Chapter 234: Owner?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 234: Owner?
On the way back from the Taekwondo dojo.
The evening had grown dark.
Following the pools of light from the streetlights like milestones, we chatted about this and that.
“So, I decided to do it with the Instructor. I felt surprisingly proud seeing how much he’s looking forward to it.”
Most of our conversation revolved around the dojo and the business venture Yoo Ah-rin was about to embark on.
She said the Instructor was happy, but having known Yoo Ah-rin for a long time, I could tell.
She was the one who was truly exhilarated after getting his approval.
“I feel like my horizons are expanding into a new field.”
Of course, Ah-rin didn’t try to hide it. It wasn’t often she felt like she was truly growing as a person.
Since she seemed to be in such a good mood, I let my voice drift through the night air and asked:
“Want to grab dinner?”
“Are you hitting on me?”
Ah-rin asked with a little giggle. I wasn’t sure what the ‘correct’ answer was in a situation like this, but haven’t I reached this point by always being honest?
“Yeah, I’m hitting on you.”
“Heh.”
A strange little breath escaped her.
But seeing the corners of her mouth curl up into a silly grin, it seemed I’d given the right answer.
“What are we eating?”
I could already hear the excitement in her voice.
I continued with a bit more confidence.
“Hmm, something nearby? Kimbap or tteokbokki sounds good. Or even just convenience store ramyeon is fine.”
“The menu is a bit underwhelming.”
As she muttered that, her excitement seemingly cooling, I gently took her hand and added the rest.
“I just want to eat quickly so we can move on to the next thing.”
Ah-rin stared at me intently, then let go of my hand only to slide her arm through mine.
“Honestly, you’re surprisingly sharp at times like this.”
It seemed she didn’t find the suggestion too bad.
The mood was good, and our footsteps grew even lighter.
As they say, fortune favors the bold—or in this case, the bold man gets the beauty.
Alright, let’s be a little bolder.
“Ah-rin, did you bring your Taekwondo dobok?”
“Yeah, I did.”
I’d heard she bought a new one because her old one was too worn out. Apparently, it wasn’t a standard dobok but a colorful, flashy one used for performances.
I looked at Ah-rin as she scanned the nearby restaurants with a smile and asked:
“Can you wear the dobok while we do it?”
“This son of a bitch always has to ruin the mood at the very end!”
She immediately let go of my arm and backed away. At the same time, she buried a kick right into my abdomen.
I later learned that the technique was called a Jumping Spinning Kick.
“Gah!”
Whatever it was, the blow to my stomach sent me doubling over.
Grab!
“Get over here, you bastard. There’s a pizza place right there.”
I was dragged all the way to the pizza place by my hair.
“You’re paying. This is your punishment for putting me in a shitty mood.”
“I can pay!”
Staring at the ground, I summoned my courage once more.
“But I want to be the one to break in that dobok!”
“Shut up! What do you mean ‘break in’?! It’s a brand-new dobok I haven’t even worn yet, so I need to break it in properly!”
“We can break it in together!”
“No, what is it about a dobok that you like so much?”
“It’s something new!”
Ahn Hyun-ho might say he likes new women, but for me, Yoo Ah-rin in a new outfit is more than enough.
“Sigh, my head hurts. Forget it, let’s just go eat pizza.”
“...By the way, when are you going to let go?”
I was dragged inside by my hair. I heard the clerk gasp in surprise, but she didn’t let go until I was finally seated.
The place we entered wasn’t just a simple pizza joint. It was an Italian restaurant, though the prices weren’t overly expensive.
Did she choose this place to be considerate of my wallet?
“Pizza and... pilaf or risotto? You like rice dishes.”
The problem these days is that these girls know me too well.
“Pilaf. Risotto feels too much like porridge, so I’m not a fan.”
“Is that why I-seo made you pilaf last time?”
“...”
When I couldn't say anything because she’d hit the nail on the head, Ah-rin efficiently ordered the menu items herself, then rested her chin on her hand and stared at me.
“Has your head cooled down now?”
“Ah-rin, I’ve been calm this whole time.”
“I’d rather you say you only said that because you were horny.”
