Ae-Cha looked at the crowded place, the neon lights danced on the walls, creating a vibrant and frenetic atmosphere. The pounding music resonated in the air thick with smoke and various scents. It had been her routine for two months, ever since she started working at that night club in the heart of Seoul. It seemed like the best way for her to earn some money and support herself while she tried to build a life in the big city.
The young, resolute eighteen-year-old girl walked around the tables, offering drinks to customers with a fake smile on her face.
A drunken customer approached her in a harassing manner, trying to grab her. Ae-Cha tried to escape, but the man was insistent, determined to get what he wanted. Fear tightened her chest, she felt panic rising as she desperately tried to free herself from that attacker.
That's when she saw him. A man, tall and distinguished, approaching with a determined step, his gaze cold but penetrating. Ae-Cha couldn't hold back a sigh of relief when she hid behind him, begging for help with her gaze.
As soon as the customer took a look at the mysterious man, his expression suddenly changed. "Good evening, Mr. Park," he stammered, visibly embarrassed, "I didn't know she was your woman..." Then he quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving Ae-Cha and the man alone.
Her stranger turned to her, and Ae-Cha suddenly felt vulnerable under his sharp gaze. "Come," he said in a calm voice, but Ae-Cha hesitated. However, before she could protest, the man gently scooped her up into his arms and carried her away from the commotion of the club.
The room they found was quiet, with soft lighting that gave off an intimate atmosphere. The man placed Ae-Cha on the bed, and she, still confused and scared, let herself go into his embrace.
The night passed in a whirlwind of repressed emotions. Ae-Cha abandoned herself to the pleasure and exhilaration of the moment, forgetting everything that was familiar to her.
In the morning, when she awoke, the images of the previous night escaped her, fragmented and confused. She tried to get up, to run away from that unknown place, but his hand stopped her.
"Let's get married," the man said in a grave voice, and she Ae-Cha was speechless. What was happening? It was all so surreal, as if she were in a dream.
"W-what?" Ae-Cha stammered, her eyes widening in disbelief.
The man looked at her intently, with an indecipherable expression on her face. "Are you going to run away without considering the consequences of what happened last night?" he asked, his tone firm.
Ae-Cha felt overwhelmed with confusion and emotion. What did all this mean? She tried to pick up the pieces of the fleeting memories, trying to understand what had happened.
After a moment of silence, Ae-Cha nodded slowly. "Okay," she said, her voice a whisper. Accepting seemed like the only thing to do in that moment of uncertainty.
And so, on that morning full of uncertain promises, Ae-Cha and the mysterious man allowed themselves to be dragged into an uncertain future.
