When You See a Lily, Pluck It (2)
“Thank you for all your hard work.”
Seohyun bowed her head politely to the staff. The studio shoot, which had started right after an early lunch, didn't wrap up until 11 p.m. She'd changed into over fifty outfits just for today. Her skin stung from all the chafing. With the seasons changing, they'd had to photograph every new item going up on the site—a real marathon. Of course, she got separate incentives for each shot, so Seohyun had no reason to complain. It was just the situation unfolding ahead that made her uneasy.
“Wow, Seohyun, your makeup really popped today. Your aura's shining bright!”
As the studio was being cleared out after the shoot, Director Park leered at her like always. His greasy face dripped oil, his hair was thinning badly, and yet here he was hitting on someone young enough to be his daughter.
“You must've done an extra good job on me today, unnie.”
“Nah~ It's 'cause our Seohyun's so pretty. That's why it works. Look at the others—even with lighting and filters, you couldn't stare at them with your eyes open. Haha. These girls make their living off their faces and figures, but they don't even take care of themselves~”
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“No, no, it's not a compliment—it's the truth. If I could, I'd fire all our girls and rehire 'em as sweet, modest types like you~”
Fucking bastard. Seohyun muttered the curse behind her smile. She worried if her expression control was slipping. She didn't know about other companies, but at Fit Life, the director handling all the shoots had hiring power over which models got which products. His influence was why she'd landed so many gigs in such a short time. Up to that point, she'd have been grateful. But this asshole loved bragging in front of her at company dinners, like he was solely responsible for her success. As if saying, You couldn't make it without me. Keep kissing up if you wanna stay on top.
“Got plans tonight, Seohyun? The spring feature in issue 12 needs one more spot. Wanna grab a drink and talk future plans?”
“No, I'm too wiped out today.”
Lately, he'd been pestering her like this way too much. Inviting her for “just one drink” was basically his greeting now. He'd bring fancy champagne and ask her to share. Last winter, it was “What're you doing for Christmas? Wanna drive to the beach?” His obvious plays kept coming, relentless, and Seohyun was hitting the end of her patience. She'd held out this long only because her social-life-honed mentality let her. Her old self would've slapped him already.
“Aw, c'mon, Seohyun. Work stress is meant to be drowned in booze.”
“No, really—if I drink, I pass out from exhaustion.”
This guy... He usually backed off by now, but he was extra clingy today. He shuffled closer and threw an arm around her shoulders. Seohyun flicked her eyes to his hand hovering near her chest, almost but not quite touching. She shot pleading looks around, but everyone avoided her gaze. No one wanted to piss off the top dog on set. With a deep sigh, Seohyun finally snapped in a sharp tone.
“Could you let go of my arm?”
“What? You mad? Why glare like that? It's just friendly, y'know? Friendly! Haha. Aigoo, so cute.” He pinched her cheek like some buddy oppa. The guy got rejected on every blind date despite his stable job, yet he acted like a cool, loyal middle-aged stud. Every move screamed self-importance. Fine, time to put him in his place. Seohyun took a deep breath, stared him dead in the eye, and said clearly,
“Sorry, but I've been coming home so late lately, my boyfriend's been worried. And it makes me really uncomfortable when you put your hands on me under the guise of work talk.”
Eyes turned their way; Director Park's forehead flushed red. Sweat beaded on his oily skin from the embarrassment.
“Huh? Didn't you say you had no boyfriend? You lied to me?”
“Whether I have one or not isn't really your business, is it, Director? I'm heading out. Good work.”
She ignored his mumbling and bolted from the studio. Chewing him out felt damn good. There were other directors anyway, and plenty who favored her. She wasn't some newbie anymore—she was Fit Life's top 20s women's wear model. He couldn't tank her alone.
“Ugh, they never get it unless you spell it out.”
She craved a smoke, even though she'd quit when she started modeling. She swapped her heels for sneakers at the shoe rack and stepped out the automatic doors. She wrapped her clothes tight against the chilly wind. Tonight called for a leisurely bath, a drink, then bed. Knowing she wouldn't have to deal with Park's lame advances anymore lifted her mood a bit. She'd bought her apartment near the company on purpose—it was walkable. She strolled past shop windows with lights flickering off, lost in thought.
Earlier, she'd lied about a boyfriend just to shut down his advances. Normally, she wouldn't bother with such fibs.
“Hoo...”