Well, what was I supposed to do?
I’d been thinking about it ever since we stepped into the dojo.
“But I think you’d look really pretty in a Taekwondo dobok.”
When I spoke with a dejected look, Ah-rin bit her lip hard.
“Sigh, this won’t do. If I stay with you like this, I might actually end up wearing it while we do it.”
Ah-rin slapped her own cheeks, took a deep breath, and made a firm declaration.
“No. Absolutely not. Got it?”
It was a shame, but if she was being that firm, there was nothing I could do.
“Yeah, alright. I won’t do anything you hate.”
I handed Ah-rin the water glass the server brought and poured her some water.
Her expression softened as she drank, seemingly feeling a bit better.
Just then.
“Man, how did we fail that?”
“It’s because you guys kept putting your feet in your mouths.”
“Ugh, this sucks. Seriously, who reserved this place? We just ate, and now we’re having dinner again? We should’ve gone to a bar.”
“Uh... I did.”
Familiar voices drifted from the entrance. My head turned instinctively toward them, and I accidentally locked eyes with the group.
It was Kang Han-gang, Ahn Hyun-ho, Pyo Jin-ho, and Jeong Chan-woo, in that order.
“Oh, shit.”
I tried to pretend I didn’t know them, but the moment they saw me with Ah-rin, they were already heading our way.
“Whoa, Woo-jin. Where’s Ye-rin?”
Han-gang started right off the bat with a comment guaranteed to ruin Ah-rin’s mood.
“...Didn’t you say you were studying?”
That was Ahn Hyun-ho, who I’d talked to on the phone earlier.
“H-H-Hi, Ah-rin.”
Pyo Jin-ho, looking terrified as his trauma from Ah-rin lingered.
“Are you two on a date? I’m jealous.”
And Jeong Chan-woo, who now seemed completely unfazed.
I let out a deep sigh at the misfortune of running into all four of them here. Han-gang laughed and put a hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, what a coincidence. How about it? Want to join tables?”
“Cut the crap. Get lost before I kill you.”
Even though I gritted my teeth and gave him a warning look, Han-gang didn’t back down.
It seemed he was determined to ruin whatever good thing I had going.
“Get lost.”
At Ah-rin’s chilling words, Han-gang glanced at her nervously and cautiously moved to another table.
“See? I told you to leave if you didn’t want to be killed by Yoo Ah-rin.”
That was one down.
“This place is good, right? I came here with my girlfriend before, and she loved it.”
With Han-gang gone, Chan-woo took over with a smile.
“Didn’t you guys say you had a meeting today? With the dance majors from another school?”
I intentionally emphasized the meeting with the dance majors. It was to show Ah-rin that I hadn’t gone.
“Yeah, but the seniors messed it up by talking about how they’re going to the military soon, so it fell through.”
“Typical.”
I should have known.
I was about to add that I didn’t expect anything better from them when Ah-rin cut in.
“Hey, were you planning on having dinner with the girls you met today at a place you used to visit with your ex?”
“Yeah, my ex said the food here was good. I was going to recommend what we ate back then.”
“...Kim Woo-jin, have you been here with other girls before?”
When Ah-rin shot me a look, I immediately raised both hands to plead my innocence.
“Me? Never! You’re the one who picked this place.”
“Right? If you’d come here with another bitch first, you’d be dead.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Jeong Chan-woo still looked like he had no idea what he’d done wrong.
“Enjoy your meal. Ah-rin, among the pastas here—”
“We already ordered, so go away.”
He was chased off before he could even recommend a dish. Pyo Jin-ho followed behind Chan-woo as if he were escaping.
The last one left, Ahn Hyun-ho, looked back and forth between the two of us and clicked his tongue.
“What do you even like about him?”
Hyun-ho asked Ah-rin, sounding genuinely curious.
I was about to snap at him for asking that right in front of me.
“You guys are pieces of shit, but he’s just an idiot.”
Ah-rin replied with a smirk, and Hyun-ho pouted and grumbled.
“Hey, Kim Woo-jin. Give me those study notes you promised. You said you’d show them to me before the exam.”
“I said I’d trade them if you brought the past papers.”
