EP 0: The Trap
Bluff.
The thought crossed her mind the instant she heard it, yet Jieun accepted anyway.
If it was a lie, she could sever all ties with him right here. If it wasn't, she stood to gain significant progress for a negligible price.
“How about this cake? Doesn't it look delicious just from the sight of it? I heard they put rice cake inside.”
As the senior spoke, he casually draped an arm over her shoulder.
Jieun reflexively swatted it away.
The senior grinned as if nothing had happened.
“That's harsh. Didn't you agree to a one-day date in exchange for cooperation? Is this how dates are supposed to be—so cold and distant? If you keep acting like this, I might just change my mind.”
Jieun could only glare at him with displeasure, unable to muster a reply.
The senior placed his arm back on her shoulder.
Jieun suppressed her anger and thought to herself.
Just endure it. It's only a few hours at most.
Once I get what I want, I'll never have to deal with this repulsive man again.
I'll make sure of it.
“What do you want to eat? Just say the word. Big brother will buy it all for you.”
“Anything's fine.”
“Really? Then how about this strawberry mochi cake?”
His finger pointed naturally toward a slice displayed inside the glass case—priced at a staggering 88,000 won.
Jieun flinched at the number.
Well, he said he'd pay.
They ordered the cake and coffee, then took a corner seat.
Despite the daytime hour, the shop was bustling with customers. Most were couples, suggesting it was a popular spot for lovers.
Realizing that only irritated her further.
So this was his goal all along—bringing me here.
Surrounded by couples like this, anyone would assume they were a pair too. If someone who knew them saw them, rumors would inevitably spread across campus.
The man before her was already a hot topic in many ways. He was the perfect breeding ground for gossip.
“Mind if I ask you something?”
While scanning the shop as they waited for the cake, Jieun spoke up.
“What is it?”
“Why are you so obsessed with me?”
Having been male until recently, Jieun didn't fully understand what it felt like to be the target of a man's obsession. Though this annoying senior had given her some idea, it wasn't quite the same as a woman's discomfort.
Even with her changed appearance and gender, she still thought of herself as a man. She simply hated being hit on by another guy. His sleazy behavior played a part, but most of her revulsion stemmed from that logic.
So her question came from pure intellectual curiosity.
Why was he so fixated?
Word had it he already had several women. Some were probably more beautiful than her.
Jieun wasn't objective about her own looks. She had no idea she possessed the kind of beauty and figure rarely seen even on television. She didn't know she was worshipped as a goddess on campus, or that photos of her taken in secret had already been shared hundreds of times in various group chats.
The same had been true when she was a man. Even then, Jieun had been so strikingly handsome that female students from nearby high schools would sometimes visit just to catch a glimpse of him. There had even been a fan club among the girls.
But he had never known.
He'd received confessions multiple times, yet always assumed it was something everyone experienced.
Jieun had always valued inner qualities above all else. She genuinely believed that only a beautiful heart held true worth. That was why she could be kind to everyone without discrimination—because she wanted to become that kind of person herself.
The senior smiled at her question. It was a smile, yet it radiated nothing but rot and malice.
“You see, I have this habit. I can't resist something pure.”
“...What do you mean?”
“You know the type. Happy couples, sheltered young ladies raised like hothouse flowers—people untouched by the world's filth. When I see them, I just can't help reaching out. Corrupting those unrealistically pure souls and dragging them down into reality... that's what excites me the most.”
“...You're the worst.”
His answer only deepened her disgust. The sheer audacity of openly admitting such a vile nature was beyond infuriating—it was almost impressive.
“Everyone says the same thing at first.”
Just then, the waitress approached with their cake and drinks on a tray.
Perfect timing, Jieun thought. She wanted this repulsive conversation to end.
The waitress set the plates of cake in front of Kanghyuk and Jieun.
“Thanks, miss.”
At Kanghyuk's oily compliment, the waitress's cheeks flushed red.
What could anyone possibly see in a guy like that?
Jieun snorted inwardly and cut into her cake with a fork, bringing a piece to her mouth.
It was astonishingly delicious. Her cheeks relaxed without her realizing it.
No wonder it's so expensive.
“You really like it. That good, huh?”
Kanghyuk chuckled as she quickly finished her slice.
Embarrassed, Jieun blushed and replied defensively.
“Well, it was worth the money.”
“If it's that good, eat as much as you want. I've had my fill of this place's cakes anyway.”
Does he come here often?
She felt a twinge of envy.
“Then I won't hold back.”
Jieun transferred another pre-cut piece from the large plate onto her own.
In the end, everything except one slice ended up in her stomach. She felt a little guilty, but he had offered freely.
After devouring the dessert, Jieun sipped her iced coffee to quench her thirst.
“Shall we get going?”
“Yes.”
The moment she tried to stand, a sudden wave of dizziness hit her. She staggered.
“Huh...?”
Her body swayed, and her vision began to blur and spin.
“What's wrong? Blood sugar spike?”
“It's... suddenly... so sleepy...”
Jieun collapsed.
As her consciousness faded, she heard Kanghyuk's voice.
“Just sleep for a bit. I'll take care of everything.”
***
I've been had.
The thought struck Jieun the moment she woke.
He must have slipped a sleeping pill into the food. It wasn't particularly surprising—she'd experienced this sort of thing before.
But when? There had been no sign of any trickery. She'd sat in full view the entire time after entering the shop.
Had there been an accomplice?