The man who came to mind was Yuchan, who'd counseled her on a whim not long ago.
“I'm insane.”
Of all people, her best friend Yujin's crush. Even without real feelings, a twinge of guilt hit her. Lesbians could be born or made, and Seohyun figured she was the latter. Her violent dad beat her mom whenever he came home drunk. For a girl, Dad's the first man she knows, shaping how she sees guys. That worthless brute had turned her achievement-driven too. Without him, she wouldn't have left home young, wouldn't fear and reject men outright.
Post-puberty, when Yujin's ever-present lips started looking beautiful, Seohyun first wanted her not as a friend, but a lover. Self-loathing and fear followed. Society condemned homosexuality as sin; she'd been taught it was wrong. She feared Yujin leaving if she saw her sexually—or if she learned Seohyun's truth, things couldn't stay the same.
She'd tried boyfriends, blind dates, but it always ended the same. Men were violent, rude, sex-obsessed thugs to her. Holding hands made her nauseous; breakups came quick. Yujin teased her for being too intense, but Seohyun felt sad. Pretending normalcy to keep Yujin, settling for friendship—it made her feel pathetic.
Yujin was enviable. Sure, only her mom was around, but their jaw-dropping apartment and pocket money dwarfed student levels. Unlike Seohyun, stuck liking girls, Yujin had a hot guy like Yuchan, nurturing her love with excitement. Seohyun suppressed her burning shadow-love, heart searing, while Yujin chased hers in sunlight, happy. Why did those resigned feelings now twist into something else? Maybe because she'd met her first respectable man.
She resented Yujin a little. A first.
“Sorry, Yujin.”
But I like you so much. That's why I'm jealous, I think.
Her flashing blue malice bruises shifted to red self-reproach. A flawed girl like her was too good to love or hate.
After midnight, crossing a signal blinking orange, she sensed presence. A shadow flitted between street trees. Her reverie snapped back to reality.
Red Hat Stalker. Him.
He thought he was hiding, but he stared openly. Hiding that she knew, Seohyun quietly unlocked the safety on her stun gun in her pocket. One step closer, and she'd zap his face.
He lurked somewhere, waiting, then trailed at a wide distance to near her home. She had experience with this crap, knew how to cope, but Korean law couldn't touch non-harmful stalkers. “Coincidence,” he'd say; cops barely investigated unless it was rape-level. She couldn't fathom why they'd half-ass even that.
She slipped into the apartment gate, eyed the lobby door, and opened it. He was still 50 meters back. The tailing was closing in—frequency up, distance shorter, close enough to recognize now. He'd reach her door soon. Sighing, Seohyun dashed inside. The elevator doors closed agonizingly slow.
Time for measures.
After summoning Nayae for their usual sloppy fuck, Yuchan lounged on the sofa with smokes and booze when the text came. Beside him sprawled Nayae, post-creampie, limp in the cow-print pajamas he'd gifted—custom-cut at chest and crotch for easy access, no undressing needed. Both loved it.
The ping woke Nayae; she peeked up, eyes half-closed, maybe dozing.
“Who is it?”
“Student I know.”
He brushed it off to reply, but Nayae, suddenly alert, craned to peek at his screen. She obsessed over who contacted him.
“Han Seohyun? A girl.”
“Problem?”
“...No.”
Spotting “girl” soured her face. No right to jealousy, but she wanted Teacher all hers. Yuchan pressed her nosy head to his spent cock.
“Suck it hard again, and I'll fuck you once more. Serve well.”
“Yes.”
“No noise.”
As her face buried in his crotch, Yuchan called Seohyun. Separate contact meant counseling again, probably—he'd anticipated it when giving his number.
“Hello?”
[Ah, it's Han Seohyun from the counseling session. Not too late, right?]
“Nah, it's fine. What's up?”
[Well, I've got this worry lately...]
Nayae, rewarded with sex for eavesdropping, perked her ears too. Seohyun had a stalker plaguing her lately.
Stalker, huh... Yuchan had stalked plenty, but his style was invisible info-gathering, then faking natural meets.
[Not enough to go to the cops... Any good ideas?]
Yuchan glanced down at Nayae. “Mmm... slurp.. smack...” Caught slacking, she bobbed furiously as eyes met. Post-nut sensitivity tingled nicely; a new scenario sparked.
This could snag her easy.
“Got a good idea. Wanna hear it?”
The spider web unfurled silently into perfect form.