“Sigh, I really need to at least get a B on this exam.”
Hyun-ho walked away complaining. Watching his back, a sudden weight of worry settled in my chest.
He was right.
I need to study.
If I eat this and spend the day with Ah-rin, won’t I be a bit short on time?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, the food arrived.
Ah-rin placed a slice of pizza on my plate. She looked at my expression and said:
“Should we go study?”
“Huh? Why?”
“It’s exam period. Come to think of it, I feel like I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“No, but...”
I want to go to a hotel with Ah-rin.
Did she realize those words were lingering on the tip of my tongue? Ah-rin smiled softly and replied:
“We can do it anytime.”
Hearing her say that felt strange. It felt so good to hear that she’d do it whenever I asked.
“Yeah, let’s go study.”
A night of pleasure would be great, of course, but for the sake of the future, it was better to study for the exams.
There would be plenty of time for sex later.
Dinner ended quickly.
After telling her I was going to the restroom, I paid the bill and returned to the table.
“...Hmm?”
To my surprise, Pyo Jin-ho and Yoo Ah-rin were talking.
In fact, Ah-rin had been the one to go over to their table to talk.
What’s going on?
What was the situation?
They weren’t exactly on speaking terms.
I watched them blankly while finishing the rest of my Coke.
I felt strangely annoyed.
“Oh? You’re back already?”
Ah-rin returned from the conversation and sat across from me, looking slightly surprised.
“Shall we go? Let’s split the bill.”
Watching her awkwardly smile and pack her bag, I replied curtly:
“I already paid.”
“What? You really did? You said you were going to the bathroom.”
“It wasn’t that much.”
Ah-rin stared at my short responses, let out a deep sigh, and explained before I even had to ask.
“I’m putting together a Taekwondo performance team. I asked him if he could join, at least until he goes to the military. He has pretty good connections with the guys. That’s all.”
“Jin-ho Hyung?”
“He might not be great at sparring, but his forms aren’t bad. Plus, he’s big and strong, so he’d be good as a base or for lifting and throwing people.”
Pyo Jin-ho lifting and throwing Ah-rin?
“Now I feel even worse.”
As I gritted my teeth in annoyance, Ah-rin stared at me blankly before letting out a hollow laugh.
“Hey, you have two other women, so what are you even...”
“That doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I’m jealous. I’m incredibly jealous right now.”
When I spoke honestly, Ah-rin looked stunned. Then, she cautiously looked around and pulled something out of her bag.
It was a belt.
Her Taekwondo black belt.
I wondered why she’d suddenly pulled it out, but Ah-rin wrapped it around her neck and handed me the other end.
It looked just like a leash.
“I’m yours.”
Look at her, tempting me with that sly smile. Under the table, she was stroking my calf with her toes, craving affection.
A leash made from a Taekwondo belt.
Now, that’s creative.
My heart melted instantly, and a surge of heat below made me almost want to pounce on her right then and there.
“I’m not mad anymore. Let’s go.”
“Should I be happy that you’re so simple?”
Ah-rin took the belt back, looking exasperated.
We left without even saying goodbye to the idiots. Dinner was over, and it was time to head back.
“Should I call you a taxi? Is there a bus from here?”
“Huh?”
When I asked with a smile, Ah-rin made a confused sound.
“Why? Is the taxi fare too expensive? Want me to pay?”
“N-No... that’s not it.”
She hesitated, then wrapped the black belt around her neck again and held out the end to me.
Her pleading expression made me smile again.
“Hey, I told you I’m not mad anymore.”
Still, I took the end of the belt she offered.
“It’s always like this. You’re such a shitty tease!”
Ah-rin grabbed my hair again and started dragging me somewhere with purposeful strides.
“Agh! It hurts! That hurts!”
“Shut up and find the nearest hotel!”
“I-I thought we weren’t doing it today?!”
“If you’re going to put a leash on a woman, shouldn’t you be prepared for the consequences?”
“You’re the one who put it on yourself?!”
“I’ll wear the dobok or whatever, so let’s just go!”
And so.
In a bizarre sight—me holding her leash while she dragged me along by my hair—we entered the hotel.