.
Realizing this, Heejoo’s mouth went dry, uncertain what expression to wear. Her face flushed slightly.
Just then, a loud crash echoed up from downstairs.
“I’ll run down and check. Lucas might be destroying my shop.”
Noel opened the door and left. Heejoo called out loudly.
“Noel! Leave the door to the second floor unlocked!”
“Got it!”
Noel’s voice drifted back distantly. Then came a bang as the door shut.
As Heejoo furrowed her brow, Liam asked softly.
“Why? Worried the two of us might get up to something suspicious?”
“Noel’s a minor—”
“Which means we’re not, so we can?”
With that, Liam bent lower. His face was inches from hers.
Suddenly, his grayish-blue eyes felt familiar. Eyes that should have been thirty centimeters above.
The air grew taut with tension. Liam’s expression was at ease, as if he knew exactly what she was thinking.
His lip curved into a slight smile.
“I think I’ll need your help this time.”
Heejoo swallowed hard, realizing this continued what he’d said before.
“Are you willing to help me?”
Heejoo nodded slowly. Liam’s smile deepened. His lips drew gradually closer.
A strong arm wrapped around her waist. Heejoo rose slightly on her heels to help him.
***
—Hello?
Her mother’s voice carried a note of suspicion. Likely because of the unfamiliar number.
“Mom.”
—Heejoo?
That single word held countless emotions—relief, worry, compassion, and love.
Heejoo hooked her arm over the windowsill and leaned her body out. White breath misted with each word, though the cold was bearable enough.
“Yeah.”
—What’s going on? I keep trying to call and you don’t answer. Your dad and I were just talking about buying plane tickets to the United States to come find you.
“I’m sorry. I lost my Mobile Phone.”
—Ah, so that’s why it’s an unfamiliar number. It’s an international call, so I picked up just in case.
“You were going to come look for me?”
—If I can’t reach you, of course. I don’t know what might have happened.
“I see.”
Heejoo smiled faintly and exhaled slowly. Her white breath dissolved gradually into the black night.
She tilted her head back, gazing up at the sky. A pale moon and a few stars were visible.
“Sorry for the late call.”
—It’s fine now that you’ve called.
Her mother’s voice carried a peculiar power—the power to make everything that had just happened seem insignificant, to feel as though she’d returned to the everyday.
—You’re not in trouble, are you?
“Allen Smith… well, my father passed away.”
—Oh my. My goodness.
Her mother murmured sympathetically, then asked carefully.
—Are you all right?
“Well, I did see him once. His funeral is tomorrow, so I’ll attend and then do some traveling in the United States. I still have vacation days left.”
—All right then. Just call once a day, no matter how bothersome it is.
“There are so many thieves around here. If I look away for a second, they steal your Mobile Phone.”
—You shouldn’t be thinking about getting your phone stolen. You should be thinking about not losing it in the first place. Your mom and dad can’t exactly drop everything and rush to you from this distance. Keep your wits about you, An Heejoo.
Behind her mother’s scolding, she could hear her father: “Heejoo? Can I talk too? She okay? Nothing wrong?” Heejoo laughed.
“Put Dad on.”
After hanging up with her parents, Heejoo dialed another familiar number. Before the phone even finished its first ring, Han Sangjin answered.
—An, you?
“How did you know it was me?”
—What else would I be getting a call from the United States about?
“I thought you were well-connected, but looks like you don’t know anyone in the United States.”
Heejoo laughed playfully. She really did feel like things were returning to normal. Her heart felt lighter.
Han Sangjin changed the subject. “Anyway.”
—Whose number is this?
“It’s a long story.”
—Where are you now? Why can’t I reach you? Are you in some kind of trouble?
There were quite a few people around Heejoo who worried about her. She’d only realized it after putting distance between them.
“It’s a long story.”
—Can’t you say anything besides “it’s a long story”?
“I called so you wouldn’t worry, but if you’re going to be angry, I’ll hang up.”
Han Sangjin sighed dramatically.
—What happened to your Mobile Phone? A dead man disappears, someone’s chasing you, and then you go dark. Do you know how worried I’ve been?
“I’m sorry. It’s a bit of a long explanation.”
—You’ve got time. Tell me.
“Well… my father passed away.”
—An. …I’m sorry to hear that.
Han Sangjin’s voice took on an awkward tone. Heejoo traced the stars with her eyes, a faint smile on her lips.
—So where are you now? I checked, and you’re not at the Hotel you checked into.
“Right now…”
Heejoo started to mention that she was indebted to Noel, then closed her mouth. Would that cause trouble for him?
“I moved to another Hotel nearby to be safe.”
—Where to?
“A Hotel nearby.”
—…All right.
Just then, the bathroom door opened and Liam emerged. Wearing only his lower half, the sight of him made Heejoo feel even colder.
Heejoo quickly closed the window and said goodbye to Han Sangjin.
“I’ll call you again soon.”
After hanging up, she handed him the Blanket that had been on the sofa.
“Aren’t you cold?”
Liam took the Blanket and draped it over Heejoo’s shoulders.
“You’re the one who looks cold. Did you know your lips are purple?”
At those words, Heejoo touched her lips. And in that moment, a memory from just below the surface surged forward.
A fierce kiss, bruising her lips.

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