Fair Trade

“Hey, my friend was just dragged in here. I’m just going to make sure she’s okay!”

“Can I look at your ID card, kid?”

“Don’t worry, I’m long past the age to get my ID checked. I won’t ask you to let me in. I saw someone drag her into that area. Okay?”

“Whether she was compelled or willing to go, she went nonetheless. If there had been an issue, she would have requested our help upon entering.”

Oh, this pig with fat for a brain…!

A group of shadows shortened behind her, as she stamped her feet in anger.

“Hey, miss. You want to go in despite knowing what kind of place it is?”

Sei, who jerked around to Stefan’s voice, stopped breathing when she saw the man standing behind her.

“Sei. You always stand out no matter where you are.”

She hadn’t done anything wrong, yet her heart was racing madly.

Sei wondered if it would be okay to call him by his name. Then, as if reading her concern, he gently stroked the back of her neck and curled up the corners of his mouth.

“In return for the interesting scene today, I have something to give you. Would you mind waiting in my room? I will bring your friend safely to the room.”

“But…”

“They already know your face. You shouldn’t be walking around a place like this.”

He fidgeted with the lobe of her empty ear and cast his gaze over her shoulder.

As opposed to when he initially stopped her, the guard’s body was stiff. Perhaps he did not recognise Yuri, but he would have recognised Kirill, who was standing next to him. Sei felt tremendous relief when she saw Kirill, who emanated menace just by standing there.

“Please, then. It’s just that… Things didn’t look so good.”

“Stefan.”

Stefan, who frowned at Yuri’s call, approached with a sigh. “I’m not a babysitter. Are you going to keep making me look after this brat?”

“Stefan… Sei is older than you. So the baby is you, not her.”

“What?”

Did he really not know?

Stefan, who alternately looked at Sei and Yuri with an incredulous face, murmured, “Damn these baby-faced people!” and placed his arms around her shoulders. Yuri then gripped his wrist, pulled the corner of his mouth back, and laughed. “That’s too close.”

Stefan burst out laughing and guided Sei with exaggerated motions, much like a comedy actor. But she couldn’t crack a smile. She simply slipped her hand in her pocket and stared blankly at the back of Yuri as he entered the lounge with Kirill.

“Hey, are you really older than me?”

Sei, who returned to reality at Stefan’s words, said as she moved out of the casino, “Stefan, do you know what Korean age is?”

“Do you have a separate age there?”

“Yes, there’s a separate one. I’m 29 years old in Korean age and you’re 24 years old. The babysitter is me, not you.”

She covered her mouth with the back of her hand and chuckled at Stefan’s bewildered expression.

Stefan, who had been whining about what he was so dissatisfied with, didn’t say anything after finding out Sei’s age. Maybe he felt cheated.

As expected, Yuri’s accommodation was on the top floor of the same hotel as her.

The time interval was too short to move while watching the video.

That means… It must have been either a perfect coincidence or something prearranged that was camouflaged as a coincidence.

Sei grasped Stefan’s arm.

“I’m glad you’re alright. I heard there was a gunfight. I don’t know about others, but I’m really glad you didn’t get hurt.”

“Death—not everyone is supposed to meet it.”

“Yeah. I’m glad you and Yuri are not everyone.”

The elevator door opened on the top floor. Sei walked in calmly as if it were her room. Stefan followed her by rubbing his dry chin. Despite her white shirt, jeans, and tired face without makeup, there was just something about the woman that he could not keep his eyes off of her.

That was probably why Yuri was losing his mind over her.

Stefan, who just had a strange realization, fell far behind her after scrambling to collect his complex thoughts.

* * *

In short, the club lounge was like a party hall for alcoholics and drug addicts. Unlike regular parties with mediators, it wasn’t strange if someone died here.

When Yuri approached, Lily White, who had her nose and mouth covered, was struggling to be freed.

What was in front of her was a drug that looked like cocaine and Jimmy’s drunken figure.

Of course, dealing with druggie trash wasn’t too difficult for him.

Yuri wiped the blood off his watch while looking at the woman who was sticking to Kirill.

“Lily White.”

“Oh, are you guys Russian? Thank you for helping me.”

“Say thank you to Sei. I’m only helping you out because of her.”

Her expression hardened when she heard Sei’s name. Lily, who quickly switched to alert mode, opened her eyes as she looked at Kirill.

“Who…”

“I think we got to know each other through Sei earlier.”

“Got to know each other? We did?”

Her face slowly turned pale as if she couldn’t believe it and even her lips faltered. At Kirill’s glance, the three came out of the club lounge and exited the casino.

“Don’t worry, I’ll believe your words. The mess with your gold bars caused problems with our relationship with David and Camille was very angry. Perhaps if Sei hadn’t shown me the video of your little chat before, Kirill would have made sure you wouldn’t be talking to me right now. That was our goal for today. You should thank Sei. Because she flew out here and saved you.”

Yuri said so and fixed his disheveled clothes. After putting Lily on the elevator with Kirill, he took the opposite elevator to the top floor.

He felt his throat tighten as he moved forward. He came to a halt in front of Sei, who was huddled on the sofa and staring up at him. When she spotted him, her lips opened softly.

“What about Lily?”

“I sent her safely to her room.”

“Ha, did anything happen?”

“Nothing.”

Sei sighed in relief and smiled at him. Yuri, who had approached her close enough to touch her, caressed her head and frowned.

“…I’d prefer you don’t look up at me like that.”

“…Do I look weird right now?”

“No, just…. If you look at me like that, you’d in big trouble.”

Sei had no idea what he was saying, but she kept staring at him with her large captivating eyes. Yuri leaned over her shoulder.

Had it been a week? No, maybe only four days. He was upset and sensitive like months had gone. He nearly killed Lily White.

He kissed her lips and tenderly caressed her warm cheek. He slid his arm past her thin shoulders and yanked her shirt over her head.

“I want to take a shower after the fierce fight,” Yuri said, lightly nipping the flesh above her white bra. “Let’s do it together.”