BETTERSWEET

Ch.11

The pin is 940210

You fiddle with your phone at the latest text message she sent you, mulling over what the number means, clueless. That is until you step up to your apartment's door, blinking at the lack of lock to your door, or at least the type where you would... physically place a key in and turn the lock open. What greets you is a modern lock with an intercom and a lock that requires a numerical passcode.

"I was gone shopping for just an hour... when did she even find the time to get this installed?" you say to yourself, resigning to your fate quickly and knowing full well she would actually do something like this for your own safety. You insert the numbers that you received from your lover, sighing when the door clicks open with an audible beep coming from the number pad.

You gingerly enter your home, appreciating the warmth it provides from the floor heater quickly. That alone alerts you that someone is in your apartment, because you are sure you have already switched off the heater when you left, so you hopefully call out. "Juyeon?"

"In the kitchen!"

You trudge to the kitchen, and there you find her, sitting on top of the counter, a pencil in her mouth and she seems to be studying something on the paper she is holding. "Hey."

"Hi," she waves at you, and you can spot pictures of the lock on the paper, so you think it is a user manual. The paper makes a slight flapping sound as she waves. "Sorry for not telling you that I'll be here."

You set your woven shopping bags beside her on the counter before you point your thumb behind you, towards the general direction of the front door. "You installed a smart... key... thing... up front?"

Juyeon nods repeatedly. "A digital lock, just... you know, it's safer. I guess it works perfectly?"

"Yes, but... why?"

"It's what everyone uses. This building is so old, Jiyeon. I was so surprised when I saw that you still use a physical key. And I told you before that I would have it changed."

You lean further on the counter, closing your distance with her after throwing your jacket on a dining chair. "But why now?"

She puts up her hands, surrendering. "Fine, it's because I'm scared that guy would have made a copy of your key or something like that."

"That guy? Dr. Han Jungwoo?"

"Yeah."

You lean back, letting an eyebrow rise up. "How could he have a key to my apartment?"

"According to the investigators, he has been caught trying to get access to your locker several times," Juyeon taps the paper with her pencil several times before she sighs. "But that's not enough yet to put any charges on him. Might get him suspended, at most. That won't be sufficient, I want him gone."

"He snooped around my locker?"

"As well as your on-call room where you sleep, and your office," Juyeon recounts, her lips getting tighter. "Odd how they all went unreported. Dayoung was quick to end the contract of the company currently responsible with the hospital's security and surveillance. I think they're going to get investigated too."

"Huh? You don't work with that company?"

"No, it's another company entirely," she answers, putting away her pencil and paper before she finds your hand, caressing it gently. "I work security details for Dayoung and my boss alike, but I am not exactly tied with a security company. If I had worked with the hospital's security, I would not have allowed this adversity to continue for such a long time."

You place your free hand over hers too, brushing it just as gently. "What is like working for the Im group?"

"Technically, you work for them too in the hospital."