“How quick is his intuition… It’d be easier to think of him as a ghost rather than a human. No, a ghost is too unrealistic to relate to, so let’s think of him as a fortune-teller shaman instead.”
The moment hyungnim’s earnest warning to be careful flashed through my mind like lightning, I thought I was screwed. This bastard might already know that I’m hyungnim’s spy.
If not, why else would he single me out to talk to in the middle of a busy street with so many people passing by? It’s not like this guy is a really fucking promiscuous super gay who happened to fall for me at first sight because I’m his type.
Of course, I’m good-looking enough to get asked for my number all the time on the street and receive business cards asking me to be a celebrity, but still, this doesn’t make sense.
“Do you have a lover?”
Whether he had a cold or had just woken up, his voice was quite hoarse. In a deeply sunken voice, Lee Jiwoo asked me again while looking at me expressionlessly.
“What’s your name?”
“……”
These were absolutely not the eyes of a man who fell in love at first sight. His eyes were fucking sunken with dark circles, and looking again, his face wasn’t white but just pale.
Overlapping with the drug addicts I’d seen in video media, I couldn’t help but be tense. Honestly, I hadn’t listened carefully to the part about him possibly doing drugs. Of course not. This was South Korea. It wasn’t an American drama—what drugs?
“Can’t you hear…”
Lee Jiwoo tilted his head and muttered as if to himself. I tried my best not to show that I was flustered and gave a friendly smile. With my many years of hall serving experience, I could confidently say my 100% sincere (or so it appeared) friendly smile was flawless.
“I was thinking about something else… I’m sorry. What did you say?”
“What’s your name?”
“Ah, my name… My name…”
I hesitated with a troubled expression and trailed off. For now, whether Lee Jiwoo was certain I was a spy or not, I couldn’t know.
So the best thing for me to do was act as if I hadn’t been caught.
“I’m not a weird person… I don’t have a religion either.”
As I continued to hem and haw, Lee Jiwoo muttered again as if to himself. He had an expression like he was deep in thought. But I somehow felt creeped out.
Because from the moment our eyes first met, Lee Jiwoo hadn’t taken his gaze off me even once. Looking closely, he barely blinked his eyes. Was he really a ghost?
“Do we happen to know each other?”
Hiding my creepy feelings, I asked again with a troubled look. Then Lee Jiwoo tilted his head to the side.
“If we’d met, there’s no way I would have forgotten, so this is our first meeting.”
Soft, fluffy hair like lint fell smoothly to the side past his forehead.
“Then why are you asking my name?”
“Because you’re pretty.”
“……”
Did he really fall for me? I don’t know about that, but I somehow found myself at a loss for words. Could it be that the reason I’ve been getting chills this whole time was just because I was burdened by a passionate gay man’s gaze?
I thought I could change my sexual preferences if I received about 100 million won, but it seemed like that was just my delusion.
I felt like I was going fucking crazy.
“Ah, yes… Thank you… I, I suddenly have something urgent to take care of, so I’ll be going…”
The mission to seduce this man and secure the secret black list had already disappeared from my mind. Just as I was about to run away without realizing it due to instinctive rejection, Lee Jiwoo suddenly grabbed my wrist.
It wasn’t even particularly cold, but his palm was strangely cool.
“Tell me your name.”
“Why do you keep asking my name?”
“How old are you?”
“S-seven years old.”
Nonsense popped out due to my fluster, but Lee Jiwoo didn’t seem particularly surprised. His hazel eyes, which had been staring only at me as if nailed in place, turned downward. Following his gaze, I saw his eyes were fixed on his own hand gripping my wrist.
“……”
“……”
After staring intently for a while, his eyes widened in surprise. Then slowly, very slowly, he raised his head and looked around. As if searching for something…
Did this bastard really notice that I’m a spy? So is he looking for other accomplices right now? Otherwise, this sudden behavior doesn’t make sense.
“Wow…”
“……”
“Wow.”
