Chapter 144: Fascination
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: Fascination
“Yawn. Man, I’m more tired than I thought.”
I finally made it home, my steps heavy with exhaustion.
Without even bothering to unpack my suitcase, I just shoved it into a corner and collapsed onto the mattress. Sleep started to wash over me instantly, but...
‘I have to go meet Choi I-seo.’
I had plans with her, so I couldn't just stay here and rot.
‘Was this mattress always this soft?’
At Gold One, I’d spent every night either spreading a blanket on the living room floor or sleeping on the sofa. I’d forgotten what real cushioning felt like.
As I buried my face into the pillow, a strangely familiar scent wafted up.
‘...I think this is Choi I-seo’s scent.’
It’s not like I have a scent fetish or anything, and it might seem weird to remember something like this, but her fragrance was radiating from the mattress.
‘It’s kind of addictive.’
I lay there, savoring it and zoning out, when—
Click.
“Huh?”
At the sound of the front door opening, I lifted my head just enough to peek toward the entrance.
For a second, I thought it might be a burglar, but it was Choi I-seo, holding a plastic bag.
“Hi.”
She gave me a casual greeting.
I stared at her blankly for a moment before remembering that I’d given her my spare key before heading off to Gold One.
“Ah, right. That happened.”
So that’s why her scent was all over the mattress.
I mean, no matter how intense things were, there was no way her scent would linger for two months just because we’d slept together once.
“Have you been hanging out here?” I asked, burying my face back into the mattress.
“Yeah. Sometimes when I was working late and felt too lazy to go home, I’d just crash here. Why?”
“Nothing. The mattress smells like you.”
“...You’re not burying your face in it because of that, are you?”
She sounded a bit put off, so I gave her an honest answer.
“Maybe about half of the reason?”
“You really know how to kill the mood the second we see each other.”
Wow, harsh.
“I thought you said we were going out to eat.”
I rolled over to face her. She had already taken off her coat and was busying herself in the kitchen with practiced ease.
“I figured you’d be tired. I thought I’d just whip up some dinner for you before I head out.”
“....”
“It’s nothing fancy. Just some stew. That okay?”
“That’d be great.”
Honestly, I was feeling way too lazy to go out, so this was perfect.
When I was on the bus earlier, I’d thought about taking her out somewhere nice to celebrate finishing the internship, but right now, I was just incredibly grateful she’d come over.
“How’s the dormitory? You have to move in soon, right?”
“They said they’re doing interviews. It’s a week from now.”
“That’s soon.”
“I only have this much breathing room because I came back early.”
As we chatted, I felt the natural rhythm of my daily life returning.
While I was at Gold One, I thought I’d gotten used to being there, but coming back here made me realize that this was where I belonged.
I watched Choi I-seo from behind as she bustled around in an apron, preparing the meal. I couldn't help but think I was a pretty piece of work.
‘I was having a Threesome with the girls yesterday, and today I’m doing this with Choi I-seo.’
I guess this is why people want to be a chairman’s son.
Those rich bastards really do live large.
Vibrate! Vibrate!
My phone went off.
Too lazy to get up, I just tilted my head while lying down and answered it.
“Hello?”
— Woo-jin, are you home?
It was Seo Ye-rin’s energetic voice.
Even though I’d heard it just this morning, it felt good to hear it again.
“Yeah, I’m home. Just lying down right now.”
— Did you eat dinner?
“No, not yet. Why are you calling?”
— We’re about to go grab dinner. Want to do a video call while we eat? Aren't you lonely?
“I’m not lonely. I asked why you’re calling.”
I wasn't trying to rush her or being annoyed. It was just that Choi I-seo was now standing there with her hands on her hips, staring at me. I felt a sense of impending doom and wanted to hang up fast.
— Why so cold? What, are you done with me now that you’ve had your way?
“Please, stop saying things like that.”
— Right? We still have a lot left to do, after all.
Normally, I would have asked for details on what exactly was "left," but Choi I-seo looked like she was about to turn off the stove and march over here, so I had to end it.
“I’m hanging up.”
— Why are you in such a rush? Who are you with—!
Click.
