The Cursing Doll

Another text came in from Han-seok.

I tapped the link.

YouTube started playing.

The screen filled with a news clip so heavily mosaicked it was barely watchable.

Fuck. What the hell is this.

The YouTube comments were pouring in.

"Ahahahahaha Oppa, hahaha—"

Da-in was laughing so hard she couldn't breathe.

"Fuck."

"Hahaha Oppa I'm gonna die, haha, I can't even breathe, hahaha—"

Related videos stacked up under mine, courtesy of the algorithm.

I hit play.

Da-in's face filled the screen.

A trot song kicked in.

"Ahahahahahahahahahaha—"

Da-in's face had gone completely sour.

"Damn it."

"Ahahahahahahaha—"

"What the hell is 'black hair down to her asshole.'"

"Ahahahahaha—"

I sent Da-in off and was cutting through the villa alley when Mom called.

It had been more than two months.

"Yeah, Mom."

The second I answered, I wanted to hang up.

"Mom, what are you doing."

"She's fine."

I froze under the alley streetlight.

"Mom. Stop."

"Mom, just stop."

Even after she said alright, I could still hear her snorting and wheezing with laughter on the other end.

"Yeah. She is."

"I'll bring her when she gets pregnant."

"Got it."

I hung up and stood in the alley for a moment, laughing.

There was nothing else to do. Laughing was the only option.

I opened the front door.

Su-jeong was sitting on the couch.

The TV was replaying today's news.

"Should I just kill that son of a bitch?"

Su-jeong muttered it calmly, without even looking at me.

"What... do you mean, go that far..."

"Fuck, I want to be loved? Me?"

"Uh... uhh?"

I had a strong feeling that one wrong answer and my balls might explode.

"I want to be loved?"

That face. The same one she wore the first day she walked into this house.

Fucking terrifying.

"That doesn't matter. Because I actually love you."

"Fuck."

Apparently not the right answer.

My hand went to protect my balls before I even thought about it.

"That's some cool-as-shit line."

Su-jeong shut the door and went into the bedroom.

I almost pissed myself.

I checked the calendar. The 19th.

I cashed out the points.

Split them into two envelopes.

Still had a lot left over.

At lunch I headed for a gift shop.

Da-in tried to tag along, asking where I was going, but I managed to shake her off.

I spent over two hours putting the gifts together.

Eleven days left.

Haa...

Can I even live without Su-jeong?

The second I clocked out, I ran home.

I opened the front door.

Su-jeong was standing in the kitchen.

Wearing an apron, boiling something.

I'd run so hard I was out of breath.

"You idiot, did you run here?"

"Yeah."

I held out the envelope.

"Money?"

"Yeah."

Su-jeong opened it.

"Why is there so much?"

"Because I'm your husband. I wanted to give it to you."

Then I set the wrapped box on the couch.

Su-jeong turned her head.

"And what's this."

"A gift."

"Out of nowhere?"

"Just because."

Su-jeong tore into the wrapping.

For a foul-mouthed woman, her hands were careful with the paper.

The box opened.

A doll that looked like Su-jeong.

"Pfft~ A doll?"

Su-jeong picked it up.

"I've never owned a doll in my life."

A bright smile bloomed across her face.

That word circled in my ears for a long time.

Never.

Not as a kid.

Not through thirty-seven marriages.

Nobody had ever bought her a single doll.

"It looks like you, right?"

"You idiot. Is my belly this fat?"

Su-jeong poked the doll's stomach.

"Fuck."

Su-jeong's voice came out of the doll.

She poked the belly again.

"You idiot."

Again.

"I'll rip your balls off."

Again.

"I'll yank your dick out."

Su-jeong looked at me.

Looked at the doll.

Looked at me.

She mashed the belly in rapid succession.

"Fuck." "You idiot." "Fuck." "I'll yank your dick out." "You son of a bitch."

She stopped.

"You bastard."

This time it was the real Su-jeong's voice.

"You don't like it?"

Without answering, Su-jeong went into the room.

Is it bad?

She's supposed to be laughing...

Sounds came from the room.

"Fuck." "You idiot." "Fuck." "I'll rip your balls off." "You son of a bitch."

"Ahahahahahaha—"

From inside the room, Su-jeong's quiet laughter drifted out.

"I'll chew your dick off." "Fuck." "I'll rip your balls off."

It kept going.

Night fell.

The bedroom.

I could hear Su-jeong's breathing.

Soft and even.

I looked sideways.

Su-jeong was asleep, clutching the doll.

Held tight against her chest.

Cute thing.

I lay down next to her.

Once tonight was over, only ten days left.

I was about to close my eyes when—

"Taeo."

A low, hazy voice.

The kind that slips out in sleep.

"Yeah?"

I answered on reflex.

"You fucking bastard."

Haha.

