#25. Bianca, Melissa, and Silvia (3)
As Silvia had said, Melissa showed no interest in being persuaded. Thank goodness I'd only planned to pretend to talk her into it nicely. If I'd actually tried, it would've been a total disaster.
To Melissa's talk of dating long-term, I pretended to mull it over before saying, "Sure, let's date."
"What? Date?"
"Haesol!"
Even though she'd been the one pushing, she clearly never imagined I'd accept for real—Melissa blinked in utter bewilderment. Then, to make sure there was no misunderstanding, I drove the nail in deep.
"What I mean by 'dating' isn't the wordplay Bianca was talking about. If it's that kind of casual thing, I won't accept it!"
"I'm dead serious about dating. It's not like Bianca's joke. What guy would turn down a woman as capable and gorgeous as you? Especially a chaebol heiress."
Truth be told, I should turn her down. My girlfriend's watching with eyes wide open, after all. Assuming this situation was real, anyway.
Melissa's gaze drifted naturally to Silvia. She hadn't expected me to declare we'd date so boldly right in front of Bianca.
We had great chemistry—Silvia put on a shocked expression right on cue. "Haesol, you're messing with me, right? You're not serious. That's my little sister."
"Why bring it up now? Bianca literally just gave permission to date a minute ago."
"That was just me placating her whining! You're not seriously thinking of dating both of us sisters, are you?"
"Then is that not okay? You both like me—no reason to say no. And you're not just anybody; you're chaebols. Plus, Melissa's deeply tied to my work. Date her, and she'll invest even more than now, right?"
"I can invest with my own money!"
Melissa scowled at my words. She'd realized I wasn't asking out of love but to exploit her power.
She seemed torn on whether to be flattered or offended.
As expected—she won't bite easily when it comes to this.
Drawing on my web drama shooting experience, I hammed it up as the sleazy opportunist eyeing the chaebol sisters' influence. Silvia backed my performance perfectly, cooking up a delightfully tense vibe.
"I can do it, you know? Am I not enough for you?"
"Hmm, to be honest, Bianca hasn't really done much for me. Melissa didn't just invest—she's helped massively with my activities. Even if I date Melissa, I'll still love you. That much won't change."
It was so brazen coming from my mouth, I could hardly believe it myself. The crazy part? In this world, guys with exactly that mindset actually exist. They see it as natural for women to sacrifice and serve men.
"Plus, Bianca's fine with it. Feelings are bound to develop living together, and two's better than one, right? Especially after Melissa's little threat yesterday—you have no idea how shocked I was. I can't just sit by if my career's at risk."
"I can shut down any threats from Melissa. Don't worry. You don't trust me?"
"I do. But what if she storms into our CEO's office right now and spills about us? How exactly would you stop that?"
"!!"
Coins could end it in one shot, but handling it the hard way without them turned everything into a mess. I still had plenty left, but they weren't infinite—there were limits. So I saved them for true necessities.
That's why I'd planned my coin spending carefully, and Melissa wasn't part of it. With Silvia around, she posed zero threat.
"She'd never pull that. She knows it'd backfire hard if I retaliate."
"I'm the one who has to play it safe just in case. You love me, after all. This world's not built for loving just one woman anyway. Better sharing a guy with your sister than some random stranger, no?"
"Melissa!! You just gonna stand there silent? Say something! This is all your mess!"
While I kept trolling, Melissa seemed to regain her senses, speaking in a much calmer tone. "You proposed it first, sis. Why blame me? If you didn't wanna share, you shouldn't have said it."
"Sigh, so threatening a guy into dating you strokes your ego? Feels good?"
"Threatening?!! I just went along with your idea."
"Your 'threat' scared Haesol into dating you. You blind to the situation? Comprehension issues?"
"Shut it! We'll talk later alone—send Haesol home first. What a pain, wedged between us? Sorry, Haesol. I'll apologize properly later. Got carried away, couldn't think straight. So embarrassing."
With reason restored, Melissa's voice had turned icy. The way she looked at me now was worlds apart from before.
She'll snap right out of it. Now she sees I'm no different from other guys.
I had no idea what rosy image she'd built of me in her head, but it sure wasn't this. This mess probably planted the thought: He's just like the rest!