I cut the call and buried my face back into the mattress.
I tried to ignore Choi I-seo’s gaze by just staying still, but...
Vibrate!
The phone rang again.
“It’s Ah-rin calling this time?”
Choi I-seo was now standing right next to me, ladle in hand.
“Ah, it’s fine. I don’t have to pick up.”
“Pick it up.”
“....”
“I said, pick it up.”
Why are you suddenly acting so scary?
I sat up and answered the phone. Sensing the mood, I switched it to speakerphone.
— Hi, Choi I-seo.
That girl’s intuition was terrifying.
“Hello,” Choi I-seo replied with a grimace.
Yoo Ah-rin’s voice came through, sounding suspiciously upbeat.
— Where are you guys? Kim Woo-jin’s house?
“...Yeah.”
— Aha.
A brief silence followed.
‘Please, please, Ah-rin. Please. Don’t say anything weird.’
I kept a straight face while holding the phone, but inside, I was sweating bullets. I was terrified she might mention even a hint of what happened yesterday.
— Once we’re back, should we all get together for a drink?
“A drink?”
— Yeah. You finished your job, and we finished ours, so it’d be nice to grab some drinks at a nice place. Let’s get fired up for our second year.
It wasn't a bad suggestion, but the fact that it came from Yoo Ah-rin felt off.
Choi I-seo must have felt it too, as we locked eyes and let out a heavy sigh at the same time.
— Or, if just drinking is too boring, should we go somewhere to play?
“Where?”
— Woo-jin’s house?
“....”
— Ah, wait. If we go there, things might get out of hand, so maybe not.
She didn't explain how things would get out of hand, which made it feel even more ominous.
— Sex!
Seo Ye-rin’s voice chimed in from the side. She clearly had no intention of hiding her true colors anymore.
“Wh-what?”
Choi I-seo looked flustered, wondering if she’d heard correctly, but Yoo Ah-rin just giggled and kept talking.
— Anyway, let’s meet up once we’re back. We have things to talk about. Right, Woo-jin?
“Yes. Of course.”
— Good, good. See you later then.
Click.
I was the one who enjoyed the Threesome, I was the one who gained the most, and I was the one who took the lead in sleeping with them...
So why did it feel like I was the one being blackmailed?
“Something definitely happened, didn't it?”
Choi I-seo looked down at me, gritting her teeth. She didn't have the details, but she’d clearly picked up on the fact that some kind of "accident" had occurred.
“....”
“Sigh. Kim Woo-jin, seriously...”
She brushed her bangs back and looked down at me with a gaze full of resentment.
“I made Kimchi Jjigae, so eat up.”
Surprisingly, she let it slide.
“I wanted to grill some pork belly for you too, but is the smell okay here? I heard some studios don't allow grilling meat.”
“It’s fine here. We just have to ventilate well.”
I quickly opened the window, set up the table, and sat down.
Despite her grumbling, Choi I-seo set the table perfectly.
“I’m leaving now. Eat by yourself.”
“You’re not staying to eat with me?”
“Nope! I’m not!”
She went to throw the grocery bag into the trash can, but then—
Thud.
A small box fell onto the floor.
It was a condom.
“....”
“....”
Both of our gazes locked onto it simultaneously. She must have bought it while she was out getting groceries.
“N-no, that’s... that was just...”
As she stood there in her coat, stammering awkwardly with her face turning bright red...
“You should’ve said so sooner.”
I immediately stood up and started pulling my pants down.
“Are you crazy?! Why are you stripping all of a sudden?!”
“I mean, if you were lonely, you should’ve just told me.”
I hopped toward her with my pants half-down, and Choi I-seo waved her hands frantically.
“Just eat your food! A-and I’m not doing it!”
“I can eat later. I’d rather eat you first!”
“That line is so cheesy, Kim Woo-jin!”
“That actually hurts a little...”
Regardless, I kept lunging toward her like some kind of Jiangshi, and she scrambled toward the front door to escape.
“You need to eat! And I can tell you’re exhausted!”
“I can do it!”
“Do what, you lunatic?! Just eat and sleep! I’ll... I’ll come back tomorrow!”
