when the phone rings novel

"The prognosis for your concussion looks good. The tests didn't indicate any other symptoms of shock. Just make sure to avoid inflammation before the IV line is removed, and you should be able to discharge next week..."

No...!

My precious time!

Her anxious gaze darted around the room. Roughly calculating, there were only about ten days left until the date she could file for divorce. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was already close to 10 p.m.

She instinctively—

"...!"

But where was the negotiation phone?

A cold chill ran down her spine.

"Ah..."

Her face turned pale as she scrambled up from the bed in a panic. After seeing off the night-shift doctor, she locked the door behind them. Thankfully, she spotted the hiking bag sitting on the desk.

Hee-joo let out a sigh of relief as she rummaged through the bag and found the negotiation phone.

"I hope no one saw it..."

The blank space in her memory from when she had lost consciousness left her feeling uneasy. She plugged the dead phone into a fast charger and waited.

If something's wrong, the kidnapper will contact me.

Considering his personality, reckless like a car with broken brakes, she felt even more certain.

"...Nothing."

She muttered under her breath, her thumb swiping quickly across the screen. No calls from restricted numbers. Only a long list of missed calls—all from Baek Sa-eon.

—Really? But I was so scared I could have died.

The voice that suddenly surfaced in her mind made her chest tighten painfully. Hee-joo shook her head violently, startled by her own reaction. Although the dizziness made her stagger, she thought it might be better this way—she didn't need such emotions now.

'The threatening calls should still work, right?'

Finally, when the clock struck 10, Hee-joo almost unconsciously picked up the negotiation phone.

Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep.

She anxiously bit her lip, the action bringing back the memory of a forgotten sensation. Cool hands, searing lips against her skin—the vivid intensity of those feelings lingered in her mind, refusing to fade...

—...Hello?

"...!"

The fine hairs on her body stood on end as she rubbed her flushed neck, nervous, before forcing herself to speak.

"...It's me."

The person on the other end chuckled softly.

"—Yes, I know. It's you, 406."

"You actually have the nerve to answer the phone. Looks like Hong Hee-joo didn't die after all."

"—Why do you always have to be so sharp-tongued?"

"What?"

"—You shouldn't say things like that."

His tone grew serious, his voice alone conveying a shift in demeanor.

"What do you mean by that?"

"—According to 406, you almost got into serious trouble. Don't be so harsh with your words."

It sounded like he had stepped back for a moment.

"I've always been a bad person. What are you going to do about it?"

Hee-joo's heart skipped oddly, but she responded more forcefully.

"—Ah, so now you're admitting you're a bad person?"

A helpless laugh suddenly came through the line. Hee-joo felt a tickle in her ear and switched the phone to her other hand.

"Why are you talking like that, brother?"

"—...Ah, brother, really..."

It sounded as if he covered the microphone for a moment, his voice muffled and unclear.

"Why exactly?" Hee-joo shouted in frustration.

"—...Ah, sorry. 406 is just so intimidating."

"What?"

"—I got too nervous."

A strange anger welled up inside her. Was it because of her physical discomfort? Every aspect of his unusual response irritated her.

The lack of his usual coldness, the absence of disdain in his tone.

And most of all, his sharpness toward 406 seemed to have dulled, and that left her deeply dissatisfied.

"You think I'm funny?"

"—It's not that I think you're funny; I'm just startled."

"Startled?"

"—I re-listened to all our previous calls, revisited those moments."

"..."

"—I realized that 406's way with words is much more impressive than I imagined."

The sudden compliment left Hee-joo stunned. She had never expected such recognition, never even dared to hope for it. Unconsciously, she closed her mouth.

"—I'm curious who taught you that."

"...Is it really that good?" she asked, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"—That's the evaluation of the Blue House spokesperson. Isn't that credible enough?"

"Y-yes, that's true..."

His words, though not overtly flattering, put Hee-joo on high alert. She furrowed her brows, trying to discern his intentions. The wound on the back of her head throbbed faintly, and her vision started to blur.

"—406, are you feeling dizzy?"

"...!"

Baek Sa-eon noticed immediately.

"—Your breathing doesn't sound right."

"It's nothing, I..."

"—406, you're probably as tense as I am, right? After spending all of yesterday keeping track of Hee-joo's whereabouts, you must be exhausted. Lie down while you're on the phone."

"What?"

"—We've reached that level of trust, haven't we?"

Trust? Trust?

Hee-joo felt herself being drawn in by his words, subtle yet tinged with amusement. She couldn't resist following his lead.

The complex emotions swirling within her at the thought of a husband gradually aligning himself with the kidnapper threatening his wife were impossible to untangle. She felt uneasy and dissatisfied with the growing sense of familiarity with 406.

