The Sweet Sting of Betrayal #2
Sehwa, who had been walking down a street, called Seunghyeon. After a couple of rings, her boyfriend picked up.
"Sehwa. Hey."
It was the same calm, soothing voice that would have once put her at ease. But now, Sehwa found it unbearably dull.
"Are you working?"
"Yeah."
"Come out. I'm almost at the hotel."
"Huh...? Right now? You're back from Jeju?"
"That's right. Is that a problem?"
"No, I'll be right out."
"I'll be waiting on the bench by the hotel entrance. Come here."
Sehwa hung up almost as soon as Seunghyeon replied that he understood. She waited on the bench for about three minutes before spotting him rushing out, out of breath. Her eyes swept over his entire body.
His hair was unevenly cut, and his uniform looked grimy, as if it hadn't been washed in ages. His tie was neatly knotted, but the design clashed horribly with the rest of his outfit. His shoes were stained with dried splatters of what might have been soda or alcohol. He was the complete opposite of the always immaculate Jihyeok. A sigh escaped her lips without her realizing it.
Seunghyeon used to be so neat. When had he become like this...? A sudden wave of irritation rose in her chest. Maybe it was because she had been living in Jihyeok's spotless home every day.
Sehwa shook her head to clear her thoughts and greeted Seunghyeon with a blank expression as he approached.
"Hey."
Seunghyeon beamed at her.
"Hey. Did you have fun in Jeju?"
"It was okay. Do you have time?"
"Plenty. Want to grab a coffee or something?"
Sehwa hesitated before she could agree. The thought of being seen with Seunghyeon, who had put on weight and was dressed so sloppily, made her feel embarrassed. She said,
"Let's just talk in your room. You're still using the same hotel room, right?"
"Yeah. Shall we go in?"
Sehwa stood up without a word. She rode the elevator to the top floor with Seunghyeon. When he opened the door and gestured for her to enter first, she stepped inside cautiously.
Once inside, Sehwa couldn't help but frown. A musty smell hung in the air. Though the bedding was clean, the room itself reeked. It was a mix of the stale odor clinging to Seunghyeon's uniform, the smell of guests, and the lingering scent of cigarettes from the hostesses. The combination was nauseating.
Sehwa sighed inwardly and moved to sit on the bed, but changed her mind and took a seat at the small coffee table instead. Seunghyeon asked,
"Want me to make you some coffee?"
"No thanks. You sit down too."
At her cold tone, Seunghyeon swallowed hard and sat across from her. Sehwa cut straight to the point.
"Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I'll be honest. I have no idea. But I do know one thing—if you, who never raises a hand to anyone, hit me, then I must have done something truly awful. Tell me what it was, and I'll reflect on it deeply."
Sehwa could sense the sincerity in his words. For a brief moment, she caught a glimpse of the honest, upright boyfriend he used to be, and her expression softened slightly.
"...What you said that day, while drunk, was that you wanted me to transform into Leona. You said you wanted to see it."
Shock washed over Yu Seunghyeon's face. Even among his slip-ups, this was a monumental one, and he seemed unable to believe he had said it. After staring blankly for a long while, he slapped his own forehead with a loud smack.
"I really was pathetic..."
"Yeah. You were."
"I know how important that is to you, and yet I still said something so stupid. No wonder you were so angry. I'm really sorry."
"....."
"From now on, I'm quitting alcohol. I promise."
"Do you mean that...?"
"I've been thinking about it for a while. Right after you slapped me and told me not to contact you for a while, I realized it. I've been living too carelessly. I hate making you sad or angry more than anything."
Sehwa's expression softened a little more. Seeing this, Seunghyeon continued.
"I'm sorry for only talking about myself during our rare meetings, when we were supposed to open up to each other. It's all my fault."
Sehwa nodded.
"You're right. It's your fault. But... since you seem to be reflecting sincerely, I'll accept your apology."
