Dressed Up for a Confession
Ha Yeon-ah the Saintess — To be clear, Ha Yeon-u was Ha Yeon-ah's older sister. Her suspicion that her sister had a man in her life wasn't baseless. Her sister, who had never been one for meeting people, had suddenly started going out to keep appointments with someone. And when Ha Yeon-u asked who it was, she would brush it off vaguely and never say a word about the person she was meeting. Then there was the new S-rank hunter, Seong Ye-han, whom they'd met for the tiger raid — he hadn't seemed awkward at all around her sister, like it was their first time. And finally, the life-saving buff during the raid amid the attack by the S-rank outlaw Park Eun-hyeon...
If he'd just saved her life, Ha Yeon-u's guess might have been the delusion of a woman whose brain was pickled in romance novels. But when her sister, who hadn't given men a second glance for years, suddenly started having multiple meals together with him — and on top of that, he'd delivered that powerful rescue — it couldn't just be her being a hopeless romantic. So today, Ha Yeon-u decided to give her sister heading out on another "appointment" a little boost of courage.
"Hm-hm~ Hm-hm~"
A pleasant, slightly low-pitched voice for a woman, easy on the ears. Ha Yeon-ah sat obediently in front of the vanity mirror, letting her sister work her magic. Cosmetics she'd never bothered with out of laziness — whose names she didn't even know and still didn't understand now — were lined up in front of her, proudly displaying their vibrant colors.
"Sis, you don't have to do this."
"Nuh-uh! You're going out — you need to look the part!"
What was the problem? Ha Yeon-ah was sure her sister was laboring under some massive misunderstanding. Today was the day she'd arranged to hear Seong Ye-han's confession. She'd planned to head out as usual, mask and sunglasses on, but Ha Yeon-u had grabbed her firmly. And then, like she was scrubbing her down for a deep clean, her sister had polished her from head to toe for over an hour. Underwear, outerwear, makeup, accessories... every inch of Ha Yeon-ah now bore her sister's meticulous touch.
Looking in the mirror, she saw a version of herself so stunningly beautiful she was unrecognizable. She'd always known she was a beauty from others' reactions, but this was beyond imagination. For a moment, Ha Yeon-ah stared blankly, thinking, Is this... me?
"Hehe. Pretty, right? My little sister."
Her sister puffed out her chest, looking immensely proud, her face beaming with happiness and brightness. Ha Yeon-ah couldn't bring herself to tell her that all this had been utterly pointless. Her sister, who always worried about her, had even left a massive famous guild that anyone would recognize just to walk the thorny path with her. If her small patience could make her happy, Ha Yeon-ah could endure it.
"There, all done."
With a voice full of satisfaction, her sister's gentle hands finally pulled away. Nodding proudly like an artisan admiring her masterpiece.
"Now... off you go."
"Yeah..."
With those odd words, her sister finally let her go. Ha Yeon-ah left the house, trying to let her sister's "Fighting!" send-off go in one ear and out the other as she headed to meet Seong Ye-han.
Seong Ye-han stood in front of a massive hotel in Seoul. Even as an S-rank hunter who could now demolish a building like this with ease, the awe he felt gazing up at the towering modern architecture remained unchanged.
The meeting spot Ha Yeon-ah had sent was a restaurant on the hotel's first floor.
"Hmm..."
She'd already arrived, so for some reason, his feet wouldn't move. Of course, Seong Ye-han had things to say... but honestly, it was a situation no one would believe. He could understand the fury in Ha Yeon-ah's blazing eyes from back then, which made this tangled mess all the more uncomfortable.
To sort it out, he'd consulted Shin Ye-hwa, who said...
"Oppa, just pin her down and fuck her."
Since he was already branded trash, she told him to drag her to bed somehow and show her the heat. The indescribable absurdity he felt at Shin Ye-hwa thumbs-upping with "Oppa's dick will conquer that virgin in one go!" — who could understand?
"Conquering with dick...? Ye-hwa, haven't you watched too much of that stuff...?"
When he responded like that, her incredulous stare made him flinch a bit.
"Oppa, you already ate with that bitch Ha Yeon-ah before the raid, right?"
Frustrated with him, she thumped her chest (though her ample breasts muffled the sound) and added,
"That man-hating lesbian bitch eating with you is already proof she likes you. And you said she even tried to seduce you awkwardly? This time, saving her life just sealed the deal, oppa."
"..."
"Of course she'd get mad when the guy she likes suddenly pulls that weird shit. But you said she wants to meet separately to explain? In that situation, just lay it all out straight — what more words do you need?"
Shin Ye-hwa insisted he trust her since she was a woman.
"A normal girl wouldn't give you a chance for 'explanations' or whatever in that spot. She's already fallen for you! She's disappointed but can't let go! She's basically begging you to convince her."
"R-Really...?"
Seong Ye-han recalled Ha Yeon-ah's icy, frostbite glare from back then, but Shin Ye-hwa's insistence as a fellow woman shook him. It kinda made sense on the surface...?