As the thought formed, Jieun oddly recalled the waitress who had been so friendly toward Kanghyuk.
He'd claimed to be a regular. It wasn't impossible he'd bribed her in advance and coordinated everything.
Damn it. Was I too careless?
“Awake already?”
A voice came from right beside her—Kanghyuk's, more repulsive than ever.
She was blindfolded, which was almost a relief. Seeing his face would have made her blood boil beyond control.
“What were you thinking, doing something like this?”
“You're surprisingly calm. I expected more panic.”
“I've been through this a few times before.”
“That's unexpected.”
Jieun tried to move her bound arms. A metallic clink sounded, but her wrists were held fast by something unyielding.
Probably metal handcuffs.
The level of preparation confirmed this had been planned all along.
“This is a crime.”
“You really think pointing that out will make me hesitate after going this far?”
He was right.
That only made him more despicable. It meant he was the kind of villain who could commit crimes this brazenly.
“Like I said, I really enjoy corrupting pure people. Especially the stubborn ones.”
“So you're going to force yourself on me?”
“I wouldn't do anything so ungentlemanly. If that was my plan, I would've just had someone kidnap you instead of going through all this trouble.”
Ungentlemanly.
The word sounded absurd in this situation.
“You might not believe it, but I have a superpower.”
He dropped the sudden revelation.
“A superpower...?”
“Yeah. With this power, I can control people however I want. Of course, it's not as convenient as it sounds. There are conditions. One is that the target must receive a favor from me. It can be anything from small to large.”
“A favor...?”
She hadn't received any—or so she thought, until it hit her.
The cake and coffee he'd bought her.
“Don't tell me...”
“That's right. You ate what I paid for. That fulfilled the first condition. The second one's a bit trickier. For my power to activate, the target has to be aware of it. In other words, I have to declare, ‘I'm about to brainwash you now.’”
“The restraints... that's why you used them.”
According to him, the second condition had just been met by his explanation.
“You catch on quick. And the final condition—physical contact with the target while the first two are satisfied. Pretty simple, right?”
He spoke lightly, almost joking, his voice laced with amusement.
“You might want to say goodbye to your life as you know it. Starting tomorrow, you'll be just like the other girls—a filthy, pathetic slut who can't live without me.”
She heard his footsteps approaching.
The moment he was close enough, Jieun gathered her strength, snapped the handcuffs, and kicked upward with all her might.
“Guh!”
Kanghyuk was sent flying across the room.
“So the key is not letting you touch me.”
Jieun removed her blindfold as she spoke.
“You're no ordinary woman.”
Kanghyuk's face had lost all trace of leisure.
That kind of superhuman strength didn't belong in such a slender frame. Those handcuffs weren't toys—they were real steel. No ordinary woman could break them so easily and deliver a kick powerful enough to send someone flying like a kangaroo with overdeveloped leg muscles.
“And you're no ordinary scumbag. Good. Now I don't have to hold back—I can go all out.”
Flames erupted across Jieun's entire body.
Of course, they weren't real fire. They radiated no heat and didn't spread. It was merely the manifestation of her blazing fighting spirit.
Justice Red's ability was Full Power.
It temporarily boosted her physical capabilities to superhuman levels.
It might seem simple and crude, but its power was undeniable.
“That red aura... Don't tell me you're Justice Red?!”
Instead of answering, Jieun charged forward.
He'd said his power activated on contact. So all she had to do was strike without touching him.
She swung her fist at close range.
The speed was nearly supersonic.
Yet it stopped just before making contact.
There was no need to touch him.
The shockwave generated by the fist's incredible velocity slammed into Kanghyuk's skin like a whip, leaving red welts and searing pain.
Someone once said that a skilled assassin could kill with a pencil.
Justice Red in Full Power mode didn't even need that.
“Ora ora ora ora ora ora!”
The barrage of wind pressure from her punches battered Kanghyuk until he was sent flying once more.
Blood trickled from his split lips, and his body was covered in wounds.
“Kuh...!”
Realizing he couldn't win like this, Kanghyuk scrambled to his feet and tried to flee.
“You think you can get away?!”
But outrunning Jieun was impossible.
She caught him instantly and resumed the beating.
“Aaaagh!”
His clothes tore, blood splattered.
Reduced to a ragged mess, Kanghyuk was hurled against the wall once again.
“Answer me. Do you know anything about the Dark Byurut-byurut Dan?”
Jieun approached and looked down at him.
Then—
“Heh... heh heh heh...”
Instead of an answer, laughter echoed.
“...Still putting on a brave face?”
“To think Justice Red was this close. I can't tell if my luck is good or bad.”
A sense of unease crept over Jieun.
How could he remain so composed in this state?
“Let me tell you something. I said ‘contact’ earlier, but that was just a conceptual expression. What I really meant was my mana reaching the target.”
“Mana...?”
“And my mana was also carried in the blood I splattered just now.”
Jieun glanced down at her body in alarm.
Blood from his earlier wounds had stained her fists.
“You bastard—!”
She reached out desperately to stop whatever he was about to do.
But—
“Stop!”
The moment the command fell, her swinging fist froze in midair.
“Kh...!”
No matter how much strength she exerted, it wouldn't move. It was as if her body no longer belonged to her.
“Whew... I thought I was dead for a second. You're one scary woman...”
Kanghyuk rose leisurely, a relaxed smile on his face.
“Now then... time to return the favor?”