"Thank you so much."
Seunghyeon's face lit up like the midday sun. Sehwa said,
"You have to keep your promise."
"I swear it. I won't touch alcohol ever again."
"Haa... I should get going now."
"Ah, if it's okay, could you wait here for just a moment? About five minutes... I have something I want to give you."
".... Alright."
"I'll be right back."
Seunghyeon stood up and practically kicked the door open as he rushed out. A wry smile tugged at Sehwa's lips as she watched him go. She rocked her upper body back and forth, glancing around the room, when her eyes landed on Seunghyeon's phone lying on the bed.
The device was covered in fingerprints. Just looking at it made her brows furrow in distaste. She considered opening the window for some fresh air, but then a thought crossed her mind.
'Should I take a look...?'
While dating Seunghyeon, she had always been curious about what might be on his phone. They had never checked each other's phones before, respecting each other's privacy. Thinking back, their relationship had been quite innocent and pure. Now, it all felt so naive.
What could be on Seunghyeon's phone, which only had eyes for her? Were there any women's numbers? He had been pretty popular back in middle and high school, so maybe there were some girls he still kept in touch with.
Without realizing it, Sehwa's curiosity made her rise from her seat. She couldn't wipe it down without leaving evidence, and she didn't want to touch it directly—it felt unpleasant. Instead, she used her fingernail to press the home button.
The phone lit up immediately. Sehwa was startled.
'It's not locked?'
She glanced around nervously. Even though she knew the hotel room was empty, she felt a pang of guilt. Pushing aside her racing heart, she began to explore Seunghyeon's phone in earnest.
The wallpaper was a photo of her and Seunghyeon. It was so bland. She realized how plain she used to look. His call history was filled with women's names, but each one was prefixed with "[Perfume]," making it obvious they were hostesses from entertainment establishments. There was nothing worth reading in his messages either. Too boring.
Just as Sehwa was about to turn off the phone, she noticed the Twinkle app in the menu.
'He started using Twinkle?'
Seunghyeon had never used Twinkle before. Wondering if he had written some sappy love poem about her, Sehwa tapped the app. Because he hadn't fully closed it, the Twinkle post he had been viewing appeared on the screen. And then...
"Huh?"
Her eyes widened.
[Morning and Evening]
[Early 20s, 165cm, 184cm]
[Beginner Twinkler / Affair / Couple / Posting when bored / DMs and retweets blocked / No offline meetings.]
[0 following, 137,291 followers]
[Currently following]
Seunghyeon's Twinkle feed showed accounts belonging to her and Jihyeok. He was even following them.
Gulp!
Sehwa swallowed hard without realizing it. With trembling hands, she pressed the home button to close the app and turned off the screen. Even in her shock, she carefully checked the phone's position before setting it back down. She sat back at the table, breathing heavily, and shook her head several times.
No way... Did he watch the video? Since he was following the account, he must have seen it. Recently, even. The fact that the app hadn't been fully closed confirmed it.
Her heart pounded violently, and an unpleasant sensation spread through her entire body. She trembled all over. Overwhelmed by a profound sense of shame, she placed a hand on her chest.
"Hoo... Hoo..."
She took deep breaths, fidgeting with her clothes for five minutes until Seunghyeon returned, opening the door.
"Sorry, did I take long?"
"Huh? Oh? No..."
"What's wrong? Your face is all red..."
"Ah... It's just a bit stuffy in here..."
"Yeah, the room is pretty small. You should head back and rest. Here, take this."
Seunghyeon handed her a fairly large box filled with various chocolates and candies. Sehwa accepted it in a daze as he continued.
"It's leftover stuff we give to guests for palate cleansers. I saved the good ones for you. Eat them if you get bored."
"Oh... Thanks. I'll enjoy them. I... I'll get going now? Work hard."
"Yeah. Be careful on your way back. Call me when you're free. And... thanks for not taking off the ring. I'll do my best to be the boyfriend you deserve."
