Who can’t live without men? Me?
…Isn’t that you?
I had so much I wanted to say but kept my mouth shut. Because Baek Sahyun’s frosty gaze swept down my body. I shook my head back and forth as a sign of denial.
Nevertheless, Baek Sahyun just spat out whatever he pleased.
“You’ll regret hanging yourself on a man.”
As expected, it seemed like he wasn’t considering my position at all. As I was receiving such advice from a gay bastard, I momentarily became dumbfounded.
“Who the hell is hanging themselves?”
The ones hanging themselves aren’t me but this crazy bastard and Chae Eunwoo. Wasn’t it because of those two male bastards who couldn’t live without each other and indulged in destructive acts of affection that innocent Nam Heejae’s life fell into ruin?
“Obviously you, Nam Heejae.”
But Baek Sahyun seemed to have made up his mind. Apparently, since I was discovered with a man, he seemed to have developed his own suspicions.
In reality, it was one of my schemes to run away from this area, but I resolved to cleverly deceive the guy.
“Sorry, but that bastard was the one hitting on me. I was just held captive.”
It wasn’t a wrong explanation given the situation. Because it wasn’t me but that bastard who had suddenly appealed, saying my face was his type and that he liked active people.
The silent Baek Sahyun raised his eyebrows. Since the guy was staring at me intently as if that couldn’t be, pointless defiance rose up and I continued speaking.
“I was wondering if all gays are that trashy like that. Spouting weird lewd talk.”
“To you?”
“Yeah, fuck yeah. To me.”
When I asserted this, Baek Sahyun asked with a grin.
“How?”
…How? Well, he did it like a normal pervert, what else. But since it was embarrassing to recite it exactly with my own mouth, I just cleared my throat with a cough.
“I asked how he did it.”
Then Baek Sahyun urged in a low voice. The sign of showing obsession was somehow suspicious, so I narrowed my eyes.
The focus became much clearer and the guy’s pretty face entered my view at once.
“Haven’t you… heard it a lot too?”
When I faced this marvelous face at close range, surprisingly, regardless of my will, my mouth moved.
Baek Sahyun, who had been curving his eyes to a somewhat horror-like degree, worked his jaw. The guy wrapped my shoulder with his sturdy arm.
“Right. I’ve heard it occasionally from bastards who don’t know their place.”
“Right? You’ve heard it too?”
“Yeah. Now go pay and come out.”
Far too naturally, the guy foisted the payment onto me.
I, who was used to this kind of errand, reflexively headed to the counter. When I firmly set down the nearly empty water bottle, the employee looked at me like I was a hoodlum.
Ah, right. I should have paid before drinking.
“Oh my, what do I do about this. I’m sorry.”
Apparently, being absorbed in the fact that this place was a world inside a novel, I had become complacent about moral standards and legal systems. Even here, it’s the same world where people live though.
It was when I was fumbling to finish paying.
“…This is serious.”
Come to think of it, Baek Sahyun’s wallet that I tried to trade earlier was still in that pervert bastard’s hands. Since it was a point I hadn’t considered, my head cooled rapidly. It felt exactly like cold water had been poured all over my body.
I moved my stiff neck muscles to steal a glance at Baek Sahyun’s back as he stood outside the convenience store.
‘What do I do?’
There was absolutely no way, no way! But I was also very weak-hearted to go back to Baek Sahyun and confess the honest truth. It was when I was searching every corner of my body like a hyena, wondering if there was anything I could sell among what I had.
“…Did you perhaps leave your wallet behind, customer?”
The part-timer asked hesitantly. Just as I was wondering whether to take off the expensive-looking sneakers and attempt a barter trade, I answered hurriedly.
“Ah, yep. That’s right.”
An awkward way of speaking popped out since it had been quite a while since I’d dealt with a woman other than Haesu. Perhaps my appearance was ridiculous, as the part-timer burst into laughter with a pfft. Then she made a proposal to me.
“Um, then if it’s possible.”
Her whispering voice was very fresh. It was a tone that made even the listener feel good.
“Could I get the number of that person waiting outside?”
“That bastard’s, no. His number?”
At the unexpected situation, I widened my eyes greatly. The part-timer shyly answered yes.
Thinking this really wouldn’t do, I tried to reveal that bastard’s true nature, but on the other hand, I thought this might be an excellent chance to extend my lifespan.
“…If I bring you that bastard’s number, are you saying you’ll pay instead of me?”
