#07 The Hunter Sets a Trap (3)
Legally, all private education centers had to close by 10 p.m. Staying until midnight or even one in the morning to study or attend classes was a thing of the past, so Nayae packed up her things and headed home. Her backpack felt unbearably heavy today. The cold wind stabbing into her side felt sharper than usual. She was terrified. The more she learned about Kim Hyunwoo, the more she realized he had no brakes. He was the type who, if anger surged up right now, wouldn't give a damn about any social or legal consequences. If things didn't go his way immediately, if they didn't feel good right away, he'd explode without warning. Given Nayae's innate inability to say no to pleas, they were the worst possible match as a couple. Now that she'd met Yuchan, she even regretted having given her virginity to Hyunwoo in a moment of weakness. To think she'd once liked that trash enough to call him her boyfriend. Wiping away tears, Nayae entered her officetel.
She didn't want to go straight to where Hyunwoo was. Should she just hole up here forever? But if she did, those shameful videos he'd bragged about would end up all over the internet, just as he'd threatened. That was worse than death. She stripped off her clothes haphazardly and flung herself onto the bed. I don't want to go. She was scared of what he'd do if she went, but imagining the worst if she didn't was even more terrifying. Forgetting to even change, Nayae sat on the edge of the bed when her phone buzzed.
"...Hello? Oppa."
"You on your way?"
That voice she hated hearing came through the receiver. If there was one person Nayae despised and feared most in this moment, it was Kim Hyunwoo.
"Why are you doing this to me... We broke up."
"You broke up with me? Ghosting without a word ain't how it works."
"I texted you, I called, but you just ignored me one-sidedly."
Nayae buried her face in her knees, her voice nearly breaking into sobs. I want to die. The impulse to smash through the window and jump whispered in her mind. But she couldn't. If she had the courage for that, she wouldn't have caved to his blackmail in the first place. It was all her own karma, born from her weak nature. Layers of thick regret wrapped around her like a shroud.
"Should I upload the videos now, then?"
"...Okay. I'll come."
Nayae pulled her discarded clothes back on and turned her steps toward the bustling streets.
2.
With dragging footsteps, Nayae entered the busy district. Revelers drinking and carousing on a Monday night—most of them wouldn't quiet down until after 4 a.m., only crashing at home as dawn broke. What kind of lives did they lead? She didn't mean to judge them outright, but on any other day, she might have watched with mild curiosity. Tonight, though, her heart was heavy as if she'd swallowed a load of black mud, and she hunched her shoulders tight. Why did he call me here? He won't try anything brutal using the videos as an excuse, will he? Should I tell Mr. Yuchan right now? Amid the cacophony of noise, she kept walking until the promised café appeared before her.
"Long time no see? Been a bitch getting even a glimpse of that face, Nayae."
"...Yeah."
There stood Kim Hyunwoo, leaning on crutches at a slant despite the weather, wearing a windbreaker. Was he really trying to play for sympathy in that getup? Part of her doubted he'd stoop that low, but his plummeted reputation earned him only suspicious glares from Nayae. Ignoring her, Hyunwoo flicked his cigarette butt to the ground and spat. No sense of reading the room—classic self-centered asshole.
"Follow me."
With his free hand—the one not on the crutch—he grabbed Nayae's wrist hard. He kept glancing around nervously, like someone on edge. Just the physical contact made Nayae's stomach churn with nausea. It went beyond revulsion; it was primal disgust.
"Where are we going?"
"I said follow."
Terrified, she'd dared to ask, but Hyunwoo shot her a murderous glare that silenced her. Cowed by his intensity, Nayae let herself be dragged into the alley without resistance. Dark even in daylight, the alley at night felt like a slum. Dozens of shuttered shops, lights out and long closed—no signs of life.
"Wh-why are you...?"
"Shut up and come."
Glancing around in fear, Nayae stammered. Should she scream for help now? But Hyunwoo's grip on her wrist was too frightening. With buildings blocking every side, would her voice even carry? And if some good Samaritan rushed in, Hyunwoo's brutal violence would turn on her first. The memory of him slapping her before was still lodged like a wedge in her heart. As they plunged into total darkness, Hyunwoo roughly released her wrist and pulled out his phone. There, unmistakably, was Nayae's video.
"See this? Listen good from now on, and I'll delete it. Got backups on my computer, so don't try shit."
"Mr. Yuchan said he deleted all the videos..."
"You believed that? Dumb bitch?"
A vile smirk twisted his face as he tapped her forehead. Nayae sank into bottomless despair. She'd be chained to this man forever. Never had she imagined one wrong choice would drag at her ankles to the end.