Sehwa flinched. The ring engraved with [Jihyeok's Slave, Sehwa]. Combined with what she had just seen on Twinkle, it amplified the sense of betrayal she felt to an even greater degree.
"I'm going."
With her back turned to Seunghyeon, Sehwa gave a curt reply before quickly opening the door and stepping outside. She forced herself to act calm as she rode the elevator, exchanged nods with the lobby staff, and only let out the breath she had been holding once she was outside.
"Phew..."
Seunghyeon had seen the video of her moaning loudly beneath Jihyeok, taking him from behind, and earnestly giving him a handjob. It was shocking. Her head spun.
'Does he know it's me...?'
No, that wasn't possible. The Seunghyeon she knew would have confronted her honestly if he suspected anything. He would have asked if she was being blackmailed. Besides, there was no way he would be so innocently apologizing for what happened on the festival day if he knew his girlfriend was involved with another man.
Sehwa thought of Jihyeok. The man who was always so cool—her second... no, her first boyfriend. Her mind and body calmed instantly, and the shame she had felt moments ago transformed into excitement. A pleasant tremor ran through her. Her lower body itched, and her body twisted with anticipation.
She needed to tell Jihyeok about what had happened today. How would he react? Without a doubt, he would love it. Sehwa tapped her flushed cheeks with her fingers as she walked away.
@@
'I didn't expect this.'
Reclining on the sofa, I watched Yu Seunghyeon through the screen and smiled. I never imagined Sehwa would actually open Twinkle on his phone. I thought they would just make up... but this was an unexpected bonus.
Yu Seunghyeon had made the best possible choices. He could have bragged about paying off his debt, but he held back and apologized instead—that was the right move. Not saying things like "Does this mean you've forgiven me?" or "I'll walk you back" was also good. Asking her to call when she was free instead of saying he would contact her was smart too.
Through this incident, he had managed to pull himself back up from the edge of the scale. He hadn't fallen into the abyss. Sehwa would still like him to some extent. Achieving this much under such unfavorable conditions was impressive.
Ding-dong!
25th floor.
The sound of the elevator reached me from the hallway. I turned on the news and sipped my beer, maintaining a relaxed demeanor. Beep! Click! After swiping her card and opening the door, Sehwa gave me a suggestive smile.
"You're back?"
"Yeah. I made up with him."
"Good job."
"I'm going to take a shower. I went into Seunghyeon's room, and now I feel like there's this weird smell clinging to me. It's gross and uncomfortable."
"Doesn't he ventilate his room?"
"Exactly. I'll be quick."
I responded with a bright smile. Sehwa had grown tired of the mundane romance she shared with Yu Seunghyeon and now craved greater stimulation. After experiencing thrilling things with me, she had come to see Seunghyeon as increasingly boring, while I had become someone exciting and new to her. She was also genuinely, deeply in love with me. Everything I did brought her pleasure.
At first, Sehwa had thought of me as something like soda—harmless in moderation. Now, she had reached a point where she felt like she would go crazy without me every day. This intensity would only grow stronger over time. It was like a drug. At first, a small dose was enough to feel the high, but once tolerance built up, larger amounts were needed to achieve the same effect.
Sehwa was the user, and I was the drug. A highly addictive one.
As I thought earlier, Yu Seunghyeon had done well. But that was all. He could do nothing more. From the moment he repeatedly apologized in such a subservient manner, and from the moment he saw Twinkle, Sehwa had already sorted out the hierarchy and completely relegated him to a position beneath her feet. Now, she would use him without any guilt—for my sake and for her own pleasure.
Seunghyeon, you're already far too late. I'll give you Yuria soon, so don't worry too much. Ah, but since you think you've had a nice reconciliation with Sehwa, you'll probably be deeply conflicted if Yuria tries to seduce you. I'll make good use of you as a toy. Sorry about that. And thank you.