Ahyun's Jealous Confrontation
Jealousy! I'm gonna die from jealousy!! Even just hearing it was enough to drive me insane—how am I supposed to hold back from this?
How could she not feel jealous when the man she loved was meeting another woman? Her friends had told her that since men were so rare, women just had to endure it, but Ahyun couldn't agree. She wanted him all to herself, to possess him completely. She wanted to scream that he was hers and no one could take him away.
No!! If I do that, he'll dump me!
All the women in the world endured it like this after getting married. The news was always ranting about the declining male birth rate. They even encouraged active pregnancies, saying it was the patriotic path to have more baby boys.
And yet if you have a girl, you're treated like yesterday's trash.
The male birth rate had been an issue even before Ahyun was born, and society had poured efforts into solving the shortage of men, creating all sorts of new systems. Monogamy had vanished, polygamy became the norm, and if a man insisted on marrying just one woman, he had to pay exorbitant fines.
If I marry Haesol, I'd have to accept at least four other women. Otherwise, we'd get fined.
The law demanded it, so she had no right to complain. The jealousy she felt right now was an emotion she wasn't even qualified to have. It was all for the survival of humanity.
Still... still... isn't it okay to be greedy? Our love just started budding!! Can't you understand just a little?
If only human hearts could be ruled by reason. But the world was brutally harsh to Ahyun, who had just begun her first real romance.
Can I at least monopolize Haesol for a little while?
She knew it was impossible, but Ahyun couldn't overcome the surging jealousy. Even if Haesol was cheating, she couldn't let him go. It wasn't her first time meeting a man, but he was the first one she'd truly fallen for and started dating. That might be why she was so obsessed.
"Kind Haesol... I don't want to lose him."
She had to find a way to protect Haesol from Teacher Rose. Crunch-crunch-crunch— In her anxiety, she gnawed at her nails. It wouldn't solve anything, but still.
How? How? How? How?
She had to reclaim his attention, his body that the other woman had stolen—everything. But no ideas came to mind.
I have to think of something! A way!
That was why she couldn't focus on work; her mind kept wandering as she racked her brain. With her thoughts completely elsewhere, there was no way she could do her job properly.
Ahyun could still hear that unfamiliar woman's moans echoing in her ears.
-Squish!
She was feeling it so intensely. I know. I've felt it too.
Ahyun knew exactly what kind of pleasure that woman's ecstatic moans represented. The bliss Haesol gave was impossible to endure.
It's too much—do it only to me. Don't give that to other women...!
-Zing! Her heart ached. Sharp, stinging—like a long needle piercing it.
He was mine... my man...!!
Tears welled up in Ahyun's eyes.
Teacher Rose is the bad one. Haesol's an idol trainee about to debut. A teacher shouldn't do that with her student. If this gets out, won't she get disciplined?
But if it became public, it would hurt Haesol too. It could even jeopardize his debut.
Absolutely not! I don't want him to hate me!
Then what? She couldn't just let that woman steal Haesol. So, the only option left was...?
In that moment, an idea thudded heavily into Ahyun's mind.
"That's it!!"
She'd thought of something worth trying.
Ahyun didn't want to drag this out. As soon as quitting time came around, she claimed she felt sick and got permission to leave early, then headed straight to Trainer Rose's private room.
Knock-knock-knock—
"Excuse me."
"Who's there?"
"Ah~! Good, you're still here. I was worried you'd already left for the day."
"You're not Ahyun?"
"Yes, hi. Long time no see?"
Rose hadn't personally trained Ahyun back when she was a trainee. She only took on promising, talented ones. But Rose made a point of remembering the trainees' names.
"I heard you quit training and got a job at the company."
"Yup, I just joined the Airplane dedicated team."
"Airplane dedicated team? You?"
Teacher Rose reacted sensitively. Ahyun swallowed hard, tension rising.
I even took a calming pill...
The nerves wouldn't fade. Her hands trembled so much she had to clasp them behind her back to hide it.
"Yes! I was so happy. Because I get to work for Haesol."
"Working for him makes you happy, huh... Well, you two were pretty close friends, right?"
"No! More than friends—I just want Haesol to succeed. I gave up trainee life, but I still have regrets. If he becomes a star, I can live vicariously through him. It'd help me move on. So, if there's anything blocking his future, I'll remove it, no matter what."
"...Remove it?"
A subtle battle of wits unfolded between Ahyun and Rose. Rose's woman's intuition told her Ahyun's words weren't simple.
"Hearing that makes it sound like there's something—or someone—in Haesol's way?"
"Yes, exactly."
"Oh? What could that be? Something hindering the future of Honey Enter's next big boy group?"
"Curious?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Then I'll tell you. It's..."
"It is?"
Gulp— Her mouth went dry from the tension. Ahyun squeezed her eyes shut and shouted.