Arms bend inward, after all. Once the obsession fades and reason kicks in, she'll regret crossing that sisterly bridge too far—all for a 'man.'
Would the 'love' she felt for Jin Haesol outweigh the perks from Bianca? Melissa suddenly trying to shoo me away said it all. Her heart had shifted.
Now if Silvia just plays her part right, we're golden.
Silvia caught on, winking at me when Melissa wasn't looking—a signal for a clean wrap-up.
Trusting her, I played dumb, bid farewell, and strolled out of the officetel. Imagining what those two would hash out next.
The next day.
"All sorted clean, Master!"
"What'd they talk about after I left?"
Silvia called the next morning. They'd chatted late into the dawn, crashing at the officetel. Things loosened up without me there, apparently.
She'd messaged right after Melissa bounced.
"Your pathetic act yesterday? Total bullseye. She's already mostly detached. Matches her usual drop-off reactions from Bianca's memories."
"Good, then?"
"Yep. She'll fade slow, then ghost completely. But you sure? No regrets over Melissa? One fuck and she'd be your bitch for life."
How the hell does she know I'm good in bed?
"With you around, why bother with Melissa? Too exhausting to keep close. Cleaner to cut ties."
Melissa was just Bianca-lite. Anything she could do, Silvia could too—she just wasn't bothering. As long as Silvia stuck around, Melissa held zero appeal.
"Hehe! Didn't know you rated me that high...! I'm touched!! Kyaa! Gotta visit the officetel next time? Pretty lingerie waiting♡"
"Yeah, hard pass. Anyway, keep tabs awhile. No screw-ups at the finish line."
"Master rewards me, and I'll hustle harder?"
"Sex?"
"Aing~ You know it!"
"Tch! Hands up again?"
"Hiiing!"
I hung up mercilessly. Meat treat later to make up.
I'd been dying to know how it'd play out, but hearing the update left me refreshed. Ready for a light-hearted day.
"How to make this vacation count~? Who to hit up?"
Quick rinse, dressed, headed out for checkout.
But.
"Sleep well, Haesol?"
"?!"
Melissa, standing right outside the hotel door. Absurd!
Wasn't it all settled?
No, first things first. "How'd you even know I was here?"
I'd picked a nearby hotel on impulse instead of the dorm, crashing for the night. Yet here she was.
Goosebumps.
"From yesterday's mess to showing up uninvited today—all here to apologize. Mind if I come in?"
She dodged how she'd tracked me down. I debated stonewalling—nothing to say—but felt the need to keep up the act from yesterday, so I stepped aside.
"Kinda thrown by the early-morning ambush."
She couldn't know, right? Guess that's why they say guilty consciences keep you up at night.
"Sorry. Seems I'm always apologizing."
"...No worries. I'll chalk it up to circumstances. Here about yesterday?"
"Yeah. Felt half-assed, so came to settle it proper. And apologize."
"Checkout's soon—can't stay long."
"Brief's fine."
Melissa stepped in briskly.
"......"
"......"
We settled awkwardly—first time ever alone like this. Silence hung heavy.
Melissa broke it first. "Ahem, procedure says apology upfront. Formally: I'm truly sorry. No excuse, even if emotional—shouldn't have said that. I'll own it and compensate."
"...Appreciate the apology. Didn't expect it so official."
"Yesterday's stunt must've shocked you. Total 'what the hell, why's she butting in?' vibes."
"......"
"Overstepped with no right. Sent you home, had a real talk with sis. Sisters scrap hard sometimes, but family's family—we patch quick. No sweat for Bianca."
"Hated feeling like I sparked it—glad you worked it out. Heard it ended well verbally, but without seeing, it nagged."
Sisters fighting that fierce? News to me yesterday.
Melissa blushed, embarrassed anew.
"They say couple fights cut like knives through water—sisters too, I guess. Relieved it didn't blow up. Best we both forget yesterday, yeah?"
"Forget? No! Don't."
"Huh?"
"Forgetting yesterday means voiding those words too."
"Wouldn't that be best for everyone?"
Can't we just wipe the slate clean? Melissa shut that down hard, no intention of letting go.
"Impossible. That officetel declaration? Unforgettable!"
"...The officetel words?"
What exactly? Too much to pinpoint.
I hesitated, and she huffed impatiently. "The 'let's date' one!"