Brushing her hair back from her forehead, she forced herself to focus.

"Alright, let's talk about something 406 likes."

"I'm only interested in teasing my brother."

"I like that too. But don't we have a deal?"

"What?"

"Why haven't you sent the photos?"

"...!"

"Photos of Hee-joo."

She gasped sharply.

"That... I've changed my mind."

Cold sweat dripped down her back. Speaking those words made her feel terrified, but now there was no turning back.

"I recalculated. Twenty billion isn't enough. I accidentally discovered a secret about the Blue House spokesperson."

"Oh, is that so? That's good then."

"What?"

"I've also discovered a secret about 406."

"...!"

Her body stiffened instantly, her wrists feeling numb from the tension. Even so, unwilling to back down in this subtle power struggle, she raised her voice.

"If I expose this, you'll really end up in jail...!"

"Then let's go together, shall we?"

"What? Go... go where?"

"If that's the case, why don't we just go to prison together and share a cell?"

"...!"

Baek Sa-eon's shameless response left Hee-joo flustered and enraged.

"But," he added in a low, almost teasing voice, "that might be a bit difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"406 doesn't have that thing, right?"

"...!"

Hee-joo froze, her mind going blank.

"N-no, I have it!"

"That's just the fixed impression 406 left me with. If you're upset about it, why don't you send me a... self-pleasure video? I might believe you then. But you didn't, did you? You don't have it."

"..."

She could only swallow hard. The explicit undertones of his words left her feeling both defeated and furious.

"If you're so confident, take it off and prove it. Let's see your voice modulator."

"...!"

...What?

"I can hear your voice clearly," he said, his words piercing her defenses.

Wait, wait...!

Hee-joo felt crushed under the weight of his accusations, unable to muster a response.

"Alright, let's get to the point," Baek Sa-eon suddenly said coldly.

A sense of foreboding swept over her again.

"From now on, don't call me again."

"What?"

"If you ignore my warning and call again, you'll regret it."

"What are you—"

"I told you—I like this kind of thing."

"...!"

"If you think you can handle it, go ahead and try."

In an instant, the roles in their confrontation reversed entirely.

'This is bad...'

She curled up in the corner of her room for the rest of the night, her thoughts tangled and chaotic.

She was certain the voice modulator would never be discovered—absolutely certain. She bit down on her blunt thumb in frustration.

'But... it seems like he doesn't know it's me, right?'

Though his attitude had shifted subtly, the core of his hostility and mockery hadn't changed. In fact, they had returned to square one, each holding the other's secrets.

Particularly unsettling was his warning before ending the call.

The negotiations were far from over.

The stitches in her wound throbbed faintly, but what troubled her more was the pounding in her head.

It was early morning, before dawn, and she had spent the night tossing and turning. Suddenly, the door clicked open.

"...!"

Hee-joo instinctively pulled the blanket over her head.

The man who had been the source of her sleepless night walked in, impeccably dressed in a suit.

"Should I force your mouth open to hear you scream again?"

His impatient muttering was loud enough to make her flinch.

With ease, he pulled back the puffy blanket shielding her. Hee-joo avoided his gaze, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly, but then his face came closer, just like yesterday.

His scorching gaze landed on her lower lip.

"This isn't something I told you to do."

Reflexively, Hee-joo licked her chapped lips, and his brows twitched with displeasure.

"Why are you biting your lip?"

She could only widen her eyes and shift her gaze.

"What exactly did you have to bite overnight?"

"...!"

Hee-joo still found it difficult to speak to him. His penetrating stare was reminiscent of the eyes she had faced at the beginning of every new school year. Those moments where she stammered through introductions, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes fixed on her.

And those expectant gazes turning to boredom.

The cycle repeated itself through her adolescence and adulthood. Now, she felt the same cold dread, her hands and feet turning icy.

Thankfully, Baek Sa-eon didn't ask again.

Despite the silence hanging between them, it felt more familiar than any words they might exchange.

Ironically, both appeared unnervingly calm.

"I've already informed the publicity department that you're on medical leave. You'll resume work immediately after discharge."

"...!"

In truth, she had already prepared herself for the possibility that her acceptance might be revoked entirely.

Baek Sa-eon gently flicked her pale nose.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"..."

"Didn't you say that if I hired you, you'd tell me how you analyzed me?"

He adjusted the IV drip with practiced ease.

"Until I hear that, I'm not letting you go."

The light from the window framed his figure as he stood by it, casting a glow that illuminated Hee-joo's face.