Cursing me even in her sleep.

"You fucking... I love you too."

And then soft, even breathing again.

I went rigid.

Su-jeong was asleep.

Clutching the doll even tighter.

I looked at her face.

She's lovely.

Ah...

Why is my heart so loud.

"Su-jeong."

Soft, even breathing.

"I love you more."

Soft, even breathing.

I kissed her cheek.

Su-jeong didn't move.

I stared at the ceiling.

My eyes were wide open.

I know it's sleep-talk.

But...

Why is my heart racing like this.

I slid my arm under her head.

Pulled her gently toward me.

She curled into my body.

If only time would stop...

The next day.

At work, I tossed an envelope and a gift box at Da-in.

"Keep it or trash it, whatever."

Da-in opened the envelope first.

"Oppa. Is this money?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Broadcast revenue split. You worked hard spraying fountains too."

"Getting dicked down and making money. Absolute win."

Da-in hugged the envelope to her chest.

Then she opened the gift box.

The moment the lid came off, she froze.

She stared into the box for a long time, then looked at me.

"Oppa."

"What."

"This is identical to your dick."

"Yeah. A master craftsman molded it from mine. Premium handmade dildo."

Da-in lifted it out of the box.

Held it in both hands.

Her eyes went wide at the weight.

"I'm using it right now."

And she shot up and bolted for the bathroom.

Yeah. Use it a lot.

You'll need to get used to my size.

Thud.

Da-in, mid-sprint, collided head-on with the team leader in the hallway.

The dildo flew out of her hands.

It hit the floor.

The sound was loud.

The hallway went quiet.

Three teammates trailing behind stopped cold.

They looked at the dildo.

The team leader slowly raised his head.

"Kim Da-in."

"Yes..."

"What is this."

"That's... I..."

The teammates' laughter exploded.

"Ahahahahahaha—"

"Hahaha Da-in, can't even hold it in at the office?"

"Da-in, does that size even fit?"

"Da-in, ahahahahaha, no fountains in the office, hahaha—"

Another teammate started singing.

"Damn it."

Da-in scooped up the dildo and sprinted for the bathroom again.

Two more days passed.

Saturday now.

Eight days left.

I was getting more and more restless.

Kim Do-hun had been missing for nearly a week.

Not at the office, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠not approving urgent documents electronically.

No log deletion requests.

No contact at all.

The chairman had been asking around, saying Kim Do-hun wouldn't answer his phone.

Must be nice.

Just vanishing whenever you feel like it.

I'm jealous.

I want to disappear with Su-jeong and stay glued to her for days.

Eight days.

Counting the days left had become a habit.

The first thing I did every morning was count the date.

But it was the weekend, at least.

We were still cuddling in bed through a late morning.

Actually, I was the only one cuddling.

Su-jeong had the blanket pulled over her head, complaining I was too loud.

"Don't do that, you fucker. That tickles."

"Ah... so that's your weak spot?"

"It's not weak, it's fucking annoying."

"That means it's weak. Let me suck on it again."

"You piece of shit. I said stop."

Su-jeong's thigh slid between my legs.

Her thigh brushed against my cock.

"Is that a do, or a don't?"

"Do it."

"Ahahahahaha, I'll suck on your tits—"

"Eat up, you little bastard."

Su-jeong's hand stroked my head.

The way you'd pet a dog.

Then an unknown number called.

"Hello."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Department Head, where have you been? The whole company's looking for you. They say they can't reach you."

"What's going on?"

"It's the weekend..."

The call ended.

Su-jeong shifted under the blanket.

"Who was that."

"Someone from work."

"On the weekend?"

"Yeah."

Su-jeong pulled the blanket off.

Her eyes were still puffy with sleep.

"You have to go?"

"Yeah."

"Who?"

"Department Head Kim Do-hun."

"Don't go."

"Huh?"

"Fuck... I said don't go."

"Sorry. I'll be right back."

Su-jeong always seemed sensitive whenever Kim Do-hun came up.

Probably just reacting to me working on a weekend.

The location wasn't near the office — it was an unfamiliar café.

A café where every table was sealed off into private rooms.

Following a staff member's directions, I found the room and went in.

Kim Do-hun was already there.

Strangely, he looked anxious.

The usual easy, confident expression was nowhere to be found.

I sat carefully across from him.

"Why meet here?"

Kim Do-hun spoke in a low voice.

"I'm in... a bit of a difficult situation right now."

"What's going on?"

"I think I'm being followed. From the Birth Control Bureau side."

The Birth Control Bureau going after an A-grade like him?

I couldn't make sense of it.

"Who is?"

"The Birth Control Bureau investigation team. I'm under surveillance too. I already changed my phone. I'll explain the exact reason later. Right now, there's no time."

He opened his coat and pulled a small card-shaped USB and a paper memo from the inner pocket.