Icing on the Cake Chapter 15

“One doesn’t have to be a good person to help others without compensation. If you believe otherwise simply because of that, I think that’s rather naive.”

“But I have a good eye for people. Maybe it’s because I’ve met all kinds. There are people who have good manners and speak prettily but feel cold somehow, and there are people who are rough in speech and manner but are warm and honest. You can’t judge everything by appearances, but I trust my instincts. I’m a journalist, after all!”

The more Heather explained, the more uncomfortable Yuri’s heart grew.

“Are you saying that knowing what kind of person I am?”

“I can’t know that—it’s your privacy. But do I really need to?”

“Yes.”

Yuri’s answer was firm.

“When you’re hiring someone to be responsible for another person’s life, background checks aren’t done for nothing. It’s important to investigate everything—from criminal records to what kind of past they’ve lived. Whether they’re the type to betray for more money, or the type to abandon their client because they want to live—you can’t tell those things from appearances.”

“But isn’t that something no one knows until the situation actually happens?”

Heather’s rebuttal left him momentarily speechless. Just then, the elevator arrived, and Yuri stood still even after seeing the open doors. Heather stepped inside first and gestured to him.

“I suppose… you could call me an optimist, but I think there are many things you can’t know from a past written in print. When I interview people, I find so many hidden stories—people who’ve acted consistently their whole lives can make emotionally different choices given certain triggers. So I trust what I’ve seen with my own eyes.”

Heather gave a clear answer to Yuri’s question. Yet even after hearing her explanation, his curiosity wasn’t satisfied—instead, it morphed into doubt and resistance, leaving him more unsettled.

“You’re saying you can judge me from a brief meeting two years ago?”

“You only saw me briefly, but I’ve seen Alexei occasionally since then. Besides, it’s fairly well-known in communities like Reddit that Alexei handles difficult cases for ridiculously low prices. I also know he’s not doing fixer work to make money. And Yuri, you’re his friend—a really old friend at that.”

Feeling that continuing would only make his mood more complicated, Yuri fell silent. Then he pressed the button for the 12th floor, noticed it didn’t light up, and reached into his jacket pocket. He found the card key. As he’d learned earlier, he tapped the card against the touch pad and pressed the button—this time it lit up. Suddenly, the image of Cheriot reaching over from behind him flashed through his mind. A strange afterimage.

“Did I offend you?”

“Not at all.”

He wanted to say that unlike Alexei, he wasn’t the same kind of person—but then thought better of it. Cornering a near-stranger for an utterly ridiculous confession would be insane.

“Just that I still think capable people would serve Mr. Gutnight’s safety better than good ones.”

“That could be true. But Cheriot…”

Heather paused mid-sentence, lost in thought. Yuri waited silently. Before the elevator reached the 12th floor, Heather seemed to make up her mind and spoke carefully.

“He really hates bad people. From what I’ve heard, his family background was quite complicated. Some bodyguards have mercenary backgrounds mixed in—the criminal sort, you know.”

The more Heather spoke, the colder Yuri’s chest grew. His fingertips turned icy, and his throat tightened. The irregular beat of his heart echoed off-rhythm in his ears, and for a moment, he felt dizzy. Even though both feet were planted firmly on the unmoving elevator floor.

“Oh, we’re here. Shall we get out?”

By then, they’d arrived at their destination and the elevator doors opened. The silence of the hotel, flowing in through the open doors, rushed at Yuri like a ghost and gripped his throat. The specter of his past whispered that this place wasn’t for him, flickering at his feet like a shadow.

He should turn down this job even now. If he looked, he could surely introduce someone else. The condition he’d thought was merely a matter of character turned out to have a clear criterion. Cheriot didn’t just want a “good” person—he wanted someone who wasn’t a “criminal.” Yuri was the exact opposite of that condition.

“Heather, wait a moment…”

Yuri hurriedly grabbed Heather as she was about to step out of the elevator. He’d never touched a woman without consent, but his head was spinning so wildly that his hand moved on its own. Compared to Heather’s wrist, Yuri’s hand was enormous and firm—the mere act of grasping made Heather waver.

“Ah, yes?”

“I have something to say. Before we go into the room.”

Heather looked up at him with startled eyes. After glancing down at her wrist with a flustered expression, her earlobes turned inexplicably red. Her lips parted as if to speak, then she nodded and was about to step back into the elevator—when the sound of a guest room door opening echoed through the hallway.

“Heather?”

At the now-familiar male voice, Yuri frowned. Turning her head at the sound, Heather’s face lit up with a pleased expression as she greeted him.

“Cheriot!”

“What are you doing here at this late hour?”

“I came to check on you because I was worried. I heard strange people showed up at your condo today! Alexei told me.”

“For now, I’m fine. You came all the way to see me—you’re as kind as ever, Heather.”

The soft pad of footsteps—he must have been wearing hotel slippers—muffled across the hallway carpet. In mere seconds, Cheriot reached Heather and tilted his upper body slightly, finding Yuri still in the elevator.

“Yuri, why aren’t you getting out?”

Cheriot was wearing only the hotel-provided bathrobe. His reddish-gold hair, darkened by moisture, clung to his white cheeks and forehead, creating a very peculiar atmosphere, and through the open collar of the robe, his firm chest muscles were visible—making him look exactly like he’d just had sex.

“…I told you to stay in the room.”

Appalled that he’d come out into the hallway in that state, Yuri momentarily forgot what to say and pointed it out.

“I heard the elevator arrive, so I just came to check if it was you. You left me alone for too long.”

“Fine, get back in the room for now. I still have things to discuss with Heather.”

At that, Cheriot’s gaze shifted elsewhere. Staring intently at Yuri’s hand gripping Heather, Cheriot curled the corners of his mouth and asked.

“I’m curious what kind of story requires holding hands.”

“Huh? That sounds weirdly suggestive, Cheriot?”

“That’s because—”

Cheriot kept his eyes fixed on Yuri’s hand as he spoke.

“—I thought Yuri didn’t like prolonged contact with others.”

Just as Heather’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Yuri released her wrist. He had no idea why Cheriot was spouting such nonsense, but at this point, it seemed better to say what he needed to say in front of both of them.

“Never mind. Let’s go into the room. We’ll talk there.”

“Are you sure it’s okay, Yuri?”

Heather checked again, still seeming worried, but Cheriot, as if he’d been waiting, gently wrapped his arm around Heather’s shoulder and guided her toward the guest room.

“Let’s not talk outside—come on in. I may not look it, but I’m in danger right now.”

“True, but for someone in a bad situation, you look way too healthy, Cheriot.”

“You’ll change your mind once you hear what happened to me.”

Quickly redirecting Heather’s attention, Cheriot chatted with her as they entered the room first. Following behind them, Yuri scanned the surroundings once, checking for any listening ears. No closing doors, no hidden figures…

Finally, Yuri stared at the CCTV in front of the elevator, swallowed a sigh, and turned away. It bothered him that Cheriot had shown his face so openly in that state, but they could change locations tomorrow—it would be fine.