Concerned for my condition, Choi I-seo made her escape.
“Ah, damn it.”
My lower half was standing at full attention thanks to her, but I didn't even get to take care of it.
I went to pick up the condom from the floor to put it away, when—
Creak.
The door opened again.
“I knew it, Choi I-seo! You wanted to do it too—!”
Thinking she’d come back, I turned around with a bright smile.
“Hello.”
But the person standing there was someone who shouldn't have been.
Wavy, crimson hair.
A curvaceous body that filled out a high-end suit perfectly.
And as always...
Shoulders squared with confidence, a straight, firm posture.
And finally, that affectionate gaze directed at me.
“Oh... Yun-ji?”
As I stared at her in shock, she asked me a question, sounding exactly like she used to.
“Quite the passionate welcome, isn't it?”
“Huh?”
Oh, crap.
My pants were still halfway down, and I was holding a condom in my hand.
This was definitely going to be misunderstood.
I quickly tossed the condom out the window I’d opened earlier to let the meat smell out.
“Phew. That was close.”
“...You really are a strange one.”
“Don’t come in!”
Despite my shout, Oh Yun-ji stepped inside as if she owned the place.
“I see I-seo was here.”
Sorry, Choi I-seo.
“She even made you dinner? Just like I used to.”
She looked at the table, clicked her tongue, and shook her head.
“She still doesn't get it.”
“....”
“My darling only eats Doenjang Jjigae when he’s having grilled meat.”
“Could you not call me 'darling'?”
“Then, 'my husband'?”
For a split second, I almost called her "honey" back.
The Kim Woo-jin of that era really was a madman.
“I heard there was a misunderstanding. That the letter I left for you never reached you.”
I’d heard from Choi I-seo that Oh Yun-ji had left a letter before she went away.
And I already knew she was working with my second older brother for my sake.
There was a misunderstanding in our breakup.
There was an accident behind my pain.
But...
“So?”
I had already moved on.
“What does that matter now?”
It was true that I was currently wavering between several women.
I’d even said some trashy things about wanting to keep them all.
But there was no room for Oh Yun-ji among them.
“It’s true that I suffered because of you. And it’s probably true that you went through a lot for me, too.”
“....”
“But Yun-ji, I—!”
Tap.
Oh Yun-ji’s index finger pressed against my lips. Her provocative gaze, telling me there was no need to say more, left me speechless.
“Woo-jin, I’ve heard everything.”
I could feel a wave of heat radiating from her.
“I-seo, Seo Ye-rin, and Yoo Ah-rin? I know they’re all playing mind games over you.”
What Oh Yun-ji felt was a kind of competitive streak.
She was always more outstanding, more passionate, and more proactive than anyone else.
“Back in the first semester, when we were dating... how was it?”
At her question, I found myself briefly drifting back to the past.
Even though we were in college, we didn't care about anyone else. There was only the two of us, and we were always together.
Distancing ourselves from others was both natural and inevitable.
“Was Choi I-seo not there back then?”
She was.
“What about Seo Ye-rin? Or Yoo Ah-rin? Were they not there?”
No, they were all there.
“And yet?”
The smile she wore carried an intense allure.
Absolute confidence.
“Who did you choose back then?”
She hadn't changed a bit from the Oh Yun-ji I knew.
“Did those other girls even catch your eye?”
Because she was exactly the person I had loved...
“Hehe, Woo-jin.”
She was still just as enchanting.
“None of it matters.”
Oh Yun-ji slowly pulled her finger away from my lips.
“The fact that I worked for your sake? The fact that the letter I left, asking you to wait, disappeared? The fact that those other girls are throwing themselves at you in the meantime? The fact that I left you and you misunderstood?”
She licked the finger that had been touching my lips and made a bold declaration.
“None of it matters.”
“....”
“Nothing changes.”
It felt as if I’d been transported back in time.
Back to the first semester.
Back to when I was enchanted by her beauty—a woman who lived life on her own terms, like a brilliant firework.
“In the end, we’re going to end up together again anyway.”
I felt like that naive Kim Woo-jin again.
“Got it, my husband?”