"The prognosis for your concussion looks good. The tests didn't indicate any other symptoms of shock. Just make sure to avoid inflammation before the IV line is removed, and you should be able to discharge next week..."

No...!

My precious time!

Her anxious gaze darted around the room. Roughly calculating, there were only about ten days left until the date she could file for divorce. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was already close to 10 p.m.

She instinctively—

"...!"

But where was the negotiation phone?

A cold chill ran down her spine.

"Ah..."

Her face turned pale as she scrambled up from the bed in a panic. After seeing off the night-shift doctor, she locked the door behind them. Thankfully, she spotted the hiking bag sitting on the desk.

Hee-joo let out a sigh of relief as she rummaged through the bag and found the negotiation phone.

"I hope no one saw it..."

The blank space in her memory from when she had lost consciousness left her feeling uneasy. She plugged the dead phone into a fast charger and waited.

If something's wrong, the kidnapper will contact me.

Considering his personality, reckless like a car with broken brakes, she felt even more certain.

"...Nothing."

She muttered under her breath, her thumb swiping quickly across the screen. No calls from restricted numbers. Only a long list of missed calls—all from Baek Sa-eon.

—Really? But I was so scared I could have died.

The voice that suddenly surfaced in her mind made her chest tighten painfully. Hee-joo shook her head violently, startled by her own reaction. Although the dizziness made her stagger, she thought it might be better this way—she didn't need such emotions now.

'The threatening calls should still work, right?'

Finally, when the clock struck 10, Hee-joo almost unconsciously picked up the negotiation phone.

Beep, beep, beep. Beep, beep, beep.

She anxiously bit her lip, the action bringing back the memory of a forgotten sensation. Cool hands, searing lips against her skin—the vivid intensity of those feelings lingered in her mind, refusing to fade...

—...Hello?

"...!"

The fine hairs on her body stood on end as she rubbed her flushed neck, nervous, before forcing herself to speak.

"...It's me."

The person on the other end chuckled softly.

"—Yes, I know. It's you, 406."

"You actually have the nerve to answer the phone. Looks like Hong Hee-joo didn't die after all."

"—Why do you always have to be so sharp-tongued?"

"What?"

"—You shouldn't say things like that."

His tone grew serious, his voice alone conveying a shift in demeanor.

"What do you mean by that?"

"—According to 406, you almost got into serious trouble. Don't be so harsh with your words."

It sounded like he had stepped back for a moment.

"I've always been a bad person. What are you going to do about it?"

Hee-joo's heart skipped oddly, but she responded more forcefully.

"—Ah, so now you're admitting you're a bad person?"

A helpless laugh suddenly came through the line. Hee-joo felt a tickle in her ear and switched the phone to her other hand.

"Why are you talking like that, brother?"

"—...Ah, brother, really..."

It sounded as if he covered the microphone for a moment, his voice muffled and unclear.

"Why exactly?" Hee-joo shouted in frustration.

"—...Ah, sorry. 406 is just so intimidating."

"What?"

"—I got too nervous."

A strange anger welled up inside her. Was it because of her physical discomfort? Every aspect of his unusual response irritated her.

The lack of his usual coldness, the absence of disdain in his tone.

And most of all, his sharpness toward 406 seemed to have dulled, and that left her deeply dissatisfied.

"You think I'm funny?"

"—It's not that I think you're funny; I'm just startled."

"Startled?"

"—I re-listened to all our previous calls, revisited those moments."

"..."

"—I realized that 406's way with words is much more impressive than I imagined."

The sudden compliment left Hee-joo stunned. She had never expected such recognition, never even dared to hope for it. Unconsciously, she closed her mouth.

"—I'm curious who taught you that."

"...Is it really that good?" she asked, clearing her throat awkwardly.

"—That's the evaluation of the Blue House spokesperson. Isn't that credible enough?"

"Y-yes, that's true..."

His words, though not overtly flattering, put Hee-joo on high alert. She furrowed her brows, trying to discern his intentions. The wound on the back of her head throbbed faintly, and her vision started to blur.

"—406, are you feeling dizzy?"

"...!"

Baek Sa-eon noticed immediately.

"—Your breathing doesn't sound right."

"It's nothing, I..."

"—406, you're probably as tense as I am, right? After spending all of yesterday keeping track of Hee-joo's whereabouts, you must be exhausted. Lie down while you're on the phone."

"What?"

"—We've reached that level of trust, haven't we?"

Trust? Trust?

Hee-joo felt herself being drawn in by his words, subtle yet tinged with amusement. She couldn't resist following his lead.

The complex emotions swirling within her at the thought of a husband gradually aligning himself with the kidnapper threatening his wife were impossible to untangle. She felt uneasy and dissatisfied with the growing sense of familiarity with 406.