“……”
Lee Jiwoo, who had been scanning the surroundings with surprised eyes for a moment, suddenly exclaimed in admiration by himself and began to slowly grope my wrist, the back of my hand, and my palm. As if touching something with a texture he’d never encountered in his life…
His touch was surprisingly unmistakably perverted.
“What are you doing…”
I frowned and tried to shake off his hand but stopped. Lee Jiwoo put strength into the hand gripping my wrist. He held on so tightly that it made a cracking sound, and I felt a brief moment of pain.
I was so pissed that profanity almost burst out without me realizing. I was annoyed but couldn’t get angry. Because I had to get close to this crazy love-at-first-sight super gay anyway.
Looking at just the mission, this was fucking sweet as honey. I didn’t even need to struggle to get close to him while throwing a fit. I’d already received the money, so I tried my hardest to think positively about it.
“What’s your name?”
That damn “what’s your name” is really getting old. I felt like thorns would sprout from my ears if I heard it again, so I confessed.
“It’s Heo Seoun. First, let go of my hand.”
“Seoun? The ‘seoun’ from ‘seounhada’ (to feel hurt/sad)? Haha, that’s a funny name.”
“……”
“Hahaha. Seoun…”
No, that fucking bastard… Is it right to burst out laughing like that as soon as you hear someone’s name? Is he an elementary schooler? What an ill-mannered bastard.
“I’m Lee Jiwoo.”
So what… I know, dude.
“Ah, yes. But I really have to go… Could you let go of my hand?”
I decided to strategically retreat here since I needed to calm my startled heart for a moment. Lee Jiwoo was crazier than I thought, so if I didn’t come up with a response strategy, I felt like I’d get pissed off without realizing it and throw a punch.
But Lee Jiwoo didn’t seem to have any intention of letting go of my hand.
“How old are you? It doesn’t seem like you’re seven. Doesn’t seem like seventeen either… Twenty-seven? You look younger though.”
Lee Jiwoo’s face gradually drew closer. The gaze staring at me intently as if observing something peculiar was extremely burdensome. People passing by around us were also starting to look at us strangely.
Come to think of it, this was the middle of a main street. Two dark-haired men holding hands with their faces pressed close together—it was bound to look strange.
I cleared my throat and twisted my wrist, desperately trying to shake off his hand.
“Let go of my hand first. And…”
“You are an adult, right? It’d be a bit troublesome for me if you’re a minor.”
“Excuse me, can’t you hear me? This is sexual harassment…!”
I suppressed my voice as much as possible in case anyone heard and scowled. It was a small whisper, but the distance was so close that it wasn’t inaudible.
Sure enough, Lee Jiwoo’s eyes widened. As if he’d heard nonsense… Does this bastard not even know what he’s doing right now?
Suddenly asking a complete stranger what’s your name, how old are you, conducting a background check, then laughing at my name when I tell him… Grabbing someone’s hand without permission and fondling it like a pervert.
No, fuck. Now that I list it out one by one, this guy is really fucking creepy.
“Sexual harassment? Me?”
His surprised look, like a primitive man discovering fire, was quite a sight. I clicked my tongue inwardly in disgust, when Lee Jiwoo lowered his head and kissed my cheek.
“……?”
It really happened in an instant. The lips that touched my cheek were slightly rough as if dry, and as cool as his palm.
“This is what sexual harassment is.”
“……”
“What I’m doing now is politely…”
He stopped mid-sentence and kissed my cheek again with a smack. Taking advantage of the gap while my brain was overloaded and I couldn’t move, he did it three more times in succession.
“But your cheeks are really soft.”
“……”
“So smooth and soft. Like rice cakes…”
Not only did the kissing not make sense, now he pressed his cheek against mine and started rubbing like a dog. Listening to his dreamy voice as if immersed in ecstasy, I raised my arm without realizing it.
Thwack!
I put all my strength into punching that unlucky jaw.
