Caught! #2
I kept a straight face as I walked toward The Doctor. All while barely holding back the laughter that kept trying to slip out.
The closer I got, the more her expression crumbled with dismay. She was clearly scrambling for an excuse. Let's hear what kind of story she comes up with.
I grabbed her arm where she stood among the bushes and pulled. She came along weakly, almost limp.
“What the hell are you doing here?”
At my question, The Doctor darted her eyes around before replying with a perfectly calm counter-question.
“Isn’t that what I should be asking you?”
Turning it back on me and getting angry? Go ahead. Let’s see how far you take it.
“What are you talking about? I asked why you’re here, sis.”
“I came to see Yuria. I saw her leaving a bar with you, so I followed.”
“What? So you were tailing me?”
“That’s right.”
She was brazen about it. I made no effort to hide my displeasure.
“Why would you even do something like… Wait, how did you even know Yuria was at that bar in the first place?”
She answered immediately.
“There’s a tracking device on Yuria’s Device.”
That was true. It was actually a pretty decent excuse. But Yuria hadn’t been wearing her Device today. She clearly hadn’t checked that.
“There was nothing on Yuria’s wrist.”
“I always tell Sehwa and Yuria to keep their Devices close by. She probably put it in her handbag or something and you just didn’t see it. Think about it—if Yuria didn’t have her Device, how else would I have known to come here?”
“Hold on…”
I pulled out my phone from my pocket, intending to call Yuria. But The Doctor snatched it away in a flash and shoved it into her own pocket.
My brow furrowed deeply as I raised my voice just a little.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”
Her voice rose to match mine.
“That doesn’t matter right now. What the hell are you doing? Hugging Yuria like you’re a couple… Are you messing with me?”
“Yuria looked like she was struggling, so I was just comforting her. Besides, I had no intention of doing anything like that. She was the one who approached me first.”
“And you didn’t push her away? Fine, let’s say that’s true. Then how do you explain leaving me just one text and then ignoring all my calls?”
“I had my phone on silent so I didn’t notice, and Yuria kept talking to me… Plus, right after I texted you, you didn’t reply, so I figured you were asleep or busy with something else. I just left it at that.”
“That’s bullshit. Why don’t you just say you forgot? Or that you’ve fallen for Yuria and don’t have time to waste on someone like me anymore!”
This wasn’t an attempt to change the subject. She was genuinely hurt, and it showed.
I stepped closer to The Doctor, whose eyes were starting to glisten with tears. She bit her lip hard and glared at me like she wanted to kill me.
“I gave everything to you. I even threw away all my ex-husband’s keepsakes. So why are you trying to cheat on me with another woman?”
“What are you even saying… If I was planning to cheat, I would’ve taken her to a motel or a hotel. Why would I just hug her in a park and then say goodbye? And calling her a ‘woman’ like that… Is that how you talk about Yuria?”
“Why are you defending her?!”
The Doctor shouted loud enough to echo through the entire park. She must have been truly heartbroken.
I spoke calmly.
“Don’t blow this out of proportion. It’s a misunderstanding.”
“Then explain yourself!”
“I did explain. You’re the one who doesn’t believe me.”
“Then explain it in a way that I can believe!”
She was really pushing it. I let out a tired sigh and held out my hand.
“Give me my phone first.”
“No way.”
“Do you realize how suspicious you’re acting right now? It looks like you’re just avoiding the question of why you’re even here.”
“.....”
“You’re not the type to act this recklessly. If you really wanted to meet Yuria, you would’ve contacted her first. But Yuria has been with me the whole time, and she never once answered a call from you.”
The Doctor let out a sharp huff.
“Hah. What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’ll give you a chance. Tell me the truth right now.”
“What the…! Are you suspecting me?”
Her face was filled with obvious panic. This is actually pretty fun.
“You’re the one acting suspicious.”
“Just explain yourself properly.”
Changing the subject again? She’d kicked away the olive branch I offered… Fine. I’d play along. But the more she acted like this, the more advantage I gained.
“Like I said before. Yuria was struggling, and she suddenly came to me saying she needed comfort. That’s all it was.”
“She said she needed comfort? Sounds like she’s interested in you. You should’ve turned her down coldly.”
“She was depressed after almost killing a person. How was I supposed to turn her down coldly? Could you have done that?”
“Weren’t you the one calling humans violent, saying they’re parasites on the planet? When did you suddenly become a saint? What’s the big deal if a few people die?! And you don’t even know if anyone actually died back then!”
Aah… I feel such ecstasy.
Her values had completely flipped. Of course, I had to consider that she was currently out of her mind. Still, the fact that The Doctor—who had once been righteous to her very bones—could say something like that in a fit of anger was incredibly meaningful.
My efforts had not been in vain.
“I’m not talking about humans in general. The problem is that Yuria suffered a mental shock. She’s a Beast Slayer. She has to keep fighting monsters. If her mentality is shaken, she won’t be able to do her job.”
The Doctor’s shoulders rose and fell several times. After steadying her breathing, she let out a long sigh.
I pulled her arm and drew her into my embrace. She struggled for a moment, but once I patted her back gently, she quickly settled down.
I held her in silence for a long while before speaking.
“If we keep going like this, it’s going to turn into a huge fight. So let’s go home and talk there. How about it?”
“But you…”
“Let’s not talk about this until we get back. I have a lot to say too, but I’m holding it in.”
“.....”
“If you want to keep fighting, just say so. If not, stay quiet.”
The Doctor, who had been listening quietly, wrapped her arms around my waist. It was her way of accepting the suggestion.
Without a word, I gently stroked the back of her neck and her hair. Once she seemed calmer, I took her hand, laced our fingers together, and headed for the park exit.