"Teacher Rose—it's you!!"
I did it!! Ahyun opened her tightly shut eyes. No turning back now—she'd gone too far. Only forward!
"Hah!"
Opening her eyes, Ahyun startled at Rose right in her face. She figured the woman would panic since she had dirt on her. But Rose's expression was off.
No anxiety? Not even flustered? Even though I'm saying I know everything—how? What gives her this confidence?
A trainer touching a trainee—if exposed, she'd lose her job for sure. This was Rose's weakness.
"Why aren't you panicking? I know everything!"
"What do you think you know?"
"What you and Haesol did here!"
"Me and Haesol here? Hmm, no idea. What did we do?"
"Y-you want me to say it out loud?"
Rose crossed her arms, looking down at Ahyun with haughty composure. Ahyun was the one threatening, but anyone seeing this would think she was the victim.
"Say it."
"That..."
Clack! Rose stepped closer as Ahyun hesitated.
"I'm getting impatient—spit it out already."
"Eek!"
She couldn't just take this lying down. Steelng herself, Ahyun gritted her teeth and yelled.
"Sex! You had sex with Haesol here! I heard everything!"
"Oh~? How'd you know about that?"
"I heard it all from outside! Shameless!"
"Oops, guess so. Yeah, my room isn't soundproof. I'll admit it. So what? What do you want?"
"Stay away from Haesol. He's going to be a star. He's not for you to touch! Aren't you ashamed as a teacher? How brazen—to do that with a student!!"
Rose, who'd been listening quietly, burst into laughter. Ahyun's face flushed red with anger at Rose laughing in this situation.
"Ahaha!!"
"You're laughing now?"
"You're the brazen one here."
"Me?"
"Who else? Jealous and blackmailing me—who's calling who an obstacle? Don't you get in Haesol's way."
"Me an obstacle for Haesol? No way. You should back off without making excuses!"
Ahyun clenched her fists tightly.
I can't lose!
If she backed down to this woman now, she'd lose Haesol—a desperate crisis that left her no choice but to fight.
"We'll see. I've seen so many girls like you, maybe I should tell Haesol. You know what happens when girls like you lose it without knowing your place? You end up reported as stalkers, rotting in jail. With all the male-related crimes lately, stalking a guy can get you over ten years—not just one or two."
"Me, a stalker? Don't talk nonsense!! Don't change the subject. I'm talking about you messing with Haesol."
"Get a grip. Think your little stunt helps him? If your petty jealousy makes you blab to the company that Jin Haesol and I slept together, what do you think happens? Sure, I'd lose my job if it got out. But would it end with just me? What about Haesol?"
"Eek!"
She was completely cornered. Ahyun realized she'd lost the logical high ground. No more threats of "break up or else."
Rose had seen through her jealousy-fueled blackmail. Feeling jealousy meant she had feelings for Haesol. She could never do anything to harm the man she loved.
"You can't, right? You won't. So your threats don't work on me. How disappointed would Haesol be if he knew what you're doing, right before debut?"
"...If you love Haesol, please stop. I can't watch him get hurt because of you!"
"Why do you think he'd get hurt? As a vocal trainer, I've built up tons of fame and connections here. I can help him plenty—like hooking him up with great composers for his solo debut later."
"The company can do that too!"
"You think he'll be stuck at Honey Enter for ten years? Idols are a seasonal business. Most don't last seven years. Think beyond that. Twenty-seven's perfect for a solo debut, no?"
"......"
"And you—what can you do for him? Why don't you back off? Don't drag him down with your emotions."
"At least I wouldn't do something reckless like screwing Haesol at the company!! What if it had been someone else who caught you!!"
Tears brimmed in Ahyun's eyes. Rose sighed softly.
"That's why crying and threatening me isn't scary at all. I admit you tried hard...!"
"I'm not crying!!"
"Sure, sure. I get you're doing your best. But... whoa, you really are crying?"
"Hiiing...! This isn't... waaah...!!"
Rose patted Ahyun's back awkwardly as the girl broke into sobs. She stared in bewilderment.
"Living long, you see all kinds of things. Not turning in a cute little blackmailer to the cops, but comforting her instead."
Maybe because she'd known her since she was a minor, Ahyun still seemed like a kid even at twenty. Rose couldn't bring herself to go harder. She'd considered scolding her harshly, but seeing the timid girl's courage, she decided to admire it instead.
Haesol must've done something with Ahyun too, huh?
If nothing had happened, Ahyun wouldn't have mustered this much guts. There had to be something intense enough to flip her jealousy into overdrive.
That little punk's been messing with other girls behind my back?
She'd suspected it possible, given his insane libido. But with debut prep, she figured he had no time for others and had relaxed a bit.
Guess I need to strip that devious boy from head to toe?
Rose's eyes gleamed dangerously.