Resigned, Nayae wiped her tears and followed him up to the third floor of the abandoned building. Dust billowed with every step inside the filthy interior. Instinctively grasping what awaited, Nayae stared at Hyunwoo's back ahead of her and felt a sudden impulse. He was on crutches anyway. A shove down the stairs, and she could run. But that wouldn't solve everything. Unless he died, the videos would spread, and she'd have to endure even worse revenge from him physically.
"What're you doing? Hurry up. Slower than a guy on crutches? Still a stupid bitch."
His urging crushed her resolve again. Murder? As if she could. A coward who couldn't even kill herself—what was she thinking now? Like a condemned prisoner marching to the gallows, Nayae trailed after him. They arrived at a shuttered beer hall. Tables and chairs shoved to one side, walls plastered with faded posters of old models. Shattered glasses and bottles littered the floor under layers of dust.
"Get in."
Nayae stepped through the door at his command, scanning the eerie space in a daze. In one corner lay a clean mattress. A spot where thugs brought girls to fuck? It felt like a secret hideout. Somehow, she felt detached, like it was someone else's story. No more fear, no worry. Psychological escape had kicked in. She'd been studying at the academy just moments ago, and now this—about to be raped in some dump. Last night's dream of sex with Mr. Yuchan felt more real by far.
"What are you planning?"
Hyunwoo darted his eyes, checking near the door. His unease unnerved her, so she asked cautiously.
"Gonna strip you here and film a new one."
He'd been glancing around more than she had, answering hastily.
"My boyfriend won't let that slide! He has a famous lawyer in the family—you know that, right?"
Nayae clenched her fists, protesting. She couldn't just take this lying down. It would trash not just her own stupidity but Mr. Yuchan's kindness toward her. Even if she lost miserably, she had to make one last stand.
"...Lawyer? What the hell?"
"You heard it when you met my boyf—er, teacher last time!"
Hyunwoo stared at her blankly before yelling belatedly.
"R-right! Lawyer, whatever! You think I'm scared of th-that? Fuck it, a few years in the slammer's no big deal!"
Foaming at the mouth, he snapped into a frenzy. Nayae's spine chilled. He didn't look right at all. Had he started using drugs again, despite claiming he'd quit? Stammering, he waved his arms at nothing, closing in on her. As he advanced, Nayae retreated. The cramped room left little space; soon she was cornered against a pillar. His hand clamped over her chest. Ahh, so this is how it ends. He mauled her breasts wildly. But it wasn't as rough as expected—more like half-hearted groping, pretending to caress. Was he seriously trying to arouse her even now? As Nayae glared through tears of loathing, Hyunwoo whispered just audibly.
"You... be careful."
"What?"
It lacked the menace of a threat, or his usual intimidation. It sounded almost like genuine advice.
"Stay still."
"No..."
His demeanor flipped in an instant. Pinning her to the wall, he undid her coat buttons, shoved up her sweater, and kneaded her bare skin. Goosebumps crawled over her like snakes on flesh. Once they'd pressed naked bodies together, but the disconnect was huge now. Paralyzed by rising terror, Nayae couldn't close her legs as he wedged his good leg between her thighs. Savage breaths filled the air. In this filthy place, I'll be defiled too. Eyes squeezed shut in resignation—
Glass shattered with a crash, followed by a loud voice.
"Nayae!"
Sudden commotion, and Hyunwoo's body flew away. Blinded by the noise, Nayae felt someone pull her head into their embrace. A scent that felt familiar despite scant time together. Warmth enveloped her cheek from inside the coat. It was Mr. Yuchan.
"Wh-what the...!"
Flung to the bare floor without his crutches, Hyunwoo scrambled backward on his ass.
"You... you..."
Stammering unfinished words, he just kept retreating. Watching him, Nayae had a strange thought. The Hyunwoo she knew would never run from a situation like this. Even with limbs broken, he'd bite at anyone who'd humiliated him. Yet she sensed bluff in his posture now. His spirit was already broken. It was all facade.
"You okay?"
His gentle, kind voice made her look up. Clear as glass eyes, strangely unguarded, pouring out his soul as they gazed down. An inexplicable chill prickled Nayae's skin. Was this the same teacher from the academy?
"I was coming back from the gym, saw you wandering, then that guy dragging you off. Followed."
"Ah... Okay..."
People don't express movie-like gratitude right after rescue from sudden danger. Yuchan graciously understood Nayae's closed-off heart thawing slowly.
"You—don't move from there."
His sharp command left Hyunwoo slumped speechless on the floor. Yuchan personally straightened Nayae's disheveled clothes. His touch brimmed with warmth, sweeping away the impurities swirling in her mind unbidden.
"Um... thank you. Really, thank you so much, sir."
Embracing her softly as she replied in a dazed voice, Yuchan decided to see her all the way home.