Brushing her hair back from her forehead, she forced herself to focus.

"Alright, let's talk about something 406 likes."

"I'm only interested in teasing my brother."

"I like that too. But don't we have a deal?"

"What?"

"Why haven't you sent the photos?"

"...!"

"Photos of Hee-joo."

She gasped sharply.

"That... I've changed my mind."

Cold sweat dripped down her back. Speaking those words made her feel terrified, but now there was no turning back.

"I recalculated. Twenty billion isn't enough. I accidentally discovered a secret about the Blue House spokesperson."

"Oh, is that so? That's good then."

"What?"

"I've also discovered a secret about 406."

"...!"

Her body stiffened instantly, her wrists feeling numb from the tension. Even so, unwilling to back down in this subtle power struggle, she raised her voice.

"If I expose this, you'll really end up in jail...!"

"Then let's go together, shall we?"

"What? Go... go where?"

"If that's the case, why don't we just go to prison together and share a cell?"

"...!"

Baek Sa-eon's shameless response left Hee-joo flustered and enraged.

"But," he added in a low, almost teasing voice, "that might be a bit difficult."

"What do you mean?"

"406 doesn't have that thing, right?"

"...!"

Hee-joo froze, her mind going blank.

"N-no, I have it!"

"That's just the fixed impression 406 left me with. If you're upset about it, why don't you send me a... self-pleasure video? I might believe you then. But you didn't, did you? You don't have it."

"..."

She could only swallow hard. The explicit undertones of his words left her feeling both defeated and furious.

"If you're so confident, take it off and prove it. Let's see your voice modulator."

"...!"

...What?

"I can hear your voice clearly," he said, his words piercing her defenses.

Wait, wait...!

Hee-joo felt crushed under the weight of his accusations, unable to muster a response.

"Alright, let's get to the point," Baek Sa-eon suddenly said coldly.

A sense of foreboding swept over her again.

"From now on, don't call me again."

"What?"

"If you ignore my warning and call again, you'll regret it."

"What are you—"

"I told you—I like this kind of thing."

"...!"

"If you think you can handle it, go ahead and try."

In an instant, the roles in their confrontation reversed entirely.

'This is bad...'

She curled up in the corner of her room for the rest of the night, her thoughts tangled and chaotic.

She was certain the voice modulator would never be discovered—absolutely certain. She bit down on her blunt thumb in frustration.

'But... it seems like he doesn't know it's me, right?'

Though his attitude had shifted subtly, the core of his hostility and mockery hadn't changed. In fact, they had returned to square one, each holding the other's secrets.

Particularly unsettling was his warning before ending the call.

The negotiations were far from over.

The stitches in her wound throbbed faintly, but what troubled her more was the pounding in her head.

It was early morning, before dawn, and she had spent the night tossing and turning. Suddenly, the door clicked open.

"...!"

Hee-joo instinctively pulled the blanket over her head.

The man who had been the source of her sleepless night walked in, impeccably dressed in a suit.

"Should I force your mouth open to hear you scream again?"

His impatient muttering was loud enough to make her flinch.

With ease, he pulled back the puffy blanket shielding her. Hee-joo avoided his gaze, clutching the edge of the blanket tightly, but then his face came closer, just like yesterday.

His scorching gaze landed on her lower lip.

"This isn't something I told you to do."

Reflexively, Hee-joo licked her chapped lips, and his brows twitched with displeasure.

"Why are you biting your lip?"

She could only widen her eyes and shift her gaze.

"What exactly did you have to bite overnight?"

"...!"

Hee-joo still found it difficult to speak to him. His penetrating stare was reminiscent of the eyes she had faced at the beginning of every new school year. Those moments where she stammered through introductions, feeling the weight of dozens of eyes fixed on her.

And those expectant gazes turning to boredom.

The cycle repeated itself through her adolescence and adulthood. Now, she felt the same cold dread, her hands and feet turning icy.

Thankfully, Baek Sa-eon didn't ask again.

Despite the silence hanging between them, it felt more familiar than any words they might exchange.

Ironically, both appeared unnervingly calm.

"I've already informed the publicity department that you're on medical leave. You'll resume work immediately after discharge."

"...!"

In truth, she had already prepared herself for the possibility that her acceptance might be revoked entirely.

Baek Sa-eon gently flicked her pale nose.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"..."

"Didn't you say that if I hired you, you'd tell me how you analyzed me?"

He adjusted the IV drip with practiced ease.

"Until I hear that, I'm not letting you go."

The light from the window framed his figure as he stood by it, casting a glow that illuminated Hee-joo's face.