"If you're still unsure, check the meeting spot or what she wore that day."
As he nodded thoughtfully, Shin Ye-hwa landed the final blow.
"Anyone could see she put in max effort. It's 100%."
Recalling Shin Ye-hwa's confident face, Seong Ye-han snapped out of his reminiscence. His chest still felt uneasy, but it was time to face Ha Yeon-ah, and he couldn't run. He took a deep breath, steeled himself, and stepped forward.
The spot was one from the list of her favorite restaurants they'd explored together. But instead of her usual private table, it was a wide-open seat by the window with a clear view of the street.
"You're here."
Even with sunglasses hiding her face, her beauty's aura overflowed. Despite his own mask, she recognized him instantly and spoke coldly.
Her hair was tied up in a neat ponytail, clearly time and effort poured in. Through the semi-transparent black lenses, her face was more stunning than any version Seong Ye-han had seen before. Full-on makeup that anyone could tell was done with serious intent. But what overwhelmed was her outfit.
Her beige coat hung open — thanks to the indoor heating — revealing her luscious upper body in all its glory. A sheer see-through look that hinted at what lay beneath. Massive swells that no man could ignore, supported by black lingerie that peeked subtly — seductive without being vulgar, clearly designed to tempt the mind.
"Uh..."
Shin Ye-hwa's earlier shouts echoed in his head again. Go, oppa. Go.Is this... for real?
Clutching his pounding heart, Seong Ye-han sat down in front of Ha Yeon-ah.
In this open seat visible to all, the man and woman were gradually — but noticeably — raising their voices in argument. Naturally, it was Seong Ye-han and Ha Yeon-ah.
The initial "maybe?" flutter Seong Ye-han felt upon seeing her was long gone. Ha Yeon-ah kept parroting "Explain! Explain!" like a myna bird, while Seong Ye-han frustratingly replied, "No, really, my special ability does that!"
She shot back, "How am I supposed to believe that? Everyone knows your ability is just body enhancement — quit bullshitting."
When he asked, "Then how do I prove it?", she hit him with "Stop lying, apologize for the bullshit, and break up with I-rae."
He countered, "Should I prove it to I-rae then? She still has curse energy left?"
Ha Yeon-ah refused: "I-rae's already head over heels for you — she'd cover for you even if you're lying."
Finally, exhausted, Seong Ye-han asked, "Then what the hell do you want?"
Ha Yeon-ah demanded: "Admit the lie, kneel and apologize, then break up with I-rae."
"Ha. Fuck."
"What?!"
Finally, the frustration choking him made Seong Ye-han spit out the curse. The brief thrill from her outfit and Shin Ye-hwa's words was just that — brief. This bitch really was crazy.
Continuing like this would just draw stares and give him a headache, so he offered a compromise.
"I'll handle things with I-rae myself, so stay out of it... Kneel and apologize... Sigh... Fine, I'll do it. But too many eyes here now — not here."
"Then where?"
Thinking he'd surrendered, Ha Yeon-ah's tone turned triumphant. Seong Ye-han barely held back from slapping that smug face. As crazy as she seemed, she was I-rae's precious guild boss and close sister-figure.
"It's a hotel — we'll get a room and do it there."
"What? You think I'd go into a room alone with a rapist like you?"
Rapist... Seong Ye-han forced down his twisting expression and continued. An apology was a small price if it meant cutting this weirdo out for good.
"If you're that worried, keep I-rae on video call. If I do anything weird, she'll know right away, and your goal's achieved."
Ha Yeon-ah pondered, then nodded. Seong Ye-han quickly opened his hologram tab, called I-rae, and explained roughly. Sensing her suppressed anger, I-rae warmly encouraged him: "Sunbae, got it. You got this. Fighting!"
With her prior confession during his sick visit, I-rae would understand whatever he said to Ha Yeon-ah. Thus, Seong Ye-han and Ha Yeon-ah pushed through the murmuring crowd, rented a hotel room, and headed up.
The room was impeccably clean and spacious, befitting the hotel. Ha Yeon-ah haughtily shrugged off her coat onto the rack, sat in a chair, and crossed her legs arrogantly. She fiddled with her hologram tab, positioning it to record — infuriatingly presumptuous.
"Well? Do it, rapist."
She was thrilled... Seeing Ha Yeon-ah's twisted smirk for the first time reignited his barely contained rage.
Thinking it over again, it was utter bullshit. He hadn't lied or hurt her. Hell, he'd saved her life. She should be grateful...
Fuck.
"Rapist... Rapist..."
Those three syllables she'd spat echoed in his mind. Seong Ye-han looked at Ha Yeon-ah's insolent face again. Honestly, she was fucking gorgeous. A beauty done up like this was destructively powerful. And he wanted to twist that pretty bitch's face in ecstasy.
If she wanted to call him a rapist so bad... maybe he should become one for real? Like the saying — if someone's gonna hate you for no reason, give them one.
A dark flame ignited in Seong Ye-han's chest. Little did she know her prey was a hunter... exposing herself so defenselessly.