When I asked again wanting to be certain, the part-timer nodded vigorously.
“Yes, that’s right!”
This time her answer was also vigorous. Good, Jang Woohyun. You’re screwed anyway, so it’s do or die.
“Understood.”
I walked to Baek Sahyun with a resolute heart. Perhaps my liver had swelled because I hadn’t been beaten to a pulp as much as I thought after being caught by the guy.
“Hey, Baek Sahyun.”
I slightly opened the convenience store door and called Baek Sahyun. Baek Sahyun, who had been repeatedly throwing and catching the car keys in the air, turned his head.
Even to the same man’s eyes, it was a stylish and cool-looking appearance, but it was all futile.
“What was your number again?”
When I brought up the main point, the guy tilted his face with curiosity. The meaning was clear: why was I making a fuss asking such a random question?
If I said I suddenly became curious, he’d ask for the reason again, so I went with the frontal attack.
“The part-timer at this convenience store seems interested in you, so I’m trying to help.”
After all, there wasn’t a single male bastard who would feel bad when a woman showed interest in him. As expected, Baek Sahyun seemed to be a man too, as he smiled sweetly without any sign of anger.
“Stop doing useless things and just pay, Nam Heejae.”
Of course, his answer was prickly though. Still, I could roughly infer that bastard’s true feelings. The brat, he’s still young so he knows how to be embarrassed.
After leaving the convenience store, I stuck next to Baek Sahyun and tapped his shoulder.
“Don’t be like that, man. A man shouldn’t embarrass a woman in places like this.”
Then Baek Sahyun smiled even more. Oh? I went one step further and started egging the guy on.
“Hey, if you’re interested too, I’ll wait in the car so go talk to her. Romance blooming on a trip, this is youthful and good. I’m so envious, you bastard.”
“……”
“I’m someone who doesn’t feel left out by this kind of thing, so don’t worry about it.”
Even when the one or two friends I had got married, I sent them off cheerfully. I even tightened my belt for one or two months to give them 100,000 won each in congratulatory money.
After that, even when those guys who had formed proper families no longer included me in their group and excluded me, the person who could accept it truly heartily was me, Jang Woohyun. While saying things like, there’s nothing you can do about incompetent bastards, all those bastards end up the same way.
“Baek Sahyun?”
When I asked Baek Sahyun again since there was no answer for a long time, the guy came to his senses with an “ah.” Looking at him, it was certain he hadn’t been listening to my words even with one ear. I explained again.
“The part-timer asked me to tell her your number…”
“This is driving me crazy. It’s too hard dealing with someone with a two-digit IQ.”
“Huh?”
“I’m tired of humoring you, Heejae-ya.”
Why is he throwing a fit again? So fucking sensitive. I retorted.
“Then don’t humor me. Why are you humoring me on your own and then acting like you did me a favor?”
Honestly, there was no greater hardship for me than the guy humoring me. Perhaps his pride was hurt by my answer, as Baek Sahyun recited.
“Our Heejae doesn’t communicate and has no human sense.”
“……”
“He has a bad head like an ape, and his responses are the worst.”
I know. That’s why I couldn’t even get a proper job and kept wandering around labor offices.
I was a goldfish bastard who would forget everything before if you taught me one thing. A bastard who couldn’t be this stupid even if he was stupid. So it was a situation where I couldn’t even refute.
“…Thanks for reminding me.”
When I just agreed instead, Baek Sahyun twisted up one corner of his mouth with a smirk. The guy who had grabbed the back of my defenseless neck with his palm said.
“Leave the water. Let’s just go.”
“Huh? Without paying?”
“Yeah. I’ll take care of it.”
“…What do you mean you’ll take care of it? Highways don’t do tabs and stuff, right?”
It’s not a neighborhood mom-and-pop store. It was a serious question, but Baek Sahyun maintained a leisurely attitude.
“Right. They don’t.”
“Then what are you going to…”
“But…, I can.”
I was dragged along by the guy’s grip and transported all the way to the car. Baek Sahyun, who opened the passenger seat car door with his other hand, stuffed me in there. Then before closing the door, he said.
“My grandfather has a lot of money.”
With a face shining like a novel’s protagonist.
“So I can.”
“……”
“You wouldn’t be able to though.”
“I-I’m also a chaebol, aren’t I?”
When I asked back seriously, Baek Sahyun smirked and summarized.
“What chaebol with pocket change.”