After finishing my shower in the master bathroom, I came out to find neatly folded panties, a t-shirt, and shorts on the bed. I let out a small chuckle.
Even though she’s angry, she still prepared clothes for me.
When I got dressed and walked into the living room, The Doctor was sitting on the sofa with a stiff expression.
“Have you eaten?”
“I had a lot of snacks at the bar. What about you?”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I see.”
I let out a languid breath and plopped down beside her. The Doctor turned her body toward me.
“Jihyeok. Can we talk now?”
“Go ahead.”
“I… I just don’t understand how you could leave me one text and then meet Yuria until this late. And then you even hugged each other in the park… Even after hearing your explanation, I still can’t accept it. I’m still angry, and I think these feelings of mine are completely normal.”
“Yeah, I understand.”
“Hold me.”
Suddenly acting spoiled. I let out a soft laugh and pulled her into my arms just like I had in the park.
The Doctor, nestled against my chest, soon began to sob. She didn’t wail. She simply sniffled, soaking my t-shirt with her tears.
It wasn’t because she couldn’t hold back her anger. If that were the case, she would have burst into loud sobs. These tears were a mix of guilt for hiding the tracker and self-loathing for letting her emotions override her reason.
I held her and slowly rocked her back and forth, as if soothing a child. Then I spoke.
“I’m sorry for making it hard for you.”
At that, The Doctor pulled away from my body and wiped her eyes.
“…Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“I was trying to calm you down first.”
“Please don’t make me feel even more pathetic…”
She was asking me to tell her what I really thought. I let out a small sigh, pulled out a tissue, and gently wiped her eyes.
Then I took my phone out of my pocket and fiddled with it.
“What are you… doing…?”
Ignoring her anxious question, I opened the folder containing the tracking files and showed it to her.
“What do you think these four files are?”
Her pupils shook violently, as if an earthquake had struck.
“As far as I know, these are location tracking files used for drones. So why are they on my phone?”
“T-that’s…”
“I’d like you to tell me the truth. Before things get any harder to handle.”
Her throat bobbed noticeably. I could almost hear her swallowing.
Unable to meet my eyes, she eventually looked down and apologized.
“I’m sorry…”
“At least you’re admitting it honestly. Back in the park, I thought you’d keep making excuses no matter what… It felt strange. I actually asked Yuria directly at the bar. I asked where her Device was since it wasn’t on her wrist. Do you know what she said?”
“.....”
“She said she left it at home. She was in a bad state of mind and didn’t want to transform even if a monster appeared. If one did show up, she was planning to leave it to Sehwa.”
“Ah…”
The Doctor let out a sigh and squeezed her eyes shut. Not only had the tracker been discovered, but the story she’d told me in the park had been proven false. Pushed this far into a corner, anyone would lose their composure. It was a completely understandable reaction.
I could have pressed her completely here. But since I had chosen to be gentle from the start, I decided it was better to maintain that stance until the end. This approach might work better than suddenly getting angry.
“The reason I tried to call Yuria with my phone in the park was to ask her again. I wanted to double-check whether she really left her Device behind. But you snatched it away immediately. Your feet must have gone cold.”
“…Jihyeok…”
“Honestly, I’m disappointed. Looking at the file dates, you installed them pretty recently… Why did you do it?”
Her breathing grew rapid, as if she were having trouble breathing. After swallowing dryly for a long time, she finally explained in a tiny voice.
“I was scared… that you might be doing something behind my back…”
“So? Did spying on me make you feel satisfied?”
She flinched. It seemed my calm, gentle tone frightened her even more. She shook her head frantically.
“I-I just felt uncomfortable…”
“That day I did drugs with Chae Bo-young, you came to the company and took me to the lab, right? That was thanks to this tracker too, wasn’t it?”
“…Yes…”
“At least it was worth installing. Should I congratulate you?”
When my voice lowered slightly, The Doctor grabbed my arm and spoke urgently.
“J-Jihyeok…! I was wrong…! I won’t do it again…!”
“I’m not blaming you. Actually, I’m grateful. You found me when I fell into drugs.”
For a moment, The Doctor looked bewildered. But at my next words, she hung her head like a criminal.
“But it really hurts my feelings.”
“I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… I don’t know what else to say…”
“Look at me.”
She obediently lifted her head. I could hear her teeth chattering from here.
I smiled brightly at her as she trembled like a young lamb about to be devoured by a wolf.
“You installed the tracker because you were afraid I might go down the wrong path. Not because you didn’t trust me. Right?”
Distrust and caution were separated by a fine line. When I gently touched on that point, a spark of hope appeared in her eyes. I could even see reverence toward me.
She nodded frantically.
“Yes… I was scared you might stray in a strange direction… that you might go wrong…”
“You won’t do this again, right?”
“I-I’ll delete them right now… I’ll clean everything up and show you… So please forgive me…”
After speaking, The Doctor climbed onto the sofa and knelt before me. Her face was filled with genuine remorse.
Originally, I had planned to let her witness me having sex with Sehwa, then amplify her jealousy and violent tendencies. After that, I would use various methods to break her mind and reshape her ideology to my liking.
But from the moment she said in the park that a few human deaths were no big deal, my thoughts changed.
Looking at her now, I was certain that detonating things here had been the right choice. Her ideology had already been significantly aligned with mine, so there was no need to destroy her mind. I could simply continue melting her down as I had been doing.
Besides, even without the tracker, there were plenty of ways to make her witness a secret meeting. There was no point in clinging to a card I had already played.
With a benevolent smile, I gestured for The Doctor to come to me. She immediately threw herself into my arms, rubbing her face against my chest and sobbing loudly.
I stroked her hair gently as time passed.